The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita Explained by Paramhansa Yogananda as Remembered by His Disciple

1. The Bhagavad Gita is an allegory of the inner battle for Self-realization.

This body is the battlefield.

Inner conflict. The Bhagavad Gita, set on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, is primarily an allegory for the eternal struggle within every human being between upward- and downward-inclining tendencies. Arjuna represents the sincere devotee, and Krishna symbolizes the divine Self within, guiding the soul through life's challenges.

Psychological forces. The opposing armies, the virtuous Pandavas and the deluded Kauravas, symbolize the conflicting forces within the mind. Their names, traced to Sanskrit roots, represent psychological qualities, highlighting that the true war is fought not on physical ground, but within one's own consciousness.

Universal application. While applicable to righteous outward action, the core teaching is about the inner struggle to overcome ego-indulgence and material desires. The war of Kurukshetra is the soul's final battle to break free from the clutches of maya (delusion) and attain liberation.

2. True identity is the eternal, indestructible soul, not the changing body or ego.

The soul is ever-existent, and that soul is what we ourselves are: manifestations of Eternal Spirit.

Beyond the physical. Krishna teaches Arjuna that the Self is not born and does not die; it is eternal and unchanging. The physical body is merely a temporary garment, shed at death, but the soul continues its existence, taking on successive bodies until liberation is achieved.

Ego is illusion. The ego is defined as the soul identified with the body, creating a false sense of separate individuality. This identification drives desires and attachments, binding the soul to the cycle of reincarnation. True freedom comes from realizing that the ego is not the true Self.

Consciousness persists. Even after shedding the physical body, consciousness persists in astral and causal bodies. These subtle bodies are also temporary coverings for the soul. The goal is to transcend identification with all bodies and realize the soul's inherent oneness with God.

3. Nature's three qualities (gunas) bind consciousness, but can be transcended.

Deluded by the three qualities (gunas) of Nature, mortal beings do not perceive Me, ever changeless and beyond all qualities.

Nature's influence. All manifested existence, including human nature, is composed of three fundamental qualities or gunas: sattwa (elevating, pure), rajas (activating, restless), and tamas (darkening, inert). These qualities constantly mix and interact, influencing thoughts, actions, and perceptions.

Binding effects:

• Sattwa binds through attachment to happiness and knowledge.
• Rajas binds through attachment to action and desire.
• Tamas binds through ignorance, laziness, and delusion.

Transcending the gunas. Liberation requires rising above the influence of all three gunas. This is achieved not by suppressing them, but by understanding their nature and acting from a state of non-attachment, centered in the Self, which is beyond all qualities.

4. Right action (Karma Yoga) means acting without attachment to results or ego.

Action performed with desire for the fruits is greatly inferior to action guided by wisdom.

Duty without desire. Karma Yoga is the path of right action, emphasizing the performance of one's duties without attachment to the outcomes. Actions performed with ego-driven motives create karmic bondage, leading to repeated rebirths.

Offering actions to God. The key is to act in a spirit of self-offering to God, seeing Him as the true Doer of all actions. This attitude purifies the ego and gradually dissolves karmic debts. Even seemingly mundane tasks can become spiritual practices when performed with this consciousness.

Action is unavoidable. In this vibratory universe, complete inaction is impossible. Even the refusal to act is a form of action. The goal is not to cease acting, but to act rightly – from a state of inner freedom and non-identification with the ego as the doer.

5. Raja Yoga, the path of the spine, is the scientific method to unite with God.

Raja Yoga... takes one straight up the central pathway of the spine into the inner silence of divine communion.

Spinal highway. The Bhagavad Gita, while embracing all paths, places special emphasis on Raja Yoga, the "royal yoga," which focuses on controlling the subtle energies in the spine. The spine is seen as the central channel for the life force, leading to higher consciousness.

Energy control. Techniques like Kriya Yoga, a supreme ancient science, involve consciously directing the life force (prana) up the spine through the chakras (energy centers). This process reverses the normal outward flow of energy, withdrawing it from the senses and leading to deeper states of meditation and breathlessness.

Scientific approach. Raja Yoga provides practical, scientific methods for achieving union with God. It complements other paths like Bhakti (devotion) and Gyana (wisdom) by offering direct techniques to calm the mind, interiorize consciousness, and experience divine realities within.

6. Devotion (Bhakti Yoga) is essential for spiritual progress on any path.

He who, full of faith and love, becomes fully absorbed in Me, I regard as best attuned to My path to perfection.

Love for God. Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, cultivating intense love for God. This love is not merely emotional but a deep, intuitive yearning for union with the Divine Beloved. Devotion is considered essential for success on any spiritual path.

Attunement and surrender. Devotion involves surrendering the ego and its desires to God, seeing Him as the ultimate object of love and fulfillment. This single-hearted focus uplifts the consciousness and draws the soul closer to the Divine.

Listening for God. While prayer and chanting are forms of talking to God, meditation is listening for His answer. True devotion leads to the desire for inner communion, where God's presence is experienced directly as peace, joy, and love.

7. A true guru's grace and guidance are indispensable for liberation.

Without an experienced guide, even mountain climbing can be fatal—though death, in this case, only ends a single incarnation. Spiritual mistakes can be costlier, in terms of long-range suffering.

Essential aid. The guidance of a true, God-realized guru is considered vital for navigating the spiritual path. A guru is more than a teacher; they are a channel for divine grace and can transmit spiritual power and understanding to the disciple.

Attunement over intellect. The guru's teaching is primarily through the disciple's intuition, not just intellectual instruction. Attunement with the guru's consciousness helps to purify the disciple's mind, dissolve karmic tendencies, and awaken inner spiritual potential.

Grace and effort. Spiritual progress is a combination of the disciple's effort, the guru's grace, and God's grace. While the disciple must make sincere efforts, the guru's influence and God's grace account for a significant portion of the journey, accelerating progress towards liberation.

8. Death is a transition, and the final thought determines the next state.

O Son of Kunti (Arjuna)! the uppermost thought in a person’s mind as he dies determines his next state of existence.

Life's final exam. The moment of death is crucial, as the dominant thought at that time influences the soul's destination after leaving the body. A life lived with worldly attachments will likely lead to thoughts of the world, resulting in rebirth.

Conscious departure. Yogis who have practiced withdrawing their energy and consciousness from the body during meditation are better prepared to leave the body consciously at death. By focusing their awareness at the spiritual eye and on God, they can attain higher states or even liberation.

Karma's influence. The thoughts at death are heavily influenced by the karma accumulated during life. A life of virtue leads to thoughts that attract the soul to higher realms, while a life of negativity or strong material desires leads to lower realms or immediate rebirth on Earth.

9. Liberation is the ultimate goal, freeing the soul from the cycle of rebirth.

Those great souls who love Me and (out of love for Me) merge in My spirit, achieve the highest success (the only kind worth courting).

End of suffering. Liberation (moksha or nirvana) is the state of complete freedom from the cycle of birth, death, and suffering. It is the realization of the soul's inherent oneness with the Supreme Spirit, transcending the limitations of ego and the material world.

Beyond temporary heavens. While virtuous actions may lead to temporary stays in heavenly astral realms, these are not the ultimate goal. True liberation is permanent and is achieved only by merging the individual consciousness into the infinite, ever-blissful consciousness of God.

Not extinction. Liberation is not the annihilation of consciousness but the expansion of individual consciousness into omnipresence. The soul realizes its true nature as eternal, ever-conscious, ever-new Bliss, forever free from the illusion of separateness.

10. God is the omnipresent, impersonal Spirit, yet intimately personal through love.

I am impartial to all. No one is (specially) hateful or dear to Me. Those, however, who give Me their hearts’ love are in Me, as I am in them.

Beyond form and name. God is the Supreme Spirit, unmanifested, immutable, and beyond all qualities, forms, and names. He is the ultimate reality, the source and sustainer of the entire universe, pervading all things yet remaining untouched by them.

Impersonal yet personal. While God is fundamentally impersonal, He becomes personal to the devotee through their love and devotion. He responds to sincere yearning and is closer to the soul than its own thoughts. This personal relationship is cultivated through heartfelt devotion and inner communion.

Love is the key. God desires the love of His creatures. Those who offer Him their hearts' love are able to receive His grace and experience His presence. This love is the most direct path to realizing the impersonal, omnipresent Spirit as one's own Self.

Last updated: May 16, 2025