While interpreting the Bhagavad Gita in his commentary titled God Talks With Arjuna, Paramahansa Yoganandaji wrote: “The obvious interpretation is for the inspiration of the ordinary man; the hidden metaphor is for the serious practitioner of the yoga science.”
To explore the deeper message carried in the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita with a spiritual discourse on “Arjuna’s Refusal to Fight: Devotee’s Reluctance to Overcome Bad Traits,” senior YSS sannyasi Swami Smaranananda Giri, delved into Yoganandaji’s commentary on Slokas 20 to 47 of Chapter I of the Bhagavad Gita, in this talk.
If we follow the story of the Mahabharat or interpret the scriptural text literally, these Slokas aptly describe Arjuna’s refusal to fight. However, the yogic interpretation of the same reveals the devotee’s reluctance to overcome his bad traits.
After seeing the warriors he had to fight, Arjuna became despondent. He gave many reasons why he should not fight. Arjuna was convinced that it was in his highest good that he should not kill his own friends and relatives for the material kingdom thereby incurring sin. Similarly, a devotee feels that it is not worth giving up tangible happiness for an unknown, distant joy of the soul. And he gives up or postpones sadhana indefinitely.
This talk was live-streamed from the Sadhana Sangam at Yogoda Satsanga Sakha Ashram — Noida on Sunday, October 15, and was part of a series of discourses by Swami Smaranananda on the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, as interpreted by Paramahansa Yogananda.
To view the other discourses in this series, please visit the link shared below:
