The Sales Secret Hidden Inside Jealousy (Matsarya) : The Asura Way
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
Sales Lessons from the Asuras: Compete, Don't Complain
Every sales office has heard this sentence.
A colleague closes a ₹50 lakh deal.
Someone else gets promoted.
A competitor wins the client you were chasing for months.
And suddenly, a feeling appears.
Jealousy.
In Indian philosophy, this emotion is called Matsarya.
Traditionally, Matsarya is considered a weakness. Something to control. Something to avoid.
But what if Matsarya is not always bad?
What if it is simply energy waiting for direction?
The problem is not that you feel jealous.
The problem is what you do after feeling jealous.
The Salesman's Daily Battle
Imagine two sales executives.
Both lose a deal to the same competitor.
Salesperson A says:
"The client was biased."
"The competitor reduced prices."
"My luck is bad."
Nothing changes.
Salesperson B says:
"What did they do differently?"
"How did they build trust?"
"What can I learn?"
One year later, Salesperson B is leading the team.
The difference was not talent.
The difference was how they used Matsarya.
The Chandragupta Maurya Lesson
Before becoming emperor, Chandragupta saw powerful rulers controlling vast territories while he remained an ordinary young man.
He could have accepted his position.
Instead, that comparison created ambition.
Guided by Chanakya, he transformed dissatisfaction into action.
The result?
The mighty Mauryan Empire.
History remembers people who converted envy into effort.
Not people who converted envy into excuses.
The Story of Arjuna
In the Mahabharata, Arjuna constantly measured himself against the best warriors.
He knew about Karna.
He knew about Bhishma.
He knew about Drona's expectations.
Instead of becoming insecure, he became obsessed with practice.
His focus was not:
"Why are they better?"
His focus was:
"How do I become better?"
That is healthy Matsarya.
And that is exactly what top sales performers do.
Modern Indian Example
Walk into any Indian market.
A mobile shop owner notices another shop attracting more customers.
A real estate consultant sees another broker closing more inventory.
A CA sees another CA growing faster.
Two reactions are possible:
Toxic Matsarya
"He must be doing something wrong."
"He is lucky."
"He knows someone."
Productive Matsarya
"Let me understand his process."
"How is he generating referrals?"
"What can I improve?"
The first reaction creates bitterness.
The second creates growth.
The Hidden Danger in Sales Teams
Many salespeople secretly compare.
But they compare incorrectly.
They compare outcomes.
They should compare behaviors.
Don't compare:
Incentives
Cars
Designations
Lifestyle
Compare:
Prospecting discipline
Follow-up consistency
Communication skills
Negotiation ability
Client relationship building
The scoreboard is the result. The process is the reason.
What Top Indian Salespeople Do Differently
When they see someone succeeding, they ask:
How many calls are they making?
How do they open conversations?
How do they handle objections?
How do they ask for referrals?
How do they negotiate?
Average salespeople watch the success. Great salespeople study the system.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Lesson
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj constantly observed larger and stronger kingdoms around him.
Instead of complaining about limited resources, he learned from opponents.
He adapted strategies.
He improved speed.
He improved intelligence gathering.
He improved execution.
The lesson is simple.
When someone is ahead of you, don't resent them.
Research them.
Sales Lessons from Matsarya
Lesson 1: Turn Comparison into Curiosity
The next time a colleague closes a big deal, don't ask:
"Why him?"
Ask:
"How?"
Lesson 2: Study Winners
Every top performer leaves clues.
Observe:
Their body language
Their questioning skills
Their listening habits
Their follow-up process
Lesson 3: Compete with Yesterday's Version of Yourself
The healthiest competition is internal.
Can you make:
More calls?
Better presentations?
Better client relationships?
Lesson 4: Celebrate and Learn
The smartest salespeople do both.
They congratulate the winner.
Then they learn from the winner.
Do's and Don'ts
Do
✔ Study successful competitors
✔ Learn from top performers
✔ Use comparison as motivation
✔ Improve your process
✔ Ask questions
Don't
✘ Gossip about successful people
✘ Assume success is luck
✘ Copy blindly
✘ Become bitter
✘ Focus only on outcomes
Final Thought
Every salesperson experiences Matsarya.
The emotion itself is not the enemy.
The real enemy is staying stuck.
When another salesperson wins a deal, gets a promotion, or earns a bigger incentive, you have two choices.
You can burn in jealousy.
Or you can burn with ambition.
One destroys careers.
The other builds them.
The next time you hear yourself saying:
"Usko deal kaise mil gayi?"
Make sure the next question is:
"Main usse kya seekh sakta hoon?"
That is when Matsarya stops being jealousy and starts becoming growth.
Book Inspiration : https://amzn.to/4xmMhXZ
Comments