Srimad Bhagavatam Class @ Iskcon Newtown Kolkata – September 2025

Below important points are from Srimad Bhagavatam Class at Iskcon Newtown Kolkata in Septembet 2025 which were given by different devotees.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura Appearance Day Class by HG Acharyaratna Prabhu – 5^th September 2025

Important points from the Class

1. 13 apasampradayas sprouted after disappearance of prominent acharyas..In movies and TV serials, Bengali characters in dubious role were shown as vaisnavas.
2. Srila Prabhupada first wanted to make Iskcon headquarter in Kolkata provided he got Victoria memorial, then he wanted to make it in Mayapur, but when it was difficult to get land in Mayapur, he wanted to it make in Birnagar, birthplace of Bhaktivinod Thakura.
3. Bhaktivinod Thakura started writing poem when he was 2 years old, when he was 7 years old he had read Ramayana, Mahabharata, at 9 years he started learning astrology, at 10 years started inquiring spiritual subject matters.
4. Bhaktivinod Thakura wrote a poem – Sri Chaitanya Geet.
5. With difficulty he got Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in Orissa and after reading his life got transformed.
6. Bhaktivinod Thakura was an efficient magistrate. He worked from 10 am to 1 pm, 1 pm – 2pm, lunch and rest and from 2pm to 5 pm again worked. He worked for 6 hours but was so efficient that he did work equivalent of 15 magistrates.
7. Bhaktivinod Thakura wrote books in the night like Srila Prabhupada.
8. Bhaktivinod Thakura opened 2005 nama hattas.
9. He never wasted time, would always wear watch, was never late for meeting, go before time to catch train.
10. He wrote a book in 1896– Life and Percepts of Lord Chaitanya and sent to the western world. Predicted soon a great devotee will come and spread Krishna Consciousness all over world.

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.05.46 – 47 by HG Sri Nitai Prabhu – 6^th Sep 2025

Important points from the class

• Two things must go on: deity worship which is called pāñcarātriki-vidhi and hearing about the Supreme Lord from Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literature which is called bhāgavata-vidhi.
• Life is transient. At any moment we can die. Therefore, those who are advanced devotee, they want to see that “I have got very short period of life at my disposal…” Therefore, he is very anxious to utilize every moment for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is madhyama-adhikārī. Avyartha-kālatvam.
• Faith is created after reading Bhagavad-gītā. If you read Bhagavad-gītā carefully and if you actually understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then faith will be created. Without reading Bhagavad-gītā, there is no question of faith in Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Sri Ram Raghav Prabhu – 16^th September 2025

Chapter Name: Narada Concludes His Teachings to Vasudeva

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.50 – 52

Important points from the class

• Krishna does not want us to live in this world because misery keeps on coming in this world again and again.
• This is why after Bhagavad Gita 4.7 and Bhagavad Gita 4.8, Krishna says verse Bhagavad Gita 4.9.
• In BG 4.9, Krishna says that we should get liberated from this world as here miseries do not stop.
• Although children are mischievous but still parents take care, similarly demons are taken care by the Lord although they are against God.
• In Iskcon Juhu temple, one person was coming to take khichdi prasadam daily but one day when he was asked to chant Hare Krishna he refused and left. In the night, the devotee who was distributing prasadam, got a dream. Sri Sri Radha Rasbihari came in his dream and said, “I am giving him prasadam daily then what is your problem. Although he is not chanting Hare Krishna but at least he is taking prasadam.”
• Lord does not have any envy in his heart either for devotees or demons, he is most merciful.
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says to Amogha who was envious of him to free himself from the impurity of envy.
• When Lord kills demons then they get benefitted, they get liberated, but impersonal liberation.
• In this age we can be in touch with the Lord by chanting his holy name, Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
• Demigods pray, people of satya yuga pray that they want to take birth in Bharart in Kaliyuga because this age has great benediction that we can come quickly in connection with Lord by chanting “Hare Krishna.”
• Devotees should be convinced that no one can be happy without Krishna in this world.   
• Gap between two problems is called happiness in this world.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Sri Nitai Prabhu – 20^th September 2025

Chapter Name:  The Yadu Dynasty Retires to Prabhāsa

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 11.6.8

Important points from the class

1. Lord Krishna is although inconceivable, but he is approachable.
2. Devotees come to know that I am being affected by different modes – satya, rajas, tamo.
3. Nahusa got the post of Indra, and he got affected, he became proud and became a python.
4. But Lord never gets affected by anything material.
5. First category of people is those who think, “I need but I do not want to serve others.” 2^nd category think, “I need, and then I will serve.”  3rd category, like jnanis neither want anything nor serve anyone.
6. Lord Narayana do not want anything, but they just want to serve.
7. We are able to understand Krishna by the mercy of acharyas who did not take anything from the society but always wanted to serve the society.
8. Whether the Lord is in spiritual world or material world, he just wants to serve.
9. Anything we see with propensity to enjoy, we get attached to material modes but if we see anything with the desire to serve then we are free from the material modes.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Radharaman Prabhu – 23^rd September 2025

Chapter Name:  The Yadu Dynasty Retires to Prabhāsa

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 11.6.11

Important points from the class

• This verse talks that how all are meditating on Krishna – always remember Krishna and never forget Krishna.
• Four aspects of Bhakti Yoga – karma, tyaga, jnana, dhyana.
• We get many times attached to our ideas but important thing is to meditate on Krishna.
• Activities which help in chanting – breathing, beads (one bead at a time), back should be erect, brothers i.e. association of devotees.  
• Material world is meant for crying – we can cry for Krishna or maya.
• Price to enter Back to Godhead is laulyam i.e. greed to serve the Lord.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Nimai Anand Prabhu – 26^th September 2025

Chapter Name:  The Yadu Dynasty Retires to Prabhāsa

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 11.6.13

Translation of verse SB 11.6.13:

“O omnipotent Lord, in Your incarnation as Trivikrama, You raised Your leg like a flagpole to break the shell of the universe, allowing the holy Ganges to flow down, like a banner of victory, in three branches throughout the three planetary systems. By three mighty steps of Your lotus feet, Your Lordship captured Bali Mahārāja, along with his universal kingdom. Your lotus feet inspire fear in the demons by driving them down to hell and fearlessness among Your devotees by elevating them to the perfection of heavenly life. We are sincerely trying to worship You, our Lord; therefore may Your lotus feet kindly free us from all of our sinful reactions.”

Important points from the class

1. Everyone in this world is looking for shelter because this is our nature.
2. Jivatma being tastha sakti, will either take shelter of Krishna’s internal energy (antharanga sakti) or his external energy (bahiranga sakti).
3. This material world is unnatural for living entities.
4. The different shelters we take in this world are – money, family members, building relationships with big people like Prime Minister, businessmen etc, body, house, land, police, court etc.
5. As we have fear and insecurity, so we take shelter of above things.
6. The more we absorb in Krishna less fear we will have.
7. Those who live in illusion and like to live in illusion eg. demons, are fearful of lotus feet of the Lord.
8. But the devotees become fearless by taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.
9. Vamandeva always stays with Bali Maharaja, occasionally comes to meet Indra.
10. We should have right attitude to approach the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord which destroys all sins.
11. This becomes possible when we continue to hear about the glories of the Lord daily by reading Srimad Bhagavagtam and by doing harinam like chanting.
12. Sravanam and kirtanam help in smaranam.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Acharyaratna Prabhu – 27^th September 2025

Today was the beginning of Durga Puja camp. Students from different colleges like IIT, NIT and other premium institutes came for the camp.

Devotees who came for the camp went for “Kolkata Dham” darshan today.

HG Acharyaratna Prabhu spoke about Kolkata Dham

Important points from the class

1. Durga is external energy of Krishna.
2. She destroys the world as per the desire of Krishn – mayadhyaksena prakrtih
3. She punishes sinful people with trident.
4. Krishna says material energy of mine i.e maya, durga, is very difficult to overcome – daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī/ mama māyā duratyayā.
5. But those who take Krishna’s shelter can overcome maya.
6. In Chaitanya Bhagavat there is description of Lord Chaitanya coming to Kolkata in Baranagar, met a devotee Raghunatha Upadhyaya.
7. When Lord Chaitanya met him, he started reciting Srimad Bhagavatam.
8. He started reciting with great joy and Mahaprabhu started dancing.
9. He was reciting with heart filled with heart, he recited for 7-9 hours. Mahaprabhu said you are the best reciter of Bhagavatam, he gave him the name – Bhagavatacharya.
10. Mahaprabhu said that you are Shyamanjari in spiritual world.  
11. Bhaktivinod Thakura wrote an article in 1897 on Bhagavatacharya.
12. He wrote, Kolkata is non – different from Vrindavan.
13. In Vrindavan there are many kunjas of sakhi, Baranagar is part of Shyamanjari kunja where Krishna is served by recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam.
14. Bhaktivinod Thakura writes, “Most unfortunate that we abandon gold in our courtyard but search for it outside the country.”
15. Kolkata is part of Gaur Mandala Bhumi where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is served by reciting Srimad Bhagavatam. Here Srila Prabhupada appeared and he served Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by writing commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam.
16. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu travelled to Puri via Kolkata.
17. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu passed through Adi Ganga, which is near Tollygang, where Srila Prabhupada appeared.
18. Near Kolkata is Kumar hatta, birth placed Isvara Puri, spiritual master of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took little dust from that placed and many devotees followed, so much dust was taken, that place became a pond.
19. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is at following place always – where Sacimata cooks (Mahaprabhu comes and eat), wherever Lord Nityananda dances, in Srivas Angan and in the house of Raghav Pandit which is in Panihatti.
20. Here famous Panihati cida dahi festival took place.
21. Without Lord Nityananda mercy we can’t get mercy of Lord Chaitanya.
22. It takes 45 minutes from Newtown to go to Panihatti.
23. Kolkata is situated near bank of Ganges, Lord Chaitanya and his associates performed pastime.
24. Kharda, hear Kolkata, is headquarter of Lord Nityananda. With his wives, Srimati Vasudha Devi and Srimati Jahnava Devi, he performed pastimes.
25. Lord Nityananda came to Patharghata, performed Sankirtan.
26. Adi Saptagram – gold merchants stayed there who came to Kolkata when British made Kolkata their headquarters. Srila Prabhupada’s ancestors were in Adi Saptagram.
27. Gadhadhar Das, incarnation of effulgence of Gadhadhar Pandit, was upset with Kazi who was cruel and went to his house in the middle of the night and boldly preached to him. But he did with love and compassion which melted the heart of Kazi. Kazi said, “You go home from tomorrow onwards I will chant “Hari.”” As soon as Gadhadhar Das heard him chanting “Hari”, he said to Kazi that now you are delivered.
28. Bhaktivinod Thakura made this place his preaching center and preached to aristocratic people, uprooted apasampradayas. Built his home here, Bhakti Bhavan where he found kurma sila which he gave to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.
29. Bhaktivinod Thakura revived teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
30. Bhaktivinod Thakura could have lived in Puri or Mayapur but he choose to leave his body from Kolkata.
31. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was born in Puri but he mostly lived in Kolkata. He made headquarters of Gaudiya Math in Kolkata. He also left this world from Kolkata. This is special place where great acharyas choose to leave their body.
32. For Iskcon, Kolkata is special because this is birthplace of Srila Prabhupada.
33. Lord performs pastime is called Sri Kshetra where one who does bhajan gets 1000 times benefit. But where Lord’s devotees appear is called sripad kshetra where one performs bhajan gets 1 million times mercy.
34. Srila Prabhupada said if you serve in Mayapur, you will get 1000 times my mercy but in Kolkata my mercy will be 10000 as this is my birthplace.
35. Srila Prabhupada started first life membership program in Kolkata and first RY in India in Kolkata.
36. Srila Prabhupada wanted that there should be 10 temples in Kolkata.
37. HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja was first temple President of Kolkata, he became president 10 times. HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj was first GBC of Kolkata.
38. HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja aid that it may be very difficult to build a gorgeous temple in Kolkata but we should just try and Krishna will then give his mercy.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Padma Netra Prabhu – 28^th September 2025

Chapter Name:  Nārada’s Instructions on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for Vyāsadeva

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.11

Important points from the class

1. Prakashananda Saraswati was very learned, had 10, 000 disciples.
2. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said to Prakashananda Saraswati, “I am low. I am fool, so my guru said that you do not read Vedanta, you just do Sankirtan – harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam.”  So, I do harinam.
3. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked his guru, “What mantra you gave that I have become mad?” Guru said that it is the nature of mahamantra that anyone who chants become mad.
4. Everyone in this world is mad – for women, for money, for house, for post, for Krishna.
5. Better to be mad for Krishna.
6. One life, so give to Krishna.
7. Santana Goswami Rupa goswami very learned, very rich but gave up everything for Krishna.
8. Sanatana Goswami was very learned. He knew Bengali, Sanskrit, Arabic.
9. To Chaitanya Mahaprabhu he said, “People think that I am learned but I am fool because I know everything but real knowledge, I do not have that who am I, where I have to go, to whom to worship, how to worship, why to worship.”
10. We should go to guru as a foolish person – tad viddhi praṇipātena
11. When a so-called learned man asked the boatman while crossing the river on a boat, “Do you know about the waves of the ocean? The boatman said, “No”.  The scholar said your 25% life is wasted.  Then he asked, “Do you know about the sun, how it rises and sets? The boatman said, “No.”  The scholar said, “Your 50% life is wasted.” The scholar then asked about how the wind flows, the boatman said, “No, I don’t know.” The scholar said, “Your 75% life is wasted.” Then there was thunderstorm, and boat was about to sink. The boatman asked, “Do you know how to swim.” The scholar said, “No.”  The boatman jumped in the river began swimming and said, “Your 100% life is wasted.”
12. Srila Prabhupada said that we know many things but do not know how to cross the material ocean.
13. So along with material knowledge spiritual knowledge is also very important.
14. This material knowledge will remain for some time with us; one has to retire after certain period in this world.
15. One doctor was very knowledgeable but when he became old, he even forgot to take paracetamol when he got fever.
16. Real knowledge is to have devotion for Krishna.
17. Srila Prabhupada at the age of 70 spread Bhagavad knowledge all over the world. So, we should read Srimad bhagavatam daily.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Prem Swarup Prabhu – 29^th September 2025

Chapter Name:  Nārada’s Instructions on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for Vyāsadeva

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.17

Important points from the class

1. Srila Prabhupada says topmost science of spirituality is Srimad Bhagavatam. It is the king of all Vedic literature. It is topmost theological science.
2. Jiva Goswami says Srimad Bhagavatam appeared on the tongue of Vyasadeva. This literature exists eternally.
3. Yoga means to connect with the Supreme i.e. Krishna.
4. Time magazine says the most exported commodity from India is “Hare Krishna.” 
5. Lord as Paramatma maintains everyone.
6. Pracetas did not ask for wife, but Lord offered them a wife because their father, Prācīnabarhis, had left home. So, the Lord took the responsibility of marrying Pracetas.
7. When someone becomes a devotee, accounts of a person are handled by Krishna not by Yamaraj.
8. Krishna gets engaged in the life of a devotee. Mother cow licks calf and makes it clean, similarly Krishna personally interferes to clean all dust from the heart of his devotee.
9. We should identify ourselves more with Krishna than with family and society. Family and society will remain for this life only but Krishna for eternity.
10. If a jiva becomes a worm in stool then no one will go with that person, but Krishna will go with us as Paramatma. So, can anyone love us more than Krishna?
11. Disciple means someone is there to discipline him or is above him.
12. In Vedic literature, eating nonveg is a concession for those who do not have control on their tongue, but it is not a license to kill animals and eat. But unfortunately, people misinterpret the Vedas and think the holy Vedas sanctions nonveg food. For eg. one butcher opened a slaughterhouse and named it as “Kali Mandir,” it is so abominable.
13. Anything which does not have connection with Krishna will agitate the mind.
14. Vyasadeva after writing literature became despondent as he had not glorified Krishna sufficiently.  
15. Since people are despondent, so they even commit suicide. Recently there have been 5 suicides in IIT. Everybody is suicidal, have stress, and is despondent because Krishna is not in their life.
16. Any pursuit other than Krishna will make us despondent.
17. If we know everything but do not know how to cross the material ocean, then it is useless.

Durga Puja Camp 2025 Class by HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu – 30^th September 2025

As part of Durga Puja Camp 2025, HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu arrived at Iskcon Newtown Kolkata and gave class on 30^th September and 1st October 2025.

On 30th September, there were three sessions:

• 1st session was from 8:15 am – 9:45 am : Prabhuji spoke on “Karma – The Universal Logic of Life.”
• 2nd session was from 11 am – 1:30 pm : Prabhuji spoke on “Destiny – The Invisible Mover of Life Events.”
• 3rd session in evening was Question & Answer session from 4pm – 6:30 pm.

Karma – The Universal Logic of Life

Important Points from the Class

1. Karma refers to action, reaction to action, consequences of action, selection of action
2. “CIT” means to be conscious.
3. Karma: Action has results
4. Science too talks about cause and effect.
5. Nature does not work on morality but on strength.
6. When one says why bad things happen to good people, then it means that they expect order in universe.
7. There may be past actions contributing to present result.
8. In western world more cats and dogs are in park than children. Many ladies say, “they are “stay at home dog mom.””
9. Sometimes life will be unfair, and we have to live with it.
10. In atheism there are many philosophies – one is absurdism. Proponents of absurdism think “life is useless so only question to ask is when to commit suicide.”
11. Many people think “sometimes God is orderly and sometimes arbitrary” which is incorrect.
12. We should do our karma. Eg. Arjuna and Bhima were preparing for fight.
13. Actions do lead to good results eg. Pandavas.
14. Abrahamic theism is without reincarnation. Reincarnation allows us to increase the frame of reference.
15. Our past karma is always a mixed bag.
16. Sometimes one inherits property, and sometimes one inherits debts.
17. Life is unfair but not illogical or arbitrary.
18. Karma is for encouragement not for judgement.
19. Our actions matter even if they don’t seem to matter.
20. Even if at present, it does not seem that our actions matter but slowly our bad karma will go away by doing good karma (actions).
21. Life may be unfair now but may not be unfair always.

Destiny – The Invisible Mover of Life Events

Second Session was from 11 am – 1:30 pm. In the second session HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu spoke on the topic: Destiny – The Invisible Mover of Life Events

Important points from the Class

1. In scriptures, no one suffered is said that you suffered because of your past karma.eg Sita, Draupadi.
2. Let’s talk about destiny.
3. Our life story is not just choices and consequences. Conditions influence our choices.
4. For example, someone has an opportunity to go abroad for better career, but a family member may get sick, and he cannot go.
5. Choices are not made in isolation; they are made under certain conditioning.
6. Conditions -> Choices -> Consequences
7. Destiny is past unprocessed Karma: Collections of Past Actions, Uncontrollable things, Unpredictable, Already fixed.
8. Many things are shaped in our life at the time of birth.
9. Which family we are born into is one major installment of past karma.
10. When we are going though negative karma then whatever we do goes in a wrong way.
11. Destiny -> Uncontrollable ..When drunk driver drives in opposite direction and hit us.
12. Destiny -> Inevitable..Certain things which is bound to happen will happen.
13. Once act of betrayal can have lifelong devastating experience for us.
14. How our Past Karma and Present Karma affect our life:
15. Past Karma (50%) + Present Karma (50%): Output: 100%. Person is Super effective. E.g. Pandavas performed yajna and were prosperous, got Indraprastha.
16. Past Karma (-50%) + Present Karma (50%): Output: 0. Person is Under effective eg. Pandavas persecuted when they were child.
17. Past Karma (-50%) + Present Karma (-50%): Output: -100%. Person is doomed. eg Duryodhana schemes.
18. Past Karma (+50%) + Present Karma (-50%): Output: 0. Person is destructive  eg Duryodhana before Pandavas arrived in the kingdom as children with Kunti.
19. We can change impact of destiny – we desire, we deliberate and we decide
20. 4 things can happen in our life -> disease, debt, death, betrayal
21. Our present actions do make a difference, it matters.
22. We should make our present karma positive whether our past karma is bad.
23. Doing our present karma properly is dharma.