texts: Are there any ragas/musical instruments associated with each chakras/energy centres?

texts: I am interested in knowing and understanding if there are any Indian classical ragas/ musical instrument associated with the chakras/energy centres? Reason am asking is coz we have seed syllables/beej mantras for each chakras and usually they are chanted in order to activate the respective chakras/energy centre, similarly there must be a raga/musical instrument that does the same thing?


texts:
This wiki article mentions that Kali Yuga is 4,32,000 human years old. The length of the other Yugas is also in similar order of magnitude.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudeva, in this video, talks about smaller cycles of Kaala. In these cycles, Kali Yuga is 1296 years of length.

Paramahansa Yogananda, in his book, The Autobiography of A Yogi mentions a similar 1200 period range of Kali Yuga as told to him by his Guru Sri Yukteswara:

  Sri Yukteswar discovered the mathematical application of a 24,000−year equinoctial cycle to our present age. The cycle is divided into an Ascending Arc and a Descending Arc, each of 12,000
  years. Within each Arc fall four Yugas or Ages, called Kali, Dwapara,
  Treta, and Satya, corresponding to the Greek ideas of Iron, Bronze,
  Silver, and Golden Ages.

  My guru determined by various calculations that the last Kali Yuga or
  Iron Age, of the Ascending Arc, started about A.D. 500. The Iron Age,
  1200 years in duration, is a span of materialism; it ended about A.D.
  1700. That year ushered in Dwapara Yuga, a 2400−year period of electrical and atomic−energy developments, the age of telegraph,
  radio, airplanes, and other space−annihilators.

  The 3600−year period of Treta Yuga will start in A.D. 4100; its age
  will be marked by common knowledge of telepathic communications and
  other time−annihilators. During the 4800 years of Satya Yuga, final
  age in an ascending arc, the intelligence of a man will be completely
  developed; he will work in harmony with the divine plan.

I have two questions: Is there any scripture which mentions these smaller cycles of Kaala? Which scripture mentions the longer cycles of Kaala?


texts: If the Sun loses fuel, does that correspond to Surya the Sun god getting old?  If the Sun burns out, does that correspond to Surya dying?  What does Hindu scripture have to say on the subject of Surya getting old or dying?


texts: Why do we have to wait till next life to reap what we sow?

texts: I wonder if there are any scriptural references or slokas that tell us why the fruits of our actions are faced by us in our next life as any jiva or as a human, and why not in this life itself?


texts: What is the difference between Puranas, Upapuranas and Mahapuranas?

texts: Is there any difference between Puranas, Upapuranas and Mahapuranas? What should we follow?


texts:
I have not heard about birthday celebrations in our puranas or texts.

But is there any account of Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna) celebration in any of the puranas or other texts? When did it start?

Also some more doubts:

How do Hindus celebrate birthdays generally?
How important is the birthday celebration in Hinduism?
Generally, Hindus celebrate the 60th birthday of people with much importance. Do yearly birthday celebrations have less importance in Hinduism? What do our scriptures say about it?


texts: What parts of the TaittirIya Samhita of the Yajur Veda are Shruti?

texts:
As I discuss in this answer, each of the four Vedas consists of four portions: Samhitas, the core part of the Vedas which consist of verses heard from the gods; Brahmanas, commentaries on the Samhitas which provide instructions for important rituals; Aranyakas, which provide a guide to rituals meant for forest-dwellers and hermits; and Upanishads, which consist of conversations between teachers and students which clarify the philosophical message of the Vedas.  But the Yajur Veda has seem peculiarities in its organization.

First of all, the Yajur Veda comes in two versions, the Shukla or "white" version, and the Krishna or "dark" version.  As I discuss in this question, the Shukla Yajur Veda consists of two texts: a Samhita, called the Vajasaneyi Samhita, and a Brahmana commenting on it, the Shatapatha Brahmana.  The Krishna Yajur Veda, on the other hand, does not have a separate Samhita and separate Brahmana.  Instead, it has a text called the Taittirya Samhita which is a combination of both a Samhita and a Brahmana.  In other words, some parts of the Taittirya Samhita were actually heard from the gods, while other parts are just commentaries on verses heard from the gods.  (In contrast, Samhitas of other Vedas are entirely of divine origin.)

So my question is, is there any listing of exactly what parts of Taittirya Samhita were heard from the gods?  In some cases, it's obvious when a verse is of divine origin, because it occurs in the Samhita of another Veda.  For instance, the Rudram, which occurs in the Fifth Prapathaka of the Fourth Kanda of the Taittirya Samhita, also occurs in the Sixteenth Adhyaya of the Vajasaneyi Samhita of the Shukla Yajur Veda, so we know that it's of divine origin.  But what about verses that occur only in the Taittirya Samhita?  How do we tell the nature of those?

This is the sort of information that can be found in the Anukramanis, a set of systematic indices for the Samhitas of the Vedas which document the sage who heard each verse from the gods, and the deity that each verse is addressed to. In this answer, I compiled the sage and deity information for most of the hymns from the Anukramani of the Rig Veda Samhita.  And in this question, I tried to get the Anukramani of the Vajasaneyi Samhita of the Shukla Yajur Veda. Now I want the Anukramani for the Taittirya Samhita, because if it tells you the sage who heard each verse from the gods, it would presumably also tell you if a given verse wasn't heard from the gods at all.  Now Wikipedia says that there's an Anukramani "belonging to the Atreyi shakha of the Taittiriyasamhita".  Does anyone know whether that Anukramani is available anywhere, preferably online in English?


texts: How has Hinduism spread & existing in Russia?

texts:
Russia & nearby countries were part of communist USSR for a while, which was typically anti-religion.

Yet there are several Hindu Russians (0.1% of population). How did it spread in such remote country? Is ISKCON solely responsible or were there traces before as well?

Extra Qn: In what state is it today?


texts:
I had read somewhere that in the vedas the awareness can be divided into four categories, i.e chitta (consciousness/conscience), manas (heart/want/desire), aham (ego) and buddhi (intelligence).
Each of these categories can be further divided down and there are all total of 14 sub-categoris.
Can anyone tell me the name of all the sub-categories?


texts:
Its said that it takes time to do siddhi of first mantra. So what are the signs n ways to know if mantra got activated ?

Any pointers n personal experiences u can share welcome.


texts: Does popular worship of Lord Shiva in Northern India comes under any Shaiva sect or is it Advatic/Smartha by nature?

texts:
We know Saiva Siddhanta,(a dualistic Shaiva sect) and Veer Shaiva,(another dualistic Shaiva sect) exists in south, I don't think there are any such sects in north India. Except maybe Kashmir Shaivism, which itself is not much popular here. Regardless Shiva worship is very popular in north too.
So my question is does this popular worship of Shiva comes under any sect of Shaivism. Like worship of Vishnu/Rama/Krishna and His forms in North comes under various sampradays like Ramanandi,Gaudiya,Nimbarka,Haridasa,Vallabha etc. If so which agamas are followed in famous temples like Kashi Vishwanath and others? Does it comes under a sect of Shaivism or it's just Advatic/Smartha by nature?


texts: Is OBE or Astral projection real ? is there any reference to it in any?

texts: i would likely to know is there any reference in any of  Purana about OBE or Astral projection


texts: What do the scriptures say about sexual life?

texts: Sex is necessary for continuing our generations. What do our scriptures say about sex? What do they say about steps to take for having healthy children and what things we have to do before, during and after sex for this purpose? Any procedure, activities, etc.


texts: Where did the following name of Vishnu has been taken from?

texts:
Vishnu can be called by name श्रिहान. It is not present in Vishnu Sahasranamam.

Which scripture contains the name and what is the actual meaning of it?

2, 3, 4 ....


texts: Which texts mention Saraswati as a mighty river and which texts say that it had dried up?

texts:
Rig Veda talks about Saraswati as a mighty river (from Quora)

2.41.6 - Sarasvati is described as naditama, ambitama, devitama or the best river, best mother and best Goddess

6.52.6 - Sarasvati is made swollen by many rivers (pinvamana sindhubhiH)

7.95.2 - Sarasvati flows from mountains to the ocean (giribhyaH A samudrAt)

10.177 - Mandala 10 is the last portion of Rig Veda in terms of chronology. Even this book has hymns which pray to Sarasvati for continuation of sustenance and good fortune [9]

Which other texts talk about Saraswati as a major river and when does it start getting described as "dried up"?


texts: Are there any mantra or mantras in Veda Samhitas that confirm that Vedas are apaurusheya?

texts:
We know that the Vedas are authorless or apaurusheya.. At least we believe the Vedas to be so.

The mantras of Vedas are revealed directly by God to some selected Rishis in a trance like state that they obtained by ascesis or tapas.

Question :

Are there any mantras in the Veda Samhitas that confirm this "apaurusheya" nature of the Vedas?

Note that i want mantras only from the Veda Samhitas.


texts: Atimaharathi class of warrior: Was Parshurama one of the Atimaharathi?

texts:
As per this link, Parshurama belonged to the Atimaharathi class of warrior, the only other being Meghanaada. But some other links like this mentioned Parshurama as Maharathi.

Is there any relevant text mentioned in any of our Epics which clarify this ambiguity.

Thanks!


texts: why didn't rishis write down vedic verses as and when they were revealed to them?

texts:
Considering that you do penance for tens, maybe even hundreds or thousands of year and then something is revealed to you, its infinitely precious.

why then would i not try to make sure to safeguard it ? the best way of safeguarding perhaps is penning it down somewhere safe , and then bind the pages in form of a granth.

rather we see the opp. the vedic verses were taught by the original seers onto their students in oral tradition, and those students then taught those onto their students and so on.
But somewhere down the line perhaps there's a greater chance of missing out a laga-matra (matras of devanagari)  of pronounciation .

then it really puzzles me why they were not written down at the time of revelation.

maybe 2 reasons :

1) paper wasn't available. writing on palm leaves was tough as it decomposed too quickly

2) perhaps they feared denigration of the paper used for writing.


texts: Death of a great grandmother from paternal side, and marriage of a great granddaughter (a female offspring)

texts:
A question about death of a grandfather and postponement of granddaughter's marriage, was answered with:

  If there is a death on the paternal side, then all Subha karyas, including visit to kshetras, tirthas etc., except marriage of female offspring, need to be abandoned for a year i.e. till the samvatsara sraddha is performed. This is not "according to some people" but according to dharma. Such dharmas can be found in 1. Dharma Sindhu 2. Nirnaya Sindhu 3. Parasara Samhita 4. Varaha Purana 5. Anusasanika Parva of Mahabharata etc."

I am in a similar situation now. I would like to know if there are any special provisions regarding exceptional "provision of marriage of female offspring"

Is  there any verses which discuss about that special provision regarding "marriage of female offspring" in scriptures like Smrities ,Dharma Shastras etc.?


texts: How has the killing of Shambuka been described by the Sri Vaishnava tradition and what reason/justification, if any, has been given for the same

texts:
As per this site, Kulasekara Azhwar indicates the incident of Shri Rama killing Shambuka in verse 749 in the 10th dashakam of Perumal Tirumozhi of the Muthalayiram of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. The relevant verse is:

செறிதவச் சம்புகன்  தன்னைச் சென்று கொன்று செழுமறையோன் உயிர் மீட்டுத் தவத்தோன் ஈந்த
ceṟitavac campukaṉ  taṉṉaic ceṉṟu koṉṟu ceḻumaṟaiyōṉ uyir
mīṭṭut tavattōṉ īnta
My sweet Lord Rama went and slew Shambuka of terrible penance, gave life to the dead Vedic seer. Note 2

One can listen to the above verse of the Perumal Tirumozhi at 50:23 onwards in this video
Questions:

Does the Sri Vaishnava tradition (scriptures and commentaries, not necessarily on Valmiki Ramayana) record the incident in detail and if yes, are there any variations from the Ramayana and Puranas, (where Shambuka is killed merely because he was a shudra ascetic/ wanted to attain heaven with his mortal body); for example was he an asura and not Shudra human? Note 1
What is the Sri Vaishnava justification/ view with regard to this incident, irrespective of any variation from the Ramayana and Puranas? (Also in case there is no variation how is the killing explained/justified just because he was merely a Shudra)

Notes:

Had read on a Tamil site which I can’t find that Shambuka was actually an asura named Jambuka (both written as cambuka in Tamil) and not a human Shudra (the upside down penance can give a clue as to this fact). His being an asura and a Brahmin dying makes more sense.
Translation from here
I don’t understand Tamil


texts: Why did Swami Vivekananda say that Dvaita, Vishistadvaita and Advaita are all correct?

texts:
Swami Vivekananda said that Advaita, Vishistadvaita and Dvaita--all these doctrines are correct.

What did He mean by saying this?


texts: What does this Rig Veda verse mean about the fivefold human race?

texts:
Rigveda Mandala 1 Sukta 12

  Indra who rules with single sway men, riches, and the fivefold race
  of those who dwell upon the earth.

What is fivefold race referring to?

I think it's referring to Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and Mlecchas, because humanity can be divided into Vedic humans and non-Vedic humans.


texts:
Surya-Shani: Shani was not obedient to His father Surya, moreover Shani was son of Chaayaa, so Surya Deva did not like Him.

Rahu,Ketu-Surya,Chandra: Surya and Shashi told Narayan that the demon is drinking Amrta, so when Rahu, Ketu took incarnation, they disliked Surya,Chandra.

Guru-Shukra: Both were in childhood the disciples of same Guru Angirasa Rishi. But Angirasa Rishi showed bias and more fondness to his own son Brihaspati. So Shukra did not like Guru. Moreover there are several more accounts of Guru-Shukra enmity in various Scriptures.

Budha-Chandra: Here only Budha see Chandra as enemy whereas Chandra is friend of Budha. Budha dislikes his father Chandra because - Chandra abducted Tara,wife of Guru, and by their union Budha was born. Budha knowing this illegitimate reason of his birth does not like Chandra.

•
•
•

What are the reasons of other enmity?

Between, Shani-Mangala,
Guru-Budha,
Chandra-Shani,
Shukra-Chandra,
Surya-Shukra
And others.

Please correct me where I am wrong, but please tell me reasons also.


texts:
What is Surya Sidhdhant? How Bhaskaracharya was the first to discover gravity, 500 years before Sir Isaac Newton?

It is said that many years ago Bhaskaracharya discovered gravity using Surya Sidhdhant. What is that?


texts: Shani dev's gaze impact in improper washing legs with water

texts: From the childhood I was asked to wash my legs properly without any dry space in my legs its true if it is happened that Shani dev's gaze should be impacted on ourselves. I couldn't find any scriptures instead some old movies had this.


texts: Why do Indian women wear Bichhia (Toe Rings)?

texts: There are various traditions followed in India like married Indian women wear toe rings. It is worn as a symbol of the married state by Hindu women. Indian tradition says that married women are expected to wear silver made toe-rings on the second toe of both feet. Hence there is a custom in Hindu wedding ceremony to wear toe rings. What benefits do these bring to them according to Hindu scripture?


texts: What was the scene of Lord MahAdeva's marriage?

texts:
Scene of Lord MahAdeva's wedding is highly discussed because of the way Lord MahAdeva & his bArAtis appeared in the ceremony. Some might take this as a metaphoric only where Shiva being consciousness results into multitude of creatures. (How here?) ... But I believe all purAnic stories to be true & believe all incidents happen on multiple level so it is true both as a reality & metaphorically according to me - This caused me to ask the following question.

I want to know the scene of the marriage? Like how Lord MahAdeva appeared, what happened there till a lady fell unconscious looking at them. Since I am defining boundary of the scene (stopping at the lady falling unconscious), this is not a broad question. So answer.


texts: Is there any relation between Kolasura killed by Devi and Kola-viddhangshi mentioned in Devi Mahatmya?

texts: Is there any relation between Kolasura who was killed killed by Devi and the 'Kola-viddhangshi' group mentioned in the Devi Mahatmya?


texts: Whether Chhaya Sita / Maya sita is mentioned in valmiki ramayan or in which scripture first?

texts:
Ravana kidnapped not real sita, but Maya Sita; and later during Agni pariksha the real Sita comes back from fire.

ref: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Will-the-real-Sita-stand-up/articleshow/8247418.cms

Now, Is this from any scripture? Whether this episode of Chhaya Sita/Maya sita is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana or which scripture first?


texts: Why do Gaudiya Vaishnavas think the order of the Yugas is Satya, Dwapara, Treta, Kali?

texts:
Throughout Hindu scripture, the order of the Yugas is given as Satya, Treta, Dwapara, Kali.  (See my answer here for more information on Hindu timescales.). Yet in his ISKCON commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada says this:

There is a chronological order of the four millenniums, namely Satya, Dvāpara, Tretā and Kali. But sometimes there is overlapping. During the regime of Vaivasvata Manu, there was an overlapping of the twenty-eighth round of the four millenniums, and the third millennium appeared prior to the second. In that particular millennium, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa also descends, and because of this there was some particular alteration.

So Prabhupada seems to be suggesting that in most Mahayugas, the order of the Yugas is Satya, Dwapara, Treta, Kali, but in the 28th Mahayuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara (the present Mahayuga), the order is Satya, Treta, Dwapara, Kali.  And this seems to be a common belief in Gaudiya Vaishnavism (the sect that Prabhupada and ISKCON belong to).  For instance, in this web page Swami Gaurangapada says that the order of Yugas is reversed in the present Mahayuga so that Krishna and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (whom Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider an incarnation of Vishnu) could be born close together:

There is a confidential reason for why the cycle of yugas was changed in this Chatur Yuga with Treta Yuga coming before Dvapara Yuga.
So even though normally Dvapara comes after Satya Yuga and before
Treta, He reversed the order of the Yugas and Dvapara now came after
Treta and before Kali Yuga. This is because Lord Krishna wanted to
distribute His Vrindavana love to all conditioned souls in the form of
Lord Gauranga [Chaitanya Mahaprabhu] without a big time difference between these two advents of His so that the Vrindavana pastimes are still fresh in the hearts and minds of the people so that when He distributes them as Lord Gauranga, people will accept this love very easily.

So my question is, what is the reason that Gaudiya Vaishnavas believe that the Dwapara Yuga usually comes before the Treta Yuga, and that our Mahayuga was some unusual exception?  Is it mentioned in the Chaitanya Charitamrita or some other Gaudiya Vaishnava work?
Could the reason for this belief be the fact that the root of the word Dwapara is "two" and the root of the word Treta is "three"?  My understanding is that the names of the Yugas derive from the names of dice rolls.  In the traditional Vedic game of dice, the best roll you could get was a 4, known as Krita, the second-best was a 3 or Treta, the third-best was a 2 or Dwapara, and the worst possible roll was a 1 or Kali.  But perhaps Gaudiya Vaishnavas don't accept this etymology.


texts: If everything is based on Karma, does one’s blessings have any effect on someone’s life?

texts: Young ones often are blessed by the parents, grand parents etc etc. the blessings are rendered useless if everything forms part of Karma?


texts: What is ashtopachara and shodashopachara puja? And how to do it?

texts:
I know the panchopchar(पञ्चोपचार) puja which is offering gandh, pushp, dhoop, deep and naivadya(गंध, पुष्प, धूप, दीप, नैवेद्य) to God.

I have heard many times about ashtopachar(अष्टोपचार) and shodashopachar(षोडशोपचार) pujan. But don't know how to do it.

Could somebody  explain

What is ashtopachar(अष्टोपचार) pujan? And how to do it.
What is shodashopachar(षोडशोपचार) pujan? And how to do it?
How many types of puja are there?


texts: Presence of children at the time of death of parents?

texts: What does Shastras/ Vedas prescribe in the matter of son/daughter being present near father/mother at the time of their death? I read somewhere it is required that a son be present with parent at the time of their death, which is considered as a factor in them attaining moksha. Does it vary for father / mother? Is it required according to Shastras that son be present or daughters presence is also considered on par?


texts:
Up till now whatever I have learnt is :-
Whatever we give to the universe, the universe will return it back in bigger form.

My question is do we earn through universe only via giving our wealth as charity (to needy person or a monk) , or we can give gifts to our dear ones and it is considered as giving our wealth to the universe and it will benefit us in terms of merit?


texts: Why was Shakuni cursed by the gods to be evil?

texts:
In this chapter of the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, the births of various notable characters are described.  Here is what it says about Duryodhana's uncle Shakuni:

  Then was born the disciple of Prahlada, viz., Nagnajit, and also Suvala. And from Suvala was born a son, Sakuni, who from the curse of the gods became the slayer of creatures and the foe of virtue. And unto him was also born a daughter (Gandhari), the mother of Duryodhana.

I discuss Shakuni's uncle Nagnajit in my question here, but now I'm interested in the statement that Shakuni became an evil-doer due to "the curse of the gods".  My question is, why exactly did the gods curse him?

As I discuss in this answer, Shakuni was an incarnation of Dwapara, the embodiment of the Dwapara Yuga.  Now the embodiment of the Kali Yuga is a demon, but perhaps Dwapara is a god.  In any case, are there any scriptures that describe the gods putting a curse on Dwapara?  Or was the curse put on him after he was born as Shakuni?

Could this just be a figure of speech, indicating that he was destined in the divine plan to be an evil-doer, rather than alluding to a specific curse from the gods?  It could be similar to how in the Bible, God is said to have hardened the Pharaoh's heart.


texts: Humanity, Service to the needy, and Humble ness are essential qualities in any living being who is born as a human being. My doubt about Hinduism is how it is helping the Hindus in developing above three quality es.


texts: Is it okay to use rudraksha Mala that's used for wearing to use to chant Gayatri Mantra?

texts: Is it okay to use rudraksha Mala (108 beads, 5 faced) that I'm wearing to use to chant Gayatri Mantra? Or do I need a new one to use specifically for chanting Gayatri?  If so, is there specific no of beads to be used to chant Gayatri?


texts: What is the story of maga zarasabdha in bhavishya purana?

texts:
A Quora answer talks about Zoroaster and his relation with Hinduism.
is zoroaster and his religion mentioned in puranas.

This is from the answer-

  Bhavisya Purana chapters 139-140 present an extensive account of the
  background of Maga Zarasabdha. The word maga refers to a dynasty of
  priests of whom Zarasabdha was a progenitor. In ancient Iran, the
  hereditary priestly caste was called the Magi. Zarasabdha was born in
  the family line of Vira Aditya, "the powerful Aditya" (sun-god). The
  Vedic scriptures list twelve Adityas (sons of Aditi, the mother of the
  demigods). They are the twelve spokes of the kala-cakra, the wheel of
  time.

Is the above story authentic?


texts: Is the Divine Body of Krishna beyond Nirguna and Saguna?

texts:
The phenomenal and celestial realms are filled with the constant ebb and flow of the gunas which are sattva, rajas and tamas.

Is the Divine Body of Krishna made from gunas, or is he there in these realms but his body is not made of the gunas?

Is the Divine Body of Krishna beyond Nirguna and Saguna, ie beyond the gunas?


texts: The "tricky truth" that was said by Yudhishtira on 15th day of kurukshetra war

texts:
Since childhood I have been thinking that Ashwathama hataha, kunjaraha is the half truth that was said by Yudhishtira

This trick was used as a ploy to kill Ashwathama's father, Dronacharya.

Yudhisthir is known to abide by dharma, and so Krishna convinces Yudhisthir to lie to Drona. So Yudhisthir says, Ashwathama hataha..kunjaraha.

He speaks the word kunjaraha in a low voice which Drona doesn't hear. And since Ashwathama Hataha means Ashwathama is dead, assuming his son to be dead in the great war, Drona collapses and seeing this as a cue, Draupadi's brother Drushtadyumna beheads Drona.

But recently I have been hearing that the actual phrase that was said is Ashwathama hataha, narova kunjarova.

According to Vyasa Mahabharata which is the actual sentence that was said by Yudhishtira?
Could you clarify this?


texts: Can a younger sibling marry before elder sibling in Hinduism?(Especially girls)What do sastras say about this?


texts: Who are gratified when the sacrifices are performed by the demigods?

texts:
Who are gratified when the sacrifices/yajna are performed by the demigods? Like when humans make sacrifices they gratify demigod (like Indra, Agni, etc.).
I mean Indra is a god that had performed a hundred sacrifices. And also there is in scriptures that Brahma also had performed various sacrifices. So, for whom these sacrifices are performed by them.


texts:
Draupadi was also an avatar of Goddess Shree or Wealth who was the wife to five Indras in their mortal manifestation, that is, the five Pandavas. She was born many times for imprisoning the Indras. Her first birth was as Vedavati (the avatar of Swaha, Agni's wife) who cursed Ravana. She then came again as Maya-Sita, especially to take revenge from Ravana, while Agni hid the real Sita. The third birth was partial - she was both Damayanti and her daughter Nalayani. She married Sage Mudgala. Her fifth avatar was that of Draupadi herself.

How did Shree marry the five Indras in her other avatars?Also, why did she imprison her own husbands?

On a separate note, please explain why and how sometimes sons are considered as avatars of certain gods.


texts: Why did Vinda and Anuvinda share Avanti?

texts:
As I know, Vinda and Anuvinda were the kings of Avanti, they were defeated by Sahadeva in their Digvijaya, they supported the Kauravas and they were finally killed by Arjuna on the 14th.

My question is, why did they share Avanti? This is not normally done, but why were Vinda and Anuvinda the exception?


texts:
Bhagwad Gita in Chapter-2 Verse-46,47 says ...

  You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, But you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

  O Dhananjay (Winner of Wealth), perform action, abandoning attachment, beaing steadfast in yog, and balanced is success and failure. Evenness of mind is called Yog.

My question is how can we perform actions without expecting results, when it's the result who will decide our fate?


texts: How would warriors know what astra is fired on them to counteract accordingly?

texts:
In the epic wars like Ramayana and Mahabharata, How would warriors know what astra is being fired on them?

It is just a matter of time till the astra reaches the warrior. So, how would one anticipate what is invoked on them to invoke counter astra immediately?


texts: What scriptures discuss Krishna's time in relation to the Yuga Sandhi periods?

texts:
It is commonly said that Krishna departed the Earth in 3102 BC and the Mahabharata war occurred in 3138 BC, a little over five thousand years ago.  But I just found indication these events may have happened much earlier.  In this document, the Sri Vaishnava lecturer U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami says this:

  Dvaparayuga consists of 864000 years out of which 720000 years is the actual yuga and 72000 years of purva sandhi and 72000 years of uttara sandhi. Sri Krishna departed this material world on the last year of the actual yuga i.e. 720000th year. Mudal azhvargal were born after Sri Krishna during uttara sandhi kalam.... This confusion would arise if we assume that Krishna departed on last day of dvapara uttara sandhi. But in fact He departed on the last day of the actual dvapara yuga.

Let me explain what he's saying.  There are four Yugas: Satya, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali.  Now
 Dwapara Yuga and the Kali Yuga are often described as 864,000 years long and 432,000 years long respectively, but strictly speaking the actual Dwapara Yuga and actual Kali Yuga are 720,000 years long and 360,000 years long respectively.  But each Yuga has two Sandhi Kalas or transition periods on either side, which are one tenth the size of their respective Yugas, as described in this chapter of the Vishnu Purana:

  Thirty Muhúrttas constitute a day and night of mortals: thirty such days make a month, divided into two half-months: six months form an Ayana (the period of the sun's progress north or south of the ecliptic): and two Ayanas compose a year. The southern Ayana is a night, and the northern a day of the gods. Twelve thousand divine years, each composed of (three hundred and sixty) such days, constitute the period of the four Yugas, or ages. They are thus distributed: the Krita age has four thousand divine years; the Tretá three thousand; the Dwápara two thousand; and the Kali age one thousand: so those acquainted with antiquity have declared. The period that precedes a Yuga is called a Sandhyá, and it is of as many hundred years as there are thousands in the Yuga: and the period that follows a Yuga, termed the Sandhyánsa, is of similar duration.

So what Velukkudi Krishnan Swamy is saying is that Krishna departed the Earth on the last day of the actual Dwapara Yuga.  We, on the other hand, are living five thousand years after the start of the actual Kali Yuga.  So that would mean that between Krishna departing the Earth and our time is the 72,000-year Uttara Sandhi period of Dwapara Yuga, plus the 36,000-year Purva Sandhi period of the Kali Yuga, plus the 5,000-odd years that have elapsed in the actual Kali Yuga thus far.  So that would imply that Krishna departed the Earth 113,000 years ago, not 5,000 years ago as is commonly believed.

My question is, do any scriptures describe when exactly Krishna departed the Earth in relation to the Uttara Sandhi period of the Dwapara Yuga and the Purva Sandhi period of the Kali Yuga?  Did he depart the Earth at the end of the actual Dwapara Yuga, or at the end of the Uttara Sandhi period of the Dwapara Yuga, or the end of the Purva Sandhi period of the Kali Yuga, or what?


texts: Which foods can be consumed before a session of Japa?

texts:
Are there any foods that one can consume before beginning a long session of Japa, especially if this is a daily occurrence, so as to prevent the development of gastritis? Please give references.
Edit:
Do the scriptures of any sampradaya have anything to say on the matter considering that Japa may be taken up by people of various ages and states of health?


texts: Who was Kubja? What was her relationship with Krishna?

texts:
In Srimad Bhagavata Purana and also in Brahma-Vaivarata Purana there is a story of Kubja, a dasi of Kamsa.
Who was that in other scripture and what was her relationship with Bhagwaan Krishna?
I have seen few sites which are misleading about her relationship with Bhagwaan Krishna.


texts: Why is the Virata Parva of the Mahabharata is read during the srAddha ceremony?

texts:
In Bengal, I heard that the  Virata Parva of the Mahabharata is read aloud during the srAddha ceremony.

I am not aware of whether this is followed in other parts of India though.

What is the scriptural reason of reading this on this ceremony?


texts: What is the story of Lord Vishnu hiding himself in roots of plants?

texts:
I recently came across a story of Lord Vishnu, where he hidden himself from gods in root of the plants. So my questions are:

What is the story of Lord Vishnu hiding himself in root of plants, why he did so and where this story is mentioned?


texts: I can't find any specific hymns dedicated to him in the Rigveda. Are there any mantras or richas dedicated to him in our Shastra?


texts: Was Satyabhama jealous of other wives of Krishna?

texts:
In the "Prabhandam Parijatapaharanam" book, the poet Nandi Thimmana wrote that Satyabhama kicked Lord Krishna with her left leg because of her jealousy that Lord Krishna gave a flower Parijata Pushpam to his other wife Rukmini.

Is there any truth in this story or is it just a poetic imagination?


texts:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
ISKCON is the anti-thesis of Hinduism.

They proselytize: This is highly against the essence of all traditions in Hinduism, Our traditions are to study and proclaim the understanding, then aspirants should come seeking the truth as we see it. To stand to roadside and sell Krishna as though he is a sweetmeat or soap is demeaning to the passer-by, the preacher and the tradition

They proclaim exclusivity: Hinduism acknowledges that truth can be reach by many ways and God can be known by many names. It never imposes "one size fits all" solution, no dogma or creed. ISKCON practices such attitudes like Abrahamic religions.

Do we have references in scriptures about such people?  If so, What do scriptures say about such type of people?
Edit
My question is different.  I am interested in knowing scriptural reference to such people.


texts: What is the meaning of Vishnu maya in Tantrokta Devi Suktam?

texts: In tantrokta devi suktam, (durga saptashati) it has been mentioned as "Ya devi sarva bhuteshu Vishnumayeti shabdita....". What is "Vishnu maya" here?


texts: Can we offer prayer at a different location than the original place where we intended to?

texts: I have prayed to offer pooja at Kukke Subrayamaniya temple (Karnataka) but due to some reason I could not go there and offer my prayers. I want to know if I can offer the same prayer at Katte Subrayamaniya temple in Bangalore instead?


texts: Would a text written by a Rishi classified as Hindu scripture? If yes, are there any exceptions where a text written by a Rishi would not be considered as a Hindu scripture?


texts:
Why do we apply Vibuthi ( 3 horizontal lines) and What does it signify?

Does it deal with more than religious beliefs?


texts: Does bad karma done in God's consciousness have consequences?

texts: Does a karma which is considered bad, but is done in God's consciousness have consequences?


texts: Did Vedanta Desikan perform Samashrayanam for Vidyaranya?

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The famous 13th century Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan was childhood friends with the Advaita philosopher Vidyaranya, who served as the Shankaracharya of Sringeri and chief advisor of the Vijayanagara emperor.  Now Vidyaranya once offered to Vedanta Desikan to convince the Vijayanagara to financially support Vedanta Desikan.  But Vedanta Desikan refused, composing a poem known as the Vairagya Panchakam in order to explain to Vidyaranya that he didn’t care about money.

This much I’ve known for a while, but I recently found out an additional detail about the aftermath of this incident.  Here is what the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Dvitiya Brahmatantra Svatantra Jeeyar says in this excerpt from the Vedanta Desika Divya Charitram:

  [Vidyaranya] came to know that Sri Desika was begging alms and sent him a letter stating that he would recommend Sri Desika to the king and also make the king very obedient to him.  Henceforth he need not suffer like this.... After some days, once again he sent an appeal to Swami but by way of reply to that letter Swami wrote five verses known as “Vairagya Panchakam”[.]... Vidyaranya was moved by this and became an ardent admirer of Swami.  The five important Samskaras were done to him by our Swami and he became a disciple.

I’m interested in the part in bold.  This is a reference to Samashrayanam, aka Pancha Samskaram, the initiation ritual for the Pancharatra Agamas.  Sri Vaishnavas perform Samashrayanam because it enables one to do Sharanagati or complete surrender to Vishnu.  My question is, do any other works mention Vedanta Desikan performing Samashrayanam for Vidyaranya?

Do any Sri Vaishnava works or Advaita works shed light on this?


texts: Looking for mentions in our scriptures of leading life with practicality even if it means breaking sacred principles written in the holy scriptures

texts:
The answer to this question will cement my values in life forever!

I learned from Bhisma's life that simply being the most honorable, noble person on Earth doesn't guarantee any good at all! I think in Star Plus's Mahabharat (I know these TV adaptations are never accurate depictions), Krishna replies to Bhisma's rationalization of how honorable and noble; a man he was, with a simple retort: "If you were the perfect human being as you say you were, how come we're having this conversation in a battlefield? Why are we at war then, if you say you upheld Dharma so well?"
When folks in the hall where actually rationalizing and trying to cite rules of paap and punya to somehow ensure the disrobing of Draupadi.
Krishna on many occasions breaking his own vows at Kurukshetra for the greater good (I'm not saying we can do it just because God did it) and really manipulating the situation so the good prosper and the evil perish.

This brought to me a major awakening that Dharma is something that will never be understood, even if Vedas are eternal truths, you can't put instructions for every possible permutation of every combination of every life situation that was to occur in the Vedas, and that's why the only way of upholding Dharma, is if Vishnu himself steps down in his avatars and purges us!

That brings me to my original question! Is there a specific line in the Vedas that say, 'You can ignore the Vedas or scriptural obligations based on the practicality of the situation!'


texts: Which Hindu episode does this Khmer relief from Beng Mealea show?

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The person below the main relief is considered a man lying in the water. It is conjectured that he is Shyavana, a sage meditating in a holy river.

What is the story about him? Where is the story told? Which persons are on top of the relief?

Note. Beng Mealea translated from Khmer language means "lotos pond".


texts: Story of Mrit Sanjeevni Mantra and Sanjeevni Plant

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Can any one shed light on Mrit Sanjeevni Mantra and how it came in existence, is it any way related to sanjeevni plant that is in Ramayana.

Is the sanjeevni plant just medicine effect like "jadi booti" or has some magical effects which can cure almost anything or bring someone back to life, or it has only selected medical effect.

If it can bring back to life, is there a time limitation to be before the Sun Rise.

How did these went extinct, can mrit sanjeevni mantra be used to bring some one to Life back ?


texts: What scriptures mention the "Vaikuntha-Kamalaja" form which is Half Vishnu & Half Lakshmi?

texts:
We all know "Ardhanarishvara"  form of Shiva & Shakti . Similarly. Vaikuntha-Kamalaja
is depicted as   Vishnu-Lakshmi ,half male and half female, split down the middle. The right half is the male Vishnu, illustrating his traditional attributes. The icon symbolises the oneness or non-duality of male and female principles of the universe.
My question is-
1) In which texts , we find mentioning of this composite form of Shri Vishnu and Shree Lakshmi. , (Preferably mentioning of one or two verses or passages related to this) from original scripture.
Image taken from This site.


texts: Any rules that I need to follow if I want to read the Bhagavad Gita?

texts:
If I want to start reading the Bhagavad Gita. What rules, if any, that I need to follow before I start reading? For example:

Do I need to perform any religious rituals before reading the Gita?
Can I read/recite it at any time? Or are some portions of the day prohibited for recital?
Can I read it anywhere I want to i.e., is the place where I recite the Gita also important?


texts: Guḍhī Pāḍavā or Ugadi: Day on which Universe is created?

texts:
Posting it on a day of Guḍhī Pāḍavā or Ugadi. I was reading the Wikipedia link about this Hindu Festival.

It was mentioned in that link that on this day, Brahma created the universe as per Brahma Purana.

Can this be validated and what could be the significance of this particular day or "Tithi"? If this day is such an important day (because the universe itself was created), why in other parts of India (and not the other parts of world) this is NOT celebrated?

Also, it would be interesting to know if there is any other day as per Hinduism which is considered as the "day of universe creation".


texts:
What kind of scripture is the Naradiyakalpam?

Medieval Sri Vaishnava scholar Vedanta Desika cites this scripture in support of the view that the pranava in the secret Ashtakshara mantra important in Sri Vaishnavism cannot be chanted by women and shudras, but instead should be replaced with an equivalent variant.

Is the Naradiyakalpam a Pancharatra Agama, or is it referring to the Naradiya Purana, or is it referring to the shortened form of the Bhagavata Purana which has the name "Naradiyam"?


texts: Can a Sudra become a Brahmin in 'this' birth?

texts:
Scriptures have remedy for everything. Various mantras various austerities can give us miraculous position. For eg. It is possible to become Indra (who is King of Heaven) by performing 100 Ashwamedha Yajnas.

Similarly mantras can also have wonderful powers. Eg. As I discuss in this question Mritasanjeevani Vidya can even make a dead person alive. Although it seems like rising from dead is impossible but power of mantras can make it possible.

We see that we can achieve unbelievable things through the power of Mantras. Although the Vedas do not speak of birth based caste system, but as discussed here Brahma Sutra seem to suggest
caste system is birth based and all ancient commentators of Brahma Sutra think caste system is birth based.

Although I personally believe in Guna Based Varna system. We can find several examples in Smriti/ Itihasa (which may be latter addition) that the caste system is birth based. In such situation Sudras aren't considered eligible for Jnana or to learn Vedas.

Now, if a Sudra has curiosity to learn Vedas or has curiosity to achieve Jnana then how can he remove his Sudrahood in his very birth and thus learns Vedas? Can a Shudra convert himself to Brahmana in this very birth? Are there any mantras, any austerities any methods which a Shudra can do to make himself a Brahmana in this very birth?


texts:
I have listened from my parents and other respected people that Bhagwat Geeta paath and Ramayana paath should be studied only at holy places. This question arises many times. So my questions are:

What should be the correct posture for reading/listening Hindu scriptures?
Is this violation of the rules to listen to these on sleeping bed?


texts: Which king was more powerful between Kārtavīryārjuna and Rāvaṇa, and did they ever share their thrones with each other?

texts:
[This is a question I'd asked on Yahoo! Answers some time ago which did not elicit any particularly helpful responses thereat.]

Both the thousand-armed Hehaya king Kārtavīryārjuna and the ten-headed Rākṣasa Rāvaṇa are said to have conquered the entire universe at some point, subduing even the gods in the heavens themselves; and each one of them was eventually defeated and killed by an avatāra [incarnation] of the god Viṣṇu [Vishnu]. Kārtavīryārjuna supposedly ruled the world, from his capital of Māhiṣmatī, for 86,000 years! Also he once captured and imprisoned Rāvaṇa for an entire year before Rāvaṇa's grandfather Pulastya brokered his grandson's release and Kārtavīryārjuna and Rāvaṇa became friends for life. So how can they both have ruled the universe if they lived in the same time-period (and especially considering the extraordinary length of Kārtavīryārjuna's reign)? Did they share the throne, or alternate their rule, at any point?

Since Kārtavīryārjuna was killed by Viṣṇu's 6th avatāra, Paraśurāma, while Rāvaṇa was killed by Viṣṇu's 7th avatāra, Rāma (or Rāmacandra), then eventually Rāvaṇa must have been emperor for a while after Kārtavīryārjuna's death. But what about when both emperors were alive, and friends?

And how does Kārtavīryārjuna's conquest of the universe fit in to the story about the foundation of the kingdom of Laṅkā, when Rāvaṇa's grandfather Sumali and Sumali's brothers Mali and Malyavan attacked Devāloka, the home of the gods, and were killed by Viṣṇu? Was Kārtavīryārjuna ruling over Devāloka at the time of the three brothers' attack?


texts:
Sandhyavandanam is a Nitya karma of every Dvija(twice born). It is performed when the sun and the stars are together visible which means early morning and late evening when the sun is on the horizon.

My doubt is, if by any chance a person misses this sandhya period can he perform his Nitya karma even after the sunrise and sunset.


texts: Who/What were the sources that Valmiki referred to when compiling his Ramayan

texts: Valmiki was not a contemporary of Ram. So who or what were his sources.


texts: Which Tantric scripture classifies the Agamas into SAttvic, RAjasic and TAmasic categories?

texts:
It is a well known fact that the PurAnas have a classification based on the TriGunAs (Sattva, Rajas and Tamah). That is, there are SAttvic PurAnas, RAjasic PurAnas and TAmasic PurAnas.

Now, for the Agamas too, there seems to exist a similar classification.

In the book " Hymn to KAli" (which is the English translation of SwAmi VimalAnanda's commentary on the famous Stotra to Goddess DakshinA KAlikA called the "KarpurAdi Stotra"), the author Arthur Avalon writes:

  The autummal Durgapuja and other Vratas are performed according to the
  Puranas. But initiation, Upasana of Brahman with Sakti and various
  practices of Yoga are done according to the ritual of the Agama
  Sastra. This latter is of three kinds according to the prevalence of
  the Gunas namely Tantra, Yamala and Damara. There are in all 192
  Agamas current, namely 64 each in Asvakranta, Rathakranta, and
  Vishnukranta. Many Tantras were lost in Buddhist and Mahommedan times
  and the few which still remain with Sadhakas in different parts of the
  country are not shown by them to any but to their disciples, so that
  these also are about to be lost. The late
  Rasika-Mohana-Chattopadhyaya, with great effort and cost, saved some
  of these and the English Arthur Avalon has done the same and I hope
  yet others will in future be rescued by him.

So, what it says is that- the Tantras (like KulArnava, Nila, NirvAna, Niruttara, MahAnirvAna, VAmAkeswara etc) are Sattvik Agamas. The YAmalas (like Rudra YAmalam, Vishnu YAmalam, BrahmA YAmalam, UmA YAmalam, Bhairava YAmalam etc) are RAjasic Agamas whereas the DAmaras (like Bhoota DAmara etc) are the TAmasic Agamas.

In which scripture (possibly in Agamas) is this classification found? Looking for the verse.


texts: What is karma's relationship with Gunas?

texts:
Let's say there are two individuals A and B both destined to lose a loved one at a given point in life due to past life Karma. Now both can feel differently post this event. A can feel sad, dejected etc. while B can brush it off. So my first question is whether past life karma also plays a role in shaping our gunas pre/during/post event? If so, then is the corollary that as A's sin in past life was of higher magnitude than B, he feels the suffering more than B ?

Now I understand that in a given life gunas change with time (more like certain aspects of gunas are more prominent). Also, we can change our gunas in a given life through penance, austerity etc. Will this act of changing gunas be considered part of Kriyamana karma ?


texts: Did Adi Shankaracharya make an argument for a perfect God (Brahman) against Buddhist and atheist school?

texts:
Did Adi Shankaracharya give any argument to prove the existence of a perfect God (Brahman) against Buddhist and other atheist schools.
I am not asking argument for Monism, or about only God exists, but the argument for God itself.


texts:
What is the etymological meaning of Sanskrit term Priyā ?
where can we find its usage examples in the scriptures?


texts: Where can I find Hindi translation of Gospel of Ramakrishna known as Ramakrishna Vachanamrita?

texts: It would be helpful if I can get pdf of the same. They are available online but I can't find all parts. Thanks!


texts: How do we know whether the BORI people are qualified (to do what they do) and what are their methods?

texts:
The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute or BORI prepares critical editions of Hindu scriptures.

They also seem to remove portions from ancient manuscripts deeming such portions as interpolations.

My question is how do we judge whether they are even qualified to do such a job or not (i.e to adjudge the authenticity of Hindu scriptures)?

Also what methods they use to come up with critical editions by rejecting several stories that are found in the original manuscripts?


texts: Scriptural sources for different classification & types of mantra and their science

texts:
In which all scriptures (Vedas, Tantras, Agamas, etc.) is the science of mantra and the types of mantras mentioned?

To be specific, the answer can be on the lines of following sub-questions:

Where are the types of mantras like vAcika, upAnSu and mAnsika mentioned? In which scripture?
Are there any other classification of mantras other than the above three? If so, what and where is it mentioned?


texts: A question on chronology of Muktika Canon

texts:
I have read Upanishads are 108 , and in the Muktika Canon , Sri Ramchandra enumerates their name to Hanuman when Hanuman asked him the way to salvation.

As far as my knowledge, Upanishads were written mostly between 2000 BC to 700 BC.
Whereas Ramchandra lived in 3000 BC as per today's estimate by some hindu scholars themselves.

So how could be possibly cite texts (upanishads)  which is yet to come many centuries later ??

I find this chronology highly confusing , if someone can please shed some light on this .

thanks :)


texts: Why self realization doesn't imply omniscience?

texts:
Why one is not omniscient even after self realization as in self realization one knows he is no other than Brahm. But Brahm is omniscient as well, then why one is not omniscient even after self realization?

Does it mean one is realized not being Brahm but mere Ananda? Or Does it contradict the very essence of Adwaitwaad?

Note - have just taken omniscience into account, but Brahm is omnipotent, omnipresent as well.


texts: What are the 16 impurities (ashuddhi) in a human body?

texts:
I came across in Lord Shiva context, where Narada muni told Mata Parvati to get rid of 16 toxicities and purify yourself, can somebody please throw light upon this concept?

Source:
Devon Ke Dev Mahadev-Chapter 4 Episode 162 at 7:00
Where Narad Muni helps Parvati to get rid of 16 impurities.

Either such serial are misguiding us or they have done thorough research better than us. *


texts: Does leaving negative thoughts do any harm to us?

texts:
In meditation, we are said to leave the negative thoughts and not to react to them.

When I do meditation, I keep getting some negative thoughts some of which I don't react to. But there are some thoughts which I feel, when not reacted to, put me in a dilemma that they are going to happen or I am not caring about them which pushes me in a state that, even if they come true I don't care. This is really horrible.

I feel this is basically of the desires that I am having and thought is all about whether the desire doesn't come true. However, being devoid of such desires could be the solution, but what about an ordinary person with desires?

Though I was able to recognize that they were only random thoughts, stopping reacting to them is hard for me.

Is it OK to leave these kind of thoughts? Does leaving them like that makes any problem?


texts: Where is the meeting of Rama and Hanuman in their childhood mentioned?

texts:
I have read somewhere that rama firstly met hanuman when he was 5,
As per the story Lord Shiva took a madari form and took Hanuman with him to let him meet his lord. and later when they arrived Ayodhya. Rama was happy to see his monkey friend.

Can you please tell me in which book and which chapter the incident is mentioned?


texts: Reference request for Swami Vivekananda's quote on life coming from the moon

texts:
Swami Vivekananda makes a passing remark in one of his lectures (Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, V2 p90) of the following:

  By the by, it may interest some of you to know that there are theories on the Vedic philosophy about the origin of life on this earth very similar to those which have been advanced by some modern European scientists. You, of course, all know that there is a theory that life came from other planets. It is a settled doctrine with some Vedic philosophers that life comes in this way from the moon.

My question is, can someone give me a reference to which Vedic philosophers and what commentary Swamiji is referring to?


texts: Tamil poetess Avai said that Lord Shiva is the Supreme god of all?

texts:
In a poetic song Avaiyar said that lord Bharama was born from Lord Vishnu's navel where Lord Vishnu born from ocean and where ocean adapted into saga Gurumoni's vessel and he born from kalasam and the length of kalasha is same as Adisesa's one head and he adapts in Lord Parvathi's small ring and she is always under Lord Shiva. So Lord Shiva is the supreme of all gods !
Upto my knowledge Avai never praise Lord Vishnu who is considered to be same as Lord Shiva. Why? Is Lord Shiva and Vishnu are same ? If so why Avai never say any thing about Lord vishnu ?


texts: What are the exact ten avatars of Vishnu?

texts:
I know that there are many avatars of Vishnu but some say that the famous Dashavatar include lord Buddha (Wiki) and some say as Balarama (hinduism.about.com). but Mohini avatar is not considered as part of Ten avatars.

What are the exact famous Dasavatarms as mentioned in Scriptures?


texts: Does Dhrupad has its origin from sAmaveda?

texts:
Dhrupad is the oldest surviving Indian music form. It boasts its origin from saama gaana.

Presently there are 3-4 gharanas or lineages out of which the dAgarvaani is well known. They have an unbroken lineage of dhrupad from Swami Haridas of vrindAvan who was the guru of legendary vocal singers like MiyA tAnsen and Sri Baiju BAwra.

A Brief History

  Dhrupad is the most ancient form of Hindustani classical music. There
  are two interpretations for the word Dhrupad. One is that it is
  derived from dhruva, the steadfast evening star, and pada, meaning
  ‘poem’. The other is that the word druva means ‘fixed’ and pada ‘poem’
  which makes it into a poem set to music. Its origins have been traced
  back to the recitation of the sama veda, one of the four sacred vedic
  scriptures. The form developed through the sama gaan, the chanted
  transmission of holy texts. Sometime during the first millenium A.D.
  the chanting evolved into the singing of chhanda and prabandha. The
  modern Dhrupad is said to have emerged out of the prabandha style of
  the 12th to 14th centuries. By the 11th century it had developed its
  perfect form. Dhrupad was and still is an act of worship during which
  the priest or musician surrenders to the Divine and invokes the rasa
  (mood) of the raga (musical mode). The intention is to put the
  listener into a state of inner peace and contemplation. Between the
  12th and 16th centuries the language of the compositions changed from
  Sanskrit to Brijbhasha (the language spoken in the area of Brindavan)
  and about six centuries ago the music came under the patronage of the
  royal Moghul courts, where it was adapted for performance, thus
  evolving into a refined and sophisticated art form. The compositions
  became more secular though and were often praises of the emperors,
  whereas before they had been devotional and philosophical in nature.
  One of the patrons of Dhrupad was the Moghul ruler Man Singh Tomar of
  Gwalior who also practiced the art. It reached its peak during the
  time of the legendary court musician of Akbar, Tansen, and Swami
  Haridas, who is often thought to have been the teacher of Tansen. The
  most important schools of Dhrupad are the Dagar and Vishnupur.

Do we find any related mention or concept in sAma veda?


texts:
Why some spiritual people become cynical? Even though they know soul is ansha of GOD, they don't meet people, act as selfish person and meet in specific time. Why? When one really need guidance their doors are closed at the peak time. Then how can one get help?

Are they considering the seeker a part of Maya or they are diffident in helping him?


texts:
Is Shiva jivatma?

Shiva does neither born or die.

In the Vaishnav parampara, it is said that Siva is jivatma.

Could you please illustrate this providing some relevant scripture from reliable source?


texts:
Achyutananda (and the other four saints) believed in a concept of God (Vishnu) as Shunya (emptiness, void, zero) called Shunya Purusha and/or Shunya Brahman. This shunya signifies a transcendental principle that eludes the conceptual nexus applied to human thinking as described in the Upanishads.
Philosophical Ideology of Achyutananda
Sunya Purusha

nāhi tāhāra rūpa varṇa, adṛsha avarṇa tā cinha. tāhāku brahmā boli
kahi, śūnya brahmhati se bolāi.
It has no shape, no colour, It is invisible and without a name This
Brahman is called Shunya Brahman.

Achyutanada's culminating work is called the Shunya Samhita where he discusses this philosophy in depth.

śūnyara ākāra viira śūnyara vicāra, śūnye thāi dekha vīra e
sacarācara. dekha e sacarācara śūnyare prakāsha, śūnyu ude hoicanti
śūnyare vilāse.
Oh vira look at the shunya By placing yourself in shunya, And meditate
on mahashunya, Shunya itself is the form, Ground of all discriminating
knowledge. Look at the whole world from the pedestal of shunya; You
will find everything manifested in the shunya, Everything arises out
of shunya and Everything flourishes in the Shunya Brahman.

The philosophy sees Shunya as being full or whole (purna), and this view of Brahman is sometimes called the Purna Shunya (the full/complete void). The Panchasakhas project the deity Jagannatha as the embodiment of the Shunya Purusha. Achyutananda uses a classical (pre-Ramanuja) concept of Vaishnavism that uses both form, and formless aspects of god. This is seen in his statement from the Gurubhakti Gita :

dui je deṇāre pakṣī uḍikari jāi, dui je cakṣure sehi saṃsāre khelai.
eka je na thile kaṇā dui gale anḍha, eṇukari nirguṇa saguṇa sehi
bheda.
A bird can only fly with both wings. It can have a perfect vision with
both the eyes. In the absence of one, it becomes one-eyed, and in the
absence of both, it is totally blind. Thus like two eyes Nirguna [god
perceived as formless]and Saguna [god perceived with form] are chained
together.

Jnana-mishra bhakti-marga
The Panchasakhas were Vaishnavas by thought. But they differed from Chaitanya's path of devotion and preached Jnana-mishra bhakti or Devotion with mix of Wisdom. Chaitanya's path of devotion was known as Raganuga Bhakti Marga (brought to Odisha in 1509), which says all you need is love (devotion) to reach God.
The Panchasakhas believed that one needs a combination of love (bhakti) and wisdom (Jnana) to reach God. With our knowledge if we show our pure love (bhakti), we can definitely get the sunyatma (GOD). The Panchasakhas therefore promoted a Vaishnavism that involved study of scriptures, yoga, rituals, and devotion.
What Vedanta philosophy is followed in Utkaliya Vaishnava of Mahapurusha Achyutananda of Odisha?


texts:
I would like to know whether a devotee (be a Lord Krishna's or Lord Siva's) can do love marriage?
Because love can be a material desire and a devotee must not have such desires. But marriage is essential for the continuity of human life. If the devotee doesn't marry, how can he give birth to his Lord's devotees (his children, who will most certainly be)?

Will god agree for love marriage of his devotee, if the devotee is at strong will and fix in his mind about the marriage?

or

Will the god do some maya (like spoiling the relationship between he and his lover) and make sure that his devotee doesn't marry at all (because he doesn't want his devotee to get into the material desires).

Is it the same with case of both forms Lord Siva and Lord Krishna?


texts: What is the story of Shiva becoming the Lord of Silver after worshipping Lakshmi?

texts:
As I discuss in this answer, one of the early movements that was important in the development of Vaishnavism was the ancient Pancharatra movement, whose sacred texts consist of detailed procedures to worship the sage Narayana, an ancient incarnation of Vishnu who was the twin brother of the sage Nara.  (Nara and Narayana were the previous births of Arjuna and Krishna, respectively.)  One of the Pancharatra texts is the Lakshmi Tantra, which takes the form of a dialogue between Indra and Vishnu's wife Lakshmi.

In any case, in this excerpt from the Lakshmi Tantra, Lakshmi describes to Indra the glories of the Sri Sukta, a famous hymn to Lakshmi from the Rig Veda:

  My spotless garland made of silver lotuses is ever sparkling.  All creators, who create the worlds are adorned with me (i.e. with my presence).  In ancient times the forefather of the Rudras, (propitiating me as) Rajatasraj, went to mount Kailasha and became the lord of silver.

For those who don't know, the forefather of the Rudras is Shiva, as I discuss in this answer.

So my question is, what is the story of Shiva becoming the lord of silver after worshipping Lakshmi?  I'm not sure what "the lord of silver" means.  The translator just says that Shiva "is often compared to a silver mountain".

But are there any other scriptures which describe Shiva as becoming the lord of silver after worshiping Lakshmi?  Also, on a side note there are many scriptures which describe Shiva worshipping Vishnu (like the Mahabharata chapter I discuss here), but I think this is the first reference I've seen to Shiva worshipping Vishnu's wife Lakshmi.  Are there any other occasions where he worshipped Lakshmi?


texts: Is it a sin to keep dust pan and broomstick together?

texts:
My Pujari told me never to put the dust pan and broomstick together in house & he also told me to inform my maid about this.

Any reason for this?


texts: If sagotra mariages are prohibited, why did Krishna marry Satyabhama?

texts: Krishna and Satyabhama ( Sathyabhama ) shared a common paternal ancestor, Anamitra.


texts:
They don't seem to be since India exports buffalo-meat.  But Mahisa has many positive connotations: 'f. a buffalo-cow, (grāmya-mahiṣī, a tame
buffalo-cow); ‘powerfull woman,’ any woman of
high rank, especially the first or properly conse-
crated wife of a king, a queen consort, any queen, also means "great".'


texts: Came across this Yantra in a museum very recently. Which Devi's Yantra is this?

texts:
The image attached is of a yantra or something like a yantra, I came across at City Palace in Udaipur. What exactly is this?

Separately, what are yantras? In what kind of Hindu ritual are these used?


texts: What is the story of Yama fighting with Ravana?

texts: What is the story of Lord Yama and devil Ravana's fighting.


texts: What is Purusha Tattva, Prakriti Tattva & Stri Tattva?

texts:
I wanted to know following terms from scriptures -

Purusha Tattva
Prakriti Tattva
Stri Tattva

And are Stri & Prakriti Tattva exactly same?


texts: Did big corporate organizations exist in Treta yuga and Dvapara yuga?

texts:
In today's world we are seeing so many corporate organizations for everything and they are controlling and affecting many of our lives in their desired way. And also many giant corporations have so much influence in Government decisions

My question is in Treta yuga and Dvapara yuga, and in Rama's kingdom and Krishna's kingdom, did these corporate organizations exist? If they existed how did they work, how King(Rama or Krishna) controlled over these organizations? Or what kind of influence does these had on King's administration?


texts: Which is the earliest scripture to use the word "varna" to denote caste?

texts: The Rig Vedic Purusha Sukta mentions Rajanya, Brahmin, Vaishya and Sudra, but doesn't call them Varnas.  Which scripture first uses this word for the classification-scheme?


texts: Are there cities / kingdoms that occur in both Ramayana and Mahabharata?

texts: In particular is Kurukshetra of any importance in Ramayana and Ayodhya in Mahabharata?


texts:
In the Srimad Bhagavatam, when Sati talks with Shiva about the Daksha Yagya and why she wants to go, she calls Mahadeva, "Shitikantha". This has been translated as Poison-throated one. This can refer to the fight of Lord Shiva and Narayana described both in the Mahabharata (Narayaniya section) and the Harivamsa. But there is a possibility that it refers to the Samudra Mathana episode.

When Lord Shiva asks Devi's permission to drink poison, the words used are:

  Sarva Bhuta Suhrt Deva Idam Aaha Satim Priyam.

And later on when Sati praises Shiva:

  Praja Dakshayani Brahma Vaikunthas Cha Sashamsire.

Furthermore, when Rishi Maitreya concludes his retelling of Dakshayagam, he says,

  Evam Dakshayani hitva Sati Purva kalebaram
  Jagnye Himavatah Kshetre Menayam Iti Sushruma.

The meaning of this verse is: "After giving up the body of Dakshayani, Devi Sati accepted the new body as Himavan's daughter, born from Mena."

The bolded word is Sushruma, which means, "I have heard."
Now, why should a great Rishi like Maitreya "hear" about the birth of Goddess Parvati?

Srila Prabhupada adds "from authoritative sources". So does that mean, Maitreya didn't know himself about the birth of Parvati, or is that just a way of speech?

We also have the story of King Muchukunda, the ancestor of Rama, who fought for long until Muruga took over. Which implies Muruga was born later.

So the question is: When exactly was Parvati Devi married to Shiva?

P.S.: There is also an even more confusing theory of mine which I am not sure I can post here. So you can read it here (It is where I originally posted the above question, with less response.)


texts: Which world view prevailed during other yugas

texts: Various philosophies or world views base on vedas are sankya, vaisheshika, purva mimansa, vedantha. What world views were in existence during other yugas? Say like during mahabharata and ramayana


texts: Does Donation (Daan) give Punnya if person is already having Loan on her/him?

texts:
If a Person regularly donates (financial donation at good place for good reason) some percentage of her/his monthly income, she/he accumulates Good Karma.

But If that person is already having some sort of financial loan on her/him like Car Loan, Home Loan, then does she/he gets Punnya out of that donation?

Is that Donation acceptable to Almighty God ?


texts:
In Hinduism, there is long and very common tradition of making a saint/sage or an enlightened person, one's Guru.

One of Guru's role is to be spiritual mentor to his/her disciple and ensure disciple’s spiritual growth.

During mantra diksha,which  is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru.Diksa is given in a one-to-one ceremony, and typically includes the taking on of a serious spiritual discipline.

Typically, The guru whispers the mantra into the disciple’s right ear, along with instructions on how and when to chant it.

Now why right ear? There must be a reason for this as it is consciously and deliberately done and followed.

Are there any scriptures that explains the whole process of mantra diksha with specific details as to why Guru mantra is given in right ear?


texts: Why do women not wear Yagnopaveetham (Janeu or Poonal)?

texts:
In this question it is said that the three strands of the poonal signify the debts to parents, teachers and sages.

If so, aren't these debts also meant for women?

Why is it that women do not wear Poonal?


texts: I want to know the story of Lord Shiva and demon Andhakasura. What is his story?


texts: There is a main rule in Hinduism with the idea that everybody is born, everybody lives and then  dies. This was the case for humans. My question is: Why did Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva follow this rule? What would be the point of following this rule when they are all seeing, all powerful and all knowing. What is the significance of following this rule?


texts:
I was born to Hindu parents, my father used to bring books on the universe and planets. After reading many books, knowing about evolution, the periodic extinction of species, apes and primary beings I'm no longer sure there is god.

So does god even exist?


texts: Who was the KALARATRI that was mentioned in Sundara Kanda?

texts:
While declaring that he was a messenger of Sri Rama, Sri Hanuma admonishes Ravana, who practiced severe austerities and got so many boons, and yet abducted Sita.

  लक्षिता इयम् मया सीता तथा शोक परायणा |
  गृह्य याम् न अभिजानासि पन्च आस्याम् इव पन्नगीम् || ५-५१-२३

  "Capturing Seetha, whom you do not recognize as a five-hooded female serpent in your abode, has been found by me in that manner, and wholly given over to sorrow."

  तपः सम्ताप लब्धः ते यो अयम् धर्म परिग्रहः |
  न स नाशयितुम् न्याय्य आत्म प्राण परिग्रहः || ५-५१-२५

  "It is not proper for you to lose your exceptional longevity and that fortune which is an outcome of your virtue, both of which have been acquired by you through the practice of austerities."

  याम् सीता इति अभिजानासि या इयम् तिष्ठति ते वशे || ५-५१-३४
  काल रात्री इति ताम् विद्धि सर्व लन्का विनाशिनीम् |

  "Know her, whom you recognize as Seetha and who stays in your captivity, to be none else than Kalaratri (the goddess presiding over and responsible for dissolution), who can destroy the entire Lanka."

Sage Valmiki described at different occasions almost all Vedic Pantheon in Srimad Ramayana.  However, I did not come across KAALARATRI - काल रात्री.

Can anybody explain who this KAALARATRI - काल रात्री is?


texts: Can anyone explain the family tree of Pandavas?

texts:
We are aware of Draupadi as the wife of Pandavas whereas Subhadra is the wife of Arjuna and, Hidimbi is the wife of Bhima.

Besides Draupadi, are there any other wives of Yudhisthir, Nakul and Sahdev?

Similarly, Pandava children, Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna-Subhadra and, Ghatotkacha, son of Bhima-Hidimbi are well-known.

What are the names of Draupadi's sons and other Pandava children, if they exist?


texts: Is there any source that contains description of methods or mantra sadhana to attain all the siddhis? Such as x samyama for x siddhi, or methods of worshipping a yantra or deity for x siddhi? Do siddhis gaining through samyama and others still obtainable after one reaches turiya?


texts: References from scriptures about prohibition of menstruating women from temples, pujas etc

texts:
I am doing a research on this topic and searching for references for it. I am especially looking for references to Ashaucha related to menses, any specific guideline regarding what actions are prohibited during menses due to ashaucha like doing puja, visiting temples etc. And any elaboration on the ashaucha related to menses, the reasons behind the prohibition.

I am looking for references from scriptures, it may be Dharma shastras, Puranas, Tantras, or any other Hindu text.

Thank you


texts: Was birth of Dhristadhyumna due to an advanced Genetic experiment?

texts:
The king of Panchala, Drupada undertook a  sacrifice to please the gods and obtain offspring by their blessing. Drupada desired a son who could kill Guru  Drona, who had humiliated Drupada in battle and taken half his kingdom.  With the help of two saints ( Yaja and Upayaja), Drupada undertook the sacrifice.

Excerpts from the English translation of Mahabharata by Kisiri Mohan Ganguli

And when everything was complete, Yaja, after having poured libations of clarified butter on the sacrificial fire, commanded Drupada's queen, saying,

'Come hither, O queen, O daughter-in-law of Prishata! A son and a daughter have arrived for thee!'
Hearing this, the queen said, 'O Brahmana, my mouth is yet filled with saffron and other perfumed things. My body also beareth many sweet scents; I am hardly fit for accepting (the sanctified butter which is to give me offspring). Wait for me a little, O Yaja! Wait for that happy consummation.'
Yaja, however, replied, 'O lady, whether thou comest or waitest, why should not the object of this sacrifice be accomplished when the oblation hath already been prepared by me and sanctified by Upayaja's invocations?'

Having said this, Yaja poured the sanctified libation on the fire, whereupon arose from those flames a child resembling a celestial who possessing the effulgence of fire, was terrible to behold. With a crown on this head and his body encased in excellent armour, sword in hand, and bearing a bow and arrows, he frequently sent forth loud roars.

If we look at this story in literal sense, we will understand that Yaja performed for the sake of Drupada an Yajna, with the help of his younger brother Upayaja.  And, when the queen of Drupada was not ready, he poured the sanctified oblation in to the fire, and Dhristadhyumna born out of fire.
My question is:
When I looked at this story in a rational way,  a thought occurred to me that the Yajna conducted by Yaja, was in fact an advanced Genetic experiment (blending test tube baby technology and Cloning Technology).
Yaja might have obtained the required cells from the body of Drupada and sought of cells of the queen to complete the advanced Genetic experiment.  And, when she was not ready, he might have adopted some other method and completed the task.
Can we think in that way?


texts:
Does any scripture predict the Muslim invasion of India?

Does the scripture like the Bhavishya Purana or some other Purana predict an invasion?


texts: Where is the Vedic verse that says Indra has never fought for a single day?

texts:
This chapter of the Shatapatha Brahmana of the Yajur Veda describes how Brahma created the Devas and Asuras from his breath.  After he created both, he realized that the Asuras were evil, so he decided to fight them.  The Shatapatha Brahmana says that while it may seem like the Devas are defeating the Asuras, really Brahma is the one responsible for defeating the Asuras, and he's just using the Devas to accomplish this:

  Desirous of offspring, he went on singing praises and toiling. He laid the power of reproduction into his own self. By (the breath of) his mouth he created the gods: the gods were created on entering the sky; and this is the godhead of the gods (deva) that they were created on entering the sky (div). Having created them, there was, as it were, daylight for him; and this also is the godhead of the gods that, after creating them, there was, as it were, daylight (diva) for him.

  And by the downward breathing he created the Asuras: they were created on entering this earth. Having created them there was, as it were, darkness for him. He knew, 'Verily, I have created evil for myself since, after creating, there has come to be, as it were, darkness for me.' Even then he smote them with evil, and owing to this it was that they were overcome; whence people say, 'Not true is that regarding (the fight between) the gods and Asuras which is related partly in the tale and partly in the legend; for it was even then that Pragâpati smote them with evil, and it was owing to this that they were overcome.'

  Therefore it is with reference to this that the Rishi has said, 'Not for a single day hast thou fought, nor hast thou any enemy, O Maghavan illusion is what they say concerning thy battles; no foe hast thou fought either to-day or aforetime.'

But my question is about the quote given at the end of this passage.  In the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads, whenever the text says "a Rishi has said this", what it means is that it's quoting a Vedic verse heard during meditation by a Rishi, i.e. a mantra occurring in the Samhitas of the Vedas.  So my question is, where is the Vedic verse that says that Indra has not fought (of his own accord) for a single day?

If it helps, here's the verse in Sanskrit.

  na tvaṃ yuyutse katamaccanāharna te'mitro maghavankaścanāsti |
  māyetsā te yāni yuddhānyāhurnādya śatruṃ na nu purā yuyutsa ||

I at least found the second half of this verse in Book 10 Hymn 54 of the Rig Veda:

  yadacarastanvā vāvṛdhāno balānīndra prabruvāṇo janeṣu |
  māyet sā te yāni yuddhānyāhurnādya śatruṃ nanupurā vivitse ||

  When thou wast roaming, waxen strong in body, telling thy might, Indra, among the people,
  All that men called thy battles was illusion: no foe hast thou to-day, nor erst hast found one.

As you can see in the Rig Veda Anukramani given in my answer here, this is a hymn heard during Tapasya by the sage Brihaduktha Vamadevya.  So he may be the Rishi alluded to in the Shatapatha Brahmana.  But where in the Vedic Samhitas is the first half of the verse is from?

By the way, on a side note it's not clear whether the four-headed god Brahma is being described here, because there's an ambiguity between Prajapati and Parameshthin Prajapatya which I discuss in my question here.


texts: Do the official Advaita Shankaracharya Peethams reject the teachings of Vivekananda as heretical?


texts:
Are there any scriptures that discuss romantic love? If yes what do these scriptures have to say about romantic love? Do any of these scriptures, infer that romatic love is a form of true love or not?

Are there any reference to romantic love in the Bhagavad Gita?


texts: Does "Free Will" really exist, even if universe repeats itself in perfect pattern?

texts:
The concept of universe repeating itself is similar to philosophy of Eternal Return. Such philosophy is subscribed many ancient Indian philosophers as well. In brief:

  A finitely timed universe will repeat itself infinitely in fixed pattern

In nutshell, we have to create a model of universe which accommodates below truths together:

Time is infinite
We are existing

1 If time is infinite, then we cannot exist, because infinite events have to occur before 'now' to reach till 'now'(present moment). But that will take infinite duration; i.e. in such case will never reach present moment.

2 If we are existing, then time should have a starting point. But that's not right. Whatever point you choose, time can always exist before & after that.

Be aware that all the events happen sequentially. i.e. initially we are in some subtle form, then physically we are born first, followed by school, teenage, adolescence, old age, death, again subtle form, ... All these events don't happen in parallel (if parallel, then they require infinite resources to define every moment, which is similar to "Eternalism" / B-theory of time).

Possible Solution: [God] Define a finite duration for a cycle, which repeats infinite times. Since the cycles are infinite, the time is infinite and since the duration of cycle is finite, all events are covered some or the other time & hence we can exist. It doesn't matter in which cycle we exist, because all are same!

Important point here is that, since it's a cycle, it has to repeat perfectly. Now the consequence is: Since everything repeats, everything has to be fixed to be able to repeat.
The detailed logic (with scriptures) and some counter arguments are discussed in this answer.

Gita has verses which are indicative of this theory, such as:

All the beings, you & me were existing before and continue to exist
afterwards
The universe is created at beginning of Kalpa and destroyed towards
the end; This cycle repeats forever
The knowledgeable person knows that, he is not actually doing anything
You are supposed to do whatever is destined regardless of what you
think
...

Question

Can "Free will" really exist, even when we can logically believe that universe has to repeat itself in same pattern (to allow possibility of our own existence)?

OR

If free will doesn't exist, then everything is predetermined hence no choice among actions/decisions.
Does it make everything we "did, doing, to do" as "right"?

 Feel free to use the chat room: Everything is Predetermined yet Unknown.


texts: What is the story of Dattatreya defending the Vedas?

texts:
The Sankalpa Suryodaya is an allegorical play composed by the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan.  In this excerpt from the Sankalpa Suryodaya, a character representing Vedanta Desikan tells a character representing Ramanujacharya that he looks like Vishnu's incarnation Dattatreya:

  Divine sire! In the ascetic garb thou seemest a Dattatreya described by the great sages as having defended the Vedas, Dattatreya who was Vishnu himself incarnate bearing the Tridanda, when inroads were made into them by Kanadas, Buddhas and Pashandas.

My question is, what is the story of Dattatreya defending the Vedas from the attacks of "Kanadas, Buddhas and Pashandas"?  Presumably Kanadas refers to members of the Vaisheshika school, Buddhas refers to Buddhists, and Pashandas refer to Jains, Charvakas, etc.  The Vaisheshika school is probably included because even though they accepted the Vedas, did not accept Sabda or scriptural authority as an independent Pramana as you can see in the chart in my question here.

Now as I discuss in this question, Dattatreya is an incarnation of Vishnu who is the son of the sage Atri and his wife Anusuya.  Dattatreya is a great guru, as described in this chapter of the Srimad Bhagavatam:

  The sixth incarnation of the puruṣa was the son of the sage Atri. He was born from the womb of Anasūyā, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlāda and others.

And another chapter of the Srimad Bhagavatam:

  The great sage Atri prayed for offspring, and the Lord, being satisfied with him, promised to incarnate as Atri’s son, Dattātreya [Datta, the son of Atri]. And by the grace of the lotus feet of the Lord, many Yadus, Haihayas, etc., became so purified that they obtained both material and spiritual blessings.

And he is said to have taught Vishnu's incarnation Parashurama a text called the Tripura Rahasya.  But does anyone know of an scriptures that mention him defending the authority of the Vedas.

EDIT: This excerpt from the Yatidharma Samucchaya, a work by the 11th century Sri Vaishnava Acharya Govinda Jeeyar, gives the following quote from some work composed by Dattatreya:

  The law contained in the triple Veda was once assaulted by Buddhists, heretics, and the followers of Kanada, and it was protected by Vishnu carrying a triple staff.

This exactly matches what Vedanta Desikan says in the quote above, so Dattatreya may be referring to himself.


texts: Sanskrit/vedic text describing relationship between male and female

texts:
I wanted to know if there is a sanskrit/vedic text that describes as to

why there is these two forms of existence of life i.e. a male and a female and what their relationship is(things like why they are interdependent on each other, and I'm not saying it's entirely their nature but why one has a striving nature and other the supportive), and
why their nature are as they are.


texts:
Kundalini and Chakra are mentioned in many Hindu scriptures. But My question is specific to Vedanta. So Does Vedanta(Basically Main Upanishads) also talk/believe about/on chakras and kundalini concept ?

Have any vedanta acharya like Madhwa, ramanuja, nimbarka, etc have mentioned about it in their texts ?


texts:
So I have a psychological problem where I get intrusive thoughts. These intrusive thoughts are usually about God/Devi's. These thoughts are really bad. They consist of sexual thoughts about the Devi's sometimes and also bad curse words that also go to the Devi's.

I cannot control these thoughts. The more I try, the harder they come. I know I have to seek professional help for these thoughts, but in the mean time I have a few questions:

Is God getting angry with me with these thoughts?
Is this contributing to my karma? Is this adding bad karma to me?
Can God curse me because of these thoughts? For example, cursing something close to me so I can never see it or do a certain activity again?

These are my questions. I want to say again that I really can't control these thoughts and I try everyday to. These thoughts are really affecting me know.


texts: Why Padmavathi not stayed with Lord Venkateshwara swamy on Seven Hills in Tirumala instead stayed at Tiruchanoor?

texts:
Why Goddess Padmavathi not stayed with Lord Venkateshwara swamy on Seven Hills in Tirumala instead stayed/settled at Tiruchanoor?

When Goddess Sri Lakshmi met Padmavathi?

At which instance or what situation Lord Venkateshwara swamy has became Idol on Seven Hills Tirumala?


texts: In Mahabharata, there is a mention of Bhisma defeating Parashuram in a battle that ensued over Bhisma not accepting Amba as his wife even after requested by Parashuram himself. This seems to be ridiculous as Parashuram is an incarnation of Vishnu, while, Bhisma was more or less a human being. So, how can a human being become more powerful than a Godly incarnation?


texts: What does Patanjali say about benefits of Tribandh Pranayama?

texts:
I want to know what Patanjali says about benefits of Pranayama. I do not trust videos and articles about it.As they mostly talk about what they think ..
I want the verses explaining the benefits of Tribandh from 'Patanjal Yogashastra'...
Is here anyone who can share the verses and meaning too?


texts: Where can I read Sridhara Swami's commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam online?

texts: I would want to read Sridhara Swami's commentary of the Srimad Bhagavatam online in English. Can anyone of you provide me the relevant pdf or link?


texts: Is the atman in every being eternally unique and fundamentally individual?

texts:
In the Gita Krishna uses the word soul seemingly ambiguously, as it might be taken to mean the universal soul in the first few chapters, and the individual soul in the later chapters when he is describing a "rare soul" that realise its universal aspects.
Is the innermost essence of every being also individual as well as universal, or is every beings soul the same as every others?


texts: What do the various forehead dots and marks signify?

texts:
I currently live in an area which has a high Indian population. I've noticed a number of Indian men and women with various marks and dots on their foreheads but have never asked about the significance behind these for fear of offending them. I genuinely want to know what they mean.

Here's what I've seen:

A single black dot (quite small)
A single red dot (quite small)
A single red dot (much larger)
A single red dot (smudged and near the hairline)
A yellow vertical line
A white vertical line
A white vertical line with hairline red dot

What do these all mean, and are there others that I may not be aware of? I guess I'm more wondering if there is a more modern context to these markings than the "third-eye" or channeling chakras, etc.?

Thanks so much for the insight in advance.


texts: How did Swami Dayananda Saraswati get the title of 'Maharshi'?

texts: The wiki article and many institutions refer to him as 'Maharshi Dayananda Saraswati'. What is the story behind him getting the title?


texts: Which Hindu scriptures mention Indradwaja or Brahmadwaja?

texts: In Maharashtra, Hindu new year (Gudi Padawa) is celebrated by raising gudhi (much like a flag). When did this custom started? The popular explanation is that Gudi is the symbol of 'Brahm dhwaj' or 'Indradhwaj', flag of Indra raised to celebrate the day of creation. Another belief is that it's celebration of Rama's victory over Ravana. I didn't find any reference to when this custom started. Is there any mention of this custom in any of Hindu scriptures or historical texts?


texts: What is the story of Lord Krishna's Panchajanya conch?

texts: Lord Krishna killed the demon Panchajanya and made a conch of his bone and gave a name Panchajanya. What is the full story of this incident?


texts:
What are the 16 qualities of Sri Rama? Are all of them humanly possible to achieve?

Was Rama born with those qualities or is there any evidence of him striving to acquire those qualities and get better at them through practice?


texts:
I have heard since childhood that one always has to pay for his paap or punya karma even when no one is watching. Therefore one should be good to every creature even though it cannot harm us. My mother used to say that if we kill an animal, in some next birth we will be that animal and be killed in the same manner. I think this is more generally know as law of karma. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

In which Hindu scripture can I find this written that one always has to pay for his karma? Does there exist a Vedic source (like major Upanishads, Brahman or Samhita)?


texts: Will guru approach me if I read guru charitra for a fixed number of times?

texts:
I heard from one of my friend that If I read Sri Guru Charitra for fixed number of times then guru will surely approach me.

Is it true according to scriptures?

If yes, then how many times I need to read? Are there any language restrictions?


texts: Does "day of Brahma" refer to the Trimurtic creator deity or to the supreme Brahman?

texts:
In Hindu cosmology, particularly long periods of time are reckoned in terms of units like "days of Brahma", where one day of Brahma is equal to 4.32 billion "human" years.

I always thought that the "Brahma" here was Brahma as in the creator deity of the Trimurti. However, in another answer, it is claimed that this is actually Brahman, the supreme being that underlies all. Which of these is correct?

My thinking in associating this with the Trimurtic Brahma was that it is said the universe is remade on each day of Brahma, and so the association with Trimurtic Brahma makes sense, since he is the one that does the remaking.


texts:
How can one judge our Graha-dosha by reading only hasth-rekha?
I think from kundli it can be done but how from hastha-rekha? Probably our groha changes in every ten years but does also hasth-rekha changes?


texts: How to do Prana Pratishtha of Idols of Ganpati, Shiva, Vishnu and Durga?

texts: To be specific I am asking about the procedure for prana pratishtha for Shri Mahaganapti, Lord MahaVishnu, Lord Shiva (shiva linga) and Godess Durga). Please answer mentioning vedic mantras and vedic methods to be opted before worshipping the concerned idol.


texts: What are the differences between the names Parashiva, Paramashiva, Rudra, Sadashiva and Shiva?

texts: Parashiva, Paramashiva, Sadashiva, Rudra and Shiva are names referring to Mahadeva. What do these names signify and mean?


texts:
Here is another quote from Swami Prabhavananda The Spiritual Heritage of India (1962; from a section on the Ramayana and Rama) concerning truth:

  This extreme devotion to truth is to be understood in the light of the
  characteristic Hindu belief that it is this quality by which God
  himself is chiefly known. God is, above all, truth [...] All other
  crimes can be forgiven, for they represent faults that can be
  overcome, but not so untruthfulness. This alone, for the Hindu, is the
  unpardonable sin.

Is this undisputed and if so, how does it bear out in contemporary India, e.g. its the state's code of law or in what one could witness in daily life?


texts: Are there references to Out of Body experiences in Hinduism or its texts in detail?

texts:
It is known from research/work of several organizations in the world, one in ten people have at least had one Out-of-body experience (OBE).

OBE by Wikipedia definition  is:

  An out-of-body experience (OBE or sometimes OOBE) is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside one's body and, in some cases, perceiving one's physical body from a place outside one's body (autos-copy).

An excellent image describing the experience is something like this one.

Are there any references or explanations in Hindu texts about these experiences that humans can have?

PS: Also, while OBEs may feel like dreams, they are not. So question is not about dreams or interpretating them.


texts: Why does Vishnu Purana refer to Vrishasena as King of Anga?

texts:
As I know, in the Vishnu Purana the royal line of Anga is narrated, but it refers to Vrishasena (eldest son of Karna) as King of Anga.

Why does Vishnu Purana mean so although there is no reference in Mahabharata for such a thing?


texts: Isn't keeping the idol-murtis of non canonical hindu deities in temples specifically dedicated to hindu deities a sin?

texts:
Isn't keeping the idol-murtis or pictures, etc., of non canonical deities (like Saî Bâbâ, Santoșhî Mâtâ) in the temples dedicated to scripture defined canonical deities, a sin or a forbidden act?
These days we can see murtis or images of several non-canonical deities in the temples dedicated specifically to canonical deities.
For instance: Puri Mațh's Shankarâchârya Nischalananda says something very similar in this video starting at 2:45 minutes.
What does scriptures say on this phenomenon, which at present is very prevelant?


texts: Why is Tumbe hoovu favorite of lord Shiva?

texts: "Tumbe hoovu" also called as "Dronapushpi" has a scientific name 'Leucas cephalotes' is known as favorite flower of lord Shiva. Why is that so? Is there any specific reason for this?


texts: Do manuscripts of Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata have footnotes in them?

texts:
Do manuscripts of Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata have footnotes in them?

For example, in Rāmāyaṇa at the end of the war, when Hanumān visits Sītā to relay the news of Rāma's victory, she tells him to spare the lives of Rākṣasi's who'd troubled her earlier, by citing the following story:

  अयं व्याघ्रसमीपे तु पुराणो धर्मसंहितः || ६-११३-४४
  ऋक्षेण गीतः श्लोको मे तं निबोध प्लवङ्गम |

  O Hanuma! There is an old axim possessed of merit, actually uttered by a bear in the presence of a tiger++. Hear it from me.

  न परः पापमादत्ते परेषां पापकर्मणाम् || ६-११३-४५
  समयो रक्षितव्यस्तु सन्तश्चारित्रभूषणाः |

  A superior person does not take into account the sin of those who have committed an offence evil for evil must be carried out at all costs virtuous persons account good conduct as an ornament.

  ++ Formerly a tiger ran in pursuit of a hunter. The latter climbed up a tree. There was bear already preached on a bough of the tree. Making to the foot of the tree, the tiger addressed the following words to the bear: "Look here, both of us are denizens of the forest. The hunter is our common enemy. Therefore, knock him down from the tree." The bear, however, replied: "Having reached my abode, the hunter has in a way sought asylum with me. I am therefore not going to hurl him down; I would be deviating from my duty if I do so." Saying so, the bear laid himself down to sleep. The tiger now turned to the hunter and said, "Push the bear down. I shall afford protection to you." The hunter thereupon pushed the sleeping bear. The bear, however, clutched at another bough and thus escaped from falling down. The tiger now addressed the following appeal to the bear: "The hunter sought to hurl you down and has thus wronged you. Therefore push him down." Though pressed by the tiger again and again, the bear refused to hurl him down and repeated the above quoted verse in support of his attitude.

But that story is not actually part of Rāmāyaṇa. There are no verses. My guess is Sītā just mentally recollects it but only conveys the summary or final message to Hanumān.

So how did the story survive so many centuries without being written down somewhere?

Or is that story also part of some other scripture and that is how it survived the ages?

Here's how Gorakhpur edition of Rāmāyaṇa also shows the story in footnotes:


texts:
The Hindu calendar is based on the Lunisolar calendar. There are 12 months in it.

Month names of Lunisolar calendar:

Chaitra
Vaiśākha
Jyeṣṭha
Āṣhāḍha
Śhrāvaṇa
Bhādrapada
Āśhvina
Kārtika
Mārgaśīrṣa
Pauṣya
Māgha
Phālguna

My Questions:

What is the origin of these names of Lunar month?
What is the meaning of each one?
Is Lunisolar calendar derived from any Veda?
Who has given these names to each Lunar month?
What is the difference between Adhika masa and Nija masa?


texts: What are the names of Matanga rushi's father and mother? Were children of Matanga  rushi Brahmins? how did Matanga rushi change his caste? Was Jambavanta a Chandala?


texts: Maya is mentioned so often and without Dānava parents, it points to him being the first of the Dānava. Has anyone found scripture to say definitively?


texts: Lord Rama's path to exile from Ayodhya in today's India

texts:
I would like to know if we can trace a path of Lord Rama's exile journey from Ayodhya to Sri Lanka.
The towns he visited on his route.

Prominent stop overs, like Shabari visit, deer hunting location, Vaali, Sughriva.

In the answer expecting towns of India to trace the path.