Question What work does God do daily? Answer First of all whatever work Supreme Lord does he has no purpose to do it from absolute level perspective which I discuss here and hence his activity is termed as Leela. As for daily activity like what do Lord Shiva do daily in Kailash or what do Lord Vishnu do daily in Vaikuntha we can infer their daily activity from various Puranic sources and also from Itihasas....
Question According to Vedas which one is a better guide - Mann or Budhdhi? Answer Neither. One should rely on scripture in making decisions. While the brain/mind/heart may produce all sorts of beliefs about morality, i.e. what one should do and should not do, the sole source of knowledge of morality is scripture. Here is what Adi Shankaracharya says in his commentary on the Brahma Sutras, while discussing animal sacrifice:...
Question According to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda, which is more important in attaining moksha- Bhakti or Jnana? Answer They're equally important. I'm here quoting some relevant quotes of Swami Vivekananda from The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 3/Bhakti-Yoga/Definition of Bhakti: There is not really so much difference between knowledge (Jnana) and love (Bhakti) as people sometimes imagine. We shall see, as we go on, that in the end they converge and meet at the same point....
Question Giving Alms (Donation/charity) with the intention of getting merit will give me merit? Answer Yes, if your intention is getting merit then you will get it. Manu Smriti 4.234. For whatever purpose (a man) bestows any gift, for that same purpose he receives (in his next birth) with due honour its (reward). But you should make sure that the recipient is worthy of receiving gifts. Also, one should never boast of the act after donating something....
Question How do Advaitins interpret Bhagavad Gita 7.24? Answer However, this seems that the forms of God are real. No, it doesn't mean that. ...was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality... says that Brahman wasn't impersonal only before, he is still impersonal i.e the assumption of personality is wrong. Actually the higher nature of Brahman is imperishable (From Kena Upanishad 2.3 to 2.8 Brahman is not the subject of/for mind, speech, eye etc....
Question Are the Vedic Gods Prajapati and Brahma the same? Answer Are Prajapati and Brahma the same? I think the Vedic Brahma and Prajapati are two different notions. But In Puranas Brahma is Prajapati. Let’s take a look at some verses from Upanishads and Vedas , which are giving us different accounts before reaching at some conclusion. There is a story in The Chandogya Upanishad 4.8 - Page no. 304 - about Prajapati declaring nature of Atman and then Indra and Virochana going to Prajapati to learn about Atman....
Question Is there any god / deity for the mathematics? Answer According to Vayu Purana, Chapter 70, Samvatsara is the overlord of Ganita. When, everything was created by Prajapati Kashyapa, then he assigned every god their respective domain. In this process Samvatsara was assigned as presiding deity of Ganita. पक्षाणां च विपक्षाणां मुहूर्तानां च पर्वणाम्। कलाकाष्ठाप्रमाणाना गतेरयनयोस्तथा। गणितस्याथ योगस्य चक्रे संवत्सरं प्रभुम्। १५॥ He made Sanvatsara as the lord of Ritus (seasons), months and groups of seasons, fortnights, Vipaksas (the day of transition from one half of a lunar month to another), Muhûrtas', Parvans, Kalās’, Kasthas', and Pramănas", the movement of the solstices, Ganita (mathematical calculations) and Yogas (astronomical divisions of time or combinations of Stars)....
Question What is the Karma and what karma a human should do to be a perfect? Answer **When is someone called a perfect and pure person? real Karma of human being in this kaliyug** I think when a person perfectly follow Dharma or SwaDharma , Performs his duties towards all according to the rules laid out by Shastras and when he completely immerse himself in meditation of Brahman / devotional service /Bhakti , then the person is called a pure person....
Question Why is lord Ganesh also called Ekdant, Char Bhuja Dhari? Answer Ganesha is depicted having one tooth which has a story that one tooth was taken away by the axe of parashurAma. He has four arms hence he is called as Chaturbhuja also. Also another name is danti. Secondly ganesha is not the only god who has animal face of body. There is also Sri varAha, Sri HayagrIva, Sri Narasimha etc....
Question Have any Hindu philosophers attempted to solve the Riddle of Epicurus? Answer The cruelty and evil seen in the world are the results of Karmic factors of Jeevas and God can't be blamed for that. It is stated in Brahma Sutra 2.1.34 as: Inequality (of dispensation) and cruelty (the Lord can) not (be reproached with), on account of his regarding (merit and demerit); for so (Scripture) declares. While commenting on this sutra Adi Shankara first presents view of opponent as:...
Question “Once Yogi, Twice Bhogi, Thrice Rogi” – What should be the number of meals per day? Answer What do other scriptures say about total meals per day (1, 2 or more)? For a Grihastha (Householder), Dharma Shatsras has prescribed to take food two times, in Morning and in Evening. But if one has already taken excess of food in morning, he should not eat second time (in evening). Apastamba Dharma Sutra, PRASNA II, PATALA 1, KHANDA 1...
Question Is perpetual virginity or remaining unmarried superior to marriage? Answer Yes, it is superior. Although in Hinduism faithfully following the path of a married person is way of dharma, scripture says brahmacharya, especially lifelong celibacy, is superior. The Mahanarayana Upanishad says (78.12): Brahma Hiranyagarbha considers that sannyas is the means to liberation. Hiranyagarbha is indeed the Supreme. The Supreme alone is Hiranyagarbha (although he is a personality). Certainly those austerities set forth above are inferior [other austerities listed in the preceding verses of this section]....
Question Is the Svetavaraha Kalpa and the Padma Kalpa the same? Answer No the two are not the same and wikipedia is actually right on this point. According to this excerpt from the Vishnu Purana they are certainly different: When the-three worlds are but one mighty ocean, Brahmá, who is one with Náráyańa, satiate with the demolition of the universe, sleeps upon his serpent-bed--contemplated, the lotus born, by the ascetic inhabitants of the Janaloka--for a night of equal duration with his day; at the close of which he creates anew....
Question Why is Lord Hanuman also referred as “Bajaranga Bali”? Answer I read this and to me makes sense. Hanuman is called Bajrang Bali. I tried to understand why he was so called. This name is being used mostly in Northern India and less in Southern India, indicating Lord Hanuman. According to my understanding, the original word might be VAJRAANGABALI. If we split this word, we will get 3 words. VAJRA + ANGA + BALI....
Question Which scriptures or Vedic hymns declare the Sun as the Supreme God (Brahman)? Answer The following Veda Mantra describes the Divine Sun as the inner soul of all that exists. Chitram devAnAm udagAd anikam chakshur mitrasya varunasya agneh (1), AprA dyAvAprithivi antarikshma (2), surya AtmA jagatas tasthushah cha (3) Meaning The wonderful face of the Gods has arisen, the eye of the Mitra, Varuna and Agni (1); The Sun has filled the Heaven and the Earth and the middle space (2), He, the soul of all that moves and moves not (3)....