Hinduism Questions & Answers

Question Regarding a story in Shiva Purana Answer Yes. In that kalpa when this incident happened, Lord Brahma emerged from lord Vishnu but was under the maya(illusion) of Lord Shiva and hence he argued with lord Vishnu over superiority. 20-21. At the sight of that beautiful form I was struck with wonder. On seeing the four-armed Nārāyaṇa, shining like Kāla, of golden hue, the immanent soul of all in that form, of large arms depicting the Sat and Asat in Himself I became delighted....

Question Was Rishi Vashishta born to a prostitute? Answer उ॒तासि॑ मैत्रावरु॒णो व॑सिष्ठो॒र्वश्या॑ ब्रह्म॒न्मन॒सोऽधि॑ जा॒तः । द्र॒प्सं स्क॒न्नं ब्रह्म॑णा॒ दैव्ये॑न॒ विश्वे॑ दे॒वाः पुष्क॑रे त्वाददन्त ॥ Verily, Vasiṣṭha you are the son of Mitra and Varuṇa, born, Brahmā, of the will of Urvaśī, after thes eminal effusion; all the gods have sustained you, (endowed) with celestial and Vedic vigour in the lake. 7.33.11 स प्र॑के॒त उ॒भय॑स्य प्रवि॒द्वान्त्स॒हस्र॑दान उ॒त वा॒ सदा॑नः । य॒मेन॑ त॒तं प॑रि॒धिं व॑यि॒ष्यन्न॑प्स॒रस॒: परि॑ जज्ञे॒ वसि॑ष्ठः ॥...

Question Separation of the Church and State in Hinduism Answer This question can't be answered since Hinduism has no church. However, if this is a question about how a King should behave towards his subjects then it can be answered. King must not be a tyrant O king, thou shalt not swerve from virtue. Those men only, O Yudhishthira, whose practices resemble those of robbers, cause a king by their counsels to take to a career of war and victory....

Question Esoteric meaning of bhagwan and bhakta Answer Although Aphorisms of Narada Bhakti sutras define Bhakti, Bhakta is only known in perspective, of its summary - Narada says in Narada Bhakti sutra that Bhakti is supreme love of God. God is the Indwelling Self of all living beings in this world. Thus love of God means love of all creatures, who are all His manifestations. A Bhakta is thus one who does not separate religious and secular activities, but considers all of them as service of God....

Question Saving Dharma and Saving Lives Answer First of all you need to understand what is dharma? In simple words, Dharma is the moral duty of a person towards the society and god. Dharma is meant for the protection and well being of people. Dharma protects and preserves the people. So it is the conclusion of the pandits that what maintains is Dharma. [ Karna Parva 69] Dharma was declared (by Brahman) for the growth and well being of living beings....

Question Can a non-initiated brahmin study the Puranas? Answer Initially, Purāṇas were meant to be the substitute of the Veda as religious literature for the uninitiated people. स्त्रीशूद्रद्विजबन्धुनां न वेदश्रवण मतम् । तेषामेव हितार्थाय पुराणानि कृतानि च ।। Women, Śūdras & benefactors of the dvijas (i.e uninitiated boys born in dvija families & touchable varnasaṁkaras) aren't entitled to hear the Veda. The Purāṇas have been created for their welfare. [Devībhāgavata Purāṇa:1:3:21]...

Question What verse of Bhagavat Gita, according to scholars explicitly favour Advaitic interpretation? Answer There are several verses that are clearly Advaitic in nature. As a kindled fire reduces all fuel to ashes, so, Arjuna! does the fire of knowledge reduce all works to ashes. Gita 4.37 Nothing exists here as purifying as knowledge. Perfected in Yoga, in course of time, one wins it in one's own self. Gita 4.38...

Question Meaning of “becoming Pure” by reciting a slokha Answer There are a bunch of questions here. What does the work Pure signify does it signify "free from Karma" or "free from Papa" or "free from Maya" The shloka means that reciting the mantra would free the mind from the impurities of sin and make it pure. Mind causes both bondage and liberation. It is the view of wise men that the mind is the cause of both the bondage and liberation of embodied beings....

Question How many avatars of Adi Shakti are mentioned in Skanda Purana? Answer Devi Incarnated as Lalitoma Vishalakshi during Chakshusha Manvantara. 4-8.In the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, O goddess, when the excessively powerful Daityas proceeded towards the southern quarter on being slain by Viṣṇu, they fought for more than a hundred years in a great battle there with Viṣṇu. O goddess of Devas, they fought with wonderful missiles of various kinds. Knowing that they could not be killed easily, the lotus-eyed Viṣṇu remembered Bhairavī Śakti, the Mahāmāyā of great lustre....

Question Is Shiva ji human? When and to whom was Shiva ji was born? Answer Let's start from Puranas, and trace its roots back to Itihasas, back to Upanishad and Core Vedas, and see the level of consistency. PURANA: Srimad Bhagavatam 4.6.42-44 Brahma said: I know you to be the Lord of the universe. You are the same undifferentiated Brahman which is the cause of both the Sakti (prakrti or the divine energy) and Siva (the purusa) who are both the womb and the seed of the world....