UdyamGita

An entrepreneur should have a goal, but not be attached to it. That is when he can adjust his actions with a balanced mind, considering all parameters, both external and internal. He focuses on repeatedly doing the right actions, tweaking them as per new circumstances and conditions, and avoiding mistakes by learning from failure.

Many entrepreneurs, once they have a functioning team and structure in place, stop working actively. They mostly focus on guiding the team without getting involved in day to day operations. Initially, this may look fine because the entrepreneur’s experience is still relevant. But as time goes by, he moves away from reality, latest developments, real time limitations, and the actual strengths and weaknesses of the system and people. As a result, the organization may not receive the right guidance from him. Slowly, the system may start collapsing because he tends to give substandard advice due to outdated or irrelevant knowledge. To run a business effectively, one has to be actively involved in doing all the relevant work as per roles and responsibilities.

This is possible when the entrepreneur stops working for worldly desires. If worldly desires become the goals, they may or may not be fulfilled. If they are fulfilled, the desire to work dies because he feels he has achieved what he wanted from the business. If they are not fulfilled, he may get frustrated and fall into a negative cycle of thoughts followed by negative actions. But if the entrepreneur focuses on addressing customer pain points and contributing to society and nation building, he will always see a higher purpose in his work. This keeps him actively involved in day to day operations and execution.

An entrepreneur who has started a business recently has to work hard and put his heart, mind, and soul into the business. He must keep working hard, stay focused on the goal in hand, and practice detachment, mindfulness, and impartiality until these qualities become habits. Once they become natural to him, he will execute his business with calmness, a steady mind, and ease. It is like an undercurrent, peaceful on the outside and fast and powerful on the inside. The system should appear to run smoothly on its own, with minimal intervention required from the entrepreneur. The time needed to execute the same tasks may reduce, but the impact will remain the same. Now he can take up tasks of personal interest, as he has more time available.

When an entrepreneur does not work for materialistic gain, his vision and actions become wider and deeper. His true calling becomes the happiness of the customer, and thereby the happiness of people and the system around him. He neither works for external validation nor remains attached to results. His continuous focus shifts to improving the service or product of the business and delighting customers and people through it.

Krishna redefines two commonly misunderstood ideas—Sanyās (renunciation) and Yoga. Renunciation is not about withdrawing from action, rituals, or responsibilities. True renunciation lies in acting without dependence on the fruits of action.

Krishna further explains the journey of inner mastery:

• In the early stage, disciplined action is the path.
• In the mature stage, inner calm and self-restraint sustain progress.

One is considered firmly established in Yoga only when attachment—to both sense pleasures and outcomes of action—has dissolved.

Business Insight

For an entrepreneur, this is a powerful operating principle.

You must have a goal, but not be imprisoned by it.

When a founder is overly attached to outcomes—valuation, recognition, exit, or personal wealth—decision-making becomes distorted. Success breeds complacency (“I’ve arrived”), while setbacks breed frustration (“Why isn’t this working?”). Both weaken execution.

Detachment, on the other hand, sharpens clarity.

A balanced entrepreneur:

• Keeps adjusting actions with a calm mind
• Evaluates both external realities (market, competition, customers) and internal realities (team capability, systems, personal bias)
• Repeats what works, refines what partially works, and discards what fails—without ego

A common entrepreneurial trap appears once a business gains structure and a functioning team. The founder slowly withdraws from day-to-day work, assuming experience alone is enough. Initially, things seem fine. But over time, distance from ground reality creates blind spots—outdated assumptions, irrelevant advice, and poor strategic calls. Slowly, the system begins to decay.

Krishna’s message is clear: Yoga is not withdrawal from work; it is right engagement with work. To lead well, an entrepreneur must stay meaningfully involved in execution, aligned with role and responsibility, not detached from reality.

Leadership Lesson

The founder’s journey mirrors Krishna’s stages of Yoga:

• Early stage (Ārurukṣu):
• Work relentlessly. Put heart, mind, and soul into the business. Build discipline, mindfulness, neutrality, and detachment through action.
• Mature stage (Yogārūḍha):
• Calmness becomes natural. The mind is steady, actions are precise, and effort feels effortless.
• Like a strong undercurrent—peaceful on the surface, powerful underneath.

At this stage, systems appear to run on their own. The founder intervenes less, yet impact remains high. Tasks that once took hours now take minutes—but with the same depth and effectiveness. Freed from compulsive execution, the entrepreneur can now engage creatively, strategically, and joyfully.

This maturity is possible only when work is no longer driven by materialistic craving, but by purpose—solving customer pain points, serving society, and contributing to nation-building.

Key Takeaways

• Renunciation in business is not quitting action, but quitting attachment to results
• Goals guide direction; detachment preserves clarity
• Founders must stay connected to execution, not just delegation
• Early-stage entrepreneurship demands intense action with conscious discipline
• Maturity brings calm efficiency—less effort, same or greater impact
• Purpose-driven work sustains long-term involvement and relevance
• When outcomes are not the obsession, customers naturally become the focus