Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā within the Indian Knowledge System: Karma Yoga as a Fundamental for Ethical living and Leadership

Abstract

Contemporary governance faces a persistent crisis of ethical leadership, marked by outcome-oriented decision making, self-interested governance policies, moral disengagement, and declining public trust. Situated within the broader framework of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā offers a comprehensive philosophical response to these challenges through the doctrine of Karma Yoga, which emphasizes disciplined action, ethical duty, and detachment from the fruits of action. This paper critically examines Karma Yoga as a normative framework for ethical living and leadership, interpreting the Gītā not merely as a spiritual text but as a systematic body of indigenous knowledge addressing moral agency and social responsibility.

Adopting a qualitative, textual-interpretive methodology, the study undertakes a close reading of select verses of the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā. These concepts are analytically situated within contemporary debates on ethical leadership and governance, enabling a conceptual dialogue between classical Indian thought and modern leadership frameworks. The methodological approach is supplemented by a thematic analysis that maps Gītā based ethical principles onto present-day concerns of leadership legitimacy, accountability, and moral decision making.

The analysis demonstrates that Karma Yoga articulates an ethical model of leadership rooted in responsibility rather than authority. The Gītā ’s philosophical insights contribute to reimagining ethical living and leadership within contemporary social and governance contexts. The paper concludes by reflecting on the relevance and limitations of applying Indian Knowledge Systems to modern leadership challenges, emphasizing the need for contextual and critical engagements.

Keywords: Indian Knowledge System; Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā; Karma Yoga; Ethical living; Leadership; Dharma; Governance