Question Why is God’s name used for people? Answer One of the primary reasons is the sin destroying effects the Lord's names. The inspiration for doing this can be linked to the story of Ajamila as described in the Bhagavatam: Ajamila was a pious brahmana. But once he saw a prostitute engaged with a man in the forest and since then he got infatuated. He fell down from his religious activities and went so low as to marry the prostitute herself....
Question How is animal or human sacrifice justified? Answer Śrīla Prabhupāda has mentioned this as vedic sacrifice bali-dāna (kālī-pūjā or durgā-pūjā), in which a goat or other prescribed animal is slaughtered in a ritual performed for the demigoddess Kālī (Durgā) and its flesh consumed afterwards. This sacrifice, he says, is recommended in the tāmasika Purāṇas, Vedic literatures aimed at the gradual reformation and elevation of persons from the lowest levels of human consciousness....
Question Do the Vedas prohibit idol worship? Answer The verse you are referring to is as below: andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'sambhūtim upāsate tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u sambhūtyām ratāḥ This is present in the Isha Upanishad or the Shukla Yajur Veda chapter forty. But to say that this verse prohibits idol worship would be incorrect. All that it says is, those who worship only the asambhuta (which has not originated) and those who worship only the sambhuta (which has originated) enter into darkness....
Question Where is the Saraswati river according to Hindu scriptures? Answer Yes the location is mentioned at multiple places in the holy books. According to various Hindu scriptures it originated in the Himalayas and ran a full course through the modern states of Haryana, Rajasthan and the adjoining region of Pakistan till it emptied itself into the ocean at Prabhas Patan in Gujarat. I shall share with you all the details I could gather but let us first see what the oldest text Rigveda has to say about its location:...
Question Do methods of worship change according to yugas? Answer Yes, you've heard correctly. As the four Yugas progress, the world becomes more and more evil. But as a way to help people deal with all the evil that surrounds them, in later Yugas it becomes easier and easier to obtain great benefits from even small religious activity. Here is how Vyasa describes the benefits of the Kali Yuga in the Vishnu Purana:...
Question What is the story behind Kumbhakarna’s sleep? Answer Kumbhakarna was cursed by Lord Brahma. This story is told by Vibhisana to Lord Rama in this chapter of Yuddha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana. In summary what happens is: Kumbhakarna soon after his birth begins to eat thousands of living creatures. Lord Indra was reported about this matter and he goes to punish Kumbhakarna. Kumbhakarna plucks tusk of Airavata and strikes in the chest of Indra with it....
Question Is Hinduism religious philosophy mono-theistic (Paratma) or bi-theistic (Prakriti and Purush)? Answer Hinduism is a religion that compromises of many schools of thought among which there are six prominent philosophical systems that try to assert the nature and reality of our existence. The Prakruti and Purusha concept of our existence belongs to the Samkhya school of thought. As per Samkhya philosophy there is no God (a supreme ruling deity) who created the universe....
Question Why did Bhishma fight with Lord Parashurama? Answer Bhishma recounts the story in the Udyoga Parva of the Mahabharata, but first some background. Bhishma was the son of Shantanu, king of Hastinapura, and the goddess Ganga. But Ganga abandoned Shantanu, and Shantanu later fell in love with a woman named Satyavati. But Satyavati's (adopted) father Matsyagandha, the chief of a fisherman tribe, wouldn't consent to the marriage, because he was afraid that Bhishma and his descendants would rule Hastinapura rather than Satyavati's children....
Question What is the story of the “Sudarśana Chakra”? Answer The Sudarshana Chakra was created by the divine architect Vishwakarma. As I discuss in this answer, Vishwakarma's daughter Sanjana married Surya the sun god. But she couldn't withstand his brilliance, so she ran away to the Earth. Eventually Surya found her, and he told Vishwakarma to reduce his brilliance so that Sanjana would be able to be around him. So Vishwakarma reduced Surya's brilliance an eighth, and then fashioned that excess brilliance into various weapons including the Sudarshana Chakra, as described in the Vishnu Purana:...
Question What is the duration (Timeline) of the four “Yugas”? Answer I would agree with those answers, which suggest following durations: Krita Yuga 4800 years Treta Yuga 3600 years Dwapara Yuga 2400 years Kali Yuga 1200 years Here is the scriptural proof from Moksha Dharma Parva (assuming that it's not interpolated): I shall, in their order, tell thee the number of years, that are (thus) for different purposes computed differently in respect of the Krita, the Treta, the Dwapara, and the Kali yugas....
Question Is Jesus an avatar of Lord Vishnu? Answer According to Bhavishya Purana, Jesus is reincarnation of one of the greatest Bhaktas of lord Vishnu known as Dhruva Rishi. That's why he was born out of kumari garbha (virgin's womb) under Pole star (Dhruva Tara in Hindi). Bhavishya purana addresses Jesus reincarnation of Dhruva Rishi as Kumarigarbhasambhavaam(born from a virgin Kumari). Bhavishya purana describing about Jesus Christ. Here is some of the excerpt from above source:...
Question Does any God exist without form/image in Hinduism? Answer In Hinduism God has two forms or modes: Saguna Sakara (with form and characteristics) and Nirguna Nirakara(without form and characteristics): dve vāva brahmaṇo rūpe, mūrtaṃ caivāmūrtaṃ ca [Brh. Up - 2.3.1] -God (Brahman) has two modes, formless (nirakara) and form (sakara). So even though we see God being worshipped in many forms, all of them do not have a form too....
Question Are Lord Shiva and Lord Shankar two different deities? Answer Yes, there is a technical difference. Generally these two terms are used interchangeably as a synonym. But Shankara, Rudra, Mahadeva, etc. mean the God who dwells in the Kailasha mountain. And Shiva means His absolute formless mode of bright light. Shiva The Linga Purana has the description regarding the origin of Siva which goes something like below: Just before the beginning of the creation, Brahma and Vishnu had some disagreement and a quarrel ensued....
Question Did Ravana have ten heads? Answer Yes, Ravana literally had ten heads. This excerpt from the Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana describes Ravana's birth: [T]he girl [Kaikeshi]... after a length of time brought forth a very terrible and hideous offspring having the form of a Rakshasa, — having ten necks, furnished with large teeth, and resembling a heap of collyrium, with coppery lips, twenty arms, huge faces, and flaming hair....
Question Who gave boon to Vikramaditya to live for 2000 years and why? Answer Lord Indra offered with a throne to King Vikramaditya for solving a curious quest of greatest dancer among Aspsaras (Rambha, Urvasi, Menaka and Tilottama). Blog link Indra was pleased. He had found someone who could be sent to Kaushika. He turned to Vikramditya, 'King! You may not know it, but you have done a great service for me!...