In the divine abode of the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas (JKYog’s Official US Headquarters), a sacred wave of devotion swept through hearts during the Bhakti Kirtan Retreat with Swami Mukundananda.
While any Kirtan Retreat is a treat for the soul, when it is in the blissful presence of Shree Swami Mukundananda, the Braj Ras, or the divine nectar of the love of Shree Radha Krishna, pours on participants in inexplicable ways. For a few unforgettable days from April 18 to 20, 2025, time seemed to pause, and souls bathed in an ocean of bhakti, wisdom, and divine grace. The constant flow of Braj Ras with nuggets of wisdom was like sweet spring showers that blossom the flowers or the cool breeze that soothes the trees on a moonlit night.
A Divine Ambiance Beyond Words
The exquisitely beautiful Radha Krishna Temple stood resplendent, glowing with a special radiance during the retreat. From the moment one stepped onto the temple grounds early in the morning, the air itself felt surcharged with spiritual energy — the vibrant sounds of Naam Sankirtan in the voice of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, the affectionate greetings from volunteers, and the anticipation visible in the hearts of all the devotees waiting for an opportunity to offer their respects to Swamiji – all signaled the beginning of an extraordinary experience.
The Temple, already a sanctuary of love and service throughout the year, was transformed into a veritable Vrindavan during these days, where every corner – from post to pillar, from the ceiling to the floor, the beautiful backdrop and decorations, and every musical note emanated the names of the divine personalities represented within. The most awe-inspiring Prayer Hall with a sky-like ceiling, exquisite paintings depicting soulful kirtans by Shree Maharajji, the elegant decorations, and the indescribable beauty of the divine deities, made it an ideal location for the devotion-filled retreat.
Beyond the divine ambience were the most heartwarming events that created the sweetest of memories for all in-person participants, especially Swamiji’s Pad Vyakhyas.
Swamiji’s Pad Vyakhyas: A Sacred Journey on the Path of Wisdom and Love
One of the greatest highlights of the Bhakti Kirtan Retreat was when Swamiji lovingly unveiled the deeper philosophical meaning hidden within the kirtans composed by Shree Maharajji. Each pad kirtan became a gateway into the mysteries of divine love, humility, selfless devotion, and meditation. Swamiji sang three beautiful Pad Kirtans with a deep explanation, however, we present a short excerpt for each.
Dayamaya! Aba to Daya Karo — A Cry for Divine Mercy and Grace
This beautiful pad kirtan is from the Dainya Madhuri, which emphasizes devotional humility while becoming aware of one’s defects like pride and hypocrisy.
Swamiji described the sentiments that a true devotee should possess because it is the heartfelt plea of every struggling soul. As material beings, we are covered in ignorance, but worse, we are unaware of the limitations. Our intellect possesses all kinds of mental afflictions like anger, harmful desires, greed, etc., but we do not know how to get rid of them. We engage in Sadhana thinking that our spiritual aspirations will enable us to eliminate the mental afflictions, but when they do not, we realize the limitations of the material mind, intellect, and senses. Then, we beg God for divine grace.
We have learned from the Saints that only when we believe God to be the means and the end, we will realize that God can be attained only through His grace. We are in the most pitiable state, yet, filled with the pride of doership and material sources of identification, we do not consider ourselves to be pathetic. That is the reason, the fallen soul, upon realizing this situation, says, “O merciful Lord, I need Your divine grace. Please ignore my endless flaws and shower Your causeless grace upon me because my sadhan is not enough to earn Your grace. You operate on Your Law of Grace because You are infinitely compassionate.”
Swamiji lovingly highlighted that Shree Maharajji teaches us here to humbly acknowledge our pride and ignorance, and then surrender by aligning our will with the will of God. We must trust that God and His saints can dissolve even the hardest of our inner resistances. The soul admits to ignorance due to pride and a lack of faith in living God-realized saints. Despite countless faults, the soul pleads to the merciful Lord for faith needed to attain Him by eliminating pride, knowing that His grace depends solely on His infinite compassion, not on its worthiness (because there is none).
The burning in the fire of material sorrows can only be extinguished when we receive the priceless treasure of selfless love for God's pure and divine lotus feet. Swamiji emphasizes that God is Dayamaya – made of mercy. He does not see our faults if we approach Him with sincerity. When He graces a soul, He eliminates Maya, i.e., removes all material gunas, endless karmas, purifies the mind, and confers divine love.
Pathika Tuma, Itano Kahiyo Jaaya — The Mother’s Boundless Love
This beautiful pad kirtan is from the Virah Madhuri, which emphasizes the sentiments of the deep and intense pain of separation from the beloved God. Such lofty feelings characterize the devotee’s regret about the inability to serve God with loving devotion for His pleasure. This bhav is rooted in total selflessness without any reciprocal expectations of receiving anything from God.
Through this tender composition, Swamiji brought to life Mother Yashoda's Vatsalya Bhav, her aching heart, and yearning for the return of her divine child, Krishna. She was filled with regret for her natural maternal behavior toward her child (e.g., scolding and other actions). She did not love Shree Krishna in Aishwariya bhav, but as “her own” loving child. Swamiji beautifully explained that in madhur bhakti, God masks His Aishwariya, making it possible for devotees to develop a loving relationship and think of Him as “theirs.”
Even worldly parents experience the pain of separation when their children leave home to go to college or work elsewhere. In comparison, Mother Yashoda’s love is infinitely selfless and unconditional. Each line of this touching kirtan explains her sentiments as she converses with a traveler who would go to Mathura from Braj. She told him to communicate her regret to Krishna and urge Him to return home.
Yashoda communicated to the traveler how she scolded Krishna when He did something wrong, how she tied Him up to the mortar wheel, how she stopped Him from stealing butter, and also from eating mud. She wondered about what else she had done to turn Krishna away from Braj. She also told the traveler to tell Krishna that she would stop others in the future if they said something nasty to Him. In the end, she said that Krishna could think of her as a surrogate mother if He found His birth mother in Mathura. She would make peace with it if only He would return home one time. Saying this to the traveler, she started wailing loudly in grief and pain of separation.
Explaining each line, Swamiji shared heart-warming pastimes of the occasions when Mother Yashoda expressed her anger toward her adorable little child. There are numerous takeaways from Swamiji’s explanation of these divine leelas. We share a few of the most poignant ones here:
- As per God’s Law of Love, He reciprocates the love of His devotees to the exact level and extent to which they relate to Him. He can be the master (like with Daruk), friend (like with Dhansukh or Mansukh), child (like with Yashoda), or the soul beloved (like with the Gopis).
- God’s Aishwariya Shakti was not allowed to enter Braj, where all the devotees related to Shree Krishna in various devotional bhavs, but perceived Him as their own. If She made an appearance to protect the Lord, as She did when Shree Krishna was about to be beaten up by Mother Yashoda, He told Her to leave immediately. God is not pleased by vaidy bhakti, which is for the karmkandis. He is pleased by Raganuga bhakti, where selfless love dominates, not the rituals. However, Yashoda’s love was beyond this to a higher level of Ragatmika bhakti. Even Narad ji wondered about the type of sadhana she did to be blessed to be the mother of the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna.
- There is a risk in worshipping God in Aishwariya bhav. If we think of Him as the creator and Almighty, we will be inclined toward vaidy bhakti and start praying for the fulfillment of our selfish worldly desires. However, if we think about “How can I make Him happy?” and perceive Him as “mine,” our devotion will be for His pleasure and lead to selfless love for God.
Swamiji explained that selfless love symbolizes the purest form of unconditional love that every devotee must strive for. No matter how many mistakes we make, the ever compassionate God patiently waits for us to turn toward Him in longing.
Hearing Swamiji’s words, the hearts of many devotees welled up in tears, having been transported to Braj, witnessing Mother Yashoda’s sorrow. When the Pad Vyakhya was over, seeing the teary eyes of many parents who thought about when or why they scolded their children, or felt the pain of separation, the ever compassionate Guru turned around the entire hall’s energy with a mesmerizing Hamaro Gopala Naam-Sankirtan, filled with divine energy!
Then, Swamiji, in His unique style, got up from his Asana with a portable mic and started dancing and singing with full abandon (see the glimpses video at the end)! Every single soul in the Prayer Hall was mesmerized and filled with boundless joy seeing Swamiji’s energy with no sign of breathlessness or exhaustion! Everyone started singing and dancing along, feeling the euphoria of divine bliss!
Ending with a powerful Jaikar that melted and elated even the hardest of hearts, Swamiji left everyone in a daze! That’s what divine energy is like! No one wanted to leave the hall to go home. Devotees stayed as long as Swamiji was there, soaking in every drop of divine bliss!
Dharu Nandanandan Ko Dhyan Re — The Art of Meditative Absorption
Swamiji beautifully delved into the secrets of spiritual sadhana with the help of this kirtan. He said that we all have a sadhya or a goal, whether it is to attain God, purify the mind, attach it to God, or detach it from the material world. These goals require sadhana. We cannot attain the goal without sadhan bhakti, which is needed to help us prepare the vessel of the heart, to make it suitable for receiving divine grace. We have to work hard for it and practice it repeatedly until we become proficient in bhakti. Swamiji explained how the mind could be trained to attach to God and detach from the world. However, if we become lazy or uninspired, the alternative is to rotate in the endless cycle of life and death – not the best option for a soul hungry for God. So, sadhana is a must!
How can we attach the mind to God? Devotees want to meditate on God but do not know how, not having seen His form. They wish to get God’s bliss to enable them to do sadhana. Swamiji explained that they would have to take a leap of faith by listening to the words of saints and scriptures that describe God’s forms and start their sadhana practice.
Shree Krishna’s form is so exquisitely beautiful that even Brahma ji, Vishnu ji, and Shankar ji are mesmerized. Swamiji narrated various pastimes to illustrate this point. So, we too must do Shree Krishna’s Roop Dhyan by focusing on His divine attributes, using it as a basis for love and devotion. It does not matter how we do sadhana – the important thing is to keep the mind attached to Him.
Through this exquisite kirtan, Swamiji guided everyone into the art of Roop Dhyan – visualizing and meditating upon Shree Krishna’s enchanting form. Every word of the pad kirtan painted His divine beauty – the mischievous glances that pierce the heart, the peacock feather on His crown, the stick on His shoulder, the flowing peetambar, and the alluring gait that even puts to shame the majestic strides of a royal elephant. Swamiji also gave other options for Roop Dhyan besides those in the lyrics of the kirtan, leaving people with tools to enhance their sadhana.
We can imagine these attributes to attach the mind to Him. God is causelessly merciful, so He accepts our sadhana in any way we choose. Through vivid contemplation with a loving bhav, the mind becomes immersed in transcendental sweetness, leaving no room for worldly thoughts. When devotees get to the point of complete surrender, then God/Guru blesses them with divine love. Then they see God everywhere in His true form – no imagination needed anymore.
Devotees also gained divine knowledge from Swamiji when He provided explanations of kirtans sung by the devotees.
The Nectar of Devotee Kirtans Made Special by Swamiji’s Loving Participation
One other moving feature of the Bhakti Kirtan Retreat was the soulful singing by devotees. They offered their hearts to God/Guru’s Lotus Feet through their voices. The Prayer Hall resonated with sweet melodies that were like collective prayers.
What made these kirtans extraordinary was Swamiji’s loving engagement. As devotees sang, Swamiji, at just the right moment, would start singing along and then provide profound insights into the meaning of the verses, placing them in the right philosophical and emotional context. He lovingly connected each kirtan to scriptural wisdom and our personal journeys toward God. Even seemingly simple lines took on new life when explained through the lens of divine love, surrender, or remembrance of God.
Swamiji often rose from His seat and went to the altar with raised arms, chanting alongside, and inspiring everyone. At times, He walked down the center aisle, gently encouraging the congregation. His presence made each kirtan feel personal. In that sacred space, chanting and singing became a meditation, listening became absorption, and the kirtans became expressions of uniting the mind with the divine.
Under Swamiji’s loving guidance, the retreat centered around the most profound soul-stirring kirtans, rich in philosophical meaning and divine longing to reach the spiritual depths that would transform souls. They were an eye-opener for many. He lovingly unraveled the inner spiritual significance hidden in the verses of the precious compositions by Shree Maharajji. The inherent nectar is indescribable.
As the melodious kirtans echoed through the sacred Prayer Hall, Swamiji transported every heart from the external melodies into the inner realms of devotion and divine philosophy. Each kirtan became a doorway to sweeter surrender, deeper longing, and blissful Roop Dhyan meditation.
The kirtan sessions were not mere singing—they were spiritual journeys where every note, every percussion beat, and every heartfelt cry took the soul higher. Swamiji himself sang and danced with childlike innocence and divine abandon, infusing the entire hall with infectious energy and joy. His presence awakened dormant emotions of longing, surrender, and bliss, leaving participants overwhelmed by inspiration and bliss.
Memorable Moments Etched in Hearts
In addition to the kirtans, the retreat featured a variety of other devotional and fun activities that deepened the experience. The retreat bloomed into a vibrant celebration of community and creativity, each woven with bhakti and joy:
- Sita Ram Abhishek: A beautiful offering by Swamiji and the devotees, expressing devotion through mantras, chants, and the ceremonial bathing of Sita-Ram idols with sacred ingredients.
- Wisdom from Shree Maharajji's Videos: Each morning, participants were privileged to receive gems of knowledge and bhakti revealed through rare video snippets of Shree Maharajji. These gems added a layer of reverence for spiritual knowledge and practical wisdom.
- Guided Meditation: Swamiji gently led participants into Roop Dhyan meditation to connect with God’s beautiful pastimes. These dynamic meditations helped participants internalize the devotional sentiments experienced through kirtans.
- Q&A with Swamiji: Another priceless opportunity for devotees was to ask burning questions and receive Swamiji’s practical, compassionate, and deeply insightful answers, touching on philosophy, daily living, and spiritual growth.
- Mehfil: A lively devotional talent showcase where participants offered devotional songs and dances, as heartfelt offerings to God/Guru. The energy was electrifying, and each act echoed the love of the devotees.
- Ram Leela: On short notice, a group of enthusiastic devotees came together to present a beautiful dramatization of selected key moments from the Ramayan. The skit moved the audience to tears and joy, highlighting Lord Shree Ram’s divine virtues, the compassion of Mother Sita, the sacrifice of Kaikeyi, and the gems of wisdom taught by Swamiji in His divine discourses.
- Interactive Activities: Large groups of devotees formed teams and competed in friendly, spiritually themed activities that tested their knowledge in fun ways. The spirit of laughter, learning, and bonding filled the room!
- Daily Aarti: Aartis were a serene experience, as all devotees gathered twice a day before the deities of Shree Radha Krishna, Shree Sita Ram, and Shree Maharajji. The Temple glowed with divine energy as hearts melted in the rhythmic chanting.
Each moment at these special activities at the Bhakti Kirtan Retreat seemed tailor-made by the divine to lead souls closer to their true home.
Meals of Love and Grace
Even the simple act of eating meals turned into a spiritual experience during the retreat. Mealtimes became extensions of Satsang as Swamiji lovingly walked through the dining areas, connecting with devotees, engaging in conversation, and offering affectionate glances and support to devotees.
Many first-time attendees felt they had known Swamiji forever. His gesture of connecting with the devotees to partake meals conveyed a timeless lesson of humility, inclusiveness, and pure love — qualities that can be taught only through example.
Blessed Sevaks Find Joy in Seva
Opportunities for seva (service) are an integral part of spiritual retreats at the Radha Krishna Temple. Numerous devotees volunteered for a variety of sevas, including cutting and chopping vegetables, cleaning the divine hall, vacuuming the Prayer Hall, serving meals to participants, and so much more. They felt blessed, as did the team members whom they were helping. These sevaks attracted a lot of divine grace with their seva.
A Whirlwind of Divine Grace
As the retreat drew to a close, it felt impossible to believe that time flew by in a flash. Time had melted into eternity. Many participants shared that they were still floating in a divine daze – their hearts overflowing with inexplicable inner bliss, tears of gratitude, and a renewed resolve to deepen their spiritual journeys.
The Bhakti Kirtan Retreat 2025 was not just an event – it was a glimpse into what life can be when soaked in devotion, guided by a true saint, and lived with an open, yearning heart.
Testimonials
Participants who gave their testimonies were deeply touched by their experiences, very grateful to Swamiji for a divine experience, and for the opportunity to connect with fellow devotees.
The Bhakti Kirtan Retreat touched every participant’s heart, leaving a lasting memory of divine love and bliss that will continue to inspire all until the next meeting and retreat with Swamiji.
Catch Some Glimpses of the Most Memorable Bhakti Kirtan Retreat 2025
Call to Action
If your heart is yearning for more divine association with Swamiji in the most blissful environment of the Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas, join us for these upcoming spiritual retreats:
- Spiritual Retreat & Family Camp (July 4–10, 2025): A week filled with enlightening discourses by Swamiji, family bonding activities, parallel children and youth programs, JKYog Idol, and countless joyous celebrations!
- Dallas Labor Day Weekend Retreat (August 30–September 1, 2025): Rejuvenate your soul through kirtans, divine wisdom, festival celebration, Satsang at the Radha Krishna Temple, and precious moments with Swamiji.
Each retreat is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in devotion, deepen your connection with God/Guru, and experience firsthand the transformative power of divine association. Register today and gift yourselves a lifetime of spiritual memories!