Q&A

Question Is maya connected to the notion of love? Answer Yes, there is a connection between the Bengali term Maya and the philosophical term Maya. The Bengali term maya means affection or love only towards one's relatives and friends. This limited or selfish love is equivalent to the philosophical term Maya. One goes beyond philosophical maya when one loves the entire world selflessly and not just one's relatives and friends. This love for the entire world, compassion, is called in Bengali daya....

Question Why is there a separate religion for Buddha, if Buddha is a Hindu god? Answer It is because the discrimination of religions as it has come to be is mostly based upon the primary scripture or teachings of the prophet or god rather than who the god is or who the proponent is. So irrespective of whether Buddha is a Hindu god or not, the message he preached and spread is different than that of Hindu/Vedic beliefs....

Question Whose avatara is Sri Ramanujacharya? Answer Sri Ramanujacharya is popularly believed by all as Sankarshana/Balarama/Sesha avatara (incarnation of Adisesha). But let us delve a bit and understand who Ramanujacharya actually is? Let’s look at the name Ramanuja. It means Raama + Anuja i.e. the younger brother of Lord Raama. Who is this younger brother? People jump to the conclusion that it is Lakshmana. Yes, It applies to Lakshmana also. But, what it actually means is that Ramaanuja is the younger brother of Balaraama i....

Question What is the relationship between Hinduism and atheism? Answer Atheism is not the pillar of Hinduism, but only a part of Hinduism. Moreover, the term nastika (atheist) means different in Hinduism than its usual meaning. Generally atheist means a person who doesn't believe in God, afterlife, etc. But in Hinduism atheist means a person who doesn't accept the authority of the Vedas (veda neendako nastika), that is, a person who doesn't accept words of the Vedas as the infallible truth....

Question Why do we see Lord Shiva under the feet of Mother Kali? Answer Swami Paramhansa Yogananda says in Paramhansa Yogananda, from The Essence of Self-Realization, Ways in Which God Can be Worshiped: Kali represents Mother Nature. She is Aum, the cosmic vibration. In Aum everything exists—all matter, all energy, and the thoughts of all conscious beings. Hence, Her garland of heads, to show that She is invisibly present in all minds....

Question Is it necessary for one to have children? Answer Use your common sense. If you cannot afford to take care of a child properly, do not have a child. There will be greater bad karma bringing into this world a child that you cannot take care of properly than whatever karma gained from having a child. Forget scripture, follow your heart. Remember what Jesus Christ said - "What you do to the least among you, you do to Me....

Question Gayatri mantra and three Lokas (planes) Answer Looks like I got the answer to my old question. Here is quote from Bhagavata (5.20.37) By the supreme will of Krishna, the mountain known as Lokāloka has been installed as the outer border of the three worlds—Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka—to control the rays of the sun throughout the universe. All the luminaries, from the sun up to Dhruvaloka, distribute their rays throughout the three worlds, but only within the boundary formed by this mountain....

Question What is the ultimate goal of Hinduism? Answer To be frank, there is no single ultimate goal of Hinduism. Why? Because, Hinduism has different philosophical systems and even within different systems there are different schools of thought. Every school of thought has its own ultimate goal or objective defined for life which contradict to one another. Hence, there is no single ultimate goal that is shared by all Hindus. So the true goal of Hinduism is determined and dependent upon the school of thought one follows....

Question What were the ages of Pandavas & other characters during the Mahabharata war? Answer As per this research article of Mahabharat timeline, Yudhisthira was 91 years old at the time of Mahabharat war. And since all other pandava brothers were younger nearly by one year successively (excluding Sahadeva), there ages at the time of war would have been as below approximately: Yudhistihra - 91 yrs, Bhima - 90 yrs, Arjuna - 89 yrs, Nakula and Sahadeva - 88 yrs...

Question What is the meaning of Om Tat Sat? Answer The meaning of "Om Tat Sat" is given by Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Om denotes Brahman, Tat (that) also means Brahman like in the popular mahavakya of the Upanishad Tat twam asi (you are That), and Sat (truth) also means Brahman. So these are the three names of Brahman, the absolute truth: oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśo brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ...

Question Who is the father of Indra? Answer Indra's father is the sage Kashyapa, son of the sage Marichi who is one of the mind-born sons of Brahma. Kashyapa married numerous daughters of Brahma's other son Daksha, including Aditi, mother of the twelve Adityas which include Indra. This is confirmed in numerous scriptures. Here is what the Aranya Kanda of the Ramayana says, for instance: Of them Kashyapa accepted eight slender-waisted daughters of Daksha Prajapati, namely Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kaalakaa and Taamra, Krodhavasha, also thus Manu and even Anala also as wives....

Question Sanskrit: Full shloka of “sā vidyā yā vimuktaye” (translation & English online reference & oral and written author location) Answer This is my first post in this forum. I am happy that I have stumbled upon it. Anyways, I was the one who replied in the Wordreference thread: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2962626 So, I'll simply copy my answer from there for easy reference: ============== I am sorry, I cannot help you with the references....

Question Why “GURU” is equal to “supreme GODS”? Answer Why is Guru equal to Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara This is because Guru is God Himself come in Human form. The Guru is the guide who knows the way to take the jiva to the top, which is re-union with God. Sri Swami Sivananda says in 'Guru Tattva': The Guru is God Himself manifesting in a personal form to guide the aspirant....

Question How to start reading Bhagavad Gita? Answer The Gita is one of the 3 pillars of modern Vedanta (the other two being the Upanishads and the Brahma-Sutras). There are many translations in many different languages. Read in the language that you are comfortable with. Chanting in Sanskrit is ok, but if you do not study it in a language that you understand, it is the same as a parrot mimicking human speech....

Question How can a soul enjoy or suffer when it is not harmed by anything? Answer Can the Soul take birth in higher planes or lower planes? The soul is never born and it never dies. The soul is indivisible, eternal and invincible. Sri Krishna says in Gita 2:20 The soul never takes birth and never dies at any time nor does it come into being again when the body is created....