Bhagavad Gītā is an allegory of advancement in spiritual life. Our defects are our enemies. Since we cannot experience bliss until our heart is purified, the first step in spiritual life is to recognize our internal enemies, in the same way that Arjuna needed to see his opponents facing him on the battlefield. To become attached to God, we need to fight with these enemies which manifest as material attachments.
The Gita teaches us how to offer our material ego to God. It brings us to the level of being non-violent in the ultimate sense, beyond the dualities of material existence. Only if we transcend our material ego are we really free.
Krishna then teaches that both happiness and distress constitute disturbances that need to be transcended. He explains to Arjuna the principles of karma yoga. Since action leads to bondage, the desire for the result needs to be given up. The result of the action should be offered to God. Problems lie neither with the object nor with the activity, which are both external–what counts is only the consciousness of the performer of action.
A pure devotee has an aura that subdues others, like the sun subdues the stars. All of God’s qualities manifest in such a person. The devas are pleased with him, so they associate with him because it is very rare to see a pure devotee. The rarest of rare. Even Bhagavan becomes captured in the heart of such a person. This is the greatness of a devotee. This is the power of love.
