Q&A

Question Why can Tulsi leaves only be picked on certain days? Answer This question seemed to be discussed a lot and you can find some citations from Hari Bhakti Vilasa in the link below: http://www.lotusimprints.com/new/blog/2008/12/14/qa-worship-of-tulasi-devi-on-dvadasi-17-other-questions/ The take away from the above link: Tulasi is a devotee of Lord Vishnu (Kesava priya) and she is said to practice vratam/fasting on Ekadasi and so as not to disturb her in potentially weak condition people don't pick her leaves on the following day....

Question Why do Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva always meditate on each other? Answer I would try to correct a one misconception that Lord Vishnu meditates on Lord Shiva. No he doesn't, Lord Vishnu actually meditates on Lord Brahma. It is a cyclic process, Lord Brahma meditates on Lord Shiva, Lord Shiva meditates on Lord Vishnu and Lord Vishnu meditates on Lord Brahma, and the cycle goes on. Why this Cycle ?...

Question Why does Lalitha Devi sit on Shiva? Answer Lalitha Sahasra Nama is the best answer for all your questions here. She is Shrichakra Raja nilaya- Lalitha Devi, the divine mother. Let me give the answers based on the picture above. Sachaamara Rama Vaani Savya Dakshina sevitha. Rama (Lakshmi) and Vaani (Saraswathi) are said to do her seva with chamara (fans). sashara chaapa paasha ankushaam The two weapons in her upper right and left hands are to cut the worldly desires in out heart and bring us to her feet....

Question Does marriage really depend on Kundali and Gunas? Answer Kundali and Gunas are just a part of the mathematics which is given a name "Astrology". As per the person's birth time and birth place, the effect gravitational forces of planets and stars on those two persons forms their matching Lagana kundali. Now this mathematics of astrology is "Probability" based outcome. Astrology gives you % of probability based on the gravitational and time effects based on kundali gunas....

Question Each God has a specific trait in Hinduism Answer Ramakrishna Parmahamsa gave the example of a man who is a judge. When he goes into the courtroom he is seen by the people present as a judge. When he comes home his wife sees a husband. His children sees him as a father. It is all the same person, the different perceptions are in the eye of the beholder. God is one....

Question What are reasons for Karna’s death? Answer There are many reasons For karna's death,as given in Wikipedia Parashurama laid curse upon Karna that he would forget all the knowledge required to wield the divine weapon Brahmanda astra, at the moment of his greatest need. Karna was also cursed by a Brahmin for killing his cow while practising his skills with bow and arrows. BhoomiDevi cursed him that at a very crucial moment in battle, his chariot wheel would be trapped tightly in the mud Kunti extracted a boon from him that he would not kill anyone of her sons except Arjuna Kunti asked him not to use the nagastra more than once His charioteer Salya deserted him at an important moment Indra took away karna's Kavacha Kundala(natural armour) He exhausted the Vajrayudha he had reserved to kill Arjuna on Ghatotkatcha(Bheema's son) Karna attained Svarga(heaven) not Moksha(liberty) ,as all Kshatriyas(warriors) who die in war are sure to attain heaven....

Question Is there any hidden meaning behind this verse? Answer I think you're just misinterpreting the line. Tulasidas isn't calling Hanuman "buddhihina" or lacking in intelligence, he's calling himself buddhihina and thus in need of Hanuman's help. Here is how the Gitapress translation renders the line: Considering myself devoid of intellectual merits, I invoke Sri Hanuman, the son of wind-god. O! Bestow on me the strength, intellect and knowledge. Kindly remove my bodily ailments and mental maladies....

Question Why Jesus Isu Christ, Guru Nanak, Buddha and Muhammad should not be considered as Lord Vishnu’s avatars? Answer You have realised the correct thing. But the reason they should not be considered as avatars of Vishnu is because it has not been explicitly mentioned in the scriptures. It is the scriptures which tell us in the first place who Vishnu is and what are His incarnations. So without the scriptures explicitly mentioning any of the prophets it will always remain a subjective thing to decide whether someone is an avatara of Vishnu or not....

Question Why is goddess Kali shown topless? Answer The premise of the question, that Goddess Kali is like a human female, is incorrect. Ma Kali is the infinite Brahman according to the great spiritual figures like Ramprasad and Sri Ramakrishna. It would be a terrible mistake to read the iconography literally. I am posting one song by Ramprasad published in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna to make the point: Once for all, this time, I have thoroughly understood....

Question Did people in Krishna’s time know that he was God? Answer The answer is both yes and no. Some people were aware about His divinity and some were not. Hence not even all the Gopis were aware that He is God and loved Him as an ordinary boy. There were various categories of Gopis out of which some were sages in previous lives, some were manifested form of Veda richas....

Question Converting to Hinduism and Caste Answer There has already been a lot of discussion on converting to Hinduism and about caste system here on this site. The OP's question is slightly redundant. But I will answer the last part which hasn't been talked about here. And, what practices for worship do the converts follow? If they follow a certain sect's way, do they automatically get considered one of that sect?...

Question Did Dasharatha have 60,000 wives? Answer The claim of Dasharatha having 60,000 wives is from later versions of the Ramayana, particularly the Kamba Ramayana. But as far as the Valmiki Ramayana goes, Dasharatha has at least 350 wives, as described in the Ayodhya Kanda of the Ramayana: That king Dasaratha, who speaks truth, whose mind is virtuous, who is like an ocean by his depth of character and who is blemish less like a sky, replied to Sumantra as follows: "...

Question Which Upanishads are quoted in sage Vyasa’s Brahma Sutras? Answer The Badarayana-Vyasa Brahma Sutras are a compilation of extremely terse Sutras. These Sutras are impossible to understand without the commentary attached to them. There is no direct quote from any Upanishad in any of these Sutras. These Sutras are often not even complete sentences. It is the commentaries that claim that the Sutras are talking about particular shlokas from specific Upanishads....

Question Origins of God names - Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu Answer Shiva Shiva got most of his major names at birth, as I discuss in this answer. When Shiva was born, he immediately started to cry, and Brahma gave him numerous names to calm him down, as described in the Shatapatha Brahmana of the Yajur Veda: [Brahma] said to him, 'My boy, why criest thou, when thou art born out of labour and trouble?...

Question What do Hindu scriptures say about Hindu temples? Answer General perspective on temple worship: Deity worship was the main process in dvapara yuga. In kaliyuga the recommended process is chanting of the holy names of Lord Hari. You can see this for more information on this point. Do Hindu scriptures say that we should build temples? (Yes | No) Building temples is beneficial for our own self and for the society....