Hinduism Questions & Answers

Question How to tell if your guru is god-realized? Answer Swami Vivekananda says in Bhakti Yoga that there are certain qualifications to be a teacher, just as there are qualifications to be a disciple. He mentions three qualifications for a teacher. He says (Complete Works, V3, Bhakti Yoga, Qualifications of the Aspirant and the Teacher - http://cwsv.belurmath.org/volume_3/vol_3_frame.htm): ...The teachers whose wisdom and truth shine like the light of the sun are the very greatest the world has known, and they are worshipped as God by the major portion of mankind....

Question Bhagavad Gita and views on other religions? Answer @Krishna's comment above to your question is right; the Gita was spoken long before any of the other great world religions were around. Krishna says (Gita IV. 7-8): Whenever there is a decline of dharma, O Bharata, and a rise of adharma, I incarnate Myself. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of dharma, I am born in every age....

Question Is there a taboo about a younger groom marrying an elder bride? Any references where a younger groom marries an elder woman? Answer Yes, there is a scriptural basis for the restriction. Here is what Krishna says to Uddhava in the eleventh chapter of the Uddhava Gita of the Srimad Bhagavatam: One who desires to establish family life should marry a wife of his own caste, who is beyond reproach and younger in age....

Question Can it happen that the length of a man’s life somehow becomes reduced during a man’s lifetime, and so one has to die before he was destined initially? Answer Since I am not entirely satisfied with the answers and comments to my question I decided to compose the answer. Yes it can happen that the length of a man's life somehow becomes reduced during a man's lifetime, and so one has to die before he was destined initially....

Question Why is Vedanta called so and what is its relationship with Upanishads? Answer Vedanta means end of the Vedas, it is the cumulation of the Vedas. The Upanishads which teach the Vedanta are spread throughout different parts of different Vedas. Lord Sri Rama says in the Muktika Upanishad (Adhyaya I): O Hanuman, listen to Me. I shall truly describe to you the nature of the Vedanta. The Vedas were generated manifold through the exhalation of my breath as Vishnu....

Question Does anyone know the name of this Hindu deity? Answer Lord Narasimha, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu with a Lion's face and a human body is worshipped across India. Here is a reference for the same. The serpent is Lord Adi Sesha or the divine thousand hooded snake, on whom Lord Vishnu rests. All the best. Note: “The question: Does anyone know the name of this Hindu deity?” is licensed by Stack Exchange Inc (https://hinduism....

Question Can a 24 year old renounce the material world and live a life solely dedicated to realization of God through meditation? Answer Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says (Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Chapter 8): There are three or four varieties of renunciation. Afflicted with miseries at home, one may put on the ochre cloth of a monk; but that renunciation doesn't last long. Again, a man out of work puts on an ochre wearing-cloth and goes off to Benares....

Question Is Hanuman an avatar of Lord Shiva? Answer Yes. Lord Hanuman is Rudra avatar of Lord Shiva as per shiva puran. Mother of Lord Hanuman Pleased Vayu devata and Lord Shiva to have son. Vayu devata gave her boon of son and Lord Shiva was asked to give son who is exactly like him. So Lord Shiva granted Anjanimata boon that his 11th Rudra will take birth as her son and Lord Hanuman born....

Question Universal mantra of all mantras for attaining the highest level of God realization? Answer I upvoted SwamiVishwananda's answer, but not 100% convinced. ॐ is more of a sound vibration than a mantra. Hence, I would extend it to below 2 mantras from Bhagavad Gita: 1. Gayatri Mantra ॐ भूर्भुवः॒ स्वः । तत्स॑वि॒तुर्वरे॑ण्यं॒ भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि । धियो॒ यो नः॑ प्रचो॒दया॑त् ॥ Meaning: We meditate on the glory of that being who has produced this universe; May he enlighten our minds....

Question Who wrote or composed (put together) the Puranas? Answer I googled and I got this: अष्टादशपुराणानां सारं व्यासेन कीर्तितम् | परोपकार: पुण्याय पापाय परपीडनम् || हिंदी अनुवाद: कीर्तिस्वरूप अठारह पुराणों के सार के रूप में महर्षि व्यास ने सिर्फ दो बातें कहीं !! दूसरो का उपकार करने से पुण्य होता है और दुःख देने से पाप । एक प्रचलित कहावत भी है -परहित सरिस धरम नहि भाई, परपीड़ा सम नहि अधिकाई । English Translation: Amidst all the 18 Puranas, know only two gospels of Maharshi Vyas to be true, that doing good to others conduces to merit and doing harm to them leads to Sin....

Question What is Ganga Devi’s marital status? Answer Ganga Devi is wife of King Shantanu. Ganga devi's sister Parvati is wife of Lord Shiva. From texts in Mahabharata epic it is clear that Ganga Devi is wife of King Shantanu. Thus Ganga Devi's marital status is married. But Ganga devi had a deal with King Shantanu that he will never doubt her or question her actions. Before Bhishma 7 children(Vasus) were born to Ganga Devi who died in flood But when Bheeshma born King Shantanu doubted Ganga devi that she will also take the son away in flood and he will die....

Question Why did Karna flee from battle with Chitrasena (Gandharvas)? Answer I posted the same question on Quora and got the answer: "the Kuru prince, surrounded by thecowherds, began to # sport and wander cheerfully. And the citizens also and the soldiers by thousands began to sport, as best pleased them, in those woods, like the celestials. And the herdsmen, well skilled in singing and dancing and instrumental music, and virgins decked in ornaments, began to minister to the pleasures of Dhritarashtra's son....

Question राशि(zodiac sign) of Krishna and Rama Answer Zodaic specially refers to position of moon in constellation at the birth time. Although Sun-zodiac is also calculated, but the term राशि mainly refers with respect to Moon. For Lord Krishna 1-5. Thereafter, at the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord, the entire universe was surcharged with all the qualities of goodness, beauty and peace. The constellation Rohini appeared, as did stars like Asvini....

Question Does Krishna really love any one? Answer I think you are referring to following Bhagavad Geeta shlokha. The speaker in the YouTube video you mention has got some of the translation (I neither love nor hate any one) wrong. The translation by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is below. Bg 4.11 ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmyaham mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ Word for word: ye — all who; yathā — as; mām — unto Me; prapadyante — surrender; tān — them; tathā — so; eva — certainly; bhajāmi — reward; aham — I; mama — My; vartma — path; anuvartante — follow; manuṣyāḥ — all men; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; sarvaśaḥ — in all respects....

Question How can one know about their previous births? Answer Patanjali Yoga Sutra III.18 says: By making samyama on previous thought-waves, one obtains knowledge of one's past lives. The basic idea is that every thought remains in a subtle form even after it is gone from our conscious mind. Thus one can though Yoga bring these subtle thoughts back into the conscious mind. This can even be done for previous births....