Archana-siddhi dasi 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.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam specifically propounds the supreme dharma of humanity, which is love for Bhagavān — our very source and refuge. To be infused with transcendental love for Bhagavān, authentic and unambiguous knowledge about Him and His essential being is of utmost importance. Since Bhagavān has innumerable forms, such as Viṣṇu, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Nṛsiṁha, the question must be asked, are They all equiprimordial in Their constitutional status or is there some hierarchy of being among Them? To address this question, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī wrote this book, Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha.

The conventional and for the most part unexamined point of view is that Kṛṣṇa is simply an avatāra of Viṣṇu. In Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī uproots this misconception, demonstrating that Bhagavān Viṣṇu, being ontologically related to the play of creation and hence to immanence, is Himself implicitly included within a more complete transcendent Whole (avatārī), technically known as Svayaṁ Bhagavān, who is clearly identified in the text as Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Swami B. A. Ashram, author of 'O My Friend, O My Friend' about Srila Prabhupada's inner life, will speak on saranagati, the sixfold path of surrender.

Swami B. P. Padmanabha, full time teacher since many years, will speak on Bhramara-gita.

Questions on the Swami call:

3 min

I recently heard someone say that Krishna is only Svayam Bhagavan when He's with Radha, not even when He's with Balarama.

Usually we think of Svayam Bhagavan as having three aspects; the son of Yashoda; the friend of the cowherds; and the lover of Radha. Can you comment on what I heard?

17 min

Previously on the Swami call ago you discussed our branch of Gaudiya Vaishnavism as being the Bhaktivinoda Parivar. I have heard Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Maharaja refer to the line as Gaudiya Sarasvat Parivar. Can you comment on these understandings of our Parivar.

26 min

How would you differentiate the teachings you received from Srila Prabhupada and the teachings from Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaja?

37 min

Are the missions of Srila Prabhupada and Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaja two different missions?

40 min

What does it mean that Krsna is in the mood of Radha?

47 min

if you have a prayer asking for health is it okay to ask Krishna or better to turn to another form of the Lord?

51 min

I would like you to help me better understand a statement given by Jiva Goswami in his Bhakti sandarbha. In anuccheda 304 he he quotes the itihasa samuccaya that says: the person who thinks I am the servant of Vasudeva, for a thousand births, he liberates everyone.

Then he explains: one can try hard in worship, but just by thinking in this way, that one is the servant of Krsna, one will attain perfection.

Atulananda Swami is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and initiating guru based in Chile.

Krishna Caitanya das, deep thinker and cowboy, will speak on topics from Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.

Archana-siddhi dasi 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.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam specifically propounds the supreme dharma of humanity, which is love for Bhagavān — our very source and refuge. To be infused with transcendental love for Bhagavān, authentic and unambiguous knowledge about Him and His essential being is of utmost importance. Since Bhagavān has innumerable forms, such as Viṣṇu, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Nṛsiṁha, the question must be asked, are They all equiprimordial in Their constitutional status or is there some hierarchy of being among Them? To address this question, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī wrote this book, Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha.

The conventional and for the most part unexamined point of view is that Kṛṣṇa is simply an avatāra of Viṣṇu. In Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī uproots this misconception, demonstrating that Bhagavān Viṣṇu, being ontologically related to the play of creation and hence to immanence, is Himself implicitly included within a more complete transcendent Whole (avatārī), technically known as Svayaṁ Bhagavān, who is clearly identified in the text as Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Songs in today’s session:

Radha Krsna Bol:

http://kksongs.org/songs/r/radhakrsnabol.html

Sri Gaura Nityananda Daya:

http://kksongs.org/songs/p/paramakaruna.html

Manah Siksa:

http://kksongs.org/songs/n/nitaipadakamala.html