"Foundations of the Spiritual Life (part 2): Satsang with Swami Bhajanananda

Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati continues his  series of discourses on the Principles of Bhakti Yoga, followed by arati and Ramnam Sankirtan.  Swamiji expands on the pillars of dharma discussed in last week's class, focusing on truthfulness, compassion, desire, and company.  

"The Four Legs of Dharma & the Kali Yuga", Satsang with Swami Bhajanananda

Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati begins a new series of discourses on the "Principles of Bhakti Yoga.", followed by arati and kirtan.
This class focuses on a story in the Srimad Bhagavatam about the bull of dharma and the cow of Earth being attached by the demon Kali, the personification of the adharma of Kali Yuga. Swamiji reads and discusses chapters 17 and 18 of Skanda I, and then focuses on some important verse given below:
ŚB 1.17.24राजोवाचतप: शौचं दया सत्यमिति पादा: कृते कृता: ।
अधर्मांशैस्त्रयो भग्ना: स्मयसङ्गमदैस्तव ॥ २४ ॥rājovācatapaḥ śaucaṁ dayā satyam iti pādāḥ kṛte kṛtāḥ
adharmāṁśais trayo bhagnāḥ smaya-saṅga-madais tavaThe King (Parikshit) said:"In Satya Yuga your four legs were established as austerity (tapaḥ), purity (śaucaṁ), compassion (dayā), and truthfulness (satyam). But it appears that three of your legs have been broken by adharma in the form of pride (smaya), attachment (saṅga), and blinding passion (madaiḥ)."
ŚB 1.17.25इदानीं धर्म पादस्ते सत्यं निर्वर्तयेद्यत: ।
तं जिघृक्षत्यधर्मोऽयमनृतेनैधित: कलि: ॥ २५ ॥idānīṁ dharma pādas te satyaṁ nirvartayed yataḥ
taṁ jighṛkṣaty adharmo ’yam anṛtenaidhitaḥ kaliḥ"At present, O Dharma, you are standing on one leg only, which is truthfulness (satyam), and you are somehow or other hobbling along. But Kali, the personification of adharma, is trying to destroy this leg by dishonesty (anṛtena)."
ŚB 1.17.38सूत उवाच
अभ्यर्थितस्तदा तस्मै स्थानानि कलये ददौ ।
द्यूतं पानं स्त्रिय: सूना यत्राधर्मश्चतुर्विध: ॥ ३८ ॥sūta uvāca
abhyarthitas tadā tasmai sthānāni kalaye dadau
dyūtaṁ pānaṁ striyaḥ sūnā yatrādharmaś catur-vidhaḥSūta said:"Thus petitioned, he (Parikshit) gave Kali permission to reside where there are the four kinds of adharma: gambling (dyūtam), drinking (pānam), womanizing (striyaḥ), and animal slaughter (sūnā)."
ŚB 1.17.39पुनश्च याचमानाय जातरूपमदात्प्रभु: ।
ततोऽनृतं मदं कामं रजो वैरं च पञ्चमम् ॥ ३९ ॥punaś ca yācamānāya jāta-rūpam adāt prabhuḥ
tato ’nṛtaṁ madaṁ kāmaṁ rajo vairaṁ ca pañcamam"[Kali] asked for something more, and because of his begging, the king gave him permission to live where there is gold (jāta-rūpam), because wherever there is gold, there is also deceit (anṛtam), intoxication (madam), lust (kāmam), cruelty (rajaḥ), and enmity (vairam) the fifth."
ŚB 1.17.41अथैतानि न सेवेत बुभूषु: पुरुष: क्वचित् ।
विशेषतो धर्मशीलो राजा लोकपतिर्गुरु: ॥ ४१ ॥athaitāni na seveta bubhūṣuḥ puruṣaḥ kvacit
viśeṣato dharma-śīlo rājā loka-patir guruḥ"Therefore, whoever desires their own welfare, those who aspire to be virtuous, kings, public leaders, and gurus, should never encounter these under any circumstance."

"Madhurya Bhava" Vivekananda's Bhakti Yoga (Part 15)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapters: "God of Love is His Own Proof"' and "Representations of Divine Love", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 17 March 2018.

"God of Love" Vivekananda’s Bhakti Yoga (Part 14)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapters: "God of Love is His Own Proof" and "Representations of Divine Love", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 17 March 2018.

"The Triange of Love" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 13)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapter: "The Triangle of Love", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 10 March 2018.
 
 

"Universal Love" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 12)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapters: "Universal Love and How it Leads to Self-Surrender" and "The Higher Knowledge and the Higher Love are One and the Same", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 3 March 2018.

"Naturalness of Bhakti" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 11)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapters: "The Naturalness of Bhakti-Yoga and It's Central Secret" and "The Forms of Love-Manifestation" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 13 January 2018.

"The Bhakta's Renunciation Results from Love" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 10)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapter: "The Bhakta's Renunciation Results from Love" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 13 January 2018.

"Preparatory Renunciation" Vivekananda’s "Bhakti Yoga" (Part 9)

Discourse by Rev. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Swami Vivekananda's "Bhakti Yoga", chapter: "The Preparatory Renunciation" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 30 December 2017.

"Bhakti" Satsang by Swami Sarvadevananda

Discourse by Rev. Swami Sarvadevananda Puri of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission and Assistant Minister of Vedanta Society of Southern California given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram.