The book that inspired me

is the most influential book I've ever read. It operates at multiple levels and imparts wholesome learning about human life in general. The book teaches one to do one's duty without expecting anything in return.

Over the years, however, I realised how difficult it is to put this lesson into practice. When we had just started India Infoline, we struggled to raise the next round of funding from venture capitalists. Somehow we managed to raise to the required funds together and life continued.

But when the dotcom bust happened, it put things in perspective. It was the best and the worst phase. The worst phase as far as finances go. But the best phase since that was the time the true depth of the Bhagavad Gita's lesson "" to do one's duty without expecting anything in return "" dawned on me. We had faith in our model and kept fighting.

The great thing about the Bhagavad Gita is that it has something for everyone. It has lessons in strategy, talks about human emotions, weaknesses, deceit, friendship and much more.

It also teaches that everything is transient and it is not right to hold on to things, since tomorrow they may simply not be around.

Nirmal Jain, Chairman & Managing Director, India Infoline

BHAGAVAD GITA

Translated by: Swami Chinmayananda