Perfect Harmony with the Universe for a Purposeful Life

Self-awareness is the ability to understand one’s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and values. It is the foundation of effective leadership because it allows leaders to recognize their own biases and limitations, and to make better decisions based on that knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in several verses and let us see one such sloka, 6.29

"सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि। ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शनः।।" - Bhagavad Gita 6.29

This is a cryptic sloka. Shankaracharya’s commentary would help us to understand the connection to Self-Awareness. Giving below the English translation of Shankaracharya’s commentary for 6.29:

"Yoga-yukta-atma, one who has his mind self-absorbed through Yoga, and sarvatra-sama-darsanah, who has the vision of sameness everywhere-who knowledge of identity of the Self and Brahman everywhere (sarvatra) without exception, in all divergent objects beginning from Brahma to immovable things; iksate, sees; atmanam, the Self, his own Self; sarva-bhuta-stham, existing in everything; and sarva-bhutani, everything from Brahma to a clump of grass; unified atmani, in his Self."

The fruit of this realization of the unity of the Self is being stated:

To make it simple, “Those who are wise see themselves in all and all in them, and thus they remain in perfect harmony with the universe.” (6.29)

This verse highlights the idea that self-awareness is not just about understanding oneself but is also about recognizing one’s connection to the world around them. A leader who is self-aware is more likely to be empathetic, compassionate, and able to build strong relationships with their team members. A team member who is self-aware is more likely to be collaborative and able to build better rapport and relationship for best possible teamwork, relationship with the community, customers, partners and so on and so forth.

Famous Greek philosopher Aristotle remarked:

“Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human. Society is something that precedes the individual. Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god.”

Bhagavad Gita extends the concept of this awareness to the UNIVERSE, living as well as non-living. Yogis remain in perfect harmony with the UNIVERSE, everything in this UNIVERSE.

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