Wisdom of the Sages
Wisdom of the Sages
Raghunath Cappo & Kaustubha Das
Truths about life from the timeless wisdom of the Bhakti-yoga tradition - fun, relevant, and deep. Learn about dharma, yoga, bhakti, and how it relates to all the basic questions of life. This show is about how to live your best life, let go of the external distractions, and uncover the spiritual happiness that lies within the heart as the true nature of the soul. Raghunath and Kaustubha's connection goes back to their teens in the New York Hardcore Punk Scene of the early 80s, through serving together as Bhakti-yogi monks in the 90's, to sharing their experiences in the world of yoga in the 21st century.
1662: Krishna: Unlimited Brahman or Adorable Baby? A Paradox at the Heart of Vedānta
This episode dives into one of Vedānta’s deepest paradoxes: how the all-pervading, unlimited Brahman appears as a child and is bound by a rope. With reflections from physicist Niels Bohr and insights from the Bhāgavatam, Raghunath and Kaustubha unpack how truth, when probed deeply, transcends logic—and how love alone can bind the infinite. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.9.15-23 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 27
56 min
1661: Bhakti Means Love, and Love Overpowers All
The Supreme Truth—eternal, formless yet personal, beyond time and space—gets tied up with a rope. In this rich and revealing episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how love alone—not ritual, renunciation, or knowledge—can bind the Absolute. Featuring insights from Jesuit mysticism, Krishna’s childhood pastimes, and a few insects with questionable IQs. 🌀 Topics include: * Why the most advanced yogis can’t catch what a mother’s love can * Love as the ultimate conclusion of Vedanta * Mascara, butter theft, and the metaphysics of kajal * Damodara-līlā and the yoga of divine intimacy 🎧 Tune in and rediscover yoga’s greatest secret: only love delivers the soul. #BhaktiYoga #KrishnaBhakti #WisdomOfTheSages #SpiritualPodcast #Vedanta #PowerOfLove #SrimadBhagavatam   ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 26
57 min
1660: Reclaim Your Inner World: The Meditation of the Bhakti Yogis
In a world that floods the mind with distraction and noise, Bhakti Yoga teaches a sacred alternative: reclaim the inner world through smarana—the practice of intentional, emotionally infused remembrance. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how what we think about—over and over again—shapes who we become. Drawing from the Bhagavad Gita, the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and a quote from self-help pioneer Earl Nightingale, they examine how the bhakti tradition trains the mind through focused repetition and deep feeling. With reflections on Mother Yaśodā’s love for Krishna, and the esoteric path of Rāgānuga Bhakti, this episode opens the door to a meditation practice unlike any other. Whether you’re new to yoga philosophy or seeking to deepen your inner life, this conversation offers a clear and powerful invitation: take your inner world seriously—because it becomes your reality. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.9.1-9 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ********************************************************************* Join the Gita Collective Whatsapp group! https://chat.whatsapp.com/IoClfPirgHXBad5SxjH2i6?mode=ems_copy_t
Aug 25
53 min
1659: 4 Counterintuitive Secrets of Happiness — From Yale to Vedānta
What really makes us happy? In this episode, we draw from Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos’ research — featured on the Rich Roll Podcast — to uncover four surprising truths about happiness: the arrival fallacy, the bronze medal effect, how comfort can backfire, and why giving beats self-focus. What’s remarkable is how these modern insights echo wisdom preserved in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The yogic texts long ago revealed that happiness and distress both come to us inevitably, and that wise souls redirect their energy toward devotion. In bhakti, this opens the door to a transcendental joy far beyond worldly ups and downs — most beautifully seen in the eternal love between Krishna and the residents of Vrindavan. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.46-52 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 20
55 min
1658: Krishna, the God of the Vedas, as the Most Adorable Boy
The genius of the bhakti tradition’s sacred texts is how they reveal the loftiest yogic and theological truths through the sweetest intimacy. The Cosmic Source described in the Vedas and the Absolute Truth of the Vedānta Sūtra is revealed in the Bhagavatam as Krishna, a mischievous, playful child—the most adorable boy. When Mother Yaśodā peers into Krishna’s mouth, she doesn’t just see her son—she sees the entire universe. In this paradox of infinite divinity wrapped in childlike charm, bhakti uncovers a truth both cosmic and deeply personal. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.32-45 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 19
56 min
1657: Is Krishna Immoral? Rumi, Krishna, & the Field Beyond Right & Wrong
Rumi spoke of a field beyond right and wrong — and in Krishna’s playful pastimes we discover how breaking the rules can reveal the highest good. How can Krishna, the Supreme Good, also be a thief, a liar, a womanizer, and even a killer? Drawing on Rumi’s mystical poetry and the Upanishadic vision of fullness, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how Krishna’s so-called immorality reveals truths that transcend all dualities. Join us as we uncover the paradox of divinity, where Krishna’s playful rascality leads us to the soul’s true resting place: beyond the world’s petty dualities, in the harmony of divine love. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.25-31 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 18
58 min
1656: Beyond Spiritual Complexity: The Simplicity of Divine Love
In this intriguing and often hilarious episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore a natural pattern in life and spirituality: moving from simplicity to complexity, and then back again. On the spiritual journey, we may wrestle with perplexing questions: Who am I? Is there God? Is the world real? Is it all an illusion? We speak of “the sound of one hand clapping” or “being here now,” and sometimes it can feel as if spiritual guides are muddying the waters just to make them seem deep. But it’s possible to emerge on the other side of these tangled spiritual riddles and discover the simplicity of divine love — a simplicity that carries within it the depth and wisdom gained along the way. Key Takeaways: * The recurring life pattern: from simplicity to complexity and back to a refined simplicity. * How the search for truth can lead to ever-deepening — and sometimes overly complex — spiritual riddles. * Why divine love, though simple in expression, contains the deepest wisdom. * ⁠ The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam’s portrayal of pure, selfless love in Yaśodā’s relationship with Kṛṣṇa. * The difference between naive, material love and enlightened, spiritual love. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.1-9 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 14
56 min
1655: All Those Pieces Will Never Make You Whole
From ancient yoga texts to modern science, many agree: reality is whole — but our minds chop it into fragments. Feeling incomplete, we try to patch ourselves together with external “pieces” — the right spouse, the perfect home, children, financial security, status. But those fragments never deliver true wholeness. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore the illusion of fragmentation and turn to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where Nanda Mahārāja welcomes the sage Garga and recognizes a deeper kind of fullness in him — one that can’t be bought, lost, or taken away. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.1-9 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 13
1 hr
1654: Krishna Miracles Meet Quantum Physics — Breaking Reality’s Rules
Reality is stranger than we think, and this episode may rewire how you think about what’s possible. Raghunath and Kaustubha draw surprising connections between groundbreaking discoveries in quantum physics and the apparently impossible events described in ancient yoga texts like the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Blaise Pascal’s “infinite sphere” meets Mother Yaśodā’s jaw-dropping vision of the entire universe in little Krishna’s mouth — and even the science of quantum superposition and entanglement finds its place in the conversation. The takeaway? The laws of physics you learned in school might only apply to a tiny corner of reality. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.7.26-37 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 12
59 min
1653: The Yogic Science Behind Krishna’s Stories
The great sages of ancient India understood the stories of Krishna to be far more than charming children’s tales. Through the sophisticated lens of the Sanskrit science of drama, they revealed just how richly structured and deeply meaningful these pastimes are — spiritual dramas designed to awaken devotion and evoke profound yogic experience. This episode explores how spiritual life must be alive and nourished with emotion. As Abraham Joshua Heschel observed, when faith is replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit — and when religion speaks in the name of authority rather than with a voice of compassion — its message becomes meaningless. Krishna’s pastimes restore that life and compassion, stirring joy, longing, fear, and relief in the hearts of the residents of Vṛndāvana, and awakening the same divine emotions within us. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.7.20-26 ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
Aug 11
53 min
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