“Since Krishna had departed from Vrindavana to Mathura, the inhabitants of Vrindavana, especially mother Yashoda, Nanda Maharaja, Shrimati Radharani, the gopis and the cowherd boys, were simply thinking of Krishna at every step.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 45)

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In the sacred land of Vrindavana the residents appear to be more attached to Shrimati Radharani, who is the goddess of fortune and the original and full manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Divine. Those residents are known to constantly say, “Radhe, Radhe,” in great ecstasy, hoping to win the favor of the beloved of Shri Krishna. The occasion of Radhashtami brings another chance to remember and honor her.

It’s a common retort from the atheists, or at least those who are not sure about religion and the concept of an Almighty, intelligent being watching over the creation.

“When Arjuna saw the universal form of the Lord, the demigods took pleasure in it, but others, who were demons and atheists, could not stand it when the Lord was praised. Out of their natural fear of the devastating form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they fled. Krishna’s treatment of the devotees and the atheists is praised by Arjuna.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 11.36 Purport)

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A friend and charioteer turned spiritual guide. The well-wisher to Arjuna and his family of brothers and their mother, Shri Krishna accepted the responsibility for the bow warrior’s welfare right when he desperately needed help.

That Krishna is a perfect guru is not surprising. He is the adi-purusha, after all. This means the original person. The parampara, or disciplic succession, begins with Him. Krishna chooses worthy disciples to receive the highest wisdom, trusting that they will…

“A human being should be inquisitive to know who he is, what the universe is, what God is, and what the relationship is between himself, God and the material world. Such questions cannot be asked by cats and dogs, but they must arise in the heart of a real human being.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 7.146 Purport)

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The Vedas say it. It’s the first instruction, really. The beginning point, the entryway, the point from which to proceed further. If there is any hope of success, however it is defined at the individual level, this must come first.

The Sanskrit aphorism is athato brahma-jijnasa. This means, “Now is the time for inquiring about Brahman.” Brahman is the Absolute Truth. The study of Brahman, both theoretically and through practical application involving austerity, work, and adherence to principles, is known as spiritual life.

The…

“Ravana was very advanced materially, so much so that he turned his kingdom, Lanka, into pure gold, or full material wealth. But because he did not recognize the supremacy of Lord Ramachandra and defied Him by stealing His wife, Sita, Ravana was killed, and all his opulence and power were destroyed.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.7.23 Purport)

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The Forbes 100 List. The athletes with the highest net worth. The massive contract signed by that free agent in baseball. The new per episode deal for cast members of the hit television show. The stock options offered to the outgoing CEO, who was also the founder of the company.

It is only natural for the general public to take an interest in the wealthy. It’s a form of competition, as well, to see if a preferred celebrity is earning more than those not preferred. There…

“I thought that in the name of a Govardhana sacrifice, You were taking my share of profit, and therefore I mistook Your position. Now by Your grace I can understand that You are the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, and that You are transcendental to all the material qualities.” (Indra praying to Krishna, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 27)

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Tamo-guna is the mode of darkness or ignorance. Behavior in that mode does no good; something like shooting yourself in the foot. If you are frustrated from your play on a certain day of tennis, throwing the racket isn’t worthwhile. Breaking it as such is the result of loss of intelligence, triggered by anger. The root cause in that case is desire, which is in the mode of passion.

“From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When…

“Another name for salvation is apavarga. Apavarga is the opposite of pavarga, or the various miserable conditions of material existence. The word Pavarga consists of the combinations of five letters: pa, pha, ba, bha and ma.” (The Nectar Of Devotion, Ch 59)

The Vedas are the original scriptural tradition, having no known date of inception. Also going by the term shrutis, they were first passed on in an aural tradition. Sound is so powerful that it can by itself relieve the consciousness from so many distresses. It is this consciousness which is the determining factor for the nature of living, both at present and moving forward.

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)

The Supreme, the Almighty, God – whatever the preferred term for the higher being, the Vedas describe Him in…

“It is the duty of a mendicant (parivrajakacharya) to experience all varieties of God’s creation by traveling alone through all forests, hills, towns, villages, etc., to gain faith in God and strength of mind as well as to enlighten the inhabitants with the message of God. A sannyasi is duty-bound to take all these risks without fear, and the most typical sannyasi of the present age is Lord Chaitanya, who traveled in the same manner through the central Indian jungles, enlightening even the tigers, bears, snakes, deer, elephants and many other jungle animals.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.6.13 Purport)

The Sanskrit word sadhu is typically equated with a spiritual seeker. Someone who wants to know the Absolute Truth for real; a fulltime religious person, not breaking from the way of life. Not just something to do for fifteen minutes a day, but throughout every single day.

Sadhu also means “one…

“Krishna would sometimes perform mock fighting along with the cowherd boys. When Krishna blew His horn in this mock fighting, Shridama, who was on the opposing side, felt his bodily hairs stand up. Similarly, when Arjuna saw Krishna in His gigantic universal form, there was a standing of the hairs on his body.” (The Nectar Of Devotion, Ch 28)

Duryodhana came up with the plan pretty quickly. Forget peace. No reason to even consider the message brought by the emissary, whose preference was known. Krishna was the dear friend to Arjuna. Krishna was related as a cousin to the Pandavas, as well. Duryodhana was on the other side. He took the kingdom that didn’t belong to him. He edged out the cousins, and then to make sure they didn’t try to take back what was rightfully theirs, he tried to have them killed in so many ways.

Somehow or other…

“Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasachin, can be but an instrument in the fight.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.33)

Friend1: The poor Pandavas.

Friend2: They went through a lot.

Friend1: Bhima being fed the poison cake.

Friend2: Such a chance occurrence that he escaped. While he was unconscious at the bottom of the lake due to the poison, snakes started biting him. That actually neutralized the poison, allowing him to wake up and save himself.

Friend1: Then Duryodhana tried to have them burned in the house of shellac.

Friend2: Vidura, the good uncle, saved them.

Friend1: But really the hand of God. Narayana, the Supreme Lord, there with them in spirit. Sometimes by their side physically in the form of Shri Krishna.

Friend2: The compassionate cousin who…