From Back to Godhead
A brief analysis of Bhagavad-gita 9.4, 9.5, and 9.6.
The Bhagavad-gita is one of the world’s perennial wisdom texts. Because it offers knowledge of the Absolute Truth, some of its texts can be difficult to understand. Few are as difficult as verses four and five of Chapter Nine: “By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Alt
By Aisvarya Kisori Devi Dasi
Gitanushilanam 2024 is the world’s largest online Bhagavad-gita competition dedicated to ISKCON Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It is the annual flagship event of Learn Gita Live Gita (LGLG) to celebrate the Gita Jayanti 2024.
Learn Gita Live Gita is an initiative under the leadership of Lila Purushottam Das (Director-IIT Mandi, Director-BGIS Vrindavan) to bring success and happiness to every person in this world, irrespective o
For those whose lives have been forever improved by meeting Lord Krishna personally in the pages of the Gita, Gita Jayanti is not only a day of celebration but also a chance to express their gratitude. And the best way to do so is to share the Gita with others. Krishna Himself says, “There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear.” (Bg. 18.69)
The Gita teaches the essence of spiritual knowledge, purely and succinctly, in a way that anyone – in any
On Gita Jayanti, the day of the advent of the Bhagavad-gita, spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna, I reflected on Srila Prabhupada and how he addressed members of the Gita Pratishthan (Gita Foundation) in India, in 1976. The way Srila Prabhupada dealt with the conference was exemplary and extraordinary as I shall relate.
In May a prominent industrialist named Ramkrishna Bajaj (almost everyone in India knows Bajaj Autos and Bajaj Electricals) wrote Srila Prabhupada that he was organizing a conferenc
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
On the auspicious occasion of Radhashtami, Harikatha Studio, an innovative initiative led by Raghavendra Bazari under the guidance of Kartikeya Das, Hariksetra Das, Acyuta Arjunasakha Das from ISKCON Whitefield, launched the first episode of their animated web series based on Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Currently, it is only available in Hindi.
This series marks a significant step forward in presenting the wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita to modern audiences in a digita
From Back to Godhead
Conceptions of God in the Bhagavad-gita encompass those of other traditions and give full picture of the Absolute Truth.
“The Bhagavad-gita teaches a pantheistic view of God,” he said, his confidence and years of learning clear from his authoritative tone. “The massive vishvarupa—Krishna’s universal form, which encompasses all material phenomena, including time—tells us much about God in the Gita.”
His friend, another scholar of some renown, seemed to disagree.
“The Gita go
From Back to Godhead
How the Gita teaches the eight steps of hatha yoga, the topic of Patanjali’s Yoga-sutras.
According to a survey by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, an estimated 13.4 million Americans practice yoga, and many more experiment with it every year. Yoga is everywhere—from Mumbai to Moscow to Monte Carlo. But while yoga is meant to bring one closer to God, many of today’s yogis have a different agenda, the most common being to keep their bodies in shape.
“They’re not
By Cintamani dhama dasi
Hare Krishna dear devotees. Even though I am most insignificant, I have a message which I am burning to share with you. Following the principle that a wise person can take gold even from a dirty place, I pray you will give some consideration to it and not be prejudiced by my lack of qualification.
First, allow me to tell you a little about myself. I joined in London in 1981. By 1995, I was married with three small children, and my husband, Krishna Dharma prabhu, had open
By Atma Tattva Das
In a world often consumed by chaos and uncertainty, thousands of listeners are finding solace and direction through “The Modern Yogi Podcast” hosted by Shyamali Pranati, Syama Sangita, and Priyadarsani. Together, these young Krishna-conscious women have embarked on a remarkable journey, bringing the transformative message of the Bhagavad-gita to a global audience.
The trio of friends are the faces of the five-person effort and share a common vision—to make the teachings of th
Visakha Dasi has released a new book entitled Virtues for a Happy Life: Bhagavad-gita for Children. This beautifully designed volume makes the wisdom of the Gita easily accessible through photographs, paintings, and straightforward language as it explores four virtues found in the ancient text. “For me, the four virtues highlighted in the book are foundational teachings of the Gita,” said Visakha, “equal-mindedness (seeing everyone as an atma or soul), healthy-mindedness (understanding Krishna’s
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Annually, the Prabhupada Marathon unfolds as a transcendent occasion for benevolence across ISKCON communities on a global scale with the “Live to Give” Campaign. This year, the BBT MCI Team (Marketing, Communications, and Innovation), under the expert leadership of Vaisesika Dasa, has set the goal of distributing 3.7 million Bhagavad-gitas worldwide between September 30th and January 7th, 2024.
Vaisesika Dasa said, “This campaign aims to realize the seventh p
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
ISKCON Prison Ministry, an initiative of the BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) Mail Order Department in Los Angeles, has been a spiritual lifeline providing spiritual support and guidance to incarcerated people for five decades.
The mission of ISKCON Prison Ministry is to spread Lord Caitanya’s mercy to those who find themselves in prison within the “prison house of the material world.” Candramauli Swami, who represents ISKCON Prison Ministry at the Mayapur Fes
In a captivating interview with Jagannath Das, ISKCON News explored both his remarkable spiritual journey and his two newly released books that offer profound insights into the yogic texts of antiquity.
Raised in a Krishna-conscious household, Jagannath Das has inherited a rich legacy of devotion and storytelling. His father, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, played a pivotal role in popularizing Hare Krishna music through his album “A Change of Heart.”
Jagannaths’ decision to immerse himself in
By HH Bhakti Raghava Swami
I was walking down Rideau Street in the city of Ottawa some time during the summer of 1973. Although I had still not found what I really wanted in life, I was somewhat relieved that I had been able to walk out of the expected social pressures of modern day society.
I had already finished my university studies, graduating from Ottawa U in 1968, had worked for three years as a Social Worker with the Children’s Aid Society in my home town of Timmins in Northern Ontario,
Department of Religion and Spirituality, Zefat Academic College, Safed 1320610, Israel
Abstract: This paper is engaged with the topic of reincarnation in the Bhagavad gītā, better termed “rebirth”. It first looks into the epistemological aspects of rebirth, and highlights the type of knowledge or terminology underlying the vision of rebirth, as opposed to a different type of knowledge that is not suitable for this purpose, and which leads to a different vision of reality. It then looks into the
By Acarya dasa, All-India Padayatra leader
On April 1, 2022, the All-India Padayatra reached Jyotisar on the banks of Jyotisar Sarovar 5km east of the city of Kurukshetra, also known as Dharmakshetra.
There is mention of Kurukshetra in the first sloka of the Bhagavad-gita:
dhṛitarāśhtra uvācha
dharma-kṣhetre kuru-kṣhetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāśh chaiva kim akurvata sañjaya
Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjay, after my sons and the sons of Pandu assembled in the place of pilgrimage at Kuru
One Prabhupada saying that often lingers in my ears is “It is better to chase the rhinoceros. If you fail, no one can say you have failed – everyone knows you cannot capture a rhinoceros, But if you succeed, they will say he has done the impossible.”
During last year’s lockdown, my wife and I were pondering how to reach out to the community in Longmont, Colorado, with Prabhupada books. We happened to see little house-shaped structures full of books on the front lawns of houses in our neighborho
By Madhava Smullen
Light of the Bhagavata, a new 25-minute film by ISKCON guru and GBC Bhaktivaibhava Swami, brings to life the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad-gita, teaching the viewer about the nature of the soul and taking them on a meditative and enlightening journey from planet earth, through galaxies, to the eternal, blissful world of freedom from all anxieties.
The film is designed to appeal to newcomers who are curious about Krishna consciousness and would like to find true inner peace
By Srimati Dasi
Let’s face it. It’s not easy trying to live Bhagavad-gétä in today’s world — it’s tough! And the taste is more often bitter/sweet than sweet/sweet. Govindadeva gives the practical essence of living Bhagavad-gétä in verse 18.66. The Kali-yugian heart has no trouble with the first half of the equation — abandon all varieties of religion. That’s very much in tune with today’s life standards. But the second half — surrender unto Me — that’s the tough part. Why do we find it so tough
By Dr. Navnath Janjale
It was hot summer day in May 2003. I was preparing for medical entrance exam and was completely exhausted by the long hours I had put. Add to it the tremendous anxiety about carrier and future.
I desperately wanted to read some inspiring book, which would give me some peace of mind. I started searching books on the shelf. In the corner was Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It had been kept on my book shelf for nearly ten years. I opened it and began to read. I realized that every v
