Paramahansa Yogananda’s interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita stands as one of the most profound spiritual commentaries of the 20th century. His two-volume work, “God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita,” presents this ancient scripture not merely as a philosophical text or a call to physical warfare, but as an allegorical guide to the inner spiritual battle that every soul must wage.
The Allegorical Framework
Yogananda viewed the Kurukshetra battlefield as a symbolic representation of the human body, with its spine serving as the field of dharma (righteousness). The warring factions—the Pandavas and Kauravas—represent the discriminative spiritual qualities and the blind materialistic tendencies within each person. Arjuna symbolizes the aspiring devotee, while Krishna represents the Divine Self or the voice of God speaking through the superconscious intuition.
This allegorical interpretation transforms the Gita from a historical account into a timeless manual for spiritual practice. The eighteen chapters become a systematic presentation of yoga science, detailing how the soul can achieve liberation through mastery over the body, senses, mind, and ego.
The Science of Kriya Yoga
Central to Yogananda’s commentary is the connection between the Gita’s teachings and Kriya Yoga, the advanced meditation technique he brought to the West. He demonstrated how Krishna’s instructions to Arjuna contain coded references to the inner physiology of yoga—the chakras, the life force (prana), and the techniques for withdrawing consciousness from the senses to experience divine communion.
Yogananda explained that when Krishna speaks of “fixing the gaze between the eyebrows” or discusses pranayama (life-force control), he is revealing specific meditation practices that lead to Self-realization. The Gita thus becomes a practical guidebook rather than abstract philosophy.
Yoga as Union
While traditional interpretations often emphasize Karma Yoga (action), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), and Jnana Yoga (knowledge) as separate paths, Yogananda presented them as complementary aspects of a unified spiritual practice. He taught that true yoga means union with God, and this union requires balanced development of action performed without attachment, wholehearted devotion, and discriminative wisdom.
Krishna’s teaching to perform action without desire for the fruits becomes, in Yogananda’s view, a prescription for maintaining inner freedom while engaging with the world. This isn’t renunciation of life but rather performing all duties as offerings to the Divine, remaining mentally unattached to outcomes.
The Nature of the Self
Yogananda emphasized Krishna’s revelation of the immortal nature of the soul. The famous verses declaring that “the Self is never born nor does it die” and “weapons cannot cleave it, fire cannot burn it” point to our true identity beyond the body-mind complex. Understanding this imperishable essence removes the fear of death and the delusion of material identification.
This realization transforms how we approach life’s challenges. Like Arjuna, we often face difficult decisions and painful circumstances. Yogananda taught that the Gita’s wisdom helps us recognize these as opportunities for spiritual growth rather than occasions for despair.
Practical Application
What makes Yogananda’s interpretation particularly accessible is his emphasis on practical application. He didn’t present the Gita as requiring renunciation of worldly life but rather as teaching how to live in the world while remaining inwardly anchored in divine consciousness. This “divine householder” ideal resonated deeply with Western audiences seeking to integrate spirituality with modern life.
He encouraged students to begin and end each day with meditation, to practice the presence of God throughout daily activities, and to cultivate even-mindedness in the face of life’s dualities—pleasure and pain, success and failure, praise and blame.
The Ultimate Teaching
At the heart of Yogananda’s Gita commentary lies Krishna’s final instruction: “Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto Me.” Yogananda interpreted this not as sectarian devotion to a particular deity but as the soul’s complete surrender to its own highest Self, the God within. This surrender doesn’t mean passivity but rather the relinquishment of ego and the alignment of personal will with divine will.
Through meditation and inner communion, the devotee discovers that Krishna’s promise—“I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions”—refers to the liberating power of God-realization to dissolve all karmic bonds and bestow eternal freedom.
Yogananda’s gift was making the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita comprehensible and applicable to seekers of all backgrounds, presenting it as a universal scripture that transcends religious boundaries while pointing toward the one Reality that all faiths ultimately seek.
Light Being ॐ 
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