Q&A

Question Soil for Maa Durga puja Answer As we know, prostitution is considered as taboo in Hindu Religion. So when a person decides to have sex with a prostitute, he is aware that he is going to do a bad thing, and hence he loses his good deeds/goodness outside the brothel. As many people visit the brothels, the soil outside holds all the goodness which are lost by those people, think as if the goodness is shed in that soil by the people who visit there and hence that soil is used to create idols as it is considered as pure/filled with good deeds....

Question What is the significance of Murthi pooja (idol worship)? Answer From the Vaishnava perspective: Taken as the summary of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 11, Chapter 27. Click here for the specific verses. Worshiping the Deity form of the Supreme Lord automatically brings purity and satisfaction to the mind. Thus it is the source of all desirable gains. If a person has no engagement in Deity service he will simply remain attracted to material sense gratification, and he will have no hope of giving up bad association....

Question Does the Gita have any apocrypha? Answer Hindu scriptures, including the Mahabharata which contains the Bhagavad Gita, were originally passed down through countless generations via oral tradition. But nowadays the main source we have on them (other than the limited oral tradition that still goes on in some ashrams) is via written manuscripts, and manuscripts had to be copied and recopied as the material they were written on (either bark in North India or palm leaves in South India) was of poor quality....

Question Why are temples devoted to Brahma so rare? Answer "I am of course familiar with the standard mythological justification." The story you mention isn't actually the standard justification for why Brahma isn't worshiped. But since you were wondering, the justification you give is from the Vidyeshwara Samhita of the Shiva Purana. In this account, Brahma and Vishnu argue about who is superior until this argument turns into a battle. The battle threatens to destroy the three worlds, so the devas (gods) go to Shiva for help....

Question Difference between Devas, Daevas, Asuras and Rakshasa Answer The usual translations are dēva=sura=divine, āsura=demoniac, rākšasa=man-eating. The divine qualities The dēvas are supposed to have these: fearlessness (abhayam), purification of existence (sattva samšuddhih), adherence to knowledge (jnāna vyavastitih), cooperation (yoga vyavasthitih), charity (dāna), self-control (dama), sacrifice (yajna), svādhyāya (contemplation), austerity (tapah), straightforwardness (ārjavam), nonviolence (ahimsā), truthfulness (satyam), placidity (akrodhah), renunciation (tyāgah), peacefulness (šāntih), non-malignancy (apēšunam), compassion towards embodied beings (dayā bhūtēšu), generosity (aloluptvam), gentleness (mārdavam), modesty (hrīh), reliability (acāpalam), influence (tējah), forgiveness (kšamā), determination (dhritih), cleanliness (šaucam), faithfulness (adrohah), limited ambitiousness (na ati mānitā)....

Question Why did Lord Krishna kidnap Rukmini to get married? Answer As per vedas getting married to a girl after kidnapping is considered devil/daemon (दानव) Vivaha (marriage) which isn't righteous (धर्मानुकूलन). You have perfectly stated the correct thing. Shri Krishna indeed married Rukmani in a rākṣasa style: bhagavān bhīṣmaka-sutāṁ rukmiṇīṁ rucirānanām rākṣasena vidhānena upayema [SB - 10.52.18] Meaning King Parīkṣit said: The Supreme Lord married Rukmiṇī, the beautiful-faced daughter of Bhīṣmaka, in the Rākṣasa style — thus I have heard....

Question Why does Lord Ganesha have an elephant head? Answer There is a story behind the elephant head. I would certainly write one but with some broken grammar so I preferred quoting it from Wikipedia. One day Goddess Parvati was at home on Mt.Kailash preparing for a bath. As she didn’t want to be disturbed, she told Nandi, her husband Shiva’s Bull, to guard the door and let no one pass....

Question Why did Sri Rama banish Lady Sita when he was a witness of her fire-test himself? Answer I will try to answer your question despite the comments pointing to a certain other answer. It is not about justification, but about decision making. If there were rumors about Sita Devi then that could potentially reduce respect to her king by their subjects and eventually lead to lesser able administration. As a king, Rama had to sacrifice his personal life for his role as a king - but it is to be remembered that for the rest of his reign, he did not think of another woman either....

Question Why didn’t Bhishma Pitamaha stop Kamsa? Answer There's no reason to believe that Bhishma would try to stop Kamsa. You can ask the same question about a million different people: why didn't Bhishma kill Kamsa, Shishupala, Jarasandha, Narakasura, etc. And why didn't Drupada kill any of them, and why didn't the Pandavas kill any of them (other than Bhima killing Jarasandha)? It's not the dharma of a Kshatriya to go around the world killing all the evildoers....

Question Why is India also called Bharata? Answer After the name of an ancient king Bharata, India is also known as Bharata-varṣa since the prehistoric times. Before it, this land was called as Ajanābha-varṣa. This is stated in Shrimad Bhagavatam: ajanābhaṁ nāmaitad varṣaṁ bhāratam iti yata ārabhya vyapadiśanti. [SB - 5.7.3] Meaning The name of this land was Ajanabha. It came to be known as Bharata after starting of his (King Bharata) reign....

Question Why do we need Yamalokam? Answer The answer to this question is linked to the concept of residual karma. This residual karma idea and what happens to evil-doers is explained in Brahma Sutra. But of others (i.e. those who have not performed sacrifices etc.) the ascent is to the abode of Yama, and after having experienced (the results of their evil works) the descent (to the earth again takes place)....

Question What is the difference between God and Devi-Devta or are they same? Answer Yes, there is a difference between Gods and Devtas. In Hinduism, the Trimurti is the God. Bhagvatam further clears that Krishna is the supreme God (verse here). Devtas are God's helpers. All the Devtas are given some jobs. They are thus classified into each of their own department. Like Indra Dev looks into weather. Surya Dev is responsible for giving energy and light to plants, animals etc....

Question What is the reason behind fasting (vrat)? Answer One reason for fasting is to atone for one's papa (usually translated as sin). For example, in Mahabharata Santi Parva, section 36, Vyasa said, By penances, religious rites, and gifts, O Bharata, a man may wash off his sins if he does not commit them again. By subsisting upon only one meal a day, that procured by mendicancy, by doing all his acts himself (without relying on the aid of a servant)....

Question Is it true that one can not convert to Hinduism from any other religion or vice versa? Answer No, there is no bar in converting from any religion to Hinduism or vice-versa. Vedas speak about Mlecchas as someone who is not Vedic and not Indian. Basically, mlecchas are people who speak an illegible language and not Sanskrit. The concept of geography, religion and language was all mixed with each other to be indistinguishable....

Question What is the significance of the festival Diwali? Why is it celebrated? Answer Diwali is also known as Dipavali which is a Sanskrit word formed from dipa (light or lamp) and avali (row or series). Hence, it means a "row of lights". There are many beliefs behind the festival. It is celebrated for the return of the lord Rama from vanvas as mentioned in Ramayana It is also celebrated for the return of Pandavas from 12 years vanvas as mentioned in Mahabharata....