“Everyone can understand that we drink the milk of cows and take the help of bulls in producing agricultural products. Therefore, since our real father gives us food grains and our mother gives us milk with which to live, the cow and bull are considered our father and mother. According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers, of which the cow is one.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 17.154, Purport)

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Friend1: We get this question a lot, and there is always a “stumpability” factor to it.

Friend2: Stumpability? Is that a word?

Friend1: I don’t think so, but it should be. Stumpability – the measure of a question’s value in terms of difficulty in resolving by an acknowledged expert.

Friend2: That’s pretty good.

Friend1: The question relates to the cow, specifically its importance within the Vedic tradition.

Friend2: What is the exact…

“As the director of different kinds of clouds, Indra called for the samvartaka. This cloud is invited when there is a need to devastate the whole cosmic manifestation. The samvartaka was ordered by Indra to go over Vrindavana and inundate the whole area with an extensive flood. Demonically, Indra thought himself to be the all-powerful supreme personality.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 25)

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“In the modern world we have significant advancements in medication. Injections given to children, sometimes immediately after they are born. They administer some of the concoctions multiple times to be sure, though in truth probably because they aren’t effective, but the visual evidence of success is the lack of prevalence of the disease. Up to twenty injections before a child even enters school.

“Sure, so many other diseases went away on their own, without…

“Both the material and spiritual worlds belong to Krishna. We are not proprietors of anything. It is all the property of the Supreme Lord, just as everything in the state belongs to the government, either in the prison house or outside the prison house. Conditioned life is just like life in a prison house in this material world. A prisoner cannot freely change from one cell to another. In free life one can go from one home to another home, but in prison life one cannot do that but must stay in his cell.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Easy Journey to Other Planets, Ch 2)

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Friend1: Have you heard about these people who are staying in their homes for months at a time?

Friend2: On purpose?

Friend1: Yes. Because of the virus.

Friend2: Oh, so it is a safety precaution?

Friend1: They don’t want to…

“To become desireless means not to desire anything for sense gratification. In other words, desire for becoming Krishna conscious is actually desirelessness. To understand one’s actual position as the eternal servitor of Krishna, without falsely claiming this material body to be oneself and without falsely claiming proprietorship over anything in the world, is the perfect stage of Krishna consciousness.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 2.71 Purport)

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Friend1: We throw around a lot of terms, and since there is a new audience tune-in factor that would stun you, it might be helpful to review some of those Sanskrit words and English-equivalent phrases every now and then.

Friend2: You don’t think someone will eventually figure it out? I mean, no one sat and explained this stuff to me or you, and somehow we turned out okay.

Friend1: We were fortunate to remain on the path. The books…

“Being prayed for by the demigods, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth Himself, directly appeared with His expansion and expansions of the expansion. Their holy names were Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. These celebrated incarnations thus appeared in four forms as the sons of Maharaja Dasharatha.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 9.10.2)

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तस्यापि भगवान् एष
साक्षाद् ब्रह्ममयो हरिः
अंशांशेन चतुर्धागात्
पुत्रत्वं प्रार्थितः सुरैः
राम-लक्ष्मण-भरत-
शत्रुघ्ना इति संज्ञया

tasyāpi bhagavān eṣa
sākṣād brahmamayo hariḥ
aṁśāṁśena caturdhāgāt
putratvaṁ prārthitaḥ suraiḥ
rāma-lakṣmaṇa-bharata-
śatrughnā iti saṁjñayā

One quarter of a portion. The full prasadam resulting from the sacrifice conducted by the priest, Rishya-shringa, given to Dasharatha’s three wives. Half a portion to the leading queen, Kausalya. The other half divided in two. One portion to Kaikeyi and the other to Sumitra.

This is the visible explanation for the appearance of four beautiful sons to the king of the…

“O sinless one, certainly, how can any king accomplish his objectives if he doesn’t have such a messenger working for him?” (Shri Rama speaking to Lakshmana, Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kand, 3.34)

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एवं विधो यस्य दूतो न भवेत्पार्थिवस्य तु।
सिद्ध्यन्ति हि कथं तस्य कार्याणां गतियोऽनघ

evaṃ vidho yasya dūto na bhavetpārthivasya tu।
siddhyanti hi kathaṃ tasya kāryāṇāṃ gatiyo’nagha

1. Reading the stitches on the fastball

Referring to the game of baseball, there are variations to this saying. Maybe not just the fastball, it could be reading the baseball itself. The pitcher initiates every play. They are on the defensive side, but nothing can happen until they throw the baseball towards home plate.

The batter is on the other side. They are on offense. The pitcher’s objective is to get the batter out. The easiest way is to throw the baseball in such a way…

“The mighty Rama, who possessed extraordinary strength, consecrating in accordance with the mantras prescribed in the Vedas, taking that great arrow – which was capable of removing the fears of the entire world and the Ikshvaku dynasty, capable of taking away the glory of His enemies, and conducive to His own happiness – fixed it on His bow.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kand, 108.13-14)

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तमुत्तमेषुम् लोकानामिक्ष्वाकुभयनाशनम् |
द्विषतां कीर्तिहरणम् प्रहर्षकरमात्मनः ||
अभिमन्त्र्य ततो रामस्तं महेषुं महाबलः |
वेदप्रोक्तेन विधिना संदधे कार्मुके बली ||

tamuttameṣum lokānāmikṣvākubhayanāśanam |
dviṣatāṃ kīrtiharaṇam praharṣakaramātmanaḥ ||
abhimantrya tato rāmastaṃ maheṣuṃ mahābalaḥ |
vedaproktena vidhinā saṃdadhe kārmuke balī ||

It’s your birthday. A significant occasion on the annual calendar, at least until you reach adulthood and have to worry about dependents. You always look forward to this day since your parents rarely purchase anything meaningful for you; at least in your…

“If such money is utilized by unqualified spiritual masters to live comfortably in costly temples without actually doing any preaching work, this is not acceptable. In other words, a spiritual master needn’t be very enthusiastic for constructing temple buildings simply in the name of so-called spiritual advancement. Rather, his first and foremost activity should be to preach. In this connection, Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj recommended that a spiritual master print books. If one has money, instead of constructing costly temples, one should spend his money for the publication of authorized books in different languages for propagating the Krishna consciousness movement.” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 7)

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Friend1: There is an interesting anecdote from the life of one of the founding fathers of the United States of America that serves as an ideal candidate for philosophical discussion.

Friend2: Which founding father? On what…

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.27)

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जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्
ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्माद् अपरिहार्ये ऽर्थे
न त्वं शोचितुम् अर्हसि

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ‘rthe
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

Friend1: Have you heard of the term, “God’s waiting room”?

Friend2: Haha, yes I have.

Friend1: Do you know what it refers to?

Friend2: I think it means a retirement community or a place where a lot of older folks live.

Friend1: Yes; often referring to the state of Florida in the United States.

Friend2: Nicer weather, so a lot of people shift there to retire. Arizona, too.

Friend1: I heard the phrase recently when describing mortality rates…

“Foods in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such nourishing foods are sweet, juicy, fattening and palatable. Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and hot, are liked by people in the modes of passion. Such foods cause pain, distress, and disease. Food cooked more than three hours before being eaten, which is tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean, is food liked by people in the mode of ignorance.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 17.8-10)

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आयुः-सत्त्व-बलारोग्य-
सुख-प्रीति-विवर्धनाः
रस्याः स्निग्धाः स्थिरा हृद्या
आहाराः सात्त्विक-प्रियाः
कट्व्-अम्ल-लवणात्य्-उष्ण-
तीक्ष्ण-रूक्ष-विदाहिनः
आहारा राजसस्येष्टा
दुःख-शोकामय-प्रदाः
यात-यामं गत-रसं
पूति पर्युषितं च यत्
उच्छिष्टम् अपि चामेध्यं
भोजनं तामस-प्रियम्

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-
sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ
rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā
āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ
kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣṇa-
tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ
āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā
duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ
yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ
pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat
ucchiṣṭam api cāmedhyaṁ
bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

Friend1: I think we come across…