The entire knowledge of the cosmos is packed into the Gita. Supremely profound yet couched in revelatory language… the Gita has been understood and applied on all levels of human endeavour and spiritual striving….Wherever one is on the way back to God, the Gita will shed its light on that segment of the journey.
— Paramahansa Yogananda
This was the third in a series of discourses on “Winning the Battle of Life” by Swami Ishwarananda Giri, a senior YSS sannyasi.
Previously, in his talks Swami Ishwarananda introduced Yoganandaji’s interpretation of Gita, Ishwar-Arjuna Samvaad (God Talks With Arjuna). He explained how the presence of Kauravas (bad tendencies) within us impedes our spiritual progress and how nurturing the Pandavas (good tendencies) within us will eventually bring about the defeat of those Kauravas and how to overcome bad habits by the calm, inner light of intuitive awakening which can be cultivated through regular meditation.
In the third talk, Swamiji briefly reviewed the Introduction, before proceeding to explain the essence of Paramahansaji’s commentary on Sloka I and the subsequent Slokas.
About the Scriptural Commentary
Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, interprets the Bhagavad Gita with divine insight. In his interpretation, exploring its psychological, spiritual, and metaphysical depths — from the subtle causes of everyday thoughts and actions to the grand design of the cosmic order — he presents a sweeping chronicle of the soul’s journey to enlightenment.
Clearly outlining Gita’s balanced path of meditation and right activity, Paramahansaji shows how we can create for ourselves a life of spiritual integrity, serenity, simplicity, and joy. Through our awakened intuition, we come to know the right course to take at every crossroad on the path of life, to determine what shortcomings are holding us back and what positive qualities are moving us forward, and to recognize and avoid pitfalls along the way.
