texts: Did Arjuna really lose his powers after departure of Shri Krishna?

texts:
According to Mausala Parva: Section 8, Arjuna says to Vaishampayana rishi:

  In my very sight, O Brahmana, thousands of Vrishni ladies were carried away by the Abhiras of the country of the five waters, who assailed us. Taking up my bow I found myself unequal to even string it. The might that had existed in my arms seemed to have disappeared on that occasion. O great ascetic, my weapons of diverse kinds failed to make their appearance. Soon, again, my shafts became exhausted.

In some other version of Mahabharath (I don't remember the book name), I read, when the robbers kidnapped the Vrishni ladies, Arjun was trying to use Sahastraastra or Parvataastra, but couldn't invoke the astras. And one among those robbers said to arjun - "The new Yuga has already started and no one now fears your Gandeev, its useless!" Was it true?

Also, in one of the ways that I see, everyone who had the knowledge of Astra where either dead (like Vrishakethu) in some or the other way, or never appeared again (like Lord Parshuram, still alive). Ya I know Ashwathama is also alive and many claim to see him, but I want to know why the knowledge of astras disappeared?

Is it that after Sri Krishna left his human body, Arjun lost his powers? Because Arjun and Sri Krishn were Nara and Narayana, so Nara is powerless without Narayana? (But this is not my question!)

  UPDATE: My question is not about kidnapping of Sri Kirshn's wifes. My question is about Arjun losing his powers and why?


texts: Varanamayiram composed by Kodai Nachiyar is a classic one. What are the benefits a devotee can obtain by reciting this? Can selected slokas be recited every day?Answers not from wikipedia or divyadesam. Purana reference is must.


texts: Why is Caste System there in Hindu religion?

texts:
I don't understand why Caste System is there Hindu Religion. How could it be possible that a religion divides people? If I am not wrong Lord Shri Krishna himself describes caste in Shrimad Bhagvat Gita.

Actually, here by asking this I want to know why Lord Shri Krishna describes the caste system, how he could divide his own devotees in terms of:

Brahmin
Kshatriya
Vaishya
Shudra

To God all his devotees are same then how could he describes that god will accept prayers and havan only if we do it with brahmins?


texts: Is there a curse associated with misuse of Tantra?

texts:
I have heard that Tantra has a curse associated with it; that any misuse will lead to Naraka.

rauravaM cha pade pade
"In every step you take a very great hell by the name raurava awaits the practitioner"

Can someone give a detailed reference of this?


texts: What's the concept of the Kṛityā (कृत्या)?

texts:
Hiraṇyakaśipu  via his guru, Śukrācārya, is said to have deployed Kṛityā to destroy Prahlāda. I have read that it's some kind of an ogress or an evil demoness.
What's a Kṛityā? Is it some Māraṇa tantra (मारण तंत्र ) or some other kind of forbidden ritual?
What are some other instances of it being deployed against others in the scriptures, besides Prahlāda? And if it's forbidden, why would a great sage like Śukrācārya would use it (if he was indeed the one who did it), against an innocent child?


texts: Significance of death on Ganesh Chathurthi

texts:
If one's father expires on the same day as Ganesh Chaturthi, I would like to know if there's a significance attached to one's death on an auspicious day like the Ganesh Chaturthi.

Secondly, as both the father's shraddha and Ganesh vrat on chaturthi are equally important for the well being of a family, how can the family perform both the Ganesh vrat and father's shraddha in the later years?

What do scriptures say about this?


texts: Who were the kings (other than Arjuna) killed by Lord Parashurama?

texts:
Arjuna (son of Kritavirya hence, famously known as Kartavirya Arjuna) was king of Maheshmati. He was from Yadavas or Haihayas (a branch of Yadavas). He is believed to be an incarnation of Sudarshana Chakra. He got boon from Lord Dattatreya which made him so powerful. His greatest deeds were his defeat and imprisonment of Ravana, king of Lanka. Kartavirya Arjuna eventually met his death at the hands of Lord Parashurama.

The above story is found in most of scriptures but there are many other sources which claim that Lord Parshurama killed all the Kshatriya that too 21 time as described here. Mahabharata (in Adi Parva -> Adivansavatarana Parva) even mention that

  The son of Jamadagni (Parasurama), after twenty-one times making the earth bereft of Kshatriyas wended to that best of mountains Mahendra and there began his ascetic penances. And at that time when the earth was bereft of Kshatriyas, the Kshatriya ladies, desirous of offspring, used to come, O monarch, to the Brahmanas and Brahmanas of rigid vows had connection with them during the womanly season alone, but never, O king, lustfully and out of season.

But I didn't come across any story which says that so and so famous king was killed by Lord Parshurama. So, my questions are

Name of kings from Ikshvaku vansh who were killed by Lord Parashurama?
Name of kings from Pauravas who were killed by Lord Parashurama?
Name of kings from Yadavas (other than Kartavirya Arjuna) who were killed by Lord Parashurama?
Name of kings from any other famous dynasties who were killed by Lord Parashurama?

In short,

Did Lord Parashurama kill any king who was not from Yadavas or Haihayas? If yes, then who were they? If no, then what's the riddle of killing all the Kshatriyas 21 times?


texts: Which purana mentions about the war & conversations between Shiva & Shani?

texts: According to puranas how the war had taken place between Shiva & Shani?  How Shani became the disciple of Lord Shiva? Did Shani had done any penance for getting a special post from Lord Shiva? What are some conversations happened between them?


texts: The population of the world has been ever increasing. What about the karma of this added population?

texts: It is said that we take rebirth to reap the fruits of our karma. But the population has always increased since the beginning of time. What is the origin of the karma of this added population?


texts: Mention of Tamil and other languages in ancient sanskrit Hindu texts

texts: Most of the ancient Hindu literature including the puranas were first written down in Sanskrit. But is there any mention of other languages like Tamil in the Puranas..? Does Skandha Purana mention Tamil in reference to ancient Chola King conferring the title of 'Murugan' on Karthikeyan?


texts: It is explained in the Bhagavad Gita that every life is governed by deeds and actions from past life which is why some people are blessed with a silver spoon in their mouth while some suffer, which means life is pretty much predetermined. Now how will the life be determined for people in their very first birth since they have no previous birth to derive from ?


texts: What are steps for following gyan yoga or gyan marga?

texts:
Is there any difference between gyan yoga and gyan marga?
please tell the steps for gyan marga.

whether remembering sanskrit shloka and references itself is also part of this, or reading scriptures translated in today's language will suffice?


texts: Is it necessary to practice rituals to attain God?

texts: I strongly believe in God, and I pray and thank him from the deepest of my heart for this life and all good things he has done to me. Isn't it enough to attain him ?


texts: Is a chakra a supernatural invisible thing, or a symbol for something natural?

texts:
I'm western and skeptical. I was born in a spiritualist family where the concept of chakras were used as being a part of spiritual body. But for spiritualists the term "spiritual" is something supernatural and always unfalsifiable. I'm not satisfied with this way of thinking.

Recently I started to study old religions like Buddhism, Hinduism and indigenous beliefs, and I see that all of them have a naturalistic approach to explain how things work, like the body, nature, the cosmos, etc. That approach fits in my mind.

I have not found a description of supernatural reality in Hinduism. Occultism is usually used in esoteric beliefs. I know chakras are common in tantric practices and tantra is esoteric and I know chakras are not tantra-specific.

Were chakras in ancient India something occult and supernatural like the theosophists propose in the West, or just an abstract representation of something present in nature which the ancients didn't know scientifically?


texts: What was the memory/rivalry of Ravana with Bali's son Bana?

texts:
In Valmiki Ramayana Sundarakanda, Ravana's son Indrajeet captures Hanuman using  Brahmastra. Then he was summoned in Ravana's court.  Ravana who was greatly angered due to the destruction of his favorite garden and death of his men was struck with following suspicion in his mind after looking at Hanuman.

Sundara Kanda chapter 50 verse 2

  किमेष भगवान्नन्दी भवेत्साक्षादिहागतः ||
  येन शप्तोऽस्मि कैलासे मया संचालिते पुरा |
  सोऽयम् वानरमूर्तिः स्यात्किंस्विद्बाणो महासुरः ||

  When Mount Kailasa was moved by me, is it the same Nandi the divine bull (attendant of Siva) which cursed me long ago and came here now in this form or whether he is Bana the great demon (son of Bali) came here in the form of a monkey.

We know the story of Ravana moving Kailasa and getting cursed by Divine bull of Shiva The Nandi.

what was the story of Ravana meeting Bali's(Son of Virochana) son Bana?
Which scriptures mention this story? Which kind of relation did they have? Friendship or rivalry?


texts: References to Zoroastrianism in Hindu scripture?

texts: Are there any references to Zoroastrianism in Hindu scripture? The reason I ask is because Zoroastrianism might have come from Hinduism.


texts: Is hiding one's caste a punishable offense?

texts:
From this article:

  Although the first Maratha ruler, Shivaji, freely recruited Mahars in his army, two centuries later, by the time of the Peshwas, the status of Mahars was lower than ever. The Peshwas were Brahmins of a particularly orthodox bent. Stories told even today recall how when Mahars entered towns, they were made to tie brooms behind their backs to sweep up the dust of their footprints and to tie pots in front on their necks to collect their spittle. It was also a criminal offence to hide one’s caste.

What do śastras say about hiding one's caste? Is it a punishable offense?


texts: Different types of Astra (Weapons) which are mentioned in Mahabharata?

texts:
Can anyone tell me the different types of Astra(weapons) mentioned in the Mahabharata?
Thanks!!!


texts: Is there any commentary of Brahma Sutras 1/3/38-39 that does not recommend physical torture of the sudras?

texts:
In their commentaries to Brahma-Sutra 1/3/38-9, Acharya Shankara and Acharya Ramanuja BOTH quote slokas from the Smriti-s that prescribe pouring molten lead into the ears of a Shudra if he accidentally hears the Veda-mantras.

The sub-commentary of Baladaeva Vidyabhushana's 'Govinda-bhashya' also quotes the same prescription while Baladeva himself mentions that the Shudras are impure like a graveyard.

Is there any commentary of that Sutra which does not prescribe such horrible torture on the Shudras?


texts: Can I still get 'Vinayaka Vijayam' by LIFCO somewhere in TamilNadu?

texts: Long time ago (20 yrs ago) I used to have a copy of a book called 'Vinayaka Vijayam'. It is a Tamil book, which I believe is from LIFCO publications. The book had wonderful, unknown and elaborate background behind Ganesh ji's worship and mythology associated with his birth/his legend. I want to read this book again. Can I find it anywhere?


texts: What does painting on an elephant's face in religious events signify?

texts: Often times I have seen many Hindu based gatherings via the internet where live elephants are involved. One thing I have seen is a sort of paint creating a very beautiful design on the elephant's face. I wish to know if this symbolizes anything for Hinduism or if it is a regional practice. Because I have wished to incorporate that into my own artwork and I don't want to make anything offensive. Does the paint hold any religious significance and will I not anger several people?


texts: Why Lord Vishnu incarnates only in Bharata Varsha (India)?

texts: One question raised in my mind, why lord Vishnu incarnates only in Bhartha Varsha (India)? It is little bit confusing for me, because I can't find any valid resources. Please provide some evidence through the scriptures.


texts: What are the bows of the warriors of the Mahabharata?

texts: I want to know what were the names of the bows of the warriors of the Mahabharata, their abilities and how they got them


texts:
What is the difference between Swarga and Moksha?

Are they inter-related or the same thing? If not, when one reaches swarga, how does one attain Moksha because there is no scope to practice Dharma and Karma over there?


texts:
Subhadra was the sister of Krishna,
and Arjun was the cousin brother of Krishna, As far as I know, Kunti was Krishna's Bua (father's sister).

So if they were blood relatives, How could Arjun and Subhadra marry?


texts: Is there any specific procedure prescribed? I have read somewhere that manasika japa isn't just mere internal chanting of the mantra.


texts: What were the set of rights, permissions, duties or rules prescribed for Kshatriya caste?

texts: We have 4 major caste in Hinduism, ie Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Is there any rulebook present in Hinduism (and I am sure there must be) which lays down the rights, permissions, rules and duties for Kshatriyas. Also, is the present days caste 'Khatri' actually the same Kshatriya caste.


texts:
What is vamadevya vrata and how is it generally performed?

Which texts deals with its procedures? And what are the fruits of performing it?


texts: About slokha regarding Nala from Mahabharata

texts:
In which chapter of the Mahabharata, the following slokha has been mentioned?

  The final benediction offered by Vedavyasa to the reader is this:

  Karkotakasya nagasya damayantya nalasya cha

  Rtuparnasya rajarse kirttanam Kali nasanam

  Think of the serpent King Karkotaka, of Damayanti and Nala and the
  Rajarishi (royal sage) Rituparna and be fee from the shackles of Kali.

And does the above mentioned slokha is a mantra or not?

If it is mantra, is there any eligibility to chant it?

If it is not a mantra, then how can it have capability to destroy Kali?


texts: Where can I download PDF of english translation of Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat?

texts: I would like to know where I can download English translation of Sri Chaiyanya Bhagavat by Vrindavan Das Thakur.


texts: Does Tantrik, avaidik, or agamic animal sacrifice have any scriptural authority?

texts:
No one has done a Vedic animal sacrifice for hundreds of years, but the Shakta, Shaiva, and Vamachara traditions, especially in East India, are known to perform lots of avaidik animal sacrifices for Durga and Kali.

My question is, does this practice have any scriptural authority?

It is well accepted in Vedanta that avaidik animal sacrifice is sinful, whereas vedic animal sacrifice is dharmic.

Here are some verses from the Manusmriti that denigrate avaidik animal sacrifice and support vedic animal sacrifice:

  At the Madhuparka offering, at sacrifices, and at the rites in honour
  of the Pitṛs,—at these alone should animals be killed, and nowhere
  else: thus has Manu declared—(41)

  The twice-born person, knowing the real import of the Veda, killing
  animals on these occasions, carries himself and the animal to the most
  excellent state.—(42).

  That killing which is sanctioned by the Veda has been eternal in this world of mobile and immobile beings: it is to be regarded as no
  killing at all; since it was out of the Veda that the Law shone
  forth.—(44).

  As many hairs there are on the body of the animal, so many times
  after dying does its needless killer suffer violent death, birth after
  birth.—(38.)

Now this verse from the Manusmriti directly condemns avaidik animal sacrific and prescribes an alternative:

  If there is occasion, he shall make an animal of clarified butter, or
  an animal of flour; but he shall never seek to kill an animal
  needlessly.—(37)

Here is what Medhatithi says in his commentary on that verse:

  People are likely to entertain such ideas as the following—“at the
  Sītā - yajña the Khañjikā-yāga, the Caṇḍikā-yāga and the like, which
  are performed on the authority of usage only, it is right for the man
  desiring a certain result to kill animals; for it has been found that
  one obtains a rich harvest by offering sacrifices at which animals are
  killed.”...... such sacrifices as those mentioned cannot be assumed to
  have any sanction in the Veda.

The texts known as the Kalpataru and the Vīramitrodaya also says this:

  In such ceremonies as the Sītāyajña and the like, which are not
  prescribed in the Veda, and the killing of animals at which,
  therefore, cannot have the sanction of the Veda,—if, in view of the
  prevalent custom, it is found necessary to sacrifice an animal, one
  should offer an animal made either of butter or of flour.

Now some people might interpret this Manusmriti verse to mean that animals in Vedic yajnas can be substituted with fake animals made of flour or butter, but the author of the Vīramitrodaya rejects the following explanation on the following grounds:

  it would not be right for a Smṛti to lay down an alternative to a
  detail that has been laid down in the original Vedic injunction of the
  sacrifices.

So given all this, what authority is there to support the animal sacrifices in the Shaiva and Shakta traditions?


texts: How are dates assigned to Vedas and Scriptures according by historians? Do they really indicates the date of origin.


texts: Did prince Yudhishthira obtain boons from Yama for successful completion of Agyatvaas?

texts:
When it was time for the Pandavas to pass the period of unrecognition(Agyatvaas) during the thirteenth year of exile(in king Virata’s kingdom), they chose their names and disguised identities, with great care, in consultation with prince Yudhishthira.

Prince Yudhishthira chose the name Kanka, a learned man(Brahmana) skilled in dice , Bhima became  a cook bearing the name of Vallabha, Arjuna declared himself as one of the neuter sex, named Brihannala, Nakula under the name of Granthika,  became the keeper of the horses of king Virata and Sahadeva  under the name of Tantripal,became a keeper of kine.And princess Draupadi took the name Sairindhri, skilled in dressing hair.

It was very important for the Pandavas  to pass the whole of the thirteenth year unrecognised, because, if they had failed, they would have had to return to an exile of another twelve years.

Prince Yudhishthira had obtained boons from Goddess Durga, when the Pandavas  were on their  way to the  city of Virata. The details of the same are mentioned here.

But, it is learnt that Prince Yudhishthira had also obtained some boons from Yama(also known as Dharmaraja) previously, that the Pandavas would go unrecognised during the thirteenth year phase.

Did prince Yudhishthira obtain boons from Yama?

If so,why did Yama give boons to Yudhishthira?

What are the complete details of this story?


texts: How exactly is the Indra-Ahalyā affair narrated in Ṣaḍviṃṡa Brāhmaṇa?

texts:
This answer claims the Ṣaḍviṃṡa Brāhmaṇa attached to Sāmaveda also mentions the Indra-Ahalyā affair.

But how exactly is the story narrated in Ṣaḍviṃṡa Brāhmaṇa?

Is it any different from the version found in Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa?


texts: When did Hinduism spread to south India?

texts: By etymology the word Hindu refers to people living near Sindhu riverbed. So Hindus must have been in North India initially. How and when did Hinduism spread to southern India? Before Hinduism spread to s. India, what were the religions (if any) there? Did these people voluntarily convert to Hinduism?


texts: Can anyone please give pdf link for Brahma Sutra Bhashya of Shri Madhwacharya in English or Kannada?

texts: Is a PDF version of Shri Madhwacharya Brahma Sutra Bhashya in English or Kannada available?


texts: Why am I being held accountable for my karma in this or next life?

texts:
If I am not the doer, I am in control of Triguna Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, and these Gunas fashion the work I do, and if whatever I will do in my life is already predefined.

Then why am I accused of my Karmas? Why do I have to pay for the Punyas or Paapas of my Karma, when everything is already decided by Lord, is fashioned by the three Gunas, and when Lord is the doer.


texts:
We generally hear that yogis need less time for sleep compared to others.
Are there any scriptural statements that validate this statement?


texts: Can a Guru do the job of raising kundalini for the upAsakA?I know many won't do it,but is it possible?


texts: Being in the peace state of mind is a kind of meditation?

texts:
I haven't learned meditation from guru. But I know I have to be thoughtless to gain peace state of mind. Before doing meditation, I do pranayams like kapalbhati and anulom bilom.
When I sit on sukhasan to meditation, I will just get thoughtless and try to make my mind blank. I don't focus at any mental image or object or chakra. All I do is being empty or thoughtless with mind. Doing so, I feel so much peace state of mind. I try to remain on that state. I feel as I don't have my body.

Is it a kind of meditation? If yes, what this meditation called?


texts: Please explain why and how sometimes sons are considered as avatars of certain gods. In some tales, Hanuman is the avatar of Shiva while in others, he is his son.Please explain.


texts: Where can I find a reference to all the avatars of Mahadev?

texts:
I came to know from a friend that the lord Mahadev had 11 Maha-avatars like Piplad, Veer-bhadra, Grihpati etc,.

Can anyone help me out that from where can I get information about all of them?

Thanks.


texts: Can the Antyeshti mantras be modified for dead persons of unknown background?

texts:
I assume that antyeshti as normally performed is for dead persons whose background is known.
Can it be done for orphaned corpses?


texts: Why are Hindu deities not actively worshipped in Ramakrishna Mission centers?

texts:
Ramakrishna Mission is a organization founded by Swami Vivekananda. In their centers they only have,what they call "Holy Trio"( Ramakrishna-Sarda-Vivekananda) but not any Hindu deities. Sure, they DO worship deities on occasions such as Krishna on Janmashtmi, even jesus on christmas. But even then the main focus is on the holy trio.

When Swami Vivekananda was asked about the difference between Ramkrishnaites Hindus and Traditional Hindus,he answered that only one distinction exist i.e the ramkrishnaites don't believe in birth based caste system.But traditional Hindus, though revere their Gurus,they also worship Vedic deities,but such practice is absent in Ramakrishna Mission centers.This makes one wonder if these changes were made after Vivekananda departed.

Now in another question I asked if RamaKrishna Mission considers itself a Hindu organization which references to an infamous court case in 1980s when Ramakrishna Mission tried to separate itself from Hinduism legally.They gave various theological differences including their claim that Ramakrishnaites consider quran and bible as authentic(giving Ramakrishna practicing islam and christianity as a reaskn) as Vedas where as Traditional Hindus only consider Vedic Scriptures as authentic,among others.(Sources are available in the question above).

Doing some research about this I only managed to find a quora post.
This quora post has an answer which explains that for Ramakrishna Mission ,

  Ramskrishna is Vishnu,
    Sarda is Shakti
    and Vivekananda is Shiva.

In the same answer it is said that,

  It is also pertinent to note here that after Ramakrishna's passing away, Sarada Devi who gave Mantra Diksha to countless disciples would initiate them to appropriate personal Gods (like Krishna, Devi, Shiva and so on) based on their tastes and samskaras. Even other direct disciples like Swami Brahmananda used to give Mantra initiation on different personal Gods during their times. It was only in later years that Senior Monks of RK Mutt who were empowered to give Mantra Diksha restricted initiations to devotees with Ramakrishna Mantra only.
  On account of such developments, RK Mutt did get some criticism from closer  circles that there was a tendency to narrow down Ramakrishna movement to a cult.

Now I know that quora posts are not really a good source but this might point to the direction that these changes of not worshipping Hindu deites(or giving Mantra Diksha of Vedic Gods) and increasing focus on holy trio(Ramakrishna in particular) might signify the organization trying to distinguish itself from Hinduism due to the case referenced earlier( in my another question) which was done AFTER Vivekananda's departure.

So my question is, why no Hindu deites are actively worshipped in Ramakrishna Mission centers? Is this an old practice or a newer one (post-Vivekananda) in order to show themselves as separate from Hinduism?


texts: Can anyone here tell me how a Sanskrit word changes if prefixed with प्र , वि, अ, परि ।

texts:
I was trying to understand these Sanskrit Mahavakya & word respectively-

प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म।  Why not विज्ञानं ब्रह्म ?
विज्ञानभैरवतंत्र। Why not प्रज्ञानभैरवतंत्र?
What's the difference between त्याग & परित्याग?

What actually is Vijnana and Prajnana? What's the difference between these two words?
Actually, these अ, वि, प्र are changing a lot of words in Sanskrit. Would be better if someone explains how they change the meaning of the word?


texts: What is the life span of Lord Brahma according to Vedas?

texts: In my childhood, I had read about the life span of Brahma. can someone please enlight this topic?


texts:
Some sects believe that Gita was rendered in Satyuga instead of Mahabharata. Is it because that knowledge of Gita is eternal and summarises the knowledge of all the Upanishads?
What is the reason behind such belief? If people believe that its verses are Amar (or eternal), does it mean that it is timeless and rendered through Lord Shri Krishna during Mahabharata war?


texts: On reading stotrams from hand-written manuscripts

texts:
I'm very fond of reading stotrams.So,what i do is download the stotram of my choice in devanagari sanskrit and then write it down in personal copybooks in transliterated english.This method suits me.In this way i have accumulated,over the years, many copybooks comprised of my handwritten stotrams.

Now , on this page ,we find many rules ,regarding what constitutes a proper recitation of Devi Mahatyam .Few are given below.One among them says that one is not supposed to read it from a text that is in his own hand writing.

  Geethi, seegri, sirakhambhi, hyakurvano vinasyathi, Thatho jnathwaiva
  sampannamidham prabhyathe budhai,

  Those who sing it, those who read it fast, those who read with shaking
  of their head, those who read from the text in their own handwriting,
  those who read without understanding the import and those who read in
  a very feeble tone, do not get the benefit of reading a work. It has
  also been told that any book, which has less than one thousand slokas
  should be recited from memory to get full benefit. Those who cannot
  should keep the book on a stand so that it does not rest on the
  ground.

I can guess that the above sloka is from the Markandeya Purana itself but my question is whether the above prohibition regarding reading stotrams from hand written manuscripts is generally applicable or applicable only in the case of Chandi Patha?


texts: Are revenge and punishment allowed in hinduism?

texts: In Mahabharata, Shree krishna tells Arjuna to destroy his enemies and brothers. He reminds Arjuna of how draupadi was insulted and everything. He tells that punishing the sinful is the duty of Kshatriyas and it's not sin. If so, can someone take revenge and punish someone who has done some wrong things? should a person be blamed if he punishes the corrupt group of people in society?


texts:
What is known about the Kaustubh Mani that came out of the Samudra Manthana?

This wiki article says that the gem is worn by Vishnu.

Are there any texts which go into more details?


texts: Who is this in the image and what are the objects held in the arms?

texts:
I am a graduate student at UW-Milwaukee in the United States and I am currently doing object research at the Milwaukee Public Museum. The specific object I have a questions about is listed in the catalogue as an eighteenth century bronze Statue of  Shree Vishnu from Bengal, India. What is peculiar about this object is that it has eight arms (instead of the traditional 4) that hold a conch, bow, shield and lotus flower on the left, and a discus, sword, mace, and one unidentified object on the right (through my research I have not been able to find a match, and there is a possibility that part of the object has broken off making identification difficult); he also has a mustache which I have seen on very few other depictions.

Is the style of this object reminiscent of Indian/Hindu culture, or is it possibly Southeast Asian?

Does anyone know what the unidentified object is and its symbolic properties?

Is there any symbolism attached to all of these objects being together? Is this figure supposed to represent one of Vishnu's dashavatara, or possibly the form he took to fight Kali or any other God?

Can anyone confirm the age and provenance of this object?


texts: What do our scriptures say about naming a child?

texts:
Do Hindu scriptures provide details on how to properly name a child?
If there are any do’s and don’ts. Is it really necessary to name child based on month or tithis?


texts:
Wikipedia here states that mandir is a sanskrit word.

What is the etymological meaning of mandir?


texts: Why is Lord Vishnu portrayed in blue color? Is there any incident in Hindu mythology explaining this? If yes, then please do share that story!


texts:
When the physical body of a soul which got moksha is no more, the soul is said to reach the abode of Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu.

And abode is like being united with the ultimate consciousness. What will the soul do when it gets moksha? Does it take a physical form in the abode of Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu?

Next, if the soul doesn't get moksha, it is said to either go to heaven or hell depending upon the karma. Now, to either get the punishments of hell or to enjoy the celestial pleasures offered by Indra, the soul should enter a physical body.

In the same way, though there are no pleasures and only bliss in the abode of Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu, does the soul need a physical body to enjoy that bliss?

What actually does the soul do in the abode? Does it meditate or what?


texts: Deluge in Hinduism - some clarifications needed

texts:
Trying to understand the great deluge in Hinduism, I am in need of some clarifications. Do not assume any prior knowledge.

When did this great deluge exactly happen according to Hindu scriptures?
Are deluge and world destruction at each kalpa period two different events or one and the same? Or was the deluge just one time event so it's something unrelated to world destruction at the end of kalpa cycle? In this case how are the Manvantara divided? What happens with world as we know it at the end of each Manu period that demands creation of a new Manu?
According to some sources each Manu is created by supreme deity itself, but, as it appears in some sources, the 7th Manu was a king with well defined ancestors, and of course the rishis were already with him to save, how come?


texts:
What is the varna of Adrusyanti (Shakti's wife)?

Who are her parents?


texts: If two kings perform a sacrifice which yields victory, and fight each other, who wins?

texts:
The Vedas have sacrifices which, when performed, yield guaranteed victory in the next battle fought.

If two kings perform that sacrifice and fight each other, who wins?


texts: Relationship between waking state and dreaming state?

texts:
Our Upanishads talk about four different states, out of which the two are:

Waking state, which basically is the reality experienced externally in the outer world and Dreaming state, which basically is the reality experienced internally in the inner world, it is real and it is an experience of the subtle world, the inner world of imagination and thoughts.

But my question is:

Is there any link between the two states in any sense, something that connects the two states, coz normally what we experience externally is usually different from what we experience internally. But as per the Upanishads both are realities.


texts:
Someone told me that Brahma-vaivarta Purana & Krsna-jnama Khanda have this verse:
asvamedham gavalambham sannyasam palapaitrkam
devarena sutopattim kalau panca vivarjayet
The above verse seems to mean: “Five things are forbidden in the age of Kali – horse-sacrifice, cow-sacrifice, acceptance of sannyasa, offering flesh to the forefathers and begetting a child in the womb of the wife of one’s elder brother.” Nevertheless, it's not known what Vedas say on this issue.


texts: Where does the Shatapatha Brahmana mention Kartikeya as son of Rudra?

texts:
I have found several websites and texts mentioning Shatapatha Brahmana says Kartikeya as son of Rudra.

Wikipedia here also mentions the same..

  The Shatapatha Brahmana refers to him as the son of Rudra and the six faces of Rudras.

Where is it exactly mentioned in Satapatha Brahmana ?


texts:
Indian Martial Arts is one of the most ancient martial art technique. Since a kshatriya's duty involves learning martial arts and dictates him to learn Martial Arts for the same purpose. So with this context are there any hindu scriptures (Preferably Ramayana/Mahabharat as they have Kshatriya centered stories) that have information on  Ancient Martial Arts and Techniques involved, which were used in Epic wars.

Is there any other Scripture which gives detailed information on ancient Indian (mostly extinct) martial arts? What was reference book/manual to learn Martial arts and war techniques which ancient fighters used.

What is the full list of arts a warrior should learn.


texts: Does Swami Vivekananda belong to Shankara parampara?

texts: Recently I listened to Swami Sarvapriyananda saying his "last name" is Puri, what about Swami Vivekananda? Does he belong to Adi Shankara parampara? And what about other modern swamis like Sivananda and Chinmayananda?


texts: Do scriptures classify nightfall as sin?

texts:
Ejaculation during sleep happens without explicit masturbation.

According to Hinduism, masturbation is a sin.

But does Hinduism classify ejaculation during sleep as a sin?


texts:
The Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their devotional poetry in praise of Vishnu. The collection of their 4000 poems, known as the Naalayira Divya Prabhandam, is considered by many to be the "Dravida Veda", or South Indian Veda. The Alwars are crucially important figures in the history of Vaishnavism; it's the beliefs and principles embodied in the Alwars' poems that ultimately gave rise to the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member).

Now one of the most famous Alwars was Nammalwar, aka Sadagopan who spent his life under a tree.  As I discuss in this answer, in one of his poems Nammalwar says

  "I, Sadagopan of Kurugur [am] one who is ... joined with His Holy Feet that grew to the heavens."

Sri Vaishnavas commemorate this by using a crown called the Sadagopam which represents the head of Nammalwar, and it has the feet of Vishnu on top since Nammalwar is united with Vishnu's feet.  The idea is that just as Nammalwar surrendered to the lotus feet of Sriman Narayana, so should you.

But my question is, who started the practice of the Sadagopam?  Since it pertains to Nammalwar, I assume it was some Sri Vaishnava Acharya.  It could be Nathamuni, since he compiled the poems of the Alwars.  Or it could be Ramanujacharya, since he often treated Alwar poems as an impetus for action, like going to the Madurai Kalazhagar temple and offering sweets just because Andal had promised to do so in one of her poems.  (That's how he earned the title of Andal's elder brother.)  It could be even be Thirumangai Alwar, since he was the one who instituted the Adhyayana Utsavam, the first festival in honor of Nammalwar in Sri Rangam.

Does anyone know the earliest Sri Vaishnava work that discusses the practice of Sadagopam?  That may help narrow it down.  It might have originated in the Upilliappan temple, since Upilliappan is the one whom the Nammalwar verse I discuss above is dedicated to.


texts: What is the origin of twelve Surya namaskar mantra?

texts: I know that there are 12 Surya namaskar mantra that are also described in question here Correct way of Surya namaskar?. But I want to know what is the origin of Surya namskar mantra? Which scripture describes about it?


texts: Why is madhu (honey) considered a prohibited food in brahmacharya?

texts:
Quoting from the Agni Purana, as found on this page, while discussing the proper conduct of students (brahmacharis), it is stated that:

  The first stage in life is that of brahmacharya (student-hood). A
  student should never eat honey or meat and should never indulge in
  singing or dancing. He should completely give up violence and speaking
  to women. His duties are to discuss the shastras (holy texts) and
  associate with learned men. Apart from that, he will meditate in
  solitude on the true nature of the brahman.

Restriction of eating meat is understood, but why is there a restriction on consumption of madhu (honey/alcohol)?

Or is it a mistranslation?

This suspicion grew on my mind when I found another translation for "madhu" as "alcoholic drink."

Quoting from the 2nd verse of the Phala Sruti of the Surya Ashtakam found here:

  Aamisham madhu panam cha, Ya karothi raver dhine, Saptha janma bhaved
  rogi, Janma janma dharidhratha.

  Translated as-The one who eats meat, Or drinks alcoholic drinks on
  Sundays, Will become sick for seven births, And would be poor from
  birth to death.

So, does "madhu" refer to honey or an alcoholic drink? If it's the former (honey), then why is it prohibited from consumption?


texts:
What is a soul? Does it exist in all living things? If yes, then what is difference between;

Souls of two human beings
Souls of a human being and another living thing


texts: Does any scripture say that a 'Jivanmukta' never suffers from disease?

texts: Does any scripture say that a Jivanmukta never becomes ill or suffers from any disease?


texts: Can somebody provide authentic description of fifty-one Shaktipeethas?

texts:
There are conflicting evidences regarding the fifty-one Shakti-peethas in different scriptures. The locations and descriptions available on net and youtube are full of mistakes and showing false images.

Can anybody provide their authentic locations mentioning the body parts, preferably with images,especially of the following : Suchidesha, Mithila, Panchasagara, Gandaki, Kaalamadhava.


texts: Why is there a Damaru attached to Lord Shiva's trishul?

texts: Why is a Damaru attached to the Trishul that Lord Shiva carries? What does that Damaru signify?


texts: How did shiva get the name Trikagni kaala?

texts:
Shiva stotram has a beautiful stanza at the ending which goes:

  Namaste astu bhagwan vishweshwaraya, mahadevaya, tryambakya, tripurantakaya, TRIKAGNIKALAYA, kalagni rudraya, neelkanthaya, mrityunjayaya, sarveshwaraya, sadashivaya, sriman mahadevaya namah

So, my question is how did Shiva get the name of trikagnikalaya? Does it have to do anything with mastering three agnis in the human body? Please elaborate.


texts: Is Bhagavad-Gita an Upanishad according to the scriptures?

texts:
Bhagavad-Gita is simultaneously words of God, mentioned as an Upanishad, the 'Smriti-prasthana' and a part of the 'Itihasa-purana'.

The scriptures mention a hierarchy as Vedas and Upanishads > Smritis> Itihasa and Puranas.

Any Upanishad is a part of the Vedas, but Gita is NOT a part of any Veda.
A smriti is a list of Do's and Don'ts but Gita is not such a Rule Book.

What us the exact position of Gita AS PER THE SCRIPTURES?

I am not interested in the personal opinions as discussed in Is Bhagavad Gita text Shruti or Smriti?


texts: Is Adi Shankaras sub-commentary (Vivarana) on Vyasa's Patanjali Yoga sutras commentary available online or as PDF book?

texts:
It is believed that Adi Shankara has also written a sub commentary on Yoga sutras of Patanjali.

This is A previously unknown sub-commentary  recently discovered in around 1952 on the Vyasa commentary of  Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ascribed to Sri  Adi Shankaracharya.According to scholors , it is now increasingly   accepted as authentic .

One such book is Sankara on the Yoga Sutras - authored by Trevor Leggett.

My questions - Is Adi Shankaras sub-commentary  (Vivarana)  on Vyasa's Patanjali Yoga sutras commentary avaliable online or as  public domain  book  in PDF format with original sanskrit verses.?


texts: Who is the divine horse Dadhikras mentioned in the Rigveda?

texts:
Rig Veda Book 4 has certain hymns dedicated to a Dadhikri/Dadhikras that talk about the great speed and agility of this divine horse:

1 FROM you two came the gifts in days aforetime which Trasadasyu granted to the Pūrus. Ye gave the winner of our fields and plough-lands, and the strong smiter who subdued the Dasyus.
2 And ye gave mighty Dadhikrās, the giver of many gifts, who visiteth all people, Impetuous hawk, swift and of varied colour, like a brave King whom each true man must honour.
3 Whom, as ’twere down a precipice, swift rushing, each Pūru praises and his heart rejoices, Springing forth like a hero fain for battle, whirling the car and flying like the tempest.
4 Who gaineth precious booty in the combats and moveth, winning spoil, among the cattle; Shown in bright colour, looking on the assemblies, beyond the churl, to worship of the living.
5 Loudly the folk cry after him in battles, as ’twere a thief who steals away a garment; Speeding to glory, or a herd of cattle, even as a hungry falcon swooping downward.
6 And, fain to come forth first amid these armies, this way and that with rows of cars he rushes, gay like a bridesman, making him a garland, tossing the dust, champing the rein that holds him.
7 And that strong Steed, victorious and faithful, obedient with his body in the combat, Speeding straight on amid the swiftly pressing, casts o’er his brows the dust he tosses upward.
8 And at his thunder, like the roar of heaven, those who attack tremble and are affrighted; For when he fights against embattled thousands, dread is he in his striving; none may stay him.
9 The people praise the overpowering swiftness of this fleet Steed who giveth men abundance. Of him they say when drawing back from battle. Dadhikrās hath sped forward with his thousands.
10 Dadhikrās hath o’erspread the Fivefold People with vigour, as the Sun lightens the waters. May the strong Steed who winneth hundreds, thousands, requite with sweetness these my words and praises.

Judging by the lavish praise that has been heaped on it, this doesn't seem to be an ordinary steed. It could perhaps be a divine horse or maybe a metaphor for something else altogether. Do any scriptures mention the story of this Dadhikras?


texts: How do English translators of Vedas interpret the Vedas?

texts:
This answer lists several methods translators/commentators may adopt when they decide to translate the Vedas or write commentary on them.

Is it possible to tell from an English translation of the Vedas (saṃhitas or brāhmaṇas) on how the mantras are interpreted?

Are there any telltale signs of the method used in a certain translation? Are there any key verses which are interpreted widely differently by different translators?

E.g., which method did Ralph Griffith and Max Müller use in their translations?


texts: In which chapter of Brahmanda purana is Shri Lalita Sahasranama present?

texts: The Lalita Sahasranama Stotra belongs to the Uttarakhanda (latter part) of the Brahmanda Purana. In which  chapter can I find the work??


texts: Slokams for Navaratri first three days for durga, next three days for lakshmi and last 3 days for saraswathi

texts: There are simple slokas consisting 4 lines to be recited on these 9 days to the devis. First three days for durga, next three days for Lakshmi and last 3 days for saraswathi. Do anybody know these slokas? If so please post an answer.


texts: Dvaita / Vishishtadvaita versus Kulamarga / Vāmamārga

texts:
From what I know about Dvaita Vedanta and Vishishtadvaita, it seems to me that these schools should have fairly deep differences with the currents like Kashmir Saivism which integrate large doses of Tantric elements (Kaula, Kulamarga, Vāmamārga, etc), and also with the Shaktas.

Does anyone know texts in which Dvaita or Vishishtadvaita authors take a stance on these issues?

More generally, it seems to me that Vaishnavism as a whole is pretty reluctant to accept any elements of this kind. Am I right ?


texts: Was there a battle between lord Krishna and Arjun in Mahabharat?

texts: Krishna battles Arjuna here is the story about the battle between lord Krishna and Arjun in Mahabharat. But i am not sure whether this is right or wrong information. So i like to know whether any battle was there between them.


texts: What is the difference between Yakshas & Gandharvas?

texts:
I have read that Gandharvas are related to music and Yakshas are related to nature. Other than these specializations I can't understand the difference.
Are Gandharvas heavenly while Yakshas are earthly—similar to the difference between Western conceptions of angels and fairies? Are both divine? Semi-divine? Celestial?
Please explain how Yakshas & Gandharvas differ.


texts: His Holiness Sri Ramanuja and anya dEvata worship

texts: Did His Holiness Sri Ramanuja say anya dEvata should not be worshipped? If yes, did His Holiness clarify the meaning of anya dEvata? Is it written down in any of the works of His Holiness?


texts: What was the age of Balarama during his marriage and what was the age of Revati when she visited Brahmaloka?

texts:
Revati, along with her father Kakudmi went to Brahmaloka. Brahma told the following words to them

  After hearing his words, Lord Brahmā, who is most powerful, laughed loudly and said to Kakudmī: O King, all those whom you may
  have decided within the core of your heart to accept as your
  son-in-law have passed away in the course of time.
      Twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed. Those upon whom you may have decided are now gone, and so are their sons, grandsons and
  other descendants. You cannot even hear about their names.
      O King, leave here and offer your daughter to Lord Baladeva, who is still present. He is most powerful. Indeed, He is the Supreme
  Personality of Godhead, whose plenary portion is Lord Viṣṇu. Your
  daughter is fit to be given to Him in charity.

  [31-33, Chapter 3, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]

After hearing Brahma's words, Kakumdi and Revati returned from Brahmaloka. Kakumdmi gave Revati to Balarama

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

  [35, Chapter 3, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]

Since Brahma told that twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed on earth, it is clear that Revati born around Twenty-seven catur-yugas before Balarama.

It is also clear that they spent very less time in Brahmaloka. Due to time dilation only, twenty-seven catur-yugas have passed on earth. Thus Reavti's age is not increased much (probably at-most one day).

  When Kakudmī arrived there, Lord Brahmā was engaged in hearing musical
  performances by the Gandharvas and had not a moment to talk with him.
  Therefore Kakudmī waited, and at the end of the musical performances
  he offered his obeisances to Lord Brahmā and thus submitted his
  long-standing desire.

  [30, Chapter 3, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam]

Now, if we consider only the ages of Revati and Balarama, irrespective of when they born on earth, who is elder than whom?


texts: How was the succession sequence of the Sudarshana Chakra among the avatars of Vishnu?

texts:
I know that the Sudarshana Chakra is one of the most powerful weapons in Hinduism, just as I know that it is associated with Vishnu along with being the weapon that he used the most.

But I want to know how was the succession of the Sudarshana among the avatars of Vishnu, I want to know if Rama and Parashurama had it too.


texts: Has any ancient or medieval Vedic scholar refuted the guna-based varna theory?

texts:
Followers of Vivekananda and reformist Hindus today such as Arya Samaj believe that caste is determined by someone's external behavior. For example, if someone is pious, he should be a Brahmin.

Has any ancient or medieval Vedic scholar refuted this guna-based theory?


texts: What is offered during Arati and what they represent?

texts:
From this link we get the below explanation about arati.

it is not very clear what is what, where can we get a more detailed description on what is what in the aratik?

these are the elements I can think of:

conshell sound - ?
incense - ?
ghee lamp - fire
water in a conshell
water handkerchief - ?
flower
peacock feathers fan - ?
yak tail whisk -?
obeisances -?
the singing
the dancing

  What is offered? Figuratively, aarti signifies the offering of
  creation (represented by the various items offered during the aarti)
  to the creator (represented by the Deity, the iconic representation of
  the Divine). The Bhagavad-gita (7.4-5) analyzes the material world to
  be made of eight elements: earth (representing all solids), water
  (representing all liquids), fire (representing all radiations and
  energies), air (representing all gases), ether (the substratum for the
  existence of space and the transmission  of sound), mind (the subtle
  faculty for emotions), intelligence (the subtle faculty for rational
  thinking) and false ego (the invisible bond that causes the soul to
  misidentify with the body). During the aarti, the various items
  offered to the Deity represent these elements: the flower and the
  cloth represent earth, the water represents the element water, the
  ghee lamp represents fire, the yak-tail fan represents air, the sound
  of the conch and the bell represents ether, the emotional involvement
  in the songs sung and the mantras chanted represent the mind, the
  intellectual focus on the purpose of the aarti represents the
  intelligence, the obeisances represent the ego and the pujari
  represents the assembled worshipers.

  How is it offered? All the items are offered by waving them in a
  circle around the Deity, to remind us to keep the Lord at the center
  of all our activities during the cyclic motions of time from the
  minutes to the decades.

  When is it offered? Etymologically, the word aarti means “before
  night.” This refers to the fact that the first of the aartis in
  traditional temples is performed before the night ends, that is, at
  early dawn. As the darkness of forgetfulness of God tends to envelope
  us repeatedly, the aarti is performed repeatedly to end the night of
  forgetfulness.

  Why is it offered? Everything that we have belongs to the Lord and
  aarti is the method prescribed in the Vedic texts like the
  Pancharatras to humbly and gratefully acknowledge his divine
  proprietorship. When we prayerfully perform or reverentially observe
  the aarti, our head becomes illumined with God’s glory and our heart
  enlivened with God’s beauty. The items offered become transmuted into
  carriers of divine mercy or Prasad and thus we can receive divine
  energy from the lamp with cupped hands passed over its flames and
  touched to the forehead, from the sacred water by having it sprinkled
  on our bowed heads, from the sanctified flowers by reverentially
  smelling their fragrance. So next time we attend an aarti, let’s tune
  in to the divine vibrations.


texts: On amavasai day, When is Sandhayandam to be performed

texts:
On Ammavasi day, when is the Sandyavandanam t be performed.  Whether after Tharpanam or before Tharpanam
Raghuram


texts: Who was the writer of the Vishnu Sahasranamam?

texts: I know that Vishnu Sahasranamam was told by Pitamaha Bhishma to Yudhishthira ORALLY. However who was the writer and who had made the hard copy of the same to do chanting of this mantra and when?


texts: Are there editions of the Bhagavad Geeta or inside the Bhagavad Geeta itself are there shlokas which proves to have received influences from Shaivism or Kashmirian Shaivism ancient scriptures?


texts: An "Adhik Maas" is an extra month in the Hindu calendar. What is the month after this month? There are texts on it but people have different opinion. I am confused.


texts:
Shaligrama is the most sacred stone for Vaishnavas.

There is a story thus of Tulasi cursing Vishnu to become a stone when He polluted Her Chastity to kill Her husband.

What is the story of Vishnu becoming stone Shaligrama.


texts: Did Siva come to Gokula to view the baby Krishna?

texts:
It is said that he wanted to see the beauty of the baby Krishna.
For the 100 millionth time, the other question doesn't even remotely answer this question and has no direct citations from scripture whatsoever.
Here is a story - is this from real scripture?
http://www.bhagavatam-katha.com/vrindavan-story-lord-siva-visit-to-sri-krishna-in-gokula/


texts:
Who had the sacred knowledge of Bhagavat Gita before Arjuna?

I am not sure but I listen that lord Shiva and lord Sun know it before Arjuna?

How did they come to know?


texts: Does the Devi Bhagavatam say that Lakshmi and Saraswati are daughters of Parvati?

texts:
While reading what ISKCON has to say over the authenticity of the Devi Bhagavatam, I found some people saying that the controversial Purana saying that Lakshmi and Saraswati to be the daughters of Maa Durga when other scriptures say that Saraswati is the daughter of Brahma and Lakshmi the daughter of Bhrigu and Khyati. So is this true that the Devi Bhagavatam says that Lakshmi and Saraswati of being the daughters of Parvati?

The link where I found this bizarre claim is here:
http://www.iskcondesiretree.com/forum/topics/devi-bhagwatam-or-devi-purana-controversy


texts:
How how much punya does the father get from a kanya dana?

What is the phala for a kanya dana?


texts:
We all know that the narration of Mahabharata, Puranas has been done in Naimisharanya. My question's are   Which all Puranas describe the 1) origin and 2) Mahatmya of Naimisharanyam, 3)Gomati River and 4) different places 5) and teerthas in and around Naimisharanya.

6) Please specify the Khandas, Chapters and 7) some important slokas of the respective Puranas.


texts: Who is the earliest Advaitin to mention six Pramanas?

texts:
As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school, which bases its tenets on the doctrines laid out in the Brahma Sutras, a work by the sage Vyasa which summarizes and systematizes the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads. (You can read the Brahma Sutras here.) Now as I discuss in this answer, most Vedantic philosophies believe in three Pramanas or means of valid knowledge: Pratyaksha or perception, Anumana or inference, and Shabda or scriptural testimony.

Advaitins, on the other hand, believe in 6 Pramanas: Pratyaksha or perception, Anumana or inference, Shabda or scriptural testimony, Upamana or comparison, Arthapatti or presumption, and Anupalabdhi or non-apprehension.  Here's what what the 17th century Advaita philosopher Dharmaraja Adhvarindra says in this excerpt from his Vedanta Paribhasha:

  Those means of knowledge are six in number, their divisions being perception, inference, comparison, verbal testimony, presumption and non-apprehension.

These are, incidentally, the same six Pramanas accepted by the Purva Mimamsa philosopher Kumarila Bhatta and his followers.  (The Purva Mimamsa philosopher Prabhakara and his followers, in contrast, only believed in five Pramanas.) But my question is, what is the earliest Advaita work that references these six Pramanas?

I found out from this forum post that the 13th century Advaita philosopher Chitshuka says in his Tattva Pradipika the following quote: "Vyavahare Bhattanayah", which means that from the relative perspective (the perspective of someone living under Maya) Advaitins agree with Kumarila Bhatta.  I'm not sure whether Chitshuka was referring to the number of Pramanas though.

In any case, does Adi Shankaracharya reference these six Pramanas in any of his works?  What about any of his disciples?


texts: What are some well-written and accurate Ramayana books based on Valmiki's original work?

texts:
What are some well-written and accurate Ramayana books that I can use?

By accurate I mean those that stay true to Valmiki's original Sansrkit work.


texts: Is Hatha Yoga Pradipika an authentic hindu text?

texts: Is Hatha Yoga Pradipika an authentic Hinduism text as Pathanjali Yoga Sutras, Vivekananda Raja Yoga etc.,?


texts: Did eklavya blame himself for cutting the thumb?

texts: Eklavya's abilities were far better than any other archer during his time, the story is no secret that he cut his thumb as Gurudakshina. But after that did he blame himself for trusting, Did he ever think that he should have denied it?


texts: Why did Lord Krishna stay at Vidura's house instead of Duryodhana's house when he had gone for an alliance with Kauravas?

texts: If Lord Krishna wanted to stay with Duryodhana's house But why he chosen the Viduar's house? I have heard one notable thing is that Lord Krishna had eaten the dandelion's bread in Vidura's house.


texts:
please give me your best explanation from a spiritual point of view (from Brahman's point of view). I am not talking about what can be called "meaningful pain." I am speaking of meaningless pain, meaningless suffering - torture for the sake of torture. Why does it exist?

Thank you.


texts: Why is Uttara kanda of valmiki ramayana not repeated in retelling of ramayana in Mahabharata?

texts:
Does this prove that Uttara kanda may have been a later interpolation, as phala shruti comes before Uttara kanda.

Ramayana retelling vanaparva-272-289


texts:
What are some examples of forgiveness, endurance, patience and restraint from Ramayana?

One story that comes to my mind is the story of Kushanaabha and his 100 daughters whose self-control maybe the reason why we are breathing vayu and are alive today.


texts: Which gods, or any other character from scriptures, rides on seven horses or steers a seven-horse chariot?

texts: Which God or any Character from scriptures ride on seven horse or seven horse chariot?


texts: How do Advaitins interpret Bhagavad Gita 7.24?

texts:
Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita 7.24 states:

  avyaktaḿ vyaktim āpannaḿ
  manyante mām abuddhayaḥ
  paraḿ bhāvam ajānanto
  mamāvyayam anuttamam

  Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their lack of knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.

How do Advaitins interpret the above verse? Whatever I have learned so far in Advaita is that all the forms of God are illusory and that only Nirguna Brahman is the Original Brahman (I may be wrong). However, this seems that the forms of God are real. Does Advaita not say that God is originally formless and only later He takes forms (I may be wrong again here as well)?


texts: Punishment for the crimes committed by the head of the house?

texts:
The Smriti texts and other religious treatises deals with a lot of prescriptive rules on the householder' lives and rituals.
A commonly pointed out situation is of discipline, crime and subsequent quantum of the punishment. In general, the husband must instil sense of discipline to the wife, progeny and other younger people in the house. Especially in case of women, there have been a lot of discussions on this site with several "controversial" QnA.
So, these generally deal with the head of family, who is husband and male, deciding on the punishment and crime (if committed). But, an average person is not infallible and as it may turn out, even the best of us can commit some crime or sin (in the eyes of treatises).
What happens in the scenario when the head of the family himself commits a crime or a wrong  act? Considering, the crime is not of a state level to be involving a King itself, but rather, is related with daily homely based chores or lifestyle (similar to one, where a husband has a right to punish his kin), Who will punish him?
Can the wife punish him?
Considering in the sapta - padí : the last, 7th vow is taken of as to be Friends, and as such friendship can only happen between two equals, thus don't the wife get the right to decide on the crime committed by the husband and adjudicate the requisite quantum of punishment  (even though, if the deemed punishment might just be ceremonial or 'rituallly-symbolic' based)?
Are any of the treatises, found with any such injunctions on women taking the role of judge and executor too ? What's the general consensus of scriptures on such role swap or such a situation mentioned above?


texts: What work of Vyasa says the Vedas were taught to Brahma through the heart?

texts:
Vidyaranya, aka Madhavacharya (not to be confused with the Dvaita philosopher Madhvacharya), was a famous Advaitin philosopher who was the Shankaracharya of Sringeri and the brother of Sayana, the famous commentator on the Vedas.  (I wrote a fictional story about Vidyaranya here.)  Vidyaranya helped found the Vijayanagara Empire, and he composed many famous works including the Sarvadarshana Sangraha (a summary of all philosophical schools) and the Panchadasi (a summary of Advaita).  But my question is about another work of Vidyaranya, the Pranava Mimamsa, which is a work about significance and use of the syllable Om.
In this excerpt from the Pranava Mimamsa, Vidyaranya argues that when Hindu scripture says "pranavasya rishi Brahma", meaning "Of the syllable Om, the sage who heard it during meditation is Brahma", it's referring to the supreme Brahman, not to the creator god Brahma.  Vidyaranya cites several scriptures to show that Brahma was not the seer of the syllable Om, rather Brahma learnt the Vedas along with Om from the supreme Brahman.  In particular, he says this:

He, the incarnate power of Vishnu's intelligence, declares in the Satyavata:
"With the heart he extended Brahman to the first sage."
The meaning is as follows: "who", i.e. the Highest Self, "with the heart", i.e. mentally, "extended", i.e. explained, "Brahman", i.e. the Vedas, "to the first sage", i.e. to Hiranyagarbha.

Now I'm pretty sure the incarnation of Vishnu being quoted is Vyasa, for two reasons.  First of all, "incarnate power of Vishnu's intelligence" seems like a translation of "Jnana-Shakti Avatara of Vishnu", which is an often-used appellation of Vyasa.  Second of all, I assume "Satyavata" refers to the fact that Vyasa is the son of Parashara and Satyavati.
But my question is, what work of Vyasa is Vidyaranya quoting here?  Vyasa is the author of the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and the Brahma Sutras, as well as the compiler of the Vedas.  Now if a work was called by the appellation "Satyavata", it seems to me that it would probably refer to the Mahabharata.
But does anyone know if this verse occurs in the Mahabharata or any other scripture?  The translator says "I have not been able to identify the verse."  If it helps, the verse is given in Sanskrit here; it's verse 47.


texts: if there is difference of opinion between purana and gita and dharmashashtras(like: manusmriti etc), which will take more precedence?

texts:
if there is difference of opinion between purana and bhagvad gita and dharmashashtras(like: manusmriti etc), and they are interpreting vedas in their own manner to support their views.

Now, then which one (gita,purana, dharmashashtras)  will take more precedence?

among gita - bhagvad gita, uddhav gita,shiva gita,ishvara gita, guru gita which one is more authoritative ?

(note: it will be appreciated, if you quote references for your answer)


texts: How can we do Fasting on Shiva Rathri After Ekadasi Fasting?

texts: We require to do parana(consume food) on dwadasi i.e. next day after ekadasi fasting, I want to know how people fast for maha shivaratri if it is falling on dwadasi? As it requires us to do parana for sure to break the ekadasi fasting.


texts: Are there prayers that address Siva's entire family (Siva,Parvati,Ganesa and Kartikeya) collectively and/or individually?

texts: The Ganesa and Kartikeya stories don't seem to intersect that much.  Has Siva's family been praised collectively in prayers?


texts: Reason for offering young unmarried womens

texts:
Consider the following statement from Mahabharata

king Yudhishthira the just gave unto each of those Brahmanas
thousands of kine and beds and gold coins and damsels.
[Section 32, Rajasuyika Parva, Sabha Parva, The Mahabharata]

I came across the act of offering young unmarried women several times in scriptures. What is the purpose for giving young unmarried women? Does the purpose not served by either men or married women or old unmarried women (if any)?


texts:
Advait Vedantins say when Brahman is 'seen' through the lens of mAyA, Brahman appears as Ishwar.

Is there 'something' before mAyA to wear the lens of mAya? If there is, what is that 'something' which is wearing lens of mAyA? That 'something' can't be Brahman itself because according to Advait Vedanta Brahman has no activity, he can't 'see'. That 'something' can't be the Jiva because the Jiva appears after mAyA. I there a 'something' before mAyA?

What is that 'something' which is wearing lens of mAyA?


texts: Is there any good book to compare western philosophy with Hindu philosphy?

texts:
I feel like the Western philosophy is inherently depressing and their world-view is mostly nihilistic, I want to juxtapose the Western philosophies with Hindu/Indian philosophy. Are there any good books or texts on this?
I want to understand where the two philosophies stand on major issues of life and death, morality, purpose and relationships.


texts:
If a Marati lastname ends with -war, what is the corresponding caste based on the present varna system?
PS: I am not trying to offend anyone; I am just genuinely curious.


texts: Why is Vedanta called so and what is its relationship with Upanishads?

texts: I know that the word Vendanta has two parts 'Veda' and 'Anta'. Anta means end. I have read that Vedanta is nothing but Updanishads. I have seen people using the term Veda and Vedanta as if they are same. Please can someone clarify why Upanishands are called Vendanta (If so!)


texts: Any other slokas suggesting drinking of cow urine

texts:
The following statement from Section 81, Anushasana Parva of Mahabharata suggests to drink cow urine

  "Vyasa said, ... One should for three days drink the hot urine of the
  cow..."

In addition to this, please provide any other references that suggest the same.


texts:
Which is this Sanskrit stotra? (Starts at 24 seconds)

https://youtu.be/Tj9d44UrU7c?t=24s


texts: What is the meaning of Apastamba Dhramsutra 2:11:29:11?

texts:
I was reading Apastamba dhamrasutra and found this.

The knowledge which Śūdras and women possess is the completion (of all study).

About which knowledge, Apastamba is talking which women and even shudras posses but Brahmanas not?


texts:
This question is NOT a duplicate of the above. My question "Why did Yudhishthira give 2,640,000 female slaves to Brahmanas?" is different from "Was slavery allowed in Mahabarata times?"

In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira gave 30 female slaves to each of 88,000 Brahmanas. 30 multiplied by 88,000 yields 2,640,000. Such a huge number is not unusual, since India has always had a very large population.

  Yudhishthira supporteth eighty-eight thousand Snataka Brahmanas
  leading domestic lives, giving unto each of them thirty slave-girls.

A "Snataka" is a bachelor who has graduated from Vedic studies, but is not married yet. He is not a Brahmachari.

So, by the mention of "Snataka" and "domestic (householder) lives," the conclusion is that these slave girls were given for sexual intercourse. In other words, they could be sex slaves.

On the other hand, it might be prohibited for a Snataka to have sex before marriage. Also, since these were slave-girls, they must be from very low castes, and it is prohibited for a Brahmana to have sex with women of very low castes.

So in that case, these women were just maids and servants.

Is there a commentary that explains this verse?


texts: How did the life of Vishwamitra end on this Earth?

texts: As of now, I haven't been able to find a proper reference on how the life of Maharishi Vishwamitra, who was Sri Rama's Guru, ended on this Earth. Do any authentic scriptures mention about his life's complete history and when it ended?


texts: Why did Parashurama teach Bhishma but not Karna?

texts: We know that Parashurama was the guru of Bhisma, a kshatriya. Then why did he refuse to teach Karna on the basis of being a kshatriya?


texts: Using Tamasic vegetables(Onion, Garlic mainly of significance here) in temples

texts: Is there any explicit rule in Indian vedas that states Onions should not be used for cooking in temples. I recently had a debate (Personally found it silly) and the research ended in Ayurvedic categorization of food. Now if vedas prohibts the usage of Onions, which are the other Tamasic vegitables in this category? Is this followed by all the temples?


texts: What was the role of caste in the way Parshurama & Pandavas treated Karna?

texts:
I have this question troubling me since a long time, hence thought it may be a good platform to present it. On one Hand, we see Yudhishtra saying following lines towards Caste System.

  Yudhisthira said, " In human society, O mighty and highly intelligent serpent, it is difficult to ascertain one's caste, because of promiscuous intercourse among the four orders. This is my opinion. Men belonging to all orders (promiscuously) begat offspring upon women of all the orders. And of men, speech, sexual intercourse, birth and death are common. And to this the Rishis have borne testimony by using as the beginning of a sacrifice such expressions as -- of what caste server may be, we celebrate the sacrifice. Therefore, those that are wise have asserted that CHARACTER IS THE CHIEF ESSENTIAL REQUISITE. .... WHATSOEVER NOW CONFORMS TO THE RULES OF PURE AND VIRTUOUS CONDUCT, HIM HAVE I, ERE NOW, DESIGNATED AS A BRAHMANA.' (Mahabharata Aranya Parva Section CLXXIX)

On the other hand, there is so much biased treatment towards Karna by the sage Parushurama and Pandavas.

Why was Parashurama - the great saint/Guru particular about the caste while imparting his skills ?
Why were the Pandavas also treating Karna differently due to his caste ?

NOTE: Please correct me if I had to be more detailed in my presentation of the question :)


texts: Reason to take head bath after death rituals

texts: Why is it recommended that we take head bath on 10th or 11th day after death of family members?


texts: Where is it mentioned that surya gave chatra and paduka?

texts: Where is it mentioned that surya gave chatra (umbrella) and paduka (sandals) to men to protect themselves from his rays?


texts: Why didn't Lord Vishnu drink the poison that came out from the churning of ocean?

texts:
As I was looking at this question, I got another question in my mind that why didn't Lord Vishnu drink the poison that came out from the churning of ocean?

Lord Vishnu is also powerful to consume the poison, but he asked Lord Shiva to hold the poison in his throat.

Was there any reason behind this?


texts: Did People Know of Lord Krishna BEFORE He Was Born

texts:
I'm really confused.

According to this Lord Krishna episode, Lord Krishna Naming, the Sage knows that Lord Krishna lives in Go Lok with Radha. And it seems his adoptive father, Nanda knows of this.

I always thought people knew of Lord Krishna AFTER he was born, lived on Earth, and then departed.

Of course, people knew of Lord Vishnu who is re-incarnated as Lord Krishna.

Please clarify.


texts: What are the details of Lord Mahadeva's SarvaMedha yajna?

texts:
Mahabharata: Santi Parva: [Rajadharmanusasana Parva:] Chapter 20

यज्ञैरिन्द्रो विविधैरन्नवद्भि; र्देवान्सर्वानभ्ययान्महौजाः |
तेनेन्द्रत्वं प्राप्य विभ्राजतेऽसौ; तस्माद्यज्ञे सर्वमेवोपयोज्यम्
||११||
महादेवः सर्वमेधे महात्मा; हुत्वात्मानं देवदेवो विभूतः |
विश्वाँल्लोकान्व्याप्य विष्टभ्य कीर्त्या; विरोचते द्युतिमान्कृत्तिवासाः ||१२||
Possessed of abundant energy, Indra, by the performance of diverse sacrifices with profuse gifts of valuables, surpassed all the gods. Having got their chiefship by that means, he shineth in heaven. Therefore, everything should be applied to sacrifices. Clad in deer-skins, the high-souled Mahadeva, having poured his own self as a libation in the sacrifice called Sarva [SarvaMedha yajna], became the first of gods, and surpassing all creatures in the universe and prevailing over them by means of that achievement, shines in resplendence.

Similarly, Mahabharata: Santi Parva: [Rajadharmanusasana Parva:] Chapter 08 also mentions Lord Mahadeva's SarvaMedha yajna:

विश्वरूपो महादेवः सर्वमेधे महामखे |
जुहाव सर्वभूतानि तथैवात्मानमात्मना ||३६||
Mahadeva himself, of universal form, in a great sacrifice [SarvaMedha yajna] requiring libations of all kinds of flesh, poured all creatures as sacrificial libations and then his own self.

Is there any detailed description available for Lord Mahadeva's SarvaMedha yajna? Something like Lord Brahma's SarvaMedha yajna description.


texts: Who is the devi Nikumbila worshipped by Indrajit through tantric rites. Is she Maa Pratyangira or a local Lankan deity?


texts: Is the phrase "Sanatana Dharma" (सनातन धर्म) found in the Vedas?

texts:
The phrase "Sanatana Dharma" seems to imply the eternal duties.
So, is the phrase found in the Vedas because I have seen many people saying that they are Sanatani and their religion is Sanatana Dharma?


texts: Why it is not advised to perform other Yugas activities into a particular Yuga?

texts:
This answer says very well that it is as it is stated but does not explain why.
https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/44173/22667
Quot.
Rickross user says: "
Now, since this very nature of the fact, that 3 out of the 4 pillars of Dharma are non-fuctional in Kali Yuga, can't be changed by anybody among us shows no matter how much we try we can't follow a Satya Yuga lifestyle in the Kali Yuga. Because the nature of the Yuga itself is such that it does not have all the pillars of Dharma intact in it.
So, it is neither possible nor desired according to me. Because Yuga Dharma has to prevail."
Through Manu Smrtris which are the Laws.
Yet laws not always explain "why" but other Shastras probably do.
Therefore:
Why Kali Yuga has to prevail?
What happens if I chant Treta or Krita [Satya] Yugic mantras during this very period of this Yuga?
Are Vedas to be read less or mantras to be chanted or listened or read less or in a certain other way? And which one way?
Last but not least:
Existentialist question
Yuga determine us humans or we determine Yuga itself?
Many more you can say. Your suggestions are very much required in this area.
Thank you


texts: Concept of atoms and molecules in Hinduism

texts: Does Hinduism describe about the concept of atoms and molecules? If yes, is there any scientific method by which they came to a conclusion?


texts: What is the correct order for reading shastras?

texts:
There are lots of shastras in hinduism. Mahapurans and Upapurans, lots of geetas, dharma shastras, shad darshan, agamas, upanishads and vedas.
Please tell the correct order to read them to grasp it in better way. One really needs an order to understand all which is in shastras. Because directly jumping to highly spiritual shastras like vedas and agamas will cause confusion in one's mind.


texts: What are the duties of an ideal husband as per Hinduism?

texts: As a follow-up to a recent question Dharmic role of wife in marriage, what are the duties of an ideal husband?


texts: What is the significance of " Vratas" ( व्रत ) In Hinduism?

texts:
What is the significance of "Vratas  (व्रत )" described in Hinduism. e.g. "Haritalika (हरितालिका)" , "Rushi Panchami (ऋषि पंचमी) etc.

Are there any scriptures pointing towards importance of "vratas" in Hinduism?


texts: According to ShankarAchArya in Advaita, is the universe "unreal" or "unworthy"?

texts:
Recently I came across one of the key quote, which sums up Adi ShankarAchArya's Advaita philosophy:

  The Brahman of the Upanishads is the only Reality, and everything else—this world of manifoldness—is unreal, is a mere appearance; the individual soul (Jiva) is identical with Brahman

Above is taken from Brahma Sutra, Adhyasa. Similar translation is also found in wikipedia article Advaita Vedanta > Moksha - liberation by western scholars (marginally better). Then I saw the Sanskrit text:

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगत् मिथ्या, जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः |

We can trivially translate it to:

  BrahM is truth, the universe is unworthy(useless); Certainly Jivas are not different from BrahM

Let's assume "BrahM" is another name of "Brahman" (with or without Upanishada), which is the supreme One. Actually there is slight difference between "not different" and "identical", but let's skip it for now.

My question is with below 2 terms:

सत्यं / Satya
Does it mean "real" or "truth"?
मिथ्या / Mithya
Does it mean "unreal" or "unworthy"?
Often we use term MithyAchAra for "useless practices".

The motive behind this Q is that, there is sharp difference between "unworthy" and "unreal". The term "unworthy" depicts something "useless", but still real. While "unreal" is plain "non-existent".

Note: It confuses novices (like me) who may think that how can world be unreal! For the matter of argument, we are learning that "world is unreal" from this "unreal world" only, won't it paradoxically make the statement "world is unreal" also unreal?


texts:
I came across this verse via a speech I heard at a temple. And I would like to know more about this sentence or verse or something describe about
What I have understood till now is that

Geeta anvay yog samanvay

Geeta meaning the bhagwad geeta
Anvay meaning relieving from sins
Yog meaning our actions
Samanvay meaning the correlation between any two object
Can anyone help me out with the whole meaning of this phrase or verse


texts: What was Swami Vivekananda's take on marriage?

texts: What did Swami Vivekananda say about marriage?


texts: Did Swami Chinmayananda and Srila Prabhupada ever participate in a debate against each other?

texts: Recently, a friend told me that A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada before having founded ISKCON, had a debate with Swami Chinmayananda, who later founded the Chinmaya Mission. However, I haven't been able to find any evidence of such a debate taking place either. So is there any evidence of such a debate taking place? Did Srila Prabhupada or Swami Chinmayananda ever mention of such a debate taking place? Also, what was the outcome of such a debate?


texts: What is the difference between Sati and Jauhar?

texts: Is Jauhar the same as Sati? If not what is the difference and what is the origin of these terms?


texts: Shankaracharya installed sri chakra in which temples?

texts: It is said that Adi Shankaracharya installed the Sri Chakra in many temples. Is there a list and description of temples where Adi Shankaracharya installed Sri Chakra?


texts: Ancetode behind the incarnation of Nara and Narayana vis a vis Arjuna and Krishna

texts: Adiseshu wipes out all others except Nara and Narayana who become as incarnations of Arjuna and Krishna. As the story unfolds only Krishna and Arjuna match wave lengths. Can any one  give more clarity to this topic on which I have a vague Idea. I am very keen to know it from anybody


texts: Abhimanyu's death: Was he destined to die at a young age?

texts:
It is known that Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, was killed during the Chakra Vyuh (a.k.a Padmavyuha) in the war.

Why did he die? Why couldn't Lord Krishna save him? Was he destined to die in this way?


texts: What is the significance of wearing the sacred thread?

texts: I have heard that it activates certain nadis. Is it true? Is there any other reason?


texts: Which yajna was performed by Prajapati Daksha?

texts: Which yajna was it which was performed by Prajapati Daksha in which he didn't invite Lord Shiva and suffered with consecutive events ?


texts: Why didn't Shiva take avatars like Maha Vishnu?

texts:
I need to know that, why lord Siva has not taken any avatar like lord Vishnu?
as I am a devotee of both supreme lords (lord Siva and lord Maha Vishnu).

If anybody knows the answer , please help me.


texts:
I am learning about Mount Kailash (Lord Shiva's abode).

Somewhere I read that before people came to India from Central Asia (bringing Vedas, Hinduism, etc), the natives in Indian subcontinent followed Shavism, or worship of Lord Shiva.

Two questions

Is this accurate?
Is Lord Shiva of Nepali descent, i.e. a Gurhka

I find this so fascinating ......

Please point me in the right direction


texts:
Carvakas were one of the nastik schools of Indian philosophy. We are led to believe that  Carvakas did not believe in authority of the Vedas, and they were alien to the concept of rebirth.
I recently came across one research paperlink which dispels the above myth. The author of the paper claims that most of Carvakas were brahmins who did not believe in rebirth and they even used Vedic verses to bolster this claim.
My question is what do we know about Carvakas based on Hindu texts?


texts: What is the correct story of Sukha Brahmarishi?

texts:
Lately, I was reading the article on Sukha Brahma on Wikipedia. There, it is mentioned that there are two completely different versions of Sukha Brahma's story. One in Mahabharata and the other in Devi Bhagavata Purana. How could there be two completely different versions in two famous Scriptures. Please shed some light on this.

this is the link to the article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuka

Thanks in advance!


texts: Why Hindus worship Peepal Trees? (Ficus religiosa)

texts:
I've often seen people, women especially, worship Peepal Trees (Ficus religiosa)

Why they do so? Is there any reason from Hindu scriptures behind doing that? As far as I know, people say that our ancestors' souls stay on those peepal trees, and hence we worship them. Is that explanation true, or is there some other reason behind rituals involving a peepal tree?

Credits for Image : http://kids.baps.org/


texts: Shiva pattabhishekam - what's the happening behind it?

texts:
Few days before I received a magazine published by a Veda patashala. In that magazine I saw photos of few deities and the one that surprised me was the Shiva pattabhishekam.

I have heard and seen Rama pattabhishekam images, but this was new to me. Can somebody explain the background of it?


texts: Who does the Mahabharata call the "best of men", Nara or Narayana?

texts:
The Mahabharata opens with this famous verse:

nārāyaṇaṃ namaskṛtya naraṃ caiva narottamam |
devīṃ sarasvatīṃ caiva tato jayamudīrayet ||
Om! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted male being, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.

Nara and Narayana were two ancient sages who were twin sons of Yama god of death and famously meditated in Badrikashrama.  Nara was the previous birth of Arjuna, whereas Narayana was an incarnation of Vishnu and thus the previous birth of Krishna.
But my question is about the word "narottamam", which means "the best of men" or as the translation puts it, "the most exalted male being".  Why is it that "narottamam" is referring to Nara and not to his brother Narayana?  After all, in the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata, Vishnu's incarnation Parashurama says "Narayana, again, became superior to Nara in consequence of many more qualities."  Also, a common name of Vishnu is Purushottama, which also means "best of men", so it seems like a logical epithet of Vishnu's incarnation Narayana.
Is it possible that Ganguli (the translator) made an error, and that narottamam actually does refer to Narayana and not Nara?


texts: What is the correct way of doing meditation?

texts:
I would like to understand what is the correct way of doing meditation according to Hinduism (esp. Vedas)? Plus:

What is the right posture?
What should the person concentrate on (thoughts) before and after initiating meditation?
Is there any time limit?
Is there any right time of doing it or we can do it anytime?
Can we meditate in a place where there is too much noise?

Another important fact I would like to understand: Through meditation do we activate our sub-conscious mind?


texts: Authentic text of Surya Siddhanta English Translation

texts:
Are there any authentic text of Surya Siddhanta English Translation? The following seem to be commonly available ones in Internet:

Surya - Siddhanta, By Ed. By S. Jain E. Burgees
The Surya-siddhanta
and Siddhanta-siromani By Sri Danavir Goswami
Surya-Siddhanta: A Text Book of Hindu Astronomy, By Ebenezer Burgess (2007 Edition)
The Surya Siddhanta: A Text Book of Hindu Astronomy, By Phanindralal Gangooly, Ebenzer Burgess (2000)


texts: Why did Takshaka appear before Utanka in the form of a naked beggar?

texts:
While giving away her ear rings, the queen of king Paushya, she warns Utanka about King of Serpants, Takshaka, who is waiting to steal those ear rings.

'These ear-rings are very much sought after by Takshaka, the King of
the serpents. Therefore shouldst thou carry them with the greatest
care.'

On the road Utanka perceived coming towards him a naked idle beggar sometimes coming in view and sometimes disappearing. And Utanka put the ear-rings on the ground and went for water. In the meantime the beggar came quickly to the spot and taking up the ear-rings ran away.

And Utanka having completed his ablutions in water and purified
himself and having also reverently bowed down to the gods and his
spiritual masters pursued the thief with the utmost speed.
And having with great difficulty overtaken him, he seized him by
force. But at that instant the person seized, quitting the form of a
beggar and assuming his real form, viz., that of Takshaka,
speedily entered a large hole open in the ground.

My question is -
Why did Takshaka appear in the form of a naked beggar?  Does it indicate a pot shot against Jains/Buddhists?
or
Was it a common practice for beggars to move in nude?


texts: Mechanism for Gravity according to Vedas

texts: Do the Vedas describe a mechanism by which gravity is produced? Like LeSage Gravity? I am trying to come up with a new model for gravity and I would like to base it on Vedas.


texts: What is the first name (Adi Naam) of Lord Vishnu?

texts:
Anyone/Anything in the universe/brahmanda get an initial name as soon as it initiates itself and later on it gets multiple names by its environment. Like me and you get a name after our birth, and later we got additional names by our colleagues. And same must be for lord Vishnu too, that is how lord Vishnu also got many names later, which is here i got a list of 1000 names of lord Vishnu. I am not sure how this list is sorted/ordered or in which order the names are listed. Its not an opinion based question to choose from the given names, It may be possible also lord Vishnu have more then 1000 names which we could not able to find it. I can assume that these 1000 names of lord Vishnu are found so far.

So, when lord Vishnu comes into existence initially, What name he was named, to which we say as Adi-naam or beginning name of Lord Vishnu.


texts: Are there any instances in scriptures of husband & wife separated AND remarried, because of reasons accepted by shastras?

texts:
In this question about remarriage, the reasons for a husband leaving a wife, or a wife leaving a husband, are listed.

Are there any actual examples in Smriti of this happening - where husband remarried or wife remarried ? I'm not just asking about sanyasa or remaining separate throughout, or marrying younger brother, or sister (non-family relations only)
I'm asking example from Itihasa & Purana.

Just to take couple examples from Manu Smriti - a husband superseding (taking another wife not divorce) a 'quarrelsome/disobedient' (apriyavadini) wife, or a wife waiting in vain for several years for a husband who went abroad and then remarrying another unrelated (not brother) man ?

Again, I want examples that are similar to what's happening nowadays after divorce.. man marrying an unrelated woman, or woman marrying an unrelated man.


texts: How do Shaivas and Shaktas interpret the Vishnu Gayatri mantra?

texts:
How do Shaivas and Shaktas interpret the Vishnu Gayatri mantra, which is from the Narayana Suktam of the Yajur Veda:

  "Narayanaya vidmahe vasudevaya dhimahi | tanno Vishnuh prachodayat"

which identifies Narayana as Vishnu?


texts: What are the differences among Rakshasas, Daityas, Danawas, Pisachas?

texts:
Puranas say that these species are born from different wives of Maharshi Kashyapa.

Kashyapa + Danu = Danavas
Kashyapa + Diti = Daityas
Kashyapa + Krodhavasa = Pisachas

In Hymn 87 of the tenth mandala of the Rig Veda says that,

  Brahma was asleep rakshasas are created by breath at the end of satya yuga.When they are created , they were filled with bloodlust , they started eating brahma himself.Brahma shouted "Rakshama!", Vishnu came to his aid, banishing to Earth all Rakshasas.

Also bhagavata purana 5.24.30 says that danavas and daityas live in rasathala .

But it's not clear,

What exactly are the differences among these species?
Who is more powerful?
What are their basic natures, cultures etc?

Couldn't get answer in this Related: Difference between Devas, Daevas, Asuras and Rakshasa


texts: What do Hindu scriptures say about the relationship between religion and politics?

texts:
It is believed that in ancient times, the Rishis and the Gurus used to guide the kings regarding how to run the kingdom.

Nowadays, we see many countries have a separation of the government and the religion (at-least officially) e.g. in the US, there is a separation of Church and State (although, it is said that the Church has a lot of control on the politics)

What do Hindu scriptures say on the role of religion in politics?


texts:
One of the many popular Mantra/Stotra in Hinduism is Ram-Raksha Stotra.
And as per this Wikipedia Link, it is written by Budha-Kaushika Rishi.

In Ram-raksha itself, it is mentioned that Lord Shiva told बुधकौशिक about writing the Ram-Raksha:

आदिष्टवान् यथा स्वप्ने रामरक्षामिमां हर: ।
तथा लिखितवान् प्रात: प्रबुद्धो बुधकौशिक:

Meaning: This protective hymn of Rama, as told by Shiva (Hara) in the dream । Was written down (as told) by the enlightened (by Shiva's visitation) Budhakoushika in the morning (upon waking up)

Source

But beyond this, I could not found much info about this sage.

Is there any scripture describe about the Life of Budha-Kaushika Rishi and his relation/devotion to Lord Rama or Ramayana?


texts: Do Mahavakyas and World as Illusion in Advaita contradict each other?

texts:
Chandogya Upanishad 3.14.1 says

All this is Brahman. Everything comes from Brahman, everything goes
back to Brahman, and everything is sustained by Brahman. One should
therefore quietly meditate on Brahman. Each person has a mind of his
own. What a person wills in his present life, he becomes when he
leaves this world. One should bear this in mind and meditate
accordingly.

Whereas Nirmalamba Upanishad and Vivekacudamani verse 20 say "ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः"
Do these 2 statements contradict each other??


texts:
I understand there are many lists of Saptarshis.  Do the seven below constitute one such list?

Vasishtha, Vamadeva, Vishwamitra, Bharadwaja, Jamadagni, Gautama and Atri.


texts: Is there any chapter/Scripture in Bhagavad Geeta that specifically talks about sutak (Death)

texts:
For example what rules and regulations to follow when a close relative dies in the family - specifically in Bhagavad Geeta.
i know that its mentioned very well in the Garuda Purana, but i would like to know if Bhagavad Geeta covered any parts of it?


texts:
Where can I find English translation of complete Garuda Purana online?

Related question: Complete English translations of Puranas


texts:
I know that Vedas are Sruti, including its embedded texts - Samhitas, Aranyakas, Brahmanas and Upanishads. And also that each Upanishad is linked to each Veda. Tell me, if Upanishads are Sruti, then so must be the "sectarian" ones like Vasudeva, Narayana, Krishna, Garuda, etc, which are the Vaishnava Upanishads and also Shaiva Upanishads, viz. Jabali, Rudraksha, Kaivalya, Dakshinamurti etc.

That means that they are "seen" or "heard" or "perceived" by Sages. Now please tell me, that if this is true, doesn't it instantly prove that Vishnu and Shiva are equal (in essence), because of the authority of Sruti texts, and since there is both a Shaiva and Vaishnava Upanishad (many more Yoga, Sannyasa etc.) embedded to each Veda?

Also if its true then it should prove in a way that Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, Yoga are all valid paths to Moksha as they are proclaimed to be equal, hence....Advaita. Also these Upanishads claim Brahman to be either equal to Shiva (in Shaiva Upanishads) or Vishnu (in Vaishnava Upanishads).


texts: Why do Iyengar brides sit in father's lap during the wedding ceremony?

texts:
In South Indian Sri-Vaishnava community of Iyengars, there is a peculiar custom that the bride sits on her father's lap while tying the mangalya sutra.

Such custom is not found in any other South Indian or other communities.

What is the significance behind this?

Are there any scriptures like grhya sutras, smritis, dharma shastras etc which has such customs ?


texts: How many sages are referred to in the badrayana vyasa's Brahma sutras?

texts: I know badrayana at more than one place cites jaiminis view in Brahma sutras, but there were other sages who wrote sutras and smritis after the culmination of Mahabharata, like deval, kapila etc how many of them have been mentioned in Brahma sutras?


texts: In which scripture does Hanuman fight with Balarama?

texts: I remember watching on TV Hanuman eating some fruits from an orchard and Balarama challenges him not knowing that he was Hanuman.


texts:
Mahabharata: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva says

  the illustrious Atri who illumined the world of old when the Sun was lost..

Where this story can be found in detail which tells when and why the Sun was lost; and how Atri illumined the world?

From Sanskrit-Hindi version of Mahabharat by Gitapress Gorakhpur, it seems translation issue:

Is it just a translation issue or some other story related to this?


texts:
In Rigveda, Varun is a possessor of Maya and RV praise his Maya in many of the verse:

V 85 (5-6):

  imām ū ṣv ṛsurasya śrutasya mahīm māyāṃ varuṇasya pra vocam |
  māneneva tasthivāṃ antarikṣe vi yo mame pṛthivīṃ sūryeṇa ||

  I proclaim this great cunning of the lordly, famed Varuṇa, who,
  standing in the midspace as if with a measuring rod, measured out
  earth with the sun.

  imām ū nu kavitamasya māyām mahīṃ devasya nakir ā dadharṣa |  ekaṃ yad udnā na
  pṛṇanty enīr āsiñcantīr avanayaḥ samudram ||

  And now no one defies this great cunning of the foremost sage poet,
  the god: that the mottled streams, pouring out, do not fill the single
  sea with water

Here in Jamison and Brereton's version, maya was translated as cunning (skill) which Varun uses to create and measure things. Also, RV mentions even some demons posses maya but here connotation is different and they must be stopped.

X 138 (3)

  vi sūryo madhye amucad rathaṃ divo vidad dāsaya pratimānamāryaḥ |
  dṛḷāni piprorasurasya māyina indro vyāsyaccakṛvān ṛjiśvanā ||

  The Sun unhitched his chariot in the middle of heaven. The Ārya found
  a match for the Dāsa. The firm fortifications of the crafty lord Pipru
  did Indra throw open, having acted together with Rjiśvan

From RV to Bhagvata Gita, the meaning changes from Skill, Power, Magic and Illusion depending on what context the maya is being used.

Can someone explain in details then what is maya? This question was asked elsewhere however there OP was interested in the context of  Gita. My doubt is here why do we have so many definition of Maya because in order to overcome Maya one should understand what the Maya is.