Krishna’s puzzling smile (Exploring Gita chapter 2)
Krishna’s puzzling smile - The Bhagavad-gita’s second chapter begins with Arjuna’s plight: he is emotionally afflicted (02.01) and ethically conflicted (02.06). Finally, he surrenders to [...]
From honor-culture to honorable action (Understanding Gita 02.34 – 6)
From honor-culture to honorable action - The Bhagavad-gita’s call for honorable action (02.34) reflects a characteristic of most traditional cultures: a concern for honor. People [...]
The difference between honor and pride (Understanding Gita 02.34 – 5)
The difference between honor and pride - Synonyms aren’t always interchangeable. They can have connotations that may lead to meanings that are differing or even [...]
Does how others perceive us matter? (Understanding Gita 02.34 – 4)
Does how others perceive us matter? - The Bhagavad-gita (01.34) states that for those who have been honored, dishonor is worse than death. This verse [...]
How fear of dishonor can motivate us (Understanding Gita 02.34 – 3)
How fear of dishonor can motivate us - Dishonor or shame can motivate us to desist from a wrong choice or persist in a right [...]
Is dishonor really worse than death? (Understanding Gita 02.34 – 2)
Is dishonor really worse than death? - The Bhagavad-gita (02.34) declares that for respectable people, dishonor is worse than death. This verse raises the question: [...]
Why be bothered by dishonor? (Understanding Gita 02.34 – 1)
Why be bothered by dishonor? - The Bhagavad-gita (02.34) declares that for those who have been honored, dishonor is worse than death. This verse raises [...]
How sorrow points us toward spirituality (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 5)
How sorrow points us toward spirituality - Loss and the resulting sorrow are unpalatable yet unavoidable experiences during our life-journey. When we lose something desirable, [...]
Gita 01.45- Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now he will express the [...]
No time to think? (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 4)
No time to think? - The Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter describes its setting: a battlefield where two huge armies were assembled, ready to fight. Wars are [...]
From the specific to the universal (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 3)
From the specific to the universal - We learn best by an expert combination of the specific and the universal. Specifics catch our attention as [...]
The QUEST acronym (Why the Gita’s first chapter matters 1)
The QUEST acronym - The Bhagavad-gita is widely known as a book of profound philosophy. Why does such a book start with an entire chapter [...]
Gita 10.11 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now Krishna said I will [...]
10.11 How knowledge relates with devotion (Chatur-Shloki Gita analysis 13)
10.11 How knowledge relates with devotion - The Chatur-Shloki Gita offers a nuanced understanding of the relationship between knowledge and devotion. Let’s try to understand [...]
10.11 How knowledge manifests in devotion (Chatur Shloki Gita analysis 12)
10.11 How knowledge manifests in devotion - Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya “Move from darkness to light.” This well-known saying from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad succinctly conveys [...]
Gita 10.10 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 10.10 teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ [...]
How devotion leads to dynamic intelligence (Chatur-Shloki Gita analysis 11)
How devotion leads to dynamic intelligence - Our destiny is determined by our decisions; the choices we make can radically alter our life’s trajectories. Unfortunately, [...]
Why our mood matters in our bhakti practice (Chatur-Shloki Gita analysis 10)
Why our mood matters in our bhakti practice - Suppose we meet someone whose words or gestures convey that they don’t want to be with [...]
How devotion encompasses our entire being (Chatur-Shloki Gita analysis 9)
How devotion encompasses our entire being - In the Chatur-shloki Gita, the second verse (10.09) describes the characteristics of the devoted in terms of their [...]
Chatur-Shloki Gita illustrated in the Krishna-Arjuna relationship (Chatur-Shloki Gita analysis 8)
Chatur-Shloki Gita illustrated in the Krishna-Arjuna relationship - The Chatur-Shloki Gita (10.08-11) can be analyzed in terms of what devotees do for Krishna (10.08-09) and [...]
Chatur-Shloki Summarized in terms of reciprocation (Chatur-Shloki Gita analysis 7)
Chatur-Shloki Summarized in terms of reciprocation - If we read the Bhagavad-gita’s Chatur-shloki (its four-verse summary:10.08-11), it becomes evident that its essential theme is bhakti-yoga. [...]