JKP Literature

Bhakti Stories

Be Genuine - That’s Who He’s Waiting For

Once upon a time, there lived a potter in a small village. He earned an honest living by making clay pots. He had two pets at home - a dog and a donkey. Every morning, the dog used to bark to wake up his master. The barking of the dog

Bhakti Stories

Grace That Arrives Unannounced

Bhakta Purandaradasa, the “Karnataka Sangeeta Pitaamaha” (crest of the music –world of Karnataka), lived in the 17th century. The story of how he became a devotee of the Supreme Lord (bhakta) is very unusual and inspiring.  Srinivas Nayak was very opulent yet a great miser. He was a great devotee

Bhakti Stories

Judging Saints? That’s a Mortal Mistake

500 years back, the king of Jaipur desired to meet a saint. One of his ministers told him about saint Haridas, the most revered saint on earth at that time. The king decided to go and pay his respects to Him. The king wanted to take a very special gift

Bhakti Stories

Setting the Gold Standard in Humility

King Raghu, grandfather of Lord Shri Ram was a very respectable king of Avadh (current Ayodhya) dynasty. The subjects of his kingdom were very proud of their king Raghu due to his generosity. One day he, dressed as an ordinary man, was passing by through the village with the entourage.

Bhakti Stories

Redeemer of Sinners

Upliftment of Naoroji In a forest named Choranandi, there lived a notorious gang of robbers, headed by a merciless and violent robber named Naoroji. People were terrorized by the mere mention of his name. For this very reason, Mahaprabhu Chaitanya was advised by everyone to not pass through that forest,

Bhakti Stories

Taste the Nectar of Leelas, Don’t Tangle in Logic

During his descension in the human form in Treta Yug, Bhagwan Shree Ram performed several leelas. In one such leela Bhagwan Shree Ram is acting grief stricken since his virtuous wife Sita is missing. In despair, He is asking everyone including the animals of the forest, birds, plants, trees and

Bhakti Stories

Murali Ware Shyam Sundar Ki Jai!

Murali Ware Shyam Sundar Ki Jai… All Glories to The Dark Skinned Handsome One, Who holds the flute!!! The flute of Shri Krishna is so magical that the sound of His flute forcibly captures the attention of all deserving souls such as the Gopis of Braj. Although it is extremely

Bhakti Stories

When Gopashtami Prank Didn’t Go as Krishna Planned

Lord Sri Krishna descended as the son of mother Devaki and father Vasudev in a prison in Mathura. He descended in a jail for Kansa, cruel brother of Devaki, had imprisoned both of them. On a dark stormy night, Shri Krishna appeared in the jail in his divine form which

Bhakti Stories

The Immutable Nature of Saints: Forever Gracious

Once upon a time, there was a devout and saintly old man. Every morning he used to sit on the banks of river Yamuna for several hours to perform devotion to Lord Krishna. One morning, as the old man opened his eyes, after his daily prayer, he saw a scorpion

Bhakti Stories

Krishna’s Little Complaint: Why Am I Dark?

Today Shri Krishna is pleading with mother Yashoda to make him fair complexioned. Krishna – Maiya! Please make me light complexioned right now. All my friends tease me. They mock at Me, by clapping their hands and calling Me ‘Blacky Blacky’. I get very embarrassed. You produced both brother Balaram and

Bhakti Stories

How Krishna Outsmarted Aswathama to Save the Pandavas

This is a leela narration from the great epic Mahabharat, wherein the Supreme Lord performs seemingly understandable actions to protect His devotees. Enjoy!  It was the last day of the great battle of Mahabharata. All Kauravas except Duryodhana had been killed. In the face of death, Duryodhana approached his friend

Bhakti Stories

How One Soul Sparked Bhakti in an Entire Kingdom

King Ambarish was a pious devotee of Shri Krishna, for whom Krishna hurled the Sudarshan Chakra to destroy Durvasa Muni. Raja Ambarish had many wives, but he was not interested in worldly enjoyments. He was a competent and honest ruler. One young princess, who was in love with him and

Bhakti Stories

When God Broke His Vow

Before the beginning of the battle of Mahabharat, Lord Krishna took a vow that he will not lift a weapon during the battle. This vow was well known to everyone. Bhishma Pitamah was the commander in chief of the Kaurava army and was a God-realized saint. He also knew about

Bhakti Stories

Saints Always Forgive

Anastasias was the abbot of a monastery in Egypt. The monastery had a large collection of spiritual books. One of those books was a very precious, rare old volume, worth a fortune. One day a monk visiting the monastery saw the book and succumbing to temptation made off with it.

Bhakti Stories

Stop Trying to Please Everyone

One day a man was going to market with his son and his donkey. They met a couple on the way. "Why walk when you have a donkey to ride?" called out the husband, "seat the boy on the donkey." "I would like that,"

Bhakti Stories

Pranky Little Krishna

One day Baby Krishna was playing with Baby Radha. As usual Shri Krishna was defeated. Yet He was not ready to pay the wager of the game. Instead He tried to flee. Shri Radha caught Him by the arm and commented, "Where are You running away. Pay the wager&

Bhakti Stories

Devotional Humor

Once upon a time, there was a prince named Sudhanva. He was very religious and was a devotee of Shri Krishna. As per the tradition of his dynasty and kingdom all men were bound to have one wife only. Once, during Krishnaavtaar, when Shri Krishna and Arjun were travelling together

Bhakti Stories

Flawed Yet Favored: Why God Shows Us Mercy

A child - Didi Ji, why does God do Kripa on us, even when we do bad / wrong actions? Didi Ji - God is bestows mercy (Akaran Karun) no matter what happens. That is His by nature. Hence, God grants all the basic necessities such as air, water etc. to

Bhakti Stories

From the Same Dust - Why The Difference?

A Child - Didi Ji, You say that our body is made of soil, then why is it that some people are white, some are black and others are brown. Moreover, different parts of our body have different colors such as the color of our teeth is white, lips are

Bhakti Stories

Do Barbers Exist? A Witty Answer to Atheism

Suffering Exists—But So Does God. Here’s Proof. A man went to a barber shop to get a haircut. As the barber began to cut his hair, the two engaged in a social conversation. They spoke on several topics and discussed various subjects. Eventually they embarked on the subject

Bhakti Stories

Promise in the "Name of Ram"

Once upon a time, a couple was traveling on foot from Ayodhya to a village some 10 miles away. On their way, they met four travelers riding a bullock cart, traveling in the same direction. Seeing the couple on foot the travelers stopped by and asked the couple where they

Bhakti Stories

World is a Mirror

Once the disciples of Guru Dronacharya asked him, "How is that Yudhishtra is recognized as an embodiment of virtues and Duryodhana as a wicked man?" Guru Ji did not give any answer. Instead He called out Duryodhana and said, "O Duryodhana, go and seek a virtuous man&

Bhakti Stories

Looks Can be Deceptive

Sage Uddalaka ran a ashram where he taught teaching Vedic knowledge. Kahoda was one of his best disciples. Uddalaka was so pleased with him that he got his daughter Sujata married to him. In due course Sujata conceived a child and wanted to instill the Vedic knowledge in her child

Bhaktiyog

Bhakti is Extremely Difficult-to-Attain

In Bhakti Rasamrit Sindhu, Roop Goswami wrote - साघनौघैरनासंगैरलभ्या सुचिरादपि । हरिणा चाश्वदेयेति द्विधा सा अयात्सुदुर्लभा ॥ भक्तिरसामृतसिन्धु 1.1.35 sāghanaughairanāsaṁgairalabhyā sucirādapi । hariṇā

The nature of God

Is God selfish and vain?

Question Hiranyakashipu wanted everybody to worship him. Anyone who defied him was put to death. And so we say he was a vain, selfish and evil king. Whereas God says "worship only me and none other". And those who don't worship him are given a much