The transformatory potency of bhakti yoga (Appreciating bhakti-yoga 4)
Every path expects certain abilities or qualities from its practitioners. For example, athletes need to be physically fit and agile; students need to be intellectually [...]
The eternality of bhakti yoga (Appreciating bhakti-yoga 3)
Many religious paths promise happiness, including happiness beyond this life. Gita wisdom explains that not all post-mortem destinations are equally good. The Gita differentiates between [...]
The simplicity of bhakti-yoga (Gita 09.20-34 explained: Appreciating bhakti-yoga 2)
Various religious paths require particular resources to be successfully executed. Those resources may relate with the capacities to get expensive paraphernalia, perform elaborate rituals, engage [...]
09.34 Four glories of bhakti-yoga (Gita 09.20-34 explained: Appreciating bhakti-yoga 1)
The glories of bhakti-yoga, as explained in the Bhagavad-gita (09.20-34), can be summarized through the acronym SETU: Simple, Eternal, Transformational, Universal. As SETU means bridge [...]
How the Gita’s conclusion integrates its contextual and universal dimensions (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 7)
The Bhagavad-gita starts with a vividly specific setting: an inquiry by the blind king Dhritarashtra about the events on the battlefield of Kurukshetra (01.01). He [...]
Gita 01.02 explained
Bg 1.2sañjaya uvācadṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavānīkaṁvyūḍhaṁ duryodhanas tadāācāryam upasaṅgamyarājā vacanam abravītWord for word: sañjayaḥ uvāca — Sañjaya said; dṛṣṭvā — after seeing; tu — but; pāṇḍava-anīkam [...]
How the Bhagavad-gita’s battlefield setting demonstrates its core teaching (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 6)
The Gita’s first chapter describes how both the ungodly Duryodhana and the godly Arjuna were disturbed by observing the battlefield. And their varying responses to [...]
The Gita’s starting and ending usage of Partha (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 5)
In Krishna’s first and last words in the Bhagavad-gita, he addresses Arjuna as Partha. Let’s explore the significance of these usages by analyzing Arjuna’s epithet. [...]
Gita 01.21-22 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan 1 - 26 observing the [...]
The Gita’s triple use of ‘Achyuta’ (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 4)
The Bhagavad-gita uses various names for Krishna and Arjuna not just for literary variety or poetic symmetry, but also and primarily to subtly convey pertinent [...]
The cyclicity of the Bhagavad-gita (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 3)
A well-written book cycles back to the starting point in its ending point. Let’s see how such cyclicity is demonstrated in the Bhagavad-gita, which is [...]
From the specific to the universal and back to the specific (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 2)
Well-written books exhibit an expert balance between specifics and universals, whereby the specifics engage and the universals illuminate. Let’s see how this is done in [...]
Three levels of answers to the Gita’s driving question (Appreciating the Gita’s flow 1)
The Bhagavad-gita (02.07) is spoken by Krishna to answer Arjuna’s question, “What is dharma, the right thing to do?” To help us understand how we [...]
Does the quest for knowledge have an end? (From ignorance to knowledge series 7)
Knowledge in almost every area can be pursued nearly infinitely. The more we come to know something, the more we may discover how much more [...]
Gita 06.44 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya 38-45: If the mind deviates the [...]
How does the journey from ignorance to knowledge begin? (From ignorance to knowledge series 6)
Suppose someone wants to mine gold. They need to know quite a few things about gold: for example, what gold looks like, why it is [...]
When knowledge increases ignorance … (From ignorance to knowledge series 5)
We usually consider knowledge to be the cure for ignorance: where knowledge increases, ignorance decreases. In fact, a celebrated Upanishadic quote implies these opposing attributes [...]
Two stages in valuing knowledge (From ignorance to knowledge series 4)
Suppose we have a map for finding our way through a complex terrain. That map will be a valuable and vital aid for our traveling. [...]
Knowledge & values (From ignorance to knowledge series 3)
Value knowledge: It’s easy to value property, possessions or other visible forms of wealth. It’s easy also to value other tangible things such as signs [...]
The mysterious door to knowledge (From ignorance to knowledge series 2)
Suppose we see a majestic palace and notice a low door to enter into it. Intrigued, we bend ourselves, enter and behold impressive artistry and [...]
When our ignorance is exposed … (From ignorance to knowledge series 1)
Because we are tiny beings living in a huge and complex world, what we know will always be dwarfed by what we don’t know. Whenever [...]