"Karma Yoga is the selfless devotion of all inner as well as the outer activities as a Sacrifice to the Lord of all works, offered to the eternal as Master of all the soul’s energies and austerities." —Bhagavad Gita Right Attitude It’s not what you do that counts,...
Both a renowned Sanskrit scholar and yogi, Swami Venkatesananda—like his master, Swami Sivananda—can be regarded as a sage of practical wisdom. You can also listen to these talks at swamivenkatesananda.org. We are about to investigate Karma Yoga. The word "karma"...
In this article, Sri Swami Satchidananda gives us an overview of the "backstory" that sets the stage for one of Yoga's great, foundational texts—the Bhagavad Gita. My Master, Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, said this about the greatness of the Gita: "The Gita expounds...
The Bhagavad-gita is not just another religious text; nor is it merely a Hindu scripture. Rather, it provides “applied spiritual technologies,” or systematic procedures by which anyone, of any religious faith, can advance toward the ultimate goal of life. In other...
In this article, you can read the first chapter (The Despondency of Arjuna) of the Bhagavad Gita from Sri Swami Satchidananda's book, The Living Gita. Sri Swamiji makes the entire Bhagavad Gita so accessible to the modern reader. The Despondency of Arjuna The first...
There is a great joy in giving—in sharing and caring—and not expecting anything in return. That’s what we learn from the Bhagavad Gita. You are born to serve, but not to look for the fruits of that service. Offer the fruit to everybody. That is what is meant by the...
The ancient Indian scriptures are known collectively as the Vedas. The Bhagavad Gita comes from the Vedas. But what are the Vedas? The root vid means knowledge. According to the Hindus, the Vedas are holy scriptures. Any scripture that talks about the truth is a Veda....
Sri Swami Satchidananda recommended that his students memorize these twenty slokas in Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita. These slokas explain the essence of Bhakti Yoga, one of the main branches of Integral Yoga. He said, “This twelfth chapter is really important. It...
Dr. Schweig’s brand new book, Bhagavad Gita: The Beloved Lord’s Secret Love Song is described by Huston Smith (the internationally recognized authority on world religion) as a “beautiful and accessible translation of the Gita.” In this interview, Dr. Schweig explains...
Dr. Edwin Bryant offers us a tour of the historical and religious landscape of the Bhagavad Gita in this interview, including a view of its influence on Thoreau, Emerson, Mahatma Gandhi and its relevance for Yoga students and teachers. Integral Yoga Magazine: Can you...
Dr. David Frawley is regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on Ayurveda, Yoga and Vedic Studies. In this article, he offers an overview of the relationship between the teachings of Yoga and the Bhagavad Gita. He also discusses the Gita’s teaching of Yoga as...