“Which is your favorite Bhagavad-gita verse?”
“Which is your favorite Bhagavad-gita verse?” This was a question a podcast host asked me during a recent interview on my UK visit. I paused [...]
Was Arjuna Overthinking?
I was asked this question after giving a short talk on overcoming overthinking at Thunder Bay, Canada, on September 14, 2026. The questioner continued, “I [...]
The Conflict of Belonging: Kula Dharma vs. Kshatriya Dharma
The Bhagavad Gita opens with the word dharma. While often translated simply as "religion," dharma actually originates from the Sanskrit root dhru, meaning "to sustain." [...]
Even Go-Getters Must Pause: Arjuna’s Ultimate Dilemma
When the Bhagavad Gita opens, the great warrior Arjuna develops a sudden case of nerves, putting down his weapons and stating, "I cannot fight." It [...]
Why Krishna Did Not Use Hate Speech
In today’s world, violence and war rightfully alarm people, and violence in the name of religion is particularly troubling. Because the Bhagavad Gita is spoken [...]
The Battlefield Metaphor: Why Intellectual Shortcuts Fail
The setting of the Bhagavad Gita is inherently jarring. Just before the climactic war of the epic Mahabharata is about to begin, the leading warrior, [...]
Adversity, Atrocity, and the True Source of Agony
We often face problems in life at three different levels of acuteness: adversity, atrocity, and agony. Adversity is what life naturally throws at us, such [...]
Question: If the Bhagavad-gita recommends action rather than renunciation, why do devotees in ISKCON become brahmacharis rather than act in the world as grihasthas?
Answer: There are three distinct considerations here. First is the context of the teaching of the Gita. Second is the broader Indian tradition. And third [...]
Public Trust in Times of Protest: Why the Government Needs CIT
The images of protesting students being lathi-charged by the police are disturbing and distressing. Emotions are understandably running high. Rather than joining those on the [...]
Living with Krishna in disposition is more important than living with him in location
On hearing Krishna’s enchanting pastimes, we may long to be with him and lament our misfortune at not being there when those pastimes were manifest. [...]
Anger-aggravating religion is the antithesis of religion
Some people perpetrate terrorism in the name of religion. Being angry with others about past wrongs – factual, exaggerated or imagined – they misappropriate religion [...]