Category Archives: Blogs

Hare Krsna, This lesson is truly delightful to read and meditate upon. It is wonderful to see Kṛṣṇa taking time to marvel at the transcendental forests of Vṛndāvana and the changing seasons. His example teaches us the importance of stepping away from our busy schedules to appreciate the world around us—to marvel at the beautyContinue reading “SB 10.20.21-31: The Rainy Season, Part Three”

Hare Krsna, There are many practical applications from this lesson (SB 10.20.9-20). SB 10.20.9: The frogs, who had all along been lying silent, suddenly began croaking when they heard the rumbling of the rain clouds, in the same way that brāhmaṇa students, who perform their morning duties in silence begin reciting their lessons when calledContinue reading “SB 10.20.9-20: The Rainy Season, Part Two”

Hare Krsna, Metaphorically the sky, sun, cloud, earth and the evening darkness can apply aptly to the spiritual master. Just as the sky is covered by dense clouds accompanied by lightning and thunder, the conditioned spirit soul is covered by ignorance caused by entanglement with the three modes of material nature. He suffers the three-foldContinue reading “SB 10.20.1-8: The Rainy Season, Part One”

Hare Krsna, As I was studying and meditating on this lesson, I was trying to find the correlation between the pastime and the anartha it represented. According to the anartha chart shared by our teachers, this (and second) forest fire represents ‘disturbance of religious principles and interference with religious people who are atheist’.  But nowhereContinue reading “SB 10.19.1-16: Kṛṣṇa Always Protects His Devotees”

Hare Krsna, For sincere devotees sincerely endeavoring to make advancement in devotional service, overcoming all anarthas (unwanted things) is essential and most difficult. Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu states that “devotional life is divided into two stages—sādhana-bhakti and bhāva-bhakti. Sādhana-bhakti refers to the development of devotional service through the regulative principles. The basic principle for the execution of devotionalContinue reading “SB 10.18.17-32: Balarāma Kills Pralambāsura”

Hare Krsna, I was thoroughly enjoying the verses of this chapter until I encountered a topic that sparked my intellectual curiosity—the term uddīpanā. To understand its technical meaning, I delved into additional sources. In His instructions to Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sheds light on the concepts of ālambana and uddīpana: “There are twoContinue reading “SB 10.18.1-16: The Forests as Uddīpanā, Features Which Stimulate Rasa”

Hare Krsna, This lesson about the pastime of Kṛṣṇa swallowing the forest fire to save the Vrajavāsīs coincides with the recent, and still developing, devastating forest fires in Los Angeles. The contrast between the attitudes and responses of the people in Vṛndāvana and Los Angeles during these crises is striking. In Los Angeles, the cityContinue reading “SB 10.17.13-25: Kṛṣṇa Swallows Fire to Save His Friends”

Hare Krsna, This relatively short lesson provides profound wisdom on humility, mindfulness, false compassion and committing offenses to others. The pastimes of Kāliya, Garuḍa, and Saubhari Muni provide valuable insights into the nature of offenses and the means to avoid them. These stories highlight the root causes of offenses—arrogance, false compassion, and impulsive actions—and theirContinue reading “SB 10.17.1-12: Past Conflict Between Garuda and Kaliya”

Hare Krsna, I want to thank our dear teachers for sharing another version of the pastime of Kaliya as described in Sri Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta of Srila Sanatana Goswami. This pastime made for a sweet reading. According to me, this pastime explains the essence of Kaliya pastime and the final conclusions of devotional service. “By the mercyContinue reading “Lessons from the Pastime with Kāliya According to Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta”

Hare Krsna, I am impressed by the maturity displayed by Kaliya in his prayers; his prayers reveal his surrender to Krsna. He prays, “O Lord, since You are the omniscient Lord of the universe, You are the actual cause of freedom from illusion. Please arrange for us whatever You consider proper, whether it be mercyContinue reading “SB 10.16.54-67: Kāliya Surrenders and Offers Prayers”