Kali Mandir Satsang

Revered Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati continues his series on the Principles of Bhakti Yoga, reading from the teachings of Kapila Muni in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Skanda 3, Discourse 28 (translation by Swami Bhajanananda): 1. śrī-bhagavān uvācayogasya lakṣaṇaṁ vakṣyesabījasya nṛpātmajemano yenaiva vidhināprasannaṁ yāti sat-patham  The Blessed Lord said:"O princess, I shall describe the authorized system of yoga, by the practice of which one’s mind becomes joyful and advances on the path of Truth." 2. sva-dharmācaraṇaṁ śaktyāvidharmāc ca nivartanamdaivāl labdhena santoṣaātmavic-caraṇārcanam "One must perform one’s dharma with all one’s strength and avoided prohibited actions. One should be satisfied with what one has through destiny  and worship the lotus feet of the Self-realized." 3. grāmya-dharma-nivṛttiś camokṣa-dharma-ratis tathāmita-medhyādanaṁ śaśvadvivikta-kṣema-sevanam "Giving up worldly activities one should then develop a taste for activates that lead to liberation. One should always eat pure food in moderation and stay in a secluded and peaceful dwelling." 4. ahiṁsā satyam asteyaṁ yāvad-artha-parigrahaḥbrahmacaryaṁ tapaḥ śaucaṁsvādhyāyaḥ puruṣārcanam "One should practice nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, possessing only what is necessary, celibacy, austerity, cleanliness, self-study, and worship of the Supreme Person." 5. maunaṁ sad-āsana-jayaḥsthairyaṁ prāṇa-jayaḥ śanaiḥpratyāhāraś cendriyāṇāṁviṣayān manasā hṛdi "One should practice silence, attain mastery of a proper and steady posture, control the breath/prana, gradually withdraw the senses from sense-objects, and focus the mind on the heart." 6. sva-dhiṣṇyānām eka-deśemanasā prāṇa-dhāraṇamvaikuṇṭha-līlābhidhyānaṁsamādhānaṁ tathātmanaḥ "One should fix the mind and prana  in one place in a chakra in the body and meditate upon the pastimes of Lord of Vaikunta and thus become absorbed in the self." 7. etair anyaiś ca pathibhirmano duṣṭam asat-pathambuddhyā yuñjīta śanakairjita-prāṇo hy atandritaḥ "By these and other ways  this wicked mind on the path of illusion must be gradually controlled by the intelligence and one’s prana should be carefully focused." 8. śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpyavijitāsana āsanamtasmin svasti samāsīnaṛju-kāyaḥ samabhyaset "Spreading a proper seat in a pure place and sitting in an easy posture, with body erect , engage in practice." 9. prāṇasya śodhayen mārgaṁpūra-kumbhaka-recakaiḥpratikūlena vā cittaṁyathā sthiram acañcalam "One should purify the passages of prana by inhaling, retaining and exhaling and then reversing the process , thus making the mind-stuff (cittam yathā) steady and unwavering." 10. mano ’cirāt syād virajaṁjita-śvāsasya yoginaḥvāyv-agnibhyāṁ yathā lohaṁdhmātaṁ tyajati vai malam "When a yogi’s breath is thus controlled then the mind is soon freed from disturbance, just like gold in an air-fanned fire becomes free of impurities." 11. prāṇāyāmair dahed doṣāndhāraṇābhiś ca kilbiṣānpratyāhāreṇa saṁsargāndhyānenānīśvarān guṇān "Through pranayama, one overcomes faults; by concentration, sins; by withdrawal of the mind, worldliness; and by meditation, ungodly qualities." 12. yadā manaḥ svaḿ virajaḿyogena susamāhitamkāṣṭhāḿ bhagavato dhyāyetsva-nāsāgrāvalokanaḥ "When one’s mind is purified by yoga, gazing at the tip of the nose, with full concentration one should meditate upon the Supreme Lord." ____________ 34. evaḿ harau bhagavati pratilabdha-bhāvobhaktyā dravad-dhṛdaya utpulakaḥ pramodātautkaṇṭhya-bāṣpa-kalayā muhur ardyamānastac cāpi citta-baḍiśaḿ śanakair viyuńkte T"hus one will develop intense love for Bhagavan Hari, the heart will melt, hairs stand erect from excessive joy and tears will flow constantly from one’s eyes due to longing . Thus overcome , the mind, which has acted as a hook, begins to withdraw."

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.

Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati continues his  series of discourses on the Principles of Bhakti Yoga, followed by arati and kirtan.  Swamiji expands on the pillars of dharma discussed in last week's class, and expands on tapasya (austerity/self-discipline); the Yamas & Niyamas; austerities of the body, speech, and mind; and truthfulness.

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."

Revered Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj shares rare reminisces of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi by Swami Ashitananda, Br. Pramesh Kumar, & Golap Ma. Pujya Swami Chetanananda is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math & Mission and the Spiritual Head of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis.

Revered Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj shares rare reminisces of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi by her direct disciples Swami Gaurishananda and Swami Haripriyananda. Pujya Swami Chetanananda is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math & Mission and the Spiritual Head of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis.

Class by Rev. Dr. Mahant Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Book X, chapter 13, verses 6 - 8 of Srimad Bhagavatam given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 21 June 2025. Brahma said: तथापि भूमन् महिमागुणस्य ते विबोद्धुम् अर्हत्य् अमलान्तरात्मभिः | अविक्रियात् स्वानुभवाद् अरूपतो ह्य् अनन्यबोध्यात्मतया न चान्यथा || ६ || tathāpi bhūman mahimāguṇasya te viboddhum arhaty amalāntar-ātmabhiḥ | avikriyāt svānubhavād arūpato hy ananya-bodhyātmatayā na cānyathā || 6 ||   6. "Nevertheless, Oh Infinite One (tathāpi bhūman), Your infinite nature beyond the gunas (mahimā aguṇasya te), changeless (avikriyāt), formless (arūpataḥ), and self-effulgent (hi ananya bodhya can be known by self realization (ātmatayā viboddhum) by one whose mind and senses are pure and in-drawn (arhati amala antar-ātmabhih), through one's own direct perception (sva anubhava), and not otherwise (na ca anyathā)."   गुन्̣आत्मनस् तेऽपि गुन्̣आन् विमातुं हितावतीर्̣नस्य क ईशिरेऽस्य | कालेन यैर् वा विमिताह्̣ सुकल्पैर् भूपांशवह्̣ खे मिहिका द्युभासह्̣ || ७ || guṇātmanas te 'pi guṇān vimātuḿ hitāvatīṛnasya ka īśire 'sya | kālena yair vā vimitāḥ su-kalpair bhū-pāḿśavaḥ khe mihikā dyu-bhāsaḥ || 7 ||   7. "Oh Self of the gunas (guṇa-ātmanaḥ), to count Your qualities ( te api guṇān vimātum) -- You who have incarnated for the good of all ( hita-avatīrṇasya ) -- is like a geniuses, for all eternity, counting (asya kālena yaiḥ vā vimitāḥ su-kalpaiḥ) all the grains of sand on the earth (bhū-pāḿśavaḥ), all water drops in the air ( khe mihikāḥ), and all the stars in the sky (dyu-bhāsaḥ)."   तत् ते ऽनुकम्पां सुसमीक्स्̣अमान्̣ओ भुञ्जान एवात्मक्र्̣तं विपाकम् | ह्र्̣द्वाग्वपुर्भिर् विदधन् नमस् ते जीवेत यो मुक्तिपदे स दायभाक् || ८ || tat te 'nukampāṃ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṃ vipākam | hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk || 8 ||   8. "Therefore (tat) whoever lives (jīveta yaḥ) depending upon Your compassion (te anukampām su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ), tolerating the results of their own actions (bhuñjānaḥ eva ātma-kṛtam  vipākam) and surrendering to You with heart, words and body (hṛt vāk vapurbhiḥ vidadhan namaḥ te), becomes the rightful heir of liberation (mukti-pade saḥ dāya-bhāk)."

Class by Rev Dr. Mahant Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Book X of Srimad Bhagavatam given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 14 June 2025.  Brahma said: ज्ञाने प्रयासम् उदपास्य नमन्त एव जीवन्ति सन्मुखरितां भवदीयवार्ताम् |स्थाने स्थिताह्̣ श्रुतिगतां तनुवाङ्मनोभिर्ये प्रायशोऽजित जितोऽप्य् असि तैस् त्रिलोक्याम् || ३ ||jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta evajjīvanti sanmukharitāṃ bhavadīyavārtām |sthāne sthitāḥ śrutigatāṃ tanuvāṅmanobhirye prāyaśo'jita jito'py asi tais trilokyām || 3 ||3. "Those who give up the path of knowledge (jñāne prayāsam udapāsya) and simple bow to You (namantaḥ eva), spending their lives hearing about You from the lips of saints (jīvanti sat-mukharitām bhavadīya-vārtām), in whatever condition they are (sthāne sthitāḥ), meditate on what they heard with their body, speech, and mind (śruti-gatām tanu vāk manobhiḥ ye prāyaśaḥ)-- Oh Unconquerable One (ajita), You are conquered by them in the three worlds (jitaḥ api asi taiḥ  tri-lokyām). श्रेयह्̣स्र्̣तिं भक्तिम् उदस्य ते विभोक्लिश्यन्ति ये केवलबोधलब्धये |तेस्̣आम् असौ क्लेशल एव शिस्̣यतेनान्यद् यथा स्थूलतुस्̣आवघातिनाम् || ४ ||śreyaḥ-sṛtiṃ bhaktim udasya te vibhokliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye |teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyatenānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām || 4 ||4. "There are some who reject the auspicious path of bhakti (śreyaḥ sṛtim bhaktim udasya). They struggle to know You, Oh Lord, with their minds alone (te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala bodha). The only thing they achieve is that struggle (labdhaye teṣām asau kleśalaḥ eva) and nothing more (na anyat). It is just like beating empty husks (yathā sthūla-tuṣa avaghātinām)." पुरेह भूमन् बहवोऽपि योगिनस्त्वदर्पितेहा निजकर्मलब्धया |विबुध्य भक्त्यैव कथोपनीतयाप्रपेदिरेऽञ्जोऽच्युत ते गतिम्́ पराम् || ५ ||pureha bhūman bahavo'pi yoginastvad-arpitehā nija-karma-labdhayā |vibudhya bhaktyaiva kathopanītayāprapedire'ñjo'cyuta te gatiḿ parām || 5 ||5. "In the past, O Infinite One (purā iha bhūman), many yogis (bahavaḥ api yoginaḥ) offered whatever they did to You (tvat arpita īhāḥ nija-karma), and through bhakti cultivated by hearing about You (labdhayā vibudhya bhaktyā eva kathā-upanītayā), easily surrendered to You, Oh Infalliable One (prapedire añjaḥ acyuta) and attained You, the supreme goal (te gatim parām)."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 27-34, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 18 June 2025. The Goddess said: तस्मादाकाश उत्पन्नः शब्दतन्मात्ररूपकः |भवेत् स्पर्शात्मको वायुस्तेजोरूपात्मकं पुनः || २७ ||tasmādākāśa utpannaḥ śabda-tanmātra-rūpakaḥ |bhavet sparśātmako vāyus-tejo-rūpātmakaṃ punaḥ || 27 ||27. "Out of that primal substance arose ether,  endowed with the subtle quality of sound. Then arose air, characterized by the quality of touch, followed by fire, characterized by visible form." जलं रसात्मकं पशात् ततो गन्धात्मिका धरा |शब्दैकगुण आकासो वायुः स्पर्शरवानितः || २८ ||jalaṃ rasātmakaṃ paśāt tato gandhātmikā dharā |śabdaika-guṇa ākāso vāyuḥ sparśa-ravānitaḥ || 28 ||28. "Next arose water, characterized by taste; then earth, characterized by smell. Ether has the single quality of sound; air is endowed with touch and sound." शब्दस्पर्शरूपगुणं तेज ईत्युच्यते बुधैः |शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसैरापो वेदगुणाः स्मृताः || २९ ||śabda-sparśa-rūpa-guṇaṃ teja ītyucyate budhaiḥ |śabda-sparśa-rūpa-rasairāpo veda-guṇāḥ smṛtāḥ || 29 ||29. "Fire has the qualities of sound, touch, and visible form, according to the wise; water has the four qualities of sound, touch, visible form, and taste, so they say." शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसगन्धैः पञ्चगुणा धरा |तेभ्योऽभवन् महत्सूत्रं यल्लिण्गं परिचक्षते || ३० ||śabda-sparśa-rūpa-rasa-gandhaiḥ pañca-guṇā dharā |tebhyo'bhavan mahat-sūtraṃ yal-liṇgaṃ paricakṣate || 30 ||30. "Earth has the five qualities of sound, touch, visible form, taste, and smell. From those subtle elements came into being the great cosmic thread which is called the Subtle Body." सर्वात्मकं तत्सम्प्रोक्तं सूक्ष्मदेहोऽयमात्मनः |अव्यत्क्तं कारणो देहः स चोक्तः पूर्वमेव हि || ३१ ||sarvātmakaṃ tat-samproktaṃ sūkṣma-deho’yamātmanaḥ |avyatktaṃ kāraṇo dehaḥ sa coktaḥ pūrvameva hi || 31 ||31. "It is proclaimed as all-pervading; this is the Subtle Body of the Self.The Unmanifest is the Causal Body, which I mentioned earlier." यस्मिन् जगद्बीजरूपं स्थितं लिङ्गोद्भवो यथः |ततः स्थूलानि भूतानिपञ्चिकरणमागतः || ३२ ||yasmin jagad-bīja-rūpaṃ sthitaṃ liṅgodbhavo yathaḥ |tataḥ sthūlāni bhūtāni-pañcikaraṇa-māgataḥ || 32 ||32. "In that lies the world seed, from which evolves the Subtle Body. From that, by the process of fivefold generation, the gross elements," पञ्चसङ्ख्यानि जायन्ते तत्प्रकारस्त्वथोच्यते |पूर्वोक्तानि च भूतानि प्रत्यकं विभजेद् द्विधा || ३३ ||pañca-saṅkhyāni jāyante tat-prakāra-stvathocyate |pūrvoktāni ca bhūtāni pratyakaṃ vibhajed dvidhā || 33 ||33. "Five in number, arise. I shall now describe this process. Each of those elements previously mentioned shall be divided in half." एकैकं भागमेकस्य चतुर्धा विभजेद् गिरे |स्वस्वतरद्वितीयांशे योजनात् पञ्च ते || ३४ ||ekaikaṃ bhāgamekasya caturdhā vibhajed gire |svasvataradvitīyāṃśe yojanāt pañca te || 34 ||34. "One half-part of each element shall be divided into four, O Mountain. By joining the undivided half of each element with one of the quartered fractions from each of the other four, each element becomes five-fold." तत्कार्यं च विराड्देहः स्थूलदेहोऽयमात्मनः | tat-kāryaṃ ca virāḍ-dehaḥ sthūla-deho’yamātmanaḥ |34. "And they produce the Cosmic Body, or Gross Body, of the Self."

Class by Rev Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Book X, Chapter 14 of Srimad Bhagavatam, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 7 June 2025.  श्रीब्रह्मोवाचनौमीद्̣य तेऽभ्रवपुस्̣ए तद्̣इदम्बराय गुञ्जावतम्́सपरिपिच्छलसन्मुखायवन्यस्रजे कवलवेत्रविस्̣आन्̣अवेन्̣उलक्स्̣मश्रिये म्र्̣दुपदे पशुपाńगजाय śrī-brahmovāca1. naumīḍya te 'bhra-vapuṣe taḍid-ambarāyaguñjāvataḿsa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhāyavanya-sraje kavala-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇu-lakṣma-śriye mṛdu-pade paśu-pāńgajāya Sri Brahma said:"I worship You, the primordial Lord (naumi īḍya te), whose body is like a dark cloud (abhra vapuṣe); whose garment is like lightning (taḍit ambarāya); wearing a garland of guñjā berries (guñjā avataḿsa) and peacock feather (paripiccha); whose face shines (lasat mukhāya); a garlands of forest flowers (vanya-sraje); holding a morsel of food, stick, buffalo horn, and flute (kavala vetra viṣāṇa veṇu lakṣma), and whose beautiful feet are soft (śriye mṛdu pade), the son of a  cow herder (paśu-pa ańga-jāya)." अस्यापि देव वपुस्̣ओ मदनुग्रहस्य स्वेच्छामयस्य न तु भूत-मयस्य कोऽपिनेशे महि त्व् अवसितुम्ऽमनसान्तरेन्̣अ साक्स्̣आत् तवैव किम् उतात्मसुखानुभूतेह्̣asyāpi deva vapuṣo mad-anugrahasyasvecchā-mayasya na tu bhūta-mayasya ko 'pineśe mahi tv avasituḿ manasāntareṇasākṣāt tavaiva kim utātma-sukhānubhūteḥ 2. "Lord, Your body (asya api deva vapuṣaḥ), which is the instrument of grace to me (mat-anugrahasya), appears by Your will (sva-icchā-mayasya), and not by the power of the material elements (na tu bhūta-mayasya). Even with my mind withdrawn in meditation (manasā antareṇa sākṣāt) I cannot grasp its glory (kaḥ api na īśe mahi tu avasitum).  What to speak then of understanding Your blissful Self (ava eva kim uta ātma sukha anubhūteḥ)."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 22-26, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 28 May 2025. स पुनः कामकर्मादियुक्तया स्रीयमायया | पूर्वानुभूतसंस्कारात् कालकर्मविपाकतः || २२ || sa punaḥ kāma-karmādi-yuktayā srīyamāyayā | pūrvānubhūta-saṃskārāt kāla-karma-vipākataḥ || 22 || 22. "This Self, however, by its own power of Maya conjoined with desires, actions, and the like, through the influence of prior experience ripening in time in accord with the law of karma, ..."   अविवेकाच्च तत्त्वस्य सिसृक्षावान् प्रजायते | अबुद्धिपूर्वः सर्गोऽयं कथितस्ते नगाधिप || २३ || avivekāc-ca tattvasya sisṛkṣāvān prajāyate | abuddhi-pūrvaḥ sargo'yaṃ kathitaste nagādhipa || 23 || 23. "And by confounding the primal elements, being desirous to create, begins to bring forth. The resulting creation, devoid of intelligence, will be further described to you, O Mountain King."   एतद्धि यन्मया प्रोक्तं मम रूपमलौकिकम् | अव्याकृतं तदव्यक्तं मायाशबलमित्यपि || २४ || etaddhi yanmayā proktaṃ mama rūpa-malaukikam | avyākṛtaṃ tadavyaktaṃ māyāśabalamityapi || 24 || 24. "This extraordinary form of mine which I have mentioned is unevolved and unmanifest, yet becomes segmented through the power of Maya."   प्रोच्यते सवशास्त्रेषु सर्वकारणकारणम् | तत्त्वानामादिस्भूतं च सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहम् || २५ || procyate sava-śāstreṣu sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam | tattvā-nāmādis-bhūtaṃ ca sac-cid-ānanda-vigraham || 25 || 25. "All the religious treatises declare it to be the cause of all causes, The primal substance behind the elements, and as having the form of being, consciousness, bliss."   सर्वकर्मघनीभूतमिच्छाज्ञानक्रियाश्रयम् | ह्रीङ्कारमन्त्रवाचयं तदादितत्त्वं तदुच्यते || २६ || sarva-karma-ghanī-bhūtam-icchā-jñāna-kriyā-śrayam | hrīṇ-kāra-mantra-vācayaṃ tadādi-tattvaṃ taducyate || 26 || 26. "It is the condensation of all karma; it is the seat of will, knowledge, and action; it is expressed in the mantra Hrim; it is the primal principle—so it is said."

Class by Rev Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Book X of Srimad Bhagavatam introducing the story of Brahma stealing the cows and cowherd boya given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 19 May 2025.

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 19-21, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 16 April 2025.   अपरिच्छन्नताऽप्येवमत एव मता मम | तच्चज्ञानं नात्मधर्मो धर्मत्वे जडताऽत्मनः || १९ || aparicchannatā'pyevamata eva matā mama | taccajñānaṃ nātma-dharmo dharmatve jaḍatā'tmanaḥ || 19 || 19. "Therefore I am regarded truly as an undivided whole, and that consciousness is not an attribute of the Self, for then the Self would be like an object."   ज्ञानस्य जडशेषत्वं म दृष्टं न च सम्भवै | चिद्धर्मत्वं तथा नास्ति चितश्चिन्न हि विद्यते || २० || jñānasya jaḍaśeṣatvaṃ ma dṛṣṭaṃ na ca sambhavai | cid-dharma-tvaṃ tathā nāsti citaścinna hi vidyate || 20 || 20. "In consciousness no possible trace of the object state can be found. And so consciousness also has no attributes: consciousness is not a quality separable from consciousness itself."   तस्मादात्मज्ञानरूपः सुखरूपश्च सर्वदा | सत्यः पूर्णोऽप्यसङ्गश्च द्वैतज्जालविवर्जितः || २१ || tasmād-ātma-jñāna-rūpaḥ sukha-rūpaśca sarvadā | satyaḥ pūrṇo'pyasaṅgaśca dvaitajjālavivarjitaḥ || 21 || 21. "Therefore the Self in essence is consciousness, and bliss as well, always, it is the real and complete, beyond all relation, and free from the illusion of duality."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verse18, given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 9 April 2025. मा न भूवं हि भूयासमिति प्रेमात्मनि स्थितम् |सर्वस्याऽन्यस्य मिथ्यात्वादसङ्गत्वं स्फुटं मम || १८ ||mā na bhūvaṃ hi bhūyāsamiti premātmani sthitam |sarvasyā'nyasya mithyātvādasaṅgatvaṃ sphuṭaṃ mama || 18 ||18. "The feeling "Let me not cease to be; let me exist forever," is rooted in love for the Self. Certainly there is no actual relations between me and all else, since all else is false."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 15 through 17 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 2 April 2025. जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्त्यादौ दृश्यस्य व्यभिचारतः |संविदो व्यभिचारश्च नाऽनुभूतोऽस्ति कर्हिछित् || १५ ||jāgrat-svapna-suṣuptyādau dṛśyasya vyabhicārataḥ |saṃvido vyabhicāraśca nā'nubhūto'sti karhichit || 15 ||15. "The visible world appears and disappears constantly in the various states of waking, dream, and deep sleep." यदि तस्याऽप्यनुभवस्तर्ह्ययं येन साक्शिणा |अनुभूतः स एवाऽत्र शिष्टः संविद्वपुः पुरा || १६ ||yadi tasyā'pyanubhavastarhyayaṃ yena sākśiṇā |anubhūtaḥ sa evā'tra śiṣṭaḥ saṃvidvapuḥ purā || 16 ||16. "Even if this consciousness itself became an object of perception, then the witness of that perception would abide as the real pure consciousness, as before." अत एव नित्यत्वं प्रोक्तं सछास्त्रकोविदैः |आनन्दरूपता चऽस्याः परप्रेमास्पदत्वतह् || १७ ||ata eva nitya-tvaṃ proktaṃ sachāstra-kovidaiḥ |ānanda-rūpatā ca'syāḥ para-premāspadatvatah || 17 ||17. "And so those versed in religious treaties regarding the real declare consciousness to be eternal. Its nature is bliss, for it is the object of supreme love."

Discourse by Revered Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 340 through 344 of verses 42 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 29 March 2025. ऋक्सामाथर्वनिलया रागिणी शोभनस्वरा |कलकण्ठी कम्बुकण्ठी वेणुवीणापरायणा || ४२ ||ṛk-sāmātharva-nilayā rāgiṇī śobhana-svarā |kala-kaṇṭhī kambu-kaṇṭhī veṇu-vīṇā-parāyaṇā || 42 || 340. रागिणी rāgiṇī341. शोभनस्वरा śobhana-svarā 342. कलकण्ठी kala-kaṇṭhī343. कम्बुकण्ठी kambu-kaṇṭhī344. वेणुवीणापरायणा veṇu-vīṇā-parāyaṇā

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 9 & 10 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 26 March 2025. एवं नानाविधानि स्युर्नामानि निगमादिषु |तस्या जडत्वं दृश्यत्वाज्ज्ञाननाशात् ततोऽसती ||११||evaṃ nānāvidhāni syurnāmāni nigamādiṣu |tasyā jaḍa-tvaṃ dṛśya-tvāj-jñāna-nāśāt tato'satī ||11||11. Such are its various names found in the Vedic and other sacred texts. Since Māya is something we can perceive, it has the nature of non-conscious matter; since knowledge destroys it, it is not truly existent.  चैतन्यस्य न दृश्यत्वं दृश्यत्वे जडमेव तत् |स्वप्रकाशं च चैतन्यं न परेण प्रकाशितम् || १२ ||caitanyasya na dṛśyatvaṃ dṛśyatve jaḍameva tat |svaprakāśaṃ ca caitanyaṃ na pareṇa prakāśitam || 12 ||=12. "Consciousness is not something we can perceive; what we perceive is indeed non-conscious. Consciousness is self-luminous; nothing else illuminates it." अनवस्थादोषसत्त्वान्न स्वेनाऽपि प्रकाशितम् |कर्मकर्तृविरोधः स्यात् तस्मात् तद्दीपवत् स्वयम् || १३ ||anavasthā-doṣa-sattvānna svenā'pi prakāśitam |karma-kartṛ-virodhaḥ syāt tasmāt tad-dīpavat svayam || 13 ||13. It does not even illuminate itself, for that would lead to the fallacy of infinite regress. As an agent and the object acted upon are distinct entities, so consciousness itself, like a lamp... प्रकाशमानमन्येषां भासकं विद्धि पर्वत |अत एव च नित्यत्वं सिद्धसंवित् तनोर्मम || १४ ||prakāśa-mānamanyeṣāṃ bhāsakaṃ viddhi parvata |ata eva ca nityatvaṃ siddha-saṃvit tanormama || 14 ||14. While shining brightly, illuminates what is other than itself. Know, this, O Mountain, for thus have I demonstrated that consciousness, belonging to My own nature, is eternal.

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 337 through 339 of verses 41 & 52of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 22 March 2025. 337. यज्ञकर्त्री yajña-kartrī  338. यजुःप्रिया yajuḥ-priyā339. ऋक्सामाथर्वनिलया ṛk-sāmātharva-nilayā   भीमा भयानका भीमनादिनी भीः प्रभावती |वागीश्वरी श्रीर्यमुना यज्ञकर्त्री यजुःप्रिया || ४१ ||bhīmā bhayānakā bhīma-nādinī bhīḥ prabhāvatī |vāgīśvarī śrīr-yamunā yajña-kartrī yajuḥ-priyā || 41 || ऋक्सामाथर्वनिलया रागिणी शोभनस्वरा |कलकण्ठी कम्बुकण्ठी वेणुवीणापरायणा || ४२ ||ṛk-sāmātharva-nilayā rāgiṇī śobhana-svarā |kala-kaṇṭhī kambu-kaṇṭhī veṇu-vīṇā-parāyaṇā || 42 ||

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetananandaji Mahara, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 25 January 2025.

Discourse by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 334 through 336 of verse 41 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 15 March 2025. भीमा भयानका भीमनादिनी भीः प्रभावती |वागीश्वरी श्रीर्यमुना यज्ञकर्त्री यजुःप्रिया |४१| bhīmā bhayānakā bhīma-nādinī bhīḥ prabhāvatī |vāgīśvarī śrīr-yamunā yajña-kartrī yajuḥ-priyā |41|  vāgīśvarī– She Who is the Supreme Ruler of All Vibrations |334 śrīḥ - She Who is Respect |335 yamunā– She Who Manifests Complete Control |336

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 327 through 332 of verses 40 & 41 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 9 March 2025.   सत्यवती धर्मनिष्ठा श्रेष्था निष्ठुरनादिनी | गरिष्ठा दुष्टसṁहर्ती विशिष्टा श्रेयसी घृणा |४०| भीमा भयानका भीमनादिनी भीः प्रभावती | वागीश्वरी श्रीर्यमुना यज्ञकर्त्री यजुःप्रिया |४१| satyavatī dharma-niṣṭhā śreṣthā niṣṭhura-nādinī | gariṣṭhā duṣṭa-saṁhartī viśiṣṭā śreyasī ghṛṇā |40| bhīmā bhayānakā bhīma-nādinī bhīḥ prabhāvatī | vāgīśvarī śrīr-yamunā yajña-kartrī yajuḥ-priyā |41|   śreyasī |327 ghṛṇā |328 bhīmā |329 bhayānakā |330 bhīma-nādinī |331 bhīḥ |332

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetananandaji Mahara, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 18 January 2025.

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 320 through 325 of veres 40 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 28 December 2024. सत्यवती धर्मनिष्ठा श्रेष्ठा निष्ठुरवादिनी । गरिष्ठा दुष्टसंहर्त्री विशिष्टा श्रेयसी घृणा ॥ ४०॥satyavatī dharma-niṣṭhā śreṣṭhā niṣṭhura-vādinī । gariṣṭhā duṣṭa-saṃhartrī viśiṣṭā śreyasī ghṛṇā ॥ 40॥ satyavatī |320dharma-niṣṭhā |321śreṣthā |322niṣṭhura-vādinī |323gariṣṭhā |324duṣa-saṁhartī |325viśiṣṭā |326

Discourse by Pujya Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, given on Dattatreya Jayanti at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 14 December 2024.

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 310 through 313 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 23 November 2024. चार्वङ्गी चञ्चला लोलजिह्वा चारुचरित्रिणी | त्रपा त्रपावती लज्जा विलज्जा ह्रीः रजोवती |३९| cārvaṅgī cañcalā lola-jihvā cāru-caritriṇī | trapā trapāvatī lajjā vilajjā hrīḥ rajovatī |39|   310. cārvaṅgī 311. cañcalā 312. lola-jihvā 313. cāru-caritriṇī

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 314 through 319 of verese 39 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 7 December 2024. चार्वङ्गी चञ्चला लोलजिह्वा चारुचरित्रिणी |त्रपा त्रपावती लज्जा विलज्जा ह्रीः रजोवती |३९|cārvaṅgī cañcalā lola-jihvā cāru-caritriṇī |trapā trapāvatī lajjā vilajjā hrīḥ rajovatī |39| 314. trapā315. trapāvatī316.lajjā317. vilajjā318. hrīḥ319. rajovatī

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 17 February 2024.

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 298 through 309 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 15 June 2024, followed by arati and kirtan.  कर्त्री हर्त्री पालयित्री शर्वरी तामसी दया |तमिस्रा तामसी स्थाणुः स्थिरा धीरा तपस्विनी || ३८ ||kartrī hartrī pālayitrī śarvarī tāmasī dayā |tamisrā tāmasī sthāṇuḥ sthirā dhīrā tapasvinī || 38 || 298. कर्त्री kartrī299. हर्त्री hartrī300. पालयित्री pālayitrī301. शर्वरी śarvarī302. तामसी tāmasī303. दया dayā304. तमिस्रा tamisrā305. तामसी tāmasī306. स्थाणुः sthāṇuḥ307. स्थिरा sthirā308. धीरा dhīrā309. तपस्विनी tapasvinī________________________https://www.kalimandir.org/https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/   Support the work of Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, on names 293 and 294 from verse 37 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 18 May 2023. 293. siddhidā 294. siddhā सर्वेश्वरी सर्वमाता शर्वाणी हरवल्लभा | सर्वज्ञा सिद्धिदा सिद्धा भव्या भाव्या भयापहा || ३७ || sarveśvarī sarva-mātā śarvāṇī hara-vallabhā | sarva-jñā siddhidā siddhā bhavyā bhāvyā bhayāpahā || 37 ||

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on name 293 from verse 37 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 11 May 2023, followed by arati and kirtan.    293. siddhidā    सर्वेश्वरी सर्वमाता शर्वाणी हरवल्लभा |सर्वज्ञा सिद्धिदा सिद्धा भव्या भाव्या भयापहा || ३७ ||sarveśvarī sarva-mātā śarvāṇī hara-vallabhā |sarva-jñā siddhidā siddhā bhavyā bhāvyā bhayāpahā || 37 ||

New moon worship of Ma Dakshineswari Kali.

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 290 through 292 from verse 37 of the "Thousand Names of Kali", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 4 May 2023, followed by arati and kirtan.  290. śarvāṇī 291. hara-vallabhā 292. sarva-jñā सर्वेश्वरी सर्वमाता शर्वाणी हरवल्लभा |सर्वज्ञा सिद्धिदा सिद्ध भव्या भाव्या भयापहा || ३७ ||sarveśvarī sarva-mātā śarvāṇī hara-vallabhā |sarva-jñā siddhidā siddha bhavyā bhāvyā bhayāpahā || 37 ||

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 287 through 289 the "Thousand Names of Kali" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 27 April 2023, followed by arati and kirtan.  287. pati-vratā 288. sarveśvarī 289. sarva-mātā  सूर्यात्मिका रुद्रपत्नी रौद्री स्त्री प्रकृइः पुमान् | शक्तिः सूक्तिर्मतिर्माता भुक्तिर्मुक्तिः पतिव्रता || ३६ ||sūryātmikā rudra-patnī raudrī strī prakṛiḥ pumān | śaktiḥ sūktir-matir-mātā bhuktir-muktiḥ pati-vratā || 36 ||सर्वेश्वरी सर्वमाता शर्वाणी हरवल्लभा | सर्वज्ञा सिद्धिदा सिद्ध भव्या भाव्या भयापहा || ३७ ||sarveśvarī sarva-mātā śarvāṇī hara-vallabhā | sarva-jñā siddhidā siddha bhavyā bhāvyā bhayāpahā || 37 ||

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Swami Sarvadevananda Puri Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of Southern California and is associated centers, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 20 April 2024.

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 272 through 280 of verse 36 of the "Thousand Names of Kali" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 13 April 2023, followed by arati and kirtan.   सूर्यात्मिका रुद्रपत्नी रौद्री स्त्री प्रकृइः पुमान् | शक्तिः सूक्तिर्मतिर्माता भुक्तिर्मुक्तिः पतिव्रता |३६| sūryātmikā rudra-patnī raudrī strī prakṛiḥ pumān | śaktiḥ sūktir-matir-mātā bhuktir-muktiḥ pati-vratā || 36 ||   śaktiḥ | 281 sūktiḥ | 282 matiḥ | 283 mātā | 284 bhuktiḥ | 285 muktiḥ | 286

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 272 & 280 of verses 35 & 36 of the "Thousand Names of Kali" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 6 April 2023, followed by arati and kirtan.  भ्रान्तिर्भवानी रुद्राणी मृडानी शत्रुमर्दिनी । उपेन्द्राणी महेन्द्राणी ज्योत्स्ना चन्द्रस्वरूपिणी ॥ bhrāntir-bhavānī rudrāṇī mṛḍānī śatru-mardinī | upendrāṇī mahendrāṇī jyotsnā candra-svarūpiṇī || 35 || सूर्यात्मिका रुद्रपत्नी रौद्री स्त्री प्रकृइः पुमान् | शक्तिः सूक्तिर्मतिर्माता भुक्तिर्मुक्तिः पतिव्रता |३६|sūryātmikā rudra-patnī raudrī strī prakṛiḥ pumān | śaktiḥ sūktir-matir-mātā bhuktir-muktiḥ pati-vratā || 36 || 272. upendrāṇī 273. mahendrāṇī 274. jyotsnā 275. candra-svarūpiṇī 276. sūryātmikā 277. rudra-patnī 278. raudrī 279. strī prakṛiḥ 280. pumān  _________________________To support the work of Kali Mandir and Ramakrishna Seminary through PayPal or BluePay, please see: https://kalimandir.org/donations/   https://kalimandir.org/​​​​​​​​ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/​... https://cyberdhuni.org/bhajanananda​​​​​

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 263 & 267 of verse 34 of the "Thousand Names of Kali" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 30 March 2023, followed by arati and kirtan. भ्रान्तिर्भवानी रुद्राणी मृडानी शत्रुमर्दिनी । उपेन्द्राणी महेन्द्राणी ज्योत्स्ना चन्द्रस्वरूपिणी ॥ bhrāntir-bhavānī rudrāṇī mṛḍānī śatru-mardinī | upendrāṇī mahendrāṇī jyotsnā candra-svarūpiṇī || 52 ||   267. bhrāntiḥ 268. bhavānī 269. rudrāṇī 270. mṛdānī 271. śatru-mardinī

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 263 & 267 of verse 34 of the "Thousand Names of Kali" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 23 March 2023, followed by arati and kirtan.  पद्मा पद्मालया पद्ममुखी पद्मविभूषणा । डाकिनी शाकिनी क्षान्ता राकिणी रुधिरप्रिया ॥ ३४॥padmā padmā-layā padma-mukhī padma-vibhūṣaṇā । ḍākinī śākinī kṣāntā rākiṇī rudhira-priyā ॥ 34॥2 63. ḍākinī 264. śākinī265. kṣāntā266. rākiṇī 267. rudhira-priyā

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 258 & 261 of verse 34 of the "Thousand Names of Kali" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 30 December 2023, followed by arati and kirtan.  पद्मा पमालया पममखी पमवभषणा । डाकिनी शाकिनी क्षान्ता राकिणी रुधिर-प्रिया ॥ ३४॥padmā padmā-layā padma-mukhī padma-vibhūṣaṇā । ḍākinī śākinī kṣāntā rākiṇī rudhira-priyā ॥ 34॥ 258. padmā 259. padmā-layā 260. padma-mukhī 261. padma-vibhūṣaṇā

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 251 & 257 of verse 33 of the "Thousand Names of Kali" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 16 December 2023, followed by arati and kirtan.  सुनन्दा नन्दिनी स्तुत्या स्तवनीयस्वभाविनी | रण्किणी भण्किनी चित्रा विचित्रा चित्ररूपिणी |३३|sunandā nandinī stutyā stavanīya-svabhāvinī | raṇkiṇī bhaṇkinī citrā vicitrā citra-rūpiṇī |33| 251. स्तुत्या  stutyā252. स्तवनीयस्वभाविनी  stavanīya-svabhāvinī 253. रण्किणी  raṇkiṇī254. भण्किनी  bhaṇkinī255. चित्रा  citrā256. विचित्रा  vicitrā257. चित्ररूपिणी  citra-rūpiṇī

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Swami Sarvadevananda Puri Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of Southern California given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 9 December 2023. Pujya Swamiji speaks spontaneously on Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

Discourse by Pujya (Revered) Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on names 249 & 250 of verse 33 of the "Thousand Names of Kali" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 2 December 2023, followed by arati and kirtan. सुनन्दा नन्दिनी स्तुत्या स्तवनीयस्वभाविनी |  रण्किणी भण्किनी चित्रा विचित्रा चित्ररूपिणी |३३|sunandā nandinī stutyā stavanīya-svabhāvinī |  raṇkiṇī bhaṇkinī citrā vicitrā citra-rūpiṇī |33| 249. सुनन्दा sunandā 250. नन्दिनी nandinī

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetanananda Puri Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 16 September 2023.  Swamiji reads from his new book "Stories of Vedanta Monks, Vol. 2" as he remembers the life and message Revered Swami Muktananda, a disciple and Mahapurush Maharaj and Revered Swami Jagadananda, a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.

New moon worship of Ma Dakshineswari Kali performed by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetanananda Puri Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 26 August 2023.   Swamiji reads from his new book "Stories of Vedanta Monks, Vol. 2" as he remembers the life and message Revered Swami Muktananda, a disciple and Mahapurush Maharaj. _____________________https://kalimandir.org/https://vedantastl.org/

Reposted scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 44, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 7 September 2022. नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सत्तं नमः |नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्म ताम् || ४४ || namo devyai mahā-devyai śivāyai sattaṃ namaḥ |namaḥ prakṛtyai bhadrāyai niyatāḥ praṇatāḥ sma tām || 44 || 44. "Hail to the Goddess, to the Great Goddess; to the Auspicious One always hail! Hail to Nature, to the Propitious One; we humble ourselves attentively before Her." ____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 27 & 28 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 15 June 2022 on Zoom. चतुर्दिक्षु चतुर्वेदैर्मूर्तिमद्भिरभिष्टुतम् |कोटिसूर्याप्रतीकाशं चन्द्रकोटिसुशीतलम् || २७ || catur-dikṣu catur-vedair-mūrtimadbhir-abhiṣṭutam |koṭi-sūryā-pratīkāśaṃ candra-koṭi-suśītalam || 27 || "Praised on all sides by the four Vedas incarnate, It blazed like ten million suns, yet soothed like ten million moons." विद्युत्कोटिसमानाभमरुणं तत्परं महः |नैव चोर्ध्वं न तिर्यक्च न मध्ये परिजग्रभत् || २८ || vidyut-koṭi-samānā-bhamaruṇaṃ tat-paraṃ mahaḥ |naiva cordhvaṃ na tiryak-ca na madhye pari-jagrabhat || 28 || "Flashing like ten million streaks of lightning tinged with red, that supreme lustrous power, shone forth encompassed above, across, and in the middle." _____________________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetanananda Puri Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 12 August 2023.  Swamiji reads from his new book "Stories of Vedanta Monks, Vol. 2" as he remembers the life and message of the great ascetic Most Revered Swami Saradeshananda, a disciple and attendant of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. _____________________https://kalimandir.org/ https://vedantastl.org/

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 27 August  2022.  Swamiji reads from his new book "Stories of Vedanta Monks" as he remembers the life and message of the great ascetic Most Revered Swami Saradeshananda, a disciple and attendant of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.  _____________________https://kalimandir.org/https://vedantastl.org/

Discourse by Rev. Swami Chetanananda Puri, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 29 July 2023.

Two Poems by His Holiness Guruji Swami Vishnudevanand Saraswati of Prayagraj~Allahabad (1904-1997), read by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati. Guruji wrote these poems in 1978 sitting on a bench in Central Park in response to a devotee's question: "What is vairagya?"   ADMONITION I Oh Son of Immortality! You are the Divine Dweller You have come here as a stranger and a traveler   It is a domain of diversity and endless dilemma Life is perpetually puzzling in its phenomena and panorama   Here there is always attractive and repulsive illusion You may play or struggle but be detached from delusion   The life of sensuality is confused, deviated, and fallacious slavery The habit of mundane greediness is temptation and bad beggary   Be free from this changing farce and absurdity of duality Don't be blindly absorbed in this transitory sensuality   This mysterious dramatic stage is not your final goal Play dispassionately and finish your ordained role   Go to the background of plurality, quality, and quantity Know that Unity, Self-identity, and Inconceivable Divinity   There is neither darkness or light or nothingness But Plenum, Superconsciousness, and Full Awareness   It is not a mental conception, imagination or hallucination But Supersensuous Perception and Self-Realization   It is the culmination of culture and the consummation of wisdom It is the life of emancipation and the Divine Freedom   ADMONITION II Oh Dearest Soul, Rise from animality; cross the realm of humanity Taste the Immortality and realize the Eternal Divinity   Refrain from ignorant sensuality; know your Self-Identity Dance in ecstasy in the the innermost field of felicity   Go beyond the changing pleasure and pain, timidity, and knavery Control the stubborn mind and be free from empirical slavery   Through the inner senses enjoy the innermost Light and Sound Transcend this profane world; recognize the Provident Profound   Internal Existence is the embodiment of Peach, Bliss, and Wisdom External perception is hallucination, delusion, and bad boredom   The external force is the field of mysterious phantasmagoria It is a tantalizing puzzle spreading like infectious bacteria   How wonderful is the Perennial Peace of Celestial Scenery Is the fruit of Yogic Meditation and Spiritual Discovery   Be heedful and free from the live of corruption and pollution Realize the Self and attain Everlasting Joy of Blissful Liberation   Go beyond good and evil, mind and speech, and the sensual bound Dive deep into the River of Rapture; reach the Divine Ground   If you be desireless, in the nothingness you may find The Ubiquitous, All-knowing, the Superconscious mind   The Self knows no anger, hate, nor enmity Self remains unchanged from infancy to maturity   He is beyond space and time; He has no form or hue He is you whom you seek; He seeks all of you   He is the Creator, Destroyer, and Inner Ruler He is the All-sustainer and Cosmic Controller

A short exert from "Advice for Spiritual Living" by His Holiness Gurudev Swami Chidananda Saraswati (1916-2008), read by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati.  "Blessed Immortal Atman! "It is now the holy period of Navaratri as I write this. The atmosphere is surcharged with deep devotion to Maha-Devi and vibrant with the fervor of worshipfulness, adoration and prayer. Our thoughts are filled with the glorious Divine Mother, and Her Blessed and wondrous manifestation as Durga-Lakshmi-Saraswati. She is the great Mystery, the inscrutable Power of the Supreme Brahman, who holds in Her Hands both bondage and Liberation. "The grace of the Divine Mother it is, that enables you to walk the path of Divine Life. Through Her benign blessings you are able to shine as a sincere spiritual seeker and a man of dharma. To worship the Mother with devotion is to be immediately uplifted by Her strength and power. She works within your inner being as the triple force of destruction, evolution and illumination. Destroying the impure and vicious aspects of one’s lower nature, the unworthy, base, and bestial in the individual personality, and helping evolve the human nature into sublime heights of goodness, nobility and the purity of beauteous virtue. She illumines the jiva with supreme divine wisdom. Thus the Divine Mother is the very life and support of the aspirant’s spiritual sadhana. She makes your quest fruitful with attainment. The Divine Mother grants kaivalya moksha or eternal release and immortality. "To worship and to adore the Blessed Mother is to welcome Her divine help in working out your highest good and everlasting welfare. When you thus seek Her divine aid, Her compassionate response is immediate. She sets to redeem you in Her own way. She sends experiences both pleasant and painful, through trials and difficulties. She molds and strengthens you, through sorrow and suffering, She refines and purifies your nature. She enriches and blesses you with spiritual experience and raises you to exalted heights. She makes use of your very life and its experiences to make you perfect and bestow upon you divine peace and joy and the Illimitable splendor of Self-realization. Therefore, O beloved seeker! learn to accept the joys and sorrows, the temptations and the trials of your life with wisdom and understanding. Seek to recognize their hidden meaning and purpose for your own evolution and supreme good. Find Her divine hand behind all occurrences and see the Mother’s will working through them. Then will you behold your entire life as the expression of the Mother’s immeasurable love for you. "Resolutely overcome all defects, faults and wrong tendencies in your nature and behavior. Develop noble character. Grow in virtue. Ever walk upon the path of perfect righteousness. Seek the immortal, Be thou an embodiment of Divine Life. Let the sacred name of Gurudev Sivananda be glorified by thy true discipleship into him. Personify his ethical and spiritual teachings. May the world find in you a source of inspiration. Let thy presence elevate all. May the Divine Mother shower Blessings upon you! Jai Sivananda!

A short exert from "Sadhana, a Textbook of the Psychology and Practice of the Techniques to Spiritual Perfection", pg 365-367 by His Holiness Gurudev Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887-1963), read by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati.    "Why should you prolong your bondage unnecessarily? Why should you not claim your birthright right now? Do it now. Stand up. Gird your loins. Do rigorous and vigorous sadhana and attain freedom, immortality and eternal bliss. Make the lower nature the servant of the higher through discipline, tapas, self-restraint and meditation. This is the beginning of your freedom. Build your character. Purify the heart. Develop divine virtues. Eradicate evil traits. Conquer all that is base within you. Endeavor to attain all that is worthy and noble. Only when you have purified the heart, silenced the mind, stilled the thoughts and surging emotions, withdrawn the outgoing senses, thinned out the vasanas, can you behold the glorious Atman during deep meditation. Even a ray of inner light during meditation will lighten your path. It will give you you encouragement and inner strength. It will goad you to do more sadhana. You will experience this ray of light when the meditation becomes deeper and when you rise above body-consciousness. Meditation and worship are the means of evolving your potentialities and seeking a higher level of consciousness. Life is the unfolding of the latent capacities of the soul. Lead the divine life. Generate sublime divine thoughts through meditation, japa, kirtan and study of sacred scriptures. Bask the body in physical sunlight. Bask the soul in the sunlight of the Eternal. You will have good health and everlasting life. Sit down with a compose mind. Assert your mastery over body and mind. Plunge deep into the chambers of the heart and enter into the stupendous ocean of silence. Listen to the voice which is soundless. Build your spiritual life upon a sure foundation, upon the rock of divine grace and strength of character. Take refuge in the Lord and His law. There is no power in heaven or on earth that can bar your march now. Success in Self-realization is certain. There is light on your path. All is brilliant."

Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati is joined by special guest scholar George Barselaar, a disciple and attendant of the great master of Kashmiri Shaivism His Holiness Swami Lakshmanjoo, live from Swamiji's ashram in Srinagar, Kashmir. We are continuing the discussion we started last week on verse 2.10: विमर्श इति तां प्राहुः शैवशास्त्रविशारदाः | अविद्यामितरे प्राहुर्वेदतत्त्वार्थचिन्तकाः || १० || 10. vimarśa iti tāṃ prāhuḥ śaiva-śāstra-viśāradāḥ | avidyāmitare prāhur-veda-tattvārtha-cintakāḥ || 10 || "Those versed in Shaiva scriptures (Shaivites) declare Her to be vimarśa (reflective awareness), while those who contemplate the doctrines of the Vedas (Vedantins) declare Her to be powerful avidya (ignorance).”

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 9 & 10 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 14 June 2023. केचित् तां तप इत्याहुस्तमः केचिज्जडं परे |ज्ञानं मायां प्रधानं च प्रकृतिं शक्तिमप्यजाम् || ९ ||kecit tāṃ tapa ityāhus-tamaḥ kecij-jaḍaṃ pare |jñānaṃ māyāṃ pradhānaṃ ca prakṛtiṃ śakti-mapyajām || 9 ||9. "Some call this Maya the power of austerity; others call it darkness; still others, dullness, or knowledge, illusion, matter, nature, energy, or the unborn." विमर्श इति तां प्राहुः शैवशास्त्रविशारदाः |अविद्यामितरे प्राहुर्वेदतत्त्वार्थचिन्तकाः || १० ||vimarśa iti tāṃ prāhuḥ śaiva-śāstra-viśāradāḥ |avidyāmitare prāhur-veda-tattvārtha-cintakāḥ || 10 ||10. "Those versed in Shaiva works call it intelligence (vimarśa), while the Vedantins call it ignorance (avidya)."

A short selection from "Ramdas Speaks, Vol. V", page 142-143 by His Holiness Papa Swami Ramdas (1884-1963), read by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati   "The easiest way to attain this beatific vision, Ramdas can tell you, is the repetition of God's holy name. Ramdas has read in the teachings of all the great sages and saints of India, about the glory of the Divine Name. Sri Ramakrishna and the Holy Mother also have been telling us to repeat God's name and do japa, because it is so very easy. We need not have any paraphernalia to repeat God's name. We can utter it all all times and at all places. After practicing various types of discipline, Sri Ramakrishna found the repetition of God's name most efficacious and suitable. Saint Tulsidas says that God's name is like a light that you keep on the doorstep. You can get light inside as well as outside. So if you have the name on your tongue, you will have the divine light within you and also everywhere about you. Such is the power of the Divine Name. He who has uttered the Divine Name  constantly can alone know its sweetness and power. Ramdas can vouch for the power of the Name, but you should repeat it without desiring anything from God. As soon as you repeat the Name, you start getting bliss. It is not that anything can be attained after repeating the Name for some time. The attainment is immediate. This is what Ramdas felt. The sweetness of the Name is such that it will not leave you. Ramdas went on drinking the sweetness of the Name until the drink and Ramdas became one. After that, the repetition automatically stopped and he was filled with ecstasy. There is nothing but joy and this joy has been with him for the last thirty years. He has been going about telling everybody to repeat the name of God constantly. "All the names of God are equally powerful. You may repeat the name Shiva, Rama, Krishna or any other Name you like with full faith and devotion, and you will see that the Name will purify you and free you from all desires and attachments. When you sit for meditation, you find the mind wandering here and there. This is because the mind is not pure. Purity comes only when you repeat God's name constantly. When the min d is restless and agitated, you cannot know who you are. You think you are only a bundle of flesh and bones. But when your mind has been purified and made still by the practice of meditation you come to realize that you are the immortal Spirit.  "Now you have all been singing God's name. The vibrations created thereby were merging our mind in them. By hearing the sound of the Name, the mind gets absorbed in it. It forgets to run about because it is imbued or intoxicated with the sweetness of the Name. All the vasanas and desires within us are uprooted, and so the mind becomes calm. For progress on the spiritual path, satsang or contact of great souls is an important thing. You must see them, hear their nectarian words, follow their advice and take God's name. This will liberate us from all desires, elevate us and give us the joy of the Eternal. This is possible only by contact of saints, and by taking God's holy name. If these two things are done, you are saved. The object of all sadhanas is only to keep God's name continuously on our lips. No sadhana can itself take us to God. It is only a means so that we may repeat the Name continuously and have unbroken remembrance of God. When remembrance leaves us, the ego-sense takes hold of us and the mind becomes restless. As soon as there is remembrance the ego-sense disappears and we are in tune with God.  "Ramdas will stop this talk by invoking Sri Ramakrishna's blessings to help you all attain this supreme goal. May he grant you continuous remembrance of God and may he bless you with the supreme vision, experience, and realization!"

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 7 & 8 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 7 June 2023. स्वाशक्तेश्च समायोगादहं बीजात्मतां गता |स्वाधारावरणात् तस्या दोषत्वं च समागतम् || ७ ||svāśakteśca samā-yogād-ahaṃ bījātmatāṃ gatā |svādhārā-varaṇāt tasyā doṣatvaṃ ca samāgatam || 7 ||7. "By uniting with this inherent power of mine, I become the cosmic seed. By obscuring Me, its own basis, this power is prone to defects." चैतन्यस्य समायोगान्निमित्तत्वं च कथ्यते |प्रपञ्चपरिणामाच्च समवायित्वमुच्यते || ८ ||caitanyasya samāyogān-nimittatvaṃ ca kathyate |prapañca-pariṇāmāc-ca sama-vāyitvam-ucyate || 8 ||8. "Through its association with consciousness, Maya is called the efficient cause of the world. Through its evolution into the visible realm, it is said to be the material cause."

Narendra Hathaway, Dante, and Trevor Hall (Rampriya Das) perform in Laguna Canyon in celebration of Kali Mandir's 30th anniversary.

Morning worship of Ma Dakshineswari Kali and bhajans recorded on 28 May 2023

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on the Devi Gita of the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, chapter 2, verses 5 & 6 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 17 May 2023. पावकस्योष्ण्यतेवेयमुष्णांशोरिव दीधितिः |चन्द्रस्य चन्द्रिकेवेयं ममेयं सहजा ध्रुवा || ५ ||pāvakasyoṣṇyateveyamuṣṇāṃśoriva dīdhitiḥ |candrasya candrikeveyaṃ mameyaṃ sahajā dhruvā || 5 ||5. "As heat inheres in fire, as brilliance in the sun, as cool light in the moon, just so this Maya inheres firmly in me." तस्यां कर्माणि जीवानां जीवाः कालश्च सञ्चरे |अभेदेन विलीनाः स्युः सुषुप्तौ व्यवहारवत् || ६ ||tasyāṃ karmāṇi jīvānāṃ jīvāḥ kālaśca sañcare |abhedena vilīnāḥ syuḥ suṣuptau vyavahāravat || || 6 ||6. "Into that Maya the actions of souls, the souls themselves, and the ages eventually dissolve without distinctions, as worldly concerns disappear in deep sleep."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 3 & 4 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 10 May 2023. अप्रतर्क्यमनिर्देश्यमनौपम्यमनामयम् | तस्य काचित् स्वतः सिद्धा शक्तिर्मायेति विश्रुता || ३ || apratarkyam-anirdeśyam-anaupamyam-anāmayam | tasya kācit svataḥ siddhā śaktirmāyeti viśrutā || 3 || 3. "It is beyond reason, indescribable, incomparable, incorruptible. From out of itself evolves a certain power renowned as Maya."   न सती सा नाऽसती सा नोभयात्मा विरोधतः | एतद्विलक्षणा काचिद्वस्तुभूतास्ति सर्वदा || na satī sā nā’satī sā nobhayātmā virodhataḥ | etadvilakṣaṇā kācid-vastu-bhūtāsti sarvadā || 4 || 4. "Neither real nor unreal is this Maya, nor is it both, for that would be incongruous. Lacking such characteristics, this indefinite entity has always subsisted."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 2, verses 1 & 2 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 26 April 2023. शृण्वन्तु निर्जराः सर्वे व्याहर्न्त्या वचो मम | यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण मद्रूपत्वं प्रपद्यते || १ || śṛṇvantu nirjarāḥ sarve vyāharntyā vaco mama | yasya śravaṇa-mātreṇa mad-rūpa-tvaṃ prapadyate || 1 ||1. "May all the gods attend to what I have to say. By merely hearing these words of mine, one attains My essential nature."   अहम्वेवास पूर्वं तु नान्यत् किञ्चिन्नगाधिप | तदात्मरूपं चित्संवित् परब्रह्मैकनामकम् || २ || aham-evevāsa pūrvaṃ tu nānyat kiñcin-nagādhipa | tadātma-rūpaṃ cit-saṃvit parabrahmaika-nāmakam || 2 || 2. "I alone existed in the beginning; there was nothing else at all, O Mountain King. My true Self is known as pure consciousness, the highest intelligence, the one supreme Brahman. "

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 71-74 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 13 April 2023. न जानेऽस्मत्पितॄणां किं स्थानं स्यान्निर्मितं परम् | एतादृशानां वास्याय येषां वंशेऽस्ति मादृशः || ७१ || na jāne’smat-pitṝṇāṃ kiṃ sthānaṃ syānnirmitaṃ param | etādṛśānāṃ vāsyāya yeṣāṃ vaṃśe’sti mādṛśaḥ || 71 || 71. "I know not what heavenly realm has been prepared for my ancestors to rest in, so blessed are they to have one such as myself born in their family.   इदं यथा च दत्तं मे कृपया प्रेमपूर्णया | सर्ववेदन्तान्तसिद्धं च त्वद्रूपं ब्रूहि मे तथा || ७२ || idaṃ yathā ca dattaṃ me kṛpayā prema-pūrṇayā | sarva-vedantānta-siddhaṃ ca tvadrūpaṃ brūhi me tathā || 72 || 72. "As you have already granted me one favor through Your loving compassion, would You also please describe for me Your true nature as explained in all the Upanishads."   योगं च भक्तिसहितं ज्ञानं च श्रुतिसम्मतम् | वदस्व परमेशानि त्वमेवाहं यतो भवेः || ७३ || yogaṃ ca bhakti-sahitaṃ jñānaṃ ca śruti-sammatam | vadasva parameśāni tvamevāhaṃ yato bhaveḥ || 73 || 73. "And further describe the paths of both yoga and knowledge combined with devotion, as approved by scripture. इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा प्रसन्नमुखपण्कजा | वक्तुमारभथाऽम्बा सा रहस्यं श्रुतिगूहितम् || ७४ || iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā prasanna-mukha-paṇkajā | aktumārabhathā’mbā sā rahasyaṃ śruti-gūhitam || 74 || 74. (Vyasa spoke): "Hearing these words of Himalaya, and with Her lotus face kindly disposed, the Mother undertook to reveal the mystic teachings hidden in scripture."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 66-70 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 29 March 2023. व्यास उवाच vyāsa uvāca Vyasa said:   हिमालयोऽपि तच्छ्रुत्वात्यनुग्रह-करम् वचः | बाष्पैः संरुद्धकण्ठाक्षो महाराज्ञीं वचोऽब्रवीत् || ६६ || himālayo’pi tacchrutvātyanugraha-karam vacaḥ | bāṣpaiḥ saṃ-ruddha-kaṇṭhākṣo mahā-rājñīṃ vaco’bravīt || 66 || 66. "Hearing Her exceedingly kind words, Himalaya on his part replied to the Great Sovereign Queen, his eyes and throat congested with tears." महत्तरं तं कुरुषे यस्यानुग्रहमिच्छसि | नोचेत् क्वाऽहं जडः स्थाणुः क्व त्वं सच्चित्स्वरूपिणी || ६७ || mahattaraṃ taṃ kuruṣe yasyānugraham-icchasi | nocet kvā’haṃ jaḍaḥ sthāṇuḥ kva tvaṃ sac-cit-svarūpiṇī || 67 || 67. "You greatly ennoble whomever You wish to favor. For who am I, so dull and motionless, compared to You who embody infinite being and consciousness?"   असम्भाव्यं जन्मशतैस्त्वत्पितृत्वं ममानघे | अश्वमेधादिपुण्यैर्वा पुण्यैर्वा तत्समाधिजैः || ६८ || asambhāvyaṃ janma-śataistvat-pitṛ-tvaṃ mamānaghe | aśvamedhādi-puṇyairvā puṇyairvā tat-samādhijaiḥ || 68 || 68. "That I should become Your father in the course of hundreds of births is astonishing, O Faultless One, even with all the merit gained by performing horse sacrifices and other religious penances."   अद्य प्रपञ्च कीर्तिः स्याज्जगन्माता सुताभवत् | अहो हिमालयस्यास्य धन्योऽसौ भाग्यवानिति || ६९ || adya prapañca kīrtiḥ syāj-jagan-mātā sutā-bhavat | aho himālayasyāsya dhanyo’sau bhāgyavān-iti || 69 || 69. "Now I shall be renowned, for all the world will think: 'The World Mother has become the daughter of that Himalaya, wonder of wonders! How blessed and fortunate is he'."   यस्यास्तु जठरे सन्ति ब्रह्माण्डानां च कोटयः | सैव यस्य सुता जाता को वा स्यात्तत्समो भुवि || ७० || yasyāstu jaṭhare santi brahmāṇḍānāṃ ca koṭayaḥ | saiva yasya sutā jātā ko vā syāt-tat-samo bhuvi || 70 || 70. "She whose womb contains tens of millions of worlds has been born as his daughter—who on earth is his equal?"   _____________________https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ https://kalimandir.org/ Support the work of Ramakrishna Seminary>>:

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 63-65 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 15 March 2023. इति तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा प्रोवाच परमेश्वरी |मम शक्तिस्तु या गौरी भविष्यति हिमालये || ६३ ||iti teṣāṃ vacaḥ śrutvā provāca parameśvarī |mama śaktistu yā gaurī bhaviṣyati himālaye || 63 ||63. (Vyasa continued): "The Supreme Ruler listened to these words of theirs and gave reply." (The Goddess spoke): "My potency who is Gauri will be born to Himalaya." शिवाय सा प्रदेया स्यात् सा वः कार्यं विधास्यति |भक्तिर्यच्चरणाम्भोजे भूयाद्युष्माकमादरात् || ६४ ||śivāya sā pradeyā syāt sā vaḥ kāryaṃ vidhāsyati |bhaktiryaccaraṇāmbhoje bhūyādyuṣmā-kamādarāt || 64 ||64. "She will be given in marriage to Shiva and will furnish what you need. You shall be devoted to My lotus feet due to Your earnest desire." हिमालयो हि मनसा मामुपास्तेतिभक्तितः |ततस्तस्य गृहे जन्म मम प्रियकरं मतम् || ६५ ||himālayo hi manasā mām-upāste’ti-bhaktitaḥ |tatastasya gṛhe janma mama priyakaraṃ matam || 65 ||65. "Himalaya, moved by intense devotion, truly worships Me in his heart. Thus I consider it a pleasure to take birth in his house." _____________________https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ https://kalimandir.org/ Support the work of Ramakrishna Seminary>>:

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 58-62 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 8 March 2023.   ना’ज्ञातं किञ्चिदप्यत्र भवत्या’स्ति जगत्त्रये || ५८ || nā’jñātaṃ kiñcidapyatra bhavatyā’sti jagat-traye || 58 || 58. (The Gods said): “Nothing here in the three worlds is unknown to You   सर्वज्णया सर्वसाक्षिरूपिण्या परमेश्वरि | तारकेणासुरेन्द्रेण पीडिताः स्मो दिवानिशम् || ५९ || sarva-jṇayā sarva-sākṣi-rūpiṇyā parameśvari | tārakeṇāsurendreṇa pīḍitāḥ smo divāniśam || 59 || 59. Who are omniscient, the incarnate witness of all, O Supreme Ruler. The demon chief Taraka torments us day and night.   शिवाङ्गजाद्वधस्तस्य निर्मित्तो ब्रह्मणा शिवे | शिवाण्गना तु नैवास्ति जानासि त्वं महेश्वरि || ६० || śivāṅgajādvad-hastasya nirmitto brahmaṇā śive | śivāṇganā tu naivāsti jānāsi tvaṃ maheśvari || 60 || 60. His death shall come only at the hands of Shiva’s son—so has Brahma arranged, O Auspicious One. But as You know, Great Ruler, Shiva has no wife.   सर्वज्ञपुरतः किं वा वक्तव्यं पामरैर्जनैः | एतदुद्देशतः प्रोक्तमपरं तर्कया’म्बिके || ६१ || sarva-jña-purataḥ kiṃ vā vaktavyaṃ pāmarairjanaiḥ | etaduddeśataḥ proktama-paraṃ tarkayā’mbike || 61 || 61. What can ignorant beings reveal to one who is omniscient? Such is our situation in brief; You can infer the rest, O Mother.   सर्वदा चरणाम्भोजे  भक्तिः स्यात् तव निश्चला | प्रार्थनीयमिदं मुख्यमपरं देहहेतवे || ६२ || || sarvadā caraṇāmbhoje  bhaktiḥ syāt tava niścalā | prārthanīyamidaṃ mukhyamaparaṃ dehahetave || 62 || 62. May we always show unswerving devotion to Your lotus feet; This is our foremost wish. We also pray that You will assume a body."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 54- 57 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 1 March 2023. इति स्तुता तदा देवैर्मणिद्वीपाधिवासिनी | प्राह वाचा मधुरया मत्तकोकिलनिःस्वना || ५४ || iti stutā tadā devair-maṇi-dvīpādhi-vāsinī | prāha vācā madhurayā matta-kokila-niḥsvanā || 54 || 54. "Thus praised by the gods, She who dwells in the Jeweled Island then answered in the sweet, joyous tones of the cuckoo."   श्रीदेव्युवाच वदन्तु विबुधाः कार्यं यदर्थमिहिअ सङ्गताः | वरदा हं सदा भक्तकामकल्पद्रुमा स्मि च || ५५ || śrī-devyuvāca vadantu vibudhāḥ kāryaṃ yadarthamihia saṅgatāḥ | varadā haṃ sadā bhakta-kāma-kalpa-drumā smi ca || 55 || 55. The blessed Goddess said: “O wise gods, explain the reason that brings you together here. I am ever the bestower of boons, a wish-yeiliding tree to devotees.”   तिष्ठन्त्यां मयि का चिन्ता युष्माकं भक्तिशालिनाम् | समुद्धरामि मद्भक्तान् दुःखसंसारसागरात् || ५६ || tiṣṭhantyāṃ mayi kā cintā yuṣmākaṃ bhakti-śālinām | samud-dharāmi madbhaktān duḥkha-saṃsāra-sāgarāt || 56 || 56. "You shine with devotion, so why are you anxious when I stand nearby? I rescue my devotees from the troubled ocean of samsara."   इति प्रतिज्ञां मे सत्यां जानीथ विबुधोत्तमाः | इति प्रेमाकुलां वाणीं श्रुत्वा सन्तुष्टमानसाः || ५७ iti pratijñāṃ me satyāṃ jānītha vibudhottamāḥ | iti premākulāṃ vāṇīṃ śrutvā santuṣṭamānasāḥ || 56. 56. "Know this promise of Mine to be sincere, O best of the gods." (Vyāsa continued): "Hearing these words infused with loving joy, the gods were satisfied in their hearts."   निर्भया निर्जरा राजन्नूचुर्दुःखं स्वकीयकम् | ५८ | nirbhayā nirjarā rājannūcurduḥkhaṃ svakīyakam | 58 | 58. "Freed from fear, the immortals described their own ordeals, O King."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 54- 57 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 1 March 2023. इति स्तुता तदा देवैर्मणिद्वीपाधिवासिनी | प्राह वाचा मधुरया मत्तकोकिलनिःस्वना || ५४ || iti stutā tadā devair-maṇi-dvīpādhi-vāsinī | prāha vācā madhurayā matta-kokila-niḥsvanā || 54 || 54. "Thus praised by the gods, She who dwells in the Jeweled Island then answered in the sweet, joyous tones of the cuckoo."   श्रीदेव्युवाच वदन्तु विबुधाः कार्यं यदर्थमिहिअ सङ्गताः | वरदा हं सदा भक्तकामकल्पद्रुमा स्मि च || ५५ || śrī-devyuvāca vadantu vibudhāḥ kāryaṃ yadarthamihia saṅgatāḥ | varadā haṃ sadā bhakta-kāma-kalpa-drumā smi ca || 55 || 55. The blessed Goddess said: “O wise gods, explain the reason that brings you together here. I am ever the bestower of boons, a wish-yeiliding tree to devotees.”   तिष्ठन्त्यां मयि का चिन्ता युष्माकं भक्तिशालिनाम् | समुद्धरामि मद्भक्तान् दुःखसंसारसागरात् || ५६ || tiṣṭhantyāṃ mayi kā cintā yuṣmākaṃ bhakti-śālinām | samud-dharāmi madbhaktān duḥkha-saṃsāra-sāgarāt || 56 || 56. "You shine with devotion, so why are you anxious when I stand nearby? I rescue my devotees from the troubled ocean of samsara."   इति प्रतिज्ञां मे सत्यां जानीथ विबुधोत्तमाः | इति प्रेमाकुलां वाणीं श्रुत्वा सन्तुष्टमानसाः || ५७ iti pratijñāṃ me satyāṃ jānītha vibudhottamāḥ | iti premākulāṃ vāṇīṃ śrutvā santuṣṭamānasāḥ || 56. 56. "Know this promise of Mine to be sincere, O best of the gods." (Vyāsa continued): "Hearing these words infused with loving joy, the gods were satisfied in their hearts."   निर्भया निर्जरा राजन्नूचुर्दुःखं स्वकीयकम् | ५८ | nirbhayā nirjarā rājannūcurduḥkhaṃ svakīyakam | 58 | 58. "Freed from fear, the immortals described their own ordeals, O King."

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 51-53 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 22 February 2023.  नुमस्तत्पदालक्ष्यार्थां चिदेकरसरूपिणीम् |अखण्डानन्दरूपां तां वेदतात्पर्यभूमिकाम् || ५१ ||numastat-padālakṣyārthāṃ cide-kara-sarūpiṇīm |akhaṇḍānanda-rūpāṃ tāṃ veda-tātparya-bhūmikām || 51 ||51. "We glorify Her whose essence is pure consciousness, represented by the world Tat, and whose nature is undiminished bliss. It is She to whom the Vedas refer as their goal." पञ्चकोषातिरिक्तां तामवास्थात्रयसाक्षिणीम् |पुनस्त्वम्पदलक्ष्यार्थां प्रत्यगात्मस्वरूपिणीम् || ५२ ||pañca-koṣā-tiriktāṃ tāmavāsthā-traya-sākṣiṇīm |punas-tvam-pada-lakṣyārthāṃ pratyagātma-svarūpiṇīm || 52 ||52. "Transcending the five sheaths, witness of the three states of consciousness, She is also in essence the individual soul, represented by the word Tvam." नमः प्रणवरूपायै नमो ह्रींकारमूर्तये |नानामन्त्रात्मिकायै ते करुणायै नमो नमः || ५३ ||namaḥ praṇava-rūpāyai namo hrīṃ-kāra-mūrtaye |nānā-mantrātmikāyai te karuṇāyai namo namaḥ || 53 ||53. "Hail to Her in the form of the syllable Om, hail to Her embodied in the syllable Hrīm. To Her composed of manifold mantras, that is to You the compassionate Goddess, hail! Hail!"

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 49 - 50, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 15 February 2023. (Note: We are having trouble uploading the video of this class. At present only the audio is available.) नमोविराट्स्वरूपिण्यै नमः सूत्रात्ममूर्तये | नमोव्याकृतरूपिण्यै नमः श्रीब्रह्ममूर्तये || ४९ || namo-virāṭ-svarūpiṇyai  namaḥ sūtrātma-mūrtaye | namo'vyākṛta-rūpiṇyai namaḥ śrī-brahma-mūrtaye || 49 || 49. "Hail to Her in the form of the Cosmic Body; hail to Her in the form of the Cosmic Soul; Hail to Her in the Unmanifest State; hail to Her in the form of the glorious Brahman."   यदज्ञनाज्जगद्भाति रज्जुसर्पस्रगादिवत् | यज्ज्ञानाल्लयमाप्नोति नुमस्तां भुनेश्वरीम् || ५० || yad-ajñanāj-jagad-bhāti rajju-sarpa-sragādivat | yaj-jñānāl-layamāpnoti numastāṃ bhuneśvarīm || 50 || 50. "Through Her power of ignorance, She shows Herself as the world, like a rope appearing as a serpent, wreath, and the like. Through Her power of knowledge, She dissolves the world back into Herself. We glorify Her, Ruler of the Universe."

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 46 - 48, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 8 February 2023.   देवीं वाचमजनयन्त देवास्तां विश्वरूपाः पशवो वदन्ति | सा नो मन्द्रेषमूर्जं दुहाना धेनुर्वागस्मानुप सुष्टुतैतु || ४६ || devīṃ vācam-ajanayanta devā-stāṃ viśva-rūpāḥ paśavo vadanti | sā no mandreṣam-ūrjaṃ duhānā dhenur-vāg-asmān-upa suṣṭutaitu || 46 || 46. "The gods created the Goddess Speech, whom animals of all sorts speak. This Speech is pleasing to us, this cow yielding food and strength. She is well praised; may She come to us."   कालरात्रीं ब्रह्मस्तुतां वैष्णवीं स्कन्दमातरम् | सरस्वतीमदितैं दक्षदुहितरं नमामः पावनां शिवाम् || ४७ || kāla-rātrīṃ brahma-stutāṃ vaiṣṇavīṃ skanda-mātaram | sarasvatīm-aditaiṃ dakṣa-duhitaraṃ namāmaḥ pāvanāṃ śivām || 47 || 47. "To Kalaratri, praised by Brahma, to Vaishnavi, to the Mother of Skanda, to Saraswati, to Aditi, the Daughter of Daksha, we bow, to the pure Auspicious One."   महालक्ष्म्यै च विद्महे सर्वशक्त्यै च धीमहि | तन्नो देवी प्रचोदयात् || ४८ || mahā-lakṣmyai ca vidmahe  sarva-śaktyai ca dhīmahi | tanno devī pracodayāt || 48 || 48. "We know You as Mahalakshmi, we meditate on You as the Shakti of all.May the Goddess inspire that knowledge and meditation of ours."   ____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 45, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 14 September 2022. तामग्निवर्णां तपसा ज्वलन्तीं वैरोव्चनीं कर्माफलेषु जुष्टाम् |दुर्गां देवीं शरणमहम् प्रपद्ये सुतरसि तरसे नमः || ४५ || tām-agni-varṇāṃ tapasā jvalantīṃvairovcanīṃ karmā-phaleṣu juṣṭām |durgāṃ devīṃ śaraṇamahamprapadye sutarasi tarase namaḥ || 45 || 45. "To Her, the color of fire, blazing like the sun with ascetic power, and who is worshiped for attaining the fruit of action, to Her, the Goddess Durga, I go for refuge. Hail to the raft of swift crossing." ____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 10 September 2022. Swamiji gives the gist of  one of his untranslated Bengali articles.

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 44, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 7 September 2022. नमो देव्यै महादेव्यै शिवायै सत्तं नमः |नमः प्रकृत्यै भद्रायै नियताः प्रणताः स्म ताम् || ४४ || namo devyai mahā-devyai śivāyai sattaṃ namaḥ |namaḥ prakṛtyai bhadrāyai niyatāḥ praṇatāḥ sma tām || 44 || 44. "Hail to the Goddess, to the Great Goddess; to the Auspicious One always hail! Hail to Nature, to the Propitious One; we humble ourselves attentively before Her." ____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 38-39, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 31 August 2022. सर्वशृङ्गारवेषाढ्यां सर्वदेवनमस्कृताम् |सर्वाशापूरिकां सर्वमातरं सर्वमोहिनीम् || ४० || sarva-śṛṅgāra-veṣāḍhyāṃ sarva-deva-namaskṛtām |sarvāśā-pūrikāṃ sarva-mātaraṃ sarva-mohinīm || 40 || 40. "Richly adorned in garments all suited for love, She was worshiped by all the gods. Satisfying all desires, She is the Mother of all, the Deluder of all." प्रसादसुमुखीमम्बां मन्दस्म्रितमुखाम्बुजाम् |अव्याजकरुणामूर्तिं ददृशुः पुरतः सुराः || ४१ || prasāda-sumukhīm-ambāṃ manda-smrita-mukhāmbujām |avyāja-karuṇā-mūrtiṃ dadṛśuḥ purataḥ surāḥ || 41 || 41. "The Mother’s kindly face, so gracious, displayed a tender smile on the lotus mouth. This embodiment of unfeigned compassion the gods beheld in their presence." दृष्ट्वा तां करुणामूर्तिं प्रणेमुः सादरं सुरः |वक्तुं नाशक्नुवन् किञ्चिद्वाष्पसंरुद्धनिःस्वनाः || ४२ || dṛṣṭvā tāṃ karuṇā-mūrtiṃ praṇemuḥ sādaraṃ suraḥ |vaktuṃ nāśaknuvan kiñcid-vāṣpa-saṃruddha-niḥsvanāḥ || 42 || 42. "Seeing Her, the embodiment of compassion, the entire host of gods bowed low, unable to speak, choking on tears in silence." कथञ्चित् स्थैर्यमालम्ब्य भक्त्या चानतकन्धराः |प्रेमाश्रुपूर्णनयनास्तुष्टुवुर्जगदम्बिकाम् || ४३ || kathañcit sthairyamālambya bhaktyā cānata-kandharāḥ |premāśru-pūrṇa-nayanā-stuṣṭuvur-jagad-ambikām || 43 || 43. "Struggling to regain their composure, their necks bending in devotion, their eyes brimming with tears of living joy, they glorified the World-Mother with hymns. _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>> Cover art "Manidvipa Mahavilasa" by Dr. Arghya Dipta Kar>>

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 38-39, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 24 August 2022. मल्लिकामालतीमालाकेशपाविराजिताम् |काश्मिऋरबिन्दुनिटिलां नेत्रत्रयविलासिनीम् || ३८ || mallikā-mālatī-mālā-keśapā-virājitām |kāśmiṛra-binduni-ṭilāṃ netra-traya-vilāsinīm || 38 || 38. "A garland of jasmine flowers brightened Her luxuriant hair. Her forehead sported a saffron dot, while Her three eyes reflected Her playful mood." पाशाण्कुशवराभीतिचतुर्बाहुं त्रिलोचनाम् |रक्तावस्त्रापरीधानां दाडिमीकुसुमाप्रभाम् || ३९ || pāśāṇkuśa-varābhīti-catur-bāhuṃ trilocanām |raktā-vastrā-parīdhānāṃ dāḍimī-kusumā-prabhām || 39 || 39. "Three-eyed and four-armed, She held a noose and goad while gesturing Her beneficence and assurance of safety. She was dressed in red and appeared lustrous like blooms of the pomegranate." _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>> Cover art "Manidvipa Mahavilasa" by Dr. Arghya Dipta Kar>>

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 36-37, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 17 August 2022. अष्तमीचन्द्रबिम्बाभललाटामायतभ्रुवम् |रक्तारविन्दनयनामुन्नसां मधुराधराम् || ३६ || aṣtamī-candra-bimbābha-lalāṭā-māyata-bhruvam |raktāravinda-nayanām-unnasāṃ madhurādharām || 36 || 36. "Above long eyebrows Her forehead shone with an image of the crescent moon. Her eyes were red lotus petals, Her nose dignified, Her lips like nectar." कुन्दकुड्मलदन्ताग्रां मुक्ताहारविराजिताम् |रत्नासम्भिन्नमुकुटां चन्द्ररेखावतंसिनीम् || ३७ || kunda-kuḍ-mala-dantāgrāṃ muktā-hāra-virājitām |ratnā-sambhinna-mukuṭāṃ candra-rekhā-vataṃsinīm || 37 || 37. "Her teeth resembled buds of white jasmine; a string of pearls adorned Her neck. Her crescent-shaped crown sparkled with jewels; She was bedecked with ornaments shining like new moons." _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>> Cover art "Manidvipa Mahavilasa" by Dr. Arghya Dipta Kar>>

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 33-35, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 10 August 2022. कनकाण्गदाकेयूरग्रैवेयकविभूषिताम् | अनर्घ्यमणिसम्भिन्नगलबन्धविराजिताम् || ३३ || kanakāṇgadā-keyūra-graiveyaka-vibhūṣitām | anarghya-maṇi-sambhinna-gala-bandha-virājitām || 33 || 33. "She was adorned with a necklace, armlets, and bracelets of gold, Her throat resplendent with a chain of priceless gems."   तनुकेतकसंराजन्नीलभ्रमरकुन्तलाम् | नितम्बबिम्बसुभगां रोमराजिविराजिताम् || ३४ || tanu-ketaka-saṃrājan-nīla-bhramara-kuntalām | nitamba-bimba-subhagāṃ romarāji-virājitām || 34 || 34. "The locks on Her cheeks shimmered like black bees swarming on delicate Ketka blooms. An exquisite line of down on Her midriff enhanced the charm of Her shapely hips."   कर्पूरशकलोन्मिश्रताम्बूलपूरिताननाम् | कनत्कनकताटङ्कविटङ्कवदनाम्बुजाम् || ३५ || karpūra-śakalon-miśra-tāmbūla-pūritānanām | kanat-kanaka-tāṭaṅka-viṭaṅka-vadanāmbujām || 35 || 35. "She was chewing on Tambula mixed with bits of (mint) camphor. Pendent earrings of shining gold graced Her lotus face." _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Scripture class on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 32, given by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 3 August 2022. उद्यत्पीनकुचद्वन्द्वनिन्दिताम्भोजकुड्मलाम् | रणत्किण्किणिकाजालसिञ्जन्मञ्जीरमेखलाम् || ३२ || udyat-pīna-kuca-dvandva-ninditām-bhoja-kuḍmalām | raṇat-kiṇkiṇi-kājāla-siñjan-mañjīra-mekhalām || 32 || 32. "Her full, upraised breasts put to shame the swelling buds of the lotus.Her girdle and anklets jingled with clusters of tinkling bells." _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>> Cover art "Manidvipa Mahavilasa" by Dr. Arghya Dipta Kar>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 31 given to students of Ramakrishna Seminary via Zoom on 29 June 2022. तावत्तदेव स्त्रीरूपेणाभाद्दिव्यं मनोहरम् |अतीव रमणीयाङ्गीं कुमारीं नवयौवनाम् || ३१ || tāvat-tadeva strī-rūpeṇābhād-divyaṃ mano-haram |atīva ramaṇīyāṅgīṃ kumārīṃ nava-yauvanām || 31 || "…that light appearing now in the form of a woman, charming and delightful. She was exceedingly beautiful of limb, a maiden in the freshness of youth." _____________________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>> Cover art "Manidvipa Mahavilasa" by Dr. Arghya Dipta Kar>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 28 - 30 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 22 June 2022 on Zoom. विद्युत्कोटिसमानाभमरुणं तत्परं महः |नैव चोर्ध्वं न तिर्यक्च न मध्ये परिजग्रभत् || २८ || vidyut-koṭi-samānā-bhamaruṇaṃ tat-paraṃ mahaḥ |naiva cordhvaṃ na tiryak-ca na madhye pari-jagrabhat || 28 || "Flashing like ten million streaks of lightning tinged with red, that supreme lustrous power shone forth encompassed above, across, and in the middle." आद्यन्तरहितं तत्तु न हस्ताद्यङ्गसंयुतम् |न च स्त्रीरूपमथवा न पुंरूपमथोभयम् || २९ || ādyantara-hitaṃ tattu na hastādyaṅga-saṃyutam |na ca strī-rūpam-athavā na puṃ-rūpam-athobhayam || 29 || "Without beginning or end, it had no body, no hands, no other limbs, nor did it have a woman’s form, a man’s form, nor the two combined." दीप्त्या पिधानं नेत्राणां तेषामासीन्महिपते |पुनश्च धैर्यामालम्ब्य यावत् ते ददृशुः सुराः || ३० || dīptyā pidhānaṃ netrāṇāṃ teṣāmāsīn-mahipate |punaśca dhairyām-ālambya yāvat te dadṛśuḥ surāḥ || 30 || "The dazzling brilliance blinded the eyes of the gods O King. When again their vision returned, the gods beheld..." _____________________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>> Cover art "Manidvipa Mahavilasa" by Dr. Arghya Dipta Kar>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 27 & 28 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 15 June 2022 on Zoom. चतुर्दिक्षु चतुर्वेदैर्मूर्तिमद्भिरभिष्टुतम् |कोटिसूर्याप्रतीकाशं चन्द्रकोटिसुशीतलम् || २७ || catur-dikṣu catur-vedair-mūrtimadbhir-abhiṣṭutam |koṭi-sūryā-pratīkāśaṃ candra-koṭi-suśītalam || 27 || "Praised on all sides by the four Vedas incarnate, It blazed like ten million suns, yet soothed like ten million moons." विद्युत्कोटिसमानाभमरुणं तत्परं महः |नैव चोर्ध्वं न तिर्यक्च न मध्ये परिजग्रभत् || २८ || vidyut-koṭi-samānā-bhamaruṇaṃ tat-paraṃ mahaḥ |naiva cordhvaṃ na tiryak-ca na madhye pari-jagrabhat || 28 || "Flashing like ten million streaks of lightning tinged with red, that supreme lustrous power, shone forth encompassed above, across, and in the middle." _____________________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>> Cover art "Manidvipa Mahavilasa" by Dr. Arghya Dipta Kar>>

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 27 August 2022. Swamiji reads from his new book "Stories of Vedanta Monks) as he remembers Gopesh Maharaj, Swami Saradeshananda, the great ascetic disciple of Holy Mother. _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 26 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 8 June 2022 on Zoom. अकस्माच्चैत्रमासीयनवम्यां च भृगोर्दिने |प्रादुर्बभूव पुरतस्तन्महः श्रुतिबोधितम् || २६ || akasmāc-caitra-māsīya-navamyāṃ ca bhṛgordine |prādurbabhūva purata-stan-mahaḥ śruti-bodhitam || 26 || "Suddenly, on the ninth lunar day in the month of Caitra, on a Friday, That lustrous power revealed in scripture appeared before the gods."_____________________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>> Cover art "Manidvipa Mahavilasa" by Dr. Arghya Dipta Kar>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 24 & 25 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 1 June 2022. मन्त्रपारायणपराः केचित् कृच्छ्रादिकारिणः | अन्तर्यागपराः केचित् केचित् न्यासपरायणाः || २४ || mantra-pārāyaṇa-parāḥ kecit kṛcchrādi-kāriṇaḥ | antaryāga-parāḥ kecit kecit nyāsa-parāyaṇāḥ || 24 || 24. "Some were devoted to chanting mantras, or practicing severe austerities. Some were absorbed in mental sacrifices, and others implanted mystic powers in their bodies."   हृल्लेखया परा-शक्तेः पूजां चक्रुरतन्द्रिताः | इत्येवं बहु-वर्षाणि कालो-गाज्-जनमेजय || २५ || hṛllekhayā parā-śakteḥ pūjāṃ cakrur-atandritāḥ | ityevaṃ bahu-varṣāṇi kālogāj-janamejaya || 25 || 25. "Unwearied, they worshiped the supreme Shakti with the mantra known as Hrillekha. Many year thus passed away, O Janamejaya." ____________________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 24  given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir via Zoom on 25 May 2022 on Zoom.  मन्त्रपारायणपराः केचित् कृच्छ्रादिकारिणः |अन्तर्यागपराः केचित् केचित् न्यासपरायणाः || २४ || mantra-pārāyaṇa-parāḥ kecit kṛcchrādi-kāriṇaḥ |antaryāga-parāḥ kecit kecit nyāsa-parāyaṇāḥ || 24 || "Some were devoted to chanting mantras, or practicing severe austerities.Some were absorbed in mental sacrifices, and others implanted mystic powers in their bodies." __________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 23 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 18 May 2022 on Zoom. केचित्समाधिनिष्नाताः केचिन्नामपरायणाः | केचित्सूक्तपराः केचिन्नामपारायणोत्सुकाः || २३ || kecit-samādhi-niṣnātāḥ kecin-nāma-parāyaṇāḥ | kecit-sūkta-parāḥ kecin-nāma-pārāyaṇot-sukāḥ || 23 || 23. "Some gods were fully absorbed in meditation; others were focused on Her name. Some concentrated on Her hymn, while others were intent upon reciting Her names." _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 13 August 2022. Swamiji reads from his new book "Stories of Vedanta Monks) as he remembers Gopesh Maharaj, Swami Saradeshananda, the great ascetic disciple of Holy Mother. _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 20 August 2022. Swamiji reads from his new book "Stories of Vedanta Monks) as he remembers Gopesh Maharaj, Swami Saradeshananda, the great ascetic disciple of Holy Mother. _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Discourse by Revered Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and Minister of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis, given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 30 July 2022. Swamiji reads from his new book "Stories of Vedanta Monks) as he remembers Gopesh Maharaj, Swami Saradeshananda, the great ascetic disciple of Holy Mother. _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Discourse by Rev. Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of St. Louise on his book "Stories of Vedanta Monks", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 6 August 2022. _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Discourse by Rev. Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of St. Louise on his book "Stories of Vedanta Monks", given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 30 July 2022. _____________ https://kalimandir.org/ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ Support the work of Kali Mandir>>

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verse 22 given to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on Zoom on 4 May 2022. अम्बायज्ञविधानज्ञा अम्बायज्ञं च चक्रिरे |तृतीयादिव्रतान्याशु चक्रुः सर्वे सुरा नृप || २२ || ambā-yajña-vidhānajñā ambā-yajñaṃ ca cakrire |tṛtīyādi-vratānyāśu cakruḥ sarve surā nṛpa || 22 || 22. "They all performed the Mother’s sacrifice, knowing well Her ceremonial rites.All the gods hastened to perform Her ritual observances, including the third-day rites, O King."______________________ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/https://kalimandir.org/ Support the work of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 20 & 21 giveento students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 27 April 2022. इत्यादिश्य सुरान्सर्वान्महाविष्णुः स्वजायया | संयुतो निर्जगामाऽशु देवैः सह सुराधिपः || २० || ityādiśya surān-sarvān-mahā-viṣṇuḥ svajāyayā | saṃyuto nirjagāmā'śu devaiḥ saha surādhipaḥ || 20 || 20. "Thus enjoining all the gods and accompanied by his wife, the great Vishnu, as chief of the gods, set forth at once with his fellow lords." आजगाम महाशैलं हिमवन्तं नगाधिपम् | अभवंश्च सुराः सर्वे पुरश्चरणकर्मिणः|| २१ || ājagāma mahā-śailaṃ himavantaṃ nagādhipam | abhavaṃśca surāḥ sarve puraścaraṇa-karmiṇaḥ || 21 || 21. "He came to the great rocky crag, Himalaya, Lord of mountains, and all the gods commenced the preliminary acts of worship." ___________ https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/ https://kalimandir.org/ Support the work of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir

Discourse by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 17-19, given on Zoom to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 20 April 2022.   लालने ताडने मातुर्नाकारुण्यं यथाऽर्भके | तद्वदेव जगन्मातुर्नियन्त्र्या गुणदोषयोः || १७ || lālane tāḍane mātur-nākāruṇyaṃ yathā'rbhake | tadvad-eva jagan-mātur-niyantryā guṇa-doṣayoḥ || 17 || 17. "As a mother feels no lack of compassion whether indulging or chastening her child, Just so the World-Mother feels when overseeing our virtues and vices."   अपराधो भवत्येव तनयस्य पदे पदे | कोऽपरः सहते लोके केवलं मातरं विना || १८ || aparādho bhavatyeva tanayasya pade pade | ko'paraḥ sahate loke kevalaṃ mātaraṃ vinā || 18 || 18. "A son transgresses the limits of proper conduct at every step: Who in the world forgives him except his mother?"   तस्माद्यूयं पराम्बां तां शरणं यात मा चिरम् | निर्व्याजया चित्तावृत्त्या सा वः कार्यं विधास्यति || १९ || tasmād-yūyaṃ parāmbāṃ tāṃ śaraṇaṃ yāta mā ciram | nirvyājayā cittāvṛttyā sā vaḥ kāryaṃ vidhāsyati || 19 || 19. "Therefore go for refuge to the supreme Mother without delay, With sincere hearts. She will accomplish what you want." _____________________https://www.ramakrishnaseminary.org/https://kalimandir.org/ Support the work of Ramakrishna Seminary: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8KB34WH56NS78&fbclid=IwAR0cP5ScmTngyr7-ufvdO0PiLcOvQioamE0TTtIsKX8Hqa2WPo65Q22ErJE

Discourse by Rev. Swami Chetananandaji Maharaj, senior monk of the Ramakrishna Math and spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of St. Louise on his book "Stories of Vedanta Monks" given at Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram on 23 July 2022.

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 14-16, given via Zoom to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 6 April 2022. इति चिन्तातुराः सर्वे जग्मुर्वैकुण्ठमण्डले | शशंसुर्हरिमेकान्ते स चोपायं जगाद ह || १४ || iti cintāturāḥ sarve jagmur-vaikuṇṭha-maṇḍale | śaśaṃsur-harim-ekānte sa copāyaṃ jagāda ha || 14 || 14. "Thus afflicted with worry, all the gods journeyed to Vishnu’s heaven, Taking counsel with him in private. He then explained their proper recourse:"   कुतश्चिन्तातुराः सर्वे कामकल्पद्रुमा शिवा | जागर्ति भुवनेशानी मणिद्वीपाधिवासिनी || १५ || kutaś-cintāturāḥ sarve kāma-kalpa-drumā śivā | jāgarti bhuvaneśānī maṇi-dvīpādhivāsinī || 15 || 15. (Vishnu said:) "Why are you all so worried, for the Auspicious Goddess is a wish-fulfilling tree? Dwelling in the Jeweled Island as Ruler of the Universe, She is ever attentive."   अस्माकमनयादेव तदुपेक्षास्ति नान्यथा | शिक्षैवेयं जगन्मात्रा कृतास्मछिक्षणाय च || १६ || asmākamanayād-eva tad-upekṣāsti nānyathā | śikṣaiveyaṃ jagan-mātrā kṛtāsmachikṣaṇāya ca || 16 || 16. "She neglects us now only because of our misbehavior, Such chastisement by the World Mother is simply for our own instruction." ________________________ Please consider supporting the worship of the Divine Mother at Kali Mandir and the maintenance and development of Her temple, ashram, seminary, and podcast. SUPPORT>> www.KaliMandir.org www.RamakrishnaSeminary.org

Scripture class by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati on Devi Gita, chapter 1, verses 10-13, given on Zoom to students of the Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 30 March 2022. ब्रह्मदत्तवरो दैत्योऽभवत्त्रैलोक्यनायकः | शिवौरसस्तु यः पुत्रः स ते हन्ता भविष्यति || १० || brahma-datta-varo daityo'bhavat-trailokya-nāyakaḥ | śivaurasastu yaḥ putraḥ sa te hantā bhaviṣyati || 10 || 10. "The fiend became master of the three-tiered universe after procuring from Brahma this boon: 'Only a legitimate son of Shiva shall be your slayer.'”   इति कल्पितमृत्युः स देवदेवैर्महासुरः | शिवौरससुताभावाज्-जगर्ज च ननन्द च || ११ || iti kalpita-mṛtyuḥ sa deva-devair-mahāsuraḥ | śivaurasa-sutā-bhāvāj-jagarja ca na-nanda ca || 11 || 11. "With his death thus fixed by Brahma, the great demon, realizing no lawful son of Shiva existed, roared and rejoiced."   तेन चोपद्रुताः सर्वे स्वस्थानात्प्रच्युताः सुराः | शिवौरससुताभावाच्चिन्तामापुर्दुरत्ययाम् || १२ || tena copadrutāḥ sarve svasthānāt-pracyutāḥ surāḥ | śivaurasa-sutā-bhāvāc-cintāmā-purduratyayām || 12 || 12. "And all the gods, attacked by Taraka and driven from their own homes, lived in a state of persistent anxiety due to the absence of any legitimate son of Shiva." __________________________ Please consider supporting the worship of the Divine Mother at Kali Mandir and the maintenance and development of Her temple, ashram, seminary, and podcast. SUPPORT>> www.KaliMandir.org www.RamakrishnaSeminary.org

Scripture class on the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam's Devi Gita , Chapter I, verses 6 to 9, by Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Sarasawati given on Zoom to students of Ramakrishna Seminary at Kali Mandir on 23 March 2022. सौभाग्यरहितं जातं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् | शक्तीहीनं जगत्सर्वं साब्धिद्वीपं सपर्वतम् || ६ || saubhāgya-rahitaṃ jātaṃ trailokyaṃ sa-carācaram | śaktī-hīnaṃ jagat-sarvaṃ sābdhi-dvīpaṃ sa-parvatam || 6 || 6. "Meanwhile, the three-tiered universe, with all that is mobile and immobile, lost its auspicious charm when the entire world with its oceans continents, and mountains, was bereft of energy."   आनन्दः शुष्कतां यातः सर्वेषां हृदयान्तरे | उदासीनाः सर्वलोकाश्चिन्ताजर्जरचेतसः || ७ || ānandaḥ śuṣkatāṃ yātaḥ sarveṣāṃ hṛdayāntare | udāsīnāḥ sarva-lokāścintā-jarjara-cetasaḥ || 7 || 7. "Joy shriveled up in the heart of each and every being. All peoples were despondent, their careworn spirits exhausted."   सदा दुःखोदधौ मग्ना रोगग्रस्तास्तदाऽभवन् | ग्रहाणां देवतानां च वैपरीत्येन वर्तनम् || ८ || sadā duḥkho-dadhau magnā roga-grastās-tadā'bhavan | grahāṇāṃ devatānāṃ ca vaiparītyena vartanam || 8 || 8. "Then, ever drowning in a sea of misery, they were consumed by disease. The planets retrograded ominously; the fortunes of the gods declined." ________________________ Please consider supporting the worship of the Divine Mother at Kali Mandir and the maintenance and development of Her temple, ashram, seminary, and podcast. SUPPORT>> www.KaliMandir.org www.RamakrishnaSeminary.org