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The Bhagavata Podcast
The Bhagavata Podcast invites listeners on an engaging journey through the Bhagavata Purana, more commonly known as the Srimad Bhagavatam. Each episode features conversations between scholars, many of whom are also practitioners, as they reflect on and analyze a chapter of this text together. The podcast offers a unique blend of academic rigor and personal insight, providing fresh perspectives that illuminate the beauty and uniqueness of the Bhagavatam.
In each episode, host Dr. Måns Broo, an esteemed scholar and Gaudiya Vaishnava practitioner, invites expert guests to reflect on a chapter of the Bhagavata Purana. Following a linear progression through the text, the discussions explore the philosophical, theological, and literary dimensions of the Bhagavatam, offering both traditional insights and modern academic interpretations. This thoughtful approach enables listeners to journey through the Bhagavata Purana chapter by chapter, uncovering the intricate teachings of this work.
The Bhagavata Podcast is an initiative supported by the Gaudiya Studies Research Programme of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, furthering the mission of connecting living traditions with academic exploration.
The Bhagavata Podcast
1.12 Birth of Emperor Pariksit with Jayananda Das
In this episode of the Bhagavata Podcast, Bhrigupada Dasa (Dr. Mans Broo) is joined by Jayananda Dasa (Dr. Janne Kontala) to unpack the 12th Chapter of the First Canto. Their conversation follows two intertwined arcs: Yudhishthira’s preparation to leave the world and ensure stable leadership after him, and the auspicious rise of Parikshit, protected in the womb by Krishna and poised to become both exemplary ruler and ideal listener of the Bhagavata. They explore the text’s concern about leaderless societies, the pedagogy of praising kings with classical exemplars, and how viraha (longing) and milana (meeting) shape the canto’s rhythm as Krishna arrives and departs.
Drawing on yoga philosophy and worldview studies, Jayananda explores samskaras (formative impressions), the social dimensions of ritual, and the debate over fate and free will. The discussion shows how the Bhagavata preserves meaningful agency even when destiny is foretold. From sacred geography and “the north” as a liminal threshold, to Parikshit’s prenatal darshan and the insight that enlightenment experiences should fuel, not finish, a life of devotion, this chapter comes into sharp, practical focus for contemporary seekers.
Chapters
00:00: Invocation & welcome
01:03: Guest introduction: Jayananda Dasa (Dr. Janne Kontala)
01:20: Two threads: Yudhishthira’s future planning and reckoning with the past
04:44: Successor pedagogy: establishing Parikshit as a fit interlocutor
06:55: Leaderless anxiety in the Bhagavata, then and now
09:38: Dharma and basic needs: why stability supports spiritual life
13:12: Renouncing power: ideal kings vs historical rarity
17:43: “The Birth of Emperor Parikshit”: protection in the womb and lifelong longing
22:27: Viraha-bhakti: when vision comes first and practice deepens after
27:06: Training by exemplars: why astrologers praise future kings
30:27: Predestination vs agency: scripture, karma, and the “labyrinth” analogy
39:19: Seven days to live: how the Bhagavata preserves meaningful choice
42:48: Sacred geography: heading north and crossing dimensions
47:28: Krishna’s comings and goings: longing and meeting in Canto One
48:23: Verse highlights: signs, lineages, and the hint of prior lives
53:02: Samskaras as social spirituality: rites that shape persons and communities
56:38: Closing reflections