Hinduism Questions & Answers

Question Did Rama really call Buddha as a thief? Answer First of all, this translation translates the word buddah in the literal meaning of intellection, rather than the name of the founder of Buddhism: It is an exact state of the case that a mere intellection deserves to be punished as it were a thief and know an atheist to be on par with a mere intellectual. Therefore he is the most suspectable and should be punished in the interest of the people....

Question Does Karma of our previous lives determine the lifetime of our present birth? Answer Upon doing bad karmas the jeeva first suffers the torments in hell and then , with the remnant karmas, gets born into animal or plant's yoni. Or, if it gets a human birth, then the body or mind will be diseased or deformed. A sin, committed in a previous birth, assails people in the shape of a disease after the termination of the sufferings in a hell....

Question Is there any relationship between Sat, Chit, Ananda, and the Three gunas Sattva, Rajas and Tamas? Answer This a partial answer: Brahman is the relationship between Philosophy of Life and Three Gunas. It means the concept of the transcendent and immanent ultimate reality, Supreme Cosmic Spirit. Brahman: The concept of God in Upanishads is the ‘Brahman’ or the Universal Soul (synonymous with The Absolute, Supreme Being or World Spirit – param-atman)....

Question Is killing infidels allowed in Hindu Scriptures? Answer No , killing of Infidels are not fully allowed in Vedas. There are some mantras in Atharva-Veda which asks god agni about destroying evil minds of foes , pardoning / Sheltering then , Welcoming those who came to ask pardon /shelter. Destroying only evil-nature or evil-mind of foes and not the people , even Atharva-Veda prays to god agni for welfare of son's and daughter's of evil-minded people and to motivate them towards good path....

Question Is Raavana a rakshasa or a brahmin and how he can be a king too? Answer This explains it in detail: https://www.quora.com/Is-there-any-difference-between-Asuras-and-Rakshasas-per-Hindu-mythology-Was-Ravana-an-Asura-or-a-Rakshasa Basically, the 4 varnas (Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra) exist in every jati (deva, manushya, gandharva, rakshasa, pishacha) So, we can have Deva Vaishya, manushya Kshatirya, Rakshasa Brahmana etc. e.g. Ravana was Rakshasa jati & Brahmana varna. Shukracharya is Deva Brahmana. Chitrangadha is Gandharva Kshatriya. Next, both birth & character determine one's varna....

Question What happened to Kripa after Mahabharata War? Answer Kripacharya was blessed with longetivity till the end of the Kalpa (Chiranjeevi) and also is scheduled to become one of the Saptarishis of the next Manvantara, as I discuss in this answer. Also, after the Mahabharata war, as discussed in this answer: Kripa was installed as the preceptor and Parikshit was made over to him as his disciple. But, after the decline of the Kuru dynasty, at the advent of Kaliyuga, he must have resorted to his Ashrama, as evident from this verse from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Purāṇa:...

Question Does god know our thoughts? and is it a sin to have lustful thoughts? Answer Yes God knows as he is antaryami or one who resides inside us. The Vedas say that the Brahman or God has entered our body and has established himself in the mind. Shariram brahma prAvishat. ........... Brahman (or God) has entered our body. AV 11.8.30 ................. Eko ha devo manasi pravishtah. ............. The sole God (or the one God) has established himself in the mind....

Question What does Hindu scripture say about World Turtle/World Elephant theory? Answer Here are scriptural sources that describe different kinds of animals supporting the Earth: World Elephants: In the Bala Kanda of the Ramayana, Indra steals the horse of Ashwamedha Yagna of Rama's ancestor Sagara, and so Sagara tells his sons to dig the Earth to find the horse, as described in this chapter of the Bala Kanda of the Ramayana:...

Question Who is the greatest personality for an individual? Answer Mother, Father, Teacher and Guest all should be given same respect. Because they play important role at different stages of our life. Taittiriya Upanishad, Chapter 11 convey the same. मातृदेवो भव । पितृदेवो भव । आचार्यदेवो भव । अतिथिदेवो भव ॥ ४ ॥ Treat thy mother as a God; as a God treat thou thy father; as a God shalt thou treat thy teacher; thy guests as Gods shalt thou treat....

Question Regarding some questions on Mahavatar Babaji Answer Birthdate of Mahavatar Babaji is not known, he is the immortal Siddha who is living since many centuries.                                                 Babaji's disciples call him by the name of Sri Guru Babaji, the term "Mahavatar" was coined by Paramahansa Yogananda and due to his autobiography, the name "Mahavatar Babaji" got popular instead of "Sri Guru Babaji". It is well known that Lahiri Mahasaya's guru was Mahavatar Babaji who revived the lost technique of Kriya Yoga which Sri Krishna mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita 5000 years ago:...

Question Is Sachi(Indrani), Radha, the consort of Krishna? Answer The story seems to be from the Panduranga Mahatmya of the Padma Purana, which tells the story of the Krishna deity of the Panduranga Vitthoba temple. Here's how page 22 of this book summarizes the Panduranga Mahatmya's account: It begins in Vaikunta. The time of action was a pleasant dusk. Sri Mahavishnu was seen absorbed then in the colourful spectacle of the west, bathed in the mellowed light of the setting Sun, caressed by cool fragrant breeze, coming over His Nandanodyan, when Sachidevi, wife of Devendra stood before him....

Question What is the alternate way to eliminate our Bad Karmas equal in doing Penance? Answer Manu Smriti 11.227. By confession, by repentance, by austerity, and by reciting (the Veda) a sinner is freed from guilt, and in case no other course is possible, by liberality. So, if you are not willing to do penance or austerity then charity is the best way along with confessions and repentance. All these remove bad karmas or sins as per the above verse....

Question is there any mention of gem stones in puranas? Answer Yes , Gemstones very amply are discussed in Hinduism scriptures. Especially the Puranas we find very detail description of the gemstones. For example Garuda Purana Achar Kanda , chapter 68 ( Agastya Samhita ) Description of te origin of the gems in the treaties of Ratna Pariksha (test of gems ) by Holy Agastya - mentions some of the valuable gemstones , states How to Test genuineness of gems , the rules to wear them etc....

Question Does Hindu morality come from scripture or is it the other way round? Answer There is no consensus on this issue. Some think morality is based on scripture and others disagree. Bhishma said, 'Some say that righteousness consists in what has been upheld in the Srutis. Others do not agree to this. I would not censure them that say so. Everything, again, has not been laid down in the Srutis....

Question What is Lord Hanuman’s weapon of choice from scriptures? Answer As we all know, Hanuman belongs to a class of being called Vānara. As described in this chapter of Balakanda, they are the attackers using trees and rocks. Their favorite weapons are nails and claws. शिला प्रहरणाः सर्वे सर्वे पर्वत योधिनः || १-१७-२५ नख दन्ष्ट्र आयुधाः सर्वे सर्वे सर्व अस्त्र कोविदाः | All of them are the assaulters with stones, and all are the attackers with trees, and all have their nails and claws as their weapons, yet all are experts in missiles....