Meditations on Transcendence

  Hosa Varsha Eve. New Year Eve. Enu hosaadu? The clock changes its hat. The calendar flips its moustache. But the stage remains the same. Ade pañca-bhūta . Ade kāla . Earth does not update its software. Fire does not download a new patch. Water flows with the same old confidence it had yesterday. So haagadare… enu hosaadu? Not the universe. Not time. Not even our problems, which are loyal enough to RSVP every year. What becomes new is something subtler. Bhāva. Dr̥ṣṭikoṇa. Vision. A year becomes hosa only when the lens through which we look becomes nava-naveena . Otherwise it is just the same old wheel doing polite rotations, like a bored bull at a village oil press. The Gītā whispers this politely in Chapter 15. The universe exists in layers , like a cosmic mille-feuille. What we see is not all that is. “tataḥ padam parimārga-tavyam” — seek that further step, the higher footing. New Year, then, is not about fireworks. It is about climbing vision , one rung higher. From surface s...

  Purport to Saint Vādirāja’s Hitōpadēśa (Ṣaṭślōkī) The opening command is uncompromising: “Smara Kṛṣṇaṁ, bhaja Hariṁ, nama Viṣṇuṁ, śrayācyutam.” Once one has entered Bhāvālaya , the inner abode of devotion, there remains only one duty: tyaja kāma, jahi krodha, jahi moha. Nothing more, nothing less. Why is this necessary? Because we quietly trade our svadharma for money, position, and imagined security. This trade happens due to moha , mistaken identity. Planning the future on the false notion of “I am this body and its ambitions” is moha. Future expectations born from this false self create further bondage. Real intelligence asks a different question: How will this enable my service to Vāsudeva? Thus the instruction turns inward. Increase japa , deepen kathā , and see the world not as bhogya but as havis . The body itself is yajña-huta , meant for offering. The primary havis we handle daily is sound, ideas, and thoughts . Even rasa, like cooking, becomes sacred when offered to ...

 https://madhwafestivals.com/2016/11/04/venunada-priya-gopalakrushna/ Purport to “Venunāda Priya Gopāla Kṛṣṇa” The song begins with Venunāda-priya , establishing the primary quality of the Lord. Sound comes first. In the order of perception, śabda (sound) precedes sparśa (touch), rūpa (form), rasa (taste), and gandha (smell) . Therefore nāda is the doorway to devotion. Before one can appreciate the Lord’s feet, one must hear. The flute sound awakens faith, and that faith carries the consciousness toward the lotus feet. Pastimes follow later; first comes attraction through transcendental vibration. Pallavi – Nāda The pallavi rests on nāda. Kṛṣṇa is not merely a form-holder; He is sound itself. The venunāda is non-different from Oṁkāra. By hearing, the conditioned soul begins its return journey. First Para – Pada and Kara The song then moves to the feet : caraṇa-vandita-caraṇa . Feet signify shelter. After sound awakens faith, the devotee bows. Next comes the hand , therefore Mandar...

  Venunāda Vinōda, Gāna Vinōda, Mukunda There are two kinds of vinōda in Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One is Venunāda Vinōda . The Lord delights in His own flute sound. The other is Gāna Vinōda . He delights not only in rāga, but in bhāva-filled lyrics , sung with devotion. The flute of Gopāla Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary sound. Venu-nāda eva Omkāra-svarūpaḥ . From that transcendental vibration arises remembrance of the soul’s forgotten relationship with Mukunda. Therefore He is called Mukunda , the giver of mukti . Liberation does not descend by dry renunciation; it flows through sound saturated with devotion. The Bhāgavata declares: “Venuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam…” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.21.5) When Kṛṣṇa plays the flute, even trees, rivers, birds and cows become motionless, absorbed in transcendental ecstasy. This is not sentiment. This is the scientific process of liberation through śabda-brahma . If someone asks, “Vinōda-dalli mukti sādhya-vē?” How can liberation arise from delight? The answer...

 At the lowest rung of vision, the universe looks crowded. Many doers. Many drives. Many hungers pulling in opposite directions. Life feels like a marketplace of forces colliding. Yet this plurality is only a surface ripple. When perception turns ūrdhva , upward, the noise thins. The Gītā whispers this reversal in Chapter 15. ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham . The tree’s root is above. What appears many below is held by one above. What seems driven is already being driven. As consciousness ascends, agency begins to converge. Individual will softens. The sense of “I act” gives way to “I am moved.” Tataḥ pada-parimārgatayām , the search for the supreme station, is not spatial. It is a refinement of seeing. At the summit, multiplicity collapses into presence. Sri Hari is not added as a conclusion. He is discovered as the silent driver who was always driving. The many were never independent engines. They were spokes. The axis was always one. Urdhva-mūlam is not philosophy. It is a correct...

  Dharma Kṣetre, Kuru Kṣetre Dharma kṣetre is first the body. All discovery begins there. Within this inner field lie tendencies, gifts, and obligations, not created by choice but revealed by attention. A person who does not study this field lives by imitation, not by truth. Kuru kṣetre is the world. Kuru means to do. The world is not a place for contemplation alone, but for execution. Dharma, once seen inwardly, demands outward expression. Knowledge that does not enter action remains untested and therefore incomplete. Yet action alone is not sufficient. The spirit of action decides its fruit. When one acts in Pāṇḍu bhāva , free from possessiveness and claim, action becomes yajña. When one acts in māmakaḥ , even right action decays into bondage. Siddhi is not escape from the world, but mastery within it. Sañjaya is victory of clear sight, where inner dharma and outer action stand aligned. Only then is the field fulfilled.

  We Are Reborn Till the Time Pāṇḍu Mindset Completely Wins Over Māmakaḥ Inside the Heart Rebirth is not punishment. It is unfinished work. As long as māmakaḥ lives in the heart, the sense of “mine,” of clutching, defending, possessing, life keeps looping. The soul returns to complete what it could not release. The Pāṇḍu mindset is different. It is pale of ego, clarified of claim. It acts, but does not grip. It serves, but does not own. When action becomes idam na mama , karma loosens its knot. We are reborn until holding turns into offering, until possession yields to yajña. When Pāṇḍu fully replaces māmakaḥ within, rebirth has no work left. — मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव (ಭಗವದ್ಗೀತೆ 1.1)

  spṛśati yadi mukundo rādhikāṁ tat sakhīnām bhavati vapuṣi kampaḥ sveda romaïca vāṣpam adhara-madhu mudāsyāś cet pibaty eṣa yatnāt bhavati bata tad āsāṁ mattatā citram etat (Govinda-līlāmṛta 11.137, Śrī Rasika-Candra) "How amazing! When Mukunda touches Rädhikä, Her girlfriends cry of ecstasy and their bodies tremble, perspire, and are studded with goosepimples, and when Kåñëa blissfully........give me one para metaphysical analysis of this drinks the honey of Rädhikä's lips (by kissing Her), then they all become mad!" This verse reveals a metaphysics of distributed bliss and shared embodiment , where Rādhā functions as the luminous center of a conscious field rather than as a solitary experiencer. Mukunda’s touch is singular in action but plural in effect, producing tremor, perspiration, horripilation, and tears in the sakhīs, not by sympathy alone but through ontological intimacy , where proximity to divine love dissolves the borders of the self. When Kṛṣṇa drinks ...

The world is strange; not all can be grasped, Our models fail, our plans collapse too fast. Yet turn thy mind to the cowherd, pure and divine, Care for the kine, and all that’s needed shall align. Though reason falters, and the mind rebels, In simple love, the deepest wisdom dwells. Attend the herds with patience, heart, and grace, And heaven’s truths shall open, face to face.

  Śāstra-vidhi means the methods and directions of the śāstras . Life should be led according to śāstra , and that is dharma . Śāstra recommends actions according to varṇa and āśrama – don’t think what to do , just follow guidance. Point is to give as much less freedom to mind as possible. Utsṛjya means: leaving guidance, overcoming recommendations , acting independently. Especially in yajña – it should be even more under guidance . Mind says, “I will do what comes to me” — manassige bandiddu māḍodu — but ye nahin chalega . Śāstra helirodu māḍu; manasanna kelabēḍa . One authority-alli śraddhe iddare – uddhāra āgtade. Because manassu dussanga kano manuja — it drags. Every promise of pleasure and happiness — including the mind — is only a kuhaka , a deception. Sattva na athava rajas? — enuhelu? Ka Kṛṣṇa , ye kya niṣṭhā hai bhai Kṛṣṇa? Is this sāttvika niṣṭhā or rājasa niṣṭhā ? Śāstra-utsṛjya māḍa beḍa. Hold on to the line; hold on to the rule; hold on to ...

  Why do we believe in what is invisible? Why do we feel Kṛṣṇa, rasa-līlā, or divine presence, though not seen with eyes? 1. You already believe in many invisible things You don’t see: air gravity love thoughts consciousness intelligence sound waves prāṇa Yet you experience them. Experience proves reality — not visibility. So invisibility is not a valid objection to reality . The question is only: Do you have an instrument that can perceive it? 2. Physical eyes cannot see metaphysical reality Eyes see only: form color boundaries gross matter But God is not matter . Rasa-līlā is not matter. Bhakti is not matter. They are aprakṛta — real, but not made of the 5 elements. So using eyes to “test” God is like using ears to see color. Wrong instrument → wrong conclusion. 3. śraddhā = the inner organ that perceives the invisible This is the key connection. You need eyes to see form. You need ears to hear sound. You need śrad...

 Jeevana sakti should be received by yoga with one who is paryavasthitah. When we tune ourselves to that presence, we stop depending on our limited inner battery and begin drawing from the Infinite. Just remembering that He is present everywhere paryavasthitah gives us punya; by punya we rise – uttaarano. In daily life we forget the all-pervading reality, but the truth is simple: never forget the all-pervading. Like your mobile is connected to the all-pervading Jio or Airtel, our consciousness is always connected to the divine field. The connection is never broken; only our awareness blinks. The blink of mobile is analogous to smarana — that small inner reminder that reconnects us instantly. Veeraha, Duskritiha and rakshana are linked - the support will come from allpervading Paryavasthitah. One can continue the 'Santo' life due to the all pervading. Vinasaya duskritam happens every moment based on faith in allpervading. The energy is available to be tapped, Just like people a...

For any japa or nāma-smaraṇa to bear fruit, all four instruments must come into alignment—mind, dhyāna, actions, and words. Actions and words are external; mind and dhyāna are internal. In non-japa time, one’s kram (daily conduct) and vachan (speech) must remain consistent with the sacred name—truthful, gentle, and aligned with dharma. In japa time, the mind must offer sincere thoughts and living imagination of the Lord, while dhyāna must hold steady, focused awareness. When external behaviour and internal attention support each other, nāma becomes powerful, enters the heart, and begins to transform life from within. मन [mind] क्रम [actions] वचन [speech] ध्यान [meditation] जो [who] लावै [brings/applies] ||

  The Dialectic of Life and the Absolute — A Hegelian Reflection Life begins with a question: what is the goal of life , and ends by discovering that the goal was always life itself . The inspiration of life arises not from the external world but from the Absolute that underlies it. The motivation of life collapses when tied to outcomes, but rises again through karma yoga without phala . Hegel teaches that Spirit evolves through contradictions; Krishna teaches that transcendence is important . Thus the individual moves from the finite to the infinite, from self-will to serve the Absolute with the skills given . The first stage is lower consciousness , trapped in narrow perception. The second confronts the recognition that consciousness can con you when it clings to the empirical. The third is the breakthrough: evolution toward Krishna consciousness — the broadbased consciousness . Here the self aligns with svakarmana , discovering freedom in duty and duty as freedom. ...

  The Fragrance of Govardhan Is it the musk of a deer that perfumes the air of Govardhan? Or is it the scent of the Lord Himself, Prabhuḥ svayam , who plays there again and again? Or perhaps it is the natural aroma, naisargika-svīya-śīla-sugandhaḥ , born from the virtue of the hill itself? No one can say — ūham , only a sacred wonder arises. Whatever it may be, one truth remains — there is fragrance. A sweetness that does not belong to the world. Life brings its challenges, storms, and strange turns. At such times, Vāsudeva alone is the shelter. Let Him carry this journey; what else can we really do? The world is strange; life is uncertain; padam padam vipadaḥ bhayam hi bhayam — danger at every step. And yet, the Name remains — Śrī Hari, Śrī Hari, Śrīman Nārāyaṇa . When one stands upon Govardhan, all the senses awaken — that is why it is called Go-vardhana , “the nourisher of the senses.” The eyes ( rūpa ) behold divine forms — the very shapes of the Divine Couple hidden in ...

🌿 The Graceful Sameera of Govardhana 🌿 Snātvā saraḥ – the breeze begins its sacred journey with a bath in the cool, crystal-clear saraḥ (lake). This is no ordinary wind – it is sameera , the romanticised air, gentle yet majestic, moving with the grace of a hastī (elephant). Not hurried, not still – a sthita movement, steady and sure, like a dancer in divine rhythm. As it glides, it embraces the parāga-dhūliḥ – the golden pollen dust from nīpa-ādi trees, led by the fragrant kadamba . This is not just air; it is seva – sacred service to Girirāja , the great Govardhana. The breeze becomes a messenger, a witness, a participant in the divine khelati (play). "snātvā saraḥ svāśu samīra-hastī yatraiva nīpādi-parāga-dhūliḥ ālolayan khelati cāru sa śrī- govardhano me diśatām abhīṣṭam" — Śrī Govardhanāṣṭakam , Verse 4 Ālolayan , it swings gently, playfully, carrying the scent of love, the touch of devotion. It becomes the backdrop to the rasa-līlā , the divine sports of the y...

  Title: Girirāja — The Mountain of Mercy and Inner Bliss Among all the mountains of the world, Govardhana stands not merely as a natural formation but as a conscious being, a living symbol of divine grace. In the Govardhana-āṣṭakam , Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura calls Him adbhuta — wondrous beyond measure. Govardhana received bali , the tribute, even from Vairi Śakra , Indra himself, the powerful ruler of the heavens. He became the śaila-sāmrajya , the emperor among mountains, solely by the power of Kṛṣṇa-prasāda — the mercy of the Supreme Lord. But what is the true benefit of such emperorship? What meaning does worldly sovereignty or recognition have before the gentle touch of Kṛṣṇa’s hand? The devotees of Govardhana remind us that divine grace, not external power, is the real attainment. They seek not kingdoms, wealth, or victory, but the hasta-ambuja-saukumārya-sukhānubhūti — the inner bliss that arises from the touch of the Lord’s lotus hand. This bliss is the param...

  Adhyātma Sukhānubhūte — The Inner Relish Beyond Samsāra Adhyātma sukhanubhūte is important — the inner spiritual bliss relish, the sweetness that springs from direct contact with the Divine within. When this inner flow awakens, samsāra vajra-hatim ajānan — one becomes unaware of the blows of life’s thunderbolt. The strikes are there, yet they do not register, for the heart is absorbed in a higher vibration. This is not escape, nor indifference, but saturation. The inner touch with divinity is so strong, so living, that worldly pain fails to pierce through. Just as one immersed in a beautiful melody forgets the noise outside, the one who hears the inner nāda — the sound of the Lord — forgets the sting of samsāra. Through śravaṇa (listening to divine names), kīrtana (chanting with heart), and smaraṇa (remembrance), the inner field becomes luminous. When the tongue vibrates with Kṛṣṇa-nāma , when the ear drinks the words of Bhāgavata, when the mind remembers the touch of sva...

  The Great Secret of Facing Saṁsāra Miseries — From Govardhana Verse: sva-preṣṭha-hastāmbuja-saukumārya-sukhānubhūter ati-bhūmi-vṛtteḥ mahendra-vajrāhatim apy ajānan govardhano me diśatām abhīṣṭam (May Govardhana — who, absorbed in the supreme bliss of the softness of his beloved Kṛṣṇa’s lotus hand, did not even notice the blows of Indra’s thunderbolt — bestow upon me my desired perfection.) Govardhana teaches the great secret of spiritual life. When Indra’s thunderbolts struck with all their fury, the hill did not tremble. He remained absorbed in the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus hand resting upon him. In that touch of divine tenderness, even the fiercest pain became powerless. This is the same mystery that protects a sādhaka amidst the storms of saṁsāra . The miseries of the world may not cease, but through contact with Śrī Nāma and seva , their impact fades into nothingness. The thunderbolts of destiny may strike, yet the heart absorbed in divine remembrance feels only ān...

Silo or Surrender — The Metaphysical View Silo is not just separation in space. It is separation in vibration. When consciousness forgets its source, it condenses — becomes opaque. That opacity is what we call “I.” The silo is the wall of aham, built from countless impressions of “mine.” In truth, there is no wall. There is only a shift in frequency. When the sound of Sri Hari fades from within, we move from yajña to vyakti — from offering to ownership. The eternal flow of exchange stops, and time begins. But sound — nāda — is the return path. Sound is the first yoga, the primordial bridge between finite and infinite. Through the vibration of the Name, the opaque becomes transparent again. The silo dissolves not by effort, but by resonance. As Gītā declares: “Brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam.” (4.24) (The offering is Brahman, the fire is Brahman, the one who offers is Brahman.) When all becomes sound, yajña is restored. And in that sacred resonance, the soul awakens ...