Q: In Bhagavad Gita when Arjuna wishes to flee the battle and renounce the world Krishna urges him to fulfill his duty by staying put and fighting. How is this advice understood with the principle of non-violence, a concept also central to the Gita? Is it similar to the notion of a just war in Christian and Islamic theology?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The whole essence of the Gita is to act without being attached to the action. It's all about yoga, not about war but your attitude. When you are faced with a situation like war, how do you manage yourself? The worst situation in life is when you have to face a war and when you have to fight not with an enemy, but with some of your own people. When you have to fight with your own brothers and sisters, how do you handle the situation? It's easy to fight a war with an enemy, someone you don’t like. But fighting with someone who is part of your own family is the worst thing.
If you can manage your mind in the worst scenario, then you can manage yourself in any situation.

Given the extreme example of how you can manage the mind, the consciousness, yourself, that’s the whole essence of the Gita, not the war.

Skill in action is yoga.

An old ancient Vedic prayer is,

‘God of the wealth is in the beginning of my palm, residing in my palm. God of wisdom is residing in my palm. God’s valor is residing in my own palm. So let the good things happen through me’.

This is how we are supposed to wake up and look at our hands.

~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Adi Shankaracharya has said, Kasya sukham na karoti viraagaa meaning, what kind of joy does dispassion not bring? All kinds of joy and comforts come naturally to you, without your making any effort. Through practice and dispassion, this restless mind becomes still.

~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Q: Guruji what is Yogakshema?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yog means to get. And kshema means to preserve what you got. Kshema means to save. We say, He had a yog to get fame. That is not enough. You need to get the Kshema to save it, to keep it up. That is Kshema. Do you see what I am saying? For example you have the yog to get a house, to buy a car. When you got it, to keep it up is your Kshema. To save or to maintain well what you have got by Yog is Kshema. Krishna says, 'The one who is always thinking about me, I'll take care of both his yog, and kshema'. He says, 'The one who has nothing but me in their mind are sure to have both the Yog and Kshem from me. Such a man whose focus is only on me and me alone, I take care.' But one who is neither here nor there; who does little bit of spiritual shopping here and there, Krishna says, then you take care of your self!

Sri Ram Charitmanas written by Goswami Tulsidas is very much a part of the oral tradition in India. This is a beautiful rendition of the end of Kishkindha Kand and the whole of Sunder Kand by Shri Ashwinkumar Pathak ji. English transcript is also given in the video.

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णु गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः गुरुर्देव परंब्रह्मः तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः।

अज्ञानतिमिरांधस्य ज्ञानांजनशलाकया चक्षुरौन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः।

अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरं तदपदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः।

अनेकजन्म संप्राप्तं कर्मबन्ध विदाहिने आत्मज्ञानप्रदानेन तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः।

मन्नाथः श्री जगन्नाथा मदगुरु श्री जगदगुरु मदात्मा सर्वभूतात्मा तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः।

ब्रह्मानन्दं परमसुखदं केवलं ज्ञानमूर्तिं

द्वंद्वातीतं गगनसदृशं तत्वम्स्यादिलक्ष्यम्‍ ।

एकं नित्यं विमलमचलं सर्वधी साक्षीभूतं

भावातीतं त्रिगुणसहितं सदगुरुं तं नमामि॥

In praise of the spiritual master.