The Indian Wisdom Podcast

Fascinating and far-reaching conversation with art historian and illustrator Alisa Lozhkina on her new translation of the Devī Māhātmya into Ukrainian – a global first.

Hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a …

Why did the ancients revere nature? Who did Western traditions demonize that very nature veneration as ‘pagan’? Hear an ancient Indian tale which parallels our modern ecological crisis, and insights …

Why does Shiva dance destruction at the end of the age? Why does he do so in a state of bliss? Learn about the cyclical vision of the universe transformed by the union of Śiva and Śakti, the divine T…

Why does Śiva have a blue throat? It’s because of the venom which emerged from churning the cosmic ocean, venom which he neither spit out nor swallowed. What did he do with it, and what can this teac…

Why is a dog the vehicle of Bhairava, Śiva’s embodied wrath? Why does Yudhiṣṭhira insist on a dog accompanying him to heaven? Invoking ferocity and friendship alike, learn the wide range of canine as…

Because of stubbornness, Gālava is tasked with the impossible: procuring 800 white horses each with a single black ear as a gift to his guru Viśvāmitra.  Hear how the impossible is made possible by t…

Listen in as Dr. Raj sets the stage for the epic conversation between the master marksman Arjuna and his divine charioteer Kṛṣṇa comprising the Bhagavad Gītā. Learn what this teaches your about ‘meet…

Why do traditional Indian teachers test their students?  Is this about power, or something else? What is gained by jumping through such hoops? Hear the tale of Dhaumya and the tests he issues to thre…

Can wrath be righteous? Can decapitation be divine? Hear the tale of when Śiva decapitates the Creator himself in order to teach him an important lesson.

Hosted by Dr. Raj Balkaran, a Sanskrit schola…

This episode unpacks the rich symbology in the gods causing Śiva to spill his sacred seed in order to father Kārttikeya, General of the Celestial Army.  What can we learn about sacred masculine, sacr…

Gaṇeśa receives his elephant head as a replacement for his original, decapitated head at the hands of Śiva. What insights about the spiritual quest can we glean from this prima facia gruesome tale?

H…

Play is no mundane thing. It elicits joy (ānanda), which, according to the ancients is part and parcel of the divine presence. Indeed, all the world is even understood as the play of the divine (līlā…

We have a special episode for you this week in celebration for the upcoming holiday associated with Sunday's full moon, Gur Pūrṇimā. Learn the story of a sage who mastered Vedic texts but needed to l…

Hear the tale of how Indra, King of Gods, defeats the serpent demon Vṛtra with the help of the great Sage Dadīchi, and his energized bones! This story is embodied in the yoga posture Vajrāsana (thund…

Hear of the epic feud between Vasiṣṭha, best of sages, and king Viśvāmitra over the wish-fulfilling cow, and learn what it teaches about integrate social and spiritual selves.

The Indian Wisdom Podca…

When young, Hanumān mistakes the rising Sun for a ripe mango, and flies to heaven to devour it.  He later realizes that this hunger was actually a thirst for spiritual knowledge and seeks out the Sun…

Why is Hanumān so powerful? Why is he ever chaste and without consort?  Hear the wisdom he learned from his mother about the power of the feminine force.

The Indian Wisdom Podcast is released weekly …

Why does Rāma abandon Sītā after fighter so hard to win her back?  What role does separation play in the Rāmāyaṇa? What can it teach you about how to deal with separation in your own life?

The Indian…

Hear the tale of the great sage Vālmīki and the painful process whereby he births Sanskrit verse, with which he composes the story of Rāma.

The Indian Wisdom Podcast is released weekly and covers tra…