“Bhagavad-gita, which is the science of God, is spoken by the Personality of Godhead Himself. This is perfect knowledge. Mental speculators or so-called philosophers who are researching what is actually God will never understand the nature of God.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.26.33 Purport)

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Any person can come up to us and say anything. That is the nature of free will. My good sense is what keeps me in check. My conscience prohibits me from doing horrible things, though when lust runs strong, the defense of the conscience starts to weaken. Therefore people are known to tell lies. People cheat, they have imperfect senses, they are easily illusioned, and they commit mistakes. In the matter of the origin of everything, the entire universe and its whole population, any person can step up and lay claim. Shri Krishna is different because He actually describes…

“The word sarva-gatah (all-pervading) is significant because there is no doubt that living entities are all over God’s creation. They live on the land, in the water, in the air, within the earth and even within fire. The belief that they are sterilized in fire is not acceptable, because it is clearly stated here that the soul cannot be burned by fire. Therefore, there is no doubt that there are living entities also in the sun planet with suitable bodies to live there.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 2.24 Purport)

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Friend1: You know there is an entire branch of modern science dedicated to the study of prehistoric animals.

Friend2: Paleontology. I am aware.

Friend1: The joke is that they are dinosaur nerds.

Friend2: Ross from Friends.

Friend1: Exactly. The study is based on fossil evidence.

Friend2: Right. Physical evidence is there in the earth…

“By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahma’s one day. And such also is the duration of his night.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.17)

sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te ‘ho-rātra-vido janāḥ

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Friend-One: I know the stress in the Bhagavad-gita is on the future, the eternal one at that.

Friend-Two: Yeah, for sure. It’s like knowing the difference between shreyas and preyas.

F1: And what is that?

F2: Preyas is the immediate result, like satisfaction in the short term. Think of it like craving ice cream and then going to eat it.

F1: Shreyas would then be the long-term benefit?

F2: Yeah, it’s like thinking ahead. If you know that ice cream gives you indigestion, then the preyas isn’t really worth the trouble. If you concentrate on shreyas instead, you are better off.

F1: I see. And…

“As Rama is wise, it is not possible for me to be abducted by you. This was ordained for your slaying; there is no doubt.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 22.21)

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Ravana was consumed by lust. The one of the terrifying roar, given his name by the great god, Mahadeva, already had many beautiful wives. They were chaste as well, led by Mandodari. Still, he heard of the beauty of this one lady, who was residing in the forest of Dandaka with her husband. The brother of the husband was there, too.

“Neither the demigods nor any exalted personalities were there helping Rama, for He acted alone. You should not entertain any doubt on this matter. Indeed, Rama shot feathered arrows, plated with gold, which turned into five-headed serpents that devoured all the Rakshasas. The Rakshasas were oppressed with…

“And that sacrifice performed in defiance of scriptural injunctions, in which no spiritual food is distributed, no hymns are chanted and no remunerations are made to the priests, and which is faithless – that sacrifice is of the nature of ignorance.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 17.13)

vidhi-hīnam asṛṣṭānnaṁ

mantra-hīnam adakṣiṇam

śraddhā-virahitaṁ yajñaṁ

tāmasaṁ paricakṣate

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Friend1: You have to eat this.

Friend2: What are you talking about?

Friend1: You don’t say “no” to prasadam.

Friend2: Oh.

Friend1: You can’t throw it away, either. That’s a great offense.

Friend2: I’m assuming you have been told these things many times.

Friend1: A lot when I was a kid. The rebellious side of me wanted to ignore what was being said. I never understood it anyway.

Friend2: What would you do?

Friend1: I didn’t like the fruits. I was allergic to some of them. Not sure exactly…

“All of these subjects in the Ramayana seem very pitiable, and they may appear to be very distressing to the reciter, but actually this is not so. Otherwise, why would Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Ramachandra, read daily about the activities of Lord Ramachandra, as described in the Ramayana itself?” (Shrila Prabhupada, The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 34)

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Friend1: Hanuman is one of the more interesting deities of the Vedic tradition. Wouldn’t you say?

Friend2: That sounds like something an outsider would say, like a professor observing from afar, not really understanding the culture.

Friend1: Why do you say that?

Friend2: There is a comparison made by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada that is appropriate here. Picture the bottle of honey. Now imagine trying to enjoy the honey by licking the bottle.

Friend1: Not opening it?

Friend2: Right. Obviously you’re…

“In the Varaha Purana, the living entities are described as separated parts and parcels of the Supreme. They are eternally so, according to the Bhagavad-gita also. So, even after being liberated from illusion, the living entity remains a separate identity, as is evident from the teachings of the Lord to Arjuna. Arjuna became liberated by the knowledge received from Krishna, but he never became one with Krishna.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 2.23 Purport)

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So many interpretations of the Bhagavad-gita there are. Translated as “the song of God” in English, the sacred work has been studied for centuries by a wide variety of groups. Transcendentalists, historians, people of Vedic culture, people of other cultures, the inquisitive, the distressed, those wanting wealth – the king of education, raja-vidya, that is the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna has something to offer every person.

To test the…

“If one is in full Krishna consciousness, he can make his home very happy because this process of Krishna consciousness is very easy. One need only chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Krishna, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad-Bhagavatam, and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four will make one happy.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 13.8-12 Purport)

“Alright, we’ve finally bought our first house. We got an amazing deal. This really nice person was looking to sell, and we just happened to show up at the right time. After living in apartments for so long, we decided it was time we would own our own place. This one is just right. More than enough rooms, allowing for us to be creative.

“This room will be the living room. My wife has…

“Being beyond the range of limited sense perception [adhokshaja], You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.” (Queen Kunti speaking to Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.8.19)

A good actor is not recognized for who he is – an ordinary human being just like the rest of us. Rather, due to his extraordinary dramatic talents and the promotion of his different shows, films and plays, he is able to create a completely different persona, one that is respected, adored, and even sometimes worshiped by a large portion of the population. What’s interesting is that those who offer their obeisances in the form of ticket purchases, time spent following the day-to-day gossip and personal dealings, and general dedication of thoughts know full well that the target…