texts: In the lectures by Swami Vivekananda on "Raja Yoga", Why is there no mention of 'Ajna'?

texts:
In the following lecture snippet, the term 'Ajna' is missing; but I am not sure, why?
Is there any specific reason, for which he did not mention it?

  To open that Suṣumnâ is the prime object of the Yogî. According to
  him, along this Suṣumnâ are ranged these centres of distribution, or,
  in more figurative language, these lotuses, as they are called. The
  lowest one is at the lowest end of the spinal cord, and is called
  Mûlâdhâra, the next one is called Svâdiṣṭhâna, the next Maṇipûra, the
  next Anâhata, the next Viśuddha, and the last, which is in the brain,
  is the Sahasrâra, or “the thousand petalled.” [source]

There are seven principle Chakras in the body which are:  Muladhara, Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna and the highest Chakra is called the Sahsrara Chakra. Swami Vivekananda in the above lecture has talked about every Chakras except the Ajna Chakra.


texts: Whose commentaries on the Vedas and Upanishads are most followed?

texts:
There are many people who write commentaries on the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita etc. Whose commentaries is most followed.

Also where can I get all of those Upanishads and Vedas in English? Instead of commentaries, are there any direct translations of the Vedas and Upanishads in English? If so, where can I find them?

Are there any commentaries by one who is both Shaivite and Vaishnavite?


texts: Yogic/Tantra practice providing ability to control body temperature

texts: Tony Buzan in his book Make the Most of Your Mind relates the story of an Indian Yogi, Swami Rama, who in a lab experiment was able to willfully change the temperature of a spot on his right hand. What specific yogic/tantra practice would help do this feat? Here is the relevant excerpt from this book


texts: What are the details of Bhishma's birth?

texts:
Grandsire Bhishma was one of the Central characters of the Mahabharata epic.

Bhishma was the son of king Shantanu and Ganga.

What are the details of Bhishma's birth ?


texts: How to understand solar and lunar eclipse?

texts:
Are there any elements/materials which remain unaffected by the eclipse?
Why do we put dharba/dried grass on eatables? Why & how they remain unaffected/unperished by the protection of dharba.

I don't know much about the prohibitions taken during & after any eclipse.

Should the stored water & cooked food be thrown away after the eclipse?

I live in a city so, if all the stored water is thrown away then how can I take bath after the eclipse?


texts: Where can I find the Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit with Hindi rendition/translation?

texts: I want to get the online source or reference from where I can find the Hindu Scriptures with Sanskrit verse and Hindi rendition/translation. So, give me the list or website or online source/references which have collection of authentic Hindu scriptures.


texts:
Svargalok is considered as a place where good people reside. From the wiki -

  Svarga is seen as a transitory place for righteous souls who have
  performed good deeds in their lives.

However, many stories/references on Indra's character do not support him to be king of swarga, e.g.,

Indra seduced Ahalya
He once stood against lord Krishna(Govardhana Parvat incident)
Always in doubt for his throne
He struck Hanuman's jaw during his childhood

Do not forget serials by Ramanand Sagar

Then what makes him the king of demi gods despite of having such loose character in various incidents.


texts: Did Rāma have Kuja doṣa? What about the Pāṇḍavas?

texts:
Did Rāma have Kuja doṣa (a.k.a  maṅgala doṣa, māṅgalika)? What about the Pāṇḍavas?

I see all of them exiled to the woods in their prime years. This must be the worst thing that can happen to a kṣatriya.

Rāma even got separated from his wife, Sītā, not once but twice. At least the Pāṇḍavas always had Draupadī accompanying them wherever they went.

If Rāma did have Kuja doṣa, how come Vasiṣṭa or Śatānanda didn't know about it? Why did they approve Rāma's marriage with Sītā?

Also, what about Kṛṣṇa? Did he have Kuja doṣa?


texts: What are the categories of papas in Hinduism?

texts:
The Vishnudharmottara purana classifies papa into 8 distinct categories in decreasing order of their graveness

MAHANMAHATTARPATAKA,
SUMAHATTARPATAKA,
SUMAHAPATAKA,
MAHAPATAKA,
PATAKAs,
UPAPATAKAS,
Papa and
Kshudra papa

My question is, what are exactly are these 8 papas and patakas and parikaras suggested for the same?


texts: How do non-Advaitin defend Advaitin argument that difference need not be taught in scripture?

texts:
It is daily experience that we all are different beings , therefore scriptures will be purposeless if they taught that is very obvious. Hence, the actual meaning of scripture must be some unknown thing, that is non-difference, everything is one brahman. Therefore duality is not logical.

In simple words, we know we are different from God or brahman, why should scriptures tell the same that is known to us that 'you are not brahman'. Hence if scriptures say you are brahman, that is something new and useful.

How do non-Advaitins defend against this argument?


texts: The differences between "Nirvana" in Buddhism and "Moksha" in Hinduism

texts: Few days ago I came across an article related to Buddhism, mostly related to a topic, "Nirvana" . I wonder after reading this, because it is almost similar to "Moksha" in Hinduism. Does anyone know about this? "Moksha" and "Nirvana" are same? If not, what are the differences between them?


texts: How was Mahisasura, the demon killed by Mahalakshmi, (Mother Goddess) born?

texts: What does the Puranas say about the birth of Mahisasura who was killed by the Mahalakshmi (Mother Goddess)?


texts: How to reconcile prāyaścitta (expiation) involving death with suicide (itself a big sin)?

texts:
A twice-born person, having, through folly, drunk wine, shall drink wine red-hot; he becomes freed from his guilt, when his body has been completely burnt by it. — (90)

    (Manusmriti verse 11.90 - Expiation of drinking Wine (surā)

  ‘Red hot’— Though the text uses the word ‘varṇa’ colour, yet it is mere heat that is meant; as is clear from what follows, about ‘the body being burnt.’—(90)

    (Medhātithi’s commentary)

  ...according to Nārāyaṇa the death-penance is meant for all twice-born men partaking of liquor distilled from grains, and by Brāhmaṇas who have drunk any of the three kinds of liquor described under verse

    (Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha)

  Gautama (23.1).—‘They shall pour hot wine into the mouth of a Brāhmaṇa who has drunk wine; he will be purified by death.’

  Āpastamba (1.25.3).—‘A wine-drinker has to drink exceedingly hot liquor, so that he dies.’

    (Comparative notes by various authors)

What do dharma śāstras say about such atonements that can result in death or getting admitted to a hospital due to third-degree burns? Isn't it same as suicide which itself is a big sin? Is suicide, if part of atonement, not a sin? Were there any scholarly debates on this, if so, what's the conclusion?


texts: Shri Ramakrishna was from which school of thought?

texts: Ramakrishna was a great Sage. So which school of thought did he belong or followed.


texts: How does the Vaishnava commentators interpret 'NAda-Upasana' prescribed in Srimad-Bhagavatam?

texts:
Srimad-Bhagavatam is treated as a scripture praising Lord Hari and showing the path of Devotion.

The 12th Canto (Chapter 6, Slokas 37-38) advise the anAhata-nAda upasana as a way of reaching the Ultimate Goal.

How do the Vaishnava commentators explain this?


texts: Navagrahas do not face each other. They will not see each other. What is the religious reason for this? Any specifics in puranas?


texts: Are there any animal sacrifices specifically for Vishnu?

texts:
There are animal sacrifices for Indra, Vayu, Agni, Prajapati and Shiva, etc in the Vedas.

For example, in the Ashvalayana Grihya Sutras:

  1 1. Now the spit-ox (sacrificed to Rudra).

  In autumn or in spring, under the (Nakshatra) Ârdrâ.
  The best of his herd,
  (An ox) which is neither leprous nor speckled;

In the Krishna Yajur Veda:

  The barren goat is connected with all the gods. To Vayu should
  he offer it who desires wealth.

  To sky and earth should he offer it [the barren goat] who in
  ploughing desires support.

  To Agni and Soma should he offer it who desires, 'May I be possessed
  of food, an eater of food'.

  To Sarasvati should he offer it who, being able to utter speech,
  cannot utter speech.

  To Prajapati should he offer it who desires, 'May I gain that which
  has not been gained'.

Now, ancient Sri Vaishnava acharyas believe that Vishnu, since he is Brahman, is the actual recipient of sacrifices and not the Devas, so words like "Indra", "Agni", etc actually refer to Vishnu through either etymology (Indra means 'chief' or 'best') or through the principle known as Samanadhikaranyam, where the sacrifices actually propitiate the Devas, but Vishnu also who exists as the Antaryami of the Devas.

But my question is, are there any animal sacrifices specifically for Vishnu or Narayana by name?

Like any verses such as "He who desires prosperity should offer a goat to Vishnu"?


texts:
In Mahabharata, Bhishma told that one should wake up at Brahma Muhurta.

Does rakshasa follow that? If not, provide an example that rakshasa won't follow proper sleeping times.

Are there any specified timings for rakshasas to sleep?


texts: Would Karna have become the heir to the throne if he survived the war?

texts: While Karna swore to protect Duryodhana until his last breath, is it somehow possible that he would have become the king? Or would the secret of him being the eldest brother forever have been a secret? Was there any possibility of him not being killed before Duryodhana died?


texts: Difference/Relation between Varna and Jati

texts:
We know that there are four Varna(वर्ण) called Brahmin, kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. I found words/terms like Jati(जाति) and Jnati(ज्ञाति) are also used to convey similar meanings. One another related term is Kula(कुल).

I want to know the difference and relation among these Sanskrit words or terms. i.e. what do each terms refer to and how are they different and/or related to each other?


texts: Was Vamana a giant when he put his foot on Bali?

texts: In series you see that the dwarf Vamana becomes a giant and puts his third step on Bali's head. In the series he is a giant and immediately kills Bali (giving him Moksha) yet in the sb I noticed that he was in normal dwarf form when he put his foot on Bali. Which version is correct or are there multiple versions?


texts: Is dharma created by God, rishis, and the devatas?

texts: What does "dharma" mean? And is dharma created by God, rishis, and the devatas, or is it eternal and always applicable to all of humanity, all the time?


texts: What is the source of Sri Radhakrsna Ganoddesha Deepika?

texts:
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, one of the greatest saints of the sixteenth century, had many disciples, of whom the six Gosvamis of Vrindavana are prominent. Sri Rupa Gosvami is one among the six Gosvamis, and he has written many books about Srimati Radharani and Lord Krsna. One of the most beautiful compilations made by him is Sri Radhakrsna Ganoddesha Deepika, which details every resident of Vrindavana, complete with their characteristics, appearance and clothing, as well as their daily activities, and in Radharani's case (and some of Krsna's sakhas' and sakhis' cases), her favourite pastimes, ragas, flowers, pet animals and so on.
At the onset, Sri Rupa Gosvami says

TEXT 3
The celebrated personal associates of the King and Queen of Vrndavana are briefly but truthfully described with great delight in both Vedic literatures and oral tradition. This book will also describe them.
TEXT 4 AND 5
These associates of the Lord are described by the residents of Mathura-mandala, by the various books written by devotees , various Vedic literatures such as the Puranas and Agamas and by the great devotees and saintly persons. For the satisfaction of my dear friends, these associates of the Lord will now be briefly describing in writing, following the previous authorities in the path of ecstatic love of God.

So, which are the Puranas and other Vedic literature he is referring to in the above quoted stanzas?
Furthermore, in the 30th Stanza, he says this:

TEXT 30
The friendship of Yasoda is described in the following statement of the Adi Purana : " The wife of Maharaja Nanda was known by two names, Yasoda and Devaki. Partly because they share the same name (Devaki) the wife of Maharaja Nanda and the wife of Maharaja Vasudeva were great friends."

So what is the "Adi Purana" that Sri Rupa Gosvami is referring to? A Google search tells me that it is a substantially well-quoted Purana in Gaudiya literature, but I am not familiar with any Purana with that name.
So, which Purana(s) and other scriptures were used as references for this monumental literature?


texts: What is the source of "Vriyate iti Varnaha?"

texts:
The author of the blog post What's your Varna quotient? uses a certain definition of varṇa:

  The generic definition of the term 'Varna' comes from 'Vriyate Iti Varnaha' implying that one can choose the group and occupation based on your innate tendencies. "Just as a wooden toy elephant cannot be real elephant, and a stuffed deer cannot be a real deer, so, without studying scriptures and the Vedas and the development of intellect, a Braahmana by birth cannot be considered a Braahmana" says the Manu Smriti [2.157]. A hymn from the Rig Veda goes to the extent of saying, "No one is superior, none inferior. All are brothers marching forward to prosperity."

What is the source of this explanation/etymology? Is it taken from Hindu scripture or one of the Sanskrit dictionaries?


texts: Does lord Krishna talk about Kundalini anywhere in Bhagwat Gita or somewhere else ?


texts:
When Jaya and Vijaya were cursed by the Sanat Kumaras at the gateway of Vaikunthaloka, Shri Vishnu appeared before them and the gatekeepers requested Shri Vishnu to lift the curse of the Kumaras. Shri Vishnu says that curse of Kumaras cannot be reverted. Instead, He gives Jaya and Vijaya two options

Ref: ISKCON

Option 1: 7 births as devotee of vishnu in Earth

option 2: 3 births as enemy of vishnu in Earth

My Question:
Why Lord Vishnu coined number "7" for good and number "3" for bad
Vishnu won't choose numbers randomly there should be a reason behind those two numbers could you explain those?


texts: What is Hinduism's stand on "circumcision"?

texts:
Though there is no mention of circumcision in our scriptures. Neither it prohibits it, nor allows it.

Circumcision is often related with jews and muslims customs.

But can a Hindu get circumcised for medical reasons?


texts:
My question is related to accumulation of karma in different aspects and situations.

If I stop myself from doing bad karma then is it treated as good karma?

E.g., If there's an urge in me to tease anyone, but I know he's going to get hurt by my words, so if I stop myself from doing such a thing, then is it considered good karma? (because I stopped doing something bad)
Is the fruit of good karma in direct proportion to time?

E.g., If a person continuously does good karma from today (15th Sep 2015). But he's still not finding any good fruit in his life till 15th Sep 2016 (after one year) maybe because of his previous bad karmas. After this lets say he starts getting results of his good karma.

Then in this particular case, is it that he should have immediately got the X units of good result on 15th Sep 2015 (the day he did a good karma) but he didn't and had to wait for an year, he's going to get 2X results when he finally enjoys the results of good karma?

I ask this because I heard that nature gives double or triple returns of whatever we do, whether it's good or bad.


texts: What is the story of the female goddess with an elephant head called Vinayaki?

texts:
I recently heard about the Goddess Vinayaki but my search over the internet didn't give me a proper answer about her. Who is she and what is her story according to scripture?

Note: It's not dupe of this post as it doesn't answer my question and is too broad too.


texts: Does God want us to be subservient to him?

texts: One of the things that disturbs me about abrahamic religions is that they consider secular movies, music and even job to be sinful.  In Islam, music and poetry is considered is haram as they say it takes you away from the rememberance of god. In Christianity, they say that satan makes secular music (ezeikel 28:13) .A song must explicitly have the word Jesus in it to be christian .Whereas Krishna said in Bhagwad Geeta that one has to be poetic or an expert in whatever art he's blessed with. He has to be diligent as well . Aren't good deeds enough for a person to get moksha? A Father would be much happier to see his son progressing and being a good person instead of having a son who keeps telling him yeah I honor you. I respect you. I love you.   You're my lord . I mean how can someone forget God. This agenda of abrahamic religions seems absurd to me. (not trying to be condescending)


texts: Which Hindu god should be prayed to in order to get good health?

texts: Which Hindu god (s) should be worshiped for achieving good health?


texts:
My Grandmother(Father's mother) aged 88 has passed away on Thursday 22/03/2018 inbetween 3PM to 3:15PM due to natural death inside the hall of the house. Strange thing is that she said at 3:10PM saying that she is goint to die, die.
She didnt have any health issues majorly and she was happily living. Questions are:

Is her death time good or bad?
Few people said it is bad time and we need to close the house for a period of 9 months. Is this true?
Since she passed away in the hall, can we close the hall alone or should we close the entire house?
What will happen if we dont close the house for 9 months?
Will closing the house for 9 months get rid of the bad things that might happen?
What is the logic behind the death and closing the house?

Pls explain.


texts: Why is Muruga also known as Thanikachalan?

texts: What is the meaning of Thanikachalan which the name of Lord Muruga?


texts: response to vulgarism and it's origin and definition

texts:
Bad, good, vulgar, non vulgar might actually come down to perception but when it comes down to society and culture(sanskriti/sanskar), social norms, boundaries and values, then there is definitely a solid line that defines vulgarity.  In this question I mostly address the vocal form of this vulgarity, i.e. using non-social, rough/vulgar words.

I strictly follow rules to avoid such arrogance but in this mass population and your day to day life, it's hard to come across people who don't make use of such words/statements. I really get confused when someone pronounces such thing. Should I slap the person infront of me or just ignore it? Request him not to speak them?

So, I turn to vedic texts/scriptures to find a mantra, a story, a sloka? Is there a story depicting such an instance of event? Or a sloka, a remedy of ancient source to deal with the situation?

EDIT: If this all seems a bit confusing, I think all I am trying to find out is how do the vedas/scriptures define vulgarism in terms of speech, act, vision and various other forms of perception and convey.


texts: What should be the daily schedule of a student preparing for an exam, according to Vedas and our ancient teachings?

texts:
I'm preparing for an exam and my mother told me that I should wake up at 3.30 in morning and chant this shloka and start studying

कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः करमध्ये सरस्वती ।
करमूले स्थिता गौरी मंगलं करदर्शनम् ॥
Lakshmi in the finger tips, Saraswati on the palm |
Shakti is situated in the wrist, it is auspicious to see the hands ||

And she also taught me motivational Sanskrit verses like

सरस्वती गणेश च सर्वविद्या दैवतम् ।
प्रणम्यदा ततो विद्यामधिगचत प्रयत्न ततः ॥

I couldn't get exact translation using Google translate. Sorry If I distort meaning of shloka.
I want to learn what else I should include in my schedule.
Can anyone give me motivational verses like the above to get me pumped for studying?
Are there any other shlokas I should recite daily or weekly (not for exams only, but for good health and other stuff too)?
Are there any prayers specific to Goddess Saraswati?
At what time should I wake up and sleep, and how many times should I eat per day, according to Vedas?
Are there any techniques in ancient teachings to remember what I studied. or anything I could apply in my exam preparation?


texts: Can prajapatis marry their own biological grand daughters or great grand daughters?

texts:
Chapter 23 of the Matsya Purana mentions that after the completion of Soma's Rajasuya, 9 devis (Lakshmi, Sinivali, Dyuti, Trishti, Prabha, Kuhu, Keerti, Vasu) got smitten with Soma and abandoned their husbands(Vishnu, Kardama etc.,). These verses show their names and call Sinivali as the wife of Kardama Prajapati.

There are two Sinivalis as far as I know. Kardama's daughter Shraddha, who married to Angiras and begot Brihaspati, Sinivali and others. Brihaspati too had a daughter named Sinivali.

Or there is any third Sinivali or second Kardama?


texts: Is the 6th section/Putramantha Brahmana of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad shruti?

texts:
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 6.4.7:

  If she does not willingly yield her body to him, he should buy her
  with presents. If she is still unyielding, he should strike her with a
  stick or with his hand and overcome her, repeating the following
  mantra: "With power and glory I take away your glory." Thus she
  becomes discredited.

How are the above rites moral? How can you beat wife if they do not agree to have progeny? Is there some text which says that wife has duty for husband for progeny?

For those looking for these slokas mentioned they appear in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Khila-kanda, Putramantha Brahmana.
Some may write this as chapter 6 section 4, sloka 6, 7 & 8. This section outlines the putramantha rite.

Is this shruti or smriti? The rite doesn't seem Vedic.

Related: Why Garuda Purana and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ask to beat women?


texts:
Got to read about sage Lomasa here while researching about Kamyaka Forest:

  The Pandavas came back from the Dwaita woods to Kamyaka again for a
  2nd time. This time they lived without Arjuna who had left for
  military training in the northern Himalayas (3,36). They lived thus
  for 5 years in Kamyaka (3,50). Ghatotkacha lived with them during this
  period (7,181). Sage Vyasa and Sage Lomasa visited them then. From
  there, they set out for a pilgrimage across India, guided by Lomasa
  (3,93).

But want to know more about him, coz he belongs to the same era to which Ved Vyasa belonged. Are there any known works by him?


texts: Did Samba participate in Mahabharata war against lord Krishna's wishes?

texts:
When Narayani sena was given to Duryodhana, Was shri krishna's son samba was the head of that army?
If yes, then in-spite of being a son of lord Krishna, did Samba go against him in Mahabharatha war?
How did he die?

Related: How many from the battle were alive after the war in Mahabharata?


texts:
Are there any mantras or strotras prescribed in Tantric and Vedic texts which protect a native specifically from black magic?
If so, what are they?


texts: Is lord ram depicted of 2 arms or 4 in ram raksha stotra?

texts: In dhyan mantra of ram raksha.. 1st line says meditate on ajaanubaahu ram(hands long till knees) who's holding arrow & bow. Then second line says baddha padmasanastham.. So is he 4 or 2 armed here as baddha padmasan needs both hands catching feet & at the same time he is holding arrow & bow.. + there's no painting or image based on this dhyan where he's watching ma sita who's sitting on his left thigh & he having matted hairs till his thighs.. So is he 2 or 4 arms here?? + there r bhadrachalam like temples having he 4 arms but yes I know nothing of mentions in text like that.. Please tell your views or solve if u can..


texts: What are kinds of pleasure in heaven (swarg lok) are mentioned in the Vedas?

texts:
What all kinds of pleasure in the heaven are mentioned in the Vedas.
[Only vedas]


texts: If God is one why is there isolation and why God allowed this?

texts:
We as Hindus(vedic knowledge) know that god is one and the variety in Hinduism are different representation of god him/her/it self.

Same is the concept of Christianity the holy trinity is one god.Jesus himself claims that "me and father are one and the same" also he claims that "no one gets to father except through him" (my understanding is that he said this in the context where the people of Israel were seeking God but the religion at that time was already corrupt so he points out the message he carries is the only way since bible also claims he is the word itself).

Both Christianity and Hindu concepts are same but divided by the saviour's names , in Christianity we need to be born again through spirit (realize that you have a holy spirit to guide you), similarly in Hinduism we attain eternity by realizing our true nature (born again - changing our ways of thinking by realizing our soul and paramathma).

There are many other places where i find similarities. Some verses are read out of context and gives different meaning and misleads many.

Every thing sounds similar but different saviour,s even if they are reincarnation of one God without God's motive nothing happens so why there is division in religions are we prepared for something?


texts: Who is 'they' in Gautama Dharmasūtra 23.1?

texts:
Gautama Dharmasūtra

  Chapter XXIII

  1. They shall pour hot spirituous liquor into the mouth of a
  Brāhmaṇa who has drunk such liquor; he will be purified after death.

Who shall pour hot spirituous liquor into the mouth of the brāhmaṇa? The king or fellow brāhmaṇas?


texts: is there a scriptural basis for using silver vessels to avoid caste/sub-caste ritual pollution?

texts:
I am aware of Brahmin sub-caste members that wouldn't eat at other Brahmin sub-caste homes even as we speak (2018).  One can easily imagine their attitude about eating at a non-brahmin home or a non-brahmin eating with them at their home.  Silver is considered unpollutable - so if a "polluting" caste/sub-caste member asks for water, they would give it to him in a silver cup.  of course the advent of throw-away cups makes possible another way to avoid ritual pollution.

Does any scripture talk about the unpollutability of silver?


texts:
Why people are afraid of Aghoris?

Is that because of their face and living style or do they have any supernatural powers?

I heard irrespective of religion, anyone can become Aghori. Is that true?

What is the Significance of Aghoris?

Do they work on Black Magic?


texts:
In the Mahabharata Gandhari curses Krishna with the death of all the Yadavas. A rishi cursed Samba to destroy his entire race.

Who is the rishi, why two curses, and whose curse came true?


texts: According to advaita vedanta how can a formless entity/god do Lila?

texts:
lokavat tu lila kaivalyam [Brahma Sutras - 2.1.33] The creation is
  merely a sport of Brahman.

How can a formless entity enjoy Lila? Doesn't it sound too nihilistic?

(Note: Lila can also be translated as "past time" which gives it more beautiful purport, and poetic meaning)

How does shankaracharya interpret this?


texts: What are the significances of various ornaments worn by a wife after marriage?

texts: As the question says, what are the significances of various ornaments worn by a woman after marriage? Mangalsutra, bindi, bangles, painjan, etc.


texts:
SB 10.90.44:

tan-nigrahāya hariṇā
 proktā devā yadoḥ kule
avatīrṇāḥ kula-śataṁ
 teṣām ekādhikaṁ nṛpa
To subdue these demons, Lord Hari told the demigods to descend into the dynasty of Yadu. They comprised 101 clans, O King.

Does any text provide details of these clans (at least their names)?


texts: Why did lord Shiva chop off lord Brahma's fifth head?

texts:
As I've heard before, there was a story which said that lord Brahma had five heads  but the fifth one was chopped off by lord Shiva.

So why did lord Shiva chop off the fifth head of lord Brahma?

Also, did he really had five heads or he has four as it's shown here?

Source: Wikipedia


texts: Are there any valuable shlokas in the Vedas, especially in Dharma sastras, which warn liars or ones who deceive people?  And I'd like to know what will happen to a liar and deceitful person after death. Also what will happen to one who lie to a brahmana or a saintly person like a guru.


texts: Are scriptures like Manu-smriti Veda-viruddha?

texts:
Purusha Sukta says that Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras came from parts of Purusha's body (mouth, arms, thighs, feet).

Does it go against the Vedas to prescribe different punishments for the same crime to different offsprings of Purusha?


texts: What are the traditions of multiple symbolisms of Onathappan as symbols of Mahabali and Vamana?

texts:
There seems to be multiple symbolisms in play here. My question is the same as that in Wikipedia. In Wikipedia, there is a question:

Somebody mentioned in this talk page "Onathappan is considered a
symbol of Mahabali in some parts of Kerala while at certain other
areas, it represents Vamanan". Can anyone please shed light on which
traditions or districts consider Onathappan a symbol of Mahabali, and
which traditions or districts consider Onathappan a symbol of Vamanan?


texts: Can we eat food before we visit a temple?

texts:
My grandparents used to tell me: "You should have empty stomach before going to a Temple". When I was a child, we used to do the same. We visit a temple first and then have breakfast. But now my parents say it's not a problem, you can visit a temple after having breakfast.

So Is it okay if I go temple after eating something? If yes, than can I eat non-veg and visit a temple? Why?

(I think I get 99% No to this question but still curious. And for clarity I'm not asking this question to do it. Sometimes you take non-veg at lunch and you will get an unplanned event that you should go to temple that day.)


texts: How goddess Parvati had started her penance?

texts: I want to know about her tough penance. What did her routine during that period ? How she had worshipped Lord Shiva as per Shiva Purana? Did Lord Shiva had appeared as a brahmin & insulted himself in front of parvati? Overall what was the scenario? Please tell me ( if possible, then please provide shlokas in Devanagari from Shiva Purana).


texts: Who is Kali Purusa ? Where did he come from ? How could he reign over a complete yuga of 4,32,000 years?

texts:
It is known from SB that Kali Purusa has come as soon as lord krishna departed the earth.
As soon as he came he was beating the holy cow.
After he was defeated by maharaja parikshit he begged for his presence in some places where there wealth, gambling, intoxication etc.
But where did he come from suddenly?

why couldn't he affect the people of other ages ?

How could he influence the minds of the people in this complete yuga?

Why there is interference of Gods in the affairs of humans directly in this yuga?

It is also said that all the demi-gods left the earth before the beginning of kali yuga else they lose their powers.

How kali can be so powerful?

He cannot be unknown as he is one of the creation of the supreme. At the end of this yuga he will be eliminated by the supreme himself.

Why this creation and elimination of kali?


texts:
Did the Mahabharata warriors know about the Puranas (except Bhagavata) during the time of war or before it?
I doubt it, as if they knew the content of puranas, then they would have known that Krishna was the avatar of lord vishnu and hence would have respected him from that angle and would not have confronted him in a battle. What puranas / upapuranas did the warriors and the common men during the time of Mahabharata / dvapara yuga know? Thanks beforehand.


texts: In the Gita, the Lord said the soul does nothing. Then who does?

texts:
Krishna says in Gita that all the activities are done by the body and the soul does nothing.
I find this statement hard to believe. We all know that without the soul, the body is nothing but a corpse. It's the soul's presence in our bodies which keeps us alive. So how can the body (the vehicle) do all the activities without the contribution of the driver (the soul)?
As far as i know, the soul under the spell of maya / prakriti, forgets it's higher eternal nature and thinks that he/she is only the body and this is how the soul does all the activities, by using the body as it's instrument. Correct me if i'm wrong.
Here's the Gita verse -

Chapter 13: Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness
TEXT 30
prakrtyaiva ca karmani
kriyamanani sarvasah
yah pasyati tathatmanam
akartaram sa pasyati
TRANSLATION
One who can see that all activities are performed by the body, which > is created of material nature, and sees that the self does nothing, actually sees.


texts: Restrictions on shri rudram or other vedic stutis

texts:
Shri Rudram or RudraPrashna is a part of yajurveda it is generally recited during abhishek/consecration of Lord Shiva or even just to worship him it is stuti of Lord Rudra.

My question is if Rudraprashna is part of yajurveda and it is also recited during Shravan even on restricted tithis, so is it okay because Manu Smriti restricts it.

Restricted tithis:

Restricted tithis are the days when one cannot recite or study vedas.
The days are

1) Ashtami: Eighth day from every full-moon/no-moon day

2)Poornima/Purnami: Fullmoon day

3) Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi: one day before no-moon day

4) Amavasya: No-moon day.

Also there are some more restrictions defined, but do they apply to shri Rudram or any other vedic stutis(which are derived from vedas).
other Vedic Stutis are Ganpati Atharavashirsha, Purusha Suktam, Bramhanaspati Suktam,Shri Suktam etc.


texts: Is the birth time of Swami Vivekananda available?

texts: Swami Vivekananda was born on 12 January 1863. Does the time of birth is mentioned anywhere?


texts: Did the worship of Adi Parashakti come in the later Yugas?

texts: I have heard that in the Satya Yuga only Narayana was worshipped although there were devatas. Here I'm talking about the supreme God. Is it Narayana or Adi Parashakti? It can't be both I'm sure.


texts: What is Akhyati vada of Prabhakara school and how does it compare with Anirvacaniya khyati of Advaitins?

texts:
Here, this is what's said of Akhyati Vada

A-Khyati

Advocated by Prabhakara school of Purva-Mimamsa.

Does not admit of error in the logical sense.

No logical distinction    between knowledge and error.

Believe in intrinsic validity of    knowledge.

So, all knowledge is valid per se and error is only partial truth.      Other words, error is only imperfect knowledge.

Error also regarded as Non-apprehension.

Error can never be    regarded as unitary knowledge.

Error is due to the    non-discrimination between the two cognitions.

Error is    regarded as commission. Not omission.

But inspite of these points its not quite clear how this applies to real world examples.
How does it compare to Advaita view and how have Advaitis refuted it?

Note: This view is said to be very similar to Satkhyati Vada of Shri Ramanujacharya.


texts: Do Hindu scriptures give advice on how to stay present or mindful as one goes about doing regular day to day activities?

texts: In addition to formally sitting down and doing mediation, do Hindu scriptures give some advice on how or whether one should stay mindful or present as one goes about doing regular day to day activities?


texts: Is the Lonar crater lake mentioned in Skanda Purana or Padma Purana?

texts:
Is the Lonar crater lake mentioned in Skanda Purana or Padma Purana as the following excerpt from Wikipedia claims? If so, in what context?

  Historicity

  The lake was first mentioned in ancient scriptures such as the Skanda Purana, the Padma Puran and the Ain-i-Akbari.[18] The first European to visit the lake was a British officer, J.E. Alexander, in 1823.

This article claims:

  Giant Unexplained Crater Near Bombay

  Another curious sign of an ancient nuclear war in India is a giant crater near Bombay. The nearly circular 2,154-metre-diameter Lonar crater, located 400 kilometres northeast of Bombay and aged at less than 50,000 years old, could be related to nuclear warfare of antiquity.

To be clear, I'm not looking for speculation about the nuclear warfare, my question is just about what those Puranas say about the lake.


texts: What is the story of Indra putting everyone to sleep?

texts:
As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school. But there are five other Astika or orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy: Purva Mimamsa, Samkhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, and Nyaya. My question is about the Samkhya school, founded by the sage Kapila. Verse 55 of Ishwara Krishna's Samkhya Karika, one of the defining texts of the Samkhya school, describes the misery the soul experiences as long as it's in Samsara:

  tatra jarāmaraṇakṛtaṃ duḥkham prāpnoti cetanaḥ puruṣaḥ |
  liṅgasya ā vinivṛttes tasmād duḥkhaṃ svabhāvena ||

  There, the intelligent Spirit experiences pain due to old age and death, till the cessation of the Linga; hence misery is of the nature of things.

Now this excerpt from the Yuktidipika, an ancient commentary on the Samkhya Karika of unknown authorship, responds to the objection that this statement does not apply to the Devas, because they aren't subject to old age:

  No, because of the statement of the Smriti. Old age is that which meets decay, thus it conveys decay.  That takes place in the place of gods also.  Why? Because it is stated: In case of the beings falling from the world of gods there takes place close clinging to Rajas, deformity in the limbs of the body, and their blooming becomes fade.  There was, the decay of the body of Shakra, etc. due to the fact of mention of the disease with reference to them.  It is stated: It is the Tvashtriyam chant. It is not that Indra though toiling hard could not make all the beings sleep, he made them all sleep with this chant.

I'm interested in the part in bold.  My question is, what is the story of Indra putting everyone to sleep using the Tvashtriyam chant? And how does this story demonstrate that the bodies of Devas are subject to decay?

I've never heard of the Tvashtriyam chant before, but it's presumably named after Tvashtri, which is another name for the divine architect Vishwakarma.  It may be related to the story described in this chapter of the Shatapatha Brahmana of the Yajur Veda, which describes an occasion where Indra's body was weakened after drinking Soma stolen from Vishwakarma:

  Now Tvashtri had a three-headed, six-eyed son. He had three mouths; and because he was thus shapen, he was called Visvarûpa ('All-shape'). One of his mouths was Soma-drinking, one spirit-drinking, and one for other food. Indra hated him, and cut off those heads of his.... Tvashtri was furious: 'Has he really slain my son?' He brought Soma juice withheld from Indra; and as that Soma-juice was, when produced, even so it remained withheld from Indra.  Indra thought within himself: 'There now, they are excluding me from Soma!' and even uninvited he consumed what pure (Soma) there was in the tub, as the stronger (would consume the food) of the weaker. But it hurt him: it flowed in all directions from (the openings of) his vital airs; only from his mouth it did not flow.... Being thus purged by Soma, he walked about as one tottering. The Asvins cured him by this (offering), and caused him to be supplied with everything, for Soma is everything. By offering he indeed became better. The gods spake, 'Aha! these two have saved him, the well-saved (sutrâta):' hence the name Sautrâmanî.

This story would certainly illustrate the bodies of Devas being subject to decay. But this passage doesn't mention either the Tvashtriyam chant or Indra putting everyone to sleep, so it may not be related.  In any case, does anyone know what scripture the Yukti Dipika is quoting?


texts: How are interfaith marriages treated in hindu scriptures?

texts: What do smritis say about marrying someone from other faiths?


texts:
1) What is our relationship with God as per vishistadvaita?

2) Why should God help and protect us? What motivates him to do so?


texts: Is there any significance of flying Eagle touching head?

texts:
Today an eagle touched my head while I was in my open terrace. For last few days it was flying very near to me.

In various chapters of Mahabharata, there are instances of signs provided by animals. Incidentally in internet, I also saw various discussions of Eagle touching heads. Usually we may think that [probably old] eagle might be considering us a source of food, until coming near.

Is there any extra significance of Eagle touching head?
(e.g. good/bad omen, pitru vidhi is due, ...)

  Opinions on this bird differ across the world. In the west, it's seen as a sign of enemity, but in the east, thanks to the Garuda connection, sighting one in the sky is considered a sign of hope...I remember my grandmother always keeping her eyes peeled to spot one in the distant sky... [source]


texts: Who is Indra's friend Vrishakapi whom Shachi doesn't like?

texts:
Indra is mostly portrayed as a warrior in the Vedas but there is one verse that talks about his domestic troubles in a rather human fashion. Rig Ved verse 10.86 gives us this interesting story where Shachi is fighting with her husband and complaining about his friend Vrishakapi. Indra is confused and trying to cool her down asks his wife:

  3 What hath he done to injure thee, this tawny beast Vrsakapi,
  With whom thou art so angry now? What is the votary's foodful store? Supreme is Indra over all.

Shachi is in no mood to relent though and condemns Indra's friend to be attacked by a hound:

  4 Soon may the hound who hunts the boar seize him and bite him in the car,
  O Indra, that Vrsakapi whom thou protectest as a friend, Supreme is Indra over all.

  5 Kapi hath marred the beauteous things, all deftly wrought, that were my joy.
  In pieces will I rend his head; the sinner's portion shall be woo. Supreme is Indra over all.

  6 No Dame hath ampler charms than 1, or greater wealth of love's delights.
  None with more ardour offers all her beauty to her lord's embrace. Supreme is Indra over all.

  9 This noxious creature looks on me as one bereft of hero's love,
  Yet Heroes for my sons have I, the Maruts’ Friend and Indra's Queen. Supreme is Indra over all.

These passages suggest that perhaps the Vrishakapi had a teeny bit of a crush on Shachi and perhaps even disturbed her favorite things. However Indra is still supporting his friend and says:

  12 Never, Indralni, have I joyed without my friend Vrsakapi,
  Whose welcome offering here, made pure with water, goeth to the Gods. Supreme is Indra over all.

Some online sources are mentioning him as a reference to Hanuman!

So my question is - Who is this Vrishakapi who is causing trouble in Indra's domestic bliss & is there a relation between him and Hanuman?


texts: Is Shiva self manifested or born? And if born who were His Parents?

texts:
Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana in the Third Canto Chapter VIII narrates the tale of Creation / Birth of Brahma. However I have found no reference there in to the birth / creation of Shiva.

The detailed reference to Shiva appears for the first time in the Fourth Canto Chapter I when the Trinity appear in person before Maharishi Atri.

Following Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana prior to the creation at the bottom of the ocean lying on the coils of the Serpent Adisesha, Mahavishnu lies in deep slumber Yoga Nidra waiting for the right time to once again commence Creation and His first creation is Brahma. But where or how was Shiva created? There is a reference elsewhere that Shiva is one of the Rudras and hence progeny of Prjapati Kashyapa as is Vishnu one of the twelve Adityas. But this moves away from the concept that the Supreme Being is self manifested.

Is Shiva also self manifested? Please enlighten with Pauranic and Shruti references.


texts: Why Shri Krishna referred himself as "He" in Gita chapter 13 verse 14?

texts:
BG 13.14: Everywhere are His hands and feet, eyes, heads, and faces. His ears too are in all places, for He pervades everything in the universe.

Often people argue that God cannot have hands, feet, eyes, ears, etc.  But Shree Krishna says that God has all these, and to an innumerable extent.  We should never fall into the trap of circumscribing God within our limited understanding.  He is kartumakartuṁ anyathā karatuṁ samarthaḥ  “He can do the possible, the impossible, and the reverse of the possible.”  For that all-powerful God, to say that He cannot have hands and feet, is placing a constraint upon Him.
However, God’s limbs and senses are divine, while ours are material.  The difference between the material and the transcendental is that while we are limited to one set of senses, God possesses unlimited hands and legs, eyes, and ears.  While our senses exist in one place, God’s senses are everywhere.  Hence, God sees everything that happens in the world, and hears everything that is ever said.  This is possible because, just as He is all-pervading in creation, His eyes and ears are also ubiquitous.  The Chhāndogya Upaniṣhad states: sarvaṁ khalvidaṁ brahma (3.14.1)  “Everywhere is Brahman.”  Hence, He accepts food offerings made to Him anywhere in the universe; He hears the prayers of His devotees, wherever they may be; and He is the Witness of all that occurs in the three worlds.  If millions of devotees venerate Him at the same time, He has no problem in accepting the prayers of all of them.
So by commentary it is clear that "His" is referring to God.

BG 7.22: Endowed with faith, the devotee worships a particular celestial god and obtains the objects of desire. But in reality, I alone arrange these benefits.

Shree Krishna reiterates in this verse that the celestial gods do not have the capacity to fulfill the material desires of their devotees. They can only grant wishes if God permits it. Labhate means “to obtain.” The devotees with mediocre understanding may think that they have obtained their desired material objects by pleasing the devatās (celestial gods). However, it is not the devatās, but God who facilitates everything.
My question : So why God(Shri Krishna) is referring to himself as He in the verse 13:14? But Shri Krishna refers to himself as I/Me in other verses(almost all).


texts: How an yaksha roopa of bagavathi devi looks like?

texts: Sri Bhagavathi devi appeared as yaksha roopa at devas and Indira as per 8.82 of 12th skandha or chapter (chapter name: parashakthi mahima) of sri Devi Bhagavatha purana.  Can any body explain how this yaksha roopa of sri-devi looks like?.


texts: Which Smṛtis or dharma śāstras give a brāhmaṇa the adhikāra to fast unto death to collect his debt?

texts:
For many Hindus, The Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa has become a way of life. But for Rāma himself it is the Śruti and Smṛti that have guided every step and every move of his life.

One instance where the Smṛtis and dharma śāstras are consulted for a fact-check is when Bharata decides to fast unto death unless his demand that, Rāma return to and rule Ayodhyā, is met.§

Bharata says:

  अनाहारो निरालोको धन हीनो यथा द्विजः |
  शेष्ये पुरस्तात् शालाया यावन् न प्रतियास्यति || २-१११-१४

  I shall remain lying down in front of Rama's hut without food or drink and depriving myself of light until he returns to Ayodhya, like a Brahmin who is a destitute (lies down at the door of his creditor).

Rāma replies:

  ब्राह्मणो ह्य् एक पार्श्वेन नरान् रोद्धुम् इह अर्हति |
  न तु मूर्धा अवसिक्तानाम् विधिः प्रत्युपवेशने || २-१११-१७

  A brahmana may lie down on one side in order to obstruct a willful debtor in this world. But, it is not befitting for a warrior-class.

Rāma goes on to say:

  एतच् च एव उभयम् श्रुत्वा सम्यक् सम्पश्य राघव |
  उत्तिष्ठ त्वम् महा बाहो माम् च स्पृश तथा उदकम् || २-१११-२३

  O the mighty armed Bharata! Having listened to their testimony and mine, reflect on the matter carefully. Rise and touch me and drink water.

Questions:

Which Smṛtis or dharma śāstras, that give a brāhmaṇa the adhikāra to fast unto death to collect his debt, is Rāma referring to above?
Why does Rāma ask Bharata to touch him? Does any Smṛti say that a person who just committed a sin or has initiated an adhārmic action can undo the effects of the act by simply touching a dhārmic person?

§ I suspect it is this incident that has inspired Mahatma Gandhi and continues to inspire today's politicians to go on a fast to force the ruling party to give in to their demands.


texts: How can an elder address a teenager in a respectful way?

texts: If in normal English, an elder wants to refer to a teenager in a respectful way, he can say something along the lines of "This young gentleman", what are the different ways the same can be done in Hindi and Sanskrit, as in what is considered a honorific title for the same ?


texts: What is implied by the Tribhanga form of God or Goddess?

texts:
Lord Sri Krishna is known as 'Tribhanga MurAri', as shown in the enclosed image. As per the Dhyana-Mantra of Goddess Durga, She is also having a Tribhanga form.

What exactly is meant or signified by Tribhanga according to the scriptures?


texts: Is japa (sincere and unselfish prayer) superior to all other spiritual activities? Does it hold good for all Yugas or just in Kali Yuga ? Is there any Vedic injunction regarding the superiority of Japa Yoga over other spiritual activities/austerities ?


texts: Why is the Karma Kand portion of the Vedas larger than the Jnana Kand?

texts:
Almost all Acharyas divide the Vedas into two parts: Karma Kand (as explained by the Purva Mimamsa sutras) and the Jnana Kand (Uttara Mimamsa sutras, aka Brahma Sutras). The Samhitas and Brahmanas texts form Karma Kand, and Upanishads and Aranyakas form the Jnana Kand. The Karma Kand deals with rituals and worship of Devas, and Jnana Kand deals with Brahman and Moksha.

But since Moksha is more important than rituals and temporary material fruits, why are the Vedas overwhelmingly focused on the Karma Kand portion? The Samhitas and Brahmanas section make up the bulk of the Vedas, and not the Aranyakas or Upanishads.

Is this because most traditions and lineages have retained the Karma Kand portion more rigorously than the Jnana Kand? There are only 13 or so major Upanishads that have been preserved well, and the rest of the 108 haven't. So, if the full 108 Upanishads were properly retained, would they be equal to or be larger than the Karma Kand portion?

More of the Jnana related texts are found in the Smritis: Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu Purana, and Bhagavata Purana.


texts:
I read somewhere that Lord Shiva is regarded as a devotee of Sri Krishna as per Srimad-Bhagavatam. The name of Shiva or Rudra is mentioned as the name of the Para-Brahman in many parts of the Vedas.
What is the position of Lord Shiva as per Srimad-Bhagavatam--is He just a Jiva or Deva or another form of Bhagavan? Please cite proper references.


texts: Is Vishnu's Vaikuntha Sea located on Earth or not?

texts: I don't know where is Lord Vishnu's Vaikuntha sea. Is it on Earth or not?


texts: How can the Vedas be constant when they come from the 4 heads of Brahma?

texts:
How can the Vedas be constant when they come from the 4 heads of Brahma and Brahma changes every time? Vedas need to change? Isn't it?

Only Puranas may be constant.


texts:
I want to calculate nakshatram manually.
Could you please explain me in detail?


texts: Was there really a caste system in vedic period as it is perceived today by many?

texts: With little to no knowledge of our scriptures now, can a person born in a brahmin family can rightfully be called a brahmin just by the virtue of his birth in that family?


texts: How does the non-believer profit from the Bhagavat Gita?

texts:
Why is that in the Bhagavat Gita, it is said that to truly understand it, one needs to completely surrender to Krishna and accept him as the only Supreme God?

If a non-believer or a person of different faith tries to study the Gita, isn't it supposed to enlighten him instead of stating the above and giving him a negative vibe?


texts: What is the story of Indra being turned into an elephant by Saraswati?

texts:
I'm currently visiting India, and I just went to the Varadaraja Perumal Vishnu temple in Kanchipuram.  It's such an important temple that Sri Vaishnavas refer to it simply as "Perumal Koil" or "the Vishnu temple". This is the place where Ramnujacharya received Vishnu's Aaru Varthaigal or six instructions. And this is the place where Brahma was performing a Yagna, and Saraswati wasn't there so he married a local cowgirl just so that he would have a wife to perform the Yagna with. (She went on to become the goddess Gayatri.) When Saraswati found out, she was enraged, and she turned into a powerful river, the Vegavati river, and tried to flood the Yagna.  But then Vishnu appeared stopped the river with his body, in what is now the nearby Yatotakari temple.

But my question is about another feature of the temple.  The temple contains a golden lizard and a silver lizard, which are believed to cure diseases if you touch them.  The story as I understand it goes roughly as follows. Two shishyas of the sage Gautama were offering water in the Varadaraja Perumal temple, when a lizard got into the water. When Gautama found out that they had offered water with a lizard in it, he put a curse on them to turn into lizard. They stayed as lizards for a long time.  Then one day, Indra, who had been cursed to turn into an elephant by Saraswati, prayed at the Varadaraja Perumal temple and was freed from his curse.  And then Indra freed Gautama's shishyas from their curse.

But my question is, why did Saraswati curse Indra to turn into an elephant?  Could this be related to the story I mentioned above?  Indra might have been helping Brahma perform his Yagna, and Saraswati might have retaliated against him.

Do any scriptures shed light on this?  The Sthala Purana of the temple would be a good place to look.


texts:
Many places in Sanskrit Slokas you see the three words -
Jiv, jivo, jiva
(जीव, जीवो, ..
)
What does the three words mean? How does the suffix make a difference in their meaning?


texts: Do the idols of gods and goddesses need to be made of same colour?

texts: Do the idols of gods and goddesses worshipped in temples be of same colour as depicted in scriptures?


texts: Why there are so many difference in traditions in hinduism?

texts:
For example, Deepavali is celebrated differently in different parts of India, even though Deepavali is a hindu festival.

One more example, there are different calendars for the hinduism (Chandramana and Souramana). Which results in celebrating the same festival on different days across different regions (Example: Ugadi).


texts: For Advaitins, what is the point of vedic chants?

texts:
Most nominal advaitins I know (and especially brahmin followers of the various Shankara maths) hold that chanting of vedic hymns is valuable. What's the point?
I believe even the math gurus hold vedic chanting to be valuable.


texts:
Any acharyas here, please elaborate the Importance of Kleem bija mantra in Kali Kula and Vaishnava Sect.
There are many Gopala mantras with "Kleem" beeja involved.

At the sametime, Bhadrakali moolamantra, ShmashanaKaali,Chamunda, BalaParameswari etc has also having this beeja mantra
Does this pointing to, Krishna and Kali are tightly linked with each other? or those Devataas whose beeja mantra has "Kleem" has a connection with Krishna?


texts: What isJiva and jivatma ? what is the co- relationship between the two in accordance with the tenets of Advait vedant

texts: I have been going through a lot of mention, discussion, opinion on the subject of my question ( Jiva and jivatma and their co- relationship) . Varied terms and terminology has been very liberally used sometimes causing confusion also ( may be on account of my own lack of conviction). It may be because of relevant information having been gathered  from cross section of Vedantic thoughts. My humble request woud be to discuss the subject under question, as far as possible under the ambit of advait vedant.


texts: What is the reason for which Advaita must exist? why can't Consciousness be many?

texts:
if we presume that matter is derived from consciousness(and this seems most likely),for what reason is this consciousness one instead of many?one could say that a world perceived as the same by all beings must come from a unified source,but this could be due to similar karmic traces?however one could say that we need to live in a unified reality already to bring about those initial karmic traces?
and even if we had initially similar karmic traces,the chances of producing a shared appearance from similar samskaras at the same time would be one in gazillions.and this would have to go on endlessly.it would be like fixing a rubix cube while blind for trillions of kalpas every minute without error.
interaction would be so improbable as to be functionally impossible,unless this shared vision were derived from a unified source,i.e nondual brahman?


texts: gender neutral sanskrit word for "Putra"

texts:
What would be a gender-neutral Sanskrit word for "Putra"?
Moreover something that can replace putra in one of the Prayers to Lord Ganesh "Banjhan ko Putra det"


texts: What color clothes to use on altar for placing idol in Satyanarayana puja at home?

texts:
Whenever I do puja at home I place a small table on which idol is placed. And before placing idol I cover the table with a Red cloth. But recently I came across a Satyanarayana puja and saw that the idol was placed on a white cloth. So I asked the priest is it necessary to place on white cloth, or can we use red cloth also?
The priest only said for Durga puja we use Red cloth, but for Satyanarayana puja we use White / Yellow clothes.
I started to find relevance of this argument on internet, but came across no standard answer of Do's and Dont's. Can you please point me to some relevant text from where this can be verified.


texts:
Kalinjar means The destroyer of time in Sanskrit. 'Kal' is time and
  'jar' destruction. See here.

What is meant by destroyer of time?


texts: Krishna marrying sixteen thousand royal maidens

texts:
Consider the following slokas from Srimad Bhagavatam

  SB 10.59.32: Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus entreated by Goddess Bhumi in
  words of humble devotion, the Supreme Lord bestowed fearlessness upon
  her grandson and then entered Bhaumasura's palace, which was filled
  with all manner of riches.

  SB 10.59.33: There Lord Krishna saw sixteen thousand royal maidens,
  whom Bhauma had taken by force from various kings.

  SB 10.59.34: The women became enchanted when they saw that most
  excellent of males enter. In their minds they each accepted Him, who
  had been brought there by destiny, as their chosen husband.

  SB 10.59.35: With the thought "May providence grant that this man
  become my husband," each and every princess absorbed her heart in
  contemplation of Krishna.

  SB 10.59.36: The Lord had the princesses arrayed in clean, spotless
  garments and then sent them in palanquins to Dvaraka, together with
  great treasures of chariots, horses and other valuables.

  SB 10.59.37: Lord Krishna also dispatched sixty-four swift white
  elephants, descendants of Airavata, who each sported four tusks.

  ....................................................................
  ....................................................................
  ....................................................................
  ....................................................................
  ....................................................................
  ....................................................................

  SB 10.59.42: Then the imperishable Supreme Personality, assuming a
  separate form for each bride, duly married all the princesses
  simultaneously, each in her own palace.

  SB 10.59.43: The Lord, performer of the inconceivable, constantly
  remained in each of His queens' palaces, which were unequaled and
  unexcelled by any other residence. There, although fully satisfied
  within Himself, He enjoyed with His pleasing wives, and like an
  ordinary husband He carried out His household duties.

  SB 10.59.44: Thus those women obtained as their husband the husband of
  the goddess of fortune, although even great demigods like Brahma do
  not know how to approach Him. With ever-increasing pleasure they
  experienced loving attraction for Him, exchanged smiling glances with
  Him and reciprocated with Him in ever-fresh intimacy, replete with
  joking and feminine shyness.

  SB 10.59.45: Although the Supreme Lord's queens each had hundreds of
  maidservants, they chose to personally serve the Lord by approaching
  Him humbly, offering Him a seat, worshiping Him with excellent
  paraphernalia, bathing and massaging His feet, giving Him pan to chew,
  fanning Him, anointing Him with fragrant sandalwood paste, adorning
  Him with flower garlands, dressing His hair, arranging His bed,
  bathing Him, and presenting Him with various gifts.

From the above solkas it is clear that Narakasura forcefully took women and Krishna married all of them individually after killing Narakasura. He did all activities as normal husband.

My doubts are:

1) It is said that sixteen thousand women are royal maidens. Are they virgin? If yes, then why did Narakasura took them by force from various kings?

2) Is it allowed for some/ all person(s) to marry a women, who lost her celibacy or virginity?


texts: Is the objective of vedas spiritual prosperity or material prosperity?

texts:
From the pre-historic time, India is known for the spiritual prosperity. No where in the planet produced this many rishis, Yogi's, jnani's. From the material perspective we were backward. There were theories that India was the richest economy before outsiders arrive here. But still we were not able to guard our wealth. We have yajnas for creating material well beings but still we were not able to achieve the wealth that is achieved in West. Even without vedas, other countries were able to progress materially. But when it comes to inner evolution/spiritual progress, Indians are much ahead of them. In every century we are producing numerous enlightened.

Does this show that Vedas objective is spiritual growth not material growth?


texts: What is the reason behind use of crackers for temple festivals?

texts: We generally see in temple festivals that use of crackers is a star-attraction. It always attracts a huge crowd. But it may prove fatal too as it is a risk using huge amount of crackers at a time. Do we have a history in the past about use of crackers in temple festivals? Do such activities really please god? Any mention about it in Hindu scriptures?


texts: What is the prayaschitta for failing to keep an Ekadashi fast?

texts: Is there any prayaschitta for not carrying out an Ekadashi fast in the scriptures?


texts: What is the significance of Sashtang Namaskar?

texts:
In Hinduism, we do Namaskar to the God statues in the temples as a symbol of belief, respect, and worship. In addition, we also do Sashtang Namaskar.

What exactly is Sashtang Namaskar, and why must one do it?


texts: Do the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) cleanly map onto the 3 gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas)?

texts:
I've read Shiva referred to as "tamasic", and Brahma seems to be a suitable embodiment of sattva. However, rajas doesn't fit very well here. I'm not sure how to match the energy/activity aspects of rajas with Vishnu as "the preserver", but rajas does seem to fit both Shiva as "the transformer" and Brahma as "the creator". Also, Vishnu as "the preserver" seems to support the tamasic concepts of inertia and resistance to change.

Are these two trios of concepts related at all?

EDIT: Thanks for the answers so far. For some reason I automatically connected sattva with Brahma and rajas with Vishnu, maybe because they are normally listed "Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva" and "sattva, rajas, tamas" so I followed that order. And it didn't really fit. Switching the first two makes much more sense!


texts:
Varahaapuran (adhay 140:)

Bhagwan Varaha says -

  I live in kokaamukh in the base of the mountain at the intersection of "kokaa river" and "kausiki river" and will be known as Badri

This intersection is currently locted at Nepal in a place "Varahaachetra."

For Badrikashram:

Varahapuran adhay 141.1: (In hindi) "Usi himalaya parvat par, ek atyant goohaya staan hey, jo devatao ke liye bhi durlabh he. Ise Badarikashrama kahete he" Translation: In the same mountain (upper part of mountain where badri is) lies Badrikashrama. If Badrikasharama lies in the same mountain as Badri then they must both be near each other meaning they are both in Nepal. .What else can be said?

So then, how is it possible that Badrinath is located in india and not in Nepal, when clearly the two rivers mentioned in the shastra/Purana are located in Nepal?

Note: I do not wish to offend anyone regarding my question. Our current thirthas are as holy regardless of their authenticity and I respect their location. Being a Hindu, I would never disrespect any thirth just because they do not match with shastras. Many thirthas have changed locations and this is why I try to find their original location. Sorry if I have offended anybody.


texts: Guidance to read and understand Hinduism

texts:
I have keen interest in Hinduism and I want to read all the vedas and upnishads. So I have some questions to start :

Best resource to teach myself sanskrit so that I can understand vedas and upnishads.
Sequential list of all the vedas, upanishads and granthas I should read to understand the teachings. And where can I get them offline or online?

Thanks


texts: Why Vidura did not paticipate in Kurukshetra war?

texts: We all know Vidura for his intellectual skills and as an advisior. But also why he didn't participate? Is it right to say that he was against Kurukshetra war? Is Krishna the reason for it again?


texts: Which material should be used for incense?

texts:
Hindus generally uses different types of sticks for incense.

Is there any scriptural recommendation of materials to be used for incense?


texts: How can one know whether the state I am going into or I was in, was a deep sleep or meditation while doing Dhyana?

texts:
The most common posture adopted for doing meditation is sitting holding chest, neck and head tight in a straight line.
As suggested by Swami Vivekananda in Raja Yoga:

But the main part of the activity will lie along the spinal column, so that the one thing necessary for the posture is to hold the spinal column free, sitting erect, holding the three parts — the chest, neck, and head — in a straight line. Let the whole weight of the body be supported by the ribs, and then you have an easy natural postures with the spine straight. You will easily see that you cannot think very high thoughts with the chest in.

We can also find it in Shvetashvatara Upanishad:

II-8: Placing the body in a straight posture, holding the chest, throat and head erect, and drawing the senses and the mind into the heart, the knowing one should cross over all the fearful currents by means of the raft of Brahman.

So, after sitting in recommended posture, there are many different methods and tricks for meditation suggested by different Yogis but more or less the goal is to reduce the number of thoughts coming in mind to make achieve the state of no manual thought eventually. Now, getting closer to this state can result in either of two state 1) Deep sleep 2) Dhyana (not going into deep in the various stages of Dhyana).
So, as soon as the mind starts to become thoughtless the state similar to sleep is felt sometimes.

At this moment, how can one know or verify that the state I'm going is deep sleep or Dhyana?
Returning from such state after remaining the same for several minutes, how can one know/verify that the state I was in was deep sleep or Dhyana?

Is there any tip suggested in scriptures or work of Yogis or disclosed by any well known Yogi?


texts: The real story behind Baijnath and Gokarna

texts:
A similar story goes for two different cities.
Baijnath and Gokarna.
Which one is the correct one?
If both of them are true, did Ravana carry Shivlinga twice?


texts: Does ISKCON advocate birth-based caste-system or guṇa-based? And on what basis?

texts:
What type of caste-system (varṇāśrama) does ISKCON advocate? Birth-based or guṇa-based? And on what basis?

If they believe one's varṇa is based on their guṇa:

Do they reject smṛtis such as Manu which seem to advocate birth-based varṇāśrama?
Also, how do they interpret the Puruṣa-sūkta verse brāhmaṇo 'sya mukham ... padbhyāṃ śūdro ajāyata (brāhmaṇa was born from Puruṣa's mouth ... śūdra from his feet)?


texts: Last name of Shree Ram and Shree Krishna?

texts: I always wondered what were the last name of avatars - Shree Ram and Shree Krishna. I know that Ram was kshatriya and Krishan was nand. But I don't know their real last name. Did they even had one? Or did they just used their father's name as their last name?


texts: how to realize that a person got mantra siddhi

texts:
What are the symptoms,how we will come to know that, a person got mantra siddhi , after a "N" number of jaap of a particular mantra?

Say, if it is shakteya tradition , then about bala parameswari or Kaali moolamantra, if a person completed many lakhs/(Crores?) of HER moolamantra, will that person get mantrasiddhi?

how come he- sadhak, upasaka - will come to know, realize that, he got a siddhi.

Or in shaivism, can I do jaap of om nama:ssivayaa --- whenever I get time (while travelling, inside office, when we speak to others etc ) -- and after many months/ years of continuous jaap, will I get siddhi?


texts:
What is the symbolic meaning behind the siva-sakthi triangle?

I know there are several variations of symbols that can represent her, but what does this upside-down triangle with the dot in the middle mean specifically?


texts: What are the Yantras associated with Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya?

texts: I am aware of Sri Yantra which is the yantra representation of Sri or Thirumagal, are there any other?


texts: Can I go to gym, when I'm in ayyappa Deeksha

texts: Can I go to gym when I take ayyappa Deeksha? If I can't go, may I know the reason?


texts: How did Yoga develop into a religious practice?

texts: I find that yoga is one of the most relaxing and powerful activities I can do for myself, yet how exactly did yoga become yoga?


texts: How many mutts did Adi shankaracharya establish in his lifetime?

texts:
Adi Shankaracharya is an advaita philosopher and wrote commentaries to the prasthāna trayi and composed many stotras on different deities.. It is believed that he established four mutts(denoting four vedas) in four directions of India. They are

East : Pooramnaya Shri Govardhana Peetham (Rigveda-eastern Monastery) located at Jagannadh Puri, Orissa.
West :  Paschimamnaya Shri Sharada Peetham (samaveda-western Monastery)— Located At Dwaraka, Jamnagar, Gujarat.
North : Uttaramnaya Shri Jyotish Peetham (atharva Veda-northern Monastery)— Located At Badarinath, Uttarakhand.
South :  Dakshinamnaya Sri Sringeri Sarada Peetam (yajurveda-southern Monastery)— Located at Shringeri, Karnataka.

The pontiffs of these monastery institutions are called as Shankaracharyas and recognised equal to Adi Shankaracharya.

But many people believe that Kanchi kamakoti peetham located at Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu is also established by Adi Shankaracharya. Kanchi Kamakoti peetham in its history states that Adi Shankara established 5 mathas rather than 4. The pontiff of this math is also called as Shankaracharya.

So how many monastery institutions did Adi Shankara establish in his lifetime? What do Shankara Digvijayas state about this?


texts: is there any mantra equal to whole Lalita sahasranama?

texts: Since "Rama" is equal to the whole Vishnu Sahasranama, is there any mantra/word/name which is equal to the whole Lalita Sahasranamam?


texts:
For those who don’t know, Madi clothes are clothes which are washed after which it is left untouched, thus making it pure. The cloth material can be touched next, only by the person who is going to wear it, after taking a head bath.

This is practised on religious occasions and festivities to maintain the purity of the cloth.

For those who are not able to obtain Madi clothes due to some reason such as travel, is there any substitute to Madi clothes, or can non-Madi clothes be made just as pure as Madi clothes by following some other method?

[PS: I couldn’t find any relevant tag, so I have just tagged scripture.]


texts: What does Bhagavad Gita make of persons who just go about doing their swadharma, fulfilling their duties (being a good child to parents, is a good spouse, a good parent, citizen etc.) but don't believe in a higher power or God?


texts: Where does the Valmiki Ramayana state that Lord Rama killed Ravana in the month of April/May?

texts: Are there any verses in Valmiki Ramayana which say that Lord Rama killed Ravana in the months Of April/May and returned Ayodhya at the time of April/May only?


texts: Mention of Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi as Masik Shivratri Tithi in Hindu Shastras other than Skanda Purana?

texts: Aside from one previous reference I found in the Skanda Purana (What is the importance and concept behind Masik Shivratri?) is there any additional reference to Masik (monthly) Shivratri in the Hindu Shastras as a day of fast and vigil (as opposed to the main one, Maha-Shivratri in the month of Magha)? I suppose I am just looking for some more excuse to fast on this day every month. Thank you for any help.


texts: Why do many Hindu women put a red dot near the middle of their forehead?

texts:
Why do many Hindu women put a red dot(Bindi) near the middle of their forehead?

What is the reason behind it?
Is there any benefit of Dot(Bindi)?


texts: Do the Vaikhanasa texts allow animal sacrifice?

texts:
As I discuss in this question, one of the early movements that was important in the development of Vaishnavism was the ancient Pancharatra movement, whose sacred texts consisted of detailed procedures to worship the sage Narayana, an ancient incarnation of Vishnu who was the son of Yama god of death and twin brother of the sage Nara.  Since the Pancharatra texts originated from Narayana himself, they are followed by pretty much all mainstream Vaishnava Sampradayas, whether Sri Vaishnavas, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, etc.  Among the most oldest Pancharatra texts are the Satvata Samhita, Paushkara, Samhita, and Jayakhya Samhita.  But there is a Pancharatra text even older than these, and it is found within the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata!  It's called the Narayaniya, and it's an 18-chapter religious dialogue between Yudishthira and Bhishma on the importance of worshipping Narayana/Vishnu, similar to the Bhagavad Gita, an 18-chapter religious discourse between Krishna and Arjuna found in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata.

In any case, one of the topics discussed in the Narayaniya is the issue of animal sacrifice, which the text has a negative view of.  For instance, in this chapter of the Narayaniya, the ancient king Uparichara Vasu is praised for conducting an Ashwamedha Yagna (horse-ritual) without sacrificing animals:

  In that great sacrifice, O monarch, all the requisite articles were collected. No animals were slain in it. The king had ordained it so. He was full of compassion. Of pure and liberal mind, he had cast off all desires, and was well-conversant with all rites. The requisites of that sacrifice all consisted of the products of the wilderness. The ancient God of gods (viz., Hari), became highly gratified with the king on account of that sacrifice.

The next chapter of the Narayaniya makes the prohibition even clearer.  It relates to a dispute between the sages and the gods over the statement in the Vedas that "Ajas" must be sacrificed in a Yagna (fire-ritual).  The gods said Ajas are goats,  while the sages said the Ajas were vegetable seeds, and Uparichara Vasu was cursed for incorrectly siding with the gods:

  The gods, once on a time, addressing many foremost of Brahmanas, said unto them that sacrifices should be performed by offering up Ajas as victims. By the word Aja should be understood the goat and no other animal.' The Rishis said, The Vedic Sruti declares that in sacrifices the offerings should consist of (vegetable) seeds. Seeds are called Ajas. It behoveth you not to slay goats. Ye deities, that cannot be the religion of good and righteous people in which slaughter of animals is laid down. This, again, is the Krita age. How can animals be slaughtered in this epoch of righteousness?' ... Learning what the opinion was that was entertained by the deities, Vasu, moved by partiality for them, said that sacrifices should be performed with animals. At this answer, all the Rishis, endued with the splendour of the Sun, became very angry. Addressing Vasu who was seated on his car and who had (wrongly) taken up the side of the deities, they said unto him,--Since thou hast (wrongly) taken up the side of the deities, do thou fall down from heaven.

So from all this it's clear that animal sacrifice is prohibited according to Pancharatra principles, which means that it's prohibited by mainstream Vaishnvaism.  But as I discuss in this question, not all Vishnu-worshippers follow the Pancharatra texts.  There is a small sect of Hinduism called the Vaikhanasas who worship Vishnu according to a different set of texts.  The Vaikhanasa texts place less emphasis on the philosophical concerns of mainstream Vaishnavism, and more emphasis on ritualism and idol worship.

So my question is, what do the Vaikhanasa texts say about animal sacrifice?  Do they forbid it like Pancharatra texts do?  I know that Vaikhanasa texts say you don't have to perform Yagnas as long as you worship Vishnu in his idol form, but do they say that you can perform animal sacrifice in Yagnas if you want?


texts: Are there any vedic statements saying that one can be called brahmin by behavior

texts:
There are some people who keep claiming that one can be called brahmin by karma and give the reference of Yaksha Prashna in which Yudhishtra talks about brahmin-hood and claims that brahamana hood does not depend on birth.

Is there any reference in Vedas which explicitly mentions this claim?


texts: Did Ramakrishna Paramahamsa say that bathing in the Ganga does not wash away sins?

texts: Everyday, innumerable people are found to take bath in the Holy Ganges in the hope of all their sins getting washed away. However, I have heard from my Mom many times that dips in the Ganges do not wash away sins according to Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Is this true? Do any of the biographies indicate this? If yes, what is the logic behind it?


texts: What is the significance of 11th day ritual after death?

texts:
After the death of a person,a ritual/ceremony will be held on the 11th day. What is the significance ?

People from different community will held on different date such as on the 9th,14th or 16th day . Actually,when should the ritual/ceremony be held after death ? Is it on the 11th day or 16th day? (please answer according to scripture)


texts: What were the specific skills of the Pandavas?

texts: Can anyone explain the specific skills of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata? For example Arjuna is known for his bow.


texts:
In a Hindu mythology trivia quiz written by Devdutt Pattanaik on the app QuizUp, the following question was asked:

  What name did Brahma give to King Nemi for his capability of driving his chariot to ten points at the same time?

The correct answer is given as Dasharatha, which makes sense considering that Dasha means 10 and Ratha means chariot.  But my question is, is it true that Dasharatha's original name was Nemi, and that he was given the name Dasharatha by Brahma?

This book makes at least the Nemi claim:

  Nemi, son of Ajan, a famous King in the genealogical line of Surya kings, reigned over Kosala kingdom with capital at Ayodhya.  King Nemi was assigned the title Dasaratha for his ability to wage war simultaneously at ten battlefronts through the swift movement of his chariot.

But do any scriptures give Dasharatha's original name as Nemi, and is there a scriptural basis for the Brahma part?

I'm pretty sure the Valmiki Ramayana doesn't mention any of this, but is it possible that it's mentioned in some Purana?


texts: Meditation to music producing massive emotions and physical sensations?

texts:
Please forgive me if this may seem out of place.
Recently I've started meditating using Headspace. After a session I felt good and listed to a few of my favorite songs while continuing to lie down with eyes closed.
The mediation combined with songs afterwards (especially at a few key times in the songs) has given me unbelievable positive emotions. I get full body goosebumps, and my eyelids, which are closed, start uncontrollably twitching. It almost feels like I'm going to lift out of my body.
Is any part of this normal? It sometimes seems scary, but I push through.
My question is: where do I go from here? I want to follow this thread and learn more, wherever it goes to hone and elevate from here.
The closest thing I've read that this resembles the concept of 'piti', which sounded like a massive dam busting.


texts:
We know that Shukracharya's mother was slain by Vishnu on behest of Indra.
Matsya Purana claims it was Khyati. And then Bhrigu cursed Vishnu to be born 7 times.

But Srimad Bhagvatam (4.1.43 to 4.1.45) has Khyati as his great-great grandmother.

Is this another instance of contradiction between texts or is there an explanation?


texts: Were there "Awards" during ancient times?

texts:
In today's times, for every aspect of life, there is an award -- be it films, companies, schools, science, literature, arts, sports, competition, talent and so on ...

In ancient times, according to Dharma-shAstra-s a king or a master should "reward" someone inferior to them for good work & punish for bad.

However, was there any "Award" system to motivate the various people of society?

Award = Memento / Recognition / Certificate (i.e. anything non-monitory rewards)

Add-on: Since a person is merely utilising own skills for own good, is award-giving considered DhArmik? Or there is no Qn of Dharma involved at all?


texts: How does advaita defend against this argument?

texts:
An instructor of monism can't possibly exist. Does he know the truth
  or not? The first can't be, for knowing the truth there is no second
  soul for him, there would be no student for him. The second also can't
  be, for it is not possible that ignorant person may be an instructor.

Let me explain the argument.

If a person speaks about Advaita, he doesn't know the truth, else he won't instruct since there is no second soul for him having realized everything is brahman.

The same applies to Krishna and all the mantra drastas in the Vedas. Do they know advaita? Then they won't instruct. If we accept them as perfect teachers of truth, then advaita is false on the basis of scriptures since they actually instructed.

How do Advaitins defend against this argument?


texts:
There are siddhis for almost everything: teleportation, creating things out of nothing, and just controlling matter generally at will.
But is there a siddhi for controlling time? Like speeding up or slowing down time, or going into the future or past?


texts: Was there no time dilation when Arjun went to Swarg lok?

texts:
We have heard of King Muchukunda and Revati/Kakudumi stories explaining time dilation.

We know 4.32 million years is equivalent to 1200 divine years. So 12 years (vanvaas period) is equivalent to 1.2 days in Swarg Lok. And we know that Arjun didn't spent the entire 12 years in Swarg Lok.

So my question is how long did he actually spend in heaven during which he even got cursed by Urvashi?


texts: When Hanuman was sent to Lanka as a peace messenger to King Ravana, he was humiliated and his tail was set on fire. In turn, Hanuman burnt the entire city of Lanka to ashes. Was it right to punish the denizens of Lanka for Ravana's act? What does the action of Hanuman signify?


texts:
I would like to understand what exactly is 'Nirukta'?
What is it's origin?
Does it have any association with Sanskrit language?

Please do cite authentic references.


texts: Per the Vedas, can a person really step on another planet physically?

texts:
In my school days, one of the Sanskrit lesson named "anthariksha vijayaha", has a statement saying

  It is mentioned in the Vedas that a person(physically) cannot step on any other
  planet/satellite but some persons have already reached the moon and
  came back.

Does Vedas say that a human can't step on other celestial bodies?

So, has that particular sentence (in Vedas) been proved wrong (by the Moon landing)?


texts: Does Suryanamaskar contain all yoga's benefit?

texts:
I have heard that doing Suryanamaskar everyday gives us most of or all of benefits of all kinds yogas.

Does it really Suryanamaskar so powerful which will give us most of benefits of yogas.

So if we really do suryanamaskar regularly everyday , does we needed to do other yoga or not ?


texts: Where can I find the side by side compilation of the vedic verses and their tamil counterparts from Nalayira Divya Prabhandham?

texts: We have the Naalaayira Divyaprabhandham in Tamil, a composition of 4000 verses from 12 Alwars. Among them, Nammalwar is considered as "One who gave the vedas in Tamil" through 1352 verses of the 4000. Is there a side by side compilation of the vedic verses and their prabhandham equivalents?


texts: What does veda have to say about yoga-marga?

texts:
I would Like to mention/recommend that If you are a vedagya-वेदज्ञ(A person who studied vedic samhitas and now knows about everything written in them)then only answer my question.

I was reading Shiva-Samhita, and when I read from verse-4 to verse-16 I  was awestruck because it described exactly what's in a mind of reader when he reads text (i.e. he/reader wants physical/working attainment of goals not just empty philosophical thoughts).

I think Philosophies are only good when applied in real world and realized that is what yoga do. Yoga unites you with your true-self, so I am not offending any one who just believes in philosophies.

I also include bhakti-marga in my list because without knowing the first step you cannot think of reaching the goal of self realization which is bhakti. Also bhakti is too far because first we need to discipline our body then comes discipline of mind.

Is there any mentioning/praising of yoga-marga/yogic path in vedas?


texts: Were the Pandavas's of submissive nature?

texts:
In some incidents of Mahabaratha, most of the Pandavas except Bheema reacts less than expected.

Were they submissive? Are there any slokas explicitly saying about the submissive behavior of most of the Pandavas?


texts: What is the significance of Sri Suktam which is part of Rigveda?

texts:
Sri Suktam of RigVeda describes the nama, rupa, swaroopa, greatness etc. of Goddess Sri, who is Vishnu patni (wife of Lord Vishnu).

Now, the question is what is the significance and how should it be recited or performed?

Please don't indulge in speculations nor the meanings of the Sri Suktam verses.

Please provide details from any scripture (Vedas, Ithihasas, Puranas, Agamas etc) which explains the origin, significance and methods of performing or reciting Sri Suktham.


texts: I want to know more about Yami. Is it believed that there was a twin sister of Yama named Yami?


texts: Who is a Shaivite or Shaiva? What are his/her supposed qualities?

texts: Like in this thread we find the definition & qualities of a Vaishnava, I would like to know the same for the Shaiva as well. What is the definition or qualities of a Shaiva or Shaivite.


texts: Who are the 24 avataras of Lord Vishnu according to the Srimad Bhagavatam?

texts: Most people think that Vishnu has only 10 avataras. However, the Srimad Bhagavatam says Vishnu incarnated 24 times. So who are the 24 avataras of Lord Vishnu?


texts:
Kalki is prophesied as the 10th avatar of lord vishnu.
Lord krishna comes once in a kalpa  and lord ramchandra as well. What about lord kalki ? Can you confirm whether lord krishna and ram also come once in a kalpa ?


texts: Rubbing Vibuthi or Tilak off the forehead

texts: Is it okay to rub Vibuthi or Tilak off one's forehead? Does it amount to insulting god?


texts: Is there any mythological/scriptural reference linking Periyachi with Narasimha

texts:
I recently came across the deity Periyachi Amman (See pic).
The iconography is very reminiscent of Narasimha (see other pic), though the story is rather different. However, the net import of the story also seemed to be a deity protecting a child even to the extent of harming the parents.
Is there any scriptural or mythological reference linking these two deities?


texts: We all know that Patanjali systematized the Yoga. However, he merely systematized the practices that were already there. What is the historical origin of Yoga?


texts: Why Vishnu agrees to stay at Lakshmi's place after marriage?

texts:
Lord Vishnu is married to Lakhsmiji . After marriage he preferred to stay with goddess Lakshmiji in the Sea . The Sea is considered as Father of Lakshmiji.

So what made lord Vishnu stay in the sea?


texts: Why are most famous (or wish fulfiling) temples situated on hills?

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We generally feel that that a temple near our house is a normal temple while that on a particular hill is a special temple (may be because of some story behind it) and those on hill tops are said to be more wish fulfilling ones than the local ones.

Reaching these distance wise and altitude wise far off places must have been all the more difficult in the times for the devotees when they were made than now.

It would have been even more difficult for the creators to get all the material gathered there. So, my question is why are the most famous temples situated on hills which are difficult to visit.


texts: What are the weapons created by Sage Dadhichi's bone?

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I have heard a story that many weapons including Indra's Vajra was created with Sage Dadhichi's bone.

Was only one weapon (Vajra) created? If no, then I want to know exactly which weapons are created? And who have attributed them?

And is there any mention of this story in our scriptures?


texts: Were our scriptural recommendation of vanaprastha and sannyasa compulsory or voluntary?

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Our scriptures suggest to leave the family and go to forest at the age of fifty :पञ्चाशोर्द्ध्वे वनं व्रजेत्. Reference:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanaprastha

At the same time our scriptures advise to treat parents as Gods :मातृदेवो भव, पितृदेवो भव।

It is really a cruel system that compels aged parents who need more love and care to live in forests while their wards would live under the roof safe and sound. On what grounds was it recommended? Above 75 years, sannyasa was advised which meant roaming alone and begging which is also very painful at that age!

Were these compulsory or voluntary?


texts: How should a person respond when attacked by another person, as per Hinduism?

texts: How should a person respond when another person becomes violent or attacks him, as per Hinduism?


texts: Did Lord Rama take birth from a human body? that is from a human mother since He is God and not an avatar?


texts: What is correct way of sitting when performing yajna? I have seen in Yajna, Brahmins seated for hours doing mantra chanting and don't even feel any pain or cramp when they get up. Do they follow certain sitting habit?


texts: Is there a mention of Nava-Durga in Vedic scriptures?

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The Wikipedia page on Ma Katyayini mentions:

  She is first mentioned in the Taittiriya Aranyaka part of the Yajurveda. Skanda Purana mentions her being created out of the spontaneous anger of Gods, which eventually led to slaying the demon, Mahishasura, mounted on the lion given to her by Goddess Parvati. This occasion is celebrated during the annual Durga Puja festival in most parts of India

Is there a mention of Goddess Katyayini or any other Nava Durga forms in the Tattiriya Aranyaka or any Vedic scripture? If not which is the oldest scripture to refer to any of them (separately or together as a group)?


texts: Should Stotras and Mantras be recited aloud?

texts: Should Stotras, such as Ganpati Stotra, Durga Stotra, etc., and Mantras be recited aloud or can they be recited just in mind? Also, does the absolute correct pronunciation of words in Stotras matter?


texts: What were the parameters of progeny's of Rishis were seen to bless them to start Gotra system?

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I never understood how progeny of Rishis were blessed/allowed to start new Gotra system. The progenitors already had their Gotras. So what was the need for sub Gotra system?
Example, Sandilya Rishi was allowed to start gotra of his own. He as son of Rishi Asita but there is no gotra in the name of Rishi Asita. Rishi Kashyapa had his own gotra and he was father of Asita and grand father of Sandilya.
So, what parameters were seen in their progeny to allow them to start new Gotra system?


texts:
On the battlefield when Rama shot an arrow to kill Ravana, Laxman was directed by Rama to go and get his best advice.

The first thing Raavan told Lakshman was that one should complete any auspicious work as soon as possible and keep delaying the inauspicious work as much as possible.
The second thing he taught Lakshman was never to underestimate one’s enemy. He said that he did this mistake of understanding the monkeys and bears lesser or incompetent and he lost the battle against them.
The third and final thing Raavan told Lakshman that one should not reveal one’s life secret to anyone in the world. Raavan made a mistake as Vibhishan knew the secret of his death. Raavan knew this was his biggest mistake in life.

So, my concern is if Ravana knew all this, then what led him to his defeat and ultimate death on the battlefield.
Was it his Destiny or Karma?


texts: Why is Holi not much known in Southern India? Did the festival come into being relatively late in North India?


texts: A person capable of knowing anything and everything

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In sanathan dharma, Sarvajna stands for a person who realizes that everything is Brahman.
So, Sarvajna is not the person I'm asking for.
I know that saguna brahman satisfies the property mentioned in the title.
But is there another concept in the scriptures that says that a person capable of knowing anything exists?


texts: Who is Parmeshvara, Ishwara & VAsudeva? What is the difference among them?

texts:
In 18th Chapter of BG, we find following verses -

  The Lord abides in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all of them to revolve by His power as if they were mounted on a machine. 61
  Run to him for shelter with your whole being, O BhArata. By his grace you will attain the highest peace and the eternal abode. 62

Lord Krishna in just few 2-3 verses before, were asking Arjuna to mentally surrendering all actions to him(i.e Krishna) but suddenly he starts referring someone else to go for shelter in the above verses.

But again after 2-3 verses he changes pronoun and declare as follows -

  Abandoning all other dharmas, come to Me alone for shelter. Do not grieve, for I will relieve you from all sins. 66

i.e, he changed the pronouns as I -> Him -> I within handful of verses.

Now, In the unique Kashmiri Shaiva commentary on Bhagwat Geeta by AchArya Abhinavupta he comments on this as follows -

  ... By the statement take refuge in him, and by my grace, the Lord brings together the nature of Parmeshvara, Ishvara and VAsudeva.

Although I couldn't understand whole paragraph (which I have omitted as ...), I am only curious to know this sentence only. Who exactly is Parmeshvara, Ishvara & Vasudeva? And what is the distinction? Do any scripture from any school of thought say anything on this?


texts: Can someone please provide the stotra of Manasa Devi in Sanskrit?

texts: Please provide the stotra of Manasa Devi in Sanskrit, along with a translation in English if possible?


texts: English or Telugu translation of Narasimha Purana

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Could anyone tell me which is the best translation of Narasimha Purana in English or Telugu?

I'm looking for a physical book.


texts: Does the Bhagavad Gita actually have 745 shlokas?

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Does the Bhagavad Gita really have 745 shlokas?
Even Chapter 43, shloka 4 of the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata says that the Gita has 745 slokas:

षट्शतानि सविंशानि क्ष्लोकानां प्राह केशवः ।
अर्जुनः सप्तपञ्चाशत् सप्तषष्टिं तु संजयः ॥
घृतराष्ट्रः क्ष्लोकमेकं गीताया मानमुच्यते ।

This Gita has 620 Shlokas said by Lord ShriKrishna. 57 shlokas said by Arjuna, 67 shlokas said by Sanjay and 1 shloka said by Dhritarashtra.


texts: Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra 2017 all rituals with Date

texts: Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is one of the most viewed car festivals of the world. What are the rituals on this multi-day festival and their dates this year?


texts: Why is Shikha Bandhan needed at the time of pooja?

texts: Why Shikha Bandhan is needed at the time of pooja? Is it related to God or due to any other reason and what would happen if we do not do shikha bandhan? What is the benefit? What to be done for those people who do not perform Shikha bandhan as prayaschittha?


texts: Can devotees drink "Abhishekam water" of Shiva Lingam?

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There are many theories on Internet that Shiva Lingam (the material by which Lingam is made) is radioactive and continuously water must be poured on it. By citing this, they opine that water is not fit for drinking. They also say 12 Jyotrilingams have high content of Uranium. Anyways, this Scientific speculation is off-topic for this site.

This blog says

  Never consume anything which has been offered to shiv lingam, it
  brings bad omen illness, loss of money and luck. But u can have if it
  is from given specifically by priest as you cannot refuse or from shiv
  murti or idol.

But this blog differs and says we can drink the water.

Are there any scriptures which prohibit devotees from drinking Anointed (Abhishekam) water of Shiva Lingam? If devotees should not drink this water, what are the Spiritual or Religious reasons for this?