Bhishma’s Dutiful Stand in the Mahabharata: Ethical Reflections on Consultants in Corporate Governance

P. Shravan Kumar PGCHRM, XLRI Jamshedpur (Published in Inclusive Spirituality and Ethical Leadership by Dr. Kuruvilla Pandikattu SJ, ISBN: 978-93-6065-031-5, August-2025)

This paper explores the ethical significance of Bhishma’s role in the Mahabharata and its contemporary parallels with consultants serving on boards of directors. Bhishma’s life, defined by loyalty, sacrifice, and unwavering adherence to vows, provides a unique framework for reflecting on the dilemmas consultants face in modern organizations. Just as Bhishma counselled the throne of Hastinapur while navigating internal moral conflicts, consultants advise corporate boards without direct power but with considerable influence. The central challenge lies in balancing loyalty to clients with universal values such as transparency, accountability, and fairness. By drawing insights from Bhishma’s conduct—his impartiality, adaptability, and moral courage—this article argues that consultants must cultivate integrity and responsibility, even when organizational pressures encourage silence or complicity. The study integrates classical ethical reflections with corporate governance literature and incorporates findings from a recent survey of consultants, highlighting how ancient lessons of dharma provide enduring guidance for managing dilemmas in consultancy and leadership.

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Keywords: Bhishma, duty, consultancy ethics, corporate governance, boardroom dilemmas, integrity, Mahabharata