The tension between purpose and pleasure
Human existence is characterized by a tension between purpose and pleasure. There is a part of us that wants to do something purposeful — that [...]
Two powerful motivators: desire and fear
Suppose we need to choose between paths A and B, wherein A will take us to a good place and B to a bad place. [...]
Why discipline is important — and not just for self-improvement
We often presume that discipline is something we need to adopt if we want to improve ourselves: say, become fitter, more well-read or more skilled. [...]
Whose respect are we trying to earn?
We all have a need to be respected. At a basic level, when we enter a room, we would like to be noticed, greeted, and [...]
Gita 18.67 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan So with this Krishna has [...]
Healthy and unhealthy foundations for self-respect
Some people treat self-respect as the most important thing in their life. When they feel that others are disrespecting or mistreating them, that becomes for [...]
When our conscience speaks ….
We all have inside us an inner guiding voice: the voice of conscience that guides us to act in ways that are worthwhile, ennobling and [...]
Gita 04.09 explained
Bg 4.9 janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna Word for word: janma — [...]
How Krishna’s pastimes reveal him to be the ultimate hero
How Krishna catches our attention: While watching an action movie, our attention is often caught by the hero’s spectacular action sequences. When Krishna descends to [...]
Gita 02.39 explained
2nd ch - 4th sec 38 to 53 -> Now Krishna will answer Arjuna's fear of sinful reaction argument. He will address it by [...]
Why does the Gita emphasize yoga more than dharma?
In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna’s driving question is about dharma, the right thing to do. Yet Krishna’s response contains far more references to yoga than to [...]
Gita 09.11 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 9.11 avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [...]
Gita 03.11 explained
Bg 3.11 devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha Word for word: devān — demigods; bhāvayatā — having pleased; anena — by this sacrifice; te — those; devāḥ — demigods;bhāvayantu — [...]
Are Krishna’s Gita teachings exclusivist?
Not at all. What makes a path exclusivist is its claim that it alone has exclusive rights to God. What makes an exclusivist path bad [...]
Gita 01.36 – 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 after describing this Arjuna [...]
Gita 17.12 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan But on the other hand [...]
Gita 02.10 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
BG 2.10 tam uvaca hrishikesah prahasann iva bharata senayor ubhayor madhye vishidantam idam vacah SYNONYMS tam -- unto him; uvaca -- said; hrishikesah -- [...]
Does the eternality of the soul license the killing of people?
Some people say, “The Gita teaches that because the soul is eternal and the body is perishable, there’s nothing wrong for Arjuna to kill in [...]
The tension that tore Arjuna apart
When we read in the Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter how Arjuna experienced an emotional breakdown, we may wonder: why was he so overwhelmed? To understand, we [...]
Gita 02.04 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
1-10: Arjuna’s further doubts and surrender BG 2.4 arjuna uvaca katham bhishmam aham sankhye dronam ca madhusudana ishubhih pratiyotsyami pujarhav ari-sudana SYNONYMS arjunah uvaca [...]
How the Krishna-Arjuna duo demonstrates the dynamics of divine empowerment
In the Bhagavad-gita (11.33), Krishna essentially assures Arjuna that he will be empowered by divine arrangement. To understand the dynamics of such divine empowerment, let’s [...]