326 Int. J. Indian Culture and Business Management, Vol. 2, No.

3, 2009

An Indian leadership perspective from literature

works of Poet Kannadasan

Balakrishnan Muniapan*
School of Business,
Swinburne University of Technology,
Sarawak Campus, Jalan Simpang Tiga,
Kuching 93576, Sarawak, Malaysia
E-mail: mbalakrsna@yahoo.com
*Corresponding author

Mohan Dass
Faculty of Business and Enterprise,
Swinburne University of Technology,
John Street, Hawthorn,
Victoria 3122, Australia
Fax: +61 3 98192117
E-mail: dmohan@groupwise.swin.edu.au

Abstract: This article provides an Indian (Tamilian) leadership perspective by

the legendary Poet Kannadasan. The article is based on hermeneutics
(a qualitative research methodology) which includes content (song) analysis,
besides leadership interpretations from the Ramayana, Mahabharata (includes
the Bhagavad-Gita) and other ancient Indian literatures. Swami
Chinmayananda (2003) asserted that from time to time, there is a need for us
to look and re-look at these ancient literatures and provide intelligent
interpretation and re-interpretation to apply effectively in the modern context
of leadership. Unlike the western approach to leadership which focuses in
exploring the external world of matter and energy, the literary writer
Kannadasan recommends a leadership approach which focuses on exploring
the inner world of the self. This means the leadership of the self first before any
other type of leadership. This approach is also consistent with the teachings
of the ancient Indian and other ancient East Asian philosophies such as
Confuicianism and Taoism. The prospects of analysing Kannadasan’s other
Tamil songs and ancient Indian literatures in the areas of management and
people development such as communication, work motivation, conflict
handling, values and attitude improvements can be considered for future
research.

Keywords: Indian leadership, Indian values, Tamil cinema, Tamil song.

Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Muniapan, B. and Dass, M.

(2009) ‘An Indian leadership perspective from literature works of Poet
Kannadasan’, Int. J. Indian Culture and Business Management, Vol. 2, No. 3,
pp.326–340.

Biographical notes: Balakrishnan Muniapan, MSc. HRM (UK), BEcons

(UKM) currently teaches HRM at the Swinburne University of Technology,
Sarawak Campus in Malaysia. He had previously taught at the Curtin

Copyright © 2009 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

 An Indian leadership perspective from literature works of Poet Kannadasan 327

University of Technology (Sarawak Campus), BIMC in Beijing, China and

Economics at Disted and Rima in Penang, Malaysia. He is also considered by
many scholars as a pioneer in promotion of Vedic HRM approach in Malaysia
and often an invited speaker for various HRM conferences in Malaysia and
abroad. He has published several articles, book chapters and international
journal articles. He has also presented HRM-related papers at academic
conferences in several countries in Asia and Australia.

Mohan Dass, PhD (Melbourne), MBA (EAU, Macau), BA (Hons) USM,

Malaysia, is currently the Programme Director, Master of Management at the
Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. He has written
several conference articles, journals, research papers and is actively involved in
major research projects, including an SME study of Western European
Companies and the Management of FTZs in Penang. He is also an External
Moderator for several International Colleges with relationship to the Australian
Universities. His previous position includes being the Vice-President
(Academic) for a Malaysian College; Manager, HRM, and Management Staff
Member of the Penang Economic Development Corporation.

1 Introduction

Leadership is one of the most researched subjects and an interesting topic of discussions
around the world. Generally, leadership is defined as the process of influencing the
activities of an individual or a group in efforts towards achieving certain goals. The word
‘influencing’ can be substituted with other words such as transforming, empowering,
driving, motivating and inspiring. In leadership, the leader is the key in transforming the
followers. The leader is the most important element in leadership. The personality,
behaviour and character of the leader are an important determinant for success of any
organisation, society and country. Napoleon Bonaparte once said that he would have an
army of rabbits led by a lion than an army of lions led by a rabbit (Sheh, 2003). It is the
leader who navigates and provides vision and mission for his1 people. In most
organisation, societies and countries, the failure or poor performance whether
economically, politically or socially are not due to poor administration but poor
leadership. Therefore, leadership is the life force and the spirit of an organisation that
holds everything together. The wise leader uses the force from within to inspire and
motivate his people. Without the leader, an organisation, a society and a country are
merely collection of people (Sheh, 2003).
A review of leadership literature reveals that many leadership theories and concepts
from the western world and has been in dominance over the last two centuries due to the
widespread use of English language. However, several western leadership theories and
concepts popularised today by the west, have been in existence and have been in practice
in Asian countries especially in India and in China for centuries. However, these
leadership practices were not in the context of management, but in the context of state or
political governance, with kings playing major leadership roles.
The study of leadership is also culture specific and the practice of leadership is deeply
attached to culture. Sharma (2001) argues that for a leadership to be effective, it has to be
rooted in the cultural soil of the country, where it is practiced. Owing to the crucial role
played by culture, cross-cultural leadership studies have also caught the attention of many
328 B. Muniapan and M. Dass

researchers in the last fifty years. Studies of leadership styles have revealed that there are
not only differences in the styles preferred by followers in different national cultures, but
also the specific behaviours (Shahin and Wright, 2004). Recognising this importance of
culture in leadership, many communities and countries in the world are now trying to
discover and explore their own system of leadership. In the Malaysian context, the
current Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is also promoting an
approach called Islam Hadhari or civilisation Islam, in which leadership is, also included
(Swee Hock and Kesavapany, 2006:39).
Presently, the interest in the studies of Asian leadership is growing due to the growth
of the many Asian economies especially Japan, the four tigers (Singapore, South Korea,
Taiwan and Hong Kong, which is now a part of China), China and India. India, in terms
of geography, population size and cultural influence, is currently the most important
nation in Asia due to the consistent high economic growth rates over recent decades. As a
result an interest in studying leadership systems, culture in the Indian context is necessary
not only for the foreign multi-national operating in India, but also the Indians themselves
who live in India and around the world.
In recent times, Maruyama (1994) was one of the authors who explored the Asian
context of leadership beginning with wide understanding of Japanese leadership three
decades ago. As for the Chinese leadership, the discussion and the studies are also
growing in recent years especially based on the literatures on Confucianism and Sun Tzu
Art of War. Today, the Sun Tzu’s Art of War and the teachings of Confucius are used
widely in the leadership and several studies have been conducted to integrate
Confucianism in leadership and the war strategies of Sun Tzu in the context of strategic
leadership. We should also note that besides China, countries such as Japan, Korea,
Taiwan, Vietnam and Singapore are significantly influenced by Confucian philosophical
teachings (Gannon, 2004).
Similarly, the Indian leadership also has a strong philosophical tradition which
continues to sustain the interpersonal world in Indian organisations. The Indian
civilisation, with recorded history of more than 5000 years is one of the oldest
civilisations in the world and the contribution of India and Indians to this world is
enormous in various fields of knowledge. Several ancient Indian classics such as the
Valmiki Ramayana2, the Mahabharata3 (includes the Bhagavad-Gita4), the Puranas5, etc
offers several leadership lessons which are be useful even in the modern context,
although many of these literature were written more than 5000 years ago. In the Indian
context, the leadership studies should also focus on development of indigenous leadership
models, which revolve around Indian cultural roots and values (Panda and Gupta, 2007).

2 The broad purpose of this article

Research works in analysing ancient Indian literature in the context of modern leadership
practices are indeed limited. Indian6 leadership in particular, are still focusing in applying
western models of leadership practices due to the wealth of western leadership and
management literature and concepts available. Besides, many of the new generation of
Indian leaders have received their education in leadership from western countries
(especially in the UK and the USA) (Muniapan, 2006).
According to Arindam Chaudhuri, one of the proponents of Theory ‘I’ Management
or Indian management (also includes leadership) while India may claim to have some of
 An Indian leadership perspective from literature works of Poet Kannadasan 329

the best management and leadership schools in the world, most Indian organisations have
not been able to do well internationally. Among the reasons cited is the failure of Indian
management to develop the indigenous management style, which revolves around
Indian cultural roots and upbringing. He (Arindam Chaudhuri) further asserted that an
Indian grows up in a social system where family loyalty and sense of belongingness is
paramount and with this type of background, he or she may not be able to adjust or fit
into the job environment practicing American philosophies of individualistic, direct, low
power distance and contractual style of management (Chaudhuri, 2003).
According to a Goldman Sachs (one of the world’s most prestigious investment
banks) report recently, Brazil, Russia, India and China can become a much larger force in
the world economy over the next 50 years. The report said India could emerge the
world’s third largest economy as it had the potential for achieving the fastest growth over
the next 30 to 50 years (The Star, Monday, 11 September, 2006). As a result, it is
imperative that India should focus its effort on human resource development, among
which management development of managers is essential.
In an earlier study by Hofstede in 1983 on ‘National Cultures in Four Dimension’
(cited in Deresky, 2007, pp.93–96), India is high in power distance as employees
acknowledge and respect the authority of the manager based on his or her legitimate
power and they seldom bypass the chain of command. Besides high power distance, India
has a low uncertainty avoidance which means managers have a propensity for low risk
aversions and employees exhibit little aggressiveness in businesses. India also has low
masculinity and low individualism, which means group, family and society, are more
important than the individuals. As a result a management culture which is based on high
individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and low power distance, might be
limited in the context of Indian management and leadership culture (Hofstede, 2005;
Gorden, Thomas and Schmit, 2007). On reflection of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions for
Indian leadership values, it might be appropriate for Indians to revisit management and
leadership models from their own cultural roots. Therefore, the purpose of this article is
to explore the leadership perspective from Indian literature works such as from the
re-known works of Poet Kannadasan. His literary work contains essential planks for
leadership development in the Indian (Tamilan) context.

3 Methodology

This article is based on a qualitative research methodology called hermeneutics.

Hermeneutics is related to the name of the Greek god Hermes in his role as the interpreter
of the messages of the gods. In the current context, hermeneutics can be described as the
interpretation and understanding of ancient literatures and religious texts and can also be
applied to interpret songs. It is also used in contemporary philosophy to denote the study
of theories and methods of the interpretation of all texts and systems of meaning. The
concept of ‘text’ is here extended beyond written documents to any number of objects
subject to interpretation, such as experiences. A hermeneutic is defined as a specific
system or method for interpretation, or a specific theory of interpretation. The scope of
hermeneutics also includes the investigation and interpretation not only of ancient texts,
but also of human behaviour generally, including language and patterns of speech, social
institutions and ritual behaviours. Hermeneutics is widely applied in many field of social
330 B. Muniapan and M. Dass

science such as philosophy, religion and theology, law, sociology and also international
relations7.
Analysis of songs and its messages also involves the understanding of the language
used and the interpretation of its contents. The Aandavan kattalai, was written by Poet
Kannadasan in Tamil language. Besides Sanskrit, Tamil is one of the ancient languages
of the world with records in the language dating back over two millennia. Tamil is
spoken predominantly by Tamil people originating from India. It has official status in
India, Singapore and Sri Lanka and is also spoken by Indian minorities in Malaysia,
Mauritius, South Africa and around the world (Raymond, 2005). The analysis of Tamil
songs requires a good mastery of the language in which it is written. Although both
authors are not educated in Tamil (received early education in Malaysia in Malay
language), they speak fluent Tamil and have a good understanding of the language in
terms of its history, culture and tradition. The translation of Aandavan kattalai used in
this article is not a direct translation as several words in Tamil or other Indian language
do not have equivalent in English.

4 Background of the Tamil cinema industry and Poet Kannadasan

In the Indian context, besides the ancient literatures, poems and songs that reflect on
leadership qualities have been written to convey numerous lessons to Indian communities
around the world. For instance, The Bhagavad-Gita which was delivered by Sri Krishna
to Arjuna more than 5000 years ago in Kurukshetra, India, is also in the form of songs
(geetam). The songs are constantly sung in reminder and applied in modern lifestyle of
Indians to this day. Such is the might of these lyrics. Today, lyrics are mostly written for
cinemas in India and in the Indian context research reveals that the cinemas in the
twentieth century have formed a major part of mass communication and have also served
as mass-entertainment to people of different socio-economic status (Bhawani, 1994).
Together with the lyrics and movie, the Indian cinema industry especially Tamil,
Telugu and Hindi film industries has created many politicians. To name a few
Tamil film stalwarts turned leading politicians such as CN Annadurai8, M.G.
Ramachamdran (MGR)9, M. Karunanidhi10 and J. Jayalalitha11. Telugu movie-politician
such as NT Rama Rao12; Hindi stars such as Amitabh Bachan13, Rajesh Khanna14,
Shatrughan Sinha15, Dharmendra16, Vinod Khanna17 and Govinda18. Many of the cinema
lyrics are written specially for the actors to capture and retain the audience and their
interest throughout the movie which last for three hours. The song-writers are like
novelists or poets who want the audience to think, react or be affected, in some way. The
writers impart to the audience through the movie stars ‘the message’ which they intent to
say through the songs. These lyrics are much beyond the purpose of only providing
simple entertainment. The intangible meaning that carries in the lyrics relates to every
aspect of human life that is meant to teach, encourage, motivate, remind, inform,
influence, inspire and develop people. Essentially, these songs serve a social function to
strengthen the circle of society. While some other songs sought to impart to individuals
of his roles and responsibilities to the society and nation. In addition, a number of songs
lyrics also give an inspiration for life. It provides a powerful message to motivate one’s
life and fight against any obstacles that stops the progress (Muniapan, et al, 2006).
In examining the history of Tamil cinema, there is a history of poets who have
contributed outstanding lyrics. The power of the words and lyrics which were used by the
 An Indian leadership perspective from literature works of Poet Kannadasan 331

Tamil song-writers act as a strong instrument to provide hopes in hopeless situation and
also power in powerless lives. Hence, the Tamil songs become important components of
mass media to deliver the intended message to the audience, incorporated with the
interesting storyline. Among the great lyric writers for the Tamil songs from 1944 to
1981 was Poet Kannadasan who is also known as Kavi Arasu (translated as a king of
poets). He had made great impact on the life of the Tamils worldwide. To Tamils (Indian)
worldwide, Poet Kannadasan is a legendary poet, writer and lyricist. He is remembered as
the lyricist who created several thousand songs for the Tamil films from 1944 till his
death in 1981. His lyrics are noted for their depth of feeling and thought conveyed in
simple, yet elegant language. The song lyrics, written by Poet Kannadasan have
contributed extensively to the development of the Tamil community worldwide through
the powerful messages of his songs which encompasses all aspects of human life. For
Tamils worldwide he (Kannadasan) epitomised Tamil poetry as even the illiterates who
cannot read and memorise the poetry of Kamban (Kamba Ramayana) or the maxims of
Thiruvalluvar (Thirukkural), can hum the compositions (paadalgal) of Poet Kannadasan
(Sri Kantha, 1991).
Sri Kantha (1991) also describes his (Poet Kannadasan) remarkable song lyrics
contribution to the Indian film industry as follows
“…. If only Kannadasan had been born in Europe or the USA, instead of
Sirukuudalpatti village in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, he
probably would have become a Nobel laureate in literature and received
international recognition. But on the other hand, Tamils would have lost a
goliard, who composed lyrics in Tamil from every sentimental moment they
experience in life….”
The lyrics composed by Poet Kannadasan touched the sympathetic chords of Tamils from
all walks of life – school boys, undergrads, housewives, farmers, manual labourers,
plantation workers, middle class representatives and even upper class elites (cited in
Muniapan, et al, 2006).
Poet Kannadasan’s songs and his messages were very powerful. The politicians in
Tamil Nadu used his songs from 1950s to late 1970s for their political purposes. In 1962,
when the Ceylon (Sri Lanka) government treated the Tamils badly, Poet Kannadasan led
a protest rally against the Ceylon government in Madras. When this news reached the
authorities in Ceylon they imposed a blanket ban on all Poet Kannadasan songs over
Radio-Ceylon with immediate effect. But, after a week it so happened that the ban was
unofficially lifted and Radio-Ceylon began to broadcast Poet Kannadasan songs. Without
Poet Kannadasan songs Radio-Ceylon could not survive and it was true because that was
a period where every other third song released was by Poet Kannadasan (Mahendra Raj,
Unknown). Poet Kannadasan produced approximately 5000 movie songs lyrics, however,
in this article the song Aandavan kattalai (the supreme commandments) has been selected
and analysed from the context of leadership.

5 Aandavan kattalai or the supreme commandments (1964)

Aandavan kattalai or loosely translated as the supreme commandments which was

composed in 1964, was themed after the teachings of Swami Vivekananda19. Poet
Kannadasan realised that the ordinary people were unable to read about the philosophy of
Swami Vivekananda; hence, in this song he had simplified the works of great philosopher
332 B. Muniapan and M. Dass

and spiritualist for the benefit of illiterate or semi-illiterate people in the society.
T.M.Soundarajan20 sang the song with the acting wonderfully done by Sivaji Ganesan21.
Aandavan kattalai expounds six commandments for effective leadership, development of
human values and harmonious human relations regardless of race, ethnicity and religion.
A deeper analysis of this song also reveals essential leadership lessons to strengthen our
characters and develop our personality. The song begins with following lines:
“aaru maname aaru andha aandavan kattalai aaru; serndhu manidhan
vaazhumvagaikku dheivaththin kattalai aaru ” (The supreme commandments
are six for us to live successfully in a society and foster unity among the living
entities).
It is often said that a man is a social animal and without society he is nothing but animal.
This is collectivism which holds that the individual is not an end to himself, but is only a
tool to serve the ends of the group. Collectivism, unlike individualism, holds the group as
the primary and the standard of moral value. Like other Asian societies, Indians are
collectivist in nature. This was also asserted by Hofstede (1983) in his studies of culture
and value dimensions in the international context (cited in Deresky 2007) that an
important principle of leadership in a collective society is the subordination of individual
interest to the organisation, the societal or the national interest. We have seen a practical
example of this in Ramayana, when Sri Rama (king) had to make the painful decision to
banish Sita (queen) from Ayodhya. Sri Rama as an ideal king had to uphold the honour of
his dynasty. He needed to set examples for all generation to follow. Although Sri Rama’s
decision to banish Sita may seem to be harsh, the king or the leader sometimes needs to
be harsh, as the first duty of the king is to rule his people while other considerations are
secondary, even if they affect personal happiness (Muniapan, 2005a, 2007). Kautilya22 in
his Arthashastra also maintains that a leader (king) should have no self-interest,
happiness and joy for himself, his satisfaction lies in the welfare (happiness) of his
people, i.e. he has to submerge his personality into the larger personality of his people.
Kautilya states prajasukhe sukham rajnah prajanam cha hite hitam; natmapriyam hitam
rajnah prajanam tu priyam hitam (in the happiness of his subject lies the happiness of the
king; and in their welfare lies his welfare, he shall not consider as good only that which
pleases him but treat as beneficial to him, whatever pleases his subjects). This is also
has a relevance to the modern concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Thiruvalluvar in Thirukural had also dealt with CSR on the characteristics of a well-run
leadership, when talking about the responsibility of a king (leader), Thiruvalluvar quote
“Murai saithu kapatrum mannavan makkalkku iraiyentru vaikkapadum” (the
king who administers justice and protects his people will be considered of
divine quality).
and
“Irai kakkum vayyakam ellam avanai murai kakkum muttacheyin” (the leader
or king protects the world and if he acts according to justice or dharma, then
justice itself will protect him)(Vittal, 2004)
These ancient CSR concept bahujana sukhaya bahujana hitayacha – the welfare of the
many and the happiness of the many need integrated into the area of corporate leadership
as the basic principle (Muniapan and Dass, 2008).
 An Indian leadership perspective from literature works of Poet Kannadasan 333

6 Leaders should set examples

In the second paragraph of Aandavan kattalai, Poet Kannadasan penned the following
lines:
“onre solvaar onre seivaar ullaththil ulladhu amaidhi; inbaththil thunbam
thunbaththil inbam iraivan vaguththa niyadhi ”(A leader who walks his talk and
talks his walk will attain the happiness within; sorrow within happiness and
happiness within sorrow are all works of divine).
Walking the talk and talking the walk is also one of the key requirements for effective
leadership, as it is often said that a man who is full of words, but not deeds is like a
garden full of weeds. Leadership is an essential element for the progress and development
of any community or organisation. Leadership is all about the ability to influence, inspire,
motivate and stimulate people to achieve their potential (Muniapan, 2005b). Leaders
(political or organisational) in the community need to heed this message as they set
examples for other to follow. Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita 3.21 also asserts the
following to Arjuna: yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah sa yat pramanam
kurute lokas tad anuvartate (Whatever action a great man (leader) performs, common
men follow; and whatever standards he (leader) sets by exemplary acts, all worlds
pursue).
Leaders also need to be aware that happiness and sorrow is also the part and parcel of
life as it is the work of the divine and happens according to an individual’s karmic actions
and reaction. Sri Krishna also states this to Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita 18.54: brahma-
bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati,samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate
param (One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realises the supreme, he never
laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that
state, he attains pure devotional service unto me).
To attain the brahma-bhutah state, the leaders must be able to conquer their mind and
be in equilibrium. Sri Krishna asserted that we must elevate ourselves by our own mind
(uddhared atmanatmanam) and this requires effective leadership and management of our
mind. For one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends, but for one
who has failed to control their mind, the mind will be the greatest enemy (bandhur
atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitah anatmanas tu satrutve vartetatmaiva satru-vat).
The Ramayana provides excellent examples on the brahma-bhutah stage. Ayodhya
Kanda of the Ramayana narrates the scenario when King Dasharatha decided to install
Sri Rama as the crown prince; Kaikeyi demanded Bharata to be installed instead and Sri
Rama to be sent to the forest for fourteen years. The scene was so full of tragic sorrow
and passion, of greed and selfishness. However, Sri Rama received the news with utmost
ease and calm. He displayed the highest duty of noble love and virtue. Sri Rama never
rejoiced on being told he was to be crowned, nor expressed sorrow on being told to go
into exile. In the era of measuring emotional quotient, it is hard to find a better example
of control over emotions and speech. Bharata, on the other hand, who was to be crowned
as the king, went to forest to bring back Sri Rama. When Sri Rama declined, he accepted
to rule on Sri Rama’s behalf for fourteen years. Never before in the history of the world
was there a prince so noble, so sacrificing. While being a king, he lived a hard ascetic
life. He acted as a representative of Sri Rama wearing the garb of a mendicant living in
Nandigrama (outskirts of Ayodhya).
334 B. Muniapan and M. Dass

7 Leaders should be truthful and humble

In the third paragraph of Aandavan kattalai song, Poet Kannadasan wrote the followings
lines:
“unmaiyai solli nanmaiyai siedhaal ulagam unnidam mayangum; nilai uyarum
podhu panivu kondaal uyirgal unnai vanangum” (When leaders speak truthful
words and do good deeds, the whole world will salute them and when they
progress in life with great humility, every living entity will salute them).
The message is about truth and leaders need to be truthful. The world is rooted in truth
and dharma is also rooted in truth. All religious principles are rooted in truth. Honesty,
justice, straightforwardness and sincerity are only modifications or expressions of truth.
Truth (satyam) and non-violence (ahimsa) are the highest dharma. However, wise men of
the past tell us that there is a world of a difference between ‘being truthful’ and ‘speaking
the truth’, when the Upanishad23 says satyam vada, it means, ‘be truthful’ at all times.
However, this does not mean speak the truth as Yudhishtara (in Mahabharata) when he
cried out asvattama hatah kunjara, he was ‘speaking the truth’ but was not ‘being
truthful’. He was referring to an elephant called Asvattama being felled by Bhima,
although he knew it was only meant to convey to Drona the false impression that
Asvattama, his son, was no more. In Latin there is a saying that ‘suppressio veri’ and
‘suggestio falsi’ are one and the same, i.e. one can be untruthful in two ways: you can
suppress truth as well as suggest falsehood. In both cases, one would be violating the real
spirit of the Upanishadic dictum satyam vada24. Certainly, there are times when
withholding the truth is permitted. The Thirukkural25 explains that even falsehood is of
the nature of truth if it renders good results, free from fault. An astrologer, for instance,
while reviewing a chart would refrain from telling of a heartbreak that might come to a
person at a certain time in his life. This is wisdom. A doctor might not tell his patient that
he will die in three days when he sees the vital signs weakening. Instead, he may
encourage positive thinking; give hope, knowing that life is eternal and that to invoke
fear might create depression and hopelessness in the mind of the ill person.
It is said that a leader without truth and honour is a dead man in this world. He is
despised and ignored in the community. In every community the concept of ‘face’ is an
important element in social interaction. The ‘face’ determines status and the role of an
individual in a society. Money is nothing compared to the truth and honour. In
Ramayana, the whole family of Sri Rama made sacrifices only for this truth and honour
of the dynasty and dharma. The father of Sri Rama, King Dasaratha died to protect his
words, Kausalya and Sumitra Devi lived without their sons (Sri Rama and Lakshmana)
for fourteen years. Bharata lived in Nandigrama in a hut outside Ayodhya. Lakshmana
served Sri Rama without the company of his wife, Urmila. Urmila lived in Ayodhya
without Lakshmana, Sri Rama lived without Sita (banished), Lava and Kusa were born in
the forest without their father (Sri Rama). The words given are powerful and leaders have
to honour their promise to their people, otherwise, the leader is as good as dead.
It is often mentioned, a leader with good honour need to possess some of the
qualities such as humility, unpretentiousness, harmlessness, forgiveness, service to
society, purity, steadfastness, self control, indifference to the object of senses, absence of
egoism, fearlessness, cleanliness, charity, austerity, straightforwardness, peacefulness,
compassion to living beings, modesty and also the absence of envy or pride (Sivananda,
1990). A man may die, but his name and honour remains as also mentioned in an old
 An Indian leadership perspective from literature works of Poet Kannadasan 335

Malay proverb which when translated meant that when a tiger dies, it leaves his stripes or
true colours, but for a leader it is his name and deeds that are left behind death.

8 Leaders should conquer their enemies within

In the fourth paragraph of Aandavan kattalai, Poet Kannadasan penned the following
lines about the enemies of men and the required godly qualities:
“aasai kobam kalavu kolbavan pesa therindha mirugam; anbu nanri karunai
kondavan manidha vadivil dheivam” (Men who are possessed by lust, greed
and anger are animals in human form, while men with love, mercy and
compassion are gods in human forms).
Lust, greed and anger are three of the six enemies of leaders. The other three are
delusion, pride and fear. All these are barriers to effective leadership in organisations,
society and also country. The lessons from the Itihasas26 the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata has provided ample evidences on how the above six enemies have
destroyed people. Kautilya has also mentioned about these enemies in his Arthashastra.
Jesus Christ asserted the message on the control of anger in Bible (Matthew 5.22),
“that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of
the judgment”
‘Thou shall not kill’ is also one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses, which means
to inflict pain on other living entity is always wrong (ahimsa or non-violence). Do unto
other as you would have them, do unto you is a universal truth.
“If a man says, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth
not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not
seen?” (John 4.20) (Kirtananda,1985).
Sri Krishna also asserted to Arjuna, the following about anger and delusion in the
Bhagavad-Gita 2. 63: krodhad bhavati sammohah sammohat smrti-vibhramah, smrti-
bhramsad buddhi-naso buddhi-nasat pranasyati (From anger, delusion arises and from
delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost and
when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool).
It is important for leaders to manage and control anger for effective human relations.
Anger resides in the linga sarira (astral body), but it percolates into the physical body just
as water percolates through the pores to the outer surface of an earthen pot. Anger begets
eight kinds of vices. All evil qualities and actions proceed from anger. If you can
eradicate anger, all bad qualities will die by themselves. The eight vices are injustice,
rashness, persecution, jealousy, taking possession of others’ property, killing, harsh
words and cruelty (Sivananda, 1997).
According to the Mahabharata, God certainly favours a person or a leader who does
not disturb or cause painful action in the mind of any living entity and who treats
everyone, as would a loving father treats his children and whose heart is pure. In the
Thirukkural, it is also stated that the principle of the pure in heart is never to injure
others, even when they themselves have been hatefully injured and if a man inflicts
sorrow on another in the morning, sorrow will come to him unbidden in the afternoon.
The Manu Samhita27 says that if the diet is pure, the mind will be pure, and if the mind is
pure the intellect also will be pure. The Yajur Veda28 also says not to injure the beings
336 B. Muniapan and M. Dass

living on the earth, in the air and in the water. The Bhagavad-Gita 5.26 also states kama-
krodha-vimuktanam yatinam yata-cetasam, abhito brahma-nirvanam vartate
viditatmanam (Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-
realised, self-disciplined and constantly endeavouring for perfection, are assured of
liberation in the Supreme in the very near future).
Anger and the other enemies can be management through self-control. Self-control
implies both control of the body and control of the mind. Self-control does not mean self-
torture. Leaders must lead a well-regulated and disciplined life. They must keep all the
senses under your perfect control. The senses are like turbulent and wild horses. This
body is like a chariot. Mind is the reins and the intelligence is the driver. This is
confirmed in Katha Upanisad (1.3. 3.4) as follows: atmanam rathinam viddhi sariram
ratham eva ca buddhim tu sarathim viddhi manah pragraham eva ca indriyani hayan ahur
visayams tesu gocaran atmendriya-mano-yuktam bhoktety ahur manisinah (The
individual is the passenger in the car of the material body and intelligence is the driver.
Mind is the driving instrument and the senses are the horses. The self is thus the enjoyer
or sufferer in the association of the mind and senses, so great thinkers understand it
(Prabupada 1994)). Therefore, it is essential that one use his intelligence in an effective
way to control the mind and achieve the equality of mind or even mindedness. The
intelligence (buddhi) gives us the power to discriminate and decide what is good for us
and what is not. It is the force behind our wisdom and our reactions to the outside world.
A leader of lesser intelligence is constantly driven by the senses and the desire for sense
objects. Thereby, he remains in a constant state of turmoil and sorrow arising out of
union and disunion with the sense objects.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Sri Krishna also described that fearlessness; purification of
one’s existence; cultivation of spiritual knowledge; charity; self-control; performance of
sacrifice; study of the Vedas; austerity; simplicity; non-violence; truthfulness; freedom
from anger; renunciation; tranquillity; aversion to faultfinding; compassion for all living
entities; freedom from covetousness; gentleness; modesty; steady determination; vigour;
forgiveness; fortitude; cleanliness; and freedom from envy and from the passion for
honour are among the essential qualities which are needed for our leadership
development. A leader who possesses mercy and compassion are of divine nature. In this
context, Sri Krishna states in the Bhagavad-Gita 6.32, that a leader should possess
universal empathy. atmaupamyena sarvatra samam pasyati yo ‘rjuna sukham va yadi va
duhkham sa yogi paramo matah (He is a perfect yogi who, by comparison to his own self,
sees the true equality of all beings, both in their happiness and distress, O Arjuna). This
verse, among other meanings, recommends a kind of universal empathy for leaders.
Vedic literatures29 assert and emphasise compassion as the main attitude the leader
should have toward their followers and also other living entities. Compassion consists of
offering prayers, blessings, charities and good wishes to all beings. Charity consists of
actions done to benefit other people and the world, not merely material aid but service
(CSR). True compassion comes from the divine and flows through us by the strength of
our devotion. True compassion has no secret motive to gain, or to receive recognition as
being a compassionate person (Frawley, Unknown). Compassion, mercy and love which
are divine qualities of men, are crucial for the leadership development and human values
for the benefits of organisation, community and also the world.
 An Indian leadership perspective from literature works of Poet Kannadasan 337

9 Conclusion

In this article, an Indian leadership perspective from Aandavan kattalai which includes
the ancient Indian leadership philosophies has been explored. This analysis has provided
different dimensions on leadership based on Indian culture and values. Unlike the
western approach to leadership which focuses in exploring the external world of matter
and energy, the Aandavan kattalai recommends a leadership approach which focuses on
exploring the inner world of the self. This means the leadership of the self first before any
other type of leadership. In addition, this approach is consistent with the teachings of the
ancient Indian and other ancient East Asian philosophies such as Confuicianism and
Taoism. Besides Aandavan kattalai, the prospects of analysis of other Tamil songs and
ancient Indian literatures in other areas of management and people development such as
communication, work motivation, conflict handling, values and attitude improvements
can be considered for future research. However, one of our limitations is lack materials
and research work done on Tamil songs and on Poet Kannadasan in English language.
The authors hope this article will also provide groundwork for further studies and
research of the leadership relevance and lessons of Tamil songs and ancient Indian
literatures in English language.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the reviewers for their suggestions and comments on the earlier
version of this article.

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Notes
1
Please note that ‘he’, ‘his’ and ‘man’ used throughout also means ‘she’, ‘hers’ and ‘woman’ in the
context of this article.
2
The Ramayana was written by Sri Valmiki Muni and contains 24,000 verses in seven kandas
(books). The Ramayana is about a Raghuvamsa prince, Rama of Ayodhya, whose wife; Sita is
abducted by demon Ravana. The Ramayana provides the essense of the Vedas.
3
The Mahabharata is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epcis of India, the other being the
Ramayana. The Bhagavad-Gita contains in Bhisma Parva of the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata
was composed by Sri Vyasa Muni and written by Sri Ganesa. The full version contains more than
100,000 verses, making it around four times longer than the Bible and seven times longer than the
Illiad and the Odyssey combined.
4
The Bhagavad-Gita is a philosophical dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna before the
commencement of the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas in Kurukshetra, India more than
5000 years ago. It is a part of Bhisma Parva of the Mahabharata.
5
The Puranas are old stories and histories written in the form related by one person to another. Sri
Vyasa Muni is considered to be the compiler of the Puranas. There are 18 main Puranas.
6
Indian, in this context refers not only to Indian nationals but also the people of Indian origin
worldwide.
7
Details available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutics.
8
Conjeevaram Natarajan (C.N) Annadurai (1909–1969), popularly called Anna (which means elder
brother) was the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He was also an accomplished
writer and even before his entry into politics his penmanship and the oratorial style had captivated
many audiences.
9
MG Ramachandran (1917–1987), popularly known as MGR, was a very popular Tamil cinema
actor from the late 1940s to middle 1970s. He was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu India from
1977 to 1987.
10
Kalaignar Muthuvel Karunanidhi (generally referred to as M. Karunanidhi), is one of the founder
members and the present leader of the DMK in Tamil Nadu, India. He is the president of
the DMK party since 1969. He is the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He has also
been the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu four times (1969–1971, 1971–1976, 1989–1991 and
1996–2001).
11
J. Jayalalitha was the previous Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Her first career was as a film
actress and a devoted follower of MG Ramachandran, the legendary actor and politician.
12
N.T. Rama Rao (1923–1996), NTR by his fans, or Anna garu, was an Indian film actor, director,
producer and politician. He founded the Telugu Desam Party and served three times as a Chief
Minister of Andhra Pradesh, India.
13
Amitabh Bachan is a popular Hindi film actor and a politician in India, but he is known more for
his contribution to the Indian cinema.
340 B. Muniapan and M. Dass
14
Rajesh Khanna is a popular Hindi film actor in the seventies. He also served a five year tenure as
MP in the Indian Parliament (1991–1996).
15
Shatrughan Sinha is considered one of the most successful actor politicians of India, having made
history by being the first member of the film fraternity to become a cabinet minister with the
Government of India. He is still a member of the BJP and campaigns for the party all over India
and is well known as a leader of the masses and a brilliant orator.
16
Dharmendra is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He is considered as the biggest Hindi
film star after Amitabh Bachan.
17
Govinda is a popular Hindi film actor and a politician currently serving as the 5th MP for
Mumbai North Constituency of Maharashtra, India.
18
Vinod Khanna is a popular Hindi film actor and a politician in India, but he is known more for his
contribution to the Indian cinema.
19
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) is considered one of the most famous and influential spiritual
leaders of India. He was the chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and was the founder
of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. He is considered by many as an icon for his
fearless courage, his positive exhortations to the youth, his broad outlook to social problems and
countless lectures and discourses on Vedanta philosophy.
20
T.M.Soundarajan or popularly known as TMS, was a dominant singer of Tamil cinema songs and
devotional songs from 1950s till the late 1970s. He used to sing in distinct styles for the two great
heroes of his time, MGR and Sivaji. His voice was majestic, resonant and very stable at even
very high pitches. The songs, which TMS sang for MGR, were used by the latter as a tool for his
(MGR) political propaganda.
21
Sivaji Ganesan (1927–2001), was also known as Nadikar thilagam, Nadippu chakravarthy
(loosely translated ‘Acting Emperor’). He acted in more than 300 movies since 1952 till 1999. He
is most well known for his portrayal of Veerapandiya Kattaboman in 1960. Together with MGR,
he dominated the Tamil cinema industry from 1950s to late 1970s.
22
Kautilya is also called Canakya, or Visnugupta was the adviser of Chandragupta Maurya.
Kautilya was a statesman and philosopher who wrote a classic treatise on polity, Arthasastra a
compilation of almost everything that had been written in India up to his time on artha (property,
economics, or material success).
23
The Upanisads are part of Vedic Shruti scriptures, which are philosophical. They are the
commentaries on the Vedas.
24
Sudarshan K Madabushi comments on ‘Yudhishtara’s Lies’, Oppiliappan E-Group Discussions
available at http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/oppiliappan/archives/jun03/msg00016.html.
25
Thirukkural written by Thiruvalluvar is one of the most notable literary and ethical treatises in the
Indian languages. There is a general consensus among the historians and literary authorities that
Thirukkural was written around 2000 years ago.
26
Itihasas are literatures describing historical events pertaining to either a single hero or a few
heroic personalities in a lineage: for example, Ramayana describing the pastimes of Sri
Ramachandra and Mahabharata describing the pastimes of the Pandavas in the lineage of the
Kurus.
27
Manu Samhita, Manavadharmashastra or Manusmriti, known in the West as The Laws of Manu is
the most important work regarding dharma, i.e. the principles, laws and rules governing both the
cosmos and human society of the ancient India.
28
Yajur Veda is one of the four Vedas. It contains religious text focusing on the rituals. Other
Vedas include Rig, Sama and Atharva.
29
The Vedic literatures are composed of many books. However, Sri Madhva, one of the principal
teacher of the Vedic philosophy, while commenting on the Vedanta-sutra (2.1.6), quotes from the
Bhavisya Purana as follows: rg-yajuh-samartharvas ca bharatam pancaratrakam
mula-ramayanam caiva veda ity eva sabdita puranani ca yAniha vaisnavani vido viduh (The Rg
Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva veda, Mahabharata which includes the Bhagavad-Gita,
PancarAata and the original Ramayana are all considered Vedic literatures…. The Vaisnava
supplements, the Puranas, are also Vedic literatures).