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I heard Srila Prabhupada’s talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.34–35 (September 28, 1976, Vrindavan), and in the wake of George Floyd’s recent death, caused by the police, and the subsequent riots, the following excerpt seemed especially relevant and poignant:

“Kshatriya . . . Kshat means injury. And trayate, to deliver. Kshatriya’s duty is to save the citizens from being injured by others. That is kshatriya. Even an animal. Just like Kali was trying to kill a cow. Maharaja Pariksit was on his tour, a

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12.

“Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. Everyone should praise another’s service to the Lord and not be proud of his own service. This is the way of Vaisnava thinking, Vaikuntha thinking. There may be rivalries and apparent competition between servants in performing service, but in the Vaikuntha planets the service of another servant is appreciated, not condemned. This is Vaikuntha competition. There is no question of

From Back to Godhead

By Ratnakara Gauranga Dasa

On December 1, 2018, my wife, Jaya Gaurangi Devi Dasi, and I were doing the final packing for our flight from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, to Seattle to visit our daughter. Due to airline restrictions on the size and weight of luggage, we were prioritizing the items. Finally we had to make a major decision: Do we carry our three cantos of Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam with us or not? My wife is quite attached to having the physical book for her

We have got Krishna; we have got spiritual master; we have got books, Bhagavata and Gita. Now let us take advantage of it. We have taken much pain to translate these transcendental literatures into English so that you can understand. We have got fifty books. So take advantage. It is not meant for the cats and dogs. It is meant for the human beings. Not a particular class or nation. No. It is meant for all human beings. So take advantage of this knowledge, understand the philosophy of life, that

Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.8.6.

“In discharging such devotional service, as ordered by Brahmaji to Narada in the preaching of Srimad-Bhagavatam, sometimes a representative of the Lord engaged in preaching work meets various so-called difficulties. This was exhibited by Lord Nityananda when He delivered the two fallen souls Jagai and Madhai, and similarly Lord Jesus Christ was crucified by the nonbelievers. But such difficulties are very gladly suffered by the devotees

I heard a wonderful talk in which Srila Prabhupada and Srimad-Bhagavatam glorified the chanting of the holy names. I was present when Srila Prabhupada gave the talk at the Ardha-kumbha-mela in Allahabad on January 31, 1971.

Srila Prabhupada said, “The conclusion is:

na vai sa narakam yati
neksito yama-kinkaraih
yady apy amangalo martyo
visnu-loke mahiyate
 [SB 6.2.48]

[‘Because this very confidential historical narration has the potency to vanquish all sinful reactions, one who hears or describ

Giriraj Swami read and spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.23:

“O King Rahugana, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahamsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya [austerity], the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold wa