Don’t beat yourself down – pick yourself up
When we make mistakes, we naturally feel annoyed, even infuriated, with ourselves. While these feelings can help if they prompt us to self-improvement, they can [...]
Gita 17.26-27 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 17.26-27 sad-bhāve sādhu-bhāve ca [...]
Practice dharma for attaining spiritual purity, not material prosperity
Most of the people who practice dharma, in the sense of doing some religious rituals, do so for getting material things. Some people extend this [...]
Gita 17.25 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 17.25 tad ity anabhisandhāya [...]
Better to admit, “I am wrong” and be right than to insist, “I am right” and stay wrong
The Bhagavad-gita begins with Arjuna deciding to not fight in the upcoming war (01.46). Yet given the grave consequences of either decision – to fight [...]
Caste by birth is the perversion of class by worth
The modern discriminatory caste system has been a source of great exploitation and misery. This regrettable state of affairs has resulted because some power-hungry people [...]
Gita 17.24 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 17.24 tasmād oṁ ity [...]
Gita 17.23 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now after describing charity Krishna [...]
Ego is not the problem – false ego is
In normal parlance, ‘ego’ refers to arrogance and carries negative connotations. The Bhagavad-gita uses its Sanskrit equivalent, ahankara, in this sense (16.18), but also in [...]
Gita 17.22 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 17.22 adeśa-kāle yad dānam [...]
Essential intention is more important than incidental action
To err is human. Whenever we attempt anything worthwhile, we usually go through failures before attaining success. Even children taking their first steps slip and [...]
Don’t confuse activity with productivity
We often have a heavy workload that makes us rush in a frenzy from one task to the next. Though we are active, working hard, [...]
Gita 17.21 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 17.21 yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ [...]
Gita 5.13 explained
Now Sri Krishna will talk about how one can stay detached further Bg 5.13 sarva-karmāṇi manasā sannyasyāste sukhaṁ vaśī nava-dvāre pure dehī naiva kurvan na [...]
Gita 5.5 explained
This will be clearer in next verse: Bg 5.5 yat sāṅkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṁ tad yogair api gamyate ekaṁ sāṅkhyaṁ ca yogaṁ ca yaḥ paśyati sa [...]
The idea that choosing God costs nothing reduces God to nothing
Some people argue, “God is so great and so accommodating that he will love us, no matter what we do.” Yes, the point of contention [...]
Renunciation is not a function of frustration – it is a fruit of realization
Some people think that those people take to renunciation who have become frustrated with material life, especially with their inability to become successful in material [...]
Gita 17.19 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 17.19 mūḍha-grāheṇātmano yat pīḍayā [...]
Scripture makes our sight right
Our eyes are among our most used and most relied sources of perception. To make sense of things and make decisions, we want to see [...]
Gita 17.18 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Then Krishna describes austerities in [...]
Holding on to the Lord internally is more important than beholding him externally
Some people feel, “If I could see God, my faith would increase so much.” While beholding God externally can be special and thrilling, in our [...]