1693: Bhakti for Beginners: Doing It Right & Keeping It Real / Q&A Vol. 290

Recorded live in Jaipur, this Q&A episode dives into real beginner questions on the path of bhakti—with Raghunath and Kaustubha responding with both insight and humor. What exactly is bhakti? How do you know if you're practicing it right? Can other forms of yoga or breathwork support your devotion? What's the deal with chanting "16 rounds"—and what if you're not there yet? Through conversations with first-time pilgrims and new practitioners, this episode reveals what genuine spiritual growth looks like: personal, flexible, joyful, and deeply human. ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ********************************************************************* Join the Gita Collective Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAxNYgJuyAJR8SHhy2j

From the sacred city of Jaipur, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore what it means to take the next step in Bhakti—moving from faith to steady practice and learning under a teacher. They discuss how one can deepen Bhakti while still appreciating the devotion and love of Christ, and how to live the principle of yukta-vairāgya—using one's resources and influence in divine service without losing focus on the goal of love for God. ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ********************************************************************* Join the Gita Collective Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAxNYgJuyAJR8SHhy2j

From the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh, this pilgrim Q&A with Raghunath and Kaustubha explores how to respond to visible suffering without emotional collapse, how being "more tolerant than a tree" coexists with healthy boundaries, and how to start a simple, welcoming satsang at home. They also respond to questions about balancing the eagerness to advance with patience, perspective, and the value of living and serving in the moment. ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ********************************************************************* Join the Gita Collective Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAxNYgJuyAJR8SHhy2j

Live from Devprayag, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how to perceive Paramātmā—the Supersoul within—and how Bhakti transforms the mind's shadows of resentment, fear, and greed into clarity and love. Drawing from the Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavatam, they offer tools for re-entry after spiritual retreats, insights for chanting with true attention and intention, and practical ways to carry holy-place consciousness into everyday life. ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ********************************************************************* Join the Gita Collective Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAxNYgJuyAJR8SHhy2j

Much of modern science, as well as impersonalist Vedānta, drains the universe of relationship—one by reducing consciousness to brain chemistry, the other by dissolving all individuality into a single awareness that fears "the Other." In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha unpack Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.54 to reveal a living, personal cosmos where consciousness, choice, and grace are real. Along the way they tackle the "no free will" debate, revisit C. S. Lewis's vision of a haunted but living world, and show how seeing personhood behind everything restores meaning, ethics, and wonder to our lives. ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ********************************************************************* Join the Gita Collective Whatsapp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAxNYgJuyAJR8SHhy2j

When cramming facts hits a ceiling, yogic practice opens the window. In this conversation, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how Einstein's relativity and Vedic ideas of time echo a truth from the Bhagavad Gītā—that spiritual realization isn't conquered by intellect but received through receptivity. Drawing on the Gītā, the Yoga Sutras, and insights from Terryl Givens, they unpack the yogic disciplines that transform perception: humility, sattva, service, and devotion. The episode bridges science and spirituality to show how the mind studies, but the heart sees. ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 *********************************************************************  

Diwali is the perfect moment to upgrade your relationship with desire. In this episode, we contrast the material formula—"if the world gives me what I want, I'll be happy"—with the yogic move to become the observer of desire, calm it with clear knowledge, and outgrow it through devotion. As love deepens, the craving mind quiets and new, service-shaped desires appear. Expect festival-of-lights reflections, Bhakti insights on detachment and fulfillment, a Bob-Dylan-approved reminder that we all serve something, and a few laughs about Raghu's gym heroics and MRI adventures—because even on the path of devotion, humor helps the medicine go down. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.13.50-51 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 *********************************************************************  

When devotion turns into performance, honesty becomes the new yoga. In this powerful conversation with Jiva G, Raghunath explores how 12-Step recovery principles blend seamlessly with bhakti yoga to heal the heart. Together they unpack spiritual bypassing, codependency, trauma, and the courage to drop the mask. It's raw, funny, and deeply transformative—showing that real bhakti isn't about perfection, it's about honesty, humility, and doing the inner work that makes love real. ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 *********************************************************************

Do I Have Glowworms Living in My Heart? / Idols Stop Dazzling as Devotion Dawns When the real sun of devotion rises, all the little stars we once worshiped start to look dim. Drawing from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how Brahmā's cosmic humbling reveals a truth we all face: the glowworms of worldly admiration can't compete with divine light. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.13.45-50 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 *********************************************************************

When we try to "fix" life, sometimes it only breaks further. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha examine how our material solutions—cars, technology, medicine—can backfire when they stem from the impulse to control, not harmonize. Through the lens of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.44, Tagore's warning, and a margarine ad that tried to fool Mother Nature, this discussion reveals how true wisdom isn't about domination—it's about surrender, humility, and learning to live in harmony. What you'll take away: * Why control breeds chaos and how we get stuck in whack-a-mole fixes * The folly of "doing better than nature" — margarine vs. butter * Newton's insight: explanation is not origin * The meaning of sattva (contentment) vs. rajas (complication) * How Viṣṇu's all-pervading nature humbles our intellect * Observing the small (even just chickens) to glimpse the cosmos * Practical suggestions for aligning with nature instead of conquering it 🔔 Subscribe now for daily spiritual insights and stay tuned for more explorations on Bhakti, wisdom, and the art of living. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.13.44 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 *********************************************************************