Q&A

Question Is “Tamasi” a name of Durga? Answer yes, in Devi-Maahatmya (Chapter 11, mantra 23), we get: Medhe Saraswati Vare Bhuti Babravi Tamasi" meaning , O Devi,you are Medha, Saraswati, Varaniyaa, Parama-Aiswaryarupa, and Taamasi. Is is a part of the famous hymn (Devyah stutih) sung by the devataas to praise Devi after Shumbha-badha. Devi is Trigunatmika. In Sattwaguna, She becomes Sattwiki which is meant by the term Parama Aishwarya(Maha-Lakshmi),, In Rajoguna She becomes (Maha)Saraswati and in Tamo-Guna,She becomes Taamasi(Maha-Kali)....

Question Why did the direct disciples of Mahaprabhu not accept any relation with the Madhva Sect? Answer There is clear evidence in Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita that Mahaprabhu did not consider Himself a follower of the Madhva sect. Its true that Sri Chaitanyadeva was a disciple of Sripad Iswarpuri, Who was from Madhva lineage. Sri Chaitanya was God Himself Who incarnated to the earth 'to take the taste of the Radha-bhava and preach the Mahamantra-sankirtana, which is the yuga-dharma'....

Question What exactly do we mean by the term ‘deep meditation’? Answer DhyAna Lakshana (sign of meditation) is mentioned very briefly in the following verse by Lord Shiva: yathA nimilane kAle prapancha naiva pasyati | Tathaiva unmilanehapi syAdetad dhyAnasya lakshanam || Just like the person, who has his eyes closed, can not see the outer world, in a similar manner, a person who is engrossed in meditation, can't see the same with even his eyes open - and this is the sign of DhyAnam....

Question Complete biography/hagiography of Ramanujacharya Answer There isn't a single comprehensive work outlining the complete biography of Sri Ramanuja. These are some of the more well known somewhat older works that describe his life: Yatiraja Vaibhavam of Vaduga Nambi, a student of Sri Ramanuja is a biographical poem in 114 Sanskrit verses. You can read an English translation here. This is the oldest known biography. The 6000-padi Guruparampara Prabhavam of Pinbazagiya Perumal Jiyar is a Manipravala Biography of the Srivaishnava Guru Parampara....

Question Does the Srimad Bhagavatam say the Earth is flat? Answer No, Srimad Bhagavatam doesn't say. The reason I think the author suggests a flat earth is because of his background either from Christianity/Islam. Trying to understand puranic consmology especially from Modern cosmology perspective is really challenging and not easy. The reason is the way puranas describe things is quite different. Even Ayurveda, a medical branch deals in terms of jataragni, 3 doshas to analyse body etc....

Question What is the position of Lord Shiva as per Srimad-Bhagavatam Answer Yes, Lord Shiva is a form of the Para-Brahman or the Supreme Godhead as per Srimad-Bhagavatam. This becomes clear from the 12th chapter of the 11th Canto, where Markandeya gets darshan of Shiva and Parvati: Once travelling in tge sky with Rudrani and the ganas on His bull, Bhagavan Shiva saw Markandeya practising austerity (Sloka 3). Sri Bhagavan [Shiva] said: Markandeya has attained supreme devotion to Bhagavan, Who is Changeless, and so this Brahmarshi does not want any other boon....

Question Conversion from Hinduism to other religions Answer I am sure you know the following two famous slokas of Gita: श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः।।3.35।। One's own 'Dharma' [Customary or scripturally ordained observances of different castes and sects.-Tr.], though defective, is superior to another's 'Dharma' well-performed. Death is better while engaged in one's own 'Dharma'; another's 'Dharma' is fraught with fear. श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात्। स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम्।।18....

Question How many prominent and most accepted commentaries are there on the Bhagavad-Gita? Answer Well, I'm aware of thirty-three commentaries on the Bhagavad-Gita: Achintya-Bheda-Abheda Vedanta • Sarartha Varsini Tika, Vishvanatha Chakrabarti Thakura's commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita. You can read it in English here. • Gita Bhusana, Baladeva Vidyabhusana's commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita. You can read it in English here. • Satyanarayan Das Babaji's commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita. You can buy it in English here....

Question How knowledge of weapons (shastra) शस्त्र got lost? Answer Q: How did the knowledge of great weapons like Bramhastra got lost in Hinduism tradition? Knowledge of great weapons like Brahmastra didn't get lost, they are still existing. Simple proof is that Parashurama has the knowledge of Brahmasatra and he is a chiranjeevi[1],[2] i.e, he is alive now. Narada said, 'That tiger of Bhrigu's race (viz., Rama), was well-pleased with the might of Karna's arms, his affection (for him), his self-restraint, and the services he did unto his preceptor....

Question Did Bhishma attain Swarga or Vaikuntha? Answer Your enquiry is about whether Bhishma attained Swarga-Loka or Vaikuntha. And as mentioned in Srimad Bhagavata Purana he became one with Shree Hari and Mahabharata's Svargarohanika Parva he was present in Swarga. There is description of Bhishma asking the leave of Shree Krishna to leave his body in Mahabhrata - Anushasana Parva - Bhishma-Swargarohana Parva , when he was laying in his death bed and when the right time to depart came Bhishma talked to Shree Krishna and said to him that with his grace he will attain a supreme abode....

Question Should Stotras and Mantras be recited aloud? Answer Stotras Stotras should never be recited in mind. In Stotras' case there should be loud recital. In Mantra Japa, the best form is Manasa Japa (the silent chant). Loud Mantra Japa is considered as the inferior kind of Japa. Manasaa yah smaret stotram vachashaa vaa manum japet | Ubhayam nishphalam devi bhinna-bhaandokadam yathaa || O Devi! The act of reciting Stotras in mind and the act of repeating Mantras loudly are both fruitless just as is the act of storing water in a pot which has a hole in it....

Question Do scriptures give a method to recognize a truly self-realized person/jivanmukta? Answer Dattatreya, among others, is an ideal example of a Jivanmukta. He was always associated with wine etc and a filthy lifestyle. Why is that? Because Jivanmuktas don't want the masses to come to them. As simple as that. Because their touch is enough to liberate others, but not everyone is ready for liberation yet. Symptoms from Upanishads: Like Svetaketu, Rbhu, Nidagha, Vrsabha, Durvasas, Samvartaka, Dattatreya, and Raivataka, he has no visible emblem; he keeps his conduct concealed; he acts as if he were a fool, a lunatic, or a goblin; and, although he is sane, he behaves like a madman....

Question Can Sri Krishna be called ‘a person’? Answer This is how Krishnaprem, (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Prem), the renowned siddha Gaudiya Vaishnava saint sees the topic.He clearly answers in the negative and writes Nor Krishna is man at all, but a great Power which, by its presence, though unknown, unseen, lightens the bitter sorrows of the world. The sanskritdictionary.com gives the relevant meanings of 'Purusha' as The soul; द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च Bg....

Question Did ‘Cinema Songs’ exist during Hiranyakshipu’s time? Answer NO. The 'Cinema-Song' is just an unwanted addition by the translator. The original sloka is: jihvaikato ’cyuta vikarṣati māvitṛptā śiśno ’nyatas tvag-udaraṁ śravaṇaṁ kutaścit ghrāṇo ’nyataś capala-dṛk kva ca karma-śaktir bahvyaḥ sapatnya iva geha-patiṁ lunanti SYNONYMS jihvā—the tongue; ekataḥ—to one side; acyuta—O my infallible Lord; vikarṣati—attracts; mā—me; avitṛptā—not being satisfied; śiśnaḥ—the genitals; anyataḥ—to another side; tvak—the skin; udaram—the belly ; śravaṇam—the ears; kutaścit—anywhere; ghrāṇaḥ—the nose; anyataḥ—to still another side; capala-dṛk—the restless eyesight; kva ca—somewhere; karma-śaktiḥ—the active senses; bahvyaḥ—many; sa-patnyaḥ—co-wives; iva—like; geha-patim—a householder; lunanti—annihilate....

Question Did Prahlada think that the worldly people are ‘fools and rascals’? Answer No,. Not at all. The original sloka is naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha- māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān The lines made bold of the following quotation are all wrong translations. Let us see why SYNONYMS na—not; eva—certainly; udvije—I am disturbed or afraid; para—O Supreme; duratyaya—insurmountable or very difficult to cross; vaitaraṇyāḥ—of the Vaitaraṇī, the river of the material world; tvat-vīrya—of Your Lordship’s glories and activities; gāyana—from chanting or distributing; mahā-amṛta—in the great ocean of nectarean spiritual bliss; magna-cittaḥ—whose consciousness is absorbed; śoce—I am simply lamenting; tataḥ—from that; vimukha-cetasaḥ—the fools and rascals who are bereft of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; indriya-artha—in sense gratification; māyā-sukhāya—for temporary, illusory happiness; bharam—the false burden or responsibility (of maintaining one’s family, society and nation and elaborate arrangements for that purpose); udvahataḥ—who are lifting (by making grand plans for this arrangement); vimūḍhān—although all of them are nothing but fools and rascals (I am thinking of them also)....