This is a 3-three-part interview done for Aastha TV (A spiritual TV network in India). Deep philosophical questions answered in an easy-to-understand manner by HDG Srīla B.S. Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj. Discussions covered include: Is God relevant today? What is nature? Is spiritualism a science? Are there many gods? Why are there so much miseries in the world? Is God a Person? Are Hindus’ idol worshippers? Why do we need a guru? Are we the body? Who is the inner self? What are the four major sins? The importance of Bhagavad-Geeta. What is the ultimate goal of life? The flawed notion of starting spiritual practice after retirement. The importance of chanting Hari-nāma. Highly recommended for students, executives and all spiritual seekers.

The Vedas are a large body of knowledge. Each Veda is divided into three sections — Karma-kāṇḍa (duties to perform), Upāsanā-kāṇḍa (demigod worship) and Jñāna-kāṇḍa (knowledge portion comprising Upaniṣads), making up 70%, 20% and 10% of the Veda, respectively. The Śrī Īśopaniṣad, consisting of 18 mantras, is considered the jewel among all the Upaniṣads. Includes the original Sanskrit recitation, English translation and detailed explanations.

The human form of life is meant to purify our consciousness and attain liberation from the entanglements of material desires. Śrī Kapiladeva (an incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa) instructs His mother Śrīmatī Devahūti on how to follow this path of liberation. (From Canto 3 of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam)

Śrī Gurvāṣṭaka [Glories of the Spiritual Master]: This is a notable Sanskrit song consisting of eight stanzas composed by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura (1638 - 1708), a great ācārya (spiritual preceptor) in the Brahma-Mādhva-Gauḍīya- sampradāya (disciplic succession). The prayers describe the glorious qualities and activities of a topmost spiritual master and how a disciple honours his spiritual master. He said that one who, with great care and attention, loudly recites this Gurvāṣṭaka to his spiritual master during the brāhma- muhūrta obtains direct service to the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of Vṛndāvana, at the time of his death. Śrīla Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsadeva has written in the Padma Purāṇa that unless one formally accepts initiation in one of the four authorised sampradāyas, his chanting of mantras would not yield any result. In this class, HDG Srīla B.S.Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj most mercifully reveals the confidential topic of Guru-tattva, the foremost tattva (spiritual truth) a spiritual aspirant must acquaint with as his entire spiritual life depends on it. Most spiritual candidates overlook the importance of this tattva and end up with a bogus guru. Actually, there is no spiritual life without a proper spiritual master. You will learn, among other things, the ontological position of a guru of the highest order (uttama-adhikārī), how Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, dwelling in the heart as Paramātmā, makes the necessary arrangement for a sincere spiritual seeker to meet his guru, etc. A very important class for every spiritual student.

Śrī Śikṣāṣṭaka A 16th century prayer of eight verses composed in the Sanskrit language by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (1486 – 1534). Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is none other than Supreme Lord of Lords Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, appeared as His devotee in West Bengal, India. The eight verses of the Śikṣāṣṭaka are the only verses personally written by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The name of the prayer comes from  the Sanskrit words Śikṣā, meaning 'instruction', and aṣṭaka, meaning 'consisting of eight parts', i.e., stanzas. The eight verses contain the essence of all teachings on bhakti-yoga within the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition.

Śrī Upadeśāmṛta [The Nectar of Instruction]: Written in the Sanskrit language by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī in the 16th century, the Upadeśāmṛta consists of 11 essential lessons on the science of bhakti-yoga. Topics covered include: How to choose a guru, how to practice yoga, etc. Includes the original Sanskrit recitation, English translation and detailed explanations.

The Bhagavad-gītā, also known as Gītopaniṣad, is the essence of all Vedic knowledge and is one of the most important Upaniṣads in the Vedic literature. The Bhagavad-gītā is a discourse between Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord of lords, and His friend and devotee, Arjuna. This is the only scripture in the world spoken by God, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Himself. Spoken at the onset of the Kurukṣetra war some 50 centuries ago, the Bhagavad-gītā contains 18 chapters with 700 verses elucidating the nature of consciousness, the self, the universe, karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, knowledge of the absolute, attaining the supreme, devotional service, the opulence of the supreme, etc. This greatest philosophical dialogue ever known to mankind is now presented in the modern English language, complete with the original Sanskrit recitation, English translation and elaborate explanations.

The saintly King Kulaśekhara authored Mukunda-mālā-stotra in Sanskrit language, consisting of 53 verses (poems) eulogising Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (Mukunda is an exclusive name for Kṛṣṇa). King Kulaśekhara hails from the Śrī-sampradāya, the Vaiṣṇava disciplic succession coming from Lord Viṣṇu's divine consort, Śrī. He is the 10th of the 12 Śrī Vaiṣṇava Ālvārs from South India. King Kulaśekhara ruled in the Chera dynasty of Malaināḍu (Kerala). Modern scholars say he may have lived during the 9th century A.D. Now you can hear this masterpiece in the English language. Includes the original Sanskrit recitation, English translation and elaborate explanations.

The Śrī Brahma-saṁhita comprises the prayers of Lord Brahmā to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa just before Lord Brahmā created this material universe. Śrī Brahma-saṁhita is the foundational scripture for the Brahmā-Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya. Of the many chapters of this literature, only the fifth chapter of the fifth canto was discovered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (1486 – 1534) at the Ādi-keśava Temple in Tiruvattar, Kerala, India, in the 16th century. In the fifth chapter, Lord Brahmā, the first living entity in this universe, with a lifespan of 311,040,000,000,000 earth years, describes Lord Kṛṣṇa's abode and His activities. Brahmā also, among other things, describes the position and duties of other personalities namely Sūrya, Śambhu (Śiva), Durgā and Gaṇeśa in this cosmic administration. Includes the original Sanskrit recitation, English translations and detailed explanations.

In CANTO 1, "CREATION", 60,000 topmost Vedic scholars (Brahmarṣi) who had mastered the Vedic literatures are looking for the correct method to master the art of living, devoid of all miseries. They find all the answers by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī. Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī speaks on the principles of creation and describes the conversations between Mahārāja Parīksit who asks Śukadeva Gosvāmī the duty of a person who is facing imminent death.

In CANTO 2, "THE COSMIC MANIFESTATION", Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī answers the questions posed by Mahārāja Parīksit in Canto 1. Mahārāja Parīksit, upon hearing the answers, asks further questions on the process of creation. This includes questions by Śrīla Nārada Muni to Lord Brahmā, the first living being in this universe, and answers by Lord Brahmā. Canto 2 has 10 chapters covering, among others, the process of creation, the cause of all causes, scheduled incarnations with specific functions, etc.

In CANTO 3, "THE STATUS QUO", Mahārāja Parīksit asks Śukadeva Gosvāmī to describe the discussions between Saint Vidura and His Grace Maitreya Muni. Canto 3 comprises 33 chapters covering topics such as the manifestation of Brahmā from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the calculation of time from the atom, a description of the Kingdom of God, the battle between Lord Varāha, the boar incarnation, and the demon Hiraṇyākṣa, the marriage of Kardama Muni to Devahūti, fundamental principles of material nature, understanding material nature, explanation of devotional service by Lord Kapila, etc.

In CANTO 4, "CREATION OF THE FOURTH ORDER", Maitreya Muni continues discussions with Vidura. The 31 chapters in Canto 4 cover, among other things, the secondary creation by Lord Brahmā and the Manus, who work perpetually under the order of Lord Kṛṣṇa, descriptions of the three daughters of Svāyambhuva Manu and their descendants, sacrifices performed by King Dakṣa, the activities of Mahārāja Dhruva and the activities of King Pṛthu and the Pracetās.

In CANTO 5, "THE CREATIVE IMPETUS", King Parīksit inquires from Śukadeva Gosvāmī about King Priyavrata's life history. In response, Sukadeva Goswami narrates a conversation between Lord Brahmā and King Priyavrata. The 26 chapters in the canto cover topics such as the activities of King Priyavrata, King Āgnīdhra and King Bharata, a description of Jambūdvīpa, the descent of River Ganges, the structure of the universe, the movement of the sun, orbits of the planets, the Śiśumāra planetary systems, the subterranean heavenly planets and the description of hellish planets.

In CANTO 6, "PRESCRIBED DUTIES FOR MANKIND", King Parīksit, after hearing about the dynasties of the different kings in the previous cantos and various planetary systems and hellish planets, inquires from Śukadeva Gosvāmī on how human beings may be saved from having to enter hellish conditions where they suffer terrible pains. In the canto’s 19 chapters, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes the protection given by the Lord when one performs devotional service. Topics include the history of the life of Ajāmila, Yamarāja's instructions to his messengers, how Indra offended his spiritual master, Brhaspati, the battle between the demigods and the demon Vṛtrāsura, Mother Pārvatī’s curse on King Citraketu, etc.

In CANTO 7, "THE SCIENCE OF GOD", King Parīksit, after hearing explanations in Canto 6, finds it surprising how the impartial Lord acts like a common man and kills Indra's enemies. He requests Śukadeva Gosvāmī to provide evidence that Nārāyana is always neutral and equal to everyone. Comprising 15 chapters, the canto covers, among other things, the story of the demon King Hiraṇyakaśipu and his saintly son, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Lord Nṛsiṁha slaying Hiraṇyakaśipu, the perfect society comprising four social classes and four spiritual classes, the behaviour of a perfect person, ideal family life and instructions for civilised beings.