texts: Are Dhanyamalini and Mandodari one and the same?

texts:
In Sundara Kanda, a mention was made about Dhanyamalini, wife of Ravana.
After a heated debate with Sita, Ravana reminds her, with a mind full of lust and anger,  of the deadline of 2 more months for surrendering to him.  Then Dhanyamalini pacifies him and takes him back to his mansion.

उपगम्य ततः शीघ्रं राक्षसी धान्यमालिनी || ५-२२-३९
परिष्वज्य दशग्रीवमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् |
Thereafter an ogre named Dhanyamalini quickly neared Ravana, embraced him and spoke these words.
मया क्रीड महाराज सीतया किं तवानया || ५-२२-४०
विवर्णया कृपणया मानुष्या राक्षसेश्वर |
O king! Sport with me. O lord of ogres! Of what use to you is this Seetha who is colorless and a wreched human.
एवमुक्तस्तु राक्षस्या समुत्क्षिप्तस्ततो बली || ५-२२-४३
प्रहसन्मेघसम्काशो राक्षसः स न्यवर्तत |
Thus spoken to by that ogre that Ravana who was strong equalling a cloud, thereafter being taken away turned back laughing.

While narrating his exploits in Lanka to vanaras, Sri Hanuma says as follows:

विवृत्य नयने क्रूरे मुष्टिम् उद्यम्य दक्षिणम् || ५-५८-७४
मैथिलीम् हन्तुम् आरब्धः स्त्रीभिः हाहा कृतम् तदा |
Rolling his cruel eyes and lifting his right fist, Ravana was about to kill Seetha. Then, an alarm was raised by a woman there
स्त्रीणाम् मध्यात् समुत्पत्य तस्य भार्या दुरात्मनः || ५-५८-७५
वरा मन्द उदरी नाम तया स प्रतिषेधितः |
Springing up from the midst of those women, a royal woman named Mandodari, the wife of that evil-minded Ravana, ran to him. He was restrained by her.

Here Sri Hanuma was saying that it was Mandodari, who stopped Ravana.

Can anybody explain whether Mandodari and Dhanyamalini are one and the same?  If not, why did Sage Valmiki mention two different names indicating the same woman?


texts: In Vedas, which Devas and Asuras are purely a Deva or an Asura but not both?

texts: Which Devas in Vedas (mainly Rigveda) are never referred to as Asuras and similarly which Asuras in Vedas (mainly Rigveda) are never referred to as Devas? I need references only from Vedas and nothing else.


texts:
Under what circumstances god take an incarnation? How does GOD decide that this the time for his incarnation?
Like if we consider

Sai Baba: people consider him incarnation of Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu or Lord Datta.

Swami Samarth: people consider him Incarnation of Lord Datta.

Gajanan Maharaj: people consider him incarnation of Lord Shiva.

Shripad Shri Vallabha: people consider him incarnation of Lord Dattatreya.

Shri Krishna and Shri Ram are incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
What is the condition or circumstance that God take an incarnation on the Earth? And on what basis does he decide the place of his incarnation?

Like Shri Ram was in Ayodhya, Sai baba in Shirdi, Swami Samarth in Akkalkot.


texts: Which scriptures apart from the Pancharatra Agamas mention the Pancha Samskara ritual?

texts:
The Pancha-Samskara, also known as the Samasrayana, is a ritual practiced in almost all Vaishnava sects, especially in the Sri Vaishnava tradition where devotees declare their surrender to Shriman Narayana and officially become Vaishnavas. The ritual contains the following five steps:

Embossing the impression of Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra on the right shoulder of the devotee and of Vishnu's Panchajanya conch on the left shoulder of the devotee.
Applying the Urdhva Pundra on various parts of the body.
Receiving a new name.
Receiving a Vishnu mantra.
Receiving proper initiation to perform deity worship.

Now, this ritual is mentioned in details in the Pancharatra Agamas. My question is whether any scripture apart from the Pancharatra Agamas mention this ritual?


texts: History of Chyavana Rishi, Ashvini kumaras, and Chayavanprash

texts: What is the history (from purana or itihasa) behind Chyanava Rishi, the Ashvini Kumaras, and the origin of Chyavanaprash leghyam which could supposedly rejuvenate your life (like a fountain of youth)?


texts: Is "Personality of Godhead" a Hindu term?

texts:
What is a Godhead as opposed to God?

Can it be both a personality and impersonal?


texts: Is it a sin for a girl if she marries after puberty?

texts: I have heard from some people that scriptures sanction marriage for girls before puberty. Some  people also say that it is sinful for a girl to marry after puberty and that such girls should atone for them. Are these people correct from the point of scriptures? If yes, is there a prayaschitta for this? What is the prayaschitta?


texts:
I've read that there are multiple way of getting absolved of your sins. Yet some ways are much faster than others.

Like repeating the ohm namah shivay mantra 5 lakh times (which will take a couple of hours). Or doing puja for a tulasi plant which will take maybe 10 minutes.

What is the difference between slow methods and the fast methods? Will all of your sins of this lifetime be removed or only of that day you perform the rituals/mantra japa?


texts: I just want to know if this is the real image of Kanchi Kamakshi or an image of goddess from some other temple. Anyone who visited the temple please answer me. I am thinking this is not a real image as there is no srichakra as told in front of kamakshi. So if it was the real pic then please answer me where is the sri chakra placed in the temple? Is it placed outside the garbalaya of Kamakshi?


texts: What are the different sub schools of Advaitha?

texts:
I have heard that there are three subschools of Advaitha Vedanta.
They are
1. Varthika
2. Vivarana
3. Bhamathi

Are there more sub schools?

Can you briefly summarize the main philosophical differences in the schools?


texts: Why did Sri Krishna say he was VAJRA among weapons?

texts:
While giving discourse to Arjuna, Sri Krishna says that he was VAJRA among weapons.

  आयुधानामहं वज्रं धेनूनामस्मि कामधुक्।

  प्रजनश्चास्मि कन्दर्पः सर्पाणामस्मि वासुकिः।।10.28।।

  Of the weapons,I am the Vajra [of Indra]; of the cows, I am the Wish-fullfilling Cow [of the heaven]; of the progenitors, I am Kandarpa (the god-of-love); of the serpents, I am Vasuki.

In the Chapter 10 of Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna compares himself with the greatest among various living/non-living beings, viz., among Adityas - vishnu;; among birds - Garuda, etc.

We have to remember that in Vedas, Indra was described to have eliminated Vritra with Vajra.

Now the question is - why did  he not mention about Sudarsana Chakra, the weapon of  Vishnu (or) Trishula of Shiva, which are considered to be SUPREME in Puranas, but mentioned about VAJRA, the weapon of Indra?


texts: Why always two cotton wick used in deepa(Lamp)?

texts:
In my region(south canara) we always use 2 cotton wick for lighting lamp.

How many cotton wick should be used in lamp ? Is it always two or can we use any number of cotton wicks?


texts: In brahmachayra what do I do with pent up sexual energy?

texts:
When I have a lot of sexual excitement and sexual energy in my lower chakra, what do I need to do to stop this? Do I channel the energy to higher chakra?

Isn't the goal to not get sexually excited in order for the semen to get transmuted into Ojas?


texts:
In Hinduism, there are many gods. Among all of them,
who last left the Earth?

I am not referring to god men like Shirdi Sai Baba or Adi Shankaracharya


texts: What happens to one in afterlife who doesn't believe in God?

texts:
What happens to the human in afterlife if he does not believe in any God or any theory related to god?

Do any Vedas mention anything regarding this?


texts: Does knowledge has capacity to nullify all past karma?

texts:
This slokha from Brahmavaivartha Purana says the following

But Geetha chapter 4 verse 37 says the following

First one says that, no one can escape from the results of karma, but next says that getting knowledge can nullify all past karma.
Aren't they contradictory?  How to interpret them properly?
If I am a great sinner and If I get enlightened by getting knowledge, then does the karma again follows after me as per first slokha or I become free from all my past karma as per next slokha?


texts: Eye Donation in Hindu Shastras, Vedas & Scriptures

texts: What has been written about eye donation in Hindu Shastras, Vedas & Scriptures?


texts: Actions performed during Devi Paksha affects the individual tremendously?

texts:
Are their any such stories or myth, where people are being blessed or cursed by the Goddess for their deeds, which are performed during this phase of Devi paksha?
I would like to know, if sinful acts performed during this phase, will affect the individual in any major way.


texts: Why Manikkavasagar isn't usually included in the Nayanars list?

texts: Along with 63 Nayanars, why Manikkavasagar isn't included to make it as 64? He wrote one of the famous literature in Tamil i.e., Thiruvasagam. But he is included in the list of Nalvar(four people) along with Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukarasar, Sundharar. Why it is so?


texts: Reunion of Lakshmi and Vishnu after Soma's Rajasuya

texts:
Chapter 23 of Matsya Purana tells that after the completion of Soma's Rajasuya nine devis abandoned their husbands due to kama and served Soma( who in turn desired them like his own wives). Among them was Lakshmi who abandoned Narayana.

As per the story of Vekateshwara they might have reunioned somehow after this incident. Is their any story that describe their union after this incident? Or if this incident might happened in some other kalpa, did Vishnu remained wifeless for the remaining of that particular kalpa?


texts: Astrological signs and śūdra-like nature

texts:
According to this answer on Quora.com:

  In the astrological context, which determines a person’s character, everyone born under the rising signs (lagna) of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius is characterized as Shudra. A Shudra in this context is one who is content to work for others, has little ambition, is subjected to passions, lacks an efficient method of self-control and primarily follows their biological programming of self-preservation and self-propagation.

Is the same mentioned in any jyotiṣa-related scripture?


texts:
Which are the base pillars of Hindu culture?
As per my knowledge, there are

Bhagvat Geeta,

4 Vedas (Please add names)

18 Puranas (Please add names)

16 Shastras (please add name)

Smarities,and more...

Will you please complete these? and where can I get all these scriptures to learn?


texts: What is the symbolic representation of Swami Natarajar? What is the reason of using him in all classical dances?

texts:
I heard about many interesting facts about Swami Natarajar's pose but I am not OK with the answers and I haven't had strong reasons for them.

I am looking for the pose of Swami such as Swami having fire in his left hand and standing on a man and lifting his left leg and differently having his snake in his right hands instead of having in his neck and mainly about the round ring which is ignited with fire all over.

I am eager to have some interesting answers.


texts: What is the story of the birth of Mandodari?

texts: What is the story of the birth of Mandodari (Ravana's wife) ? And how she get married with Ravana ?


texts: Does Aditya Hrudayam helps to win over internal enemies?

texts:
I learned  that, Hrudayam](What is the use of chanting Aditya Hridayam?) gives power to win over enemies.

How ever is it applicable to only external and physical enemies or is it applicable for internal and mental enemies.

Can I chant Aditya Hrudayam to win over my internal enemies like Lust, Anger, Fear, Tension, Laziness and Ego?


texts: Who is the seer of the Nila Sukta, the Vedic hymn to Vishnu's wife Nila Devi?

texts:
Most people know about Radha, who is said to be Krishna's lover and his favorite among the Gopis, whom Krishna spent time with during his childhood in Vrindavan and Gokulam. Yet the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member) doesn't emphasize Radha. In part that's because Sri Vaishnavas focus on the Vishnu Purana and the Srimad Bhagavatam, neither of which even mention Radha's name. But as I discuss in this question, Sri Vaishnavas do recognize a figure similar to Radha, known as Nappinnai.

Nappinnai was the daughter of Yashoda's brother Kumbhaka.  Krishna married Nappinnai after defeating the seven ferocious bulls of Kumbhaka.  The story of Nappinnai is described in the Harivamsa, the Garuda Puranas, and in the poems of the Alwars.  But my question isn't about Nappinnai herself, but rather about the goddess she's an incarnation of.  Most people only know about Vishnu's wives Lakshmi goddess of wealth and Bhumidevi goddess of the Earth, commonly known as Sri Devi and Bhu Devi.  But the Sri Vaishnava sect believes Vishnu has a third wife, known as Nila Devi.  It was Nila Devi who took an incarnation as Nappinnai, as well as a bunch of other incarnations which I may discuss in a future question.

In any case, Nila Devi is praised in the Fourth Kanda of the Taittiriya Samhita of the Yajur Veda, in a hymn commonly known as the Nila Sukta:

  O thou of the three-and-thirtyfold Stoma, lady of the world,
  Breathed on by Vivasvant, do thou be gracious to us;
  Rich in ghee, O Savitr, through thy overlordship,
  Be the bounteous region rich in milk, for us.
  The firm among the quarters, lady of Visnu, the mild,
  Ruling over this strength, the desirable,
  Brhaspati, Matarisvan, Vayu,
  The winds blowing together be gracious to us.
  Prop of the sky, supporter of the earth,
  Ruling this world, lady of Visnu,
  All-extending, seeking food, with prosperity,
  May Aditi be auspicious to us in her life.

Now as I discuss in this answer, how the Vedas originated is that from time immemorial, sages known as Drishtas heard sacred verses directly from the gods in a state of Tapasya, and then in the Dwapara Yuga those verses were compiled by the sage Vyasa into the four books we call the Vedic Samhita.  So my question is, who is the sage who heard the Nila Sukta from the gods?

Information like who heard what verse of the Vedas from the gods is found in the Anukramanis (indices) of the Vedas. I compiled Anukramani information for the Rig Veda Samhita in my answer here, and I requested the Anukramani for the Shukla Yajur Veda Samhita here. But does anyone know if the Anukramani information for the Krishna Yajur Veda Samhita, i.e, the Taittiriya Samhita, is available online in English? That would also help me answer my question here about another hymn of the Krishna Yajur Veda.


texts: Do any commentators told about interpolation of puranas?

texts:
Commentators told about interpolation in Puranas
Which Purana do commentators takes as authentic ?
Do any commentators list interpolation puranas ?


texts:
I do know about three prominent Bharatas from Hindu scriptures namely  Mahabharata, Ramayana and Srimad Bhagavatam.

Bharata from Mahabharata was a son of Dushyanta  and Sakunthala.
Bharata from Ramayana was a brother of Rama.
Bharata from Srimad Bhagavatam, popularly known as jada Bharata, who was a Jivan mukta.

Apart from the above three persons, are there any other prominent persons from Hindu scriptures having the name Bharata?


texts:
I have heard that Chanakya's mother strived for children for almost 14 years and later, Chanakya was born.
He was a great contributor for indian economics and much more.
I knew very little about him.
So, I also heard that he was an amsa of lord vishnu.
Is it correct?


texts: What is the difference between the words parameswara iswara bhagavan paramatma Brahman?

texts: Do all those terms refer to God? If so, how is each word different from the other?


texts: What is the purpose of Balarama's avatara?

texts:
Lord Vishnu, through his avatars, teaches us how to live. I was wondering what is the purpose of Krishna's elder brother Balarama. Also, it seems very odd from the other avatars of Vishnu, because each of the other avatars was born in a different yuga.

So what is the purpose of the Balarama avatara? And why did Vishnu decide to take two avatars in the same yuga?


texts: Does the pumsavana seemanta ritual pray for a male child?

texts: I think this ritual is performed both in the north and south.  The Brahminical Pumsavana has been blended with basically a baby shower.  I have heard that the ritual prays for a male child and also says "let female children be born elsewhere".  Is this true?


texts:
A text says that a king named Kakudmi time-traveled in a two-way trip (Earth ⇒ Brahmaloka and Brahmaloka ⇒ Earth). It also says that there is difference in frequency of times at different planes in the universe.

Is there any other scripture that says about time travel (like what Kakudmi did)?
Is there any character in our scripture that time-traveled but without physically traveling in space?


texts: Does Hinduism permit having sex with female slaves?

texts:
This verse from the Narada Dharma Shastra apparently permits sexual intercourse with promiscuous women, prostitutes, and female slaves:

  Nārada (12.78).—‘Intercourse is permitted with a wanton woman who
  belongs to another than a Brāhmaṇa-caste, or a prostitute, or a
  female slave, or a female not restrained by her master; if these
  women belong to a lower caste than oneself; but with a woman of a
  superior caste intercourse is forbidden.’

I got that verse from the "Comparative notes by various authors" section for this Manusmriti verse on widsomlib.org.

However, the Parasara Smriti forbid sexual intercourse with prostitutes, according to this answer:

  By selling Wine and meat,by consuming prohibited foods,cohabiting with prostitutes a shoodra falls from his caste.(Parashara Smriti)
  On carnal intercourse with a beast, or a prostitute and the like, or with a female buffalo, or with a female camel, or with a she
  monkey, or with a sow [cow?], or a female ass, one should perform the
  Prajapatya penance. (Parashara Smriti)

Now at first glance, whenever there is a conflict between two equally authoritative scriptures, in this case, the Dharma Shastras of Narada and Parashara, there is option in following either course of action. This is according to all the Dharma Shastras themselves, as well as a Mimamsa rule:

  Manusmriti 2.14 - Where there is conflict between two Vedic
  texts [or two Smritis], both are held to be Dharma; both have been rightly pronounced
  by the wise to be Dharma.

So, if we apply this rule to the Narada Smriti verse in question, this would actually mean that Hinduism permits having sex with prostitutes, female slaves, and promiscuous women, since anyone who wants to can take that option.

But however, rules regarding prohibition of sex with certain types of women still apply. So for example, a Shudra man cannot approach a Brahmana woman; a Dvija man cannot approach a Shudra, Chandala, or Mleccha woman; you cannot approach promiscuous wives of other men; cannot approach promiscuous relatives; or the Guru's wife, etc.

So in this case, you would need to combine the prohibitions of intercourse with certain types of women with the allowance of this verse.

But there are other possibilities like the Narada Smriti verse actually being an interpolation, or that it only applies to low-caste people, or that it is only permissible at certain times, etc.

The footnote for that verse on sacred-texts.com says this:

  The two terms, svairinî, 'a wanton woman,' and abrâhmanî, 'one not
  belonging to the Brahman caste,' have to be connected. 'A wanton
  woman,' a self-willed unchaste woman. Nishkâsinî p. 181 means 'one who
  has left her family' according to the Madanaratna, and 'a female slave
  not restrained by her master' according to Vigñânesvara, Mâdhavâkârya,
  and the rest. Vîramitrodaya, p. 510. See above, V, 39.

So it looks like Vigñânesvara and Mâdhavâkârya were commentators, as well as Mitamiśra, who wrote the Vīramitrodaya.

So can someone provide an English commentary for that verse?


texts:
I noticed after looking up the Baphomet that it also has the concept of the left hand path and right hand path which are also similar to Tantra in Hinduism.

So I guess my question then becomes, which came first?

Did Hinduism's concept of Tantra predate the Baphomet?


texts: What's the difference between Veda, Purana, upanishad, Smritis, Granth?

texts:
All these were written by great sages. When one sage writes something great then how his creation is being categorized among them? Means, if he writes something then after completion, how is it decided that his newly creation will be considered as Veda, Purana, Upanishad, smritis etc.,? Who decides whether new creation will fall in which category? And also what's the difference between all these categories.

They all (Puruna, upanishads etc) provides the knowledge then why these knowledge is being categorized and on what basis?

Note: There might be more categories also available but I remember only these for now.


texts: Which commentary of the Bhagavata Gita is the best?

texts: Sridhara Swami, Adi Shankara & Madhusudana Sarasvati- these 3 stalwarts of Advaita philosophy have composed their respective commentaries on the Bhagavata Gita but neither of them can be considered inferior to the other two. So whose commentary on the Bhagavata Gita is perfect i.e to say answers all questions related to the text ?


texts: Which Hindu texts contains the story of Santoshi Mata and about her other legends?

texts: I checked wikipedia and according to it there is no scriptual reference of Santoshi Mata in Hindu texts and she just gained popularity after 1960 movie 'Jai Santoshi Maa'. After reading the wiki article it seems as if she is a self created new goddess. Can somebody please explain which hindu texts contains the story of Santoshi Mata and about her other legends ?


texts: What did Ramakrishna Paramahamsa say about the Srimad Bhagavatam?

texts: The Srimad Bhagavatam, one of the major 18 puranas and the most popular and controversial purana has been recommended by many saints such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The purana is very popular in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition and hence too in Bengal. But what was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's opinion of the Srimad Bhagavatam?


texts: Where can I read Sridhara Swami's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita online in English?

texts: I would like to read the Sridhara Swami's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita online, in English. Can anyone provide me the relevant link or PDF for it?


texts: Vomitting knowledge as food - is it an allegory?

texts:
SOURCE

Yajnavalkya was the son of Devavrata and the student of the renowned sage Vaisampayana. Once Vaisampayana got angry with Yajnavalkya as the latter argued too much about the inclusion of some texts into the Yajurveda. Vaisampayana accused his student of having Jnana Garva (intellectual arrogance) and requested Yajnavalkya to give back all the knowledge of the Yajurveda that he had taught him
As per the order of the Guru, Yajnavalkya immediately proceed to purge all of the knowledge he had acquired from his teacher, and vomited it in the form of digested food.
He then proceeded to seek out knowledge once again through a new teacher who would initiate him. His new teacher turned out to be the Sun God, Surya, who appeared to him in the form of a horse and taught him. Through the lord Surya, Yajavalkya gained deep insights into the nature of the highest reality among other topics. These learnings formed the part of Yajurveda known as the Sukla Yajurveda, which includes the famous section The Satapatha Brahmana.
In the meantime, the other students of Vaisampayana did not want to loose the intellectual prowess and learning of Yajnavalkya's learning from their teacher. Yajnvalkya was the most brilliant among them and they concluded that his understanding of their teacher's teaching would be too precious to loose.
However, these were now in the form of vomit. Hence they took form of Tittiri birds (a kind of partridge) and consumed this vomit and restored the teachings. This is the reason why this section of the Vedas are called the Taittiriya Yajurveda. It is also known as the Krsna Yajurveda.

So he had a falling out with his teacher who wanted to repossess the knowledge he had imparted to him.
It seems that there is an allegory behind this story.  Perhaps the student is turning his back on the Guru's teachings and is going to preach independently going forward?


texts: Why did Nigamananda Paramahansa say Adi Shankaracharya's teachings were Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's path?

texts:
One of the famous sayings of Nigamananda Paramahansa was:

  ''Shonkoracharyar moth Choitonyor poth''

Which roughly translates as ''Shankaracharya's teachings are Chaitanya's path''.

However, the teachings of Adi Shankaracharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu seem to differ to a great extent. What is the logic and explanation behind this saying of Nigamananda Paramahansa? Did Nigamananda himself elaborate on this saying?


texts: What are the minimum tatvas(behaviors) of Brahman?

texts:
After hearing lectures on Brahman, I came to know that Brahman has two properties: Existence (sat) and conciousness/life(chit).
Which scripture tells this? Are there any other (least) properties that can be attributed to Brahman alone?


texts: Why shlok from Gita addresses third person instead of second?

texts:
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
  आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: || 5||

  Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, and not degrade yourself, for the mind can be the friend and also the enemy of the self.

Consider this sloka, here the dhatu roop
'उद्धरेत्' and 'अवसादयेत्', so they are प्रथम पुरुष एकवचन विधि लिङ, but the translation addresses the second person. My queries are :

  1.Sri Krishna was addressing Arjuna then why does he use the third person
   instead of the second person?

  Why does translation defer from word-to-word pedantic translation ?


texts:
I've found this basic definition of Dīkṣā though I don't know in which scripture it appears -

  svarupasambodhadanatmako bhedamayabandha-ksapanalaksanasca  sarhskaravisesah  i.e.  Dikshā  is  a particular  consecration  ceremony  for  initiation  into  the  higher life,  conferring  on  the  initiate  the  gift  of  knowing  oneself,  and casting  away  the  impurity  due  to  the  sense  of  difference  that binds  oneself.

Going through this definition, it seems one can be initiated by oneself, without physical guru.

So can I initiate myself, if possible how?
Can anyone cite the source & explanation of this verse or answer the esoteric meaning of Dīkṣā citing any good source?.


texts: MasterChef (cooking Masters) from Mahabharata

texts: Who were the cooking Masters (MasterChefs) from Epic Mahabharata and what are their stories. Where one can find their stories ?


texts:
In Ashok.K.Banker 's Ramayana he has written that in the forests of Chitrakoot Khara and Dushana were led by a three headed demon named Trisiras leader them against Ram.

Grieved at the giants' mournful tale, Long, shrill was Atikáya's wail;
And Tri[irás in sorrow bowed His triple head, and wept aloud. Mahodar,
Mahápár[va shed Hot tears and mourned their brother dead.

Later he was killed but my question is if such a demon existed ?


texts: How do mimamsa school of thought explain this verse?

texts:
Taittiriya Upanishad
Ananda Valli of Taittiriya Upanishad shows that Brahman is creator of all:
He wished, may I be many, may I grow forth. He brooded over himself. After he had thus brooded, he created all, whatever there is. Having created all, he entered into them. Having entered them, he became sat the existent and the non-existent, defined and undefined, supported and not supported, with knowledge and without knowledge, real and unreal. The Sattya became all this whatsoever, and therefore the wise call him Sat-tya.

So this verse clearly say that the word is created by God(Brahman) so how do mimamsa interpret this verse.
Because this verse clearly say that Brahman is the creator of the world, but mimamsa believe that the world is self evolved and no one created it.


texts: Why Mundan (Chudakarma) is done in first and third year of life in Hindusim?

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Why first hair removal for kids is done at age of 1st and 3rd year and some places they do in 2nd year?

Which one is more appropriate and why?


texts: Any short mantra causing spontaneous visible physical change?

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Is there any short Mantra that shows its effect so that one can feel the visible change?

What I mean is by chanting the mantra, some visible physical change has to happen immediately (not so much time taking).

If there is no such mantra, my doubt is that "Are all Mantras only for mental change with no physical significance?".


texts: What scriptures describe Vyasa's son Shuka creating a duplicate of himself?

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It's well-known that the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavatam have apparent discrepancies in regard to Vyasa's son Shuka.  In particular, this chapter of the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata describes Shuka attaining Moksha before the Mahabharata war, and yet Shuka is the one who narrated the Bhagavatam to Arjuna's grandson Parikshit, long after the war.  But this excerpt from the Tirumala Sthala Purana, the temple scripture of the world-renowned Tirumala Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati, points toward a resolution to this discrepancy:

  Shuka, son of Vyasa received instructions in the supreme and sacred spiritual knowledge from kudra and became a Jnani while he was yet a boy.  After perfecting himself, he conceived the entire Universe as Brahman, the Supreme Being. Mad with the knowledge, he wondered in the world. At the age of fifteen he shone with lustre like Lord Krishna. "Goddess Kamala is my mother. Lord Janardana is my father. Votaries of Vishnu are my relations. The three worlds are my native place" so saying Shuka once left his father -  proceeded to the Sun.  Finding his son nearing the Sun, Vyasa wept and shouted, "O my son, O my son." The Sun saw Shuka and said affectionately, "My dear boy, you have no sons.  Go back to the Earth, head hanging downwards.  Beget sons, get yourself redeemed of your debt and obligations to your parents and come here. One without sons cannot have salvation.  Even if one performs Yagnas and does penance, a man with no sons is doomed.  He can never reach heaven." Listening to the Sun's advice Shuka contemplated on Lord Janardana.  He created another Shuka resembling himself head hanging downwards, and said "You are my son. Redeem my father from distress." and proceeded.  The new Shuka then approached Vyasa who was lamenting for his son and learned Bhagavata. He married and had sons. By the grace of Lord Krishna, he became a Rishi.

My question is, what scriptures describe Shuka creating a duplicate of himself?  As I discuss here, the Tirumala Sthala Purana consists of quotes from actual Puranas, so this story must be from one of the Puranas.

Srila Prabhupada discusses this duplicate Shuka story in this section of his commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam:

  The Śuka mentioned here is different from the Śukadeva Gosvāmī who spoke Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Vyāsadeva, is described in great detail in the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa. There it is said that Vyāsadeva maintained the daughter of Jābāli as his wife and that after they performed penances together for many years, he placed his seed in her womb. The child remained in the womb of his mother for twelve years, and when the father asked the son to come out, the son replied that he would not come out unless he were completely liberated from the influence of māyā. Vyāsadeva then assured the child that he would not be influenced by māyā, but the child did not believe his father, for the father was still attached to his wife and children. Vyāsadeva then went to Dvārakā and informed the Personality of Godhead about his problem, and the Personality of Godhead, at Vyāsadeva’s request, went to Vyāsadeva’s cottage, where He assured the child in the womb that he would not be influenced by māyā. Thus assured, the child came out, but he immediately went away as a parivrājakācārya. When the father, very much aggrieved, began to follow his saintly boy, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the boy created a duplicate Śukadeva, who later entered family life. Therefore, the śuka-kanyā, or daughter of Śukadeva, mentioned in this verse is the daughter of the duplicate or imitation Śukadeva. The original Śukadeva was a lifelong brahmacārī.

So the Brahma Vaivarta Purana may be a good place to look.  Although I'm not sure if Srila Prabhupada is saying that the duplicate Shuka story is mentioned in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana or just that the story of Shuka refusing to leave his mother's womb is mentioned in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana.


texts: What are the exact interpretations of four Mahavakyas by Dvaita, Vishishtadvaita and Advaita?

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Note: You can write an answer from the perspective of one or more schools, whichever you know best and also I read somewhere that some schools consider Mahavakyas as quoted out of the context, if you think so you can quote the whole verse to provide the context you intend for your interpretation.

In this question I read about much controversial alleged debate between Shri Vidyaranya and Shri Akshobhya Tirtha.

And it was really curious that the debate was over the meaning of Mahavakya Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि).  Source

So I wanted to know what are the exact interpretations of the four main Mahavakyas from all the three schools of Vedanta.

1. Prajnanam Brahma (प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म)
2. Aham Brahma Asmi (अहम् ब्रह्म अस्मि)
3. Tat Tvam Asi (तत् त्वम् असि)
4. Ayam Atma Brahma (अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म)


texts: What are the names of necessary Vratas after marriage?

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Satyanarayana Vratam is popular among south Indians and people generally perform it after marriage. But I don't know whether it is necessary to conduct it after marriage or not.

Are there any necessary Vratas by scriptures that are needed to be performed after marriage?


texts: How to feel pain or happiness of other beings in true form?

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I'm a truth seeker and because Hinduism has brought me closer to the truth I'd like to ask a question that is important to me. My being is calmer with yoga and meditation, but a question has popped from my head and I can't answer it fully.

If you calm your being, no pain can hurt you, so no matter what others do to you... you are complete. But what is stopping YOU from hurting others? If you are complete and you hurt others, it will not hurt you. I know its a horrible question but if I want to go further with yoga I must clear all my doubts.

When I meditate and am doing yoga with all my being, I feel that I am somehow isolated from others happiness and sadness; and, as a result, I'm now afraid to go further.

When I was young I did things like every normal kid has done; like saying stupid things which were hurtful to people around me. But now that I'm more aware, it hurts me to think about how I may have hurt others...and I don't want to hurt me or others...I think you know where I'm pointing to :) So this is kinda my answer. I want to become aware of others pain, so there will be no question for me to ever hurt anyone.

I think you can never become independent of others feeling, because if you are independent there is no difference in hurting or loving others. So it seems that even when you reach the highest level of awareness you can never completely isolate yourself from other feelings if they are true. I think that when you become fully aware you will feel even more the feelings of others (their true feelings).

I'm afraid that if I were to develop some strange anger energy while being in this isolated mode that I would do things which I would regret after this life finishes. But this should not happen if I can feel the pain and happiness of others.

So how can I in my lifetime achieve a higher state of awareness of others pain and happiness while meditating - so that if I live for another 10000 years, I will only want to bring people happiness and no pain or suffering?


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Even though Ravana was among topmost in Bhakti towards Shiva the entire clan is branded evil for misdeeds that he alone was responsible.

Vibhishana was a god man of morals, could rule well not necessarily due to alliance with Rama. MahaVishnu sent the Rakshas king MahaBali to the nether world (Paathaala) even though his grandfather Prahlada was his greatest devotee, and for what misdemeanors no one knows ..at least not properly projected in the popular Puranas.

The Asura by default is a bad character. It is always that the Lord has to take up an Avatar from time to time to slay an otherwise invincible Rakshasa. Devas are generally depicted in Hindu mythology as average pious lot but needing to seek out help from the Trinity when the Asura originated trouble goes beyond a certain threshold.

Human nature is naturally ingredient-ed with piety and evil. Is it from the nature and behavior the good/bad boy branding is done? When the Devas and Rakshasas have a common hereditary lineage  does behavioral leaning really set them apart?


texts: Did sage Nara and Narayan still live even in 28th Dwapar Yuga?

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Nara and Narayan were the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Who later incarnated in last Dwapara as Arjuna and Krishna.
Nara-Narayan incarnation has been discussed in this question.
In 9th Canto Chapter 3 of Bhagavata purana
This is what lord Brahma tells Kakudmi when he arrives in Brahma Loka with his daughter Revati.

Twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed. Those upon whom you may
have decided are now gone, and so are their sons, grandsons and other
descendants. You cannot even hear about their names.
O King, leave here and offer your daughter to Lord Baladeva, who is
still present. He is most powerful. Indeed, He is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, whose plenary portion is Lord Viṣṇu. Your
daughter is fit to be given to Him in charity.

I assume here Baladeva refers to Lord Balaram; Brother of Lord Krishna. So we know that this story is from last Dwapara yuga if I'm not mistaken.
And then Kakudmi after marrying his daughter to Lord Balaram goes to Badarikashram.

Thereafter, the King gave his most beautiful daughter in charity to
the supremely powerful Baladeva and then retired from worldly life and
went to Badarikāśrama to please Nara-Nārāyaṇa.

So my question is: were sages Nara-Nārāyaṇa still present at that time in BadarikaShram?
Or is it that Kakudmi went to Badarika to please them by worshipping them(not personally in case they had already departed for their abode)?


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In Mahabharata, Anushashan Parva, SECTION XXV, it is mentioned that by bathing in Bhrigu Kunda after fasting of three days, Brahmanacide (Brahma hatya) sin can be removed as I discuss in my answer here.

  By bathing, after a fast of three days and purifying the mind of all evil passions, in the large lake of Bhrigu Kunda, one becomes cleansed of even the sin of Brahmanicide.

My question is why Bhrigu Kunda has so much importance? Is there any story mentioned in scriptures about it?


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The meditation method of neti neti, is something that took me a while to grasp but I think I have understood it with some help. Consciousness has been seen as a clear crystal ball, which gets colored by the mental vrittis that arise in the physical body. This clear entity, is the nirguna brahman, but as I understand, calling it nirguna entails that it doesn't have any properties, therefore it can not be a clear crystal ball(not even metaphorically).

My issue arises here: Consider a vritti that was as transparent as the awareness itself. In the real world, such a vritti could be a real physical phenomenon that has no effect on the awareness of an individual. Therefore, awareness, doesn't gets colored by this vritti, yet it exists. A simple example I like to think is to think about amoeba crawling on the skin of a person. Sure there might be some interaction between the nerve cell and the bacteria, but the signal might be too weak to enter the awareness of the person. Anyway, without fretting too much about the nature of vritti, the real issue is that transparent vrittis would not appear in contrast to our inner awareness. This means it will go unnoticed, and therefore, what goes unnoticed, is of the same color as that of awareness itself ( in our example colorless). A person then might wrongly interpret that this transparent vritti is ontologically equivalent to consciousness because they don't contrast with each other. Now I cannot guarantee how cogent this argument is, but as I understand it, it does allow for delusion of one. Consider a cell in our gut. We might not be aware of it => appears transparent to awareness => is synonymous with awareness. Clearly a cell of our gut cannot be a part of the same consciousness that "I" is or is it? Is our logic suggesting that all that we are not aware of, is infact, part of us, our true self?

There's something else I'd like to point out and that is the ancient understanding  of akasha. Rishis understood the parallels between akasha and consciousness as dimensionless and unbounded. Space cannot necessarily be a vritti, because it has no observable properties, at least in meditation. Therefore space too becomes a part of awareness (everything not contrasted by awareness, must be same as awareness). Therefore, consciousness becomes all pervasive like space itself.
Now it is easy to explain first person ontology, by saying that when you move around a room, the reason your point of view too moves around is because, you move around in space, exciting different regions of space with your body-mind complex, much like a disturbance moving in water, so you have the feeling of moving around space. But since, you and space essentially have no properties that can be classified as a vritti, space IS a part of you and vice versa.


texts: Sookta are generally for some particular purpose. What are the benefits of samvada sookta ?


texts: Reflection of "Yada yada hi dharmasya..." in Durga Saptashati?

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Bhagvad Gita is a 701 versed text which is inside Mahabharata. And similarly Durga Saptashati (Sapta =7 and Shat =100) is also 7×100= 700 versed text which is inside Markandeya Purana which is also known as Devi Mahatmya.

One of the most famous and important verse in Bhagvad Gita is  Bhagvad Gita Chapter 4 Verse 7, where Lord states to Arjuna as:

  यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत |
  अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् || 7||
  Whenever and wherever there is a decline in righteousness and an increase in unrighteousness, O Arjuna, at that time I manifest myself.

As Devi Mahatmya is also related to destruction of demonic forces by Devi, are there similar statements made by Devi in Durga Saptashati ?


texts: Why is the holding of Chakra different in different images of Vishnu

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In northern parts of India, Sri Vishnu holds Sudarshana Chakra on His forefinger. But in the Southern parts of India, He is seen holding the chakra within two fingers (as seen in the enclosed images).

Is there any scriptural basis for this difference?


texts:
Shani  graha is one of the graha in Vedic astrology.

Shani  deva is one of the god/devtha in Hinduism.

Are they both same?


texts: The three gates of hell: Lust, anger and greed. What are they? & Why are they bad?

texts: In Gita god has told us about the gates of hell. Lust, anger and greed. What are each one of them? Why are they bad?


texts: How much scripture did Ramakrishna Paramahamsa know and what were his scripture-sources?

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A fully realized being, Ramakrishna preached Advaita in his own words, but he would also relate stories of Rama,Ravana, Krishna and so on.
What were the scriptures he read?


texts:
The Sanskrit word is "shva-paka" - were they the alleged result of caste-mixing?

What is their background?


texts:
Why lord Shiva was unable to defeat Jalandhara?
And also is there any story that describes why did Vrinda marry a demon?


texts:
It is known that Duryodhana was killed by Bhima during the Mahabharata war.

It is heard that a Maharishi named Maitreya, had infact ,cursed  Duryodhana, that he would be killed by Bhima,during the Mahabharata war.

Why did Maharishi Maitreya curse Duryodhana?

What are the details of the story?


texts:
Did Jesus Christ visit India when he was aged between 13 and 30? Is there any ancient record about his connection to life, culture or religion of India?

Please give an objective unbiased referenced and normal font size answer.


texts: Which alwar was a thief and turned by the Lord to alwar? How many hymns he composed in Divya prabandam? What answers he got from his wife when he said he steals for livelihood?


texts: Is Adi Shankaracharya's Kena Upanishad Vakya Bhashya available in English?

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Generally the Advaita philosopher Adi Shankaracharya has only given one Bhashya or commentary for each of the Mukhya or primary Upanishads.  But in the case of the Kena Upanishad, he composed two Bhashyas: the Kena Upanishad Pada Bhashya and the Kena Upanishad Vakya Bhashya.  There are many competing explanations for the reason for this.  Some think it's just that he thought the Kena Upanishad was so important that it deserved two commentaries.  Others think that the Pada Bhashya is authentic and the Vakya Bhashya is a later work.  Still others think that the Pada Bhashya is a direct commentary on the Kena Upanishad while the Vakya Bhashya is a subcommentary on an ancient commentary, namely Tanka's Vakya.  (Tanka is only known to have composed a Vakya on the Chandogya Upanishad, though, and Adi Shankaracharya doesn't mention or quote Tanka in the Vakya Bhashya.)

Now there are several English translations of the Pada Bhashya, for instance this one.  It's the standard work given when you see book called "Adi Shankaracharya's commentary on the Kena Upanishad". But my question is, has the Kena Upanishad Vakya Bhashya ever been translated into English?

You can read both Bhashyas in Sanskrit here, by the way.


texts: Why Dronacharya demanded to make King Drupada prisoner in his Guru Dakshina?

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Why Dronacharya demanded to make king Drupada prisoner in his gurudakshina? any specific reason?

Gurudakshina was for Duryodhana(Kaurava and Pandavas), then why did he take Karna and army to take King Drupada?


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1)       In Bala Kanda, Srimad Ramayana he was described as the son of Aristhanemi.

  अरिष्ठनेमि दुहिता सुपर्ण भगिनी तु सा |
  द्वितीया सगरस्य आसीत् पत्नी सुमति संज्ञिता ||  (Bala Kanda 38 Sarga 4 Sloka)

  "The daughter of Arishtanemi,  and who is also the sister of Garuda, the Divine-Eagle, is the second wife of Sagara, who is known by the name Sumati".

Here, Suparna (सुपर्ण ) indicates the one having beautiful feathers, i.e., Garuda.

2)        Further, while describing Sri Hanuma's power and celerity, Jambavanta equals his speed with that of Garuda, as follows:

  अरिष्टनेमिनः पुत्रो वैनतेयो महाबलः |
  गरुत्मान् इव विख्यात उत्तमः सर्व पक्षिणाम् ||  (Kishkinda kanda 66 Sarga 4th Sloka)

  "The son of Aristanemi and Lady Vinata is the best bird among all the birds,  who is superbly mighty and who is universally renowned as Garuda."

  पक्षयोः यत् बलम् तस्य तावत् भुज बलम् तव |
  विक्रमः च अपि वेगः च न ते तेन अपहीयते ||   (Kishkinda kanda 66 Sarga 6th Sloka)

  "Whatever is the strength of his wings, that much is the strength of you arms, and even by the yardsticks of his dash and dare, yours too, are unreprovable".

3)       On his first meeting with Sri Rama, Jatayu, a great eagle and a friend of Dasaratha, narrates his lineage.

  कश्यपः प्रतिजग्राह तासाम् अष्टौ सुमध्यमाः |
  अदितिम् च दितिम् चैव दनूम् अपि च कालकाम् ||
  ताम्राम् क्रोध वशाम् चैव मनुम् च अप्य् अनलाम् अपि |  (Aranya Kanda 14 Sarga 11-12 Slokas)

  "Of them Kashyapa accepted eight slender-waisted daughters of Daksha Prajapati, namely Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kaalakaa and Taamra, Krodhavasha, also thus Manu and even Anala also as wives.

  क्रौन्चीम् भासीम् तथा श्येनीम् धृतराष्ट्रीम् तथा शुकीम् ||
  ताम्रा तु सुषुवे कन्याः पंच एता लोकविश्रुताः |    (Aranya Kanda 14 Sarga 17-18 Slokas)

  "But Taamraa gave birth to five world renowned girls namely, Krounchi, Bhaasii, Shyenii, Dhritaraashtrii, and Shukii.

  चक्रवाकाम् च भद्रम् ते विजज्ञे सा अपि भामिनी |
  शुकी नताम् विजज्ञे तु नताया विनता सुता ||  (Aranya Kanda 14 Sarga 20 Sloka)

  "Dhritaraashtrii gave birth even to Chakravaaka water-birds, and Shukii gave birth to a daughter Nata, and Nata's daughter is Vinata."

Hence, Vinata was the Great Grand-daughter of Prajapati Kashyapa ( Kashyapa + Taamra -> Shukii -> Nata -> Vinata)  and Garuda was the son of Vinata.

According to this narration, Garuda was the son of Aristhanemi.  However, Mahabharata says that he was the son of Kashyapa.

Which one is correct?


texts: Does Tirupati Balaji's idol have real hair?

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Namaste! I have read facts about Tirupati Balaji idol which is placed in sanctum sanctorum and among them there is one fact which raise my eyebrow: Idol has real hair and claimed to be real hair of lord himself, not a wig. They are smooth and shiny, never gets matted.

But, unfortunately there are no picture(s) of lord showcasing real hair.

  Is it true, that lord has real hair?


texts: Does a person who is very good in karma, had to survive very less on this mrityuloka (earth)?

texts: It is believed that people take birth on this earth to attain moksha (which is the last goal) of a jivatma, so if a person who has good karma has to live very less years (or suffer) on this earth compared to a person who has bad karma ?


texts: Why do the Vedas need to be recompiled every Dwapara Yuga?

texts:
As I discuss in this answer, how the Vedas originated is that from time immemorial, sages known as Dhristas (literally seers) have heard sacred verses (mantras) directly from the gods during a state of Tapasya (deep meditation). And then in the Dwapara Yuga (the age before the current one), a sage named Krishna Dwaipayana Vedavyasa (Vyasa for short) compiled these verses from all those different sages into a coherent work, dividing them into a set of four books we call the Vedas. (Technically Vyasa only compiled the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Veda; the Atharvana Veda was compiled by the sages Atharva and Angiras).

But Vyasa wasn't the first one to compile and divide the Vedas, and he won't be the last.  Vedavyasa is in fact a title, assigned to a different person in every Dwapara Yuga, as described by Vyasa's father Parashara in the Vishnu Purana:

  Twenty-eight times have the Vedas been arranged by the great Rishis in the Vaivaswata Manwantara in the Dwápara age, and consequently eight and twenty Vyásas have passed away; by whom, in their respective periods, the Veda has been divided into four. In the first Dwápara age the distribution was made by Swayambhu (Brahmá) himself; ... I [Parashara] was the Vyása of the twenty-sixth Dwápara, and was succeeded by Jaratkáru; the Vyása of the twenty-eighth, who followed him, was Krishńa Dwaipáyana. These are the twenty-eight elder Vyásas, by whom, in the preceding Dwápara ages, the Veda has been divided into four. In the next Dwápara, [Ashwatthama] Drauńi (the son of Drońa) will be the Vyása, when my son, the Muni Krishńa Dwaipáyana, who is the actual Vyása, shall cease to be (in that character)

My question is, why do the Vedas need to be recompiled and redivided in every Dwapara Yuga?  I can understand if the knowledge of the Vedas is lost over the generations as people die, and thus in every Dwapara Yuga someone needs to go back to all the sages and find out the verses they heard from the gods.  But most of the people mentioned in the above quote are Chiranjeevis (immortals), so why doesn't the new Vedavyasa just ask some previous one for their compiled work?

Vyasa's father Parashara is immortal, for instance, so couldn't Vyasa have just asked his dad for the verses he had compiled two Dwapara Yugas ago?  And Ashwatthama is immortal (as I discuss in this answer), and he's alive right now, so rather than waiting until the next Dwapara Yuga, couldn't he just walk into a bookstore tomorrow and buy a copy of Vyasa's version of the Vedas?  Or if there's an issue of all the original Shakhas (recensions) not being included in the books they sell in bookstores, couldn't Ashwatthama have just gotten the Vedas from Vyasa himself in the last Dwapara Yuga, especially considering that he was a student of Vyasa?

Is the issue simply that the compiled Vedas grow in size each time, because in the intervening years between Dwapara Yugas, sages will have heard certain verses from the gods that had never been heard before?  Is Vyasa's version of the Vedas bigger than Parashara's, and will Ashwatthama's be even bigger?  Are there any scriptures that describe this?


texts: Why kANsya(Brass/Bronze) is prohibited in ghanta(bell) pooja?

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I read this question Ghanta Puja and the translation provided for the following sloka in question says that ringing kaNsya(Brass/Bronze) bell make the place residence of Rakshasa and Pisacha. But today everyone use only Brass/Bronze bells, so why this sloka is contradicting to today's belief:

  Āgamārthaṃ tu devānāṃ gamanārthaṃ tu rakṣasām ।
  kuru ghaṇṭāravaṃ tatra devatāhvāna lā'ñchanam |15|

  ajñānatho'jñānatovāpi kāṃsya ghaṃṭān navādayet |16|
  rākṣasānāṃ piśācānāṃ taddeśe vasatirbhavet ।
  tasmāt sarva prayatnena ghaṃṭānādaṃ prakārayet |17|


texts: Which mantra in sri vidya school is most suitable for manifesting wealth?

texts: At high level all mantras are same as they led to same goals. But individual manyra do leave their effect. Which mantra in sri vidya schoolnis best suited fir manifesting wealth in life. Thanks


texts: Had the worship of GOD been changed from 2 times to 3 times a day in the ancient Rig vedic period?

texts:
Rig Veda II.8.3,composed by the sage from Bhrigu family, eulogises AGNI as follows:

य उ शरिया दमेष्वा दोषोषसि परशस्यते | यस्य वरतं न मीयते ||
Who for his glory is extolled at eve and morning in our homes,
Whose statute is inviolate;

This indicates that by the time this mantra was composed, AGNI had been worshiped twice a day only.

However, Rig Veda III.4.2, composed by Sage Viswamitra and dedicated to Āprīs, says that the deities - MITRA, VARUNA and AGNI, worship daily thrice a day.
Many scholars inferred that 2nd to 7th Mandalas of Rig Veda are the Oldest among the 10 Mandalas.
Even among 2nd to 7th Mandalas of Rig Veda, 2nd Mandala was the forerunner compared to 3rd Mandala.

My question is

was there a shift in number of times of worshiping GOD, from the period in which  Rig Veda II.8.3 had been composed (2 times a day) to the period in which  Rig Veda III.4.2 had been composed (3 times a day)?


texts: Can I keep a small murti of lord hanuman in my room

texts: I have heard that as the size of murti grows it attracts more divine power and requires more Pooja. Hence one should not keep a large murti at home but how about small metal one around 3-4 inch. Can I keep a small idol?


texts:
As in the title. Also, please show scriptures or quotes from gurus to support your view. Thanks in advance for an answer.
Sorry for my english, it is my second language.


texts: How come Veerbhadra mentions Vamana avatar during his encounter with Narasimha?

texts:
In Shiv Purana posted here (I think it was by Keshav Srinivasan), Veerbhadra was asking Narasimha to leave this form. He cited several reasons one of them being that even Prahalad grandson has been blessed by Vamana.

Does it mean that Lord Vishnu had Vaman and Narasimha avatar going on simultaneously? Can someone help explain.


texts: Reference of any god being brahmin (by caste)

texts:
Is there any reference(for ex. wears Janoi) in any Vedas or in any other book that describes God as brahmin (by caste)?
One reference I found in Hanuman Chalisa is,

हाथ बज्र औ ध्वजा बिराजै ।
काँधे मूँज जनेउ साजै ॥५॥


texts: Which scripture mention that dattatreya belongs to fifth ashram?

texts:
The four ashramas in sanathan dharma are: Brahmacharya (student), Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (forest walker/forest dweller), and Sannyasa (renunciate).
I heard that Dattatreya does not belong to four ashrams. And he belongs to fifth ashram.
Which scripture mentions that fact?


texts: Is this verse supported or contradicted by any other scripture?

texts:
In chapter 8 of Sri Shiva Rahsya, Lord Shiva says-

  Having been put to sleep at the moment of creation, man begins his worldly life in the form of an inanimate thing made of space, air, fire, water or earth.  He abides in that condition for forty-two thousand lifetimes.  He then enters a state like that of dream and assumes the form of half-sentient things such as plants or trees.  Thus he passes fifteen thousand lifetimes.  In the form of insects or worms he abides for twelve thousand lives.  Nine thousand in the form of a sentient beast such as land-borne, water-borne or air-borne creatures; and six thousand lifetimes in human form.
  Having thus passed through eighty-four thousand lives, man is born only three more times: once as a Yogi and twice as a God.  Then, having attained the Supreme Perfection of Heaven (Para Siddhi), he is born no more.

Are these statements supported or contradicted by other scriptures? If I become a Yogi, I will only live 2 other lives?


texts:
Holika was Hiranyakashipu's sister and tried to kill Prahlad. Then, why do women observe holika vrata and worship holika wood before lightning fire in it?

Note: Poornima also falls on the Holi day but women observe vrata for Holika along with monthly Poornima vrata.


texts: Has any Hindu queen directly ruled without her husband?

texts:
Modern day feminist media in movies and TV shows, like the movie "Bahubali", portrays "strong and independent" female characters ruling countries as queens without their husband (the king) being alive or present. This is done by the writers to promote feminism and to show that women ruling is normal and that they can rule independently.

Has any Hindu queen directly ruled without her husband according to scriptures?


texts: Was Adi-Shankara initiated into Kriya Yoga?

texts: There is a general belief that Adi Shankara was initiated into Kriya Yoga by Mahavatar babaji who is said to be living in the Himalayas. But do we have any authentic reference from our ancient texts for it? Does Adi Shankara himself talk about Kriya Yoga for realizing Brahman?


texts: According to Hindu scripture where is the center of universe?

texts: Center of universe is Dhruv nakshatra (Pole Star) with simshumaradhi as antaryami.. that is why it stays in the same place. it wont appear to move even though every thing else around it move. Please provide scriptural reference if any.


texts: Are Upanishad's really parts of the Vedas?

texts:
While the hymns of the Vedas emphasize rituals and the Brahmanas serve as a liturgical manual for those Vedic rituals, the spirit of the Upanishads is inherently opposed to ritual. The older Upanishads launch attacks of increasing intensity on the ritual. Anyone who worships a divinity other than the self is called a domestic animal of the gods in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The Chāndogya Upanishad parodies those, who indulge in the acts of sacrifice by comparing them with a procession of dogs chanting Om! Let's eat. Om! Let's drink.

- Page 57 of Mahadevan, T. M. P (1956), Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, ed., History of Philosophy Eastern and Western, George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

Now my inquiry into this is;

How can a philosophy whose spirit contradicts, opposes and rejects another philosophy, be part of that philosophy?
And while the Upanishads contradict the Vedas, what could be the reasons for them to be appended to the Vedas? Why were they not kept as separate texts?

Any opinion regarding this will be appreciated.
I am trying to comprehend the history of the Indian religions.
Thank you
Edited: To provide citations as requested;

Which upanishad you feel contradicts Vedas? By upanishads i mean the major upaishads. (genuine one) – Rakesh Joshi

Here below is another citation apart from the one given in the comments:-

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Shankara bhashya translated by Swamy Madhavananda
1.4.8 page 141
"This Self is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, dearer than everything else, and is innermost. Should a person (holding the Self as dear) say to one calling anything else dearer than the Self, ''(What you hold) dear will die' -he is  certainly competent (to say so)-it will indeed  come true. One should meditate upon the Self  alone as dear. Of him who meditates upon the  Self alone as dear, the dear ones are not mortal."
1.4.15 page 181
"(So) these (four castes were projected)- the Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra. He became  Brahmana among the gods as Fire, and among then as the Brahmana (He became) a Kshatriya through the (divine) Kshatriya, a Vaisya through the (divine) Vaisyas and a Shudra through the (divine) Shudra. Therefore people desire to attain the results of their rites among the gods through fire, and among men as the Brahmana. For Brahman was in these two forms. If, however, anybody departs from this, world without realizing his own world (the Self), It, being unknown, does not protect him as the Vedas not studied, or any other work not under- taken (do not). Even if a man who does not know it as such performs a great many meritorious acts in the world, those acts of his are surely exhausted in the end. One should meditate only upon the world of the Self. He who meditates only upon the world called the Self never has his work exhausted. From this very Self he projects whatever he wants."

So these verses clearly suggest to the person, to look into oneself and not towards the outside world.


texts: Gopis' views on Sri Krishna stealing their cloths

texts:
I see some atheists saying Sri Krishna  possessed bad behavior since he stole the clothes of the gopis while they were bathing. (I DO NOT AGREE WITH THEM) They also say the gopies may not have liked it and they might have felt like their modesty was outraged when he stole their clothes.
I know Krishna was naughty and I don't know why exactly he stole their clothes. him stealing the gopis' cloths.
Now my question is, since the gopis were humans How did they feel about this? What was their reaction? Did they feel like their modesty was outraged? Are there any verses that utter the reaction of the gopies?

Please note, I have used the term "bad-behavior" from the perspective of the people using that term. I understand it might be offensive to use that term. But I had to use that term for clarification purposes. My intention is to get clarification.

Also note, I don't know the entire story of what happened there. So pardon me if I've got something wrong


texts: Can a non-virgin woman marry? If yes, how?

texts:
Non-virgin women are excluded from marital rites with its Agni-hotra, etc.

pāṇigrahaṇikā mantrāḥ kanyāsveva pratiṣṭhitāḥ |
nākanyāsu kva cinnṝṇāṃ luptadharmakriyā hi tāḥ || 226 ||
The marriage-ritual texts are applicable to virgins only, and nowhere among men, to non-virgins; and this because these latter are excluded from religious acts.—(Manusmṛiti-8.226)

i.e, the sacred rituals of marriage with its post marital Agni-hotra and other rites yields to naught with a non-virgin woman. Devatas seem to not accept/validate rituals carried out with them.
My question is are there any expiation involved for a non-virgin woman in order to reclaim the right of marital rituals? If yes, what's the procedure?

P.S: A non-virgin woman is actually already married with a guy she sexually engaged with under gandharva-vivāh. Therefore, the question can probably be reframed as, Is there atonement for a married woman for marrying another guy with rights of post-marital rituals provided she isn't living with her husband anymore?


texts: What is the best way to solve Pollution problem on the name of God?

texts:
In Hindu religion most of the time after worship of God and Goddess we throw the waste material, pictures in river and these things become a cause of pollution some time that like we are insulting God Please suggest some better ways for it.

Please click on this link and watch this video to know what's happening
watch the video


texts:
Is the consumption of Paan leaf allowed under the rules of a Sattvic diet, or is it prohibited?

Does it matter how it is prepared, or what other ingredients are used?


texts: What happened to Karna's Kavach & Kundal?

texts:
In Mahabharat, Karna was the son of Lord Sun. The Sun has given him Kavach (Breastplate Armor) & Kundal (Ear-rings) to protect him. This Kavach & Kundal were attached to his body. As long as this Kavach & Kundal were protecting Karna, no weapon could harm him.

Karna has a habit of giving donation daily after the giving ardhya to Sun in the morning. When the Mahabharata's fight was about to begin, Indra went to Karna and asked for his Kavach & Kundal. Karna gave his Kavach & Kundal to Indra.

But then, What Indra did with Kavach & Kundal?


texts: Which scripture describes Lord Shiva as īśaḿ (ईशं) ? Is it one of the form of Lord Shiva?

texts:
While writing commentary on Bhagavad Gita 11.15,

  paśyāmi devāḿs tava deva dehe
  sarvāḿs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-sańghān
  brahmāṇam īśaḿ kamalāsana-stham
  ṛṣīḿś ca sarvān uragāḿś ca divyān
  Translation: O God, I see assembled all the gods and various beings in your body, Lord Brahman, seated on a lotus seat, and all the dazzling Rsish and heavenly serpents.

But Vaishnava scholars translate ईशं (īśaḿ) as Shiva somehow. Which scripture(s) describe ईशं (īśaḿ) is Shiva? Or is it a form of Shiva? On what basis they put the word Shiva there?


texts: What could be the reasons for someone falling down from spiritual life?

texts: Is there any scriptures says some reasons for someone falling down from spiritual life?


texts: Is the Arthashastra of Chanakya same as the Upa Veda Arthashastra?

texts:
As outlined in this answer, Arthashastra is one of the Upa Vedas.

I wanted to know whether this is the same Arthashastra written by Rishi Chanakya.

I have seen some earlier posts/comments on the site stating that Chanakya's Arthashastra cannot be taken as a part of Hindu Scriptures. Hence I was interested to know what exactly is the status of this text in Hinduism.


texts: Which school of thought did Skandaswami belong?

texts:
Shri Skandaswami's commentary is the oldest commentary on the Vedas.
So which school of thought did he belonged to.


texts: What is Sadhu? Is Any Parameters That Defines Them? Difference from Sajjan(good will person)

texts: I want to ask that : what is sadhu? Are there any parameters defined for that. Are they need to be Vairagi? What is the difference between Sadhu And Sajjan? I mean to ask Sadhu is Derived from sadhana (possibly I may be wrong) so to become a sadhu is it must become a vai ragi or it means whatever life you live (you can marry and have a family) but you are a true devotee and disciplined? I mean the Srimad Bhagwat Geeta's Teaching That Work Is Workship


texts: Is 'Janani Janmabhumischa Swargadapi Gariyasi' wrongly attributed to Rama? Is it even part of Valmiki Ramayana?

texts:
Unlike what I've heard from many before, it doesn't look like Rama is the one who said this shloka; instead sage Bharadwaja says it to Rama in a different setting (Bharadwaja ashram and not Lanka).

मित्राणि धन धान्यानि प्रजानां सम्मतानिव |
जननी नन्म भूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी || ६-१२४-१७
The friends, the riches and the grains are highly honoured in this world. Mother and mother-land are far superior to even the heaven."

The Wikipedia article for the shloka however says that it's Rama who spoke those words:

In the Ramayana, composed by Adi Kavi (Primordial Poet) Valmiki, Lord Rama uttered the verse while addressing his younger brother, Lakshmana after their victory over Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka.

Another page at valmikiramayan.net says the shlokha is only found in certain editions (of Valmiki Ramayana):

This sloka is seen in the edition published by Hindi Prachara Press, Madras in 1930 by T.R. Krishna chary, Editor and T. R. Vemkoba chary the publisher.

After some googling though, it doesn't look like the shlokha is part of Valmiki's Ramayana. Is it part of another version of Ramayana - Tulsidas or some other perhaps?


texts: Who was the solar dynasty king who was turned into a spider?

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 Purva Mimamsa philosopher Kumarila Bhatta's belief 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.

Now most of these stories are recognizable: Gautama cursing his wife Ahalya to turn to stone, Vishnu's incarnations, and the story of a rat being reborn as Mahabali which is attested at least in folk tales?  But my question is, what is the story of "a spider being born in the Solar Race of far famed kings"?
Is this a case of a solar dynasty king being cursed to turn into a spider, or a solar dynasty king having a spider as a son, or what?  Are there any scriptures which mention this story?


texts: Why is moksha difficult to attain? Why can't it be easy? What is the reason for the existence of moksha? Does it exist because maya exists? If yes, wouldn't that mean moksha has no existence out of maya?


texts: Status of world during first time lord came to create souls?

texts:
If souls are situated in material bodies(Bhramana,Kstriya,Vasiya,Sudra,Animals,Rakshas,Asuras,etc) ,then in the beginning of the universe the souls will have their first birth and will have no karma effects and in that situation on which basis four castes and souls on animal beings will put by god.As Veda's describes that these four castes were the initial stage of the universe.

Can anyone please clarify my doubts?


texts: Does learning Transcendental Meditation from an official teacher count as an initiation?

texts:
The modern meditation discipline of Transcendental Meditation is taught by an official teacher over a course of four or five consecutive days at the beginning of which there is a Puuja of the  prominent members of the vedantic lineage along with that of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and thereafter the aspirant is bestowed a mantra by the teacher and instructed to keep it a secret. The mantra, as far as public domain expositions show is the exact or slightly corrupted reading of a beeja or a naama.
In view of the above, would a TM initiation count as a deekshaa?


texts: Why do people shout "Govinda Govinda" during death rites whereas burial ground consists of lord shiva paintings?

texts: In Hinduism, Near Burial Grounds have lord Shiva paintings but  people shout "Govinda Govinda" for death rites. Both are different gods, then why lord Venkateshwar paintings are not present at burial grounds?


texts: Was Adi Shankaracharya defeated in debate by a Kashmiri panditani (scholar)?

texts:
I came here while reading Ramachandra Guha's India after Gandhi book. In this book I came across a claim that Adi Shankaracharya was defeated in debate by a Kashmiri panditani (priestess). How much of it is true? Is there any recorded history about this incident?

Page no 77,chapter:a valley bloody and beautiful,title: India after Gandhi.

  On the first anniversary of Indian independence Abdullah sent a message to the leading Madras
  weekly, Swatantra. The message sought to unite north and south, mountain and coast, and, above all,
  Kashmir and India. It deserves to be printed in full:

  Through the pages of SWATANTRA I wish to send my message of fraternity to the people of the
  south. Farback in the annals of India the south and north met in the land of Kashmir. The great
  Shankaracharya came to Kashmir to spread his dynamic philosophy but here he was defeated in
  argument by a Panditani. This gave rise to the peculiar philosophy of Kashmir – Shaivism. A
  memorial to the great Shankaracharya in Kashmir stands prominent on the top of the
  Shankaracharya Hill in Srinagar. It is a temple containing the Murti of Shiva.
  More recently it was given to a southerner to take the case of Kashmir to the United Nations
  and, as the whole of India knows, with the doggedness and tenacity that is sousualto the
  southerner, he defended Kashmir.
  We in Kashmir expect that we shall continue to receive support and sympathy from the
  people of the south and that some day when we describe the extent of our country we shall use
  the phrase ‘from Kashmir to Cape Comorin’.


texts: Hanuman had too much powers in his body and Lord Rama also had many powers and he killed Ravana. But I want to know that who was more powerful? Rama or Hanuman?


texts: What is the story of Indra relearning the Vedas from Vishwamitra?

texts:
This chapter of the Shatapatha Brahmana of the Yajur Veda describes the Subrahmanya hymn, which despite its name has no connection to Shiva's son.  It's a hymn recited in the beginning of Yagnas in order to invite Indra to the ritual. Here's how it addresses Indra:

  Thereupon he recites the Subrahmanyâ litany. Even as one would say to those for whom he intends to prepare a meal, 'On such and such a day I will prepare a meal for you;' so does he thereby announce the sacrifice to the gods. 'Subrahmanyôm! Subrahmanyôm! Subrahmanyôm!' thus he calls, for the Brahman indeed moves the gods onward. Thrice he says it, because the sacrifice is threefold.
  17.'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.
  '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.

Most of these references are understandable, for instance "lover of Ahalya" and "Gautama" are references to Indra having an affair with Ahalya while disguised as her husband Gautama as I discuss here.  And "wife of Vrishnasva" is a reference to the fact that he had an affair with the sage Vrishnasva's daughter while disguised as the girl's mother.  But I'm interested in the fact that Indra is addressed as "Kaushika".

For those who don't know, Kaushika is a term for the descendants of the ancient lunar dynasty king Kusha.  The most famous Kaushikas are the sage Vishwamitra and his descendants.  In any case, this excerpt from the Jaiminiya Brahmana of the Sama Veda provides an expansion for why Indra is addressed as Kaushika:

  "O Brahman Kaushika, who callest thyself Kaushika." Verily when he got into a mighty encounter with the Asuras, at that time he put the Vedas away.  He learnt them, indeed, of Vishwamitra.  That is why he called himself Kaushika.

My question is, what is the story of Indra relearning the Vedas from Vishwamitra? Did his battle with the Asuras wipe his memory of the Vedas, or did he make himself forget the Vedas so that he could fight ruthlessly against the Asuras, or what? Could this be a reference to his incarnation as Indra Vaikuntha, in which as I discuss here he lost memory of who he was?  And in any case, why did he relearn the Vedas from Vishwamitra of all people?

By the way, I should mention that the commentator Sayana interprets the use of Kaushika in a different way, namely that it's a reference to Indra's incarnation as Vishwamitra's father Gadhi.  Now obviously I would trust the Jaiminiya Brahmana over Sayana's commentary, but I suppose both could be true: Gadhi could have asked his son Vishwamitra to reteach him the Vedas!


texts:
Vedas are the primary and oldest scriptures of Hinduism. Many sages wrote them and they are pure authentic and most sacred scriptures of Hinduism. Entire Hindu philosphy is based on them. The four Vedas are Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

According to some sources there were thousand branches of it but now only 10-12 branches are left. So my question is that is the Baskala Shaka of Rig veda as authentic as other Shakas? And can it be regarded as Sacred as other Shakas? Baskala Shaka  also  contains Shiv Sankalp Sukta and Lakshmi Sukta.


texts: What is the origin of the story where Vishnu disguises himself as a boy and gives Indra a lesson on impermanence?

texts:
As described here: http://mesosyn.com/myth2h-2.html

I've found the info that it comes from Brahmavaivarta Purana but this doesn't seem right as I've scanned through it and haven't found it.


texts: 74 simhasana-adhipathi established by Sri Ramanuja-acharya?

texts:
Sri Ramanuja-acharya, over 1000 years ago, established 74 peetas / simhasana-adhipathis i.e. acharyas qualified to do pancha-samskara and propound path of bhakthi, sarangathi & mukti (devotion, surrender & salvation) to Sri Vishnu (Bhagavan/Para-Brahman/Param-Atma/God).

Who were the 74 originally? Who are present today?


texts:
I would like to know whether we can change the working of mantras. For example, some mantras give fortune (wealth), some give good marriage life etc when chanted. Now, my question is whether we can change the result of a mantra to attain a specific desire by telling to the god or otherwise read a mantra without taking any results from it.

For example, can anyone read a mantra but resist results from it? Also, can anyone read one mantra and get another benefit from it? If so how?


texts: To whom is the advaita guru parampara shloka attributed to?

texts:
To whom the following shloka is attributed to?

  sadasiva samarambham sankaracarya madhyamam
   asmad acarya paryantam vande guru paramparam"

Who is the author of this shloka?


texts: How does Vishishtadvaita interpret "Brahma Ved Brahmaiva Bhavati"?

texts:
From Mundaka Upanishad, Mundaka-3, Khanda-2 Verse-9:

  स यो ह वै तत् परमं ब्रह्म वेद
  ब्रह्मैव भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित्कुले भवति ।
  तरति शोकं तरति पाप्मानं गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यो
  विमुक्तोऽमृतो भवति ॥ ९॥

  He who knows the Supreme Brahman verily becomes Brahman. In his family no one is born ignorant of Brahman. He overcomes grief; he overcomes evil; free from the fetters of the heart, he becomes immortal.

I'm talking about the bold part which sounding Advaita.

I want to know how does Vishishtadvaita interpret this Shruti verse?


texts:
Everyone knows One of the most famous Dattatreya Peethas, is associated with Shri Narasimha Saraswati Swami, an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya at Shri Kshetra Gangapur in Karnataka. Where devotees worships Nirgun Paduka of Shri Narsihma Saraswati.

My Questions are:

What is the meaning of Nirgun Paduka?
What is significance of worshiping Gurus Nirgun Paduka? Spritually.
Except this location(Shri Kshetra Gangapur),Is there any other place having Nirgun Paduka ?


texts: What exactly happens at end of Kali Yuga. Will the world be destroyed?

texts:
I heard that at the end of the Kali Yuga, the world will be destroyed.

What does this mean?
Will the Earth be destroyed or will the entire Universe be destroyed?
Can someone throw light on this?


texts: What is the philosophical comparison between non-dualism of Vedanta and Agama?

texts:
Vedanta holds an important place in the philosophies of Hinduism. However, some of the lesser known philosophies of Agama too subscribe to non-dualism or advaitavAda.

If so what are the main differences between both non dual philosophies? Especially with respect to Non dual Shaivism of Kashmir ?


texts: Why are puja articles arranged in specific five layers?

texts: puja articles arranged in specific five layers. But why are puja articles arranged in specific five layers?


texts: Are Yaksa, Raksasa, Pisacas demoniac forces that manifest according to 3 planes of existance?

texts: I have been studying the differences of Yaksa, Raksasa, Pisacas. What I understand is there are 3 aspects of the demoniac force in nature. According to 3 planes of existence i.e., Bhuloka, Bhuvaloka, Suvaloka, demoniac energy manifest as these beings. Is there more to substantiate this idea?


texts: What is Hinduism's view of marital rape?

texts:
Marital rape has been one of the most controversial social issues raised by feminists over the last century. It has been widely recognised in the western world as a form of domestic violence and considered illegal. However, marital rape still remains a raging debate and legal in India. The current Indian Minister of Women & Child  Development, Maneka Gandhi who earlier called marital rape "unacceptable"  in July 2015 changed her stance on 10-Mar-2016 saying that it cannot be "suitably applied in the Indian context" due to factors such as poverty, illiteracy and religious beliefs".

A bench of judges in the Supreme Court of India, on 9-Aug-2017, stated the following regarding this issue:

  Parliament has extensively debated the issue of marital rape and considered that it was not an offence of rape. Therefore, it cannot be considered as a criminal offence.

I would like to know the Dharmic point of view on this issue. Please quote scriptures and Hindu saints to support your answer.


texts: Why do we join hands while praying or greeting or even when we apologise? What are the origin and significance of this practice?


texts: How does Kashmiri Shaivism explain the origin of bondage of souls?

texts:
I was having a conversation with a follower of Kashmiri Shaivism mainly Prathyabhijna System. He remarked that Kashmiri Shaivism explains the origin of bondage of souls better than Advaita Vedanta or any Vedanta for that matter and explains them differently. But he didn't say how exactly is it different or better.
As far as I know, all Hindu systems considers, there are infinite souls, who have been eternally in bondage, and there never will be a time when all the souls will be liberated, but liberation of individual souls are possible.
Is this different in Kashmiri Shaivism? If so how?
And how does it compare to Vedanta regarding these basic ontological claims and their explanations?


texts:
I read Brahma originated from of Narayana's naval lotus.
How did Shiva originate?
He was there to marry Daksha's daughter; he was made lord of Rudras. Interested to learn about his birth/origin.


texts:
Does this sculpture of Lord Shiva really exist somewhere? Or is this only a painting. I found it online many weeks ago and have been awe-struck by its sheer beauty. I would like to visit the place which (possibly) houses this sculpture someday.
Any pointers will be helpful. Thanks in advance.


texts: In Vedic astrology, is there division of 9 planets (Grahas) by Gender? If so, is it related to qualities (Gunas) of the Graha or the deity associated with it?


texts: How many types of Achara or Acharana are there?

texts:
I think Sadachar, Durachar etc. are parts of Acharas or Acharana. I don't know them all. I would like to know,

How many types of Achara are there?

How are they described in scriptures?

I will be happy if example is given for each Achara.


texts: In what ways vedas give equal respect to women?

texts:
Hindu texts present diverse and
conflicting views on the position
of women, ranging from feminine
leadership as the highest
goddess, to limiting her role to
an obedient daughter, housewife
and mother. The Devi Sukta
hymn of Rigveda, a scripture of
Hinduism, declares the feminine
energy as the essence of the
universe, the one who creates all
matter and consciousness, the
eternal and infinite, the
metaphysical and empirical
reality (Brahman), the soul
(supreme self) of everything.

so in what ways do vedas give the equality of boys and girls/ man and woman in education,self-respect, rights alloted to them and of course the other evils of society.

  But i want verses from direct vedas.


texts: Online version of Vedas, Puranas, Sutras, and Shastras in Devanagari/Sanskrit

texts:
Wondering if there are any/all of these online somewhere in a copyleft format (free / open source / public domain, or something similar to that), in the original Devanagari script in Sanskrit, in Unicode/text format (aka not in a PDF), such that you can download the entire thing. If there are none to be found in Unicode/text format, then a PDF would work as an alternative, but text would be best.

I have found the Rig Veda and the Mahabharata and Ramayana, but not sure if there are better versions online somewhere.

Specifically looking for these. I'm only familiar with the Vedas, not the others, but would like to find them.

Rig Veda
Yajurveda
Samaveda
Atharvaveda
Puranas
Sutras
Shastras (I'm not too familiar with the texts here)

This website seems to suggest it has the Vedas, but I'm not sure if they have the Sanskrit versions in Devanagari (it says Hindi instead of Sanskrit, which I'm not sure if it's the exact same).

And I am also uncertain what Kand, Sukta and the rest mean, and if this is the actual text just one verse at a time.

Looking for text format in Sanskrit/Devanagari of these resources. Unfortunately this resource has made the text into an image <canvas> so it cannot be copied/downloaded.

This seems to be a copy of the Samaveda in Hindi, but the quality is not very good and it is a PDF rather than plain text.


texts: Unknowingly Did Full Pradakshina in Vetakkorumakan Temple

texts:
I'm wearing mala and in 41 day vratha to go to shabarimala.I visited a Shiva temple where the deity is in Kirathamoorthy form/Vetakkorumakan.

There was no rope/block to prevent full Pradakshina.So unknowingly Did Full pradaskshina.

After doing so when I asked about pradaskshina ..It was said that only half should be done like in normal shiva Temple.But in our Vetakkorumakan temple we do full pradaskshina.... I was wondering if I did something wrong.


texts: Is it true that in the battle of Mahabharata, the Son of Lord Krishna fought from the Kaurava side?

texts: I had a discussion with a teacher of mine and he told me that back in his college days, while they were watching Mahabharata, a friend of him said that The son of Lord Krishna also fought in the battle of Mahabharata and that too from the Kaurava's Side. So, I grew curious and posted this.


texts: I want to know if ISKCON celebrates Navratri. If they do how they celebrate it?


texts: Why there are so many contradictions about the origin of vedas?

texts:
As per Dr Ambedkar, atleast 11 contradicting explanations are available on the origin of vedas which he detailed in his book "Riddles in Hinduism". These are his findings.

(1) as originating from the mystical sacrifice of Purusha - Rig veda purusha suktam

(2) as resting on Skambha - Atharva veda

(3) as cut or scraped off from him, as being his hair and his mouth - Atharva veda

(4) as springing from Indra - Atharva veda

(5) as produced from Time - Atharva veda

(6) as produced from Agni, Vayu and Surya,

(7) as springing from Prajapati, and the Waters - Satapatha brahmana

(8) as being the breath of Brahma - Manu smriti

(9) as being dug by the Gods out of mind-ocean - Manu smriti

(10) as being the hair of Prajapati's beard - Taitteriya brahmana

(11) as being the offspring of Vac - Brihadaranyaka upanishad.

Can anyone here clarify what is the Truth and why these contradictions are there regarding such a simple question?


texts: Why does Narayana take incarnation if He says- I dislike taking Avataara?

texts:
In ShreemadDeviBhagawatam, First Skandha, Fourth Chapter
Conversation between Vishnu and Brahma

Vishnu says-

  शक्तिरूपं महाभाग किं पृच्छसि पुनः पुनः॥ ५२॥
  O Highly Fortunate Brahma! even after realizing the Highest Aadyaa Shakti, why are you asking about Her Nature again and again?

  यदिच्छः पुरुषो भूत्वा विचरामि महार्णवे।
  कच्छपः कोलसिंहश्च वामनश्च युगे युगे॥५६॥
  By Her will, I assume this human like body and roam in this great ocean.
  And sometimes I assume Tortoise, Human-lion, Dwarf forms in various Yugas.

  न कस्यापि प्रियो लोके तिर्यग्योनिषु सम्भवः।
  नाभवं स्वेच्छया वामवराहादिषु योनिषु॥५७॥
  Who in the world endears birth in wombs of inferior animals? There is none.
  O Brahma! do I take these inferior births of tortoise, boar et cetera, because I want to?

  विहाय लक्ष्म्या सह संविहारं को याति मत्स्यादिषु हीनयोनिषु।
  शय्यां च मुक्त्वा गरुडासनस्थः करोमि युद्धं विपुलं स्वतन्त्रः ॥ ५८ ॥
  O Brahma! leaving the pleasures with Lakshmi, who in the world beseeches for birth in heinous and inferior wombs of fish, tortoise, boar et cetera.
  Who is that independent man, who leaves the majestic bed of AdiShesha or the grand seat of GarudaRaaja, and becomes assiduous towards the desire of fighting great wars and conflicts?

From the above words of Narayana, it is clear thus- Narayana does not like taking inferior births and incarnations.

So why does He do it?

As in SwiftPushkar's answer, the reason is thus- Vishnu takes Avataara according to need (Human-lion form necessary to kill Hiranyakashipu, Tortoise form necessary to uphold Mandarachala et cetera).

But if above SwiftPushkar's reason is correct, then why does he say- I do not like it. I hate taking birth in lower wombs.

Also, He further declares-

  तस्मान्नाहं स्वतन्त्रोऽस्मि शक्त्यधीनोऽस्मि सर्वथा।
  तामेव शक्तिं सततं ध्यायामि च निरन्तरम्॥६१॥
  Therefore, I am not independent, I am always appurtenant to that AdyaShakti.
  I meditate incessantly that Shakti only.

  नातः परतरं किञ्चिज्जानामि कमलोद्भव।
  O Lotus born Brahma! I do not know anything beyond that Great AadiShakti.

So what is the point in calling Narayana as - ParaBrahma? Though there is no difference in Narayana and AdiShakti, but still


texts: Srimad Bhagavatham - Version without commentaries

texts: I would like to request the following as many may be looking for this sort of avenue. For people who have read and re-read Bhghavatham using Bhakthavedantha Prabhpada version, going through the purports and translations are not necessary. This means, for anytime, anywhere quick reading, it would be best if there is an English version that can just put down only the English translation of every sloka. I had seen a version like this by ABC as a HTML version. But a PDF would be better Is there any version (PDF file) without commentaries and purports? Please let us know. Thanks.


texts: Did Shankaracharya refer to Buddhism's Suññatā?

texts:
Namaste,

I am interested to learn what was Shankaracharya's view on Buddhists' Suññatā.

Is there any documented reference of Him on that ?

J.P


texts: Worshipping lord Shani even when I have good Effects of Lord shani in my life

texts:
Lord Shani is favourable in my birth chart and does me good, but I still worship lord shani. I place a diya with musturd oil and black til at a peepal tree at saturday nights and I offer him water also.
I have heard that if people do such worship, then lord shani will remove his malefic effect from thier life.I want to ask that I am also worshipping him this way, will the favourable effects of lord shani also be removed from my life?


texts:
I was trying to learn hymns from this Rig Veda video. But I couldn't find the first few verses.

Where in the book is it?


texts: Is there any commentary on the Battle of 10 kings mentioned in the Rig Veda?

texts:
Is there any commentary on the Battle of 10 kings mentioned in the Rig Veda Samhita?

Like for example a commentary by Sayanacharya?

Wikipedia says about him:

  His commentary on the Rigveda was translated from Sanskrit to English
  by Max Müller

Where can I read this commentary?


texts: What is the story behind the origin of rAga mAlkauns?

texts:
Malkauns or malkaush is one of the oldest Indian classical rAga.
Its equivalent in Carnatic music is raga hindolam.

  The raga is believed to have been created by goddess Parvati (the wife
  of Shiva) to calm Shiva, when the lord Shiva was outraged and was not
  calming down after Tandav in rage of Sati's sacrifice.

  Malkaush belongs to Shaivait musical school; in fact most pentatonic
  ragas belong to Shaivait musical school.

Does any scripture mention of this story? Or something related to it?


texts: Why did Mandana Mishra defend the Sphotavada theory of language?

texts:
Mandana Mishra was a Purva Mimamsa philosopher who became an Advaitin after losing a debate to the Advaita philosopher Adi Shankaracharya.  He's often identified with Sureshwaracharya, although that's disputed.  Now one of Mandana Mishra's works is the Sphota Siddhi, which seeks to defend Sphotavada.  For those who don't know, Sphotavada is a theory of language advocated by Bhatrihari and other grammarians which states that humans understand language by hearing a Sphota or burst of sound which conveys an entire word or even an entire sentence at once.  This is in contrast to the Varnavada theory advocated by the Purva Mimamsa and Vedanta schools, according to which humans understand language by hearing the sounds of individual letters, and then those letters are combined by the mind into words and sentences.

In any case, here is how Mandana Mishra describes the purpose of his Sphota Siddhi:

  In support of [the doctrine of Sphotavada] which has been challenged by certain uncharitable critics, a few arguments are being put forward according to tradition and my understanding.

My question is, why does Mandana Mishra defend Sphotavada? Both of his gurus supported Varnavada rather than Sphotavada.  His first guru, the Purva Mimamsa philosopher Kumarila Bhatta, refutes Sphotavada in this chapter of his Shloka Vartika. And his second guru, the Advaita philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, refutes Sphotavada in this section of his Brahma Sutra Bhashya.

Was Mandana Mishra just an iconoclast who decided that Sphotavada was right despite what his gurus said?  Or did he have a third guru who believed in Sphotavada?


texts: What is the significance of 'teertham' offered to devotees?

texts:
In temples, Devotees often receive 'teertham' which comes in various forms.
Sometimes it is just plain water mixed with camphor or at times it is something as rich as 'pachamrut'.
What does it signify? And is there a specific gesture in which devotees have to accept it?


texts: Is the word vanara mentioned for a particular race in scriptures can be different from monkeys?

texts:
According to the dictionary, the word वानर has multiple meanings. One among them is Monkey.
But others include ape, Monkey-like etc.,
Hanuman, Sugreeva etc., are said to be of Vanara race.
In this context, are there any scriptural statements supporting that Vanara is different from Monkey?


texts: Lord Shiva had given many boons to many Asuras although the Asuras are not good. Why doesn't Lord Shiva hate the Asuras?


texts: Did Swami Vivekananda ever write a book called Gnana deepam?

texts:
So, I found these suspicious pictures in twitter.

  Christian preachers and missionaries are badly needed for India. Let them come here in hundreds and thousands. Teach us about the Holy life and history of JESUS. Let His spiritual teachings penetrate the heart of our society. Preach in every nook and corner about JESUS CHRIST…. (Swami Vivekananda Part 1, page 128-129 Gnana Deepam)

  If you want Mukthi (Salvation) follow JESUS.....is in the top most priority than any other GOD you can imagine ("Gnana Deepam", part-7, page 294)

After searching web I found some old dead links to a tamil book Gnana deepam by vivekananda (not sure if this is the Swami Vivekananda), published in 1963. Unfortunately, I cannot find copy of this book.

Can someone verify the legitimacy of these quotes?


texts: Are there any references to Halley's Comet in the Hindu scriptures? If there are, then in what perspective is the comet depicted as?


texts: How can I memorize complex hindu slokas?

texts: I recently got profound interest in learning Hindu slokas. But I am having very hard time memorizing them. How can I do this. The slokas I am trying are AdityaHridayam, Suryashtakam, BhagavadGita, Govinda Namalu, Hanuman Chalisa.


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

texts:
Importance of Soma
An entire vedaic mandal is named after soma (a special type of drink), the soma mandal of Rigveda. Now my question is why is soma given so much importance why in vedic suktas like Shri Suktam, Shri Rudram, etc. Soma is mentioned with so much importance.
Soma mandal of rigveda

Which rituals need Soma, how to create it and how to use it in rituals?
If soma ras (juice) is so important then how do we create it (some say original plant is lost, if so, then what is it's substitute today). If created somehow, how and where should we use it, and what are its benefits in spiritual development?

Why and how did Hindus lose such important piece of knowledge?
It is said that vedic knowledge and verses cannot be tampered with or corrupted then how is knowledge of making soma juice lost?