Gita: The Battle of the Worlds

A classic story of good overcoming evil, through Dev and Sanjay’s adventure, young readers will be able to connect with some of the deeper concepts in the Gita. This is the first time that this difficult, inaccessible text has been unlocked and distilled for children of all cultures to bring out a truly universal message. The interpretation is inspired by the works of Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952); a Guru to millions, including one of the writers, and considered one of the preeminent spiritual figures of modern times.

 

Sachdev and Wayne have taken the epic battle within the Gita, brought out its universal message, and transported it inside the body of a young boy, Dev. Having recently lost his father, we meet Dev in a state of turmoil, lashing out at those around him. But then he meets Sanjay, a sprite-like being who represents divine introspection. As Sanjay enters Dev’s body and travels up his spine through a yogic route of chakras, we are able to explore the metaphor of good and bad – the battle within the Gita - residing within us all. On his journey Sanjay encounters worlds of darkness, greed, rage, fire, until finally he finds Arjun, on the battlefield, ready to face his enemy and cousin Prince Ego. In a retelling of the famous moment that is the foundation of the Gita, Arjun hesitates, and it is now that Sanjay sees Krishna, Arjun’s guru and friend. Here, on the battlefield for the boy’s heart, we are privy to their conversation, we see how even the great warrior Arjun struggles to overcome his bad tendencies, and we realise that this is the challenge for Dev too, for all of us: how to face and defeat the bad, and open our hearts to the good.