The Pursuit of Bliss

Answer by Jagadguru Shree Kriapalu Ji Maharaj, in response to the question “Why does Discouragement In Devotion Occur?” Discouragement occurs as a result of prior practice. It has to be eliminated through knowledge, through practice. The feeling of discouragement comes when not just one, but all of our weaknesses culminate. They reside in our subtle body and therefore, from time to time, they become strong and manifest. Just like a strong wind that suddenly comes and passes, in the same way, they also come and go. They are not permanent. During that time (a devotee) should hasten his devotion. Everything will be possible with practice only. For example, when someone is riding a bike or when someone is driving a car up a hill or a slope, he puts the car in first gear, puts it in second gear and the car easily drives up the hill. One who is riding a bike puts out more effort trying to get up a hill. When the slopy part ends, then the bike runs smoothly. Similarly, due to the old p...

"Vedvaani Alaukik"  "Vedvaani Alaukik" - by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj 6.11.12 - The first lecture given by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj at Bhakti Bhawan, Bhakti Dham, Mangarh

Radhashtami Lecture on the Occasion of Radhashtami by Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj. In many bhajans and keertans we hear the name of Radha being chanted before the name of Krishna. And yet most people are unfamiliar with Radha. As this is the most auspicious and important day of Radhashtami (Shree Radha’s appearance day), many questions enter the mind. Who is the entity called Radha? Where does She stand in relation to Krishna? Why does Her name always come before Krishna’s? Why should we celebrate Her Birthday? Radha, the Supreme Goddess, incarnated some 5,000 years ago in the village of Barsana. She is often called “Barsane Vari,” (the one from Barsana), “Bhanudulari” (Daughter of King Vrishabhanu), and Keertikumari (Daughter of Mother Keerti). She is a Friend to the gopis, the milkmaids of Vrindavan. However, She is not to be mistaken as one of them. She is indeed worshipped by the gopis. Radhopanishad states that the personality, whom Shree Krishna worships, is known...

If someone asked you "What is the highest Grace of God" what would you say. As such, God doesn't do anything except Grace. Killing a demon is a Grace since all demons killed by God went to Golok. Punishing a sinner is a Grace because of which he starts moving towards God. If there was no punishment, all of us would have gone astray. So God cannot do anything but Grace. Only due to Grace He created the world, He took us out of His belly, brought us in this world and revealed the Vedas. What a Grace it is that God can only be found by doing nothing or surrendering, not by doing Jap(repeating the name), Tap(austerities) or Yog. Just as when we were born, we did not do anything. At that time, our mothers did everything. As we started doing something, our mothers reduced doing something for us. When we started doing everything for ourselves, our mothers stopped doing anything for us. So even if someone tries to write each Grace of God for ten million kalps, they will ...

Hari Guru chumbak Govinda Radhey, Man loha shuddhi matra so kinchva dey. (Synopsis of a talk by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on January 16, 2011, in Bhakti Dham, Mangadh, India, explaining this new kirtan verse.) A mother and father have four children. They all live in the same home, share the same environment and eat the same food, but the aim and interest of each is different. All four children went to see a Saint. One of them sincerely followed the Saint’s teachings. One half-heartedly following them and then stopped. One didn’t follow them at all. One criticised the family member who was practising devotion, “Why has he started this ‘Radhey Radhey’ in our home?” Why is there so much difference? This verse gives the reason. Our mind is filled with the stored impressions of actions from uncountable past lifetimes. This is collectively called sanchit karma. During this time we have committed uncountable sins. There is no such sin, even one such as murder, that we have committed j...

On January 14, Makar Sakranti, millions took an early morning dip in the chilly waters at the sangam of Ganga and Yamuna in Allahabad. Further downstream, in Varanasi, Kripaluji was formally installed as the Fifth Jagadguru. I mention this because, to a non-believer like me, Kripaluji’s sayings make more sense than the others who appear on TV channels to discourse on spirituality. All of them have the gift of the gab, but he is more forthright, logical, lucid and gives chapter and verse of the sacred texts he quotes from. His memory is truly phenomenal. He was born Ram Kripalu, into an affluent Brahmin, land-owning family of Mangarh near Allahabad. He received his prilimary education in Hindi and Sanskrit at the local school. He went on to study advanced Sanskrit and Ayurveda, and spent another year studying the Vedas, Upanishads, the epics and Bhakti literature. Besides giving spiritual discourses, he has set up two well-equipped hospitals. He provides all the modern methods of diagno...

(Synopsis of a lecture given by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in Shyama Shyam Dham, Bhubhaneshwar, India. This lecture was given 2 or 3 years ago, but the topic is as relevant now as it was then.) Today is the last day of this year. Tomorrow, the world will joyfully celebrate the new year. But this is wrong. Because this is actually not a joyful situation. Rather it is an occasion for remorse. Imagine you saved 100,000 rupees. If you spent 50,000 of this, you don’t celebrate. Instead you think, “Oh, now only 50,000 are left!” Eventually only 2,000 are left. Now only 1,000 are left. Similarly, this human body was given to us by God to attain our ultimate aim. How much closer have we come to that aim? How much devotion or upasana did we do? Upasana (devotion) means to go ‘pas‘, close. The meaning of upasana is to go close to God. How much closer to God have we gone? For example, someone is feeling cold. Before him there is fire. The closer he goes to the fire, the more his feeling of...