Priya Arora, author, spiritual seeker, and lifelong student of Vedanta, has spent over 30 years living in the U.S., building a career in banking and technology after studying English Literature at Oxford University. Yet, it was a lecture at the Ramakrishna Mission in Berkeley that set her on a spiritual path, leading her to study Advaita Vedanta and Sanskrit, and ultimately inspiring her books.

Her latest work, ‘Life Is a Battlefield’ (Penguin India, 2025), offers a contemporary interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita, drawing on Priya’s own experiences—including a cancer diagnosis and raising a child with autism—to provide practical guidance for navigating life’s challenges.

On the book’s title and inspiration

“The battlefield of Kurukshetra is a metaphor for life,” Priya explains. “Just as a battle is marked by ups and downs, successes and reversals, life unfolds in waves of dualities. Victory in a battle can only be attained with a controlled mind and a resolute attitude; the same applies to life.”

She adds, “The Bhagavad Gita teaches us to expect both pleasure and pain, honour and dishonour, victory and defeat, loss and gain. These pairs of opposites touch one like summer and winter and move on. We must cultivate equanimity so we remain grounded in both situations.”

Reflecting on her personal journey, Priya says, “Two major events—a cancer diagnosis and parenting a child with autism—were challenging, but the Gita provided me with the means to handle these trials without crumbling. Where I stand today, I owe entirely to the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. My personal journey inspired this book. I felt that if it helped me, it could help others.”

Bringing spirituality into everyday life

Having lived across India, the U.K., and the U.S., and worked in banking and technology, Priya has a unique perspective on applying spiritual teachings in the modern world. “The Gita is a practical guide to achieving inner peace,” she says. “The beauty of its teachings is that these lessons are given to Arjuna, a warrior on the battlefield in a moment of crisis, not to sages in the forest. They are meant to help those of us engaged in daily struggles.”

Priya emphasizes that spirituality need not be separate from professional or personal life. “Many people feel the Bhagavad Gita is best studied after retirement. This is an unfortunate misunderstanding. The Gita is about attaining peace and fulfilment in your work by combining spirituality with your secular life. When you do your day job with a worshipful attitude as a karma yogi, rather than with selfish intent, stress is removed. You step off the treadmill with a simple change of attitude.”

Action without attachment

One of the key teachings of the Gita is “action without attachment,” and Priya explains how this can be applied in modern life. “All our worries and concerns stem from unhealthy attachment: Ahankara, the sense of ‘me’ and manakara, ‘mine.’ Attachment enslaves us to the object we are fixated on. When we make our happiness dependent on hidden variables, disappointment is inevitable.”

She draws a distinction between attachment and love: “We often confuse love and attachment in relationships. Love is healthy because it is devoid of unrealistic expectations. Attachment makes you dependent. It is weakening, not empowering. Love deeply, work enthusiastically, laugh heartily, but do it all without attachment—Sangam tattva. Therein, you will find peace.”

Finding clarity amid chaos

Priya also stresses the importance of mental stillness. “The ability to stay calm in moments of crisis is a superpower. When the mind is calm, it can focuson solutions. A stressed, anxious mind cannot achieve success in any activity. Some people are blessed with an even temperament, but anyone can cultivate it with effort and the will to do so. The Gita teaches that control over the mind leads to the highest success, both in the material and spiritual journey.”

The challenge of writing about the Gita

Writing ‘Life Is a Battlefield’ came with emotional and spiritual challenges. “The Bhagavad Gita is high philosophy. It is the sum and substance of Vedantic thought,” Priya notes. “The subject matter is about identifying with your true self and detaching from the unreal and temporary so you can lead a contented and fearless life. The challenge was to write about it in a way that brings it alive for a modern audience, so it can be applied in current times.”

Words for those standing at their personal Kurukshetra

“When we face hardship, it’s natural to feel alone in our sorrow, like Arjuna,” Priya reflects. “The Gita reminds us that good and bad times are the lot of every person who takes birth in this world. However, there is a way out; we don’t need to be miserable. When the mind is strengthened by a changed vision and a winning attitude, difficulties don’t destroy us—they make us stronger. My advice is to use Krishna’s teachings to become a fearless warrior. In this, you will achievevictory.”