The Bhagavata Podcast

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.Chapters00:05 Welcome03:20 Krishna Departs08:10 Naming Krishna14:00 Love in Separation19:40 Power Withdrawn24:30 Humbling Loss31:45 True Identity38:20 World Without Krishna45:00 When to Renounce56:30 Devotion as the GoalSend us a text

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 & Setup01:48 Summary of the Chapter05:37 Devotees and Human Emotion08:29 Love in Separation10:20 Omens: Superstition or Insight?12:35 Strange Signs in Nature & Temples18:58 Body, Breath & Subtle Anatomy27:33 Deities Crying & Arjuna’s Return29:50 Yudhishthira’s Careful Questioning42:05 Krishna’s Disappearance & Closing ReflectionsSend us a text

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.Chapters00:05 Invocation and welcome01:08 Guest intro and why this chapter matters02:42 Summary: Vidura returns, tough love, and the night departure04:43 Why the Bhagavata jumps in time05:49 Story within a story: emboxment explained07:51 Vidura as a manifestation of Yama09:31 Narada’s teaching on the world’s harsh cycles12:01 Sanjaya’s grief and loyalty13:56 Power, reckoning, and the Gita backdrop16:22 A caution when you are strong19:40 Saints make places holy: the tirtha verse22:10 Tough love in practice: Vidura to Dhritarashtra29:11 Krishna’s wake-up call to Arjuna as a parallel37:25 Why Dhritarashtra finally changes40:29 Time, turning 50, and urgency43:00 Krishna as time and the limits of control46:14 Hidden news and compassionate silence48:36 Yudhishthira’s nonresentment (Ajatashatru)52:31 Bhima’s contrast55:13 Letting go: a simple practice from everyday life59:20 Narada’s guidance to Yudhishthira64:25 What becomes of Sanjaya66:41 ClosingSend us a text

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.Chapters00:00: Invocation & welcome01:03: Guest introduction: Jayananda Dasa (Dr. Janne Kontala)01:20: Two threads: Yudhishthira’s future planning and reckoning with the past04:44: Successor pedagogy: establishing Parikshit as a fit interlocutor06:55: Leaderless anxiety in the Bhagavata, then and now09:38: Dharma and basic needs: why stability supports spiritual life13:12: Renouncing power: ideal kings vs historical rarity17:43: “The Birth of Emperor Parikshit”: protection in the womb and lifelong longing22:27: Viraha-bhakti: when vision comes first and practice deepens after27:06: Training by exemplars: why astrologers praise future kings30:27: Predestination vs agency: scripture, karma, and the “labyrinth” analogy39:19: Seven days to live: how the Bhagavata preserves meaningful choice42:48: Sacred geography: heading north and crossing dimensions47:28: Krishna’s comings and goings: longing and meeting in Canto One48:23: Verse highlights: signs, lineages, and the hint of prior lives53:02: Samskaras as social spirituality: rites that shape persons and communities56:38: Closing reflectionsSend us a text

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 Bhagavatam00:58 Krishna's Arrival in Dvaraka05:27 Themes of Separation and Reunion09:36 Allegorical Interpretations of Krishna's Return11:11 Community and Collective Bhakti14:44 Theological Significance of Key Verses19:57 Krishna's Presence and Its Impact24:42 Contrasting Dvaraka and Vrindavan26:36 The Role of Dvaraka in the Bhagavatam29:46 Anticipation of Future Events34:11 Krishna's Sound and Connection with Devotees36:17 The Role of Imagination in Spiritual Practice42:02 Creativity and Scriptural Interpretation47:50 Understanding Dvaraka's Society54:37 The Queens' Reception of Krishna01:00:52 Contrasting Love: Dvaraka vs. Vrindavan01:05:02 Introduction to the Bhagavatam PodcastKeywords: Bhagavatam, Krishna, Dvaraka, Bhakti, Separation, Reunion, Devotion, Queens, Allegory, CommunitySend us a text