Praying to Remain A Maid of Bhāgavatam
The highest purpose of life is to serve God and develop our love for Him. Many religious people will agree on this. But once we agree, we are still left with a fair amount of contemplation and work to do before we find out how exactly does the Lord want us to serve and love Him, and then to implement this understanding in our practical lives.
This blog is dedicated to exploring and discussing various philosophical and cultural aspects of religious life for women, especially in the context of practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness within the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition. Our main Holy Scripture is Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and we will refer to Bhāgavatam throughout our writings.
While some suggest that in these modern times some of the God’s laws don’t apply anymore and therefore we have to replace them with modern ideas, I count myself among those who accept that God’s laws, described in the Scripture, are eternal and always valid. We simply have to educate ourselves on how these laws work and apply in less-traditional settings. This blog seeks to be a small contribution towards such education. Śrīla Vyāsadeva wrote Bhāgavatam for the people of this age. It can answer all questions and resolve all the problems of the human society.
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam is for everyone, irrespective of gender, age, social status and other such external considerations. Everyone who hears, recites and studies Bhāgavatam will be eternally benefitted. However, especially as novices, we often have many questions and uncertainties regarding how exactly we should live and practice Bhāgavatam in our individual situation. This blogs explores such practice from a woman’s perspective, with the intention of helping other, like-minded practitioners.
Raised in an environment predominated mostly by Christian values, I encountered Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and decided to dedicate my life to Kṛṣṇa at the age of 18. Over 20 years have expired ever since, and I have never regretted my choice. The path has often not been smooth, but by the mercy of the book Bhāgavatam and the personalities Bhāgavatam I have been able to pass through all obstacles. I consider Śrīmad Bhāgavatam to be the true love of my life.
asādhu-sādhutā-dāyinn ati-nīcoccatā-kara
hā na muñca kadācin māṁ premṇā hṛt-kaṇṭhayoḥ sphura
“O bestower of saintliness to the unsaintly, O exalter of the most fallen, please never leave me. Always appear in my heart and my voice with pure love.”(Śrīmad-bhāgavata-mahima-stotram, Śrī Kṛṣṇa-līlā-stava 416)[1]
Hare Kṛṣṇa 