Equation of Success

Everyone today is running for success. The question arises – how are we going about it? Are we looking for success in the true sense or is it the greed to have instant gratification! If the chase is for instant gratification, the risk would be in its sustenance. It is only the correct approach that enables everlasting success.

What constitutes success? By all means and in all materialistic sense, success would include wealth, prosperity, happiness, name and fame. It might be easy for many to acquire all these but the underlying principle is the manner of achievement. Success can be best enjoyed when it is earned and viewed as ‘journey’ rather than ‘destination’. A commerce student would recollect the principle of accounting for Real Accounts. “Debit – what comes in; Credit – what goes out”. Success ideally fits in the definition of a real account where debiting it would require an equivalent and a corresponding credit. It might be possible to borrow wealth but borrowing or buying success is an impossible proposition. Hence, something concrete will have to be put on the credit side so as to debit achievement of success in life.

Dr. Abdul Kalam has given the answer to this in his famous quote. “Knowledge with action, converts adversity into prosperity”. Knowledge backed by hard work is the formula for success. It is clarity of thinking coupled with sincerity in action when adopted as principle of life, makes success enduring. However, the present environment is: everyone is looking for instant success and not imbibing the basic principle. Visits to astrologers, consulting palmists, figuring numerologists, adding alphabets to name, demand applications in lieu of offerings at places of worship and various other measures seem to be the means of achieving success. Do these measures help? Can one achieve one’s goal by following such procedures? Are there any short cuts to success? Can success be achieved in life without putting in hard work? For people following different beliefs, there are many questions that do not have an answer. However, Lord Krishna in verse 5 of Chapter 6 of Bhagwad Geeta has emphatically said that it is one’s own efforts that lift him up.

One should lift oneself by one’s own efforts and should not degrade oneself: for one’s own self is one’s friend, and one’s own self is one’s enemy. [Ch.6 Verse 5]

If success was possible without one’s own efforts, Lord Krishna would not have said these words or for that matter the entire advice to Arjuna. He could have suggested other easier measures – but Krishna did not do so. He even said that even I cannot help in raising you but only you can raise yourself by your own efforts. Success thus, is impossible without endeavor. Without constructively applying knowledge with sincerity in action, the outcome can never be “Success”. Even if it is regarded as success, it won’t sustain. Mahatma Gandhi includes: “Wealth without work” and “Knowledge without character,” as one of seven deadly sins. Wealth is a visible and important ingredient of success, but the same acquired without work, is a sin. Knowledge, a major tool to achieve success, if applied negatively is also not approved. One has to put his own conscious hard work to achieve ‘success’. When sincere effort and wisdom combine, the outcome is bound to be “Success”. Success set in an equation would be:

Success = Sincerity in Action + Constructive Application of Knowledge

The above formula to success is also confirmed by Lord Krishna in the last verse of Bhagwad Geeta. It is in verse 78 of Chapter 18 where He says:

Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, wherever there is Arjuna, the archer, there is wealth, prosperity, happiness, victory and unfailing righteousness; such is my conviction.
[Ch.18 Verse 78]

Krishna in pure sense symbolises “Intellect”. Krishna is wisdom personified, ambassador of Knowledge. Arjuna on the other hand is ‘sincerity and hard work’ and ambassador of ‘Action’. This combination of wisdom and action constitutes or are the constituents of success.

I would conclude by saying:

So let us achieve real success and satisfaction by working with sincerity coupled with detachment.