texts: What scriptures describe the Videha and Prakritilaya states of the Yoga school?

texts:
As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school. But there are five other Astika or orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy: Purva Mimamsa, Samkhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, and Nyaya. My question is about the Yoga school, which had a similar worldview to the Samkhya school except it embraced the existence of a supreme being. The defining text of the Yoga school is Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.
Now according to Hindu philosophy, there are three means of obtaining happiness: the Drishta or evident means, like eating food if you're hungry; the Anushravika or scriptural means, like doing an Ashwamedha Yagna to go to Swarga; and the means of knowledge, i.e. using knowledge to attain Moksha.  (What kind of knowledge is required varies according to different Hindu philosophies.) In any case, in Adhyaya 1 Sutra 15 of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali says that Vairagya or dispassion requires indifference to the rewards obtained by the Drishta and Anushravika means:

dr̥ṣṭa-anuśravika-viṣaya-vitr̥ṣṇasya vaśīkāra-saṁjṇā vairāgyam
Desirelessness is the consciousness of supremacy in him who is free from thirst for perceptible and scriptural enjoyments.

Here is what Vyasa says in his commentary on this Sutra:

A mind free from attachment to perceptible enjoyments, such as women, food, drinks, and power, and having no thirst for scriptural enjoyables, such as heaven and the attainment of the states of the Videha and the Prakritilaya, has, when it has come into contact with such divine and worldly objects, a consciousness of its supremacy, due to an understanding of the defects of the objects, brought about by virtue of intellectual illumination. This consciousness of power is the same as the consciousness of indifference to their enjoyment, and is devoid of all desirable and undesirable objects as such.  This mental state is desirelessness (Vairagya).

I'm interested in the part in bold.  My question is, what scriptures describe the Videha and Prakritilaya states, given that Vyasa says they're "scriptural enjoyments"?
Vachaspati Mishra's subcommentary on Vyasa's Bhashya provides some information about what the Videha and Prakritilaya states are:

Scripture is the Veda. Those that are known from the Veda are scriptural enjoyments, such as heaven, etc. He speaks of desire for them too: such as "heaven, etc." The Videhas are the disembodied, who live only in the vehicles which serve as instruments (of knowledge and action).  The state of the disembodied (vaidehya) is their state of existence.  Others believe the Prakriti only to be the self. They meditate upon the Prakriti.  They are merged in the functional Prakriti alone. (The functional Prakriti is that in which the state of the equipoise has been disturbed, i.e. not the Mulaprakriti.) The state of the Prakritilaya is the state of their existence.

Vachaspati Mishra specifically defines the scriptural enjoyments as "[t]hose that are known from the Veda", so does anyone know if the Vedas describe these two states?  The Upanishads may be a good place to look.
Note that the Videha state may sound similar to the Kaivalya state discussed in my question  here, but the Yoga school considers Videha to be lower than Kaivalya, which they consider to be Moksha.


texts: Does Vachaspati Mishra's depiction of Vishnu's marriage have a scriptural basis?

texts:
The Vivada Chintamani is a work by the Advaita philosopher Vachaspati Mishra on the teachings of Dharma Shastras concerning law.  Vachaspati Mishra begins the Vivada Chintamani with an invocation to Vishnu:

  That goddess, who is the genetrix of the universe, emerging from the sea of milk, looks askance at the assembly of gods, perceives by the glances of one of them that he would wed her, and bends down her head through bashfulness.  The god, moved by love, which gave rise to the desire of embracing, holds the goddess with his perspiring hand, whereon she smiles.  May that god vouchsafe protection from destruction. Having prostrated before Narayana ... the author, Vachaspati Mishra, compiles the work Vivada Chintamani.

Now clearly this is a reference to Vishnu's marriage to Lakshmi after the Churning of the Ocean.  (Or to be more technical, Vyuha Vasudeva's marriage, as opposed to Para Vasudeva who is eternally married to Sridevi.)  This story is described in many scriptures including this chapter of the Srimad Bhagavatam.

But my question is, does the specific description of Vishnu and Lakshmi given by Vachaspati Mishra have a basis in Hindu scripture?  I'm talking about details like Lakshmi bending down her head in shyness, Vishnu's hand sweating, Lakshmi smiling, etc.  Or is this just poetic license on Vachaspati Mishra's part?

It's perfectly possible that these details are true, as it could be one of the Lilas of Sriman Narayana.


texts: How could drupada send his son drishtadyumna to learn warfare from drona inspite of their rivalry and enmity between their kingdoms as well ?

texts: It seems difficult for me to gulp it down that inspite of enmity and getting defeated to drona how did he send his son to learn warfare . Drupada was a king himself and he should have his own warfare experts.


texts: The trimutri gunas are mentioned in devi bhagavat purana

texts: The trimiutri gunas are mentioned in devi bhagavat purana . the paramatma have three gunas which taken bodys


texts:
In the Mahabharat there is an incident between the final encounter of Arjuna and Karna where Karna used his Nagastra against Arjuna.

  The Suta's son then fixed on his bow-string that foe-killing, exceedingly keen, snake-mouthed, blazing, and fierce shaft, which had been polished according to rule, and which he had long kept for the sake of Partha's destruction.

Here it is written that Karna made that weapon for killing Arjuna. But in previous verses it is written that the weapon was actually a snake Ashwasen who entered Karna's quiver.

  Thinking that that was the time for gratifying his animosity towards, as he thought, the wicked-souled Partha, he(Ashwasen) quickly entered into Karna's quiver, O king, in the form of an arrow.

If Ashwasen was the arrow where was that arrow prepared by Karna to kill Arjuna.


texts: Do Parashara Smriti forbids marrying non-virgin girl?

texts:
Some of the smritis like Manu forbids marrying a girl who is not a virgin.

Is there such mention in Parasara smriti also?


texts: What is the difference between Sāṅkhya Sutras and Sāṅkhya Pravachana Sutras?

texts:
Among the six Darshana Sutras, Sāṅkhya can be said to be oldest one which is written by Kapila. Most of people read or refer Sāṅkhya Karika to study Sāṅkhya philosophy probably because it is the oldest surviving work on Sāṅkhya.

Searching about Sāṅkhya Sutras, we can find original text from Sanskrit Wikisource or from Vedic Reserve site. I want to know whether this available Sutras are those which are written by Kapila or not. On some source I found that It is Sāṅkhya Pravachana Sutras (सांख्य प्रवचन सूत्र). And according to some source, Sāṅkhya Pravachana Sutras are modern work and is not original Sāṅkhya Sutras written by Kapila whereas some says it is another name of Sāṅkhya Sutras.

So, I am looking for an answer which shed some light on

Whether Sāṅkhya Sutras and Sāṅnkhya Pravachana Sutras are the same text or different.
If they are different then the Sutras which we have (linked above) are Sāṅkhya Sutras or Sāṅkhya Pravachana Sutras.
If it's later one then are the original Sutras written by Kapila available or lost?


texts:
Where is Aum positioned in the Devnagari alphabet? I had assumed that its position was before the vowels and consonants to signify its significance as a sacred syllable.

Secondly, Panini, as far as I know was the first systemiser of Sansktit grammar how did he account for Aum? I mean, unlike the Roman alphabet, Devnagari is is systematic in its layout, and I'm assuming that this is either due to him or his influence indirectly.


texts: What are the duties to be followed after initiation under a Vaishnava Guru?

texts: Being part of a Vaishnava family, I had undergone a ceremony for having Guru when I was 10 years old. The only duty I followed after that is to wear "kanthi" so I wanted to know what are the other duties or customs that I should follow?


texts:
Questions How was the Universe created? and What is the source of creation according to Upanishads? talk about many aspects of creation. But my questions are:

What is the need of creation? Why Brahma wants to become many?
What will happen if nothing will exist in this universe? Will it affect Iswara?
Is there any relation between existence of Supreme Brahma, Devas and human?


texts:
As per my understanding, Vedas are source of knowledge while Chaturvarna(i.e. caste system) creates separation more than knowledge.

So my question is, Where is the first mention of Chaturvarna found? In Vedas or somewhere else?


texts:
I came across this book - The Civilized Demons - which basically makes the Harrappans to be the Asuras reviled in Vedas and even the original gods who were replaced by Devas. The writer cited the verse RV 3.38 as a reference:

  HASTING like some strong courser good at drawing, a thought have I imagined like a workman.
  Pondering what is dearest and most noble, I long to see the sages full of wisdom.
  2 Ask of the sages' mighty generations firm-minded and devout they framed the heaven.
  These are thy heart-sought strengthening directions, and they have come to be sky's upholders.
  3 Assuming in this world mysterious natures, they decked the heaven and earth for high dominion,
  Measured with measures, fixed their broad expanses, set the great worlds apart held firm for safety.
  4 Even as he mounted up they all adorned him: self-luminous he travels clothed in splendour.
  That is the Bull's, the Asura's mighty figure: he, omniform, hath reached the eternal waters.
  5 First the more ancient Bull engendered offspring; these are his many draughts that lent him vigour.
  From days of old ye Kings, two Sons of Heaven, by hymns of sacrifice have won dominion.
  6 Three seats ye Sovrans, in the Holy synod, many, yea, all, ye honour with your presence.
  There saw I, going thither in the spirit, Gandharvas in their course with wind-blown tresses.
  7 That same companionship of her, the Milch-cow, here with the strong Bull's divers forms they stablished.
  Enduing still some new celestial figure, the skilful workers shaped a form around him.
  8 Let no one here debar me from enjoying the golden light which Savitar diffuses.
  He covers both all-fostering worlds with praises even as a woman cherishes her children.
  9 Fulfil, ye twain, his work, the Great, the Ancient: as heavenly blessing keep your guard around us.
  All the wise Gods behold his varied actions who stands erect, whose voice is like a herdsman's.
  10 Call we on Indra, Maghavan, auspicious, best Hero in the fight where spoil is gathered,
  The Strong, who listens, who gives aid in battles, who slays the Vṛtras, wins and gathers riches.

It seems to me that the verse is dedicated to either Surya or Indra but the writer interprets it completely differently:

I want to understand who is actually the Asura in this verse and whether what the author has said holds any value.


texts: Is there any temple where deities are Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara?

texts: Is there any temple where deities are Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara all the three supreme gods are worshipped at once?


texts: How is the calculation of papa and punya is being done

texts:
How Dharma, Adharma and Papa , Punya calculation is done?

Why a person doesn't get his results of karma immediately?


texts: Is there any literary proof that "Takshvi" is another for name Goddess Laxmi?

texts: Is there any literary proof that "Takshvi" is another name for Goddess Laxmi ?


texts: Could you explain the Sad Bhuja form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu?

texts: Could you explain the Sad Bhuja form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ?


texts: Vaataakarshanashtra (वाताकर्षणास्त्र - a weapon which removes air or O2 from atmosphere)

texts:
Shree Navanathas are described to possess Vaataakarshana Astra (वाताकर्षणास्त्र - a weapon which removes air or O2 from atmosphere) in 'Shree Navanath Kathaasaar'.
But I didn't come across any reference of this astra in either Ramayana or Mahabharata.
Is there any reference of it in an era earlier to Navanathas?


texts:
Something that puzzles me is that many stories about the gods show that the gods exhibited immoral behavior sometimes. For example, Indra had sex with wives of Rishis.

So, what exactly do the gods mean? Enlightened sages don't behave like this. But gods do.
How to explain to children about Rama and Krishna, when complete celibacy is demanded of Hindu sannyasins?
And since Knowledge of Brahman is the goal, what is the role of gods in that?


texts: Why does the Rig Veda call Vishnu a mountain-roaming bull?

texts:
As you can see in the Rig Veda Anukramani I provided in my answer here, Book 1 Hymn 154 of the Rig Veda is addressed to Vishnu.  Here is one of the verses from that hymn:

Let the hymn lift itself as strength to Viṣṇu, the Bull far-striding, dwelling on the mountains,
Him who alone with triple step hath measured this common dwelling-place, long, far extended.

The "triple step" part is presumably a reference to Vishnu's incarnation as Vamana the dwarf.  But my question is, why is Vishnu referred to in this hymn as a bull?  Vishnu has taken numerous incarnations, but I'm not familiar with any bull incarnation.
The only other time I know of where Vishnu has been referred to as a bull is in the Yuddha Kanda of the Ramayana, where Brahma reveals to Rama who he really is and tells him about the various incarnations of Vishnu, as I discuss in this question.  In the course of doing that, Brahma says this:  "In the form of the Vedas, you are the great Bull with hundred heads (rules) and thousand horns (precepts)."  Is that a reference to the same bull?
Are there any other scriptures which refer to Vishnu as a bull or describe a bull incarnation of Vishnu?


texts: What is the story behind the famous Shiva linga of Amarnath, India?

texts:
is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism.

The cave is surrounded by snowy mountains.

Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees make an annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave on challenging mountainous terrain.

I want to know that what has been said in Hindu scriptures about Shiva linga of Amarnath.


texts: What Bhagavad-Gita says about responding to those who hurt you? Do we need to stay calm and get hurt again and again untill our life ends and get the whole life spoiled because of bad people? Or else do we need to wait for the God's next incarnation? Or else leave them saying that God will punish them after death?


texts: Is Krishna's famous argument for the mahabharata war correct?

texts:
hato vA prApsyasi svargaM jitvA vA bhokShyase mahIm|
  tasmAduttiShTha kaunteya yuddhAya kRRitanishchayaH ||2.37||

  "O son of Kuntī, either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain the heavenly planets, or you will conquer and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore, get up with determination and fight."

There are three flaws in this argument:

(1) Since Krishna incited the Pandavas to commit war-crimes

  "Krishna defended his actions as follows in a voice deep as that of the clouds or the drum: "All of them were great car-warriors and exceedingly quick in the use of weapons! If ye had put forth all your prowess even then ye could never have slain them in battle by fighting fairly! King Duryodhana also could never be slain in a fair encounter! The same is the case with all those mighty car-warriors headed by Bhishma! From desire of doing good to you, I repeatedly applied my powers of illusion and caused them to be slain by diverse means in battle. If I had not adopted such deceitful ways in battle, victory would never have been yours, nor kingdom, nor wealth! These four were very high-souled warriors and regarded as Atirathas in the world. The very Regents of the Earth could not slay them in fair fight. Similarly, the son of Dhritarasthra, though fatigued when armed with mace, could not be slain in a fair fight by Yama himself armed with his bludgeon! Ye should not take it to heart that this foe of yours hath been slain deceitfully. When the number of one's foes becomes great, then destruction should be effected by contrivances and means. The gods themselves, in slaying the Asuras, have trod the same way. That way, therefore, that had been trod by the gods, may be trod by all." (Mahabharata, Salya Parva, Section 61)"

Arjuna might well have gone to hell on being killed.

(2) These are not the only two alternatives - Arjuna and/or his kinsmen might have been horribly wounded, but alive and lived a long time in terrible pain.

(3) Assuming weapons like Brahmastra weer real - there might have been an ecological catastrophe from the war.


texts: Why don't Hindus enter temples after certain occasions?

texts:
We know that if our nearest relatives have passed away, we can't enter temple for 16 days and also if there were any children born, family members and close relative's don't visit temples for 11 days.

I have three questions:

What is the reason(s) behind this belief?
What are the other occasions like this, except death and childbirth?
Is the number of days(banned days in temples) equal for all casts?


texts: Was there a process of impeachment if a king was found to be in violation of dharma?

texts:
If a king was found to be in violation of dharma repeatedly and did not want to step down voluntarily, what were the options for the prajā?

Did they demand the king be ousted? Was there an "impeachment" process?


texts: Who is the first commentator Vishvesvara on Gopala Tapani upanishad?

texts:
The first commentator and the only pre gaudiya commentator on Gopala Tapani Upanishad is Vishvesvara. I could find no information about him. His' is mix of monism and theistic commentary as Gopala Tapani has some advaitic type of content in it. The first gaudiya vaisnava commentary by Prabodhånanda Sarasvatî’s  was influenced by the preceding commentary of Visvesvara.

Who is the first commentator Vishvesvara?


texts: Which came first, dharma śāstras and smṛtis or the people that followed them?

texts:
This is a chicken-and-egg problem.

Did the dharma śāstras and smṛtis come first and then people started following them or people already had some unwritten rules and they were then codified into formal laws like the Manusmṛti?

Please note the history tag below and answer this from a historical standpoint.


texts:
Almost all Sadhus and Sannyasis that we see wear malas made of rudrakshas.I think for them the reasons are spiritual.

But even a common man can wear a rudraksha.For them the reasons can be spiritual or astrological or both.

Rudrakshas can be of various kinds and specific rudrakshas are often worn as remedies for specific malefic planets.

For eg-for malefic Sun,1 mukhi or 12 mukhi are recommended,for malefic Moon 2 mukhi ,for malefic Mars 3 mukhi and so on.

This Devi Bhagavatam chapter contains a lot about rudrakshas and the benefits of wearing them.

  The origin of Rudrakshas [dark beads of Tree, termed Elaeocorpus
  Ganitrus in Latin language] or Lord Siva’s tears, extensively used as
  Prayer Rosaries, goes back to Maha Deva’s killing Tripurasura......

Some restrictions are there .Few are given below:

  All vedic acts are to be accompanied by wearing Rudraksha Malas like
  Sacrifices, Vraths, Pujas, holy baths, Shraddhas, Solar and Lunar
  Eclipses, Uttarayana and Dakshinayana ‘Samkramanas’(entry timings),
  and Full Moon and New Moon days or Pournami and Pradhama days.However
  one should not touch or consume wine, meat, tobacco, onion, garlic and
  such impurities as also during mating, since these constitute
  atrocious insults to Maha Deva

Who can wear them?

  The white variety of the beads are meant for wearing by Brahmanas, the
  red colour by Kshatriyas and the black coloured beads by Vaisyas and
  others

But it is not clear to me whether this others include women or not.

Question-Are women allowed to wear rudrakshas?


texts: Is there any incarnation of Indra as per Rig Veda?

texts:
From Puranas, we will come across incarnations of Vishnu, Shiva, etc.

I would like to know whether the Vedic God Indra took any incarnations, as per Rig Veda or commentaries on Rig Veda?


texts: Is there any story of gods being forced to temporarily turn mortal?

texts:
In Greek Mythology, Poseidon and Apollo were forced by Zeus to temporarily turn mortal for trying to overthrow him.

Is there an analogous story in the Hindu myths? Note that I'm not talking about incarnations - I'm talking about situations where the gods were completely turned into mortal state such that their godly state no longer remained, at least temporarily.

Nor am I talking about stories like Sati committing suicide or Kamadeva being destroyed by Shiva -- the deity has to remain in mortal form for some time.


texts: What are the difference between Shankara and Ramanuja commentaries of the Brahma Sutra?

texts:
The Brahma Sutra admits two main commentaries, one by Shankara and one other by Ramanuja.

Question: What are the difference between these two commentaries?


texts: Advaita vedanta and stoicism ; are they compatible with each other?

texts: I always think that Advaita vedanta and stoicism are perfectly compatible with one another. Can some expand on this?


texts: Are all Samadhis are required in order OR can be practiced irrespective of each other?

texts:
In Yog sutra Patanjali mentioned 10 types of samadhis :

Seems all are related and are inter-related to each other.

So questions arise in my mind are:

Is there any text that suggest the order in which we should try Samadhis?
Do all samadhis are required or based on personality some are optional ?
Is there any side effect of Samadhi?
Is that possible to achieve Samadhi without guidance of in-person Guru just by knowledge by books & try to practice that?

Please forgive my ignorance if something seems foolish to ask since I am seeking knowledge and yet to advance this stage experientially but I wish to seek that if that is possible. Please guide me.


texts: Does Kumarila Bhatta say you're always reborn as the same species?

texts:
The term "Shaivite" is overused nowadays. For instance, Iyer Brahmins are often called Shaivites, but they're actually followers of Adi Shankaracharya's Smartha sect (which I discuss here and here), and simply adopt Shiva as their Ishta Devata. True philosophical Shaivism is relatively rare nowadays (in contrast to philosophical Vaishnavism which is pretty common). I discussed one genuine Shaivite sect, the Lingayat sect of Basava, in my answer here. But my question is related to a more famous sect of Shaivism, known as Shaiva Siddhanta, which is based on the Shaiva Agamas and the poems of the Nayanars just as the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member) is based on the Pancharatra Agamas and the poems of the Alwars.
In any case, one of the defining works of the Shaiva Siddhanta sect is Meykandar's Shiva Jnana Bodham, a commentary on twelve important verses from a Shaiva Agama called the Raurava Agamas. Now Meykandar's shishya Arulnandi Shivacharya wrote a work called the Shivajnana Siddhiyar, which is a commentary on Meykandar's work but also tries to refute rival schools of philosophy. In this excerpt from the Shiva Jnana Siddhiyar, Arulnandi Shivacharya refutes the view that souls are always reborn into the same species:

You say that of living beings, both moveable, and immovable, each of them will only change its body at its rebirth, according to its respective karma, but not its form. But answer me first, whether when humans enter Svarga and partake of the bliss therein, whether they do so there as human beings or as celestials? If they enjoy heaven as mere human beings, then this heaven ceases to be such. If as celestials they enjoy, your theory that they do not change their forms falls to the ground. After enjoying as celestials, when they are reborn on earth, they will only be reborn as human beings and not as celestials.
Some worms become beetles and some worms become wasps. Similarly beings change their forms according to their Karma. Most of the schools are also agreed on this point, and why should you alone have doubts about it? The accounts of Agalya becoming a stone, of Mahavishnu incarnating in several forms, of a spider being born in the Solar Race of far famed kings, and a rat having become Mahabali, also demonstrate our point.

I discuss the spider part in my question here.  But now I'm interested in who Arulnandi Shivacharya.  is refuting.  The translator says it's the Purva Mimamsa philosopher Kumarila Bhatta:

The Bhattacharya's theory is that grass, herb or bird or animal or man will be reborn as grass, herb, etc., respectively and not one into the other.

My question is, where in his works does Kumarila Bhatta say that souls are always reborn into the same species?
Now Kumarila Bhatta wrote three commentaries on the Purva Mimamsa Sutras: the Shloka Vartika, the Tantra Vartika, and the Tuptika.  You can read the Sloka Vartika here and the Tantra Vartika here and here.  The Tuptika has never been translated into English, but here it is in Sanskrit.
Does anyone know whether in any of these works Kumarila Bhatta addresses the forms that souls are reborn into?  Also, is this a view unique to Kumarila Bhatta and his followers or is it shared by all members of the Purva Mimamsa school?


texts:
adhuna kahkula ndsavatdro bauddha pdsanda mlecchadindnca
vedadharma setu panpdlandya krtavatarah
 kalh mpendsman stntva nirayddudhrta
vanasi tavdnukampam kimiha kathaydmah

---------Kalki Purana chapter 10 text 30

Meaning:

Recently, You appeared as Lord Kalki in order to eliminate the dynasty of Kali by destroying the Buddhists, atheists, and mlecchas,thereby protecting the true path of religion What more can we say about Your causeless mercy


texts: Jambavan's composition of slokam on Hanuman

texts:
Jambavan has composed a slokam on Hanuman comprising 12 hymns. It starts with:

  Melai virinjan veeya migai naalir

Any puranic reference for this???


texts: What was the name of the Sage in the story narrated by Sita?

texts:
Sita narrated an old episode about a Sage(Rishi) to Sri Rama, in the Dandaka forest.The narration is as under:-

  Once upon a time, oh, dexterous one, there was a pious and true worded hermit in some merited forest that was inhabited by animals and birds.
  Then Indra came to that hermitage handling a sword, and donning a soldier's guise, to cause hindrance to that hermit's ascesis.
  Indra gave that best sword to store, there in that hermitage, to that sage who is lasting in his ascesis, on a redeemable basis.
  On receiving that sword, he who is duteous in guarding the entrustment, moved about in the forest always handling the sword, to safeguard the confidence reposed in him.
  Wherever that dedicated guardian of that entrustment went, even to obtain tubers or fruits, he did not go without that sword.
  Carrying that sword always, that hermit slowly made his own faculty infuriated, loosing determination in ascesis.
  Then with the constant association of that weapon that sage gradually became inadvertent, and smitten by vice he went to hell(i.e. the sage did not go to the place that he earlier fully deserved to go viz Heaven)

From Aranya Kanda sarga 9

Is this story mentioned in the Puranas(or other scriptures)? What was the name of the Rishi (Sage) in the story narrated by Sita?


texts: Is there a ritual of "consent" for both the parties in a traditional Hindu marriage?

texts:
I have always noticed how a Christian wedding and an Islamic Nikaah both mandate that the consent of both the parties be given for the union to be sanctioned.

However, I haven't seen anything similar in a traditional Hindu wedding. Do we have something similar? If so, I'd like to know more about it.


texts: What is the meaning of "renunciation of fruit/result of actions"?

texts:
BG in 12.12 says

  śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj jñānād dhyānaḿ viśiṣyate dhyānāt
   karma-phala-tyāgas tyāgāc chāntir anantaram

  “...better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action...”.

I want to understand what exactly is the meaning of renunciation of fruits of actions and how can I perform it?
If you can give me reference (link should be enough) of stories from Puranas that helps understanding this principle, would be great.


texts: Is Sachi(Indrani), Radha, the consort of Krishna?

texts: Some say that Sachi approached Vishnu to be her lover, but He refused but made her take birth as Radha in her next life. Is it true or is it some fake story created by the British?


texts: How are offerings communicated from Agni to other gods?

texts: During homa we give food to Agni (pour oblations in fire) but how will that food reach those particular deva's?


texts:
What is the connection between Kali and Kaliyug? Kaalii is the goddess that takes the darkness away (Kali) but which scripture does it come from? And is there an explanation of the close connection of the the two words?
Thanks


texts: Can anyone who had food at annual pithru/bhathru ritual cermony function visit other person's house?

texts:
Can anyone who attend an annual pithru/bhathru ceremony function and after having food in ceremony can directly go or visit some other closer relative's house?

What Dharma Shastra say about this?


texts: Does Garuda Purana suggest cremation ritual should be done only by son of same gotra excluding son born of inter caste marriage?

texts:
During a condolence meeting, I heard Garuda Purana Katha and during that, pundit said cremation ritual will be fruitful only if it's done by your own family member like your son or brother's son etc etc. He had even suggested it's possible to be done by a stranger from the same gotra but clearly excluded son born from a wife who is considered inter caste.

I have not read Garuda Purana by myself and not sure of the credibility of pundit's translation so want to know the exact verse where it's mentioned or it was a mistranslation.


texts:
Are there any invisible places exsist on earth which are not accessible to general humans but restricted or visible  only to few who have the authority to enter into.

If yes are such places mentioned in our Stories? Can we find details about such places?

Thank you.


texts:
Datta (Dattatreya) Jayanti falls on Decmber 13th this year.

Can you tell me how should this day be observed? What rituals or prayers should be done on this day?


texts: What scriptures describe Krishna teaching Narada about Maya?

texts:
During Krishna's time on earth, one of his greatest devotees was the sage Narada, who was also an incarnation of Vishnu as I discuss here.  As I discuss in this answer, Narada was one of the sages who proclaimed Krishna's divinity.  But the most famous story of Krishna and Narada is one that I can't seem to find a scriptural basis for.

The story as I understand it goes roughly as follows.  (It's found, e.g. in this book which quotes Swami Vivekananda.)  One day Narada comes to Dwaraka and asks Krishna to explain to him what Maya is.  So Krishna takes Narada on a trip in the desert.  In the middle of the desert, Krishna asks Narada for water, as he (claims to be) feeling thirsty.  Narada goes a short distance and finds a nearby village, where he falls in love with a local village girl and forgets all about Krishna.  He marries her, has children, and lives wit them 12 years.  Then one a massive flood comes and his family is washed away, when suddenly he hears a voice saying "Narada, what about my water."  He sees Krishna, and asks him what has happened to his wife and children.  Krishna says that none of it was real, that Narada never had a wife or children and that the village didn't even exist.  That is what Maya is.

My question is, what scripture does this story of Krishna producing an illusion for Narada comes from?

There is a similar story told in this chapter and subsequent chapters of the Devi Bhagavatam.  In this account Narada asks Vishnu, not Krishna, what Maya is, and then Vishnu tells Narada to take a bath in a pond, after which Vishnu will take a bath.  Then Vishnu turns Narada into a woman and makes him forget who he is, so the woman falls in love with a king, has children, and then her children die in a war.  Finally Narada goes back to the pond, where he regains his male form, whereupon he hears Vishnu say "Narada, why are you still standing in the pond?"  So then Vishnu explains that his experiences weren't real and that that is what Maya is.  But the Devi Bhagavatam is considered by many to not be an authentic scripture, because it's not listed in the traditional lists of Upapuranas.  So does anyone know if other Puranas mention this story of Vishnu and Narada?

And are there any scriptures that mention the Krishna and Narada version?  I've seen claims that it's mentioned in the Matsya Puranas, but I'm not sure where.

In any case, both versions of the story, at least at first glance, seem to lend support to Adi Sankaracharya's philosophy of Advaita, which posits that the physical world is an illusion as I discuss here.  So I'd be interested in how non-Advaitins interpret it.  Assuming the story is mentioned in the Matsya Purana or some other Mahapurana, there's a good chance that one or more Vaishnava Acharyas have discuss it.


texts: In Tantra, is there any mention of "cows being sacred"? Also, does Kaulācāra Tantra explicitly talk about it?


texts: Do advaita vedanta believes that itihaas(Ramayan and Mahabharata) are real history?

texts: Do advaita vedanta believes that Ramayan and Mahabharata are real history or they believe Mahabharata and Ramayan are mythology of legendary stories?


texts: Are there any Puranas that are no more extant but known well?

texts:
Currently, there are 18 mahapuranas and 18 upapuranas.

Is there any Purana, other than those above, whose name is well known and is no more extant?  Or the total count is exactly 36?


texts: Is putting images of God in marriage invitation acceptable?

texts:
We put images of God in every marriage invitation or in newspapers etc.,.

People neglect those papers or invitations.Sometimes we can see those kind of invitation or newspapers in streets. We respect same god who is present in temple. But neglect who is on papers!

So who gets the sin? The people who print god images acquire sin or who throw those papers or invitation cards get sin?


texts: Why didn't Mārīca seek refuge in Rāma like Vibhīṣaṇa did?

texts:
Often times, we end up in "to be or not to be" situations where the heart (manas) tells us one thing to do, but our mind (buddhi) says something else.

The speaker in this YouTube video (Telugu) therefore cites the following śloka from Agni Purāṇa as a remedy and says that chanting it during times of indecision will give you enough clarity to choose the right path.

  rāvaṇādapi marttavyaṃ marttavyaṃ rāghavādapi // 14cd
  avaśyaṃ yadi marttavyaṃ varaṃ rāmo na rāvaṇaḥ / 15ab

  Either I have to die at the hands of Rāvaṇa or at the hands of Rāghava (Rāma). If I have to die, it's better (to die at the hands of) Rāma than Rāvaṇa.

The reason he says the śloka is particularly helpful is because the rākṣasa, Mārīca, had faced a similar situation in Rāmāyaṇa. He had two equally bad options in front of him;

Face instant death at the hands of Rāvaṇa if he ignores Rāvaṇa's request (which later becomes a threat) that he turn into a golden deer to help kidnap Sītā.
Or die becoming a target of Rāma's arrows should he execute Rāvaṇa's plan.

Now, in Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Mārīca went with Option 2, the lesser of both evils (at least in his opinion), because he probably felt dying at Rāma's hands would bring him salvation when he can't avoid a certain death.

But I think Mārīca had a 3rd option; better than the above two, which is to surrender to Rāma (i.e., śaraṇāgati) like Vibhīṣaṇa did after escaping from Rāvaṇa.

Why didn't Mārīca go for śaraṇāgati?

It appears that before turning into a golden deer, Mārīca did penance, transformed himself into a sage-like person, spoke highly of Rāma ('rāmo vigrahavān dharmaḥ') etc. So how did he miss this 3rd option?

Instead of becoming a deer he could have turned himself into a brāhmaṇa and sought refuge in Rāma.

Also, before he died, he could have avoided shouting 'hā Sītā, hā Lakṣmaṇa' but he still kept his word. For what reason did he follow through on his promise to an evil king like Rāvaṇa?


texts: How is the all pervading God said to reside in the Daharakasha?

texts:
It is understood that the space within the heart, which is the corresponding microscopic form of the macroscopic form of Space, is known in metaphysical terms as Daharakasha(tiniest cosmos).

The all pervading God is said to reside in the Daharakasha.

What does this mean, can somebody please explain?

It is roughly understood that there is the bigger cosmos(can probably be termed bahar-akasha) as also,the tiniest cosmos(Daharakasha) in living beings, and, the Absolute Truth(God).So, how to explain philosophically that the ‘All Pervading” resides in the daharakasha, is the question.


texts: Post the Mahabharat war, Gandhari cursed Krishna that he and his kin will be destroyed 36 years from then. What is so specific about that count 36?


texts:
In everyday of our life we fall in dilemma in making dharmic decisions like

whether to use pesticides and save plants or not
whether to kill (green leaf) plants to cook or not
whether to steal milk from cows or not (making calf eat grass)
whether to use silk clothes made by killing worms or not
If i don't get anything for the day can i eat egg or flesh?

Like few of above quoted, if we fall into any such situation how to analyze which is dharmic? Are there any guides to help in making such decisions?  what is the chronology  of thinking process to ensure we make right decisions?


texts:
What are the eight standard architectural features a Hindu temple should have?
The renowned archeologist KK Muhammed among others determined after long research that a large Hindu temple once stood in Ayodhya.
Kalasam in Video  at 34m 19 secs & 52m 04 secs
This question is about the eight characteristics of a temple Ashta mangala Chinhas or symbols that a temple should have about which he mentioned in this connection. I heard for the first through this video that such a code/ practice exists as mentioned in old temple architecture texts.May be known to Melsanthis or other professionals.
The pillars with Poorna Kalasam/Kumbham, Amalakam/Mandala carved roof, Navagrahas, Swastika mark, Makara Pranali (gargoyle for  water outflow after cleaning deity) etc. among them?


texts: What are the three Arrows of Barbarika and how he got them?

texts:
It is said that Barbarika had Three Arrows which is the Most powerful ones and so he was sacrificed to Mahabharta War.

QUESTION :

What are the Three Arrows of Barbarika and how he Got them ?
Are these Three Arrows powerful than Brahmashtra,Pasupathastra and Vaishnavaastra.


texts: decision about 'tithi' (e.g. pornima, pratipada, etc.)

texts:
Regarding which 'tithi' (hindu date) is today, it is said that whatever tithi is seen by the rising Sun, is the tithi for the day.
e.g. if 'pournima' had started yesterday morning 'after sunrise' and ends today after sunrise, then today is pournima. (and yesterday was not pournima)
Is this right? If not, what is the rule?


texts: What is the Suryakanta gem that produces fire from sunlight?

texts:
I've come across multiple scriptures and works of Acharyas which describe a Suryakanta gem, which seems to act like a magnifying glass, using sunlight to produce fire.  Here's what this chapter of the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata says:

  Two pieces of wood, rubbed together, produce fire. The stone called Suryakanta, coming in contact with the rays of the Sun, produces fire. Any solid metallic substance, heated in fire, dries up water when coming in contact with it. Similarly, the material body produces the mind and its attributes of perception, memory, imagination, etc.

And here's what this excerpt from Kumarila Bhatta's Tantra Vartika, a Purva Mimamsa work, says:

  The word "Nirmanthya" signifying only "the fire produced by friction," and as such having its sole purpose in the setting aside of the employing of such fires as are produced either from electric sparks or by striking, or from the solar gem, etc. - why should it be taken to mean the fire produced on the spot?

And here's what this excerpt from Sridhara's Nyaya Kandali, a Vaisheshika work, says:

  As a matter of fact we often find that a single effect has got various kinds of circumstantial accessories for its cause.  For instance, Fire is produced out of the rubbing of two sticks as well as from the solar gem.

My question is, what is this Suryakanta gem?  Are there any scriptures or works of Acharyas that describe what the Suryakanta gem looks like, where it is found, etc.?  Is it like the famous Syamantaka gem, which must be divinely obtained, or is it found on Earth?

Note that I don't want scientific speculation, I just want to know what Hindu scripture and the works of Acharyas have to say.


texts: Did Goddess Lakshmi or Goddess Saraswati (not Adishakthi or Durga) kill any demons?

texts: I know Parvati Devi killed Demon Mahishasura with help of other Shaktis by manifesting into Goddess Durga. So, Adishakti killed Mahishasura through Parvathi Devi. I think same is the case with Goddess Kaali. But on the contrary, did Lakshmi Devi or Saraswati Devi kill any demons without manifesting into Adi Shakti or Goddess Durga?


texts: Do Gods help us controlling desires? Like, would Goddess Laxmi help me destroy my desire for wealth?


texts: When was Shiva a disciple of sage Angiras?

texts:
One of the most famous wars between the gods and the Asuras (demons) was the Tarakamaya war.  The war was started when Chandra the moon god kidnapped Tara, wife of Brihaspati guru of the gods.  (Brihaspati is often just called Guru, and he's the god of the planet Jupiter.). To rescue their guru's wife, the gods fought a great war against Chandra, and the Asuras took Chandra's side because of Sukracharya's personal animus towards Brihaspati.  In the end Chandra gave back Tara, but not before she became pregnant with his son, Budha god of the planet Mercury.

In any case, the army of the gods was led by Shiva, who fought on the side of Brihaspati because of his loyaly to Brihaspati's father Angiras, as described in the Vishnu Purana:

  In vain Vrihaspati sought to recover his bride; in vain Brahmá commanded, and the holy sages remonstrated; Soma [Chandra] refused to relinquish her. Uśanas [Sukracharya], out of enmity to Vrihaspati, took part with Soma. Rudra [Shiva], who had studied under Angiras, the father of Vrihaspati, befriended his fellow-student. In consequence of Uśanas, their preceptor, joining Soma, Jambha, Kujambha, and all the Daityas, Dánavas, and other foes of the gods, came also to his assistance; whilst Indra and all the gods were the allies of Vrihaspati.

My question is, what is this story of Shiva studying under the sage Angiras?

Now Angiras was one of the mind-born sons of Brahma, so he's certainly old enough.  But does anyone know any other scriptures that describe Shiva as a student of Angiras?  Are there any other details known about this?

EDIT: I just found out that this chapter of the Srimad Bhagavatam also describes Shiva as a disciple of the sage Angiras:

  Because of enmity between Bṛhaspati and Śukra, Śukra took the side of the moon-god and was joined by the demons. But Lord Śiva, because of affection for the son of his spiritual master, joined the side of Bṛhaspati and was accompanied by all the ghosts and hobgoblins.


texts: In a YouTube video, I heard that a jivamukti is only going to be endowed with knowledge if he worships the lord in accordance with the scriptures. Can anyone verify this is what the work says? I tried finding that part online, I do not have the Gita myself, but I couldn’t find it. Also another question: how do you worship Ishvara as per injunctions of the scriptures?


texts: If karma is real then can the victim of a crime also be partially blamed?

texts:
Please don't get offended
The law of karma is like cause and effect. So what ever we do we will get it Consequences(good or bad).
So can this justify crime(rape/murder) because the victim did something in past life or in this life that lead him/her to be the victim of crime(rape/murder).


texts: Why didn't Krishna ever visit Vrindavan again?

texts: After leaving Vrindavan for killing Kansa in Mathura, why didn't Krishna ever go back to Vrindavan, where he was brought up, again? Why didn't he ever meet Sri Radha again?


texts:
Consider the following excerpt from Mahabharata

"O king, after all the children were born the Rishis dwelling on the mountain of a hundred peaks uttering blessings on them and affectionately performing the first rites of birth, bestowed appellations on them. The eldest of Kunti's children was called Yudhishthira, the second Bhimasena, and the third Arjuna, and of Madri's sons, the first-born of the twins was called Nakula and the next Sahadeva. And those foremost sons born at an interval of one year after one another, looked like an embodied period of five years. And king Pandu, beholding his children of celestial beauty and of super-abundant energy, great strength and prowess, and of largeness of soul, rejoiced exceedingly. And the children became great favourites of the Rishis, as also of their wives, dwelling on the mountain of a hundred peaks.
[SECTION CXXIV, Sambhava Parva, Adi Parva,The Mahabharata]

What is the actual Sanskrit shloka for the bolded portion. And what is the actual meaning of that Sanskrit shloka?


texts: Was Pillai Lokacharya a descendant of Ramanujacharya's sister?

texts:
The Sri Vaishnava sect has two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Vadakalais follow the teachings of Vedanta Desikan, whereas Thenkalais follow the teachings of Pillai Lokacharya. My question is about Pillai Lokacharya.  He was a 13th century Sri Vaishnava Acharya instrumental in saving the Sri Rangam temple from Muslim invasion.  In any case, here is what this webpage says about Pillai Lokacharya's father Vadakku Thiruveedhi Pillai:

  Sri Vadakku Thiruveedhi Pillai comes in the lineage of the Srivatsa Gotram Mudumbai Nambi (sister’s husband of Swami Ramanujar), one of the 74 Simhasanadhipatis instituted by Sri Ramanuja himself.

My question is, is it true that Pillai Lokacharya's ancestor Mudumbai Nambi was Ramanujacharya's sister's husband?

This Tamil document also says that Mudumbai Nambi was Ramanujacharya's sister's son, and it further says that Mudumbai Nambi had a son named Ramanuja Nambi, and then it traces the family tree from Ramanuja Nambi all the way down to Pillai Lokacharya.  My understanding is that Ramanujacharya had two sisters, one sister had a son named Nadadur Alwan, and one sister had a son named Mudhaliandan (who is my ancestor).  Nadadur Alwar belonged to Sri Vatsa Gotra, whereas Mudhaliandan belonged to Vadhula Gotra.

Now Mudumbai Nambi and Pillai Lokacharya belonged to Sri Vatsa Gotra.  So does that mean that Mudumbai Nambi was the father of Nadadur Alwar?  (They seem to have completely different descendants.) Or did Ramanujacharya have a third sister?  Also, this is the first time I'm hearing of a nephew of Ramanujacharya named Ramanuja Nambi; I thought Nadadur Alwan and Mudhaliandan were the only ones. Does anyone know if any Sri Vaishnava works discuss Ramanuja Nambi? And does anyone know the relationship between Mudumbai Nambi and Mudumbai Ammal, another shishya of Ramanujacharya?


texts: Is the concept/phenomenon of eka santha grahi mentioned in scriptures?

texts:
In general, people who can understand any concept from any branch of knowledge after listening or reading or analyzing a single time are called eka santha grahi.

Is there any mention or details of the eka santha grahi(s) found in scriptures?


texts: For how long has the tradition of pouring milk on shivling been going on?

texts:
Following on from this question,

For how long has the tradition of pouring milk on the shivling been going on?
What are the earliest historical records of such a practice?


texts: Why was Dasaratha so emotionally attached only to Rama?

texts:
As described in Srimad Ramayana, and is known to all, Maharaja Dasaratha, the father of Sri Rama, was emotionally attached to his son - so much that he wasn't able to bear separation from his son for a few days with Brahmarshi Vishvamitra, and later (eventual) 14 years.

But earlier in the Ramayana, Dasaratha tells Vishvamitra:

  Sixty thousand years have passed from my birth, oh! Vishvamitra, and this Rama is engendered at this age, that too with tribulations, hence taking Rama with you will be inappropriate of you. [Balakanda, 20th Sarga, 10b-11a]

So to a person who has lived for 60,000 years, surely 14 years, and a few days in Vishvamitra's case cannot be of much significance? One can justify the latter in stating that Rama had just returned from Gurukula, and that Vishvamitra was taking him to fight demons.

Furthermore, Dasaratha is perfectly okay when Yudhajit, Kaikeyi's brother takes away Bharata and Shatrughna for 12 years after their marriage, to Kekaya. So when he is not disturbed by their long time away from home, why is he so distraught at Rama's exile that it forces him to give up even his own life?


texts: Where are imperishable personalities from Mahabharata?

texts:
The characters listed below are Chiranjeevi's or imperishable personalities from Dwaaparayuga that means they are immortal. So where do they exist in Kaliyug? Is there any evidence or documents available?

 1. Ashwathama,
 2. King Mahabali,
 3. Veda Vyasa,
 4. Hanuman,
 5. Vibhishana,
 6. Kripacharya,
 7. Parashurama

are the seven death-defying or imperishable personalities.


texts: Vishnusahastranam : From which shlok should we start reading

texts:
If we are not doing nyasas, shapvimochan vidhi then from which shlok should we start reading.

Some places suggest to start from यस्य स्मरण मात्रेण  others suggest शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णु.

Please advice.


texts: What is the significance of "Akhanda Deepak" while doing puja?

texts:
It is considered very good to have the lamp that we light be lit through out the prayer. During Navratra, the lamp if lit till the end of the 9th day is considered to bring lot of luck, happiness, prosperity etc.

The "akhanda deepak" should not be extinguished by itself or by someone, which means it should be lit through out the prayer period which may be more than 24 hours.

Why is this so? What is its actual significance?


texts: Is there any advantage for a person dying as virgin?

texts:
I know staying virgin whole-life really needs good discipline, strong will power et cetera.

But what are Spiritual & Material benefits of being Virgin whole life? Id est, dying as a virgin? Do Hindu scriptures have options on this matter?


texts: Why was Shakuni unhappy with his sister Gandhari's marriage to Dhritarashtra?

texts:
It is also said that he was more angry with either Bheeshma, Pandu, Shantanu's ancestors or the whole Kurus line because of the way the Kurus had destroyed his line years before.

There is also a story behind Shakuni's upbringing and this war between Gandhar and Hastinapur. What is it exactly? He is seen by many as one of the key persons that caused the Kurukshetra War (Apart from his role that dice game, hate Pandavas and all.). Was revenge the only reason he left Gandhar and came to Hastinapur with his sister Gandhari?


texts: Rudra is an archer right from the Rig Veda - was his bow called "Pinaka" in the Rig Veda?

texts: Did Rudra have a named bow in Rig Veda or did Rudra/Siva acquire Pinaka in a later scripture?


texts:
By seeing today's world scenario, who do you think, will be target of Kalki.
Because even today, we can see the different people having different paths.
Is there, any reference, who will be actually target. (Off course those will be adharmi people, but any specific detail?)


texts: Dependability and Independability of jIiva

texts:
1 . Is jIiva completely independent?
2 . completely dependent?
3 . Partial Independent?

If jIiva is completely independent, then what is role of Vidhi Nishedas? what about nitya karmas?. if jIiva has no limit to his KARMAS, then he is independent.

if jIiva is completely dependent, does it mean jIiva doesn't have independence to his actions? For suppose if one has to drink water, he would just take a water bottle and drink water. So is there anything which is controlling him to drink water? On the other side there should be some external force to trigger his mind to think of drinking water. So which is correct?

if jIiva is partial independent, does it mean independency only on non-living objects(jAda)? for suppose moving a non-ling object from one place to another. Here the non-living object is dependent on jIiva. And jIiva is independent w.r.t non-living object. Here jIiva has constraint of independency for non-living objects.

My question is - What are the suitable sources in veda, upanishads and puranas for jIiva dependability and independability. Or suitable BG verses which specifies the same. And what does philosoplical background says about dependability and independability


texts: Hanuman still lives in his material body but why is he not visible? He can do good deeds all over the world and show himself and all of the siddhis he acquired. I do not understand why he will not people see him.


texts: Is there any references about Vyasa's approx. birth century?

texts: There are a lot of references for Mahabharata war timeline, but I couldn't find much about Vyasa's birth century. Is there any reference(s) for the same?


texts: What is a sin in Hinduism and what do vedas and upanishad say about it

texts: Is there any God give law in Hinduism. If not how can we distinguish between good and evil. Please give reference.


texts: What is Soma? Is it a drink or a metaphor for spiritual bliss or both?

texts:
The whole Mandala 9 of Rig-Veda is devoted to the Soma. My question set is as follows.

What is Soma? What is its importance?
Are there both interior as well as exterior somas? I've read about interior somas which could be formed via yoga at ajna chakra, though I don't know of any scriptural references of interior somas.
Do we still have methods to prepare external somas? (It's evident from sculptures found in Indus Valley civilization that (external) Somas could be prepared)

Related: Which rituals need Soma? If the Soma plant is extinct, is there any substitute for it?


texts: What is the source of the different forms of Lord Narasimha?

texts:
Lord Narasimha appeared to kill Hiranyakasipu and the incident is mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Soon after this incident, Sri Vishnu went back to Vaikuntha.

Why are there then different forms of Lord Narasimha? What are names of the different forms and what are the scriptural sources?


texts: Why are eggs not consumed by many Hindus?

texts:
Many of my friends are Hindus and most of them are pure vegetarians. I respect that nature but when coming to the matter of eggs, they say that eating an egg is just like killing a living thing, which I don't understand.
Most of the white eggs available in the market are just unfertilized eggs, which contains only a single ova in them, just like human beings.
As the menstrual cycle operates in the female Endometrium and if the ova is not fertilized by any sperm, then it would also disintegrate. So why is that just like killing some living organism, or in other words if someone thinks that the Ova are not living then why is egg not taken by them?


texts: Was the function of Ghatotkacha only to make Karna waste his Vasavi Shakti?

texts:
As far as I recall, he didn't fight during Bhishma's stewardship of the Kaurava army.  Arjuna of course was safe as long as Karna stayed out, since Bhishma and Drona would never exert their full strength against him.

Did Krishna deliberately sacrifice Ghatotkacha to save Arjuna?


texts: Who is Aja Ekapada and why is this form of Lord Shiva very rare in Hinduism?

texts: From what I have researched so far,Aja Ekapada is considered as one of the Rudras of Lord Shiva.The various forms which depicts include Ekapada Shiva,the one legged shiva,the ekapad trimurthy(Brahma and Visnu emerges from the sides).Most scholars agree that Aja Ekapada is a deity of vedic origin.However,there is not much information about why Lord Shiva is represented in this rare form and why this deity is not worshiped by most people unlike Bhairava.


texts: How can we make sure it's impossible for us to commit any sin or violence?

texts:
Is there a way to make committing violence impossible?

Can someone do something so that it will be impossible (or at least very difficult) for him to commit any violence in any corner of the world?


texts:
(Rig Veda Mandala 10 Sukta 93 Verse 14)

  This to Duḥśīma Pṛthavāna have I sung, to Vena, Rama, to the nobles,
  and the King. They yoked five hundred, and their love of us was famed
  upon their way.

  (Rig Veda Mandala 4 Sukta 57 Verse 6)

  Auspicious Sita, come thou near: we venerate and worship thee
       That thou mayst bless and prosper us and bring us fruits abundantly.

Ramanandi Vaishnavas say that Rama mentioned here is Ramachandra, who incarnated in 24th Treta Yuga and Sita mentioned here is the consort of Rama. My question is, who is the Rama and Sita mentioned here?


texts: Why Prince Ram did not head North when banished.?

texts: Prince Ram, when banished from court of 14 years travelled south despite knowing that he may have to cross Narmada which was not recommended by Lord Manu. Why did he not simply go North. He could have saved all the troubles of losing Sita and wage war.


texts:
I'm interested to know the meaning of Siva sankalpa mantras. In particular the following two mantras:

एका च दश शतं च सहस्रं चायुतं च
नियुतं च प्रयुतं चार्बुदं च नयर्बुदं च तन्मे मनः शिव संकल्पमस्तु

य पञ्चपञ्चा दशतं शतं च सहस्रं च नियुतं न्यर्बुदं च ।
ते यज्ञचित्तेष्टकात्तं शरीरं तन्मे मनः शिव संकल्पमस्तु ।।


texts: Is someone paying for meat assigned same sin as the one bringing it home?

texts:
I was going through this post "Why can we eat 'living' plants but not 'living' animals?" , and a thought came to my mind.

I've come across a lot of people, who though themselves are pure vegetarians in the Hindu sense, don't mind paying for the non vegetarian food habits of other people. The rationale being, they are not the ones consuming it, so it shouldn't matter.

So, is it fair to say someone paying for the non vegetarian food is assigned same sin as the one bringing it home?


texts: I am looking for word by word English translation of RigVeda. I have only found the translation by Griffith but it's not word by word translation. Does anyone know of if any such translation exists? It would be of great help to me.


texts: What does Sri Ramanuja mean by saying "Pasupati-Mata' is 'Anadaraniya'?

texts:
According to Sri Ramanujacharya, 'pasupati-mata' is non-adorable as it is against the Vedas:

  "pasupati-matasya vedavirodhaad asaamanjyasyaad cha anaadaraniyaa iti uchyate" (Ref: Mahaprabhu Sri Gauranga, Radhagovinda Nath, Sadhana Prakashani, page 541).

Tantra and Veda are two parallel systems are both are adored in the Sanatana Dharma. Why is then 'Pasupati-mata' termed non-adorable according to Sri Ramanujacharya?


texts: I came across 2 books one of which said that Ganga is married to Shiva while the other one said she is married to a Gandharva. So what is the correct relation between Ganga and Lord Shiva?


texts: How should a devotee respond to bigotry towards his or her ishta?

texts:
Following some attacks on certain deities on this site, a question has arisen on my mind on how such statements should be responded by devotees.

For example, if a person comes to a devotee and insults his or her deity, how should a true devotee react?

I know its natural for devotees to feel offended and angered by such statements but at the same time, as we know the Self is Brahman in Advaita philosophy and God resides as the "antaryami" in the hearts of all living beings in Vishishtadvaita philosophy (and also knowing that such statements arise mainly due to contact of the Self with Prakriti), what would a true devotee react like? What have the scriptures said regarding this?


texts: What is the importance of Goddess Radha in Shaktism?

texts:
The 39th Chapter of the 9th Book of Devi Bhagavatam mentions the following about the origin of both Radha and Lakshmi from Krishna:

4-33. Nârâyana said :-- Of old, in the beginning of the Prâkritik Creation, from the left side of Krisna, the Supreme Spirit, appeared in the Râsamandalam (the Figure Dance) a Devî. She looked exceedingly handsome, of a dark blue colour, of spacious hips, of thin waist, and with high breast, looking twelve years old, of steady youth, of a colour of white Champaka flower and very lovely. The beauty of Her face throws under shade millions and millions of autumnal full moons. Before Her wide expanded eyes, the midday lotus of the autumnal season becomes highly ashamed.
By the Will of God, this Devî suddenly divided Herself into two parts. The two looked equal in every respect; whether in beauty, qualities, age, loveliness, colour, body, spirit, dress, ornaments, smile, glance, love, or humanity, they were perfectly equal. Now she who appeared from the right side is named Râdhâ and she who came from the left side is named Mahâ Laksmî. Râdhâ wanted first the two armed S’rî Krisna, Who was Higher than the highest; then Mahâ Laksmî wanted Him. Râdhâ came out of the right side and wanted first Krisna; so Krisna, too, divided himself at once into two parts. From His right side came out the two-armed and from his left side came out the four-armed. The two-armed person first made over to Mahâ Laksmî the four armed One; then the two armed Person Himself took Râdhâ. Laksmî looks on the whole universe with a cooling eye; hence She is named Laksmî and as She is great, She is called Mahâ Laksmî. And for that reason the Lord of Râdhâ is two-armed and the Lord of Laksmî is four-armed. Râdhâ is pure Aprâ kritic S’uddha Sattva (of the nature of pure Sattva Guna, the illuminating attribute) and surrounded by the Gopas and Gopîs. The four-armed Purusa, on the other hand, took Laksmî (Padmâ) to Vaikuntha. The two-armed person is Krisna; and the four-armed is Nârâyana. They are equal in all respects.

So this brings Radha & Lakshmi on the same level. We see Lakshmi or Mahalakshmi being worshipped even today and even having separate temples of her own but I have not seen similar importance given to Radha as a stand alone Goddess. Most people who worship her do so from the Vaishnav perspective where she is believed to be the eternal consort of Shri Krishna.
Since this excerpt comes from the Devi Bhagvat Purana, I want to know what is the significance of Radha from the Shakta Perspective?


texts: What is the meaning of 'adhikāra' in Hinduism? And who decides if someone has the 'adhikāra' to do or not to do something?

texts:
Often you hear Hindus saying or asking:

"You are only 10. You don't have the adhikāra to speak on this topic."
"You don't have the adhikāra to participate in this debate."
"Who gave you the adhikāra to chant this mantra?"
"Who gave you the adhikāra to become a sannyāsi?"
"You cannot cut down this tree. Who gave you the adhikāra to cut it down?"

So what does adhikāra mean in the above contexts?

Does Hindu scripture formally define this adhikāra?

I'm assuming this formal definition of 'adhikāra' in scriptures is supposed to tell who is allowed to do what.

Or is the meaning very arbitrary i.e., not written down in scriptures?

EDIT:

Another example:


texts: Is there any instruction video for Samaveda Sandhavandhanam?

texts:
I found instructive video
of sandhavandhanam for Yajur veda. It will be great if I can find similar videos for Samaveda sandhavandhanam.


texts: Books recommended to learn about atheist and/or agnostic schools of Sanatana Dharma in details

texts:
Which books do you recommend to learn about atheist and/or agnostic schools of Sanatana Dharma?

I haven't got any good references.

I have heard about the book known as Sarva Darsana Sangraha written by 14th century Hindu scholar Madhava Acharya, where he lists the major ideological schools of Sanatana Dharma. Athiesm was its first chapter, and a few pages were written on the same topic.

I wish to know about the philosophies of the Sanatana Dharma which believed in no god or higher power.

I have found a book called Sankhya Karika written on Sankhya school of philosophy. I am yet to read it. How is it? What are some more books about it?

Please suggest me a few books and/or scriptures where I can read, in details, the philosophical schools which believed in no god or higher power.

Suggestion of books which write about this philosophies are also welcome.

Thanks.


texts: Rituals to be performed during Shiv Ratri and their significance

texts: Shivaratri comes every month and Maha Shivaratri comes once a year. Many people offer prayers to Lord Shiva on that night without sleeping. Are there any specific rituals that one must do while offering prayers during Maha Shivaratri? If yes, what are their significance?


texts: Did Yajnavalkya have discussion with Sita's father or with some other Janaka?

texts:
As mentioned in this post, after Nimi, the king of his lineage came to be known as Janaka. The name of Sita's father was king Síradhwaja Janaka.

As per Mahabharata: Santi Parva, Yajnavalkya had discussion with king Daivarati Janaka.

As per above two names, it seems that Janaka with whom Yajnavalkya had discussion was not Sita's father. Also, in few places Yajnavalkya is mentioned as Krishna Dvaipāyana Vayasa's (who incarnated in 28th Dwapara after 24th Treta's Rama avatar as per Vayu Purana) disciple. But, many users on this site indicate that Yajnavalkya had discussion with the same Janaka who was Sita's father. Wikipedia also mentions the same.

Can someone please clarify if the Janaka with whom Yajnavalkya had discussion was Sita's father or some other Janaka?


texts:
What spot does Shiva consider most sacred? A temple, mount Kailasha, swarga, etc?

Does any scripture talk about Shiva's most sacred spot according to him?


texts: Did Jayadratha attend Draupadi swayamvar?

texts:
Jayadratha has a key role at two different timings in Mahabharata: the abduction of Draupadi, death of Abhimanyu.
Did he attend Draupadi swayamvar? If yes, then did he participate in the competition?


texts: Is there a relation between Gadhi, the Kaushik incarnation of Indra and Ahalya?

texts:
Indra, in the Subramanaya invocation is referred to as both Kaushik, one who calls him Gautama as well as the lover of Ahalya (Shatpatha Brahman relevant chapter). While the part about Gautam and Ahalya seems straightforward since Indra impersonated the rishi, how does Kaushik fit in?

3:3:4:18. 'Come, O Indra!' Indra is the deity of the sacrifice: therefore he says, 'Come, O Indra!' 'Come, O lord of the bay steeds! Ram of Medhâtithi! Wife of Vrishanasva! Bestriding buffalo! Lover of Ahalyâ!' Thereby he wishes him joy in those affairs of his.
3:3:4:19. 'O Kausika, Brahman, thou who callest thee Gautama.' Just so has this (formula) been devised in these days by Âruni, to wit, 'thou who callest thee Gautama:' he may say it, if he choose, and if he does not choose, he need not attend to it . 'In so and so many days, to the Soma-feast,' (stating) in how many days from hence the pressing is to be.

According to Sâyana's commentary, the king Kusika desired to have a son equal to Indra, so the latter was born as Kusika's son Gâthin (Gâdhin). This is corroborated by the RV Verse 1.10.11 as well:

11 O Indra, Son of Kuśika, drink our libation with delight.
Prolong our life anew, and cause the seer to win a thousand gifts.

Does it imply in any way that Indra, as Gadhi, was married to Ahalya?


texts:
When a day selected for any auspicious work fulfils in full all the auspicious elements in a Muhurtha e.g strong lagna, tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga and karana, + auspicious Tarabala, Chandrabala & Panchanga, zodiac but the vakya almanac shows Marana Yoga ( as opposed to the other Yoga mentioned which indicates Vishikambha), will this Marana Yoga make the Muhurtha totally inauspicious.

Many learned scholars say the above mentioned Marana Yoga doest have much negative influence and thus need not to be overly worried about.

Please comment with detail expiations when a Marana Yoga must take precedence?


texts: Are all incarnations of Vishnu born at moonrise?

texts:
In Vedic astrology, the sidereal zodaic, the band of stars surrounding the Sun's apparent path in the sky, is divided into 12 equal Rashis or zodiac signs.  A person's Janma Rashi is the zodiac sign that the Moon appears in at the time of their birth.  And a person's Janma Lagna is the zodiac sign that appears at the Eastern horizon at the time of their birth.  For example, my Janma Rashi is Rishabha or Taurus, and my Janma Lagna is Simha or Leo; see my birthchart here.  (I actually have the same Nakshatra and Rashi as Krishna!)

Now in my case, my Janma Rashi is different from my Janma Lagna, but based on scriptural descriptions of their births, I found out that in the case of Rama and Krishna they're the same.  Rama had Karkata Rashi and Karkata Lagna, and Krishna had Ribhasa Rashi and Rishabha Lagna; see this answer.  And I just found out that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, whom Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider to be an incarnation, had Simha Rashi and Simha Lagna.  And Ramanujacharya, whom Sri Vaishnavas (like myself) consider to be an incarnation, had Karkata Rashi and Karkata Lagna, just like Rama!

So my question is, is there some kind of rule that all incarnations of Vishnu have their Janma Rashi and Janma Lagna as the same?  Now if someone's Janma Rashi is the same as their Janma Lagna, that would mean that at time of their birth, the moon was aligned with a certain zodiac sign, and the Eastern horizon was aligned with the same zodiac sign, so the moon and the Eastern horizon were aligned with each other.  That means that all the figures mentioned above were born at moonrise, i.e. the time when the moon first emerges in the sky (which is not necessarily at night).

So are there any scriptures which say that incarnations of Vishnu are always born at moonrise?  By the way, if I'm not mistaken the orbit of the moon relative to the Earth and the rotation of the Earth relative to the fixed stars (in the sidereal zodiac) are completely uncorrelated, so the probability that Rama, Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and Ramanujacharya would all have this property by chance is less than 1 in 20,000.  So clearly something is going on here.  Do any works on Vedic astrology say that there's something special about people born at moonrise, and do all incarnations of Vishnu belong to this category?  What about at least the Purna Avataras?


texts: Why Lord Kartik and Goddess Saraswati are unmarried?

texts:
Beside Maa Durga stands Lord Kartika, Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Lakhsmi. While Lord Ganesha is married to a Banana Plant and Goddess Lakhsmi is married to Lord Narayan.

Why is Lord Kartika and Goddess Saraswati unmarried?
Is there any story or logic behind their remaining unmarried?


texts: Is it allowed for a non-practising Brahmin or non-Brahmin to chant the dhyanam to the Lalita Sahasranama including the nyasam?

texts:
I heard a recitation of the Lalita Sahasranama recently by Brahmasrī Śrījit Nampūtirī. I particularly loved the precedent to it that goes om asyasrī lalitāsahasranāma mahāmantrasya, etc. and the dhyanam, sindūrārunavigrahāṁ trinayanām, etc. The aforementioned tantri chanted it in the Kerala Brahmin shaili and it was really pleasant to the ears. I find myself repeating it to myself in that style at times.
I am not a Brahmin. I am not a brahmacāri either. If I chant those verses, will it bring bad karma upon me?


texts: Should a Brahmin or a normal person strictly follow vedas to attain good birth or to attain Moksha.


texts: How rishi markandeya can be the composer of Mahamrityunjay mantra?

texts: If Mahamrityunjay mantra was described in Vedas very before then why it was said that it was composed by rishi markandeya? Does it was added later in the puranas to highlight this mantra?


texts:
I was trying to find out the origin of the name of the Kedar Mountain and so, Kedarnath.

I have read this : What is the story of Kedarnath Jyotirlinga? : but it stops short of explaining about Kedarkhand/Kedar and it's origin ( rightly so as the thread was not about it).

On Kedarnath temple's website, they say that it was named after King Kedar of the Satya Yuga. They go on to write about his daughter, but very little about the king himself.

a) Is there any scripture/notes that I can read to understand more about him/his birth/his rule etc ?

b) Why would Shiva be related to the name of the king ( as Shiva assumes the name Kedarnath and rules over the KedarKhand), unless of course, the king was an incarnation of Shiva.

Thank you.


texts: What does a lizard crawling up from left foot and climb down from the same foot(man) on thursday night around 10 pm signify?

texts: So, we usually have predictions for lizards falling on different parts of human body and few of them are even contradictory, like what if lizards fall on your body part on an auspicious day but the part where it fell gives inauspicious results ? How do we comprehend this . And what should I interpret from a lizard that didn't actually fell from the ceiling or wall but just crawled up the left foot from one side and got down from the other side of the same foot ?


texts: Who wrote the commentaries on principal Upanishads according to Vishistadvaita tradition?

texts: Ramanujacharya did not write commentaries on Upanishads. He only wrote commentaries on Gita and Brahmasutra. Then there must be somebody in Vishistadvaita tradition who did the job. Who is the person?


texts: In which section of the Brahmanda Purana, is the advent of Swaminarayan supposedly predicted?

texts:
Some members of the Swaminarayan sect often quote the following verse supposedly from the Brahmanda Purana to prove Sahajanand Swami (more commonly known as Swaminarayan) to be an incarnation of Sri Hari:

  In Satyayuga, I will take birth as Dattatreya, In Tretayuga, I will be Rama, In Dwapara I will be Krishna and in Kaliyuga, I will be the son of Vrush (Vrushatmaj) - Hariprasad Pande and will be known as Swaminarayan.

Now which section of the Brahmanda Purana is this located?


texts: Rig Veda Translation : Rudra name omitted ( Book 8 Hymn 63 )

texts:
Using only the Griffith ,  Book 8 Hymn 63 Mantra 12 , I read : (Griffith)

अस्मे रुद्रा मेहना पर्वतासो वर्त्रहत्ये भरहूतौ सजोषाः | यः शंसते
सतुवते धायि पज्र इन्द्रज्येष्ठा अस्मानवन्तु देवाः ||
asme rudrā mehanā parvatāso vṛtrahatye bharahūtau sajoṣāḥ | yaḥ
śaṃsate stuvate dhāyi pajra indrajyeṣṭhā asmānavantu devāḥ ||

But in the translation Rudra is disappeared..

15 The very truth do I declare to thee, Paruṣṇī, mighty flood. Waters!
no man is there who gives more horses than Savistha gives.

Since there is a big degree of interpretation , would be interesting to have a complete hymn reference to interpolate to the Griffith. Why RudrA is omitted?


texts: The connection between Kundalini shakti, Chakras, Sages tapas or spiritual powers

texts:
We know that our ancient sages like Vishwamitra, Vashista..etc have enormous sage/spiritual/tapas power that can be used to create their own worlds, give curses and boons etc. Now my question is:
1.How is this sage power related to chakras and kundalini?
2.Do the sages increase their kundalini by meditating to the gods?
3.Can one get spiritual powers like the sages and rishis by using their kundalini?
4.How is kundalini used by sages when meditating?
5.Is Kundalini and tapas power the same thing by which sages get their miraculous powers like non aging, higher knowledge..etc?
PS: Please try to answer at least one of the questions above with references to the sources you're using and using the excerpts from scriptures like itihasas and puranas is highly welcomed. If anyone of the
above question is already asked, please provide me the link to that answers.


texts: What is Rakshasa, were they only in Ram period and not any more?

texts:
I could not understand who are the RAKSHASAS and if they belong only to India, Lanka or anywhere else in the world?

If they were in that period then why don't they exist in today's world? How did they get finished. When Ramayana refer to rakshasa what does it mean - human being or animals or some other species?


texts: Was the story of adultery of Indra in the story of Ahalya a PRAKSHIPTA?

texts:
If Lord Indra is a "womaniser" as described as in the Puranic Literature, can anyone tell as to how many women fall prey to him?

Only Ahalya's story occurs to me.  So we have to closely examine the only story available about Lord Indra's adultery.

The story of Ahalya and Indra was mentioned first in Srimad Ramayana.   Sage Vishvamitra narrates the legend of Ahalya to Rama and Lakshmana.

Indra is infatuated with Ahalya and desires a union with her, for which she complies. However, Gautama catching them unawares curses both Indra and Ahalya.

With that curse, the testicles of the cursed Thousand-eyed Indra fell down onto ground at that very moment.  And, Devatas replaced ram's testes to Indra, and from then onwards Indra has became one with the testes of a goat.

Vishvamitra while continuing the narration of the legend of Ahalya asks Rama to enter her hermitage where Ahalya is living unseen by anybody.

When once Rama steps into that hermitage she manifests herself from her accursed invisible state. She emerges with her divine form and accords guest-ship to Rama and Lakshmana. Sage Gautama also arrives at this juncture to accept his depurated wife Ahalya.

  पुष्प वृष्टिः महती आसीत् देव दुंदुभि निस्वनैः |
  गन्धर्व अप्सरसाम् च एव महान् आसीत् समुत्सवः || १-४९-१९

  "There chanced an abundant floral fall form firmament to the drumbeats of god's drums, and the celestials like gandharva-s, apsara-s revelled in a splendid festivity that is superb. "

We will come across the story of Ahalya in Puranas also, but with some variations.

Now, let us examine the above story.

If the "womaniser" Indra regained his virility after attached with the testes of a goat, why did not he try to woo another woman?  Was he really a "womaniser".   A Big NO!
It was described in Bala Kanda that after Ahalya manifested herself with the entrance of Sri Rama, abundant flora fall on them and drumbeats of god's drums could be heard.  What was achieved by Sri Rama at that juncture?  Nothing.
Was similar fall of abundant flora and occurrence of  drumbeats of god's drums happened when Sri Rama eliminated Subaahu and threw Maaricha in the Ocean, in Siddhasrama?  The description in Bala Kanda at that time was as follows:

  स हत्वा राक्षसान् सर्वान् यज्ञ घ्नान् रघुनंदनः |
  ऋषिभिः पूजितः तत्र यथा इन्द्रो विजये पुरा || १-३०-२४

  When Rama, the delight of Raghu's dynasty, has eliminated all of the demons that are the hinderers of Vedic rituals, the sages available there in that hermitage idealised him as Indra was idealised once, when he became victorious on demons.

This is the style of Sage Valmiki.  He described that the ascetics in Siddhasrama appeciated him and regarded him as INDRA.
The description of fall of abundant flora and occurrence of  drumbeats of gods' drums, in this type of occasions can be seen in Puranas only.
So the conclusion is that the story of Ahalya and Indra in Bala Kanda is a  PRAKSHIPTA, an insertion made at a later date, to degrade the fame and greatness of Lord Indra.

Am I correct?


texts:
The one who is patient is the lord of all he surveys

Does anyone know this quotation from Mahabharatha or any other epic? What is the source of this excerpt ?

What does it mean ?


texts: What are the duties of a  wife towards her husband? What is her vedic roles and responsibilities?


texts: What is the story of Indra, Kutsa & the Gandharva?

texts:
Rigveda Book 8 Hymn 1 mentions the following:

  11 When Sūra wounded Etaśa, with Vāta's rolling winged car.
  Indra bore Kutsa Ārjuneya off, and mocked Gandharva. the unconquered One.

  12 He without ligature, before making incision in the neck,
  Closed up the wound again, most wealthy Maghavan, who maketh whole the injured part.

  13 May we be never cast aside, and strangers, as it were, to thee.
  We, Thunder-wielding Indra, count ourselves as trees rejected and unfit to burn.

Wiki gives the following information about Kuts:

  Kutsa is mentioned in the Vedas in 40 to 50 different contexts. Kutsa asked Indra to help in decimating Ruru's enemies. Indra invited Kutsa to Indraloka to celebrate the victory. Rig Veda 4.16.10 mentions a conversation between Sage Vaamadeva and Indra, which indicated that Kutsa and Indra were friends who resembled each other so much that at one stage, Indrani herself could not differentiate between them.

I want to understand what exactly is happening in this story & if it is described in more detail elsewhere. Are Etasa and Kutsa the same guy and what was Vata's rolling winged car? Who was the Gandharva whom Indra mocked by taking Kutsa away and did he heal his wounds or cause them?


texts: What kings passed on the Panchagni Vidya of the Upanishads?

texts:
As I discuss in the this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school, which bases its tenets on the doctrines laid out in the Brahma Sutras, a work by the sage Vyasa which summarizes and systematizes the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads. You can read the Brahma Sutras here.  In any case, Adhyaya 3 Pada 3 of the Brahma Sutras describes the Brahma Vidyas, 32 lessons found in the various Upanishads which can each lead you to Brahman if you meditate upon them.  You can see the full list of 32 Vidyas here.

One of these Brahma Vidyas is known as the Panchagni Vidya, and it's found in the Brihadaranyaka and Chandogya Upanishads.  It deals with the transmigration of souls in the afterlife, both for souls that reincarnate and for souls that go to Brahmaloka.  It was imparted to the sage Uddalaka Aruni and his son Shwetaketu by Pravahana Jaibili, king of Panchala (the kingdom where Draupadi was from).

But my question isn't about the Panchagni Vidya itself, but rather it's origins.  In this chapter of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Pravahana tells the sage Uddalaka Aruni that this Vidya has never before been in the possession of Brahmins:

  The king said: 'Do not be offended with us, neither you nor your forefathers, because this knowledge has before now never dwelt with any Brâhmana.  But I shall tell it to you, for who could refuse you when you speak thus?

Pravahana's statement is given a bit more specificity in this chapter of the Chandogya Upanishad:

  As (to what) you have said to me, [Uddalaka Aruni], this knowledge did not go to any Brâhmana before you, and therefore this teaching belonged in all the worlds to the Kshatra class alone.

So my question is, where did Pravahana learn the Panchagni Vidya?  He says that it belonged to the Kshatriyas alone, so was it passed down among the kings of Panchala (similar to how the Bhagavad Gita was orignally passed down among the kings of Ayodhya in the Treta Yuga), or did he get it from some other king, or what?  Are there any scriptures that mention Pravahana's guru?  It would be nice to see Pravahana's whole Guru Paramapara, to trace the exact origins of the Panchagni Vidya.


texts: Availability of 'Panchvinsh Brahman' online

texts:
'Brahmans' are the one of the earliest category of Hindu scriptures. 'Satpatha Brahman' is the most famous among them. 'Panchvinsh Brahman' belongs this category. 'Vedic Index" vol.I&II.by Macdonell often quotes from this book. Some of the references  quoted from this book by Mcdonell are quite perturbing to me particularly about a king who murdered his priest because he insisted to worship Indra.

I want to verify this from the original text of 'Panchvinsh Brahman'. May anyone help me by suggesting it's availability online or a book form that can be purchased online or even the publisher where this book may be available.


texts: In which all scriptures Om Namah Shivaya mantra is present?

texts: Please share the list of scriptures as well as the exact place and link of the scriptures "Om Namah Shivaya" mantra is present.


texts: What is the Secret of Durga Saptashati - Devi mahatmya?

texts:
From few months I have been reading/listening 'Durga Kavach' / 'Bhagavati Strota' / 'Siddha Kunjika Strota'. I was aware of that there is a vedic book for Devi. So I decided to explore that too, ie. Durga saptashati, after watching few videos on youtube and internet research I came to know that it was written by Markandeya Rishi, and this book contains 700 shlokas which includes mantras for Maran, Mohan, Sthambhan, Ucchatan, Vashikaran etc. (Almost all the tantra practices)

I also got to know that Durga Saptashati is Kilit which means it is kind of locked with some mantra and in order to get the benefits of recitation, we have to do the Utkilan before reading that book.

My doubt is what are bijaksharas, and how by just reciting the mantras one can attain the siddhis (maran, mohan etc).

I have also checked this link : Source


texts: What is initiation of Mantra? Why is it required for it to be actually effective for the reciter? I've read that people without initiation of the mantra would recite it for the whole lifetime and still it won't be effective.


texts: What is the significance or importance of a 7-headed snake?

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There are many depictions of Vishnu resting on a Snake. But why is it that the snake is sometimes depicted as 3-headed, 5-headed or 7-headed?

What is the meaning or importance of snakes in Hinduism?


texts: Advaita is philosophy Propagated by Adi Shankaracharya, Adi shankaracharya/Advaita(original) accepts Vedas and Vedanta Prashnatrayi(Bramha Sutras, Shrimad Bhagwad Gita,Upanishads) Scriptures while he(Adi shankaracharya so his sect) rejects all Agamas including Pancharatra which is origin of Shrimad Bhagwad Gita philosophy. Since there are some Shaiva and Shakta Agamas which have Vamachara followers, so does Advaita Sect accpets them as these(vamachara) people claim to follow advaita philosophy. If Yes, then how is it justified to include agama followers in a sect which rejects all agamas?.


texts: Was value of pi really defined in a sloka?

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Recently, I watched a video in which the author claims that there is a sloka in praise of Lord Krishna which results in the value of "pi" up to 30 decimal places, in the katapayadi system. Here is the sloka:

  gopi bhagya madhuvrata
      srngiso dadhi sandhiga
      khala jivita khatava
      gala hala rasandara

Is this true?


texts: Classification of Mahapuranas on the three Gunas Sat, Rajas and Tamas

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Wikipedia on “Puranas” have shown classification of the Mahapuranas on the basis of the three gunas of Sat, Rajo and Tamo with the caveat “Scholars consider the Sattva-Rajas-Tamas classification as "entirely fanciful" and there is nothing in each text that actually justifies this classification.”

Sattva ("truth") :  Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Naradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana

Rajas ("passion"):  Brahmanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Brahma Purana

Tamas ("ignorance"):    Matsya Purana, Kurma purana, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana

[Since Wikipedia is not the final word on our Puranas, hence this question]

My question is, “Are there any commentaries, shrutis or other scriptural references for this classification?”


texts: Do vedas says that Ishwar is shapeless / formless?

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Why and how The Ishwar is shapeless / formless ?
Answer only if having vedic references


texts: Are Merkaba and Sri Yantra the same thing?

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I was reading an article about Merkaba and it says:

  A merkaba is a star tetrahedron, a three dimensional 8 pointed star
  made from two triangular pyramids, one pointing up and the other down.
  The male pyramid points upwards and begins at your knees, extending
  several feet above your head. The female pyramid extends downwards
  from your shoulders and reaches several feet below your own feet.

My question: Is this the same thing that we refer to as Sri Yantra?


texts: Reincarnation and past life ambitions and emotions

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What does Hindu scriptures say about soul (atman) and it's innate characteristics?

Can a jivatma have ambitions/emotions/fear/love ?
How will these characteristics be reflected in his incarnations?
In what way does a atman overcome such ambitions and prepare for moksha?


texts: I'm newest in Hinduism. I have a question about Hindus. Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?


texts: Is it true that Jayadratha had split personality disorder?

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As per Wikipedia Jayadratha had a split personality disorder. It is mentioned that due to such disorder, he misbehaved with women during his life time.

For example: he tried to kidnap and molest Draupadi

Does any scripture supports this claim?


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Are indicated specific directions for our devotional prayers?
For example N,S,W,E?
what about Vishnu or Shiva or Devi practice?

Thank you.


texts: How was Yama born and how did he become the king of Yamaloka?

texts: I've heard a lot about Yama who carries dead persons from Earth to Yamaloka in his vehicle, a buffalo. My question is, how was Yama born and how did he become the king of Yamaloka?


texts: Why no temple dedicated to Chhatrapati Shivaji?

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My Marathi friends are very passionate about Chhatrapati Shivaji as he's considered to be an avatara of Shiva.

There're many people who claim to be Shivaji's devotees, but still there's not even one temple dedicated to Shivaji in Maharashtra, let alone all of india.

Why is this the case ? Considering he's considered the ideal king by almost all hindus, and if Vivekananda Swami can be considered an avatar of Saptrishi, then why is Shivaji not similarly venerated ?

thanks . Yes this is a serious question


texts: What is the scriptural logic behind the equality of 'Naama' and 'Naami'?

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The Bhakti literature emphasizes on the equality of 'Nama' and 'Naami'.For example, they say Lord Krishna and His name(Krishna) are one and the same.

What is the scriptural logic behind this? Also, if God is One with letters or Sound,He seems to be formless in essence, which the bhaktas do not agree with!


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I would like to know how many types of mukti are there. Also, is mukti the same thing as moksha? If not, what is the difference between those two?

If there are different types of mukti, is any type considered superior over the other?


texts: Do the Vedas support the concept of a maiden choosing a husband for herself?

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This question contains a link to a blog which tries to prove that the position of a Hindu woman is not that respectful in the society.

One of the points it makes is that a Hindu woman can't choose a husband for herself. It has to be her father's choice always.

But, we know from Puranas and Itihasas, that for Kshatriyas at least a bride can be Swayamvara. That is, she can choose a husband of her choice among many suitors. So, its not that difficult to debunk this particular claim by that blog.

But my question is slightly different. I want to know if Vedas support the concept of a bride choosing a husband for herself or not.


texts: Why Gayatri Mantra is the king of all mantra?

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The Gayatri Mantra is called king of all Mantra. Chanting Gayatri Mantra every knowledge can be achieved.

Why is Gayatri Mantra so important? Who was the Gayatri Mantra given to first?

  ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न:
  प्रचोदयात् ।।


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Like the 5 pandavas, Karna is also a son of deva. But he is mentioned as having more qualities than any single Pandava or even as having all the qualities of 5 Pandavas.

So the question is :

What makes Karna special compared to other Pandavas?

Karna is always called as Suryaputhra while defining his qualities. If that is the reason,

Why is Surya special among devas?


texts: Is there a specific Sandhyavandanam for Vaishya varna i.e different from what is usually prescribed for Brahmins?

texts: Brahmins usually have Sandhyavandanam rituals as per the Veda associated with their family. For example, Yajurveda (there are some sub-branches as well) or Samveda. Is there a Sandhyavandanam ritual for Vaishya varna that does NOT have the strict association with birth i.e. anyone can learn and religiously practise as part of and to aid in their profession as a businessman.


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The following is from Rig Veda (VII.20.5)

  वर्षा जजान वर्षणं रणाय तमु चिन नारी नर्यं ससूव |

  पर यः सेनानीरध नर्भ्यो अस्तीनः सत्वा गवेषणः स धर्ष्णुः ||

  A Bull begat the Bull for joy of battle, and a strong Mother brought
  forth him the manly. He who is Chief of men, their armies' Leader, is
  strong Hero, bold, and fain for booty.

HYMN XX of 7th Mandala was dedicated to Indra.  However, if we go by Puranic story of the Skanda or Subrahmanya, this particular mantra appears to be referring to Subrahmanya (Skanda).

Is there any link between Indra and Subrahmanya (Skanda)?


texts: Raksha Bandhan is a festival that celebrates the love and duty between brothers and sisters celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu calendar month of Shravana. But what is the origin/story behind this festival? (Please quote from the scriptures if possible.)


texts: It is said that Lord Krishna was a human being with qualities of God, thus Lord Krishna has a special place in sanatana dharma. I would like to understand, if Veday Vyasa has written Mahabharata, whether he has seen Lord Krishna and therefore he was able to write so much about Lord Krishna in Mahabharata and later in Bhagavatham. I also have read that Veda Vyasa is also known as 'Krishna Dwaipayan'. Does it mean that Veda Vyasa himself is krishna?


texts: Do any commentators interpret "from yajña arises rain" in BG 3.14 allegorically i.e., not involving a physical sacrifice, fire and smoke?

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Bg. 3.14

  annād bhavanti bhūtāni
  parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
  yajñād bhavati parjanyo
  yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ

Rāmānuja's commentary  on this verse points to a verse from Manusmṛti which is talking about oblations poured into fire:

  'From sacrifice comes rain' this is known from the scriptures such as, 'The oblations offered in fire reach the sun, and from the sun comes rain' (Manu 3.76)

So also Śaṅkara's:

  This accords with the Smrti, 'The oblations properly poured into fire reaches the sun. From the sun comes rain, from rain comes food, and from the sun comes rain, from rain comes food, and from that the creatures' (Ma.Sm.3.76).

Are there any commentaries that interpret "yajñād bhavati parjanyo" (from yajña arises rain) allegorically i.e., not involving literal fire and smoke?

Related (but not duplicate): What are the Yagnas Sri Krishna was referring to in Srimad Bhagavad Gita?


texts: Which Śruti texts explicitly state that varna is based on birth?

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Are there any instances in Śruti scriptures which explicitly support birth-based varna?

Edit:
I'm not looking for interpretations, please only cite those references which exactly say that Varna is birth-based i.e dependent upon lineage.


texts: Are only samhitas and brahmanas part of Vedas according to the kalpa sutras?

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It has been asserted in this answer that the kalpa sutras claim that only the mantras and brahmanas are part of the Vedas, whereas the aranyakas and upanishads are not:

  Āpastambhaśrautrasūtra 24.1.31 मन्त्रब्राह्मणयोर्वेदनामधेयम् (mantra brahmanayoh Veda namadheyam)
  Bodhyānagṛhayasūtra 2.6.2 मन्त्रब्राह्मणं वेद इत्याचक्षते (mantra brahmanayoh Veda ityacakṣte)

Now the question, what does "mantra" mean and what does "brahmana" mean? Has it been defined anywhere? Does mantra mean samhita portion of vedas?


texts: Which commentator of the Brahma Sutras followed Badarayana most closely?

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Which commentator of the Brahma Sutras followed Badarayana (Vedavyasa), the author of the Brahma Sutras, most closely?

For examples, Advaitins believe it was Shankaracharya:

  The Upanishads, as already stated at the very beginning, do not teach
  any particular doctrine. They teach various doctrines suited to
  different people at different stages of spiritual evolution. They are
  not contradictory, but based on the principle of individual fitness
  for receiving a truth (Adhikaribheda). The aspirants are taken step by
  step to the ultimate truth, from dualism to qualified monism and
  finally to monism. “That thou Art” is the last word of the Upanishads
  in religion. The Brahma-Sutras also are as comprehensive as the
  Upanishads and contain references to these various stages. Hence,
  commentators, when they claim that their commentary alone is correct,
  do not reflect Badarayana’s view truly.

But is there any internal evidence from the commentaries themselves that reveals who followed Vyasa most faithfully?


texts: What does it mean to see same God again and again in different situations in dream?

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From different Vedantic explanation, I have learnt that the same consciousness changes its form from a waking body to a dreamer body. So, it seems to me like, if God can incarnate in real-world and meet people to teach them the truth, then he can really appear to a dreamer(please correct me if I'm wrong).

If someone seeing the same God, again and again, every time the story is different. Was it something created by the mind of the dreamer? I don't know if it is ok to share the spiritual experience, please ask me if I need to clarify it. Please guide me. Thanks.

Note: This question is not the same as this one. I am asking about a situation when every time God is the same, but every time the story is different.


texts: I saw a verse in Shiva Mahapurana that depicts Lord shiva having 5 heads, does any other scripture describe details about 5 heads of Lord Shiva?


texts: Does Hindu scripture say anything about Third Eye visions?

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Recently, while meditating, I had a vision of Lord Ganesha. The vision came to my 3rd Eye.

The vision was of an Elephant, with its Trunk pointed down, but swaying back and forward, almost in a dancing rhythm. The Trunk had Fractals of other Trunks in it, and in those were more Fractal-ed trunks.

I have a great deal of interest in Hinduism, however I did not worship Ganesha, or speak to him previous to this vision.

From my subsequent research, I have learned that the Poses, and the orientation of Lord Ganesha's trunk are important.

Does this mean anything? Does any Hindu scripture say anything about such visions?