Hiranyakashipu terrorizes the Universe. After getting benediction from Lord Brahma, when Hiranyakashipu troubled the demigods, they along with Lord Brahma took shelter of Lord Vishnu and offered Him prayers.

Once a person happened to see a sign board on a hotel. It was written, "Come, eat as much as you can, do not pay any bill. Your grand son will pay". This tempted him very much and enthusiastically he went inside, sat down and started eating and ate to his fullest stomach.

While performing devotional service, one of the most common challenge we face is, "How to confront criticisms and chastisements?", especially when we perform a very difficult service or something we do which no one else has attempted, or we have been very successful in our service.

One day a university professor paid a visit to a saint. The professor wanted to listen to the saint speak on the science ofAbsolute Truth. The saint offered water to his visitor. As the saint poured the water, the professor started presenting hisideas about the Absolute Truth

Srila Prabhupada writes in Bhagavad Gita that killing the body of anyone without authority is abominable and is punishable by the law of the state as well as by the law of the Lord. When the whole population becomes naraadhama, naturally all their so-called education is made null and void by the all-powerful energy of physical nature.

In the modern society, even a boy thinks himself self-sufficient and pays no respect to elderly men. Due to the wrong type of education being imparted in our universities, boys all over the world are giving their elders headaches. Thus Sri Isopanishad very strongly warns that the culture of nescience is different from that of knowledge. 

There is no gain, however, in accepting the message of Bhagavatam from the non-believers, atheists and professional reciters who make a trade of Bhagavatam for the laymen. It was delivered to Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, and he had nothing to do with the Bhagavata business. He did not have to maintain family expenses by such trade

It was a very thought provoking mail from H.G.Kalachakra prabhu explaining the role of parents. Recently I came across a very interesting article by H.H.Visvesha Tirtha Swami (fondly known as Pejawar Swami, the head of the Pejawar mutt at Udupi) on the same topic.

Today we had been to one of our family friend's home to study Bhagavatam for a few hours. They had a son 11 years old studying in 6th Std. He is very intelligent and has a very sharp memory. His parents having come from a pious background, do their best to give him the best education and care.

When I was going up the bush track I got hurt with many prickles in my legs, my intelligence told me that I should not go any further, for I may get more hurt. But my Mind told me to enjoy with my friend and to go still further. As I was coming down the track which was steep

Each of us are very tiny sparks of Supreme Lord and we have our limitations.In our life, we should humbly accept the things which we cannot change and not waste our time and energy in finding out solutions for such things with our puny intelligence. Even if we attempt to find out solutions, we would not be successful.

We must have a spontaneous urge to preach the Holy Name to every living soul. But unfortunately we are so conditioned that weare so hesitant to share the message of Lord with others. We give so many lame excuses for not preaching.

There are two nomenclatures for the householder's life. One is GRAHASTHA and the other is GRAHAMEDHI. The grahasthas are those who live together with wife and children but live transcendentally for realizing the ultimate truth.

Pride means to have too high of an opinion of yourself. Pride makes you think you are very important and better than everyone else. It can cause us to mistreat and disrespect others. But we must remember that we are very tiny spirit souls. Our soul is 1/10,000 the size of a tip of hair. That is too small.

A very important point to note in the above translation is that "We always prefer the miserable conditions." It is not that maya is forcing anything on us or a bad situation is being thrust upon us. Actually we prefer to face the sufferings. On the other hand, Bhakti is easily available to every one of us.

By nature we are cheerful - anandamayo abhyaasaat. We, as the pure jivatma, do not need any artificial mechanism to make ourselves cheerful. Nowadays there are so many ludicrous ways and methods invented to make people stress-free or cheerful.

Purity and chastity depends on keeping our focus on one source. Krishna says in the Gita, "vyavasaayaatmika buddhi ekeha kuru-nandana Those who are resolute in their purpose, their aim is one." More importantly, that focussed activity should be meant for the ultimate source of our existence, who is none other than the Supreme Lord.

Due to some pious acts in the previous birth, we are blessed with the gift of devotional service in this birth. There are so many souls in this world who are deprived of this gift and hence they are not following Lord's instruction.

At present we are on a mental level even while reading Bhagavatam. But we have to sing and realize the message with feeling to go beyond the mental level and stay on the transcendental level. When we stay on the transcendental level, nothing material touches us

Maharaj said, "The selflish behavior always force the living entities to forget the finer elements of human behavior. The finer element of human behaviour is definitely based on the acceptance of the supreme truth that the material manifestation is temporary.

Renunciation is sometimes mistaken by people to be a period of inaction. In the second chapter of Canto 2 in Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadev Goswami gives a clear picture of how people in the renounced order lead a simple and surrendered life.

Long long ago, there lived a king called Rajvarma. He was very much involved in arts. He was a good painter himself. Once, he went over a cliff and started painting the beauty of nature. He became so engrossed in his painting and after completing it, he stood back to have a look at it. The picture was beautiful indeed.

Maharaj was telling about the increase in number of psychiatric patients in this age. He was telling how in England, the government used to provide "sickness benefits"  to such patients and doctors would not take money from their patients. Where money is not involved, we can expect some genuine seva

Intelligence is a property of mind that encompasses many related mental abilities, such as the capacities to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend ideas and language, and learn. Intelligence as measured by IQ and other aptitude tests, is widely used in educational, business, and military settings because it is an effective predictor of behavior.

In Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 8 Chapter 16, we find the description of how Aditi, felt very helpless and was filled with lamentation, illusion and fear  when her sons are taken away by the demons and are deprived of their fame,opulence and residence. 

We as aspiring devotees of Krishna should do our daily material duties for Krishna. If we are working hard on our job to be successful, do it for Krishna. We should not try to enjoy or even think of the fruits of our activities, but able to give-up fruits of our work for Krishna.

This weakness of heart is a result of our lack of faith in Krishna. Even after so many years of our chanting we still doubt if Krishna exists at all. We deny Krishna! Krishna says sarvasya caaham hrdy sannivishto...I am seated in everyone's heart. If Krishna is seated in our hearts how can our heart be weak? 

To avoid these serious dangers in the present generation as well as the future generations, the students should be taught the spiritual culture as enunciated by Lord Sri Krishna in Bhagavat-gita which is beautifully explained by acaryas like Srila Prabhupada. Otherwise the future is very bleak for the upcoming society.

Many a times my mind is always trying to improve its material knowledge and failing to understand the importance of devotional service. While engaging in our regular duties, we should never neglect the Lord. We can neglect everything for the Lord but should not neglect the Lord for anything.

There is an instructive story to illustrate the point of the Supreme will of the Lord. Once Garuda, the carrier of Lord Vishnu, after bringing the Lord to meet Lord Shiva at Mount Kailasa, was waiting outside for the Lord. Incidentally, Yamaraj was also there to partake of the meeting.