Q&A

Question Spiritual significance of Goddess Lakshmi serving the Lotus feet of God Vishnu Answer Goddess Lakshmi (Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी} is the goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity. Goddess Lakshmi is the “eternal” consort and shakti (energy) of God Vishnu. Goddess Lakshmi is also considered as, another aspect of the Supreme Goddess. Goddess Lakshmi serving Vishnu's feet should not be taken literally. And should only be perceived to understand the devotional aspect of life....

Question Was Rama a god? Answer Yes, Sri Rama, the son of Dasharatha is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. So, he himself is the Lord. It is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana, Baala Kanda that all world had become sad because of Ravana. Then all Devas along with Lord Brahma prayed to Lord Vishnu. Then Lord Vishnu pleased by them and promised to take birth as the son of Dasharatha. ततो नारायणो देवो विषुणुः नियुक्तः सुर सत्तमैः | जानन् अपि सुरान् एवम् श्लक्ष्णम् वचनम् अब्रवीत् || १-१६-१...

Question Can we keep Shiva Linga at home? Answer Yes. Shiva Linga can be kept in your house but you must follow some rules to keep Shiva Linga in your house, as we invited Shiva into Linga by doing Prana Pratista. Dr.Annadanam Chidambara Sastri gives some instructions one must follow to keep Shiva Linga at home. This video is part of Telugu Program called Dharma Sandhehalu which is aired on Bhakti TV....

Question Trilok is “three worlds” but what is Go Lok Answer Lord Krishna's own abode in the eternal spiritual world above this material world is called goloka (go -- cow; loka -- world, planet), meaning literally "cow-world". There are many cows there and Lord Krishna enjoys his eternal pastimes there as a cowherd with gopas (cowherds) and gopis (cowherd girls), among which the most prominent gopi is Sri Radha, Lord Krishna's the most beloved....

Question Core Messages of Ramayana and verses from Ramayana that one can refer, to enrich life in general Answer Qns-1- Is there a similar theological dimension to Ramayana? Yes, there is indeed a theological dimension to Ramayana.And there is also a similar timeless wisdom,like in the Mahabharata epic, in the timeless epic Ramayana. As said by Swami Vivekananda,the soul of every human being {the Jivatman}desires to be in affinity with the Paramatman{and attain Moksha}....

Question Is Vishnu present in the current time? Answer I think you are referring to verse 2.12. न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपा | न चैव न भविष्याम: सर्वे वयमत: परम् || 12|| na tvevāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ na chaiva na bhaviṣhyāmaḥ sarve vayamataḥ param Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be....

Question What are the different branches of Shaktism? Answer One of the major Tantrik scripture is called the VishnukrAntA. It has within itself several other major Tantik scriptures like Nila Tantram, Niruttara Tantram and many others. Now, AFAIK, it's only in the Niruttara Tantram, that the Shakti Deities are classified into two groups- Sri Kula and KAli Kula. Here are the relevant verses: KAli tArA raktakAli bhuvana mahishamardini | TriputA tvaritA durgA vidyA prtyangirA tathA ||...

Question Are girls allowed to learn the Vedas? Answer Yes, females are allowed to read the Vedas. I am posting a passage from a famous 14th century text(Jivanmuktiviveka of Vidyaranya) which shows the importance of women Rishis in the formulation of the present day Hinduism and the equal rights enjoyed by women in Hinduism.. Renunciation is mentioned in the Taittiriya and other Upanishads: 'Some have attained immortality, not by acts, nor by offspring, nor by wealth, but by renunciation alone' (Kaivalya Upanishad....

Question Are married women allowed to fast religiously(vrata)? Answer There are countless verses in scriptures which counter this verse. Parashara Smriti is a Smriti text and Puranas are also Smriti text thus they have equal authority. Thus we can counter this verse by using Puranic verses as Authority. Although there are countless counter verses in every Puranas. I have here used only Padma Purana. Padma Purana Brahma Khanda chapter 5 states:...

Question Are curses(saapa) effective in Kali Yuga? Answer As per the Parashara Smriti, curses(saapa) are effective in Kali Yuga as well very much like the previous 3 Yugas.Only difference being in the time after which the curses take effect. For example,In Krita curses effect immediately,in Treta after 10 days,in Dwapara after a month whereas in Kali it takes 1 year for the curse to take effect. The exact Sloka which answers our query is Chapter 1,Sloka 27:...

Question How can a man completely get relieved of curses and sins? Answer A man can be relieved from curses and sins completely he committed during his earthly life when he dies followed by his wife also dies in the same pyre and loses here life. This is the best parikara. கணவன் செய்த எல்லா பாவங்களும், அவனுடைய மனைவி கணவனுடன் உடன்கட்டை ஏறுவதால் பரிகாரமாகி விடும். Source Garuda puranam under prayaschitha chapter. Note: “The question: How can a man completely get relieved of curses and sins?...

Question How to practice Kriya Yoga from Vaishnava perspective? Answer Kriya Yoga is not alien to Vaishnavism. Jagatguru referred Kriya Yoga (Pranayama) when expounding Bhagavadgita to Arjuna. Bhagavadgita verse 4.29 talks about Pranayama which is part of Kriya Yoga. apāne juhvati prāṇaḿ prāṇe ’pānaḿ tathāpare prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣu juhvati Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing....

Question Why women are not allowed to attend Funerals Answer Prohibiting Women from entering Graveyards is ācāram more than a śāstra. Usually women are sensitive and cannot withstand the death of husbands and sons and family members. If they are allowed there they might take their own life out of agony. One such examples are Mādri died by falling in the cremation fire of Pāndu in Mahābhārata. In the biography of Narasimha Saraswati in Guru Charitra - a story in which a mother getting her dead son back is narrated in which she refuses to give dead body and gets ready to die along with him....

Question Bhagya Suktam and translation in English Answer ॐ परातरग्निं परातरिन्द्रं हवामहे परातर्मित्रावरुणाप्रातरश्विना | परातर्भगं पूषणं बरह्मणस पतिं परातः सोममुत रुद्रं हुवेम || Aum prātaraghniṃ prātarindraṃ havāmahe prātarmitrāvaruṇāprātaraśvinā | prātarbhaghaṃ pūṣaṇaṃ brahmaṇas patiṃ prātaḥ somamuta rudraṃ huvema || MEANING In English: AGNI at dawn, and Indra we invoke at dawn, and Varuṇa and Mitra, and the Aśvins twain. Bhaga at dawn, Pūṣan, and Brahmaṇaspati, Soma at dawn, Rudra we will invoke at dawn....

Question What is Hinduism’s view on porn? Answer In Hinduism we have the concept of "Ashtavidha Mithuna" .i.e 8 forms of copulation all of which are equivalent or equally important in a given context . For example,from the book Essence of Dharma Sindhu : During the Upavaasa time(fasting time), one should not take water too many times, should not chew betel leaves/nuts, should not sleep, nor resort to Ashtavidha Mithuna ie....