Q&A

Question What is the Navavidha Bhakti? Answer Navavidha Bhakti Shrimad Bhagavatam 7.5:23-24 sri-prahrada uvaca sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam iti pumsarpita visnau bhaktis cen nava-laksana kriyeta bhagavaty addha tan manye 'dhitam uttamam Prahlada Maharaja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Visnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) -- these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service....

Question What one should do while eating a food? Answer There is a popular mantra amongst some bhaktas, that could be of information to you sir. This is an advaitic perspective. Here is a link This is from Shrimad Bhagavad Gita by Lord Krishna. Brahmarpanam Brahma Havir Brahmagnau Brahmana Hutam Brahmaiva Tena Ghantavyam Brahmakarma Samadhina [Bhagavad Gita 4:24] The act of offering is Brahman. The offering itself is Brahman. The offering is done by Brahman in the sacred fire which is Brahman....

Question Is it true that cow has 33 crores god in it? Answer In Sanskrit there are two meaning of the word Koti Crore Type But, we are making mistakes and interpret as a Crore rather than to interpret Type. Note: “The question: Is it true that cow has 33 crores god in it?” is licensed by Stack Exchange Inc (https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/); user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA.

Question Why did Shiva not swallow the poison arising from Samudra Manthan? Answer According to stories given in Shiva Purana, there is one Lord Shiva who is the main GOD and then Lord Rudra, who is a manifestation of Lord Shiva born from eyebrows of Lord Bramha. The TV serials hardly show this. This Rudra form is actually the one who resides on Mount Kailash and is also the one who married Mata Parvati....

Question Why Nãrãyana (Vishnu) had to pray Rudra (Shiva) to obtain supreme powers? (excerpt from Mahãbhãrata) Answer It's because Narayana is the soul of Rudra or one may also call Rudra is the soul of Narayana. Both are true. It is explained by Krishna himself in this chapter of Shanti Parva (in the Nãrãyaniya section): He is the destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice and the tearer of Bhaga's eyes. O son of Pandu, Rudra should be known to have always Narayana for his Soul....

Question What does it mean to say that Vishnu worships those who worship him? Answer This is a recurring theme throughout the scriptures. Krishna says in the Uddhava Gita (Chapter 9): Neither Brahma, nor Shiva, nor Balarama, nor Lakshmi, nor My own form is so dear to Me as you. [addressing Uddhava, who Krishna says is the supreme devotee of the Lord] With a view to purifying Myself by the dust of his feet, I always follow the sage who cares for nothing, is calm, bears enmity to none, and is even-minded....

Question The origin and meaning of word Hindu? Answer Hindus didn't call themselves Hindu. It was the name given by Islamic invaders. To them everyone living beyond the river Sindhu were Hindus including Buddhists, Jains & animistic tribals. Sindhu becomes Hindu in Persian and Indus in English. And the land of these people beyond Sindhu became Hindustan. To the native, i.e ancestors of today's Hindus, their religion was just called Dharma....

Question Is Taj Mahal really a Shiva Temple in the past? Answer As far as I know the this Taj Mahal as Shiva temple theory was propagated by a self taught, self proclaimed historian P N Oak. I am not discarding his theory because he did not have proper training but his evidence and logic does seem to be pretty shaky. I will not go into specific details on this answer but Indologist Dr....

Question Are Rama and Krishna incarnations of Vishnu or Brahman? Answer Swami Prabhavananda's The Spiritual Heritage of India (1962) contains this (emphasis mine): In Rama and Sita, according to the Adhyatma Ramayana, we behold the embodiment of Brahman in his dual aspect, the unmanifest and the manifest [...] Ravana, even, hating Rama as he does, robbing him of Sita and fighting against him -- even Ravana worships them. Indeed, his very enemity is a form of worship....

Question How is ‘Vishwa Virat Swaroop’ of Lord Krishna described in Mahabharata? Answer Vishnu's Vishwarupa form, AKA his Sahasrashirsha or Aniruddha form, is described in many different places in Hindu scripture: The earliest reference to Vishnu's Vishwarupa is the Purusha Sukta, a hymn from the Rig Veda: A thousand heads hath Puruṣa, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide. This Puruṣa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be; The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food....

Question What was the size of Sugriva’s army that fought against Ravana alongside Rama? Answer According to Valmiki Ramayana, there were approximately 90 crore vanaras in Sugriva's army, and most of them used mace (gada) as their weapon. Some even used fingernails and teeth to fight Ravanas' army. Note: “The question: What was the size of Sugriva’s army that fought against Ravana alongside Rama?” is licensed by Stack Exchange Inc (https://hinduism....

Question Are there any stories related to Lord Shiva from the Kaliyuga? Answer Let me preface this by saying that since most of our scriptures were composed or compiled by Vyasa at the end of the Dwapara Yuga or the beginning of the Kali Yuga, most descriptions of Shiva's activities in the Kali Yuga would be in the form of prophecies. But here are at least some potential activities that Shiva may have done in the Kali Yuga:...

Question What is the best way to attain Moksha (God-realization) in Hinduism? Answer There are many paths as there are many different temperaments of people and different understandings. There is no 'one' way. All the scriptures enjoin upon you to find your teacher - your teacher is the one that knows the path that is best suited for you. Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (IV. 34): Learn it by prostration, by inquiry, and by service....

Question Should Krishna be considered good or bad? Answer Cheating and Deception by lord krishna Main aim of lord Krishna birth on earth was to remove evil, destroy evil souls and restore peace and Dharma (Virtue). He also wanted to give a message to the world that “Those who are on the path of truth and dharma will achieve victory”. He also said he wouldn’t hesitate or even flicker to do anything to save dharma (virtue)....

Question Why Yudhisthira went to hell? Answer Yudhishthir was taken to hell and had heard all his brothers, wife and sons screaming out of pain there but that was just an illusion created by the Gods only for a small amount of time so that he suffers a bit mentally and due to that his only sin of being untruthful at the time of Drona's killing, can be redeemed. According to Chapter 5 of Mahabharata's Swargarohanika Parva, following is what is told to Yudhishthir after he sees his brothers, wife, etc suffering in hell:...