Question: Was the battle of Kurukshetra a real battle, or was it the symbol of the battle of life on earth?

Sri Chinmoy: The battle of Kurukshetra was a real battle. It did take place over four thousand years ago. Krishna was there in human form; Arjuna was there. It is absolutely true; Krishna did come into existence and it was a real battle.

But now we use it according to our own purpose. When we are in a position to use the message of the Gita in a practical way, we say, “Yes, Krishna did come.” But the message of disinterested work — that we work for the sake of work, but offer the result at the Feet of the Lord — is very difficult for human beings. So we say it is all symbolic; it is all theory. It is not reality. But for spiritual people, everything is reality. For ordinary people, unaspiring people, everything will be imaginary or theoretical or just symbolic, with no reality in it. But for spiritual people, everything that the Gita says is reality.

The battle of Kurukshetra was real, and this battle is taking place every day deep within us between the divine forces and the undivine forces in us. Since we are seekers, ultimately the divine forces within us will gain victory. Also in the case of the Gita, the Pandavas did win the battle. If we are not seekers, the undivine forces will go on winning and keeping us under their control. But since we are seekers, we are bound to conquer our undivine, hostile, unaspiring forces. In the battlefield of life, we are bound to win because we are aspiring.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Sri Chinmoy speaks, part 5, Agni Press, 1976
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/scs_5