Currently Browsing: QA Audio : 2012

: Audio   : Video   : Transcription   : Hindi Language

April 2021

• 633) Are Radharani and Lakshmi devi the same person?
• 632) What is the reason for shaving the head at Tirupati?
• 631) Can one go back home back to godhead by practicing Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism and Judaism?
• 630) Can devotees kill snakes and scorpions?
• 629) How is the Western world having its necessities despite not performing any sacrifices?

February 2021

• 628) What is Karma? Is kartavya and karma same? As a student what are my karma and kartavya? – Hindi

July 2020

• 627) What is the relationship between Maya and the Three Modes of Nature?

June 2020

• 626) What are the three modes of material nature?

February 2020

• 625) How can knowing Krishna as the proprietor, enjoyer and benefactor bring us peace?

October 2019

• 624) How can we realize that we are souls?

September 2019

• 623) Is the incident of Lord Rama worshiping Lord Shiva not mentioned in Valkmiki Ramayan?

December 2012

• 622) How do we refute the Mayavadi interpretation of ‘om purnam adah’?
• 621) How do we respond to the Mayavadi notion of a two-level Brahman?
• 620) Is the Absolute Truth inexpressible by words, even the words of scriptures?
• 619) How can we know that Balarama’s gopis are different from Krishna’s gopis?
• 618) What is the practical use of abstract philosophy when the world is facing so many practical problems?
• 617) Why does Krishna love cows when whatever qualities they have are simply given to them by nature?
• 616) How do we understand Prabhupada’s statement that planets float because of air not gravity?
• 615) If a devotee goes to Goloka Vrindavana, does that mean he can never see great personalities like Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman, Parvati etc.?
• 614) Why is Lord Shiva glorified as if he is supreme in the Bhag 8.7?
• 613) How can we reconcile scientific and spiritual knowledge?
• 612) How should we respond to religious conversions happening in India?
• 611) What is Krishna consciousness perspective on sex education in general and in schools in particular?
• 610) Why does Krishna describe Maya as daivi in the Gita 7.14?
• 609) Can neuroscience make people happy, thereby making spirituality unnecessary?
• 608) If scientific theories are incorrect how do the scientific inventions work?
• 607) Does the multiverse theory disprove the existence of God?
• 606) When Krishna doesnt need to discover anything, as do scientists, is it right to call him the supreme scientist?
• 605) When we hear rumours about a senior devotee, how should we respond?
• 604) How can we avoid unwanted and offensive thoughts?
• 603) How can chanting Hare Krishna solve all problems?
• 602) How do we respond to atheists who say that we have no proof for heaven?
• 601) How do we respond to atheists who say nature has no space for god?
• 600) What is the significance of Gayatri Mantra? What result does one get by chanting this mantra?
• 599) Is Sita the daugher of Ravana?
• 598) If we can go back to Godhead from any mode then what is the need to come to goodness?
• 597) When Krishna does so many immoral activities how can he be God?
• 596) Why did Lord Chaitanya not initiate Tukaram M in the Hare Krishna mantra?
• 595) Is only heavy drinking harmful and occasional drinking good for health?
• 594) Does the father get the sin if his children misuse the money he gave them?
• 593) If Buddha is an incarnation then how do we understand his previous incarnations as animals mentioned in the Jataka tales?
• 592) Aren’t devotees like a group of people with limited knowledge and analysis?
• 591) How can we be confident, assertive, positive without becoming proud?
• 590) Will banning guns for law-abiding citizens help when law-breakers have guns with them?
• 589) When all the other elements have specific locations why not ether?
• 588) How can we handle tragedies like the Connecticut school massacres?
• 587) How de we understand the verse that nondevotees have no good qualities?
• 586) How do we reconcile the Vedic idea that the sun moves around the earth with the scientific idea that the earth moves around the sun?
• 585) Which form of Vishnu is referred to by the Sahasra Shirsha purusha prayers as none of the Vishnu forms actually have 1000s of heads?
• 584) Why was ancestor worship by meat offerings allowed in earlier ages?
• 583) Are farm communities meant to offer eco-friendly alternatives for the unsustainable modern civilization?
• 582) What did Prabhupada mean when he said that 50% of his mission was still remaining?
• 581) If the process of KC delivers us then how do we understand the verse that the guru is the only way to Krishna’s mercy?
• 580) What is the basis for taking the number of wives of Chitraketu non-literally?
• 579) When circumstances make our chosen standards unsustainable, what should we do?
• 578) How can we break the habit of believing that we wont be able to keep our promises?
• 577) How do we respond to skeptics’ claims that NDEs are products of culturally conditioned imagination?
• 576) Is time material or spiritual? Does it exist in the spiritual world? What is its role in creation?
• 575) How exactly do the demons killed by Krishna become liberated?
• 574) Has science debunked Indra?
• 573) When scriptural truths are branded by scientists ‘pseudoscience’, how do rationalistic people put faith on them?
• 572) What are the practical steps for maintaining and improving our relationships with devotees?
• 571) Is the scientific claim that jellyfish are immortal true?
• 570) What is the Vedic perspective on capital punishment?
• 569) What is the origin, authenticity and relevance of Tantra?
• 568) If Narada Muni is an incarantion then is he a jiva-tattva or Vishnu-tattva?
• 567) How could 64 crore people have fit in the small area known as Kurukshetra?
• 566) What is the difference between renunciation in passion and ignorance?
• 565) Is fault finding good or bad? If its bad then how can we overcome it? 
• 564) Does soul have shape? Does that shape change from body to body?
• 563) Was the milk drinking miracle in 1995 real miracle or was it due to scientific reasons?
• 562) Does one have to live in poverty to be able to call out to Krishna sincerely as Bhag 1.8.26 suggests?
• 561) If the spiritual world is thrice the material world doesnt that make the total creation finite?
• 560) If Drona rejected Eklavya due to his character deficiency, then why didnt he reject Duryodhana too?

November 2012

• 559) Is initiation essential? What if devotees after initiation become proud?
• 558) If material happiness is like tickling then what about the happiness from humour?
• 557) Can devotees sell products made by killing flowers?
• 556) Why is the Bhagavatam considered to be the nirnayak scripture?
• 555) What was Srila Prabhupada’s position on Goswami Tulasidas?
• 554) Is chanting on electronic counter equal to chanting on Tulsi beads?
• 553) How can I overcome the fear that the future may bring unexpected problems in my spiriutal life?
• 552) Why do ISKCON Leaders share platform with impersonalists ?
• 551) What should be a devotee’s attitude towards scientists?
• 550) Do we need the faith that the spiritual master will never fall to be able to surrender to him?
• 549) Gopashtami class – Spiritualizing rites of passage like birthdays
• 548) Do those who study the Gita go to Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana?
• 547) How can I deal with uncertainties about the guru system in ISKCON?
• 546) How did Krishna forget the Bhagavad-gita, as he states in the Mahabharata?
• 545) What is the scriptural basis for the idea that the proces of KC and not the guru transforms us?
• 544) Should we resist the mind or wait for it to calm down? What is the right way to control the mind?
• 543) Should spiritualists be afraid that scientific research may disprove their faith?
• 542) How did you first realize that there was a Supreme God?
• 541) Will knowing more and more about Krishna from the Bhagavatam give us love for him?
• 540) Are there clear references to “love” in the Gita? Are the words “devotional service” and “love” synonymous?
• 539) What is the scriptural basis and the practical method for the idea of observing our thoughts?
• 538) Is the mind a special material element to which material laws dont apply?
• 537) Can we ever say that our attachments are holding us when actually we are always responsible?
• 536) When material circumstances make it difficult or impossible for us to render devotional service what should we do?
• 535) If Prthu M is an avatara why did he take birth from a material body?
• 534) As spiritual happiness is eternal and the happiness we experience in spiritual activities is temporary is this happiness material?
• 533) How should we respond when Deities break?
• 532) Can we experience spiritual happiness with material senses and mind?
• 531) What is the difference between ahankara as concept and as object?
• 530) Why did Bhishma and Drona fight on the side of the Kauravas?
• 529) Did Lord Rama eat meat?
• 528) Does initiation change the gotra of a person?
• 527) What is the Vedic perspective on the movie “Oh My God”?
• 526) Is there any logical or empirical support for the idea of higher worlds and higher beings talked about in Vedic literature?
• 525) What is a wormhole and how is it connected with mystic siddhis?
• 524) Please share some tips for memorizing verses
• 523) Why does Sanskrit have words with many meanings Why are the concepts open to varying interpretations?

October 2012

• 522) How do we make sense of the Bhagavatam statement that Chitraketu had ten million wives? Is it a sign of lack of faith if we are troubled by such questions?
• 521) When I study scriptures I am unable to concentrate. What should I do?
• 520) What is the best way to make notes in classes?
• 519) If we feel dissatisfied while rendering a service how should we deal with it?
• 518) If madhurya rasa is highest then how are those in other rasas satisfied? Do all souls progressively rise from shanta rasa to madhurya rasa?
• 517) Should we use attraction to the beauty of the opposite sex as an impetus to remind us of the beauty of Krishna?
• 516) Is the soul projected to the material world as in a virtual reality or has the soul actually fallen to the material world?
• 515) If several spiritual organizations urge us to study their philosophy and try our their process how should we decide what to follow?
• 514) If our svarupa is fixed then why is it is said that Lord Chaitanya came to teach love in the mood of the gopis?
• 513) If our suffering in material existence is just a momentary dream then wont this thought make us feel lazy about becoming liberated?
• 512) If Krishna is complete how can he feel incomplete due to which he comes as Lord Chaitanya?
• 511) Do we get a part of the karma if we see an animal being slaughtered?
• 510) When Yamadutas know that Narayana is supreme (SB 6.1.41) why do they later (6.3) ask Yamaraja if there is anyone above him?
• 509) How can we know when we have done our best in devotional service?
• 508) “By destiny the quantity of our suffering is fixed” and “The more we become attached, the more we suffer.” How to reconcile these two statements?
• 507) What is the essential moral of the brahmin cobbler story because the huge tree is not literally present in the small seed?
• 506) What exactly does Arjuna encountering higher realms while going north refer to?
• 505) Are the vanaras of Ramayana similar to the monkeys on earth today?
• 504) What is the Vedic understanding of spiritual leaders like Sai Baba?
• 503) How will Krishna consciousness spread in Kali yuga when the overall cultural trend is materialistic?
• 502) How are the knower and known one in the absolute realm as Srila Prabhupada mentions in the purport of Bhag 1.2.11?
• 501) As those people who are destined to take to spirituality will take it up anyway how does it matter whether we use technology for sharing spirituality or dont use it?
• 500) As apara vidya and avidya can both be used without reference to God what is the essential difference between them?
• 499) Why was Duryodhana born with so much power when he had such evil tendencies? (and 4 other questions about Duryodhana)
• 498) Is the term higher dimensions that you use to explain Vedic cosmology used in the Vedic scriptures?
• 497) When will the higher realities described in the Vedic scriptures become perceptions for a seeker?
• 496) If experience is the highest pramana how does it fit into the three standard pramanas with shabha as the highest?
• 495) Is that star “Alpha Centuri” that is 4.3 light years away (according to modern cosmology) in this universe or another universe according to Vedic cosmology?
• 494) If we can never understand Vedic cosmology what is the need of studying it?
• 493) How do we answer atheists who say that the order that we see in the universe is only apparent and actually the entropy principle ensures that disorder keeps increasing?
• 492) What is the Vedic perspective on a Harvard neurosurgeon’s vision of heaven during a near-death experience?
• 491) When Arjuna had defeated all the Kaurava heroes at Virata why does Bhagavatam refer to them as the huge fishes timingilas against whom Arjuna was like a tiny fish?
• 490) Isnt it offensive to assume that devotees critical of Mayavada are motivated by ego and to not associate with them?
• 489) How can we balance between varnashrama and Vaishnava principles in daily life?
• 488) How can one maintain a devotional attitude while cultivating a lot of knowledge?
• 487) Do we need to hate Advaitavada to practice bhakti?
• 486) When we are unable to express our questions should we just wait for purification to remove that doubt?
• 485) Why do the different Vaishnava traditions have a different understanding of the Absolute Truth?
• 484) If Vaishnava traditions with an understanding of Gods relationship with the world different from that of the Gaudiyas can take their followers back to godhead how important is this understanding for us as practicing Gaudiyas?
• 483) How long should we go on questioning about Krishna when all our acharyas have already accepted him?
• 482) How does the word bhavana in Gita 2.66 refer to fixed mind?
• 481) Prabhupada says Brahma falls whereas Haridas Thakura doesnt but they are the same. Then why the difference? person
• 480) What is the higher taste for jnanis?
• 479) How does the spiritual soul first get material desires?
• 478) If one can chant the name of Allah or Jesus with love and reach God, then why cant one chant the name of Ganesh or Shiva with love and reach Him?
• 477) Does the fact that whatever happens to us is a result of our own karma imply that we passively accept whatever happens to us or not bother about the results on others of what we do?
• 476) What is the one scientific discovery that can prove or disprove the Vedic view of the universe?
• 475) If aquatics are lower than plants in the Vedic evolutionary scale then why is eating aquatics forbidden and eating plants allowed?
• 474) Why is Krishna not keeping the increasing population under control?
• 473) What should be done when during pregnancy the life of the mother is under threat and doctors recommend abortion?
• 472) Why do the local devotees in Vrindavan refer to Srila Prabhupada as “Swami Maharaja”?
• 471) Is drinking urine medicially or spiritually beneficial?
• 470) When Brahma is an incarnation of the Lord. then how can he be illusioned by maya and how can a person become Bramha?
• 469) Is God everything? What exactly does the verse “vasudevah sarvam iti” mean?
• 468) How should we respond to stories of Krishna miraculously intervening in the life of some contemporary devotee?
• 467) Should we use sugar made with bone ash?

September 2012

• 466) What should be the attitude of devotees towards conspiracy theories like say 9-11 was staged by America?
• 465) What is the Krishna conscious perspective of nondevotees with good moral qualities like Jains?
• 464) Is the Virat Rupa Real or False? If it is false then was Vamanadeva’s revelation to Bali Maharaj false?
• 463) Is the Universal Form Material or Spiritual? How is it different from the Deity form?
• 462) When senior devotees speak and act in ways that are uninspiring or disturbing how should we see and respond?
• 461) Intelligence is the representation of Paramatma,then why does our intelligence sometimes fail to take the right decision?
• 460) Why do Vishnu and Shiva have several common names?
• 459) If pure devotees know everything from all perspectives then why do they have differences as in different commentaries?
• 458) How should we (Krishna Conscious persons) react if we get terribly cheated by someone?
• 457) When we are 100% spiritual we see everything as spiritual. Then what is the difference between material and spiritual?
• 456) Spiritual happiness depend on external sources, so isnt it outside-in not inside-out?
• 455) Is chanting the mahamantra starting with Hare Rama a namapradha?
• 454) What is the correct pronunciation of Rama in the mahamantra?
• 453) How are scriptures preserved when the parampara is lost?
• 452) Why do we need big temples?
• 451) If we worship the spiritual master as a devotee of Krishna why not worship demigods similarly?
• 450) Why do so few people becomes devotees? Why do some devotees fall away?
• 449) Why do we worship Srila Prabhupada?
• 448) Is humanitarian activity not a form of subtle sense gratification?
• 447) Are demigods and demons present in the spiritual world?
• 446) Should devotees vote in elections? What is the devotional perspective of democracy?
• 445) Is India’s dismal sports performance due to India being in the mode of goodness and sports being in passion?
• 444) Is hearing demigod pastimes prajalpa or devotional service?
• 443) Why are brahmacharis necessary? If they are necessary then why shouldnt everyone become brahmachari?
• 442) When the mind sometimes makes us do good, why do we consider it to be a enemy?
• 441) What is the proof that someone has gone back to Godhead?
• 440) As devotion is a matter of the heart, does it matter whether one wears dhoti-kurta – saree or T-shirt & jeans?
• 439) If a person stays in coma with expensive instrumental support for many days, how long should the relatives continue the support?
• 438) Why is Ganesh worship being done in an ISKCON temple when it was not allowed by Srila Prabhupada?
• 437) Why do you use the lower case pronoun for God – ‘he’ instead of ‘He’? Isn’t it disrespectful?
• 436) When Srila Prabhupada has written so many books why do devotees need to write any further books?
• 435) How does Krishna decide which family we are born when we first come from the spiritual world?
• 434) How can we avoid labelling situations when say we go broke and still stay fixed in remembrance of Krishna?
• 433) Should we bow down if we pass by demigod temple while on the way to Krishna temple?
• 432) Is chanting with beads or in holy places more beneficial than chanting without beads or elsewhere?
• 431) Why were child marriages advocated in Vedic scriptures?
• 430) Why is Parashurama mentioned in the Dashavatara stotra and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu not mentioned?
• 429) How were Jatayu and Sampatti able to fly towards the sun when there is no air in the space intervening between the earth and the sun?

August 2012

• 428) Why did the Lord give spiritual knowledge to the sun-god when he had already given it to Brahma?
• 427) How did Parashurama exist at the same time as another avatar Rama? Why did he oppose Rama?
• 426) Why did Yudhishthira consider the wicked Dhritrashtra as a respectable elder who had to be obeyed? Why didnt he consult Krishna?
• 425) Why did Yudhishthira gamble despite knowing its consequences?
• 424) Are dinosaurs and ghosts included in the 8.4 million species?
• 423) Why is Tukaram Maharaj especially glorified among various Maharashtrian saints in ISKCON?
• 422) Is mother earth a jiva a demigod or a metaphor?
• 421) Why cant we have the morning program at 6 am so that more people can participate?
• 420) Do those who die on a battlefield get liberation?
• 419) Why do ISKCON Temples have Ganesh at entrance and not have bell?
• 418) How does Lord Jagannatha reciprocate in Puri when the temple priests are so rude?
• 417) Why are there fossils of dinosaurs but not of Rakshasas?
• 416) Is the Yamuna purer than Ganga? On whose banks was the Bhagavatam spoken?
• 415) When all killing brings karmic reactions how can we do pest control?
• 414) Please explain the union of Parasara Muni and Satyavati.
• 413) Why does Krishna accept a bluish complexion when blue is considered to be in the mode of passion?
• 412) Is Debating wrong?
• 411) What are the things we need to be attached to and detached from during the initial and advanced stages of spriitual life?
• 410) If Dhruva Maharaj attained the Lord in 6 months can we go back to godhead in six years?
• 409) How do we understand and explain that the Vedas are self-evident truths?
• 408) Why are there talking animals in Ramayana but not in Mahabharata?
• 407) When we dont get results due to our karma, does service get affected by our karma?
• 406) Why does the Lord send Kali if he wants the souls to come back to him?
• 405) What is the difference between householder devotees and karma-yogis?
• 404) Why Srila Prabhupad is using “the Lord’s not forgetting” as proof for his having transcendental body?
• 403) Why do senses go wild in worldly atmosphere after they have been peaceful in devotional atmosphere?
• 402) What is the authenticity of the story that Parikshit M stayed in a tower to protect himself?
• 401) What is the meaning of the fifth canto – faith in structure of the universe – protecting the sixth canto – faith in the holy name?
• 400) What is importance of Sandwich analogy to explain Bhagavad Gita from philosophical perspective?
• 399) How do we understand modern day events of devotees seeing Yamadutas?
• 398) Why was Dasharath M ready to forgo his word to Vishvamitra but not Kaikeyi?
• 397) What is more important: japa or kirtan?
• 396) How do the liberated souls simultaneously participate in Vrindavan lila and Navadvipa lila?
• 395) Why didnt Brahmaji see Navdvipa Dham in the spiritual world (as described in Brahma Samhita)?
• 394) Why do we have a propensity towards evil instead of good?

July 2012

• 393) If one is unable to follow a regulative principle after many years of chanting, should one give up chanting due to guilt and shame?
• 392) Why does ISKCON criticize technology?
• 391) How can we access Lord Chaitanya’s mercy in this age when the standards are high and the culture is hostile?
• 390) Won’t the parampara message get diluted because the present acharyas are not as powerful as the previous acharyas?
• 389) Do scientific theories like the inflationary theory explain the origin of the universe?
• 388) As the soul can’t be cut, how does the cow cut and chew grass in the spiritual world?
• 387) What is the significance of offering bhoga to Lord Krishna only for 7 minutes?
• 386) All the vedas and puranas are written by Vyasadeva, then why do they give contradictory accounts of the creation of the universe?
• 385) If Krishna says “Go beyond the Vedas” in Bhagavad Gita, then why do we take the Hare Krishna Mantra from the same Vedas?
• 384) What is the significance of touching ones feet?
• 383) What is the basis for saying that Arjuna engaged in contemplation according to Gita 2.62-63 when he did not fall down as the verse predicts?
• 382) If we feel too burdened by our services, then does that indicate our service is not succesful?
• 381) What is the basis for equating Arjuna’s Gandiva bow with our determination?
• 380) Isn’t our very existence a sin because we kill millions of micro-organisms with every breath? What can we do about it?
• 379) When a devotee suffers more than a nondevotee, won’t this send a wrong message to atheists or novice devotees?
• 378) How is it that Ajamila was 88 years old when he begot 10th son? Because in Satyayuga peoples life span was 1 lac years?
• 377) Isnt it that all the miseries can ultimately be put as Adhi-daivika rather than differentiating them into separate categories.
• 376) What is the connection between quantum physics and spirituality?
• 375) Might a beggar be an elevated devotee in Goloka? Why don’t we treat him as such?
• 374) Is the big bang theory contradictory to or harmonious with the Vedic account of creation?
• 373) During heart transplants does the soul remain the same or does a different soul come into the body with the new heart?
• 372) Why do many scientists propose an illogical concept like “something comes out of nothing?”
• 371) Is lust a real entity that exists separte from us or is it just our own misdirected desire?
• 370) Rahu is a severed head and since the Soul resides close to the Heart where does his Soul reside?
• 369) What exactly initiates the death process: the soul’s karma, the Paramatma or the Yamadutas?
• 368) Is it realistic or idealistic to expect our spiritual master to be a pure devotee?
• 367) Do we spiritualize our material mind and take it to the spiritual world?
• 366) Are those who go to Vaikuntha less intelligent than those who go to Goloka?
• 365) How can we get the determination to wake up in the morning?
• 364) Do unicellular organisms have souls? Which species do they belong to?
• 363) Does the Supersoul control the the soul’s desires?
• 362) How can we know that the original Vedic scriptures have not been changed over many generations?
• 361) Can a person live without lust?
• 360) Can devotees read books like “7 habits of highly successful people” to learn to better organize their lives so that they can serve Krishna better?
• 359) When atheists read theistic books, why don’t devotees read atheistic books in addition to theistic books? Shouldn’t one understand both points of view?
• 358) When the demigods have to face death, did their drinking nectar after churning the ocean not work?
• 357) When the mahamantra takes us to Goloka, then why does Srila Prabhupada say that his temples are in Vaikuntha?
• 356) When a person tries to renounce the world, why do people call him an escapist?
• 355) Can the higher taste through chanting be experienced even on a neophyte stage?
• 354) Why is Kamadeva considered a demigod although kama is one of the six anarthas?
• 353) Is causeless mercy dependent on anything? If yes, then how is it causeless? If not, then how do we get it?
• 352) In the Bhagavad gita verse 14.6, what does ‘being conditioned by a sense of happiness and knowledge mean’?
• 351) What does the Taittiriya Upanishad mantra “Brahmavidya aponti param” mean?
• 350) How can we observe the death anniversary of a loved one in a devotional way?
• 349) If a person despite trying sincerely is still struggling because of past conditionings and he wants to be honest with guru, what should he do?
• 348) What is the Vedic perspective about the book ‘Mrutyunjaya’?
• 347) How are terrorists so fearless?
• 346) Do BG 18.20 and 18.21 support a Brahmavad conception of God?
• 345) When Krishna accepts all kinds of people in the Gita, why doesn’t Prabhupada accept all of them in his purports?
• 344) If doing medical research on animals is wrong, then shouldn’t we try to save the lives of those suffering from diseases?
• 343) What is the purpose of our existence? How can we stay free from temptations lifelong?
• 342) Why did God create the universe?
• 341) When does the soul enter into the picture during cloning?
• 340) How can we reconcile the Bhagavatam description that worms bite the infant in the womb with the scientific knowledge that there are not even bacteria in the amniotic fluid?
• 339) Why should the mind cooperate with bhakti when that will lead to its own annihilation?
• 338) Does the discovery of the God particle disprove the existence of God?
• 337) Are the Universal Forms in the Gita and the Bhagavatam the same or different?
• 336) Can you please tell about Chiranjivis?
• 335) What will happen if one is following Krishna consiousness only on logic and no devotion?
• 334) If knowledge from the senses is imperfect, how do scientific applications work?
• 333) How does the consciousness of the cook affect prasad?
• 332) If Brahma is a pure devotee, how can he be bewildered?
• 331) In the God particle we trust (?) – Understanding the Collisions, Emissions & Omissions
• 330) Krishna Consciousness- The ultimate technology S.B 1.7.30
• 329) Why matter matters; Soul-Body interaction
• 328) Why are the chapters of the Bhagavad-gita named differently by different acharyas?
• 327) Where exactly is faith located: in the soul or in the mind?
• 326) What is the difference between freedom from material modes and freedom from reactions of fruitive activities?
• 325) If a person is not interested in spiritual world and is interested only in material enjoyment, what should be done?
• 324) Why can’t women be brahamcharinis?
• 323) When meat eating is not allowed in Bible, then why did Jesus feed fish to his disciples?
• 322) Why did Krishna create us?
• 321) Why should milk and ghees be used for the Deities when poor children are starving?
• 320) What is the difference between the mind and the brain?

June 2012

• 319) Krishna says that he is the taste of water, but science says water is tasteless. How can we reconcile this?
• 318) While praying to Lord Krishna, sometimes my mind says He is false. What should I do?
• 317) What is the significance of abhisheka and aarti?
• 316) What does the soul experience at the time of death?
• 315) What is the meaning of the word “Srila Prabhupada”? Why did only Prabhupada get this title but no present spirirtual masters?
• 314) Can you please tell little about how we know that in Bermuda triangle time runs faster?
• 313) If one kills an animal, when does one get the reaction: in this life or the next or in between?
• 312) How can we know the authenticity of the teachings of saints like Sant Dnyaneshwar and Samartha Ramdas Swami?
• 311) What is the position of Mukunda Mala Stotra? Is it better than “Hare Krsna Mahamantra”?
• 310) How can we practically base our decisions on scriptures when the scriptures are so vast?
• 309) Is it necessary that we take initiation from a siddha guru and not a sadhaka-guru?
• 308) How can we protect ourselves from our mind when we are not in devotee association?
• 307) How can we substantiate that the Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on the Vedanta Sutra?
• 306) What exactly are the stages of sravana, manah and nidhidhyasan (hearing, contemplation and assimilation)?
• 305) In one of his purports, Srila Prabhupada says that woman likes a man who is very expert at rape. How can we understand that?
• 304) Is it described in scriptures that one can get moksha or mukti only by getting a deep or bath in ganga river?
• 303) How to be patient with both preaching as well as our work or studies when everyone around you is running after to get things instantly?
• 302) Why does Bhagavatam say that it is dangerous for men to associate with women and not for women to associate with men?
• 301) Why is chanting of thousand names of Visnu equivalent to once chanting Rama and three names of Rama equivalent to once chanting Krishna ?
• 300) Who escorts the souls who are not escorted by either Yamadutas or Vishnudutas?
• 299) How can we work enthusiastically if we are to be detached from the fruits?
• 298) Why is the Vedanta-sutra not as clear as the Bhagavatam when both deal with the same subject?
• 297) What is the Vedic perspective on animal killing for medical testing purposes?
• 296) If God is ruling the world, then why is the world not perfect?
• 295) What is the significance of performing proper funeral rites?
• 294) As scriptures are like Deities, can we underline or higlight or make similar marks on them?
• 293) Can we use Ganga water to bathe the Deities when that water is actually Krishna’s own charanamrita?
• 292) If two devotees are not speaking to each other, what should be my consciousness?
• 291) Can a person be self realized and not have pure bhakti?
• 290) How can we be sure that when we go back to the spiritual world, we will never fall back?
• 289) If it is told in the Vedas that “Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam” then why do other Vaishnav sampradaya worship Vishnu and not Krishna?
• 288) How could Airavata, the elephant-carrier of Indra, have emerged from the churning of the ocean when the Bhagavatam states that Airavata was already Indra’s carrier in the battle before the churning?
• 287) Understanding “action in inaction and inaction in action” as mentioned in Bhagavad-Gita 5.17.
• 286) How will the Yogis who meditate on Paramatma Go Back To Godhead?
• 285) How can we give up hating a person?
• 284) When Krishna spoke the Gita to the sun-god, was that Gita exactly the same as was spoken to Arjuna?
• 283) In the Spiritual World, why is Ayodhya at a higher level than the other Vaikuntha Planets?
• 282) Is there really such a thing as evil glance (nazar lagna)?
• 281) Why does Prabhupada say in Bhagavad Gita 2.62 purport that Lord Shiva is not able to control his senses?
• 280) Is Parashurma a shaktyavesha avatar or a full avatar?
• 279) How does the soul experience the pains and pleasures of the body?
• 278) Was Chanakya Pandita a pure devotee?
• 277) Is a devotee-householder who earns a living and contributes a part to Krishna’s service practicing karma-yoga or bhakti-yoga?
• 276) Are the scriptural descriptions about the glories of the holy name exaggerations?
• 275) How can we overcome discouragement due to constant mental lethargy?
• 274) If women are so attached to their husbands that they die with them during sati, then how will they go back to godhead?
• 273) Do we get bad karma by visual sexual stimulation?
• 272) If IIT students despite being intelligent don’t do well in their career, is it because of their past life karma or present life karma?
• 271) Can a devotee live without getting married and without joining brahmachari ashrama?
• 270) Will recitation of Vishnu Sahasranama give the blessing of immoral pleasures without sinful reactions?
• 269) Why does Srila Prabhupada translate karma-yoga as “devotional service”?
• 268) What is the science behind snake-charming mantras controlling snakes?
• 267) When Krishna established dharma, why did it last for such a short time?
• 266) How can we get perfect knowledge when our senses are imperfect?
• 265) Should devotees consult astrologers to ward off negative influences?

May 2012

• 264) Why does Srila Prabhupada “bhakti” in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu as devotion instead of his usual translation “devotional service”?
• 263) How can one strengthen his will power and increase his determination? And how to avoid further weakning of the both?
• 262) As Ravana and Kumbakarna are also devotees in disguise, why do scriptures not glorify them?
• 261) What is the essence of pure bhakti?
• 260) When the soul obviously moves, how do we to explain the Gita 2.24 statement that the soul is immovable?
• 259) As the killing of Hiranyakashipu happened before the garlanding of Narasimhadeva by Prahlad Maharaj, why are both depicted in the same picture?
• 258) What do the concepts of purity and taste mean practically?
• 257) How do we learn from our sufferings in hell and in past lives when we neither remember those sufferings nor the causes of those sufferings?
• 256) What is the Vedic perspective on the book “Secret”?
• 255) Why are the Puranas mentioned separately from Smriti in the verse “shrutismritipuranadi..”?
• 254) Why is the spiritual master of Vishvanath Chakravarti not mentioned in the list of guru-paramapara?
• 253) Why do Vaishnava poets place their own names in their poems? Isn’t that self-promotion?
• 252) Are the words of the pure devotees about the Lord descriptive or indicative about the Lord?
• 251) When the Lord gives Darshan, why do we glorify the spiritual master instead of glorifying the Lord?
• 250) What should a wife do when her husband totally opposes her Krishna consciousness?
• 249) As Radha was the aunt of Krishna, isn’t their relationship illicit?
• 248) Can we pray to Lord Krishna to award us death when we are hale and hearty?
• 247) Should we postpone the chanting of the mahamantra till we are able to follow the regulative principles so as to avoid offenses?
• 246) Where exactly is sex desire located: in the body or the soul?
• 245) Will the woman who goes Sati not become a ghost due to committing suicide?
• 244) Is Vyasadeva not doing self-glorification when he writes “by the mercy of Vyasa” in the Gita ?
• 243) Why does Krishna refer to himself in the third person in the Gita?
• 242) How do we understand when different Vaishnava acharays give different meanings of the same scriptural verse?
• 241) Is there a need to build spirituality among youths and how can it be done ?
• 240) What is the role of paramatma in atom, in contrast to paramatma in living entities who guides according to desires?
• 239) How are all social service activities mundane?
• 238) Does Pitraloka change for different people?
• 237) Krishna has himself given the Vedas; then why does he tell us to go beyond the Vedas in the Gita 2.46?
• 236) Why was there no scientific renaissance in India similar to that in Europe?
• 235) Where is the Hare Krishna mahamantra mentioned in the Vedic scriptures?
• 234) Does bhakti create feelings of inferiority within us?
• 233) My heart tells me that jnana-yoga is the best path for me. What should I do?
• 232) Why was Srila Prabhupada happy when devotees participated in a materialist ad in Australia?
• 231) If Hiranyakashipu performed austerity for 10,000 years, how was Prahlad just 5 years old when he returned?
• 230) What is the difference between a prophet and a rishi?
• 229) If we are served charanamrita while we are taking prasad, can we honor caranamrita with contaminated hands?
• 228) What is the difference between a woman’s love for a paramour and the gopis’ love for Krishna?
• 227) What exactly is shakti-tattva? How do we understand the conjugal activities of Shiva-Parvati?
• 226) Why do certain temples have architecture depicting sex?

April 2012

• 225) Who is Narayana? What is the difference between Krishna and Narayana?
• 224) How much does exercise,medication interfere with one’s destiny?
• 223) As a practicing devotee, which is the medication method recommended, (since ayurvedic treatment is not suitable for emergencies)?
• 222) Is Remarriage of widow allowed in scripture? Was sati a practice or a phenomena?
• 221) Is humanity and a systematic way of living life the perfect spiritualy / religion?
• 220) What is the devotional and scientific reason of keeping shikha?
• 219) What happens to demigods when yajna is stopped?
• 218) It’s said that phalena parichayate. we can know the quality of endeavors by the result. but then we say Krishna doesn’t care about results but our endeavors. Is this not contradictory?
• 217) Isn’t good or bad a state of mind? Why then are the regulative principles necessary?
• 216) Was there no sankirtan before Lord Chaitanya?
• 215) When we see cause-effect relationship within this life itself, doesn’t that make karma irrelevant?
• 214) As only pure devotees are promoted to the spiritual world, why are doorkeepers needed there?
• 213) What is the need for marriage between devotees in Vaikuntha?
• 212) What exactly are the stars?
• 211) Why do we not celebrate the apperances of avataras like Matsya, Kurma and Varaha?
• 210) What should a devotee do when material desires start increasing and chanting doesn’t help?
• 209) Are the characteristics of the child determined by the soul’s own karma or the consciousness of the parents at the time of conception?
• 208) What is the difference between the mind, intelligence, consciousness and the soul?
• 207) How do the Brahmavadis conceive the forms of the Lord?
• 206) How do we understand the scriptural statement that we are not the doers?
• 205) Can corruption be eliminated from human society completely or will it continue till the time of judgement?
• 204) How can Lord Chaitanya have initiated Saint Tukaram when they lived at different times?
• 203) Isn’t belief in karma psychologically damaging?
• 202) What exactly are dreams?
• 201) Why is Lord Chaitanya not accepted as Lord Krishna by other sampradayas?
• 200) When exactly was the Ramayana written – before, during or after the pastimes of Lord Rama?
• 199) How can we trust the Vedas when many Vedic texts have been destroyed and incomplete knowledge is harmful?
• 198) How do people who eat onion-garlic still seem to be in goodness?
• 197) Is Vishnu a primary name or a secondary name?
• 196) Is there any explanation for Bermuda Triangle in the scriptures?
• 195) Does the Bhagavad-gita teach that all paths lead to the same goal?
• 194) Is putting faith in Krishna consciousness like leaping across a chasm with nothing more than the hope that we will make it to the other side?
• 193) If consciousness is spiritual, then why is it said to a part of the material field in Chp 13 of the Gita?
• 192) What does it mean practically to always remember Krishna?
• 191) Will our svarupa stay vacant if we start worshiping some other form of the Lord?
• 190) How is the Supersoul in the heart different from the Lord in every atom?
• 189) Do all incarnations have spiritual bodies?
• 188) Why should large amounts of money be spend on temples and Deities?
• 187) Why is prana-pratistha needed when the photo of Krishna is non-different from Krishna?
• 186) Why does Krishna love the brahmanas more than other varnas?
• 185) Is there any pleasure in the Brahmajoyati ?.
• 184) Why is India poor despite so much religiosity and the West so properous despite its materialism?
• 183) When we are suffering, does that mean that God is angry with us?
• 182) Should I try to resolve every doubt that comes when reading scriptures?
• 181) How to avoid worldly distractions in concentrating on Krishna?
• 180) What does Prabhupada mean when he refers to Drona’s leniency?
• 179) If the soul is changeless, then how does it change from its svarupa to a seed form?
• 178) How can we become free from irritability?
• 177) What could be the reason for the feeling that someone is pressing and pulling me at night?
• 176) Why did Lord Rama kill the shudra Shambuka for doing the pious activity of tapasya?
• 175) How can we know whether someone is following parampara?
• 174) Is there any evidence of life after death besides what written in the Vedic scriptures?
• 173) If women become devotees, do they need to stick to their traditional roles? Can’t they have their own careers?
• 172) What is the meaning of lila or pastimes? Can our activities also be called lila?
• 171) How are material time and spiritual time related to the fall of the jiva as given in Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Bhaktyaloka?
• 170) How to overcome base passions like anger, hate, fear etc?
• 169) Are possessions by the goddess genuine?
• 168) Lord Brahma is the first acharya in the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya, but why is he not considered pure devotee?
• 167) What exactly are ghosts? How can we protect ourselves from them?
• 166) How do the ancestors of everyone go to Pitraloka irrespective of their individual karma?
• 165) Why did the Lord make us with the nature to love and serve?
• 164) If initiation and other devotional activities remove the past karma of devotees, then why do they get diseases and other problems?
• 163) What is the difference between object of knowledge and goal of knowledge in Gita chp 13?
• 162) Why do you criticize the West so much? Isn’t India also materialistic? If Western clothers are revealing, so is the Indian saree.
• 161) In the Gita 1.1, why is Dhritarashtra’s asking “What did they do?” in the past tense instead of the present tense?
• 160) Why did the same Arjuna who didn’t want to kill his own relatives before the war want to kill Yudhishthira?
• 159) How does Kuvera have a lake on the earth?
• 158) Is one’s complexion related with past karma? They why do people who are doing sinful activities have good complexions?
• 157) Do all incarnations appear in India?
• 156) Is bhakti innate or is it given by the guru?
• 155) Which is the best yoga system to attain moksha?
• 154) How can one understand “action in inaction and inaction in action”
• 153) What happens when a person over-respects or under-respects a devotee who has temporarily fallen?
• 152) When japa is individual meditation, why should one chant in the association of Devotees
• 151) Is there any evidence of human incarnation beside what is written in vedic scriptures?
• 150) Does the soul go out of the body during out-of-body experiences?

March 2012

• 149) Why should a devotee study when it is only materialistic and is called dogism by Srila Prabhupada?
• 148) Why are the names of Vedic personalities characteristic of their personalities?
• 147) Is the guru-disciple relationship eternal?
• 146) How can one practice vegetarianism in the coastal regions
• 145) Why did our acharyas not travel to South India when foreigners became oppressive?
• 144) How did Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakura restore our tradition after a 100 years of dormancy?
• 143) Why are there no remains of Lord Chaitanya’s South India tours?
• 142) What pushed Vaishnavism down from 2000 BC to 1000 AD?
• 141) Why did Bhaktivinoda Thakura write a controversial book like Krishna Samhita?
• 140) Did the worship of Krishna Deities exist before the appearance of Krishna in the world?
• 139) Did Jainism exist in Satya Yuga?
• 138) How can God be happy when we are suffering?
• 137) Do different Brahmas have different lifespans?
• 136) Why are Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda Prabhu on the altar twice – as Deities and in the Pancha Tattva picture?
• 135) How can one control envy?
• 134) Why is the index finger considered inauspicious?
• 133) Should one come up to the level of chanting 16 rounds gradually so that we can sustain it or as quickly as possible?
• 132) Isn’t it easier and safer to experience material enjoyment and then renounce it?
• 131) When the brain gets damaged, the intellectual and brain functions get impeded. Doesn’t this prove that the brain produces consciousness?
• 130) How to understand Krsna is non-different from His Name?
• 129) Why did Chaitanya Mahaprabhu take sannyasa from a Mayavadi teacher?
• 128) Did the demons’ residing places change over the ages from different planets in Satya Yuga and same heart in Kali Yuga?
• 127) Why Draupadi didn’t allow Karna to participate in her swayamvar competition?
• 126) What is the reason for constantly falling down in spiritual life?
• 125) Does God really helps when we are in need?.
• 124) Do material desires age with age? If one finds it difficult to control material desires, is it advisable to put off the inner fight till one grows older when it will be easier?
• 123) All animals are said to be in the mode of ignorance. Then is the cow also in the mode of ignorance? If yes, then why is it consdered sacred?
• 122) If Lord Chaitanya is an hidden incarnation, then why do devotees not let him stay hidden?
• 121) How does hynotic regression provide evidence for reincarnation?
• 120) What is actually preserved when someone falls down in spirtual life?
• 119) Is the Vedic concept of Maya same as the Christian concept of Satan?
• 118) How to deal with aggressive atheists
• 117) Why does ISKCON give less emphasis on Lord Rama?
• 116) Are desires the cause of the modes or the modes the cause of desires?
• 115) How to deal with a blasphemous colleague?

February 2012

• 114) How can one logically prove the presence of God?
• 113) If the Vedic culture existed all over the world in ancient times, why are there so many dissimilarities in ancient cultures?
• 112) How do people get insights during dreams?
• 111) Is living in the present equivalent to brahman realization?
• 110) Why do some people consider the Vedas superior to the Puranas?
• 109) How can we avoid getting distracted by temptations?
• 108) Is the body like a machine or not?
• 107) Why are there contradictions between Mahabharata and Bhagavatam?
• 106) When Krishna says that we shouldn’t take his name in front of an atheist, why does ISKCON share the holy name publically?
• 105) How to overcome spiritual boredom?
• 104) When we can return to Krishna by love and devotion, why do we need to study scriptures?
• 103) How can material senses perceive something spiritual?
• 102) Unless we find fault how can we differentiate between saint from a swindler?
• 101) Is seeing Krishna’s hand in everything just a psychological adjustment?
• 100) Is there something called as “Untimely Death”?
• 99) Do all activities other than spiritual fall under eating, sleeping, mating and defending?
• 98) If intelligence is higher than the mind, then why does intelligence come from passion and mind from goodness?
• 97) Is the concept of inconceivability not a license of illogicality?
• 96) Should we use the words “fools and rascals” just as Srila Prabhupada did?
• 95) Why do the Vedic scriptures sometimes contain verses with an apparently Mayavadi import?
• 94) How can we understand that some of Prabhupada’s prophecies didn’t come true?
• 93) Why was Pururava not purified by worship of Lord Vishnu, as was Dhruva Maharaj?
• 92) Why did Bhishma wait till Uttarayana to leave his body?
• 91) How does one find the right path to attain peace?
• 90) How does religion differ from spirituality?
• 89) Why does the bodily energy during sleep?
• 88) If God is present everywhere, is he present in stool?
• 87) Does becoming tolerant mean letting oneself be manipulated?
• 86) When the Pandavas were born of various demigods, why are they called the sons of Pandu?
• 85) Why does one get diseases despite having been spiritual since birth?
• 84) Why should we chant on beads?
• 83) Is Mohammed predicted in the Bhavishya Purana?
• 82) Why does Srila Prabhupada add electricity in the translation of 15.6?
• 81) Why does Srila Prabhupada give two contradictory translations of the word “vraja” in 18.66?
• 80) Why is Sanskrit considered suitable for computer usage? Why are many Sanskrit books ambiguous?
• 79) Was wheel invented in Satya-Yuga?
• 78) Can I chant the ‘om namo bhagavate vasudevaya’ mantra?
• 77) How can God be chanchal (restless)?
• 76) Why did God create the forbidden apple?
• 75) Is it a sin to not like the holy name sung by professional singers?
• 74) If God knows the future, doesn’t that make our destiny fixed?
• 73) If somebody asks questions arrogantly, how should we respond?
• 72) Why is the desire for sex stronger than the desire for any other sense gratification?
• 71) How to control our jealousy and ego?
• 70) Why is the Shambhu aspect of Lord Shiva glorified as the topmost devotee?
• 69) What is the source of variety in spiritual world?
• 68) Does the definition of success vary from person to person or is it universal?
• 67) Is repressing the sexual instinct harmful?
• 66) Are Krishna’s Gita statements exclusivist?
• 65) Why does every religion claim that it is the only way? Doesn’t this lead to violence?
• 64) Is Vedic cosmology verifiable and relevant today?
• 63) Can i pursue my material ambitions and still make spiritual advancement?
• 62) Why was ashtanga yoga recommended in Satya-yuga?
• 61) Why does the Gita say that “I am intelligence among women?”
• 60) What is the position of women in a spiritual culture?

January 2012

• 59) What exactly is the heart?
• 58) What is the difference between part and separated energy?
• 57) Why is Krishna blue?
• 56) When did Vyasadeva write Bhagavatam?
• 55) Why are women considered less intelligent?
• 54) I find Vedic cosmology difficult to believe. What should i do?
• 53) How can we offer the results of karmic misdeeds to Krishna?
• 52) How can sex desire be controlled?
• 51) Why does the mind seem stronger than the soul?
• 50) Is everything pre-destined?
• 49) How do we understand the count of 400,000 human species when the human population is much greater?
• 48) Is there any difference between praying and chanting?
• 47) Do aliens really exist?
• 46) Is worshiping deities sinful?
• 45) Is personal association of devotees essential?
• 44) How can we explain to others that meat-eating is undesirable?
• 43) Isn’t doing our duties better than spending hours chanting?
• 42) Why is “Sri Bhagavan uvaca” in the Bhagavad Gita translated as “The Blessed Lord”? said”
• 41) Which is the oldest religion in the world?
• 40) How can we increase pure affection to Krishna in the age of Kali?
• 39) If Krishna’s body is spiritual, then how can it get cut?
• 38) How can we be Krishna conscious while doing our daily activities?
• 37) Can you kindly clarify the position of Ekalavya?
• 36) Can you clarify the character and past-life history of Karna?
• 35) Why did Lord Rama kill Vali from behind a tree?
• 34) When we have microscopes that can see sizes less that 1/10,000 , then how do we understand the statement that the soul can’t be seen through the most powerful microscope?
• 33) Are there any references in the Gita to the chanting of the holy names?
• 32) Isn’t belief in an invisible soul on the same level as belief in any absurd claim like payment with invisible money?
• 31) Why is holding grass in the mouth considered a sign of humility?
• 30) Why does devotee association not purify people like Kamsa?
• 29) When Krishna says that we shouldn’t chant his names in front of an atheist, why do devotees do so openly?
• 28) Why do we need to control our senses when Krishna cannot be reached by the senses?
• 27) Why do I feel more attracted to Lord Rama than to Lord Krishna?
• 26) Why doesn’t Krishna let us enjoy in the material world?
• 25) Why should we believe in the Vedas?
• 24) What is a plenary portion of Lord Krishna?
• 23) Is the earth floating in water?
• 22) How do we differentiate between helping the sick and playing God?
• 21) If consciousness comes from the soul, how does anesthesia make us lose consciousness?
• 20) Does every cell have a soul?
• 19) What’s wrong with satisfying the sexual urge by artificial means?
• 18) What’s wrong with consensual sex?
• 17) Should a devotee consult Vaastu shastra?
• 16) Is the conception of male & female in this world and spiritual world different?
• 15) Doesn’t the requirement for submissiveness lead to blind acceptance?
• 14) Why was Karna denigrated as suta-putra?
• 13) If God wanted us to be vegetarian, then why has he given us canine teeth?
• 12) If we avoid meat because we don’t want to cause violence, then doesn’t eating vegetables also involve violence?
• 11) Do the Vedic literature allow meat-eating? Did Hinduism adopt vegetarianism from Buddhism?
• 10) Is the size of the soul literal or metaphorical?
• 9) Why does Krishna stop us from enjoying when he himself enjoys so much?
• 8) Shouldn’t we be practical and focus on our present life instead of worrying about future lives?
• 7) Do all sperms have soul?
• 6) Why did God create carnivorous animals that attack herbivorous animals?
• 5) Isn’t women being given initiation non-Vedic?
• 4) Did dinosaurs exist? What is the Vedic perspective?
• 3) What is the difference between mind, heart and soul?
• 2) What is the difference between mind and consciousness?
• 1) Why does the Bhagavatam say that Lord Ram went to the brahmajyoti?