मा विद्विषावहै (mA vidviShAvahai) - Let there be no enmity between the two of us

We come back to the last part of this beautiful and deeply meaningful verse from the taittiriya upaniSad. In fact, I started my journey of exploring the verse with this last part, and now when I come back to it complete the cycle it feels like I’m seeing it from a different perspective.

The meaning of this part of the verse, as commonly stated, is “may there be no enmity between” us, encouraging the teacher and student to be of one mind.

This entreaty to be of one mind is stated in an even older text. In the final set of verses in the rg vEda, we see a verse that talks about very similar sentiments. The first line of rg vEda X:191-2 says:

संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं (samgaCChadhvam samvadadhvam)

सं वो मनांसि जानताम् (sam vO manAmsi jAnatAm)

“May we move (progress) together

May we be of one voice

May we be of one mind”

At first blush, it looks like it espouses no difference of opinion. I believe it is not so. When we look at the second part of the same verse:

देवा भागं यथा पूर्वे सञ्जानाना उपासते (devA bhAgam yathA pUrvE sanjAnAnA upAsatE)

“Like the Gods of yore who came together to partake of their shares of the offerings of the sacrifice”

The Gods of the rg vEda were elemental forces (thunder, fire, wind, water etc), certainly not known to be in peaceful concord with each other all the time. But they could still come together for appropriate reasons and perform their respective tasks.

Now when I look at this verse, does it really necessitate everyone to be in concord all the time, in what their opinions or beliefs are? 

The prefix sam is commonly used to denote “with”, “together” or “equally”. With that in mind, what if we read the three injunctions as 

samgaCChadhvam - ensure equitable, if not equal progress of all around us, when we move forward. Progress is NOT a zero sum game. Once ideas have been debated, maybe even acrimoniously, we need to move forward together. 

Part of this is to present a unified face of a group to the outside world. A classic example is Yudhistra’s statement in the ghOSha yAtra parva (part of the vana parva) when the King of Gandharvas captures Duryodhana, and the Kaurava soldiers rush to the Pandava camp for help. Bhima is expectedly happy at the turn of events and does not want to lift a finger to help Duryodhana. Yudhishtra’s admonishment is telling - we may be 5 and they 100 when we fight amongst us, but we are 105 when faced with an enemy outside the family. samgacchadvam - Yudhishtra endeavours to take Duryodhana forward with him, however much Duryodhana may have harmed the Pandavas.

samvadadhvam - speak in equal voice. Ensure that all voices are heard, and with equal opportunity of expressing a difference of opinion. To me, it does not mean everyone says the same thing. Au contraire, I believe it means encourage healthy dissent. 

Going back to the Mahabharatha, we can see Yudhishtra following the precept. In seeking opinion in a council of his brothers and Krishna to choose their commander-in-chief, he starts with the youngest and goes in increasing order of age, till he finally gives his own opinion. The idea is to let the younger ones state their opinions freely, without feeling constrained to agree with older and hence perceived “wiser” counsel. Of course, once all opinions are stated and debated, the group agrees on one view, and that is then the common way forward. samvadadhvam - Yudhishtra gives equal and uncontstrained voice to all opinions before driving the group to consensus.

sam vO manAmsi jAnatAm - expand your mind and let it entertain views different from yours. Through that churn of ideas let a common understanding and a common view emerge. Be of one mind once this is done. The group’s actions will be successful only when everyone is working for the same goal and pulling in the same direction.

Just before the start of the war, Yudhishtra walks across to the Kaurava formation, and seeks benediction from the Kaurava elders - Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Shalya. With that action, he ensures that in their minds also, a Pandava victory is to be desired. It goes a long way to temper the actions they each take on behalf of the Kauravas, as their minds are aligned with Yudhishtra and his objectives. sam vO manAmsi jAnatAm - Yudhishtra is able get even his enemies’ minds as one with with his cause.

To me, mA vidviSAvahai is entreating the same - oneness of mind does not mean no difference of opinion; it is the common understanding that we arrive at and agree upon, having discussed and debated different points of view.

P.S.: I got a comment from a friend about why there was no link to modern management here, and that got me thinking. I think the message of both mA vidviSAvahai and the rg veda verse is the same - allow everyone a fair chance to voice their opinions, entertain contrarian ideas also, and once the debate is done, align everybody to one way forward not leaving anyone behind. And, present one face, one voice of the group's deliberations to the outside world. 

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Benedictory verse from the 2nd part (brahmAnandavalli) of the taittiriya upaniSad 

ॐ सह नाववतु ।

सह नौ भुनक्तु ।

सह वीर्यं करवावहै ।

तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु  मा विद्विषावहै ।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

OM saha nAvavatu |

saha nau bhunaktu |

saha vIryaM karavAvahai |

tejasvi nAvadhItamastu mA vidviShAvahai |

OM shAntiH shAntiH shAntiH ||

rg vEda X:191-2:

संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं

सं वो मनांसि जानताम्

देवा भागं यथा पूर्वे 

सञ्जानाना उपासते ||

samgaCChadhvam samvadadhvam 

sam vO manAmsi jAnatAm

devA bhAgam yathA pUrvE 

sanjAnAnA upAsatE ||