Wisdom of the Sages - podcast cover

Wisdom of the Sages

Raghunath Cappo & Kaustubha Daswisdomofthesages.libsyn.com
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.
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Episodes

1684: Fooling Mother Nature? Why Material Solutions Backfire

When we try to "fix" life, sometimes it only breaks further. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha examine how our material solutions—cars, technology, medicine—can backfire when they stem from the impulse to control, not harmonize. Through the lens of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.44, Tagore's warning, and a margarine ad that tried to fool Mother Nature, this discussion reveals how true wisdom isn't about domination—it's about surrender, humility, and learning to live in harmony. What you'll take ...

Oct 14, 202556 minEp. 1684

1683: The Answer Is Always Love: Understanding Krishna's Ways / Q&A Vol. 286

The Answer Is Always Love: Understanding Krishna's Ways / Q&A Vol. 286 Bhakti doesn't grow on demand—it unfolds like nature itself: slowly, wisely, beautifully. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore the sacred rhythm of spiritual growth through enthusiasm, determination, and patience—the gardener's trinity of devotion. Along the way, they share how wisdom means learning how things grow, and how every confusing or paradoxical Krishna pastime ultimately resolves with one universal k...

Oct 13, 202558 minEp. 1683

1682: You Can't Hurry Love: How Bhakti Matures / Q&A Volume 285

You Can't Hurry Love: How Bhakti Matures It's easy to look spiritual — chant loud, dress the part, quote Sanskrit — but bhakti gets real when one starts perceiving divinity everywhere, in everyone. In this live Wisdom of the Sages retreat Q&A, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how beginner bhakti matures into genuine love — the kind that sees God in every heart and responds with compassion. Episode Highlights: * "Ego is the glass in the soup of our joy" — why even a small shard ruins the whole...

Oct 12, 20251 hr 2 minEp. 1682

1681: Is That God's Voice, or Just My Mind Again? / Q&A Volume 284

Ever wonder if that "inner voice" you hear during prayer is God in your heart—or just your mind doing impressions again? In this live Q&A from Super Soul Farm, Raghunath and Kaustubha dive deep into two powerful questions: 1️⃣ How to discern whether inspiration comes from the Supersoul (Paramātmā) or from the restless mind and ego. 2️⃣ What truly distinguishes Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras from Bhakti Yoga—the difference between liberation (kaivalya) and divine love (prema). Through stories, laugh...

Oct 11, 202557 minEp. 1681

1680: I Came to Die, Learned to Live: A Bhakti Breakthrough

She boarded a flight to India to learn how to die—and found the wisdom to live. Laurel's journey—from childhood loss and addiction to a stage-4 cancer diagnosis—collides with Bhakti-yoga, kīrtan, and the Bhagavad-gītā at the Govardhan Ecovillage, reframing suffering through devotion and community. With Raghunath and Kaustubha, this episode traces the shift from victimhood to spiritual agency: simple practices, steady philosophy, and a flower-festival moment that changes everything. Key Highlight...

Oct 08, 202551 minEp. 1680

1679: Marcus Aurelius Meets Krishna Under the Autumn Full Moon

What happens when the Stoic emperor of self-control meets the divine cowherd of boundless love? From Brahmā's cosmic prank to the gopīs' fearless devotion, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore the art of giving without keeping score—through Stoic insight, Bhakti wisdom, and the moonlit mystery of Kartik's full moon. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.40–43 #BhaktiYoga #MarcusAurelius #SrimadBhagavatam #Stoicism #WisdomOfTheSages ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODC...

Oct 07, 202555 minEp. 1679

1678: Many Miles to Settle the Mind

It took 40, then 25, then 30 miles before the mind finally stopped screaming and started praying. Fresh off a solo bike ride through the Adirondacks, Raghunath and Kaustubha dive into practical bhakti: how movement can quiet the mental "algorithm," how to use Kārtika (Damodara Month) to turn up your practice x1000, and why the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam's Brahma-vimohana lila (Brahma Mohan Leela)—when Kṛṣṇa becomes every cowherd boy and calf—reveals more than wonder; it maps how God and God's energies ac...

Oct 06, 202557 minEp. 1678

1677: Softening the Heart: Bhakti Yoga & the Power of Emotion

The Bhagavad-gītā is more than philosophy—it's full of feeling. Arjuna's grief and Krishna's compassion remind us that yoga is not about suppressing emotions but purifying and deepening them. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore Krishna's pastime of becoming every cowherd boy and calf in Vṛndāvana, where ordinary love becomes unlimited when connected to the Divine. The lesson: to experience the emotions of bhakti, we must keep our hearts soft and respectful toward all beings. Also: R...

Oct 01, 202557 minEp. 1677

1676: Everybody's Looking for Krishna (Even If They Don't Know It): George Harrison's Bhakti Perspective

Everybody's Looking for Krishna (Even If They Don't Know It): George Harrison's Bhakti Perspective George Harrison once wrote, "Everybody is looking for Kṛṣṇa. Some don't realize that they are, but they are." In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha unpack how this simple insight lines up perfectly with the teachings of the Bhakti tradition. Why is it that every craving—for love, beauty, peace, security, adventure—always points us back to Krishna? Why is there really no turning away from Him? Dr...

Sep 30, 202553 minEp. 1676

1675: Truth + Discipline: Tuning In to the All-Pervading Divine

The Upaniṣads say the Divine is hidden like fire in wood, cream in milk, oil in sesame seed—revealed only through truth and discipline. Raghunath and Kaustubha unpack how yoga and the Gītā echo this same teaching: God is everywhere, but without discipline you only pick up static. With truth and practice, the channel clears. Or as our Friend, Matthew Perry, once put it: "God is everywhere—you just have to clear your channel, or you'll miss it." Srimad Bhagavatam 10.13.15-19 **********************...

Sep 29, 202557 minEp. 1675

1674: Saturday Night Fever Meets the Vedic Puruṣa

What does John Travolta strutting through Brooklyn with two slices of pizza have to do with the Ṛg Veda's yajña-puruṣa, the divine person behind the cosmos? In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha show how Travolta's swagger reflects Krishna's playful personhood in Vṛndāvana. We explore how the Bhāgavatam reveals God "off duty"—laughing, eating with his friends, and personally searching for lost calves—while also guiding us toward fearlessness, community, and deeper spiritual focus. Key themes ...

Sep 24, 202557 minEp. 1674

1673: The Opposite of Love is Illusion: Bhakti, Dharma, & Mandalas as Reality

Rabindranath Tagore wrote that "Love is the only reality… the ultimate truth at the heart of creation." In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore why the opposite of love isn't hate but illusion, and how failing to see others as sparks of the divine disconnects us from reality itself. From Krishna's cosmic picnic mandala to Lord Jagannāth's worldwide Ratha Yatra, and even a few Roomba and Nutella detours, discover how Bhakti yoga reveals love as the center of all existence. 🌟 Subscribe f...

Sep 23, 202555 minEp. 1673

1672: Rewiring the Inner World: Why Weren't We Taught This in School?

Bhakti practices like chanting, kīrtan, rising early, study, and satsang aren't side notes—they're the training ground for reshaping the inner world so the outer world follows. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha reflect on first encounters with sādhana in Vṛndāvana and dive into Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.12, where Krishna liberates the snake demon Aghāsura and reveals how even a moment of remembrance can transform destiny. Key Highlights: * Daily bhakti practices as inner rewiring. * Why moving...

Sep 22, 20251 hrEp. 1672

1671: We Become What We Behold: Choosing the Spiritual Tools That Shape Us

What you hold in your mind shapes you. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore Marshall McLuhan's famous line—"We become what we behold"—and connect it with Krishna's teachings in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Do we let random media and impulses shape us, or do we consciously adopt tools that align with who we want to become? From the media-is-the-message to Bhāgavatam 10.12, we enter Aghāsura's cavernous "cave," watch Krishna rescue His friends, liberate the demon, and trigg...

Sep 17, 202553 minEp. 1671

1670: Why We Can't Stand Others' Happiness: A Bhakti Perspective

How is it that we can feel unhappy when we see someone else happy? And what does that reveal about the condition of our mind and heart? In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore envy through Shakespeare's words, Patrick Henry's warning, and Aghāsura's jealousy in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.12. They discuss why resentment is a form of spiritual self-sabotage, how bhakti transforms envy into empathy, and why the cowherd boys' simple joy surpasses even the achievements of the greatest yogis. Highl...

Sep 16, 202557 minEp. 1670

1669: Debate Without Hate: Some Thoughts After the Charlie Kirk Shooting

When debate turnsviolent, yogis reach for higher tools—not more gasoline. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha reflect on the rising culture of outrage and political violence, using the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk as a moment to pause and ask: how can we disagree without dehumanizing? Drawing from Śrī Caitanya's example of gentle but powerful debate, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam's accounts of Krishna's childhood pastimes, they explore practical bhakti principles that can steady the hea...

Sep 15, 202553 minEp. 1669

1668: Small Acts, Infinite Meaning | The Pinnacle of Vedānta in Simple Love

Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how the pinnacle of Vedānta and yoga is revealed in the simplest exchange: Mother Yaśodā calling little Kṛṣṇa home for dinner. They unpack why quality of love matters more than quantity of achievement, and why "do small things with great love" isn't just a sweet saying—it's the key to real growth. Drawing from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.11), Mother Teresa, Lord Rāma's squirrel story, and reflections from Scottie Scheffler, the world's #1-ranked golfer, they reveal how ...

Sep 10, 202557 minEp. 1668

1667: Born to Give: How the Universe Trains the Soul

Anne Frank once wrote, "No one has ever become poor from giving." In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how the universe itself is designed to train us to give—first through external acts of sacrifice and service, and ultimately by offering the heart. Through the lens of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā's peace formula (5.29), they unpack why we are born to give, not to possess, and how life's tapas transforms into joy when directed as seva. Key Highlights * Born to Give (n...

Sep 09, 202559 minEp. 1667

1666: Modern Minds Stuck in Outrage Cycles — The Bhakti Exit Strategy

Hate shrinks the soul, but devotion expands it. This episode weaves together Booker T. Washington's timeless wisdom with the Bhakti-yoga path of love and transformation. From Washington's refusal to let hatred narrow his soul to Nārada's "curse that cures" and Baby Krishna's Dāmodara pastime, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how bhakti disarms resentment, envy, and bitterness—and replaces them with clarity, compassion, and joy. Discover why contempt is spiritual quicksand, how outrage has become ...

Sep 08, 20251 hrEp. 1666

1665: War & Peace & Bhakti: When Tolstoy's Insight Meets Baby Krishna

Pierre Bezukhov's captivity in War and Peace leads him to a discovery straight out of yogic wisdom: happiness is within, suffering can transform into blessing, and the company of a saintly soul changes everything. Raghunath and Kaustubha unpack Tolstoy's descriptions of Pierre's awakening through Platon Karataev and connect them with the bhakti truths of the Bhagavad-Gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. From Pierre's realization that "Life is everything. Life is God" to baby Krishna's playful liberat...

Sep 03, 20251 hrEp. 1665

1664: The Price of Wealth and the Vision of the Yogi

The Sage Nārada's tough-love blueprint takes center stage as Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how losing comfort—or choosing austerity—acts like "ointment for the eyes," restoring humility, compassion, and spiritual clarity. Along the way, a striking line from Benjamin Franklin sheds light on the danger of being possessed by wealth, while the timeless wisdom of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam reveals why voluntary simplicity has always been the yogi's path to deeper vision. Key Highlights * Franklin's insight:...

Sep 02, 20251 hrEp. 1664

1663: Not Me, Not Mine: Walt Whitman & the Yogis Agree—Our Bodies Are On Loan

Walt Whitman's startling line—"every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you"—meets the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, where Nārada Muni confronts two proud sons of Kubera and forces them to consider: who really owns the body? From Whitman's atoms to the yogic teaching "not me, not mine," we uncover the liberating truth that the body is a vehicle on loan, entrusted for a higher purpose. Along the way we also explore how sages wield the power to curse—and why those curses are often hidden blessings. Srim...

Sep 01, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 1663

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...

Aug 27, 202557 minEp. 1662

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, bu...

Aug 26, 202558 minEp. 1661

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 rep...

Aug 25, 202553 minEp. 1660

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 ...

Aug 20, 202556 minEp. 1659

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 u...

Aug 19, 202556 minEp. 1658

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 rascal...

Aug 18, 202558 minEp. 1657

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 possib...

Aug 14, 202556 minEp. 1656

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 k...

Aug 13, 20251 hrEp. 1655
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