Ethical Leadership and Virtuous Living: Insights from Viduranīti

Abstract

The Vedic view of life is based on the idea that man is an integral part of the global family-”Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”. This epithet is the hallmark of the cultural attitude and it holds relevance for the smooth survival of the Universe. This message of universal brotherhood, along with keeping alive the ethical measures of living, can be found in our ancient literature. Our ancient texts, especially Mahabharata , foster the idea of good governance, ethics ,discipline, behaviour ,cognitive learning and observation. These management techniques depicted in Mahabharata is a process of aligning people and are essential for an organized life. The novel concepts of being ethical, moral and socially responsible is discussed widely in Viduraniti. Strategy and leadership, team spirit,excellence in governance, are some of the techniques used in Viduraniti. This paper is a humbly attempt to revisit the pedagogy of our ancient literature and the management of crucial situations in life.