There is a general tendency to blame others for our difficulties. The ego experiences a sense of satisfaction by blaming others for our problems. It is challenging to think that we can be the cause of our own troubles because this thought hurts the ego. However, blaming others or finding fault in others does not
By Satyanarayana Dasa I am asked many times why Rādhā is not mentioned in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Bhāgavata Purāṇa is the supreme pramāna for Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, whose supreme worshipable deities (iṣṭa-devatā) are Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, it is expected that Bhāgavata Purāṇa would give many details about Them. However, one may be surprised that although
Śrī Kṛṣṇa counts forgiveness among the divine qualities (Gītā 16.3). The question often arises—should we always exercise forgiveness, or are there situations where we should not forgive? Let us first understand what forgiveness is. In Sanskrit, the word for forgiveness is kṣamā, derived from the root √kṣam meaning “to endure, tolerate, or be capable of.”
One of the most popular questions I receive concerns the mañjarīs in Kṛṣṇa-līlā. There seems to be an ongoing debate amongst the devotees, with one group saying that the mañjarīs do not have physical association with Kṛṣṇa, while another group argues the opposite. Many others inquire about mañjarī-bhāva, mañjarī-bhāva-sādhanā, the mañjarī-svarūpa, the mañjarīs’ relationship with
Śrī Kṛṣṇa has two types of manifestations, namely sound form, śabda-brahma and His personal form, param-brahma—śabda-brahma paraṁ brahma mamobhe śāśvatī tanū (SB 6.16.51). Maitreya says that when Bhagavān Viśṇu appeared to the sage Kardama it was his Śabda-brahma that appeared in personalized form – darśyāmāsa taṁ kṣattaḥ śābdaṁ brahma dadhad vapuh (SB 3.21.8). The conch
The following article is part of the introduction to our upcoming translation of the first canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavata. Śrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa is the fountainhead of Gauḍīya theology and practice. It is one among the eighteen Purāṇas composed by Bādarāyaṇa Vyāsa. The name Bhāgavata Purāṇa can be understood to mean “the Purāṇa spoken by Bhagavān” (bhagavatā
Many modern thinkers, especially feminists, assert that Hindu śāstra is biased against women because they are written by men. One of the arguments given in their support is that all the instructions are meant for men only. For example, when Kṛṣṇa instructs Arjuna about different paths, such as karma-yoga, raja-yoga, jñāna-yoga, and bhakti-yoga, He always uses masculine gender. From chapter two,
