Q&A

Question What are sattva, rajas and tamas? Answer The entire creation/Prakriti/Maya is running on 3 gunas, but Purusha/Brahman is Nirguna and devoid of Gunas. Here, Krishna in Geeta and in Samadhi with formless Brahman Purusha is explaining, how manifested unconscious material Prakriti, becomes movable with consciousness of Purusha. Bhagavad Gita 14.3 – 14.4 The total material substance, prakṛiti, is the womb. I impregnate it with the individual souls, and thus all living beings are born....

Question What can we do so that all of us can increase own spiritual progress? Answer Only by removal of ego/Ahamkaar i.e. "I am this or that" one can become spiritual and for it there are only 2 main paths for spiritual progress, either Bhakti Marg of Prakriti(from Puranas), you call yourself to be servant of God and than live in world like Tulsidas, Kabirdas, Ramanujacharya etc., did or Gyana Marg of Purush(from Vedas), accept Sanyas/monkhood and in which you identify self to be infinite Brahman and do sense-restraint and call this world and your body to be a temporary dream and live for selfless work for the welfare of society like Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, Shankaracharya etc....

Question Primary weapon of kalki Answer As per Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa): Skandha 12: Adhyay 2, the primary weapon of Lord Kalki would be a sword (असि) and his vahana wold be a horse named Devadatta: अश्वमाशुगमारुह्य देवदत्तं जगत्पति: । असिनासाधुदमनमष्टैश्वर्यगुणान्वित: ॥ १९ ॥ Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, will mount His swift horse Devadatta and, sword in hand, travel over the earth exhibiting His eight mystic opulences and eight special qualities of Godhead....

Question Did Shri Krishna point out wrong actions of Yudhisthira to Pandavas at any point of time in Mahabharata? Answer Kṛṣṇa doesn't hold the Pāṇḍavas directly responsible for some of their actions like agreeing to the gambling match in the first place, betting their wife, etc. Instead he blames it all on the ill-effects of gambling and the Pāṇḍavas' misfortune. Āraṇyaka Parva / Kairāta Parva 311 (Chapter 14) Vasudeva said, "...

Question Did Pandavas really complete their ajnatavasa? Answer At first, as per Duryodhana, they didn't complete: Vaisampayana said, 'King Duryodhana then, on the field of battle said unto Bhishma, and unto Drona--that tiger among warriors, and unto Kripa--that mighty car-warrior, these words, 'Both myself and Kama had said this unto the preceptors 1 I refer to the subject again, for I am not satisfied with having said it once. Even this was the pledge of the sons of Pandu that if defeated (at dice) they would reside to our knowledge in countries and woods for twelve years, and one more year unknown to us....

Question Is it adharma for a daasi to be stripped by her swami? Answer In the current context, the word dāsī means female slave not maid servant (paricārikā). After losing all his brothers Yudhiṣṭhira bets himself and says, should he lose, he'll do anything the Kauravas ask him to: Sabhā Parva / Dyūta Parva - Chapter 58 Shakuni said, "O Kounteya! You have lost a great deal of riches. You have lost your brothers, your horses and your elephants....

Question What is Advaita? Answer It is not possible to say that Brahman and the Atman are one because in the Advaita experience the ego dissolves. Without the ego there is no one left to do the counting. In that state a man no longer finds the existence of his ego. And who is there left to seek it? Who can describe how he feels in that state - in his own Pure Consciousness - about the real nature of Brahman?...

Question Mythology vs itihasa? Answer We need to see what term is used for those scriptures in our scriptures. We should stick to it. The word used is "Itihasa" only. Here are various references from various scriptures: One should make them [i.e., the invited Brahmanas] listen to the Vedic recitations, Dharma-Sastras, Itihasas (History) Puranas, and the most beautiful portion [of the S'astras] dealing with [the performance of] the S'raddha. (66)...

Question Are the 11 rudras mentioned in the Vedas? Answer No, they are not 11 Rudras mentioned in the Vedas. This is a concept invented in the Puranas. Specifically, Matsya(५.२९-३॰), (Harivamśa (१.३.४९-५२) and has no support in the Vedas. Rig Veda reveals Rudra as श्वितीचे (śvitīce) (२.३३.८) which is translated by Sāyaṇa as of white complexion. He is one among two or three gods who are invoked as having or assuming all forms....

Question Is yoga a religion? Answer Religion is a social-cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, or spiritual elements. So Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, etc, are religions. Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Saakteism, etc, being in vogue under the name of Hinduism are religions. However, Yoga is basically a pure SPIRITUAL CONCEPT. The Sanskrit noun योग yoga is derived from the root yuj "...

Question Does the Bhagavad Gita declare that caste is based on birth? Answer Does the Bhagavad Gita declare that caste is based on birth? Yes it does, according to all ancient and orthodox Vedic commentators. First, from chapter 1: 1.41 - When unrighteousness prevails, O Krishna the women of the clan become corrupt; when women become corrupt, there arises intermixture of castes. adharmābhi-bhavāt kṛṣṇa praduṣyanti kula-striyaḥ | strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya jāyate varṇa-saṅkaraḥ || 41 ||...

Question What does the Bhagavad Gita mean when it says caste is based on Gunas? Does it mean trained, external behavior, or genetic predisposition? Answer What does the Bhagavad Gita mean when it says caste is based on Gunas? Does it mean trained, external behavior, or genetic predisposition? According to the various Smritis, Vedas, and ancient Vedic scholars and commentators, the word Guna in the Gita verse means genetic predisposition....

Question Can I believe in Sanatan Dharma while not believing in any of the God? Answer The answer is certainly yes. Hindu scripture does not ask for blind belief in God. ...Reflecting on this entire teaching do as you think fit. Gita 18.63 Who is a spiritual person? A person who is trying to be morally perfect is said to be a spiritual person. Among thousands of men, there will just be one here or there striving for spiritual perfection....

Question Why are Vedas often referred to as “three Vedas” instead of four? Why is Atharva Veda excluded from this list? Answer Why is Atharva Veda excluded from this list (trayī vidyā or trayo vedā)? The answer really depends on the philosophical school of thought one subscribes to. As Jayanta Bhaṭṭa of Nyāya school explains in his Nyāya-Mañjarī, the Mīmāṁsakas did not believe that Atharva Veda was either authentic or apauruṣeyā and it is for this reason a lot of Śruti and Smṛti texts exclude it from their list of Vedas:...

Question What is source for claim that Sruti is more important than Smriti ? That Itihasa/Purana can be discarded if they conflict with Vedas? Answer The answer is no. There are five Vedas as follows:- 1: Rigveda 2: Atharvaveda 3: Samveda 4: Yajurveda 5: Itihaas and puranas The Atharvaveda supports this claim. Atharvaveda 11:7:24 says that god created puranas and itihasa. Verses, and Songs, and magic hymns, Purāna, sacrificial text. All the celestial Gods whose home is heaven sprang from the Residue...