Focus not on God’s rules – focus on his purpose
Suppose a patient with an upset stomach is told by a doctor to restrict diet. If the patient focuses on all the foods that are [...]
Gita 11.18 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Starts glorification Bg 11.18 tvam [...]
Suffering defines the human condition, but the human condition doesn’t define us
Suffering is an undeniable reality of the human condition, as the daily news of death and disease and destruction demonstrate. And these are just the [...]
Gita 11.17 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 11.17 kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ [...]
We can’t shut the mouth of our critics, but we don’t have to let their words fill our heart
The nature of the world is such that whatever we do, someone will criticize us. When we take to spiritual life, materialists will criticize. Even [...]
Gita 11.16 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 11.16 aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ paśyāmi tvāṁ [...]
Gita 11.15 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan 11.15-11.31, Arjuna’s description of UF [...]
Healing requires not just the expelling of germs, but primarily the boosting of immunity
When germs infect us and we start feeling sick, we take treatment for driving out the germs. However, healing requires not just the driving out [...]
Gita 11.14 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 11.14 tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo [...]
Gita 11.13 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 11.13 tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ [...]
Gita 11.12 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan First when we see a [...]
See nature not as the inflictor of misery, but as the instructor of incompatibility
Traditionally, nature has been considered a mother who provides for life’s necessities. But some people characterize it negatively as a stepmother or even a witch [...]
Gita 11.10-11 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 11.10-11 aneka-vaktra-nayanam anekādbhuta-darśanam aneka-divyābharaṇaṁ [...]
Krishna’s glories enlighten even the enlightened
The Bhagavad-gita’s essence is manifest in its four nutshell verses (10.08-11). The first two of these verses convey how Krishna’s supreme position transforms the hearts [...]
Gita 11.09 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 11.9 sañjaya uvāca evam [...]
See the “Yes” in the “No” to a “No”
Suppose a person driving on a road comes to a sign, “Road closed – take alternative route” with a pointer to that route. Those who [...]
God is not a concept to be learnt – he is a person to be loved
The subject of God or, more generally, the concept of a supreme controller or an ultimate cause, has frequently intrigued the human mind. But what [...]
The fundamental negative thinking is thinking that happiness is to be found only in matter
Nowadays many books urge us to think positive. Certainly, we shouldn’t shackle and cripple ourselves by negative thinking. But to tap positive thinking properly, we [...]
Gita 11.07 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 11.7 ihaika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ [...]
The world determines our situations, but we determine our emotions
Suppose we get caught in a traffic jam and get late for an appointment. We may naturally feel irritated. Such an emotion is natural, but [...]
Krishna doesn’t cause our worldly wandering – he frees us from the cause of that wandering
Some people claim, “ The Bhagavad-gita teaches that we humans have no free will, being just puppets in God’s hands. They often quote the Gita [...]