Best Kaustubha Das Podcasts (2025)

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1672: Rewiring the Inner World: Why Weren’t We Taught This in School? 59:45

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6h ago59:45

59:45

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…

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1671: We Become What We Behold: Choosing the Spiritual Tools That Shape Us 53:22

7h ago53:22

53:22

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? Fr…

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1670: Why We Can’t Stand Others’ Happiness: A Bhakti Perspective 56:42

1d ago56:42

56:42

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 sel…

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1669: Debate Without Hate: Some Thoughts After the Charlie Kirk Shooting 53:27

11h ago53:27

53:27

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 p…

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1668: Small Acts, Infinite Meaning | The Pinnacle of Vedānta in Simple Love 56:48

11h ago56:48

56:48

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…

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1667: Born to Give: How the Universe Trains the Soul 58:55

9d ago58:55

58:55

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),…

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1666: Modern Minds Stuck in Outrage Cycles — The Bhakti Exit Strategy 1:00:09

17h ago1:00:09

1:00:09

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 resen…

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1665: War & Peace & Bhakti: When Tolstoy’s Insight Meets Baby Krishna 1:00:00

15d ago1:00:00

1:00:00

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 tru…

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1664: The Price of Wealth and the Vision of the Yogi 1:00:23

7d ago1:00:23

1:00:23

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 timele…

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1663: Not Me, Not Mine: Walt Whitman & the Yogis Agree—Our Bodies Are On Loan 1:00:31

8d ago1:00:31

1:00:31

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, …

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1662: Krishna: Unlimited Brahman or Adorable Baby? A Paradox at the Heart of Vedānta 56:38

13d ago56:38

56:38

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 B…

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1661: Bhakti Means Love, and Love Overpowers All 57:47

27d ago57:47

57:47

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…

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1660: Reclaim Your Inner World: The Meditation of the Bhakti Yogis 53:07

18d ago53:07

53:07

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,…

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1659: 4 Counterintuitive Secrets of Happiness — From Yale to Vedānta 55:54

1M ago55:54

55:54

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 wis…

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1658: Krishna, the God of the Vedas, as the Most Adorable Boy 56:17

1M ago56:17

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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…

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1657: Is Krishna Immoral? Rumi, Krishna, & the Field Beyond Right & Wrong 58:05

1M ago58:05

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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 Kri…

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1656: Beyond Spiritual Complexity: The Simplicity of Divine Love 56:18

1M ago56:18

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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 han…

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1655: All Those Pieces Will Never Make You Whole 1:00:27

28d ago1:00:27

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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 Kau…

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1654: Krishna Miracles Meet Quantum Physics — Breaking Reality’s Rules 59:14

1M ago59:14

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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 …

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1653: The Yogic Science Behind Krishna’s Stories 53:59

1M ago53:59

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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 …

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1652: The Quiet Power of Integrity in Spiritual Life 54:04

1M ago54:04

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Raghunath and Kaustubha explore a bold truth drawn from the bhakti-yoga tradition and Ralph Waldo Emerson: that real spiritual power isn’t loud—it’s earned quietly through honesty, humility, and freedom from envy. They discuss how small, virtuous choices—especially when no one is watching—build a subtle force that gives one’s words and presence las…

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1651: Why Real Change Is So Hard (Even on a Spiritual Path) 56:37

2M ago56:37

56:37

Even on paths designed for deep transformation, we often resist the very changes that would liberate us. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore the symbolic meaning of the cart demon (Śakaṭāsura) from Krishna’s pastimes—and how it represents the dead weight we carry in the form of outdated beliefs, mechanical rituals, and spiritual pride.…

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1650: Daddy Issues on a Cosmic Scale? Bhakti’s Answer to Atheism & Impersonalism 1:05:03

1M ago1:05:03

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If your view of God is stuck in an outdated mold—cold, distant, or ready to punish—you might be long overdue for an upgrade. Raghunath and Kaustubha unpack how Krishna’s extraordinary affection cuts through both atheistic cynicism and impersonal detachment, replacing them with a vision of divine love. Through the story of Krishna and Pūtana, discov…

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1649: Overcoming the Fear of a Personal God 56:26

2M ago56:26

56:26

Beneath all our spiritual searching may lie a hidden fear: the fear of the personal Divine. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore how that fear hardens one’s hearts—limiting one to the impersonal paths of liberation that feel safe but ultimately empty. Through the texts like the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, we uncover how vulnerability isn’t weakn…

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1648: Rituals, Mantras & Love: The Healthiest Patterns for Human Life 1:03:20

2M ago1:03:20

1:03:20

Modern science meets bhakti wisdom: after 75 years of research, Harvard scientists concluded that good relationships—not wealth, fame, or even cholesterol—are the strongest predictor of long-term health and happiness. In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss how the bhakti tradition is built on the understanding that life is meant to soften…

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1647: Fake Gurus, Real Danger: The Line Between a Guide and a Manipulator 55:55

2M ago55:55

55:55

“There are more fake gurus and false teachers in this world than the number of stars in the visible universe.” In this episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore the subtle difference between a true spiritual guide and a manipulative pretender. Drawing from Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s insights on the Putana story …

Kaustubha Das Podcasts

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Wisdom of the Sages

Raghunath Cappo & Kaustubha Das

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1672: Rewiring the Inner World: Why Weren’t We Taught This in School? 59:45

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1671: We Become What We Behold: Choosing the Spiritual Tools That Shape Us 53:22

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1670: Why We Can’t Stand Others’ Happiness: A Bhakti Perspective 56:42

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1669: Debate Without Hate: Some Thoughts After the Charlie Kirk Shooting 53:27

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1668: Small Acts, Infinite Meaning | The Pinnacle of Vedānta in Simple Love 56:48

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1667: Born to Give: How the Universe Trains the Soul 58:55

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1666: Modern Minds Stuck in Outrage Cycles — The Bhakti Exit Strategy 1:00:09

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1665: War & Peace & Bhakti: When Tolstoy’s Insight Meets Baby Krishna 1:00:00

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1664: The Price of Wealth and the Vision of the Yogi 1:00:23

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1663: Not Me, Not Mine: Walt Whitman & the Yogis Agree—Our Bodies Are On Loan 1:00:31

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1662: Krishna: Unlimited Brahman or Adorable Baby? A Paradox at the Heart of Vedānta 56:38

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1661: Bhakti Means Love, and Love Overpowers All 57:47

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1660: Reclaim Your Inner World: The Meditation of the Bhakti Yogis 53:07

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1659: 4 Counterintuitive Secrets of Happiness — From Yale to Vedānta 55:54

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1658: Krishna, the God of the Vedas, as the Most Adorable Boy 56:17

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1657: Is Krishna Immoral? Rumi, Krishna, & the Field Beyond Right & Wrong 58:05

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1656: Beyond Spiritual Complexity: The Simplicity of Divine Love 56:18

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1655: All Those Pieces Will Never Make You Whole 1:00:27

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1654: Krishna Miracles Meet Quantum Physics — Breaking Reality’s Rules 59:14

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1653: The Yogic Science Behind Krishna’s Stories 53:59

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1652: The Quiet Power of Integrity in Spiritual Life 54:04

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1651: Why Real Change Is So Hard (Even on a Spiritual Path) 56:37

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1650: Daddy Issues on a Cosmic Scale? Bhakti’s Answer to Atheism & Impersonalism 1:05:03

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1649: Overcoming the Fear of a Personal God 56:26

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1648: Rituals, Mantras & Love: The Healthiest Patterns for Human Life 1:03:20

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1647: Fake Gurus, Real Danger: The Line Between a Guide and a Manipulator 55:55