“The men and women of the city are staring at the lamp of Raghu’s family with love, while they give a bad look to the king of Videha.” (Janaki Mangala, 65)

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Friend1: If you collectively study Shri Rama’s lila, His pastimes, which incident do you think is the most famous?

Friend2: That’s like asking which of your kids do you love the most.

Friend1: I’m not asking about preference. This is not personal opinion, but rather popularity. Think of it like asking someone who they think is going to win the election versus who they are voting for.

Friend2: Oh, I see. Still a tough question, but I’d have to go with Rama’s breaking of the bow.

Friend1: At Janaka’s contest. To win the hand of Sita Devi in marriage.

Friend2: Yes. It was an amazing accomplishment. It literally could not be…

“May Indra protect you on the East, may Yama protect you on the South and Varuna on the West and Kuvera on the North.” (Sita Devi speaking to Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 16.24)

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It’s moving-in day. It was a longtime coming. Enough of living with others. It was nice to have close friends and family around, but you needed some space. You have your own family to start, so it’s nice to get a little privacy, some separation.

When you enter the new dwelling, you are thankful. You appreciate the ability to live in such a place. The wise person is grateful for every day they remain alive, because no results in life are guaranteed. Under the influence of ahankara, the false ego, the individual thinks they are the sole doer, but that is not the case. The modes of…

“Living in the kingdom of the Ikshvakus for twelve years, I enjoyed every delight imaginable to human beings and had all my desires fulfilled. Upon the thirteenth year, the king invited all his ministers to an assembly to discuss the installation of Rama as the new king. When it was thus decided in that assembly that Rama would succeed His father as king, my respectable mother-in-law, Kaikeyi, begged for a boon from her husband.” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 47.4-6)

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Friend1: You ever have someone say bad things about someone that is important to you?

Friend2: What happened?

Friend1: I’m asking you first.

Friend2: Is this about politics again? I told you to let it go. Don’t get so attached.

Friend1: How did you know? Well, it’s not politicians, exactly. It’s people on the radio. I listen to them…

“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.15)

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Friend1: Have you been watching any of the hurricane coverage on television?

Friend2: Some of it. I don’t want to, but other people keep it on and it’s difficult to avoid.

Friend1: Pretty crazy stuff.

Friend2: Absolutely.

Friend1: You probably get this question a lot. How does the spiritually-aware person behave during such events?

Friend2: What do you mean? Are they supposed to behave any different? Bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is a full-time occupation. Night and day, asleep or awake, working or relaxing – there is a connection to the Divine consciousness. In the Ramacharitamanasa, Maharishi Valmiki says that a devotee of Shri Rama doesn’t mind being in heaven…

“The great saint Narada Muni continued: The demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and other great demigods, dared not come forward before the Lord, who at that time was extremely angry.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.9.1)

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It’s a commonly held belief. There appears to be justification in ancient works passed on and read to this day, though in translated form. It would help to explain why bad things happen. It stands to reason that category five hurricanes striking land are not a random occurrence, that someone upstairs is upset.

That person in the sky is known as God to most, and in a typical depiction there are signs of aging. It is an old man, who is upset and vengeful. He is looking down disapprovingly at the people below, who are supposed to avoid sin. Instead, they are neck-deep in it, not giving a…

“It is described in the Padma Purana that even a person who has never been able to give in charity, who has never been able to perform a great sacrifice, who has never been able to study the Vedas, who has never been able to worship the Lord – or, in other words, even one who has never done any pious activities – if he simply drinks the charanamritam which is kept in the temple, he will become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 9)

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It is a combination of two words. There is amrita, which is a negation of the word that means “death.” Amrita typically refers to a kind of drink produced through the churning of the ocean one time by the suras and the asuras, the good guys and the bad…

“The Lord’s uncommon features, uncommon activities and uncommon beauty can be perceived even by an ordinary man. For example, when Lord Krishna appeared just like a six- or seven-year-old boy in Vrindavana, He was approached by the residents there. There were torrents of rain, and the Lord saved the residents of Vrindavana by lifting Govardhana Hill and resting it on the little finger of His left hand for seven days. This uncommon feature of the Lord should convince even materialistic persons who want to speculate to the limit of their material senses.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.7.32 Purport)

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It’s a little difficult to believe at first. A small child, lifting up a hill, and then holding it up for seven straight days. Not mere fun, not a way to test out strength, but in the moment of sheer panic for others, a dire…

“Krishna’s invoking the anger of Indra and later on chastising him is a clear indication to His devotee that those who are engaged in Krishna consciousness have no need to worship any demigod, even if it is found that the demigod has become angry. Krishna gives His devotees all protection, and they should completely depend on His mercy. ” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 25)

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Friend1: Listen, I know the events described in the Bhagavatam are real.

Friend2: Who said they weren’t?

Friend1: Well, you know how people are. Who is going to believe that an elephant getting trapped by a crocodile will suddenly offer wonderful prayers to Vishnu? Who is going to believe that Hiranyakashipu was killed by a half-man/-half-lion figure that emerged from a pillar?

Friend2: For sure, the uncultured won’t understand. It is mythology…

“When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased with the living entity because of his devotional service, one becomes a pandita and does not make distinctions between enemies, friends and himself. Intelligently, he then thinks, ‘Every one of us is an eternal servant of God, and therefore we are not different from one another.’” (Prahlada Maharaja, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.12)

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Friend1: Have you ever thought about who is the person you prefer the most?

Friend2: Besides Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

Friend1: I mean amongst your friends and family.

Friend2: Is this like trying to decide which of your kids is your favorite?

Friend1: Maybe. Something along those lines. “This person is my best friend.” “That person I can’t live without.”

Friend2: I guess. Maybe. What brings this up?

Friend1: I was thinking about it with regards to people close to me…