Modearation in Everything

On Friday, 17 August 2007, I was at Bangalore conducting a Finance for Non-finance programme for Management Study Centre. During the course of the programme there was a question about levels of debt. One of the participants felt that a company should not take debt at all. I explained how gearing can improve Profit After Tax (PAT) and consequently Earnings Per Share (EPS). I had to immediately shift gear and warn them about excessive debt and consequent solvency issues! In the resulting discussion and debate a lot was said about balancing debt and equity. I tried to end the discussion on the note that in everything there is a middle path that does not veer towards the extremes. To drive home my point, I mentioned that the Bhagwan in Chapter VI of the Gita speaks about moderation (I used the word mitham) in everything, including debt and diet! One of the participants Mr. Raghavendra Rao quoted the first words of the appropriate slokha:

“Yukthaahara Vihaarasya Yukthacheshtasya karmasu
Yukathaswapnaavabhodhasya yogo bhavathi dukhaha.”

(Yoga killeth out the pain for him who is regulated in eating and amusement, regulated in performing actions, regulated in sleeping and waking.)

The translation is from “The Bhagavad Gita, The Lord’s Song, a translation of the verses of the Gita by Madame Annie Beasant and published by the Theosophical Publishing House in 1961.


In the evening as I sat down to eat a sumptuous dinner, I couldn’t help thinking that in eating at least I am not following this dictum. What do you think? Here’s what I had ordered for dinner!