texts: Can an astrologer himself cast the Prasna Kundali for one of his own questions?

texts:
Horary astrology is different from natal astrology . In the later, we need to have the birth details of the native, or the natal chart, which is not needed in Horary.

In Horary, a person A goes to another person B (who is of course the astrologer) with a question in mind.

And, based on the time and place, when and where, the question has being asked, the astrologer casts a chart. (This is called the Prashna Kundali).

He, then analyzes the chart, according to the methods of the doctrines, in order to give an answer to person A's question.

Now, suppose the person A himself is an adept in Horary. Can he himself cast the Prashna Kundali as per the time when the question arose in his mind? Or  this is not allowed at all as per the doctrines of Horary? Or in other words, is the involvement of the two persons a must here?


texts: Conventionally I understand that people think that when a human is born it is the product of the parents, partly true, but is some part of it also reincarnation of some other self?


texts: What scriptures describe the UpAkarma dates calculation and performance details

texts:
Upakarma or Avni Avittam is a ritual performed before/on Shravan Paurnima/Pournami (it depends on Veda). Generally Rigveda Upakarma is one day behind Yajurveda Upakarma.

What shastra/Scripture describe the astronomical calculations and the procedural details of Upakarma.


texts: How are different beeja presented to world?

texts:
We may look at various beeja like 'gam' or the 'paraprasad' beeja etc. These are presented in verses with much secrecy such that, even though we read it or say it to someone the actual form of beeja remains hidden.
For example:

गणादिं पूर्वमुच्चार्य वर्णादींस्तदनन्तरम् । अनुस्वारः परतरः ।
अर्धेन्दुलसितम् । तारेण ऋद्धम् । एतत्तव मनुस्वरूपम्

This is where the Ganapati beej ' om gam' is found.
Take another example from Kulavarna tantra:

अनन्तचन्द्रभुवनमिन्दुबिन्दुयुगान्वित: । श्रीप्रासादपरामन्त्रो
भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रद पराप्रासादमन्त्रस्तु सादिरुक्त:कुलेश्वारि ।

This is where shree paraprasad beeja is hidden. I want to know other such similar verses which describe other beeja like shrim,  kreem, hram,  hreem etc.


texts: How could Bharata and Shatrughna be incarnations of inanimate objects?

texts:
From this answer, we find

  Continuing with the tale of Sri Ram, Lord Mahadeva told Parvati–Dasharath requested Vashishth to perform the Jaatkarm Sanskar of Sri Ram. In course of time Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharat–an incarnation of Panchajanya conch. Similarly, Sumitra gave birth to two sons–Laxman and Shatrughan. Laxman was the incarnation of Sheshnag while Shatrughan was the incarnation of Sudarshan Chakra.

How non living things (insentient beings) like Sudarshan chakra & conch could take avatar?


texts: Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam - how to reconcile two different viewpoints?

texts:
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that people follow the example of great men.

  यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः।
  स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते।।3.21।।
  न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन।
  नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि।।3.22।।
  यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः।
  मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः।।3.23।।

  3.21 Whatever a great man does, other men also do. Whichever standard he sets, the world follows it.
  3.22 For me, Arjuna, there is nothing in all the three worlds which ought to be done, nor is there anything unacquired that ought to be acquired. Yet I go on working.
  3.23 If I did not continue to work unwearied, O Arjuna, men would follow my path.

The implication of this is that great men should set an example to ordinary people.

Yet, in the Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna's behavior towards gopis, who are the wives of other men, raises questions, which the Bhagavatam itself touches upon.

  ŚB 10.33.26-27
  श्रीपरीक्षिदुवाच
  संस्थापनाय धर्मस्य प्रशमायेतरस्य च ।
  अवतीर्णो हि भगवानंशेन जगदीश्वर: ॥ २६ ॥
  स कथं धर्मसेतूनां वक्ता कर्ताभिरक्षिता ।
  प्रतीपमाचरद् ब्रह्मन् परदाराभिमर्शनम् ॥ २७ ॥
  ŚB 10.33.28
  आप्तकामो यदुपति: कृतवान्वै जुगुप्सितम् ।
  किमभिप्राय एतन्न: शंशयं छिन्धि सुव्रत ॥ २८ ॥

  Parīkṣit Mahārāja said: O brāhmaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of the universe, has descended to this earth along with His plenary portion to destroy irreligion and reestablish religious principles. Indeed, He is the original speaker, follower and guardian of moral laws. How, then, could He have violated them by touching other men’s wives?

  O faithful upholder of vows, please destroy our doubt by explaining to us what purpose the self-satisfied Lord of the Yadus had in mind when He behaved so contemptibly.

The bhagavatam's answer is that ordinary rules dont apply to such gods. Ordinary people should not imitate such behavior.

  ŚB 10.33.29
  श्रीशुक उवाच
  धर्मव्यतिक्रमो द‍ृष्ट ईश्वराणां च साहसम् ।
  तेजीयसां न दोषाय वह्ने: सर्वभुजो यथा ॥ २९ ॥

  Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The status of powerful controllers is not harmed by any apparently audacious transgression of morality we may see in them, for they are just like fire, which devours everything fed into it and remains unpolluted.

  ŚB 10.33.30
  नैतत् समाचरेज्जातु मनसापि ह्यनीश्वर: ।
  विनश्यत्याचरन् मौढ्याद्यथारुद्रोऽब्धिजं विषम् ॥ ३० ॥

  One who is not a great controller should never imitate the behavior of ruling personalities, even mentally. If out of foolishness an ordinary person does imitate such behavior, he will simply destroy himself, just as a person who is not Rudra would destroy himself if he tried to drink an ocean of poison.

So here there are two mutually contradictory viewpoints -

Krishna Himself says in the Gita that great men need to set an example to ordinary people.
Srimad bhagavatam saying that certain actions of gods should not be followed by ordinary people.

How to reconcile these two viewpoints? How can gods behave in questionable manner if they are supposed to set an example to ordinary men?


texts: Which name came earlier, Bharata or Bharati?

texts:
As per Devi-Bhagatam, Devi Saraswati was named Devi Bharati after appearing in Bharata as per What is the meaning of Saraswati?

But 'Bharati' means speech in Sanskrit, which is consistent with Her another name 'Vaak' and Saraswati is Vedic Devi. How could She appear in this country after it was named Bhaarata (by the name of king Bharata)?

Could anybody make it clear?


texts:
Do Gods know everything about us, like our thoughts and our intentions behind them?
If yes, then are all 33 crores gods omniscient (all knowing)?
If demigods are not all-knowing, then how is it that Lord Hanuman is worshipped so much, when indeed he doesn't even know us and our problems?
Do Goddess Saraswati and Goddesses Lakshmi known all about us?


texts:
What is the shape of Earth according to Hindu scriptures?

It is widely believed that the round shape of Earth was known for a long time. Although, is this mentioned at any specific place?


texts: How To Properly Do 108 Surya Namaskars per Hindu Scriptures

texts:
I was proud of myself for doing 108 Surya Namaskars for my Birthday couple of years back (took me about 50 minutes)

Unfortunately it injured my right knee, and I had to stop.

I really want to do 108 Surya Namaskars again and enjoy the benefits mentioned in Hindu Scriptures. How to do this?


texts: Many people use mantras while doing yoga. Does that mean that yoga is a part of Hinduism? If yes, does the inclusion of yoga in Hinduism have a basis in Hindu texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, etc.?


texts: What does Hinduism say about Mental Disorders? How do we overcome them?

texts:
For example in my case:

Serious and self-conscious most of the times.
Problem maintaining eye contacts and talking to people.
Lack of close relationships.
I often have a sense of "what is all this thing called life" thoughts even at home.

According to some scholars I have heard, mind is just a bunch of thoughts. So in that sense there is nothing like Mental Disorders. Disorders just mean that your thought patterns are aligned in a certain way.

However, does Sanatana Dharma actually say about dealing and overcoming such personality disorders? Does anyone have any experience with such problems?

I have started practicing Yoga and Pranayama but I don't see it is making me funny or anything like that!


texts: What scriptures describe Vaishampayana making Janamejaya interested with a single verse?

texts:
The second poem of Nammalwar’s Thiruvaimozhi describes Vishnu without actually naming him until the last verse, where it calls him Narayana.  Page 13 of this book, summarizing one of the Sri Vaishnava commentaries on the Thiruvaimozhi, explains that Nammalwar does that to build suspense and keep the reader interested:

Saint Nammazhvar exhorted men to surrender themselves to "Him who is the Granter of Heaven" in Dramidopanishad : I., 2-1, "Vidumin." If it be questioned why our Saint did not directly say 'Narayana’ at once, it is answered that the reason to so refrain from revealing the Holy Name at once, but to adopt this circumlocutory (or periphrastic) style, is to set the mind on to inquire Who the 'Granter of Heaven' is and so on gradually lead it to the knowledge of the Highest Mystery. That otherwise the mind that is filled with worldly concerns is naturally averse to such spiritual investigations is illustrated by the story of Janamejaya and Vaisampayana.
Rishi Vaisampayana proposed to King Janamejaya that he may hear the whole of the Mahabharata story from one end to the other.
King: "Sire, I have no leisure."
Rishi: "Canst thou not listen to one Chapter thereof?"
King: "Can't spare time for that even, Sire!"
Rishi: "What, hast thou no time to hear one Verse at least?"
King: "In that case, Sire, go on; I am willing."
The Rishi began :—
dvāvibhau puruṣī mūḍhau duryodhanadaśānanau ।
gograhaṃ vanabhaṅgañca dṛṣṭvāyuddhaṃ punaḥpunaḥ ।।
"Duryodhana and Ravana, blockheads are these two men,
'Capture of kine' and 'Ruin of grove' seeing, to war again."
On hearing this, Janamejaya began to ask: "Holy Sire! what is ‘Capture of kine’? What is ‘Ruin of grove’?” and so on, till to fully satisfy himself as to what the bearings of these passages were, he had to hear from Vaishampayana, the whole of the Mahabharata and Ramayana.

My question is, what scriptures describes this story of Vaishampayana attracting Janamejaya with a single verse?  And in what scripture does the above verse occur?  I can’t seem to find it in the Mahabharata.
Page 13 of this book describes the same story, with a slightly different verse:

dwaveva moorkhou lokesmin duryodhana dashananou ।
gograham puradahancha drushtwapi ranakaminou ॥

But which of these verses, if any, are present in Hindu scripture?
On a side note, does anyone know which commentary on the Thiruvaimozhi references this incident?  I checked several commentaries but I couldn’t find it.


texts:
Wikipedia writes:

  The Holi festival is an ancient Hindu festival with its cultural rituals.  It is mentioned in the Puranas, Dasakumara Charita, and by the poet Kālidāsa during the 4th century reign of Chandragupta II.
  Holi, Wikipedia

This gives some idea as to when Holi started being celebrated.  I'm wondering if we can be more precise.

Question: When did Holi start being celebrated?

I found descriptions at various other sites (very ancient in its origin theholidayspot.com; and ancient festival ancient-origins.net)  However, these don't give the time period, just saying it's "ancient" (which is vague).

I didn't find an answer at within this related question: Why do people celebrate Holi? Why do they throw colored powder at each other?


texts: Why is the divine architect Vishwakarma considered a descendant of Bhrigu?

texts:
Every Brahmin is a descendant of sages, which is why every Gotra or clan of Brahmins has an associated list of Pravaras, a list of the sages they're descended from.  For instance, I am a Brahmana belonging to Vadhula Gotra, and my Pravaras are "Bhargava, Vaitahavya, Savedasa", which means that I am descended from the sages Bhrigu, Vitahavya (whom I discuss here), and Savedasa.  In any case, I was looking at Wikipedia’s list of Pravaras for various Gotra, when I came across the following Pravaras for Bhargava Gotra:

  Bhargava:Bhargava,Abnavana/Tvashta/Ahabhuna,Vishvaroopa

For those who don't know, Tvashta, also known as Vishwakarma, is the architect of the gods.  As I discuss in this question, he built Indra's city of Amaravati, Ravana's city of Lanka, and Krishna's city of Dwaraka, and he once caused the Earth to submerge!  And Vishvaroopa, also known as Trisiras was the three-headed son of Tvashta, As I discuss here, Indra killed Trisiras, and to take revenge Tvashta created a demon called Vritrasura to kill Indra.  Indra ultimately killed Vritrasura, and it is this deed that Indra was most famous for in ancient times.

But my question is, why would Tvashta and Trisiras be listed in the Pravaras for Bhargava Gotra?  That means that Brahmins belonging to Bhargava Gotra are descended from them.  But Bhargava means descendant of Bhrigu, and Tvashta isn't a descendant of Bhrig at all; he's one of the Adityas or sons of Kashyapa and Aditi, as described in this chapter of the Srimad Bhagavatam:

  The names of the sons of Aditi are as follows: Vivasvān, Aryamā, Pūṣā, Tvaṣṭā, Savitā, Bhaga, Dhātā, Vidhātā, Varuṇa, Mitra, Śatru and Urukrama.... Racanā, the daughter of the Daityas, became the wife of Prajāpati Tvaṣṭā. By his semen he begot in her womb two very powerful sons named Sanniveśa and Viśvarūpa.

Thus Tvashta would be classified as a Kashyapa, not a Bhargava.  So why would he be listed in the Pravaras for Bhargava Gotra?

Note that in this question, I discuss a community of metalworkers and craftsmen who are considered low-caste by many people, but who claim to be Brahmanas descended from Vishwakarma.  But they're claims are considered unfounded, whereas Bhargava Gotra is a well-established Brahmana Gotra.  So I'm not sure if there's a connection.  Also, there is of course the possibility that Wikipedia has incorrect information, so does anyone know whether this set of Pravaras is mentioned in Hindu scripture?

EDIT: This excerpt from the Upodhgata Pada of the Brahmanda Purana says that Tvashta and Trisiras are the son and grandson of Bhrigu's son Sukracharya, guru of the Asuras:

  The mental daughter of the Manes named Somapas (imbibers of the Soma juice) was well-known by the name of Gau.  She became the wife of Shukra and gave birth to his four sons.  They were Tvashtar, Varatrin, Shanda, and Marka.... Trishiras alias Vishvarupa was the great (elder) son of Tvashtar.    He was born of Yashodhara, daughter of Virochana.  He became very famous.

How can this be reconciled with the statements that Tvashta one of the twelve sons of Kashyapa and Aditi?  Was he initially born as the son of Kashyapa and then reborn as the son of Sukracharya or vice versa?  Are there any scriptures that discuss this?


texts:
BG 2.42-43: Those with limited understanding, get attracted to the flowery words of the Vedas, which advocate ostentatious rituals for elevation to the celestial abodes, and presume no higher principle is described in them. They glorify only those portions of the Vedas that please their senses, and perform pompous ritualistic ceremonies for attaining high birth, opulence, sensual enjoyment, and elevation to the heavenly planets.
There are many verses that oppose vedas in gita.
Like
O Humans, only by performing noble and selfless deeds one should wish to live for hundred years. As you are involved in noble deeds, your mind will be purified and you will be no more attracted towards evil. This results in the increment in your knowledge, age and other good qualities. (Yajurveda 40/2)
O Agni, we adore you. Keep the sinners away from us. Take us away from path of destruction to the path of dharma so that we can enjoy through science, knowledge and wealth. (Yajurveda 40/16)
Now gita
BG 2.47: You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.
BG 5.12: Offering the results of all activities to God, the karm yogis attain everlasting peace. Whereas those who, being impelled by their desires, work with a selfish motive become entangled because they are attached to the fruits of their actions.
Why it looks like bhagavad gita is opposing vedas.


texts: What siddhis are achieved when one attains turiya?

texts: Can someone list siddhis one achieves when one attains turiya? Are all Ashta siddhis achieved when one attains turiya or does it only exist at six Chakras below sahasrara, is siddhis like spaceshifting or teleportation like narada or creating copies of oneself to be at faraway places, like yogi described in autobiography of a yogi, possible in turiya?


texts: Where is the Shanti Mantra for Sri Rudram mentioned in Scriptures (Vedas/Puranas)?

texts:
The Shanti Mantra for Shri Rudram is as follows:

  हरि: ॐ
  इडादेवहुर्मनुर्यग्न्यनिब्रुहस्पतिरुक्तथामदानि स(गुन०)सिशदविश्वेदेवा: सुक्तवाच: प्रुथिविमातर्मा मा हि(गुन०)सि: मघुमनिश्ये मघुजनिश्ये मधुवक्श्यमि मधुवदिश्यमि मधुमतिं देवेभ्यो वाचुमुद्यस्(गुन०)सुश्रूशेणयामनुशयेभ्यस्तम् मा देवा अवन्तु शोभायै पितरोनुमदन्तु॥

but I cannot find its source nor its true meaning. Please give me meaning and location in scriptures.


texts: Where are the statements by sages praising Vishnu quoted by Yamunacharya?

texts:
As I discuss in this answer, one of the early movements that was important in the development of Vaishnavism was the ancient Pancharatra movement, whose sacred texts consisted of detailed procedures to worship the sage Narayana, an ancient incarnation of Vishnu. Since the Pancharatra texts originated from Narayana himself, they are followed by pretty much all Vaishnavas today.  But there was a time when some people, especially those of the Purva Mimamsa school, questioned the validity of the Pancharatra texts because they believed that the Vedas were the only legitimate Hindu scriptures. So as I discuss in this question, the early Sri Vaishnava Acharya Yamunacharya composed a work called the Agama Pramanya to defend the scriptural authority of the Pancharatra texts.
Now the Purva Mimamsa school believed that Vishnu was not competent to compose a scripture (!), because he wouldn' have the requisite knowledge to do so.  So in this excerpt from the Agama Pramanya, Yamunacharya demonstrates the omniscience of Vishnu by quoting various scriptures which describe Vishnu as Paramatma or the supreme soul.  In particular, he says this:

That He is the Supreme Soul we learn also from the statements of Dvaipayana [Vyasa], Parashara, Narada, and other great seers.  Thus:

"Know thou, O tormentor of thy foes, that the entire world rests on Vishnu.  The great Vishnu creates the totality of creatures, moving and unmoving.  In him they go to their reabsorption, from Him they originate."

"The glorious sage Narayana, without beginning or end, is the sovereign Lord.  He creates the creatures, those that stand still and those that move.  That he is the supreme Brahman is also learnt elsewhere.  Keshava, O best of the Bharatas, is the sovereign, the supreme soul, the entire universe: thus it stands revealed in many places of the scripture."

"For those who seek to know the supreme principle by many-sided reasonings Hari alone is the Principle, the great Yogin, Narayana the Lord."

My question is, what scriptures are these three quotes by sages from?  The second one is probably from the Mahabharata, since it says "O best of the Bharatas", so it's probably someone addressing one of the Pandavas.  And the first quote may also be from the Mahabharata, since it says "O tormentor of thy foes", so it's probably addressed to some king. Or they could be from the Srimad Bhagavatam, since it consists of a narration to Arjuna's son Parikshit. But where is the third quote from?
Does anyone recognize any of these quotes?


texts:
BG 7.20 : Those whose knowledge has been carried away by material the celestial gods. Following their own nature, they worship the devatās, practicing rituals meant to propitiate these celestial personalities.

Commentary by Swami Mukundananda
Shree Krishna says that people worship the devatās (celestial gods) as per the prescribed rituals to attain material gains. Material desires have shrouded their knowledge. Hence, they forget that the Supreme Lord is the source of all that exists, including these celestial gods. As a president of a country appoints his officers among different departments. Similarly, these celestial gods also occupy different positions in the working of God’s creation. They derive their powers from God; they are not independent of Him. They can bestow on their devotees only material things that are under their control. But cannot liberate anyone from the bondage of Maya or the cycle of birth and death because; they themselves are not liberated from this cycle. God alone has the power to do so. The celestial gods are also souls like us. However, they have attained these positions in the celestial abodes as a result of their pious deeds from previous lives. Once their account of pious deeds depletes, they have to return to earth. Hence, even the celestial gods are perishable; God alone is eternal.
Commentary by Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya
The compound word hrta-jnanah means one whose spiritual intelligence has been diverted by distortion. This is due to their inherent natures, innate attributes and over attraction to sense gratification. Being enslaved by cravings they choose a path away from Lord Krishna which looks most likely to grants them their material desires and they ingratiate themselves unto the demigod of their choice. The Supreme Lord is not averse to those who worship the demigods but He makes a distinction between worship to Him and worship to others. The results of worshipping all other gods is temporary and fleeting because the inherent power invested in them has limitations being only applicable to the material worlds; but the results of worshipping the Supreme Lord are permanent and eternal because unlimited power is possessed by Him.
My question : How powerful are devatās
Are devatās Nigh-Omnipotence(almost all powerful)


texts: I wish to know everything about these two terms. If these are related to destroying everything except yourself then what good I should learn from these terms, instead of getting afraid of these?


texts: Is there a Hindu view of historiography?

texts:
In this comment, Ramaprakasha says, "historicity is deep immaturity according to Hinduism."

Does Hinduism take a stance on what methods of studying history are valid and what ones are not? Does it take a stance on how important it is to study history (or not to)?


texts:
Vedas are shruti the highest text in Hinduism, so is the wisdom or knowledge of vedas for the entire humanity. Or for Indians who are brahmin.
[And can a foreigner understand and properly translate vedas in there language]


texts: What are the effects of Sun and Saturn conjuction in 11th house without any affliction for leo ascendant?

texts: What are the effects saturn sun conjuction in 11th house without any affliction for leo ascendant?


texts: What does it feel like to be god-realized?

texts:
One of the main goals of Hinduism is to attain god-realization.

How does one know he/she is in that state? What changes?

Are there any Hindu texts that provide details on what that god-realized state feels like?


texts: Short vedic mantras to thank surya, vaayu, prithvi, aakash, agni and jal?

texts:
I am interested in knowing if there are short Vedic mantras, probably one liners to thank:

Surya (Sun)
Agni (Fire)
Prithvi (Earth)
Aakash (Ether)
Jal (Water)
Vaayu (Air)


texts: How do you know death is near for a person as per scriptures? Is there any reference?

texts: I have seen an old man suffering for long where as healthy young man died. So is there any mention in scriptures or any indication of a man dying? I have googled around and found few answers which contradict any scripture. Where can I refer?


texts: Is Vishnu's incarnation Dattatreya quoted in the Brahma Sutras?

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 that summarizes and systematizes the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads. You can read the Brahma Sutras here. In any case, in Adhyaya 3 Pada 4 of the Brahma Sutras, Vyasa says this:

  Topic-13: Meditations Connected with Rites

  The teacher Atreya thinks that the agentship for meditation belongs to the master of the sacrifice, since the Upanishads mention their results.
  The (teacher) Audulomi says that it is the duty of the priest (to undertake such meditations), for he is retained for that.
  And from Vedic texts also (this stands confirmed).

Now most commentators interpret these Sutras as referring to the Chandogya Upanishad, which prescribes meditation upon certain elements of a Yagna as a means of attaining Brahman, and the question is who should do the meditation.  A philosopher named Atreya, which means "descendant of Atri", thought that the Yajamana or the person organizing the Yagna should do the meditations, but Vyasa sides with the philosopher Audolomi, who thought that the Ritvik or priest officiating at the Yagna should be the one who meditates.

But Baladeva Vidyabhushana, the Gaudiya Vaishnava commentator on the Brahma Sutras, interprets things very differently.  In this excerpt from his commentary, Baladeva Vidyabhushana argues that Vyasa is agreeing with both Atreya and Audolomi, but that they are speaking about a completely different subject: Atreya is saying that Vishnu takes care of all the needs of his Nirapeksha devotee, and Audolomi is saying that in doing so Vishnu is acting similar to a Ritvik or priest who takes care of the needs of his Yajamana or person organizing the Yagna.

But my question is about what Baladeva Vidyabhushana says about this Atreya figure in his commentary on Sutra 44:

  Sutra 3.4.44 ... From the Lord come results, for that is heard in the Shruti-Shastra.  That is Dattatreya's opinion.

  The bodily needs of the devotee are supplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead [svaminah].  Why is that?  The sutra explains, phala-shruteh. "For that is heard in Shruti-shastra."  ... This is also the opinion of Dattatreya Muni.

So my question is, is it true that the Atreya figure quoted in the Brahma Sutras is the same as Vishnu's incarnation Dattatreya?

For those who don't know, Dattatreya was an ancient incarnation of Vishnu who was born to Brahma's son Atri along with Brahma's incarnation Chandra the moon god and Shiva's  incarnation Durvasa the famously angry sage.  I discuss the story of Dattatreya in my answers here and here.  In any case, the only work of Dattatreya that I know of is the Tripura Rahasya, a purported dialogue between Dattatreya and Parashurama.  But is this quote from the Brahma Sutras found in the Tripura Rahasya or any other work of Dattatreya?

Also, do any scriptures or any other commentaries on the Brahma Sutras address the identity of this Atreya figure?  I'm not talking about generic discussions of the figures quoted in the Brahma Sutras, I'm looking for specific discussions of Atreya.


texts: Do sensory organs have their own consciousness?

texts:
Bhishma in conversation with Yudhishthira told the following words

No act done with the aid of the five organs of sensual perception, is
ever lost. The five sensual organs and the immortal soul which is the
sixth, remain its witnesses.
[Section 7,  Anusasana Parva, The Mahabharata]

Does it mean the sensory organs have their own consciousness (according to the scriptures)?


texts: What is the story and purpose of Lord Vishnu's Vaikuntha avatara?

texts:
The 24 avataras of Lord Vishnu are described in Skandha one  chapter three of  Shreemad Bhagvat Purana .
It also mentioned that   the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable.
Apart from these 24 , there are lots of other incarnation of Lord Vishnu  mentioned in Shreemad Bhagvatam.

For example , a avatara of Lord Vishnu called  "Vaikuntha"  is mentioned in Skanda 8 chapter 5

  पत्नी विकुण्ठा शुभ्रस्य वैकुण्ठैः सुरसत्तमैः । तयोः स्वकलया जज्ञे
  वैकुण्ठो भगवान्स्वयम् ॥8.5.4॥

  From the combination of Subhra and his wife, Vikunṭha, there appeared
  the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vaikunṭha, along with demigods who
  were His personal plenary expansions.

It's also said  in the next verse that Lord Vishnu , inorder to please Shree Laxmi created the vaikuntha abode , upon request of her.

I am interested to know more about this Vaikuntha Avatara.

So my question is -:

1.What is the story  and purpose of Lord Vishnu's Vaikuntha Avatara?

Did Lord Vishnu took this avatara just to create Vaikuntha abode or also to accomplish some other task?


texts: How much effect do Jyotisha and the planets have in human life?

texts:
Our Puranas and stories don't mention too much about them.

Is fate or bhagya inevitable or can it be overcome with karma ?

Or is it just that people try to justify their problems via jyotisha?


texts: Question on Gita 3.17 translation/interpretation

texts:
This question is about translation/interpretation of gita 3.17. The verse and some translations can be found here.

यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः।
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते।।3.17।।

Most of the translators, translate Atman as Self in English or AtmA in Hindi. For example -

English Translation By Swami Sivananda

3.17 But for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self and who is content in the Self alone, verily there is nothing to do.

However, one translator, Swami Ramsukhdas, translates Atman as one-self (Hindi अपने-आप). His translation is -

Hindi translation by Swami Ramsukhdas

।।3.17।।  जो मनुष्य अपने-आपमें ही रमण करनेवाला और अपने-आपमें ही तृप्त तथा अपने-आपमें ही संतुष्ट है, उसके लिये कोई कर्तव्य नहीं है।

(This translation coincides with my own understanding of the verse. This translation also appears more natural to me in the context of speaking about a person of contentment. However, the detailed interpretation given by the Swami treats Atman as more akin to Self, but that is not my concern here).
So the translation of my interest would be -

But for that man (woman) who rejoices only in himself (herself), who is satisfied with himself (herself) and who is content in himself (herself) alone, verily there is nothing to do.

Translated in this sense, the verse, by itself, has no supernatural implications like the pre-supposition of the existence of an eternal principle called Atman (which may or may not be your true nature, depending on which vedanta or astika school you may follow or not follow).
I do not know if there is anything in Sanskrit grammar that would prevent such a translation as given above (based on the one by Swami Ramsukhdas). I have two questions -

As far as this particular verse alone is concerned, is there any reason (either given by commentators or from Sanskrit grammar) for preferring to translate/interpret Atman as Self (an eternal supernatural principle), rather than as one-self (simply referring to the colloquial oneself)?

Has any ancient or medieval commentator explained this verse by interpreting Atman as one-self?

Note I understand that for advaita vedanta, one's own individual self is the same as Supreme Self. This is not what I am looking for, and my question has nothing to do with this. Further, by one-self, I am not referring to jIvAtman, which is another supernatural entity.


texts:
Throughout the Mahabharata the Pandavas are praised for their devotion to religion. But, on more than one occasion they remain safe because they dress as, and pretend to be, Brahmins. They did this knowing that they would be favorably treated—which wouldn't have been the case if they had pretended to be Vaishyas. Why is such deceitfulness sanctioned for them?
Is it okay for anyone to pretend in such a way or was this specifically allowed for the Pandavas?

Yudhisthira was said never to lie, is such deceit not considered lying?


texts: Who is the true Nagaraja, the King of Nagas?

texts:
Nagas are children of Sage Kashyapa and Kadru. Adisesha, elder among the Nagas, is bed for Lord Vishnu. Vasuki, second child, is Lord Shiva's snake. There are many other Nagas but these two Nagas are prominent.
Chapter 39: Story of JaratKaru of Astika Parva: Adi Parva of Mahabharatha describes Vasuki as Nagaraj and Nagendra which are words for "King of Nagas".

हितो ह्ययं सदाऽस्माकं प्रियाकारी च नागराट्। प्रसादं कुरु देवेश
शमयास्य मनोज्वरम्॥७॥
The king of the snakes is always our friend and benefactor; O lord of
the gods, be gracious to him and remove the fever of his mind.
ब्रह्मोवाच मयैव तद्वितीर्णं वै वचनं मनसाऽमराः।  एलापत्रेण नागेन
यदस्याभिहितं पुरा।।८।।  तत्करोत्वेष नागेन्द्रः प्राप्तकालं वचः
स्वयम्।  विनशिष्यन्ति ये पापा न तु यै धर्मचारिणः॥९॥
Brahma said :  O immortals, I have thought in my mind what you
have said. Let the king of the snakes do what Elapatra had told him
before. When the time comes, the wicked only will be destroyed and not
the virtuous.

But Chaper 43 Astika's bite says Takshaka as Nagendra, King of Snakes.

काश्यप उवाच  दश नागेन्द्र वृक्षं त्वं यद्येतदभिमन्यसे।  अहमेनं
त्वया दष्टं जीवयिष्ये भुजंगमः॥ ३॥
Kashyapa said:  O snake, if you are so minded, bite (the tree
then). I shall revive it, though bitten by you.

Wiki says Hindu texts call Adisesha, Vasuki and Takshaka by this Title.
How post of "King" can be conferred to three snakes? Are there any stories regarding coronations of any of these Nagas as King?


texts: Did Appayya Dikshitar believe in Hari-Hara abheda?

texts: Appayya Dikshitar was a sixteenth century Shaivite who believed simultaneously in Advaita Vedanta and the Saiva Siddhanta school. His works mainly praise Shiva as a result. I want to know whether he believed in the concept of Hari-Hara abheda? Does any of his works indicate Sriman Narayana as the supreme Brahman?


texts: Is there any mention of practice of writings during Ramayana or Mahabharata?

texts:
Did people use to write down things in Sanskrit or Prakrit during Ramayana or Mahabharata period?
Had the concept of written language been invented?


texts: which mantra(s) should be chanted before going to sleep and awake from morning?

texts:
I heard that some of our ancestors chanted mantras (a few lines) before going to bed and when wake up in the morning. When they wake up in the morning, they first look at their palms and chant something,

I don't know which mantra and the reason from where they followed in our Hinduism.

Could you please provide some explanation on the above one.


texts: What are the main differences between Valmiki Ramayana and Agastya Ramayana?

texts: Ramayana, the story of Rama is known to be existing in 300 different versions. Of all the versions of the stories, Valmiki Ramayana is the most accepted. Apart from Valmiki Ramayana; Adhyatma Ramayana, Ramcharitmanas, Ananda Ramayana and Adbhuta Ramayana are also widely accepted. However, there are also texts which have had less scholarly analysis such as the Agastya Ramayana ascribed to Rishi Agastya. There is very limited analysis on this version. So what are the main differences between Agastya Ramayana and Valmiki Ramayana?


texts: Why Radha plays such an important role in Gaudiya Vaishnavism despite her name is not mentioned anywhere in Mahabharata?

texts: The name of Radha is not found in the Mahabharata and Harivamsha. Even Bhagavad Purana, the most sacred scripture for Gaudiya Vaishnavas, did not mention Radha. However, Radha has supreme importance in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. How come Radha promoted to such an elevated position from nowhere?


texts: Should we bother about Manglik in marriage?

texts:
I find this is quite a confusing situation in India during marriage proposals. When a girl is manglik people don't proceed to marriage. I just wanted understand the effects of this manglik thing.

In some astrology apps i find manglik got a category too like High,Medium and Low
How this affects? Does manglik marriages don't sustain or how it goes?

Someone please explain me about this.


texts: Was Sridhara Swami an Advaitan or a Vaishnava?

texts: Sridhara Swami is generally referred to as an Advaita commentator but  this site https://www.bhagavad-gita.us/bhagavad-gita-1-1/  says Sridhara Swami of Rudra sampradaya. Which is true?


texts: What are some atheist teachings and arguments in Hinduism?

texts:
Hinduism is a vast religion, and it has great philosophies of theism. Probably there might be some atheistic philosophies too.
It would be a great amusement to see if this thought of Atheism was also in Hinduism.

So are there any verses, teachings, ideas, arguments e.t.c, conveying Atheism? Here 'atheism' is being pointed to, not 'Astika-Nastika'.


texts:
How does Madhvacharya interpret Bhagavad Gita sloka 18.66?

  18.66 sarva-dharmān parityajya
  mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
  ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
  mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

  Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

For example, here is how Ramanujacharya interprets it in his Bhagavad Gita commentary:

  'Relinquishing all Dharmas’ — means the complete abandonment of the notion of agency,
  proprietorship, results etc., in the practice of Karma, Jñāna and Bhakti Yogas which are the
  means (dharmas) for attaining the highest good when done as Divine Service.

  'I will release you from all sins' — means that I will free you from all obstacles that
  prevent you from attaining Me; consisting of [the karmic reaction of] innumerable acts of
  doing what is forbidden and neglecting what is bidden. Accumulating from beginingless
  times [the reactions of] these deeds cause obstacles in spiritual development.


texts:
Are there any authentic sources from Vedas and Puranas which shines light on karma incured due to stray thoughts. Let me give an example. Let us say a person X has offended another person Y in some way. Now, the person Y seeks in his mind to take revenge on person X. Just as that thought comes, the person X is able to discriminate his negative emotions associated with his stray thought and backs off. He convinces himself to stay away from his krodha. The same can be generalized for other all the six Arishadvargas (kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya). Now, the question is whether such stray and restrained thoughts still incur karma ? Are there any sources from Smritis and Puranas which explain on this topic of stray thoughts ? It is to be noted, that the thoughts in this case are not strong but end up void and motiveless.

Related to but not same as,

Does god know our thoughts? and is it a sin to have lustful thoughts?

What does it mean by sinful thoughts? What kind of thoughts are involved?

Karma pertaining to thoughts


texts: Vishnu Purana, 1st Amsha, chapter 4 Shloka 35, refers to Varaha as "one who enveloped earth in 1 step". How can Vamana reference come?

texts: Vishnu Purana, 1st Amsha, chapter 4 Shloka 35 (पदक्रमक्रांता भुवम), refers to Varaha as "one who enveloped earth in 1 step". Can someone please explain as to how Vamana avatar reference comes here when praising Varaha avatar


texts: Was Ravana not able to lift Pinaka aka 'The Shiva Dhanush'?

texts: As per the Ramanand Sagar Serial during Sita swayamvar, Ravana along with Rama and other kings visited Swayamvar. But none other than Rama was able to lift the Shiva Dhanush. Is it true?


texts: Are the three laws of motion (which is attributted to Sir Isaac Newton) really present in the Vaisheshika Sutras of Kanada?

texts:
Certain web articles such as this one, over the past few months have been claiming that the three laws of motion which are attributed to the famous British scientist Sir Isaac Newton, were actually mentioned earlier in the Vaishesika Sutras of Kanada! These articles have also been claiming that some leading professors of Manchester University have themselves confirmed this (though I couldn't verify this). In addition to this, the leading Right-wing intellectual, Subramanian Swamy has supported these claims on Twitter:

Manchester Univ. Confirms: This is How Isaac Newton Stole Concept of Gravity from a Hindu Gurukul http://mailonnews.com/2017/09/19/manchester-university-research-confirms-this-is-how-isaac-newton-stole-concept-of-gravity-from-a-hindu-gurukul-in-india/ … via @
(2:26 PM - 21 Nov 2017)

So the questions that naturally arise are:

Has the Manchester University really confirmed that Kanada discovered the laws of motion before Newton?
Do the Vaisheshika Sutras of Kanada truly mention these three laws of motion?


texts:
Prabhupada in his Gita commentaries mentions the phrase "cave of the heart", where he says dwells the atomic soul.

Even Ramana Maharshi said, that the godly atom of the Self is to be found in the right chamber of the heart, about one finger-width’s distance from the body’s midline. He says- “Here lies the Heart, the dynamic Spiritual Heart. It is called hridaya, is located on the right side of the chest, and is clearly visible to the inner eye of an adept on the Spiritual Path. Through meditation you can learn to find the Self in the cave of the heart."

My question is what exactly is this hridaya or heart. Maharshi only mentioned the location of it. But what exactly is it?
A clear definition of it would be most helpful.


texts: Is the length of a man's life predetermined?

texts:
Has the length of a man's life already been determined in advance, even before a person is born?

To answer this question, please be sure to furnish quotations from the scriptures and explain how you see your quotes give the answer to this question.


texts: Jeevatma and Paramatma according to Advaita philosophy

texts:
I am trying to understand the difference between Jeevatma and paramatma. I have gone through several articles but still not clear.I have read the explanation here - What is difference between Aatma, Jeevatma and Paramatma?. I have listened to the teachings of Ramanamaharshi too. This is what I have understood and here is my question:

Paramata and jivatma both exist inside the physical body. Paramatma is lord Krishna himself. Jivatma is the individual self which undergoes the effects of karma but not the paramatma.

My question is:

Is the Jeevatma eternal just like Paramatma? When did it come to existence? Is Jeevatma a small particle light broken from paramatma?

Is a self realized person able to see Jeevatma and Paramatma during meditation?

Knowing the self means knowing the Jeevatma or knowing the Paramatma ?

Does the Jeevatma merge inside Paramatma at some point?

Please help me understand these and point me to a right source


texts: Views on puranas as texts to be taken literally or metaphorically?

texts:
Are the story of puranas merely used as icons(to teach us lessons)?
Are they to be taken literally?Do they fall under smriti or sruti?


texts: Why was Parikshit chosen as the successor of Yudhishthira?

texts:
It is true that 3 sons of Arjuna, 2 sons of Bhima and 1 son of Nakula, Sahadeva and Yudhishthira died. But as I know, Bhima, Yudhishthira, Nakula and Sahadeva had more children who did not participate in Kurukshetra and therefore were still alive.

My question is, why was Parikshit chosen as the heir of Yudhishthira and not another son of the latter or another son of Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva?


texts: Scriptural basis for importance of astrological predictions

texts:
Hinduism had traditional lifestyle practice involving  faith and belief in entwined sciences of astrology  and astronomy.

Timing of marriage, muhurtham of Griha pravesam, starting of a new important activity are fixed after consultation by  competent astrologers.

What scriptural basis exists about validity and accuracy of  life / good events/ catastrophe  predictions based on birth time and time of planetary conjunctions  in general?  What are some most glaring demonstrated cases of occurrences based on pre-dicted and pre-announced calculations that came out true in the past?

EDIT: A motivation of the post is about what one can do today (versus what one cannot change.. birth star or subsequent planetary motions) to alleviate the malefic effects of certain stars/planets by resorting to Homam, Yagnam and other Pacifications. But alas it has to be undertaken in a diverted chat room, If at all ! .. I  was searching  for some fora that could stand up to guard some time tested traditions.


texts:
What do Hindu scriptures say about breaking out of Pitru Dosha?

What are the practical ways to get rid of Pitru Dosha?

Can chanting Gayatri Mantra 108 times per day or Vippassana meditation remove the dosha?


texts: What scriptures describe Ganesha riding an elephant?

texts:
As I discuss in this question, when a mantra is given in the Puranas, it is usually preceded by a Dhyanam, which describes the appearance of the god whom you're supposed to meditate upon before reciting the mantra. For instance, in my profile page I quote the Sri Vishnu Stuti, which is part of the Dhyana shlokas of the Vishnu Sahasranamam, and in my question here I quoted a Dhyanam for another Vishnu mantra.  Now I'm interested in another Dhyana.

In this excerpt from the Narada Purana, a Dhyana shloka is given for a Ganesha mantra:

  He shall offer six hundred to Ganesha the lord of words (Vak) who is possessed of his consort riding on an elephant and whose hands shine with noose, goad, the vessel of nectar and sweets.

My question is, why does the Narada Puranas describe Ganesha as riding an elephant?  Ganesha is usually described as mushika-vahana, the one who rides on a mouse.

Now I have found pictures of Ganesha riding on an elephant, like this:

But are there any scriptures that describe him riding an elephant, and/or discuss who this elephant is?


texts: Do scriptures talk about some men not having nipples?

texts:
In his book Jaya, Devdutt Patanaik mentions the following:

(From: Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata By Devdutt Pattanaik)

So my questions are:

Is there any scriptural references to support this claim?
Who are all the men who didn't have nipples and why didn't they have them?


texts: What is Gayatri Sadhana? How it is different from Gayatri mantra japa? What's its significance?

texts:
What is Gayatri Sadhana? How it is different from Gayatri mantra japa? What is its significance?
Is it supposed to be performed only by Brahmins?
Are the results different in each case? Who needs to perform Gayatri Sadhana? Also is this sadhana done as per vedic or non-vedic principles?


texts:
Which is the oldest known Hindu Calendar? Do we have any details about how much similar or different it was as against the current Gregorian Calendar that we use. Comparisons can be made like based on like number of day in a week, month and year, lunar or solar basis, etc.

Also, do we have any details as to which calendar was being used in the life times of Lord Rama or Lord Krishna. I heard people's age in hundreds and thousands of years in earlier time. But if calendar details are confirmed then that would prove the fact.


texts: Does the Bhagavata Purana ignore Sanskrit grammar?

texts:
The Bhagavata Purana is one of the most celebrated Puranas in the Indian tradition, with extensive commentaries from various Acharyas across the centuries. Being a popular scripture, it has inspired many later works like Gita Govinda, Yadavabhyudayam, Krishna Karnamritam and so on.
One such work is the Bhushundi Ramayana, which is an interesting take on the Ramayana, where the main character is Rama, but the stories are all of Krishna, such as Rama living in Vraja, stealing butter and having dalliance with the Gopikas.
In his preface to this Hindi translation of the Bhushundi Ramayana, Dr.V.Raghavan, a famous Sanskrit scholar of the 20th century, states that while the Bhushundi Ramayana follows Bhagavatam closely, it is more sincere in adhering to Sanskrit grammar rules compared to Bhagavatam, which, he states, "ignores Sanskrit grammar in a big way."

This statement is surprising, considering the popular statement, "Vidyavatam Bhagavatam Pariksha" — Bhagavata Purana is a test for scholars.
While I am aware that the scripture does ignore Chhandas (poetic meter) in a few places, as far as I have seen, the grammar doesn't seem to be compromised.
Has any other Acharya/scholar commented on this issue?


texts: Is there any god / deity for the mathematics?

texts:
"An equation for me has no meaning, unless it expresses a thought of God."

Famous mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan was a very religious person. So much that, despite having health issues in England, he stuck to his vegetarian diet until his death at young age.

  Ramanujan's first Indian biographers describe him as a rigorously orthodox Hindu. He credited his acumen to his family goddess, Mahalakshmi of Namakkal. He looked to her for inspiration in his work and said he dreamed of blood drops that symbolised her male consort, Narasimha. Afterward he would receive visions of scrolls of complex mathematical content unfolding before his eyes.

Is there any specific God / Deity for the Mathematics?

e.g.: "... 'I' am the time among the mathematicians ..." [BG 10.30]. But this is not a specific deity.


texts: Why was Yudhisthira able to climb Mount Sumeru even though he was addicted to gambling?

texts: It is almost certain that Yudhisthira was addicted to gambling. He gambled his kingdom, wealth, property, even Draupadi, etc. Although he was righteous, it seems that his weakness was gambling. So why was he able to climb Mount Sumeru when the other Pandavas and Draupadi fell due to their weaknesses?


texts: What were the banners of famous warriors from the Mahabharata?

texts:
It is very well known that Arjuna had ape bannered chariot (Kapi dhwaja). Lord Hanuman sat on the flag post of the Arjuna in the Kurukshetra war.

It has been referred in the Mahabharata many times. The flags of other warriors are not famous.

What were the flag posts of other Pandavas and Kaurava warriors?
Similarly, what were the banners of other famous warriors like Bhishma, Karna, Drona etc.,


texts: What is the meaning of Brahman & Vasudeva?

texts:
As there is definite meaning of the names such as Lord Shiva, Indra, Vishnu etc. I want the meaning of

Brahman
Vasudeva

By the word Brahman, I mean with ultimate reality. (Though personally, I believe ultimate reality can't have any name- it is nameless)


texts: How many times the Saraswati Beeja mantra needs to be repeated?

texts:
Assume that a guru gave upadesa of Saraswati mantra to a person.
ऐं । is the Beeja mantra for Saraswati Devi.
Does the exact number of times the Beeja mantra should be repeated is mentioned in scriptures?
Or has to be done based on the number told by the guru?
Or it solely depends on the sadhana I.e., until the sadhaka experience mantra siddi?


texts: Is taking Ganga's name at the time of death another way to attain liberation from rebirth?

texts:
From "India and Its Faiths: A Traveler's Record":

Page 36:

  He who calls, O Ganga! Ganga! While life is flickering in the throat, goes when dead to the City of Vishnu and is not born again on earth.”

Garuda Purana X, 30 and 79 (Translated by Wood and Subrahmanyam, The Sacred Books of thee Hindus, Vol IX, Allahabad, 1911

Is this a correct citation and translation?


texts: What is the difference between Mukti and Moksha

texts:
As already requested in my earlier question if the Jivatma didn't stay more than 5 days either in moksha and naraka. However what's the difference between mukti and moksha.

Do you someone have any scriptures or any other references?

Note: I know that some of my forefathers said that mukti means didn't having birth in bhuloka.


texts:
I'm wondering what is the definition of life from the Vedic perspective. What kind of relation does life have with God? Life has so many perspectives that you can't define life I guess. For me, life is a perfect guru who teaches without words. And if you don't follow life's teachings it will slowly go away. I can't describe with words what I feel when I think about the word "life" so I'm turning here for help.

Is it OK to serve life like you would serve your guru? To help and support life so that it can flourish like a sun. Is this a reliable way to attain God?


texts:
Lord Krishna is self-reliant and believed to depend on no one.

I came across the following statements:

  Krishna controls the whole universe and Radha controls Krishna with
  love.

I heard from preachings that Krishna cried for Radha also. My doubt is that can anyone control Krishna? Are there any explicit slokas stating that Radha can control Krishna?


texts: How can the rishi Rishyasringa have sons / relatives rakshasa?

texts:
This is something that led me to ask, since in Mahabharata a rakshasa named Alambusha was the son of Rishyasringa while Baka, Kirmira, Hidimba and Alayudha were his relatives.

So my question is, how can Rishyasringa have a son and relatives who are Rakshasa ?


texts: Why Bhagavata purana is considered the foremost of all puranas?

texts:
The Bhagavata Purana is considered to be the purest and greatest of all the puranas.

Great Sage Veda Vyasa was credited to had authored Srimad Bhagavatam.

Srimad means "beautiful" or "opulent," and Bhagavatam means "related to God." Hence, Srimad-Bhagavatam can be translated as "The Beautiful Story of God."

It invokes devotion towards Lord Vishnu and his various incarnations, primarily focusing on Krishna since he was the complete incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

The story behind compiling SB as per SB itself is as
Vedavyasa felt discontent even after compiling the Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata and Vedanta-sutra. So he inquired Sage Narada regarding the same then Narada said that "You have not actually broadcast the sublime and spotless glories of the Personality of Godhead. That philosophy which does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord is considered worthless."

So on the advice of Narada, Vyasa meditated and the Bhagavata was manifest to him.

Are there any other references which indicate Bhagavata Purana is the foremost?

Even if people knew that it is the foremost then why do they refer to other puranas?

The Bhagavata Purana declares Lord Vishnu (Narayana) as Para Brahman Supreme Lord who creates unlimited universes and enters each one of them as Lord of Universe.Lord Vishnu engages in creation of 14 worlds within the universe as Brahma when he deliberately accepts rajas guna. Lord Vishnu himself sustains, maintains and preserves the universe as Vishnu when he accepts sattva guna and annihilates the universe at the end of maha-kalpa as Rudra when he accepts tamas guna.

The intense and personal bhakti described in the Bhagavata is directed toward Krishna as Vishnu in human form.

From the meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam itself it is clear that it describes the beautiful story of GOD(which is strictly monotheistic devoted to parabrahman Narayana/krishna) then why some people project their ishtadevata as the supreme or foremost even if they knew Narayana/Krishna is the Supreme?

The transcendental pleasure and completeness which vyasadeva felt after compiling the Bhagavata Purana was not felt after compiling Vishnu,shiva,padma puranas etc. even though they describe the transcendental glories and devotion of the deity to which the purana is dedicated why is it so ?


texts: Was Sati (a hindu custom) a rule during Shivaji's tenure?

texts: I want to know : To whom was it mandatory to perform sati during shivaji's rule- only kshatriya widows? or all widows irrespective of castes?


texts:
Why the religion start from India only?? why not from other country??
If the first Lord took birth,why he/she took birth in india only or if he give birth to demigods,why only in india??
why not pakistan??why not america or anywhere else??


texts:
How one can make any God as one's guru? What is the procedure? Provided one is unable to find/get a Guru due to many reasons. E.g, I am interested in Kashmiri Shaivism but it is very difficult to find Guru being busy in the Job. And also when I can't wait.

Note: Any god is acceptable, I will just consider him/her Guru & continue my Sadhna according to Kashmiri Shaivism.


texts: Which lineage (vamsa) does Rama belong to? Surya or Ikshvaku or Raghu?

texts:
Rama, the son of Dasharatha is said to be a member of Surya vamsa. Along with it, it is popularly believed that he belongs to Ikshvaku vamsa and Raghu vamsa.

To which vamsa does Rama belongs to? Surya or Ikshvaku or Raghu?


texts:
I'm looking for a Mantra, stotra, anything which gives Energy/Power to Perform a Mental Task or Physical Task, preferably on God of Energy, Adi Shakti Parvati Kali or anyone...
Found BalaAtibala Mantra and Shakti Data Vinayaka Mantra
also found.. called Shakti Prapti Mantra
where does that ... .. Mantra come..reference source


texts: Today I took an oil bath (abhyangana snana on Amavasya). What does it mean? With parents? or does shastras describe the consequences of such action?

texts: I there is already question about abhyangana snana. But I for someone who took a oil bath by negligence. What does it mean? Or if i gave a oil bath to my kid on Amavasya. what does it mean? Are there scriptures about such acts or yes days and no days for oil bath?


texts: How did Krishna go from being a mischievous kid to playing a major role in the Mahabharata war?

texts: How did Lord Krishna get involved in the Mahabharata war? What I mean is, Lord Krishna was born and grew up in Vrindavana and was playing with Gopis throughout his childhood, so how did he actually get involved in big battles like the Kurukshetra war? What was the turn of events?


texts: Do the armies of the Asuras and Rakshasas ally with the Mleccha kingdoms in their attacks on the Vedic civilization?

texts:
The Asuras and Rakshasas have a knack for destroying the Earth, the Vedic civilization, and the members of the 4 castes.

Do the armies of the Asuras and Rakshasas form alliances with the Mleccha kingdoms in their attacks on the Vedic civilization?

For example, here is what Hiranyakashipu did in his invasion of Earth, from chapter 2, canto 7 of the Bhagavata Purana:


texts: Why did Gods ask Mucukunda to help and lead them in their battle?

texts:
I have read about king  Mucukunda in Joseph Campbell's book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces". The story of king Mucukunda  fascinated me, so from then on I am trying to collect the full story of king Mucukunda  from all sources. I want to reach to the beginning of the story.

Why did Gods ask king Mucukunda to help and lead them in their battle and who were the enemies that Mucukunda and the Gods had to fight against? .

Please cite as many sources as you can .


texts: What is the relation/difference between Brahman(ब्रह्म) & Parabrahm(परब्रह्म)?

texts:
Actually first thing to know is: The relation/difference between Atman & Brahman but that question is closed as the duplicate of this. I don't know the exact reason may be Brahman of a question might be considered as Paramatma of this.

So, I am not talking about the difference between Atma,Jeevatma or Paramatma.

My question is What is the relation/difference between Brahman (ब्रह्म) and ParaBrahm (परब्रह्म)?

By the way, the different terms used are as follows:

Jeeva(जीव) or Jeevatma(जीवात्मा)
Atma(आत्मा) & Paramatma(परमात्मा)
Brahman(ब्रह्म) & Parabrahm(परब्रह्म)

If we can define and determine the relation or difference (i.e. which are same, which have relation with another or what is the difference) of above terms, then it will be good for everyone who is confused from this. [Indeed to answer]

Or currently what is called Parabrahm(परब्रह्म) and how is it related to Brahman(ब्रह्म)?. (If the word "Para(पर)" means beyond, then what do you men by beyond brahman? ; And which is (not Brahman?) the Absolute and Ultimate Truth?


texts:
It is mentioned in yoga vashisht's books which is translated by Rishi Singh Gherwal that he performed mental Raj-suya Vajna in paragraph 54-56 :

Saint Vashisht answered: "King Lavana was not bound by the results of
his actions, as he performed them without attachment, and with
complete indifference to the outcome. One morning while sitting in
solitude, the King fell into a profound reverie and thought of
performing mentally the Raj-suya Vajna, as performed by his powerful
ancestor Harish Chandra.
He thought of all the accessories to the Sacrifice, and in imagination
offered oblations to the gods, and went through all the details of the
sacrifice. When he awoke from his reverie, it was night-fall. It is a
rule that whoever performs the Royal Sacrifice, must undergo great
pain and suffering. So the King of the gods, Indra, sent a celestial
messenger to inflict suffering on King Lavana.
The mendicant, who appeared before the King, and put him into a trance
in which he suffered cruelly, was none other than Indra's messenger.
This I discovered by my ascetic powers. So you will see from this
episode, that actions performed even mentally have far-reaching
consequences. The story of King Lavana is as follows: A mendicant came
to the Court of King Lavana and besought him to witness has powers. On
the King consenting, the mendicant waved a peacock feather before the
King's face, and immediately the King sank into unconsciousness, while
his body writhed fearfully.
When some time later the King recovered consciousness, his minister
asked him what he had experienced. The King replied "I felt dizzy when
the mendicant waved the fan. Then I saw a horse coming toward me. On
the mendicant's suggestion I rode the horse and was carried away to a
dense forest, where I fell from the horse and felt very thirsty. While
I lay dying of thirst, I saw a young woman pass my way with a pitcher
of water. I asked for water, but the girl refused, saying that she was
low-born and could not give water to the King unless he married her
and promised to live with her folks. In my extremity, I consented. I
married the girl, but found it very hard to live with her folks, who
were no better than barbarians. I moved up on the hill top and built a
house. There I lived with the girl for eight years, and we had two
sons. Then there was a severe draught, and as a result, terrible
famine. People died by the hundreds and thousands for want of food. I
started, with my wife and sons, for some other land. On the way, my
wife died from fatigue and exhaustion and my sons cried for food.
Unable to see them suffer, I killed myself. Just at this point I
recovered consciousness." So said the King, and all present marvelled
at the strangeness of the dream. They looked around for the ascetic
but he was nowhere to be found.

I have also read about a rishi performing mental oblations to god and was later greeted by god.I don't remember the name.Are there more description about king Lavana and interested in knowing more such stories..references to them.


texts: Does Medhatithi contradict Manu Smriti while writing Bhasya? Does this verse of Manu allow a Bramhana to commit all bad acts and escape punishment?

texts:
Manu Smriti verse 9.319 says : Similarly even though they betake themselves to all sorts of undesirable acts, yet Brāhmaṇas should be honoured in every way; for they are the greatest divinity.
But Medhatithi comments

When they betake themselves to forbidden acts, they shall be dealt and
punished according to law, gently, and not attacked with force, in the
manner of other castes.

Firstly how can a Bramhana like Ashwatthama be honored when he does undesirable acts? Secondly does this verse make Bramhana immune from Punishments or lessen punishment as compared to other castes?


texts: What will happen if I break a vow to God

texts: I made a vow to God & I broke it. What can be done ❔


texts: If our true nature is satchidananda/atman, then why is there rebirth

texts:
Why is rebirth there if all of us are atman. Why should atma gnana be learnt for liberation.
What does learning advaita do that prevents us from getting a new birth?


texts: What scriptures describe Vishnu taking the form of a giant plough?

texts:
As I discuss in this question, one of the early movements that was important to the development of Vaishnavism was the ancient Pancharatra movement, whose sacred texts consisted of detailed procedures to worship the sage Narayana, an ancient incarnation of Vishnu who was the son of Yama god of death and twin brother of the sage Nara. Among the oldest Pancharatra texts are the Satvata Samhita, Paushkara Samhita, and Jayakhya Samhita. But there is another Pancharatra text even older than those, and it is found within the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata! It's called the Narayaniya, and it's an 18-chapter religious dialogue between Yudishthira and Bhishma on the importance of worshipping Narayana/Vishnu, similar to the Bhagavad Gita, another 18-chapter religious discourse between Krishna and Arjuna found in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata.

In any case, in this chapter of the Narayaniya section of the Mahabharata, Krishna tells Arjuna the different names of Krishna/Vishnu and their meaning.  In particular, he says this about the name Krishna:

  I till the Earth, assuming the form of a large plough-share of black iron. And because my complexion is black, therefore am I called by the name of Krishna.

The word Krishna certainly means dark, and Vishnu's incarnation Krishna is called that because he has dark skin.  But my question is, what does Krishna mean when he says that he takes the form of a "large plough-share of black iron" and tills the Earth?

Is this black plough a metaphor for something?  Is it similar to descriptions of the Vadavagni fire evaporating ocean water, which I discuss here?  In this book Swami Chinmayananda suggests that "[t]he Lord ploughs the hard stupidities in us and prepares the heart-field."

But are there any other scriptures that describe Vishnu tilling the Earth in the form of a giant plough?


texts: What scriptures describe the story of Krishna killing Ekalavya?

texts:
Most people only know about how Ekalavya, the Nishada prince, was rejected by the Pandavas' teacher Dronacharya and then willingly cut off his own thumb at Dronacharya's request.  What's not as well-known, however, is how Ekalavya died.  The story I've always heard goes roughly as follows.  The Nishadas were loyal to the evil king Jarasandha.  So when Bhima killed Jarasansha with Krishna's help, Ekalavya wanted to take revenge on Krishna.  So he tried to attack Dwaraka, but Krishna was able to kill him.

Here's how Wikipedia describes it:

  He was later killed by Krishna when he was on his campaign to destroy every Yadava in Dwaraka and Kuntibhoj for avenging Jarasandha's demise.

My question is, what scriptures describe this story of Krishna killing Ekalavya after Ekalavya tries to avenge the death of Jarasandha?

The fact that Krishna killed Ekalavya is mentioned multiple times in the Mahabharata.  Here is how the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata describes it:

  Ekalavya, the king of the Nishadas, always used to challenge this one to battle; but slain by Krishna he lay dead like the Asura Jambha violently thrashed on a hillock.

And in this chapter of the Drona Parva of the Mahabharata, Krishna tells Arjuna that he killed Ekalavya for Arjuna's benefit:

  O best of men! for thy good, the Nishada's son also, of prowess incapable of being baffled, was, by an act of guile, deprived of his thumb by Drona, assuming the position of his preceptor. Proud and endued with steady prowess, the Nishada's son, with fingers cased in leathern gloves, looked resplendent like a second Rama. Undeprived of thumb, Ekalavya, O Partha, was incapable of being vanquished in battle by the gods, the Danavas, the Rakshasas, and the Uragas (together). Of firm grasp, accomplished in weapons, and capable of shooting incessantly day and night, he was incapable of being looked at by mere men. For thy good, he was slain by me on the field of battle.

But are there any scriptures describing the specific circumstances of Ekalavya's death?


texts:
What practices shall be followed to master Sri Vidya Sadhana?
What does each mantra of Sri Vidya Sadhana mean? I've taken Sri Vidya Deeksha from a Guru, I want to understand the meaning of each mantra, to have the emotion while I recite the matra.


texts: Who is Jatukarnya the officiating priest for Vyasa?

texts:
This excerpt from the Matsya Puran mentions a certain rishi Jatukarnya as the priest designated for Vedvyas incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The same list has been shared in a different question.

For a person to be the officiating priest of the compiler of Vedas, he has to be exceptionally gifted! I want to know who this rishi is and if there are any details mentioned about his genealogy or life in any scripture.


texts:
The 10th day of the Mahabharata war, was very crucial for the Pandavas.

The war strategy made on completion of the 9th day of the war, was aimed at attacking Grandsire Bhishma, paving the way, for his permanent exit from the battlefield on day 10th of the war{without killing him, since he had the boon of dying as per his choice}.
Arjuna was about to face the most difficult and crucial battle against Grandsire Bhishma.

Did Arjuna pray to any God in particular during this crucial phase of the war?


texts: What are the names of the Kalpas as mentioned in Srimad Bhagavat Mahapurana or in any other scriptures?

texts:
Kalpa is a period of time as per Hindu scriptures - each Brahma Rules over various Kalpas, each Kalpa consisting of 14 Manvantaras.

Can I have the names of all the Kalpas?

NOTE: I want the names of the Kalpas from any authentic source like Puranas or Shrutis or any other scripture is fine - answer not needed if the Purana referenced is Bhavishya Purana


texts: Who is the current moon god, Soma son of Atri or Tvisiman son of Dharma?

texts:
This excerpt from the Anusanga Pada of the Brahmanda Purana describes the gods of the different planets and the Nakshatras they were born in in the present Vaivasvata Manvantara.  In particular, it says this:

  Tvisiman, the son of Dharma, the lord moon god, the son of Vasu, the cool-rayed cause of nights was born in the constellation Krittika

This excerpt from the Upodhghata Pada of the Vayu Purana says much the same thing:

  Tvisimat, the son of Dharma, known as Vasu is the lord Moon.

But this runs counter to my understanding of things.  I thought the moon god was Soma son of Atri, not Tvisiman son of Dharma.  As I discuss in this answer, Atri and Anasuya have three prominent sons: Brahma's incarnation Soma, Vishnu's incarnation Dattatreya, and Shiva's incarnation Durvasa.

And I thought Soma was the moon god in the present Vaivasvata Manvantara.  That's what this excerpt from the Prabhasa Kanda of the Skanda Purana and numerous other scriptures say.  So my question is, who is the current moon god, Soma son of Atri or Tvisiman son of Dharma.

This excerpt from the newly released Amar Chitra Katha comic book "Saptarshi" may shed light on how there could be multiple claimants to the title of current moon god:

  Chandra was born from the Churning of the Ocean, while Soma also called Chandra is the son of Atri.  Soma merges with Chandra to become one.

But is there any scriptural basis for this?


texts: Is the reconvering of Hindus through "ghar wapsi" (homecoming) based on scripture?

texts:
nothing in hinduism in enforced strictly.  large numbers of non-hindus have converted through "common law" and thats that.  I remember a strict elderly Iyengar emit smoke from his ears because a non-veg eating Nayudu chap claimed to be a vaishnavite and sported the namam.  I guess over generations such "Hindus" lost their quotes.

According to Wikipedia: "Ghar Wapsi (Hindi, meaning "Back to Home") is a series of religious conversion activities, facilitated by Indian Hindu organizations Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to facilitate conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism"

Does this have a scriptural basis?

does it make a difference if it is a re-conversion - a hindu who converted to another religion and wants to come back?


texts: According to Valmiki Ramayana, was Hanuman a human being or a monkey (vanara)?

texts: Hanuman is one of the central characters of Ramayana. He's revered as a great devotee of Shree Rama and worshiped as an avatar of Shiva. He's also known as the son of Vayu. We see his images, statues, photos, sculptures, temples, etc. all over India and he's popularly depicted as a monkey. But what does Valmiki Ramayana say about Hanuman? Is he a vanara or a human being?


texts: Why is Ramayana called the adi-kavya (first poem) and not Rig Veda? As I understand Rig Veda also consist of poems and since Rig Veda is older than Ramayana, shouldn't it be called the first poem?


texts: Who is the woman Rushama who had a footrace around the world with Indra?

texts:
In this excerpt from the Panchavimsha Brahmana of the Sama Veda, aka the Tandya Mahabrahmana, a certain Yagna which can only performed in Kurukshetra is described.  The Panchavimsha Brahmana mentions a story which demonstrates the greatness of Kurukshetra:

  Indra and Rushama made a wager: "Whichever of us shall first run round the earth shall be the winner."  Indra ran round the earth, Rushama ran round Kurukshetra (only).  She said "I have conquered thee."  But Indra said "It is I that have conquered thee."  They went to the Gods for a decision.  The Gods said: "Kurukshetra is as great as the vedi of Prajapati."  So neither of the two won.

This story bears a striking resemblance to the famous story of Shiva's sons Kartikeya and Ganesha having a footrace around the world.  Kartikeya runs around the world, whereas Ganesha just circumambulates his parents Shiva and Parvati.  Because parents are considered to be the world of the son, Ganesha is declare the winner and is given the desired reward (either getting to be married first in North Indian versions, or getting a Jnana fruit in South Indian versions).

But my question is, who is this woman Rushama who had a race with Indra?  And what was the purpose of the bet?

If it helps, a male figure named Rushama is mentioned in verse 12 of Rig Veda Book 8 Hymn 3:

  śaghdhī no asya yad dha pauramāvitha dhiya indra siṣāsataḥ |
  śaghdhi yathā ruśamaṃ śyāvakaṃ kṛpamindra prāvaḥ svarṇaram ||

  Help for us, Indra, as thou helpest Paura once, this man's devotions bent on gain.
  Help, as thou gavest Ruśama and Śyāvaka and Svarṇara and Kṛpa aid.

But I'm not sure if the male Rushama has any connection with the female Rushama.  In any case, does anyone know if any other scriptures discuss Indra's race with Rushama?


texts:
I read that act done after crossing the seas would yield no fruit.

I also heard many Gurus in India do not travel abroad.
Why is this restriction?

Rama crossed the ocean but you may say it's through bridge. But Ravana, crossed it to kidnap Sita in Vimana. He is one of the greatest Brahmin with all the knowledge to know what is good. Rama also his return to Ayodhya came in Vimana, flying over the ocean.


texts: In Mahabaratha, Sahadevan is a great astrologist but How he missed out Karnan

texts:
In Mahabharata, Sahadevan (One of the brother through pandava's) a great astrologist however how he missed out to know that he is having one elder brother (Karna).

Since Sahadevan requested Lord Krishna to protect five of the brothers(pandava's) in Gurusehthram except the elder brother Karna. Hence Sahadevan didn't know that the Karna was an elder brother and a son of Kunthi Devi.


texts: Difference between sage Narayan and Brahman Narayana?

texts:
There is the sage Narayana along with Nara who did the pancharatra yajna described in the Pancharatra texts, then there is the Narayana as parabrahman. What is the difference?

Most Sri Vaishnava scholars say that Narayana is a proper noun and only refers to the ParaBrahman Narayana, so how can there be a sage Narayana who is the avatar of Vishnu?


texts: Names of Mantra, Sutra, Shloka and Stotra from Ramayana?

texts:
List of Names of Mantra, Sutra, Shloka and Stotra or anything; Recited_Chanted by Lord_Rama.
I know about

Bala Atibala

Aditya Hrudayam

are there any other?


texts:
The many names of the Goddess are Adi Shakti, Shakti, Durga and Devi. Are they the same person?
 Here is what I have gathered from numerous sources such as Wikipedia:

Durga, who is known as Parvati, is known as Adi Shakti. If so,what about Lakshmi and Saraswati?
Who is Adi Shakti in the first place? Is she the supreme goddess?
If Adi Shakti is the supreme goddess, then does it mean that,

Adi Shakti incarnates as Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati and the three goddesses are equal in power or does it mean that.
Parvati is the same as Adi Shakti and she incarnates as Lakshmi and Saraswati, thus making Parvati the most powerful as Adi Shakti is supreme (if we assume so according to the question)
Or is Adi Shakti just a synonym for Parvati and thus Adi Shakti/Parvati , Lakshmi and Saraswati are equal in power.

Only Parvati/Durga has many, many, many, many avatars. Why don't Lakshmi and Sarawati?
Shailaputri (a Navadurga) is Parvati (making Parvati Durga's avatar). However, normally it is vice versa.
In Devi Mahatmaya, Lakshmi is Durga (killer of Mahisasur) and Saraswati is Ambika (killer of Shumb and Nishumbh). Kali, or Parvati is merely helps Vishnu kill Madhu and Kathiba (she doesn't actually participate in the slaying). Normally however, Parvati is Durga (killer of Mahisasur) as well as Ambika (killer of Shumb and Nishumbh) while the other two hardly kill anybody.

Please clear my doubts.Also please tell me which option,1,2 or 3 is correct.


texts: Can anyone tell me the six kinds of renunciation described in Hindu scripture?

texts: What are the six kinds of renunciation that are mentioned in the Vedas or other Hindu scriptures?


texts: Do entire countries suffer punishment for their sins?

texts:
The Hindu religion says that individual people suffer for their sins and get rewarded for their merits.

My question is, do groups of people, like entire countries, suffer punishment for their sins?

In the course of human history, at some times countries will harbor evil ideologies, evil rulers, and hence the people will become evil, in any yuga. Do these countries face punishment?

If so, in what form? And which Devas carry out such punishments?


texts: Are Brahmacharis(male) allowed to grow hair(and facial hair)?

texts:
We often see vedic society people who are practising studenthood, to have almost clean shaved heads but nowadays people with short hair are seen preaching and learning the vedas, is it recommended to have hair(and facial hair)?
They say kama resides in the hair, so is it advisable for people pursuing student -hood to grow long hair(with facial hair)?


texts: What was the purpose of the Kurukshetra war of Mahabharata?

texts:
The Kurushethra war was to bring back Dharma by killing Duryodhana. But what was the need of it?
Duryodhana would have anyways died after few years like any human, right?
Is such a destructive war required to kill him?


texts: What is the benefit of attending Kumbh Mela?

texts:
I learned at university that the Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of people ever and that it occurs once every 12 years. I know it rotates between four cities meaning there is a Kumbh Mela somewhere every three years. I know Hindus from all over gather there to be cleansed in the river. But, I don't know why this is preferred to being cleansed in the river at other times.

I have wanted to attend for at least a decade, but I would have been a tourist, so it was probably okay that I couldn't go. I don't foresee a way to attend any time soon, so these questions are hypothetical for now.

Mostly I want to know four things:

Is it okay to attend as a white, American woman? (This is specific to me, but feel free to answer generally as well.)
How should I prepare before attending—both spiritually (What knowledge should I have? Do I need to be initiated into a particular sect of Hinduism?) and on the mundane level (Should I bring toiletries? Can I buy food there or should I prepare meals to bring along? What clothes are decent? What should I avoid bringing? Do I need to be concerned about theft? Do I need to know another language to understand the speakers or will English suffice?)?
What can I expect to learn that cannot be learned through personal practice?
What events are there and which are most important to attend?


texts: Holi is celebrated as a two day festival in India. The first day is known as Holika Dahan or Choti Holi and the second day is known as Rangon wali Holi.


texts:
What do ancient scriptures, texts and traditions tell us about the river Indus (Sindhu)?

Are there references to the Indus River Civilisation in the Mahabharata?

Has there been a significance of Indus like Ganga?


texts:
Atharva Veda is not considered the same as other three Veda and the study of which is generally discouraged if one doesn't have the required moral conditioning. What makes the Atharva Veda different from the other three?

I know Atharva contains recipe for numerous maleficent rituals including vashikarana etc. Could this be the reason?

Can someone shed some light on this?


texts: What is the meaning of this mantra from Chakshupanishad?

texts:
Does anyone know what is the meaning of following mantra?

प्राण विखंडन मन्त्र -
।। ॐ तच्चक्षुर्देवहितं पुरस्ताच्छुक्रमुच्चरत् हूं फट् ।।
prāṇa vikhaṃḍana mantra -
।। oṃ taccakṣurdevahitaṃ purastācchukramuccarat hūṃ phaṭ ।।

This is a cryptic mantra taken from the said upanishad by taking first letter of mantras like acronym. I want to find meanings of all that mantra and find all the slocks in full. If possible please share the upanishad if anybody have it.


texts: Why ignorance/believing causes suffering?

texts:
Ok, so I understand the concept of consciousness and it is awareness witnessing across 3 bodies namely physical, subtle and one corresponding to deep sleep. And since "we" are ignorant of it, we believe that problems of this body and mind are our problems and we suffer. But I am not clear about concept of suffering, i.e just because someone is ignorant and believes himself to be something else, why the problems of "someone/something else" is experienced by him. Analogy :
When we watch Lion tearing apart some other animal, we don't feel physical pain of animal being killed, maybe we feel sometimes pity but not actual pain of animal and no matter how hard we try to believe that we are someone else (in this case animal being killed), maybe their mental pain we can understand or may feel little but their physical  pain can't be experienced. So how come just by ignorance of our true self or by believing that we are not who we are and something else we experiences the pains/suffering??


texts: Are patala and other "-tala" places different planets altogether?

texts: The places such as atala, sutala, patala Are they different dimensions on earth? or are they different planets below earth?


texts: Is there any description available of Kalpavriksh?

texts: It is said that during Samudra Manthan, appeared the wish fulfilling tree called Kalpavriksha. It was later taken by Devas. But, is there any more description of this tree, how it looked like, was it different from other trees, were there any fruits on it. Also, does it existed prior to Samudra Manthan as well, how it fulfilled wishes. Also, do we have any stories where anyone used this tree to get anything.


texts: Source of the story Mrigari - The Hunter and Narada?

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The story of Mrigari - The Hunter transformed by association of Narada muni is briefly recollected in Chaitanya Charitamrita, madhya lila, 24th chapter from verse 229.

I found it in Stories from the Skanda Purana

Can someone point the exact location in Skanda Purana?


texts: Have any Hindu scholars/commentators touched on the topic of relationship between Brahma and saraswati?

texts: Have any scholars commented on the whole lust of prajapati in shatpatha brahmana and other texts describing them as couple, what does shankaracharya and other scholars say?


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The Atma resides in the body and the body is made up of billions of cells. So lets say someone donates blood or simply some of their cells are isolated, do the blood cells and the isolated cells also carry the Atma of that person? Has anything like this been stated in the scriptures?

EDIT

I am not asking where the Atma is located, I am asking if it can be "transferred" from one person to another when we donate blood or something like that because our blood has cells and cells are living things, so do they have an atma that is different from mine or do they carry my Atman?


texts: Why lord Venkateshwara's name is not listed in the avatars of vishnu?

texts: Why is lord Venkateshwara name not listed in avatar of Vishnu?


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What is the difference between a stotra, stava, stuti, sukta and mantra? Please give examples of each to explain.

Would be helpful if any references can be quoted from scriptures.


texts: Story of a blue-eyed mongoose that came on completion of the Ashvamedha Yajna of king Yudhishthira?

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King Yudhishthira performed the Ashvamedha Yajna(horse-sacrifice) under the guidance of Maharishi Vyasa. There is a wonderful story of a blue-eyed mongoose which came at the conclusion of the Asvhamedha of king Yudhishthira, and spoke words of criticism, in a human voice. Later on, it became clear that the mongoose was infact a celestial being who was under a curse.

Who was the blue-eyed mongoose and who had cursed that mongoose?

What are the details of this story?


texts: Is there the first birth of a jiva soul in the material world or not?

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According to the teaching of Vedanta a jiva soul or the living being (jivatma) has never been created, and that is because a jiva exists eternally throughout all the phases of time, namely past, present and future. That means that there were no creation of a jiva soul (jivatma) anytime in the past. And that practically means that a jiva existed since infinite time in the past.
Now, some Hindus believe that the jivas living in this material world has been living here since infinite time in the past, thus being repeatedly born lifetime after lifetime infinite number of times so far, or to say that in other words they believe in infinite number of rebirths for jivas who live in this material world in the beginningless samsara. Thus they believe that samsara (repeated births and deaths) for the jivas has no beginning, ie it is beginningless, and thus they believe that there is no the first birth of a jiva in the material world.
However, there are Hindus who believe that there really is the first birth of a jiva in this material world, and thus they do not believe in infinite number of rebirths since infinite past, and thus they do not believe in beginningless samsara.

What does Hindu scripture have to say about this subject? Please provide specific scriptural statements to support your answer.


texts: how hindusim surviveed even though it was under external occupation

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India was ruled by Islamic invaders and christian west.

How come hinduism survives and continues to flourish ?

the same happened in africa, america and australia. ony christianity and Islam survives there.

In most places pagan religions are all died out except india.

What makes hinduism stand out and flourise ?


texts: What is the validity of Authoritativeness of vedas?

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Pramana is defined as that which is the means of valid knowledge ( Prama)

In general three Pramanas are accepted by all vedantins.

Prtyaksha ( Perception)
Anumana ( Inference )
Sabda ( Verbal testimony)

In addition some school of thoughts accept more than three Pramanas . e.g. Mimamsakas as well as some advaitins accept Upamana (comparison), arthapatti ( Presumption) and anupalabdhi (non-apprehension)

Now, Vedas ( revealed scriptures) are verbal testimony and are considered apaurusheya (not authored by any human, divine revelation).

The question is what are arguments for the validity of Vedas and it's Authoritativeness?

Please quote from scriptures  and commentaries of various acharyas to support the validity and authority of Vedas being apaurusheya?


texts: How can the ideology of Cārvāka exist within Hinduism?

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Cārvāka (or charvak), which is a sub-ideology within Hinduism, contains highly conflicting ideals with the core religious views. For example, it's dominantly atheistic (and that sort of defeats the purpose of a religion).

Moreover, according to this ideology:

There's no soul.
Metaphysical concepts ― like reincarnation, an extracorporeal soul, the efficacy of religious rites, other worlds (heaven and hell), fate, and accumulation of merit or demerit through the performance of certain actions ― don't exist.
There's no afterlife.
There's nothing wrong in sensual pleasure.

And so on.

How can this ideology exist within Hinduism?


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Where can I find the collection of shlokas on the great human qualities?
Qualities like perseverance, hardworking, visionary, Kind, Passionate Honesty and Integrity etc?


texts: Is Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda Mahapravu both are same person?

texts: Is Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda Mahapravu both are same person or they are different avatar?


texts: Is Sanskrit really a divine language or is it simply the common spoken language of the Vedic era?

texts: If Vedas were to be "heard" in the medieval era by the sages, I am sure they might have composed it in Awadhi or some other common language, as even Tulsidas composed.


texts: Why does Krishna suck his toe while lying on a Banyan leaf?

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The very famous imagery of a baby Krishna sucking his own toes is mentioned in various places.

The first paragraph of the Balamukundashtaka clearly depicts the scene:

  Kararvinde na padarvindam
  mukhar vinde vinve shayantam
  vatasya patrasya pute shayanam
  balam mukundam mansa smarami.

which roughly translates to, "I pray to Balamukunda, who keeps his lotus like feet, near his lotus like mouth, using his lotus like hand".

The 9th chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam, describes Sage Markandeya seeing Lord Krishna sleeping on a banyan leaf and later:

  he saw how the infant with the graceful fingers of His two hands grabbed one of His lotus feet and placed it in His mouth

Both of them, however, fail to mention the reason why he is in such a position. Is there a particular reason as to why he places his feet near his mouth? (Is it just to symbolize that he is a child, or is there any other hidden meaning to it?)


texts: What are some of the famous shlokas that glorify parents?

texts: What are the famous shlokas in scriptures for glorifying our parents?


texts: Do the Devas and Pitrs like eating meat?

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The body of animals killed in Yajnas and Sraddhas go to the world of the Devas as well as the world of Pitrs. The Devas and Pitrs eat the flesh of the animals killed in the yajnas offered by humans.

My question is, do the Devas and Pitrs like eating meat or enjoy the taste of flesh? Is there any thing in Hindu scripture that mentions this?

Like for example, in the Mahabharata, Bhishma says that the flesh of deer is very tasty.


texts: How long did it take to write the whole Mahabharata?

texts: Mahabharata is longest version consists of over 100,000 Sloka or over 200,000 individual verse lines,so such big lines of epic how much time it has taken to write ?


texts: Does Lord Krishna approve propagation of the Gita worldwide?

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In the Gita, Sri Krishna orders Arjuna :

  18.67 This (Gita) you should NEVER teach to one who is devoid of austerities, NOR to one who is not a devotee. Also, NEITHER to one who does not render service to Me, NOR to one who has any dislike for Me.

In the very next sloka, He says

  18.68 He who, entertaining supreme devotion to Me, will speak of this highest secret, to My devotees will without doubt reach Me alone.

In these days, Gita is being propagated with great enthusiasm across the globe.

Does Sri Krishna allow this in any scripture?


texts: Which scripture mention an encounter between Ravana and Ikshvaku king Raghu?

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This website mention that Lord Rama's ancestor Mahārāja Raghu used Narayanastra on Ravana.

Was there an encounter between them? Where is the story can be found?


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Eating meat is prohibited in Manu Smriti.

The people who eat vegetarian beef have the same impure thought as the people who eat real beef.

Should vegetarian beef be prohibited for Hindus?


texts: What is the theory of creation of the universe as per agama/tantra section of Hinduism

texts: Can anyone tell with reference? Would be helpful .


texts: Who is the Brahmana changed into a woman in the Rig Veda?

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As you can see in the Rig Veda Anukramani compiled in my answer here, Book 8 Hymn 33 of the Rig Veda was heard from the gods by the sage Medhyatithi, a descendant of the sage Kanva, and it's addressed to the god Indra.  But the hymn ends in a rather odd way:

  17 Indra himself hath said, "The mind of woman brooks not discipline,
  Her intellect hath little weight."

  18 His pair of horses, rushing on in their wild transport, draw his car:
  High-lifted is the stallion's yoke.

  19 Cast down thine eyes and look not up. More closely set thy feet. Let none
  See what thy garment veils, for thou, a Brahman, hast become a dame.

First of all, I don't know whether in verse 17 Indra is making a general observation about the intelligence of women, or just a statement about some particular woman!

But my main question is, who is the person being addressed in verse 19, apparently a Brahmana man who has transformed into a woman somehow?  Is it a reference to the story of Asanga, the man described in Book 8 Hymn 1 of the Rig Veda, who was temporarily cursed to turn into a woman and then restored?  And what does any of this have to do with Indra?


texts: Where are God's lab and God's own thesis written on whole universe development?

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I am not sure about exact meta branch on this question. but I ask it in Hinduism context.

Question is:

Every scientist does some experiement for any kind of invention in lab and writes thesis on it.

Where are God's lab for experiment and God's own thesis written on whole universe development?


texts: Does Atharva Veda 6.8.3 talk about Sun revolving around Earth?

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Griffith translation:

As in his rapid course the Sun encompasses the heaven and earth,
  So do I compass round thy mind that thou mayst be in love with.
   me, my darling, never to depart.

Does the first line looks like scientific error?

It says like Sun revolves around the earth.


texts:
Sumukhaschaikadanthascha, Kapilo Gaja Karnika,

  Lambhodarascha Vikato Vignarajo Vinayaka

  Dhoomakethurganadhyaksha Phalachandro Gajanana,

  Vakra Thunda Soorpakarno Herambha Skanda poorvaja

  Shodasaithani namani ya padeth srunuyadhapi,

  Vidhyarambhe vivahe cha pravese, nirgame thadha,

  Sangrame sarvakarye cha vigna sthasya na jayathe

This stotra is about the 16 names of Lord Ganesha along with phala shruti.  This stotra is supposed to be from the 24th Prakarana of Upasana Khanda of Ganesa Purana.

Source: http://www.celextel.org/stotras/ganesha/ganapatishodasastotram.html

In the above link it is given that the stotra is from Ganesha purana but it's not.  There is a hint in the below document at page 21 that the stotra might be from Skanda purana

http://www.kamakoti.org/kamakoti/books/ESSENCE%20OF%20GANESHA%20MAHIMA.pdf

If anyone happens to know where exactly in Skanda purana the stotra is mentioned, kindly let me know.


texts: Does Shankara's Advaita Vedanta really assume the world to be an illusion?

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In popular media and layman books, it is assumed that Vedanta states that the world is an illusion and Brahman alone is the reality. However, I think this position has been made popular by the British colonialists to passify the Indian population, and make the Hindu religion look escapist. I may be wrong on this aspect, and it might be innocent mistranslation by foreigners not familiar with the Sanskrit language.
In the complete works of Swami Vivekananda, on his lectures titled - Maya, he explains that the world is an illusion is not a correct explanation of the advaita vedanta doctrine. He goes on to give examples which demonstrate what maya is. From his examples, one can gather it is the human condition of getting lost in emotions and distractions that make one forget to look at the larger picture, ie, to look at life dispassionately and objectively. For an example, he says that the act of a mother caring for her grown up son, despite him beating her and not giving her respect. This is maya. This particular instance can be understood as the natural human inclination/ psychology, which is so designed as to be sometimes irrational.
In my opinion, this is similar to stoic principles which seek to make the human mind get some hold on the emotions, in the absence of which, one faces unnecessary grief and mental turmoil. (See- Seneca, "On Anger" or Enchiridion by Epictetus, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius)
A vast majority of people supporting the interpretation that Sankara says that the world is an illusion, Brahman alone is the truth, please watch this:
short video.
In this video, it is explained that the sanskrit shloka by sankara, which goes like: Bhraman satya, jagat mithya, is mistranslated as Brahman alone is the truth, World is an illusion/falsehood. However, mithya is not falsehood, when seen in this context. Mithya means construction/reconstruction. Which again supports the view put out by me in the first para, that maya is primarily the explanation of psychological phenomenon/ functioning of the mind, as the mind is involved in interpreting the objective reality as events, for example insult or praise do not really exist, objectively, they are just sounds. It is only when our mind interprets it and the ego is involved, we either take it as an insult or a praise, depending on the context.
What do the commentaries on the original scriptures say about this? For example, what do the various critical commentaries of the Brahma Sutra say on this?