The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita
Guidebook for Right Living
A study course by minister Asha Praver, based on The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, explained by Paramhansa Yogananda, as Remembered by His Disciple,Swami Kriyananda. Details
| CLASS NO. | LENGTH (HR:MIN) | .MP3 FILE SIZE |
| 1 | 1:23 | 76.6 MB |
| 2 | 1:22 | 75.4 MB |
| 3 | 1:14 | 67.6 MB |
| 4 | 1:21 | 74.5 MB |
| 5 * | 1:10 | 64.0 MB |
| 6 | 1:13 | 66.8 MB |
| 7 | 1:24 | 76.9 MB |
| 8 | 1:05 | 60.6 MB |
| 9 | 1:13 | 67 MB |
| 10 | 1:12 | 66 MB |
| 11 | 1:05 | 61.7 MB |
| 12 | 1:05 | 61.6 MB |
| 13 | 1:19 | 75.7 MB |
| 14 | 1:18 | 71.2 MB |
| 15 | 1:11 | 65.6 MB |
| 16 | 1:16 | 71.3 MB |
| 17 | 1:08 | 62.2 MB |
| 18 | 1:10 | 64.2 MB |
| 19 | 1:18 | 72 MB |
| 20 | 1:18 | 71 MB |
| 21 | 1:11 | 67 MB |
| 22 | 1:12 | 66 MB |
| 23 | 1:16 | 73 MB |
| 24 | 1:11 | 67 MB |
| 25 | 1:18 | 74.8 MB |
| This completes the first half of the book. More classes in 2008. |
The above classes cover the Bhagavad Gita through Chapter 6:31. |
* Note: The audio portion after the mid-break is of lower quality.
The whole of the Bhagavad Gita can be read in an afternoon. To absorb its wisdom, however, is the task of a lifetime – many lifetimes, in fact.
Yogananda’s explanation, however, makes the task easier. It is the “airplane route” to understanding the Gita. “Millions will find God through this work,” Yogananda declared. “Not just thousands: millions! I have seen it. I know!”
This commentary is thoroughly modern in language and content, with examples from life as we know it now.
Yogananda does not dismiss the material world as merely an illusion, the way some teachers do. All parts of human nature need to be developed—physical and mental as well as spiritual—or lacks in one area may obstruct progress in others. Yogananda shows how the Gita can and should be applied to all levels of reality.
The commentary is deep so we’ll move slowly, about 10 pages a week. This is just Part I in a series. It will take several courses to cover the whole book.
The Story Behind the Story
The Gita is one small section of a much larger epic called the Mahabharata. It is the story of war between cousins. The two families represent our inner
qualities; the field of battle is our own consciousness.Who Dies?
The allegory is war. It is kill or be killed. Even Arjuna, the great hero of the Mahabharata, hesitates. The Gita is Krishna’s response. Civilizations rise and fall, but the task for man is ever the same: to realize God within himself.Passage to Freedom
Chakras, kundalini, the hidden workings of karma, the need for guru’s grace. Esoteric secrets of spiritual success. Hidden pitfalls to the soul’s progress. All are contained (and explained) within the Gita.That Which Was Hidden Can Now Be Revealed
Eternal truth is never out of date. From time to time, though, the expression of that truth needs to be renewed. To Yogananda was given the divine task of reinterpreting this ancient scripture for modern times.