Madan Gopal is interviewing devotees about their sadhaka journeys with a backdrop of Joseph Campbell's stages of a hero's journey. Looking at our spiritual quest through the eyes of a hero's journey helps us embrace both the beauty and messiness we encounter on the way. Cultivating this vision helps the spiritual practitioners to accept everything that happens in their lives as favorable to obtaining their ultimate goals in bhakti. The interviews are also a way to help connect our international sanga.

In this way, the formal declaration (pratijñā), “Kṛṣṇa, however, is Svayaṁ Bhagavān,” like a great heroic emperor, single-handedly overrules hundreds of opposing statements, assimilating them unto itself. Yet, just to augment the pleasure of the audience by a display of unique splendor, I will now cite other verses as well that are like the emperor’s supporting fourfold army. First, in their prayers to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the devas speak of His agency in the matter of the līlāvatāras:

O Almighty Lord (Īśa), reverence unto You. Just as [in the past] You have protected us as well as the three worlds through Your avatāric descents as a fish (Matsya), a horse [Hayagrīva], a tortoise [Kūrma], a man-lion (Nṛsiṁha), a boar (Varāha), a swan (Haṁsa), a kṣatriya [Śrī Rāma], a brāhmaṇa [Śrī Paraśurāma], and a deva [Śrī Vāmana], O Best of the Yadus, please now remove the burden of the earth. (SB 10.2.40)

The meaning here is self-evident.

Krisangi dasi, bhakti yoga scholar, will speak con Chapter Two of the Bhagavad-gita.

Mohini dasi, bhakti yoga scholar, will speak on the Mercy of Sri Nityananda Through Song and Sastra.

Gurunistha das, bhakti yoga scholar, will speak on The Intentional Sadhaka: Focusing on Making Progress.

Madan Gopal is interviewing devotees about their sadhaka journeys with a backdrop of Joseph Campbell's stages of a hero's journey. Looking at our spiritual quest through the eyes of a hero's journey helps us embrace both the beauty and messiness we encounter on the way. Cultivating this vision helps the spiritual practitioners to accept everything that happens in their lives as favorable to obtaining their ultimate goals in bhakti. The interviews are also a way to help connect our international sanga.

By such an assertion from Śrīmad Bhāgavata, statements to the contrary from other Purāṇas are superseded. This is to be understood in the same manner as the overruling of one injunction by another [in the ritual portion of the Vedas], such as the statement “We shall drink soma and become immortal” (Ṛg Veda 8.48.3)72 being overridden by the contravening statement “Just as in this world the objects acquired through diligent effort (karma) are subject to decay, so also in the next world [i.e., heaven], the results acquired through virtue will also wither away” (CHU 8.1.6). Here also, the logic [quoted above] is seen to be applicable: “But those who speak in this illogical manner contradict themselves, having forgotten their own prior statements” (SB 10.77.30).

Therefore, what [the senior] Sūta expressed in that regard [in Skanda Purāṇa, concerning Kṛṣṇa’s being the keśāvatāra of Viṣṇu] was merely his own doubt [pertaining to Bhagavān’s inconceivable nature], such [logical uncertainty] being indicated in statements such as: “One should not strive through reason [alone] to apprehend the transrational” (Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma Parva 5.12).

Krisangi dasi, bhakti yoga scholar, will speak con Chapter Two of the Bhagavad-gita.

Questions

00min Is Vrinda-Devi like a nymph?

05min Can you elaborate on the meaning of experiential spirituality?

19 Is Vrinda-devi the same as Bhakti-devi, an expansion of Radharani? What is the connection between all these names and Devis?

25 Some scriptures describe Srimati Radharani as older than Krishna. Is it possible that this is referring to their appearances in other ages and universes than ours?

32 Does every yuga have its own version of the Bhagavatam?

35 Do the Gaudiya Vaishnavas place importance on the change that happened in the life of Adi Sankaracharya who was said to initially be said to have been an impersonalist but took to Bhakti yoga?

40 What is the difference between searching for truth through love and searching for love through truth?

Mohini dasi, bhakti yoga scholar, will speak on the Mercy of Sri Nityananda Through Song and Sastra.