Shreemad Bhagavat Katha in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

From July 3rd to 9th of 2004, Pujya Shree Bhupendrabhai Pandya (Bhai Shree) graced the Baton Rouge community and visitors with his presence. Not only is he appealing to elders and intellectuals, but also to everyone of all ages. The way he interprets his knowledge is in a straightforward manner, which helps people see their lives in a whole new light. This was the first time Bhai Shree came to Baton Rouge, and we all hope for him to visit us again and enlighten us with his wisdom. He has made an impact on all of us who were fortunate enough to attend his discourses. This event was sponsored by the Modha Parivar for their parents, the late Mohanlal and Maniben Modha.

Many aspects of our daily lives were viewed upon in a different manner by all of us due to Bhai Shree’s knowledge. Actions and decisions we all made or make in our lives that we seem not to put much thought into were now seen in a more in-depth way. Lets look at a few now that were addressed by Bhai Shree.

1. The first one, I would like to take notice of is that many of us start praying to God when problems arise and/or we are unhappy in our lives, when in reality praying should be a daily activity and our top priority. Praying is a necessity like breathing and
eating. Also, we should not bargain with God for materialistic and/or personal gain as many of us do.

2. The second aspect was asked in a form of a question which was “who’s I?”. The supreme reality
to this question is all people are is their soul. A person’s physical features, personality, and success in life do not define who they really are although it may seem this way.

3. The third aspect was also asked in a form of a question which was “what characteristics define a religious person?”. The answer was a person who does not have jealousy present in himself/herself.

4. The fourth aspect was about people’s focus in life. The biggest problem with today’s generation is the ability to not focus.

5. The fifth aspect was about death. Death is a necessity in life although it is unbearable to loose a loved one. Every six seconds there is a new birth, and in order for the world to be able to hold everyone, death must be present.

6. The sixth aspect was involved with avoiding conflict in marriage. Actions dealing with the head should be left to men and emotions to females. Every lady has self-esteem, which is high, while a man is high on ego. A man will tolerate disliking a person and not showing it, but if a woman dislikes someone, it will be known because acting as if she does is intolerable for her.

7. The seventh aspect was all problems in life can be found in the Bhagavatam
and Bhagavad Gita. Reading, understanding, and knowing both of them will help anyone find solutions to their problems. Understanding them will give a clearer picture of our Indian culture.

8. The eight aspect was about the meaning of the katha. God had recognized a true brahmin which is what this katha is meant for and is doing. Bhai Shree also addressed issues concerning family values and what unites a family.

9. The last aspect I would like to address is what unites a family. They are bhojan, bhajan, and bhashan.

   a. Bhojan is eating together

   b. Bhajan is praying daily

   c. Bhashan is parents speaking to their children.

If these three things are present in a family, nothing can break them.

Something else Bhai Shree addressed was concerning Lord Krushna and understanding Him. All youngsters seem to have an unclear understanding about Krushna, which became clear after Bhai Shree’s interpretations. He explained that Krushna is beyond lust, anger, and greed, which are the three gates to the underworld. Krushna’s marriage to Rukhmini proves that he is beyond lust. He is beyond anger and greed because he was not angry with the villagers when he found out none of the children were receiving butter (makhan) to eat. Also, when he helped the villagers make more butter by giving his advice on treating the cows in a kinder, respectful way, and they continued to not give butter to the children, still He was not mad. If he was greedy, he would have wanted the villagers to make more money, but instead he stole the butter to feed to the children in the village which decreased the chances of the village to become richer. Another unclear matter about Krushna was about Krushna and the Gopis. Although they are in a gender form, in actuality they are not gender based. Krushna is not a male, and the Gopis are not females.

All seven- day discourses were very interesting and captivating thanks to Bhai Shree. The birth of Lord Krushna and the wedding of Rukhmini and Lord Krushna further increased the attention of everyone. Both of the events seemed like the Lord Krushna himself was present at the katha. Pujya Shree Bhupendrabhai made an impact on all of us, and we all enjoyed him. Not only has he touched all of us, but he has given us a new perspective to look at our own lives. His advice and wisdom will always be remembered and cherished, and we sincerely thank him.