Hinduism Questions & Answers

Question Are curses(saapa) effective in Kali Yuga? Answer As per the Parashara Smriti, curses(saapa) are effective in Kali Yuga as well very much like the previous 3 Yugas.Only difference being in the time after which the curses take effect. For example,In Krita curses effect immediately,in Treta after 10 days,in Dwapara after a month whereas in Kali it takes 1 year for the curse to take effect. The exact Sloka which answers our query is Chapter 1,Sloka 27:...

Question How can a man completely get relieved of curses and sins? Answer A man can be relieved from curses and sins completely he committed during his earthly life when he dies followed by his wife also dies in the same pyre and loses here life. This is the best parikara. கணவன் செய்த எல்லா பாவங்களும், அவனுடைய மனைவி கணவனுடன் உடன்கட்டை ஏறுவதால் பரிகாரமாகி விடும். Source Garuda puranam under prayaschitha chapter. Note: “The question: How can a man completely get relieved of curses and sins?...

Question How to practice Kriya Yoga from Vaishnava perspective? Answer Kriya Yoga is not alien to Vaishnavism. Jagatguru referred Kriya Yoga (Pranayama) when expounding Bhagavadgita to Arjuna. Bhagavadgita verse 4.29 talks about Pranayama which is part of Kriya Yoga. apāne juhvati prāṇaḿ prāṇe ’pānaḿ tathāpare prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣu juhvati Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing....

Question Why women are not allowed to attend Funerals Answer Prohibiting Women from entering Graveyards is ācāram more than a śāstra. Usually women are sensitive and cannot withstand the death of husbands and sons and family members. If they are allowed there they might take their own life out of agony. One such examples are Mādri died by falling in the cremation fire of Pāndu in Mahābhārata. In the biography of Narasimha Saraswati in Guru Charitra - a story in which a mother getting her dead son back is narrated in which she refuses to give dead body and gets ready to die along with him....

Question Bhagya Suktam and translation in English Answer ॐ परातरग्निं परातरिन्द्रं हवामहे परातर्मित्रावरुणाप्रातरश्विना | परातर्भगं पूषणं बरह्मणस पतिं परातः सोममुत रुद्रं हुवेम || Aum prātaraghniṃ prātarindraṃ havāmahe prātarmitrāvaruṇāprātaraśvinā | prātarbhaghaṃ pūṣaṇaṃ brahmaṇas patiṃ prātaḥ somamuta rudraṃ huvema || MEANING In English: AGNI at dawn, and Indra we invoke at dawn, and Varuṇa and Mitra, and the Aśvins twain. Bhaga at dawn, Pūṣan, and Brahmaṇaspati, Soma at dawn, Rudra we will invoke at dawn....

Question What is Hinduism’s view on porn? Answer In Hinduism we have the concept of "Ashtavidha Mithuna" .i.e 8 forms of copulation all of which are equivalent or equally important in a given context . For example,from the book Essence of Dharma Sindhu : During the Upavaasa time(fasting time), one should not take water too many times, should not chew betel leaves/nuts, should not sleep, nor resort to Ashtavidha Mithuna ie....

Question Who has written Madhurashtakam and what is its meaning? Answer Madhurashtakam was written by Vallabha Acharya, the founder of the Pushti Marga and philosophy of Shuddhaadvaita. It is written in respect of Lord Krishna. अधरं मधुरं वदनं मधुरं नयनं मधुरं हसितं मधुरम् । हृदयं मधुरं गमनं मधुरं मधुराधिपतेरखिलं मधुरम् ॥१॥ Adharam Madhuram Vadanam Madhuram Nayanam Madhuram Hasitam Madhuram | Hrdayam Madhuram Gamanam Madhuram Madhura-Adhipater-Akhilam Madhuram ||1|| Meaning: 1.1: (O Krishna) Your Lips are Sweet and Charming, Your Face is Sweet and Charming, Your Eyes are Sweet and Charming and Your Laughter is Sweet and Charming,...

Question What is “Agnihotra”? Answer Agnihotra is a process that uses healing fire to purify the surroundings. The fire is prepared through a specific process, which is performed twice a day – during the sunrise and the sunset. In other words, Agnihotra is a ‘vedic yagna’ or a ritual that is mentioned in the Vedas, which is followed by the class of “Nambudiri Brahmins” of Kerala in India. There has been a worldwide increase in awareness about the innumerable effects of Agnihotra homam in the recent past....

Question How many shlokas are there in Valmiki Ramayana? Answer The total number of ślokas in the Critical Edition of Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa is only 18,670. In the non-critical versions of the epic, the number is consistently around 24,000. Yes, the Uttara-kāṇḍa is also included in these counts. From The Valmiki Ramayana: Volume 1 by Bibek Debroy: The table below shows the number of chapters and shlokas we have in the Critical Edition....

Question Names of female scholars from Vaidic and Upanishadic times, or “Brahmavadinis” Answer According to Brihad Devata, 2.82-84 Sanskrit Source and English Transliteration Source, there are several Brahmavadinis as follows: Ghosa Godha Visvavara Apalopanisan Nisat ; Brahmajaya Juhur nama, Agastyasya svasaditih. [82] Indrani cendramata ca Sarama Romasorvasi; Lopamudra ca Nadyas ca Yami nari ca Sasvati .[83] Srir Laksa Sarparajnl Vak Sraddha Medha ca Daksina; Ratrl Surya ca Savitrl brahmavadinya Iritah. [84]...

Question Resurrection stories in Hindu scriptures? Answer There is One intersting story in Valmiki Ramayna (Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War) about Resurrection of the Monkeys by Lord Indra , who were killed in the battle between Shree Rama and Ravana. समुत्तिष्ठन्तु ते सर्वे हता ये युधि राक्षसैः | ऋक्षाश्च सह गोपुच्छैर्निकृत्ताननबाहवः || ६-१२०-१३ te sarve = (Let) all those monkeys; R^ikShaashcha = and bears; gopuchchhaiH = along with long-tailed monkeys;ye hataaH = who have been killed; yudhi = in battle;raakShasaiH = by the demons; nikR^ittanana baahavaH = and whose heads and arms have been severed;samuttiShThantu = be active again....

Question Slavery in Hinduism Answer There were no slaves in the Hindu world like the equivalent of it in the western world The above statement is true.But we do have the concept of "dasa/dasi" or servants or (some translate it as) slaves.But they are not the same as say sex slaves or war slaves."Servant" is the more proper word here not "slave". The dasa or dasis are there to help the householder in his daily duties/chores....

Question What do scriptures say about using swear or abusive words for cursing people? Answer Vidura discusses the importance of controlling one's speech To control speech, O king, is said to be most difficult. It is not easy to hold a long conversation uttering words full of meaning and delightful to hearers. Well-spoken speech is productive of many beneficial results; and ill-spoken speech, O king, is the cause of evils. A forest pierced by arrows, or cut down by hatchets may again grow, but one’s heart wounded and censured by ill-spoken words never recovereth....

Question What is the meaning of five elements(Pancha Bhootas) in Hinduism? Answer The five elements you referred to are together called the "Pancha Bhootas". Now,The Pancha Karmendriyas(Indriyas=Senses,Karma=Activity/Work,Jnana=Knowledge)are related to excretion,reproduction,& the acts of grasping,moving & speaking. Where as, the "Pancha Jnanendriyas" are related to the acts of smelling,tasting,seeing,touching & hearing. In the context of "Srishti Karma"(the proccess of creation by the Almighty) the Aiteraya Upanishad describes (as quoted below)how the Pancha Bhootas and Dasa indriyas are inter-connected and how they are created from Him :...

Question Past life of Satyabhama Answer Previous life of Satyabhama is described in Kaartika Masa Mahatmya, Vaishanava Khanda of Skanda Mahapurana. Satyabhama herself asked Sri Krishna about her previous birth. Satyabhama was Gunavati, daughter of Devasharma a Brahmana who belonged to Aithreya Gotra. He gave (in marriage) his daughter Gunavati to Candra. When her father and husband went to forest, they were killed by a Rakshasa. Then Gunavati did Ekadasi vrata and Kaartika Masa vrata every year and finally she went to vaikunta....