Let me not waste the potential for joy unending (3.16)
Bhagavad Gita 3.16 evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati "Those who break this sacred chain, Living only for instant [...]
Let my desire for you drive away all my other desires (2.72)
Bhagavad Gita 2.72 eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṁ prāpya vimuhyati sthitvāsyām anta-kāle ’pi brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati "This is the state divine, the goal of life's [...]
Does surrender mean that God manages our life for us?
The Bhagavad-gita begins and ends with surrender. But these two forms of surrender are significantly different. The initial surrender in 2.7 happens when Arjuna acknowledges [...]
From material emotion to spiritual emotion
In the Bhagavad-gita verse (4.10), Krishna describes how we can move from material emotion to spiritual emotion. Broadly, the various emotions we have in association [...]
Bhakti is a journey through physical reality to spiritual reality
The Bhagavad-gita declares that all attractive things derive their attractiveness from a spark of Krishna's supreme attractiveness (10.41). This implies that the world we encounter [...]
Surrender is not passive but active
The Bhagavad Gita (18.73) concludes with Arjuna surrendering to Krishna, not in a passive way by accepting Krishna's will as it is happening in his [...]
Far away from God
We may be far away from God, but God is close to us. Sometimes we may pray to God and not get any result from [...]
Bhagavad-gita Chapter 9 summary — part 4
[How can you be worshiped?] Very simply; those who offer me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water – that offering of [...]
Beyond reductionist notions of spirituality
Given that contemporary life subjects us to spiraling levels of stress, and spiritual practices such as meditation are known to provide non-intrusive stress relief, spirituality [...]
Gita 5.29 explained
Bg 5.29 bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati Word for word: bhoktāram — the beneficiary; yajña — of sacrifices; tapasām — and [...]
What to expect from prayer — 2
Suppose we enroll for an exercise program meant to build our muscles. Suppose we are told to move some heavy objects. Moving those objects can [...]
Gita 15.14 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now we will see how [...]
From what’s on loan to what’s our own
Suppose we inherit a huge fortune: we may start splurging recklessly. But suppose we learn that the money we have is on loan: we will [...]
Understanding the message of silence
Suppose we are discussing an important issue with an expert. To understand their position on the issue, we will contemplate the words they speak. Significantly, [...]
Seeing Krishna’s love for us and showing our love for him
Many of us turn toward God after we have tried everything else in our quest to be happy and it all has left us disappointed. [...]
How God’s pleasure relates with what is best for us
In the Bhagavad-gita’s conclusion, Arjuna declares that he will do Krishna’s will (18.73). This declaration is an expression of love, for love centers on the [...]
The eternality of bhakti yoga (Appreciating bhakti-yoga 3)
The eternality of bhakti yoga - Many religious paths promise happiness, including happiness beyond this life. Gita wisdom explains that not all post-mortem destinations are [...]
The simplicity of bhakti-yoga (Gita 09.20-34 explained: Appreciating bhakti-yoga 2)
The simplicity of bhakti-yoga - Various religious paths require particular resources to be successfully executed. Those resources may relate with the capacities to get expensive [...]
How can we reach God?
How can we reach God? -When we start on our spiritual quest, we may feel that we are far away from God. How can we [...]
We are already in God’s embrace
We are already in God’s embrace - How we conceive God determines how we relate with him. If we conceive of him as a being [...]
How Krishna’s relationship with us differs from our relationship with him
How Krishna’s relationship with us differs from our relationship with him - The Bhagavad-gita’s conclusion contains a disarming declaration: Krishna is determined to love us [...]