UdyamGita

Mokṣha Sanyāsa Yoga

Chapter 18 - Verse 20,21,22

सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते |
अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् || 20||
पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् |
वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम् || 21||
यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् |
अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् || 22||

Translation

That knowledge which is about the nature of the imperishable Lord
Almighty as an independent entity residing in everyone and everything, yet
different from them, and superior to them is sattvic.

That knowledge which teaches that everyone and everything in the
Universe is different from each other and from the Lord but does not teach
about the supremacy of the Lord is rajasic.

Knowledge that tries to equate the individual to inert matter or to the
Lord and is based on misinterpretation of the scriptures is tamasic.

Unfiltered First Take

Saatvik entrepreneur is one who is empathetic, who sees a spark in every individual, respects that spark, and puts in effort to ignite it and channel that energy towards a common goal. He ties everyone together with a shared goal and vision.

Rajasik entrepreneur is one who considers every individual as different from him and believes he is superior to them. He places himself above others and tries to get work done by understanding what motivates individuals and by providing those benefits, rather than uniting them around a common goal.

Tamasik entrepreneur is one who does not consider the human aspects of people, but focuses only on getting the work done. He does not consider uplifting the lives and careers of employees, and instead puts enormous pressure to get tasks done at any cost. He is a workaholic and expects people around him to also be workaholics.

UdyamGita Interpretation

Krishna now explains that not all knowledge is equal. Knowledge itself is shaped by the three guṇas, and the way a leader perceives people and reality determines how they act, decide, and lead.

The distinction is subtle but decisive:

Is your understanding integrative, fragmented, or distorted?

Business Insight

These three kinds of knowledge manifest clearly in entrepreneurial leadership styles:

Sāttvik Entrepreneur (Knowledge of Wholeness): Such a leader sees an undivided essence in everyone. He recognizes the inner spark in each individual and respects it. His leadership effort goes into igniting that spark and channeling diverse energies toward a shared vision and common goal. People feel included, valued, and aligned.
Rājasik Entrepreneur (Knowledge of Separation): This leader sees people primarily as separate individuals, fundamentally different from himself—and often inferior. He positions himself above others and drives performance by manipulating motivations: incentives, rewards, fear, or ambition. Work gets done, but alignment is temporary and transactional.
Tāmasik Entrepreneur (Distorted Knowledge): This is leadership driven by a fragmented and shallow view of reality. Human aspects are ignored. The focus is only on output—at any cost. Such leaders overload teams, glorify overwork, and reduce people to resources. They are workaholics who expect everyone else to be the same.

Each style produces results—but at vastly different human and organizational costs.

Leadership Lesson

Krishna’s warning is sharp:

Partial understanding masquerading as complete knowledge is the most dangerous.

Tāmasik leadership often appears decisive and intense, but it is rooted in ignorance. It destroys trust, creativity, and long-term sustainability.

Rājasik leadership delivers results through control and incentives, but it never creates belonging.

Only sāttvik knowledge builds enduring organizations—because it aligns people, purpose, and performance into one coherent system.

The leader’s worldview silently shapes the culture long before any policy does.

Key Takeaways

Knowledge itself operates in three modes
Sāttvik leaders unite people around a shared vision
Rājasik leaders drive results through individual incentives
Tāmasik leaders ignore human growth in pursuit of output
How a founder sees people determines how the organization evolves

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