In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa is joined by Krishna Ksetra Swami (Dr. Kenneth Valpy) to discuss Chapter 17, Punishment and Reward of Kali. The conversation follows Maharaja Parikshit’s confrontation with Kali, and his striking dialogue with Dharma personified as a bull and the Earth personified as a cow.

Together, they explore how this chapter functions as an origin story for the moral and social conditions of Kali Yuga, while also operating as allegory, philosophy, and spiritual instruction all at once. Why does Dharma refuse to point the finger at a single cause of suffering? What does that imply about destiny, agency, and the problem of evil? And how should we understand Parikshit’s decision to spare Kali after surrender, granting him specific places to reside?

The episode also turns toward contemporary questions raised by the text: leadership and responsibility, systemic injustice, truth in an age of deception, and the deeper relationship between cow protection, violence, and modern food systems. As the discussion closes, attention turns to Parikshit himself as a tragic hero: a strong and noble king whose virtue and excess together propel the narrative toward the climactic meeting with Sukadeva Goswami.

00:00 – Introduction
00:06 – Kali Enters the Scene
01:05 – The King, the Cow, and the Bull
04:47 – History or Sacred Drama?
08:00 – The Bhagavata’s Three Voices
09:11 – Who Is to Blame?
13:40 – Dharma, Earth, and Power
20:23 – Truth in an Age of Deceit
28:09 – Violence, Hunting, and Cow Protection
34:50 – Can Leaders Fix Society?
43:44 – Sparing Kali: Mercy or Mistake?
52:04 – The Problem of Evil
1:00:23 – Parikshit the Tragic Hero

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In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa is joined by ethicist and scholar practitioner Gopal Hari Dasa (Dr. Gopal Gupta), Assistant Professor of Ethics at Aurora University near Chicago, to explore Canto 1, Chapter 16 of the Srimad Bhagavatam. They situate this chapter as a turning point that reveals why the Bhagavatam matters so much in the Age of Kali: the scripture rises like the sun as darkness gathers, and Maharaja Parikshit meets Kali in a dramatic encounter where dharma itself is under attack.

The conversation moves from Parikshit’s royal duties and the asvamedha sacrifices to the striking symbolism of Kali harming the cow and bull, Mother Earth’s grief at losing Krishna’s footprints, and dharma standing on broken legs in a world slipping from mercy, austerity, and cleanliness toward the collapse of truth. Along the way, they reflect on what it means to taste the Bhagavata rather than merely study it, why truthfulness carries spiritual power yet must be guided by nonviolence and compassion, and how devotion includes both inner refuge in Krishna and courageous action to protect the vulnerable.

This episode weaves together ethics, theology, and lived practice, ending with the aching beauty of separation from Krishna and the call to become serious, honest, and protective in a time shaped by exploitation.

00:00 – Introduction and Chapter Overview (SB 1.16)

07:10 – Parikshit, Empire, and the Ashvamedha Sacrifice

12:00 – Kali Attacks Dharma: The Cow and the Bull

21:20 – The Four Legs of Dharma and the Crisis of Truth

34:40 – How to “Taste the Honey” of the Bhagavatam

40:30 – Who Is Kali? Free Will, Decline, and Moral Responsibility

1:07:50 – Separation from Krishna and the Call to Leadership

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In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr Måns Broo) welcomes back Radhika Ramana Dasa (Dr Ravi Gupta) to explore Canto 1, Chapter 15: The Pandavas Retire Timely. Beginning with Arjuna’s confirmation of Krishna’s departure, the conversation traces grief, remembrance, and vipralambha, love intensified through separation. Through close reading and lived reflection, the episode explores how loss dismantles worldly identity and reveals Arjuna’s deeper identity as Krishna’s friend.

The dialogue moves through luminous Sanskrit verses, the withdrawal of divine power, Draupadi’s agency, and the Bhagavata’s post-Mahabharata clearing of the stage. The chapter closes by returning to the Bhagavad Gita within the Bhagavata and the phala shruti promise: devotion to Hari as the true perfection.

Chapters

00:05 Welcome

03:20 Krishna Departs

08:10 Naming Krishna

14:00 Love in Separation

19:40 Power Withdrawn

24:30 Humbling Loss

31:45 True Identity

38:20 World Without Krishna

45:00 When to Renounce

56:30 Devotion as the Goal

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In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr Måns Broo) welcomes back Jayananda Dasa (Dr Janne Kontala) to explore Canto 1, Chapter 14: The Disappearance of Lord Krishna. The conversation follows Yudhishthira’s growing anxiety as strange omens appear, Arjuna’s delayed return becomes ominous, and the unspoken fear of Krishna’s departure hangs between the brothers. Through close reading and lived experience, they unpack how exalted devotees can simultaneously be spiritually realized and emotionally shaken.

The dialogue ranges from the anthropology of omens to yogic subtle anatomy, from Yudhishthira’s pastoral sensitivity to the paradox of vipralambha, love deepened through separation. What emerges is a chapter where feeling leads the philosophy, and where loss becomes the very means of intensifying remembrance of Krishna.

00:25 Welcome & Setup
01:48 Summary of the Chapter
05:37 Devotees and Human Emotion
08:29 Love in Separation
10:20 Omens: Superstition or Insight?
12:35 Strange Signs in Nature & Temples
18:58 Body, Breath & Subtle Anatomy
27:33 Deities Crying & Arjuna’s Return
29:50 Yudhishthira’s Careful Questioning
42:05 Krishna’s Disappearance & Closing Reflections

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In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr. Mans Broo) welcomes Sundar Gopal Das to explore Canto 1, Chapter 13: Dhritarashtra Quits Home. The conversation traces Vidura’s return from pilgrimage, his tough love that awakens Dhritarashtra to seek his ultimate good, and the secret night departure to the forest with Gandhari. Narada arrives with forward-looking counsel, asking Yudhishthira not to interfere and foretelling Dhritarashtra’s yogic end in five days. Along the way, the dialogue reflects on mortality, forgiveness, grief, and how the Bhagavata’s layered storytelling (stories within stories) keeps past, present, and future in view.

Themes include the discipline of speech (truthful, kind, beneficial), the danger of power without conscience, saints as living tirthas, and viraha, the ache of separation that runs through Canto One. Sanjaya’s devotion, Yudhishthira’s nonresentment, and Bhima’s sharp edge offer contrasting models of response. The episode also pauses on time and urgency: why insight often ripens only when the horizon comes into view.

Chapters

00:05 Invocation and welcome
01:08 Guest intro and why this chapter matters
02:42 Summary: Vidura returns, tough love, and the night departure
04:43 Why the Bhagavata jumps in time
05:49 Story within a story: emboxment explained
07:51 Vidura as a manifestation of Yama
09:31 Narada’s teaching on the world’s harsh cycles
12:01 Sanjaya’s grief and loyalty
13:56 Power, reckoning, and the Gita backdrop
16:22 A caution when you are strong
19:40 Saints make places holy: the tirtha verse
22:10 Tough love in practice: Vidura to Dhritarashtra
29:11 Krishna’s wake-up call to Arjuna as a parallel
37:25 Why Dhritarashtra finally changes
40:29 Time, turning 50, and urgency
43:00 Krishna as time and the limits of control
46:14 Hidden news and compassionate silence
48:36 Yudhishthira’s nonresentment (Ajatashatru)
52:31 Bhima’s contrast
55:13 Letting go: a simple practice from everyday life
59:20 Narada’s guidance to Yudhishthira
64:25 What becomes of Sanjaya
66:41 Closing

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In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr. Mans Broo) is joined by Jayananda Dasa (Dr. Janne Kontala) to unpack the 12th Chapter of the First Canto. Their conversation follows two intertwined arcs: Yudhishthira’s preparation to leave the world and ensure stable leadership after him, and the auspicious rise of Parikshit, protected in the womb by Krishna and poised to become both exemplary ruler and ideal listener of the Bhagavata. They explore the text’s concern about leaderless societies, the pedagogy of praising kings with classical exemplars, and how viraha (longing) and milana (meeting) shape the canto’s rhythm as Krishna arrives and departs.

Drawing on yoga philosophy and worldview studies, Jayananda explores samskaras (formative impressions), the social dimensions of ritual, and the debate over fate and free will. The discussion shows how the Bhagavata preserves meaningful agency even when destiny is foretold. From sacred geography and “the north” as a liminal threshold, to Parikshit’s prenatal darshan and the insight that enlightenment experiences should fuel, not finish, a life of devotion, this chapter comes into sharp, practical focus for contemporary seekers.

Chapters

00:00: Invocation & welcome

01:03: Guest introduction: Jayananda Dasa (Dr. Janne Kontala)

01:20: Two threads: Yudhishthira’s future planning and reckoning with the past

04:44: Successor pedagogy: establishing Parikshit as a fit interlocutor

06:55: Leaderless anxiety in the Bhagavata, then and now

09:38: Dharma and basic needs: why stability supports spiritual life

13:12: Renouncing power: ideal kings vs historical rarity

17:43: “The Birth of Emperor Parikshit”: protection in the womb and lifelong longing

22:27: Viraha-bhakti: when vision comes first and practice deepens after

27:06: Training by exemplars: why astrologers praise future kings

30:27: Predestination vs agency: scripture, karma, and the “labyrinth” analogy

39:19: Seven days to live: how the Bhagavata preserves meaningful choice

42:48: Sacred geography: heading north and crossing dimensions

47:28: Krishna’s comings and goings: longing and meeting in Canto One

48:23: Verse highlights: signs, lineages, and the hint of prior lives

53:02: Samskaras as social spirituality: rites that shape persons and communities

56:38: Closing reflections

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In this episode, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr. Måns Broo) and Krishna Kshetra Swami (Dr. Kenneth Valpey) delve into the 11th chapter of the Bhagavatam, exploring the themes of Krishna's arrival in Dvaraka, the emotional dynamics of separation and reunion, and the contrasting natures of devotion exhibited by the residents of Dvaraka and Vrindavan. They discuss the significance of community in bhakti, the allegorical interpretations of Krishna's actions, and the emotional expressions of the queens upon his return. The conversation highlights the complexities of Krishna's detachment and the cultural nuances of devotion, culminating in reflections on the chapter's teachings and implications for practitioners today.

00:00 Introduction to the 11th Chapter of Bhagavatam
00:58 Krishna's Arrival in Dvaraka
05:27 Themes of Separation and Reunion
09:36 Allegorical Interpretations of Krishna's Return
11:11 Community and Collective Bhakti
14:44 Theological Significance of Key Verses
19:57 Krishna's Presence and Its Impact
24:42 Contrasting Dvaraka and Vrindavan
26:36 The Role of Dvaraka in the Bhagavatam
29:46 Anticipation of Future Events
34:11 Krishna's Sound and Connection with Devotees
36:17 The Role of Imagination in Spiritual Practice
42:02 Creativity and Scriptural Interpretation
47:50 Understanding Dvaraka's Society
54:37 The Queens' Reception of Krishna
01:00:52 Contrasting Love: Dvaraka vs. Vrindavan
01:05:02 Introduction to the Bhagavatam Podcast

Keywords: Bhagavatam, Krishna, Dvaraka, Bhakti, Separation, Reunion, Devotion, Queens, Allegory, Community

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In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr. Måns Broo) is joined by Shaunaka Rishi Dasa for a rich and wide-ranging exploration of Canto 1, Chapter 10 of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this chapter, Yudhiṣṭhira ascends to the throne and, with guidance from Bhīṣma and Kṛṣṇa, establishes a reign of peace, prosperity, and harmony. But the real heart of the chapter lies in the interweaving of political dharma, divine relationships, and deep philosophical reflection.

Together, they reflect on Yudhiṣṭhira’s inner world, his reluctance to lead, his depth of thought, and his capacity to rule with empathy and restraint. The conversation highlights Kṛṣṇa’s dignified farewell from Hastināpura, the women’s rooftop glorifications, and the remarkable way their words merge Vedantic insight with intimate devotion. Shaunaka Rishi draws out powerful lessons on leadership, trust, virtue, and the spiritual value of evening rituals. What begins as a close reading of a single chapter opens into profound meditations on society, secularism, and what it truly means to live, and lead, well.

00:00 – Welcome & Introductions
03:00 – Yudhishthira’s Crisis and Dharma
09:00 – Nature and Righteous Leadership
13:00 – Women’s Theological Voice
21:10 – Krishna’s Departure & Devotion
28:15 – Relational Theology & Intimacy
36:30 – What Makes a True Leader?
45:20 – Secularism, Trust, and Principles
51:10 – Ritual, Reflection & Divine Care
59:30 – Wisdom, Humor & Farewell

Keywords:
Bhagavata Purana, Yudhishthira, Krishna, Dharma, Leadership, Devotion, Women in Scripture, Secularism, Bhakti, Rasa, Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 1, Shaunaka Rishi, Srila Prabhupada, Divine Relationships, Evening Rituals, Hindu Theology, Gaudiya Vaishnavism

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In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr. Måns Broo) is joined by scholar and teacher Radhika Ramana Dasa (Dr. Ravi Gupta) for an in-depth exploration of Canto 1, Chapter 9 of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Picking up the story immediately after the Mahābhārata war, we witness the Pandavas’ crushing grief, Bhīṣmadeva’s consolations, and the profound lessons he imparts as he lies on his bed of arrows—culminating in an exemplar “good death.”

At the heart of their discussion are Bhīṣmadeva’s stages of consolation: first sharing in the Pandavas’ sorrow, then reframing their suffering in terms of kāla (time) and ultimately Kṛṣṇa’s will, before guiding Yudhiṣṭhira toward the duties of rulership. We explore how the chapter distills hundreds of Mahābhārata verses into key teachings on dharma, detachment, and devotion, and we linger over Bhīṣmadeva’s beautiful Sanskrit prayers in praise of Kṛṣṇa’s various forms. Finally, we reflect on the sages who surround Bhīṣmadeva’s passing—not merely to pay respects but to learn by observation, offering a powerful reminder that in the Bhāgavatam “we learn how to die by watching someone die well.”

00:00   – Introduction
00:39   – Invocation & overview of the post-Kurukṣetra drama
01:31   – The Pandavas’ grief and Kṛṣṇa’s initial consolations
03:53   – Bhīṣmadeva on the bed of arrows: the “good death” paradigm
09:15   – Duty, remorse & the Mahābhārata as an argument against war
14:04   – Love, violence & divine rasa in battlefield memory
20:26   – Condensing the Mahābhārata: Bhāgavatam’s relational focus
25:14   – Śrīla Prabhupāda’s first-canto commentary & sage biographies
29:24   – Consolation in kāla vs. karma: relinquishing self-blame
41:50   – Bhīṣmadeva’s prayers: from Viṣṇu’s four-armed form to Vṛndāvana leelas
56:24   – The exemplary final teaching: attachments & detachment
01:08:13 – Sages as witnesses: “We learn how to die by watching someone die well”
01:12:00 – Closing reflections: life, death, and devotion

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In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr. Måns Broo) is joined by scholar and teacher Radhika Ramana Dasa (Dr. Ravi Gupta) for an in-depth exploration of Chapter 8 of the First Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. As Krishna prepares to leave Hastinapura for Dwaraka, the chapter unfolds as a deeply emotional and theological moment—marked by silence, prayer, memory, and transformation.

At the heart of this episode are the profound prayers of Queen Kunti, whose reflections on suffering, divine presence, and detachment have become some of the most beloved verses in the Bhagavatam. The discussion touches on the nature of prayer, the transition from fear to faith, the unique sweetness of Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes, and the silent power of Krishna’s smile. We also witness King Yudhishthira’s inner conflict over violence, sacrifice, and remorse, setting the stage for Bhishma’s guidance in the next chapter.

Together, the speakers guide listeners through a tapestry of bhakti theology, poetic imagery, and practical insights that illuminate how the Bhagavatam speaks both to historical kings and to seekers today.

00:00 – Introduction and context: Krishna prepares to leave Hastinapura
01:50 – Chapter overview: Setting the stage for Krishna’s departure
05:09 – Krishna listens but says nothing: The silence of divinity
06:16 – Untangling the timeline: Chronological fluidity in the Bhagavatam
09:27 – From sacrifice to samsara: Uttara, Parikshit, and the unfolding story
10:55 – Kunti’s transformation from queen to bhakta
15:43 – What makes a prayer? Arjuna, Uttara, and Kunti’s unique voices
17:12 – Fear, devotion, and divine intimacy: Prayers as relational revelations
22:06 – Prayers as theology: Learning Krishna through the words of his devotees
23:46 – Verse 25: “Let calamities come again”—Kunti’s faith through suffering
27:03 – Writing our own Bhagavatam: Seeing Krishna through life’s trials
33:49 – Verse 31: The bewildering beauty of Krishna’s Vrindavan lila
38:59 – Hearing as seeing: Relating to Leelas we’ve never witnessed
43:52 – Krishna’s vulnerability and the secret of Vrindavan’s love
47:18 – Krishna’s own bewilderment: Waves of divinity and intimacy
50:04 – Verse 42: The Ganges metaphor and the flow of devotion
56:24 – Krishna’s smile: Silence, affection, and unspoken blessing
58:30 – Beyond words: Bhakti at the edge of language
1:01:43 – Yudhishthira’s grief and rejection of violent sacrifice
1:04:34 – The Mahabharata as an argument against war
1:10:13 – Why Krishna chooses silence: Letting Bhishma speak instead
1:11:31 – Closing reflections: Glory shared with the devotees

Keywords: Bhagavata Purana, Queen Kunti, Radhika Ramana Dasa, Krishna, Vrindavan, Prayer, Devotion, Bhakti, Suffering, Theology, Srimad Bhagavatam, Arjuna, Uttara, Yudhishthira, Mahabharata, Sacrifice, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Smaranam, Vandana, Divine Silence, Bhishma

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