Q&A

Question Kshatriyas and alcohol consumption Answer Kshatriyas and Vaishyas are allowed to drink certain forms of alcohol. Kumarila Bhatta discusses this in this excerpt from his Tantra Vartika, one of his commentaries on Jaimini's Purva Mimamsa Sutras. The context is that Kumarila Bhatta is discussing the fact that the practices of good men knowledgable about the Vedas are a Pramana or means of knowledge concerning morality, since such men naturally make sure that their actions are in accordance with the Vedas....

Question If a Brahmin doesn’t perform duties as per his varna, is he still called as brahmin? Answer No. He will be considered degraded then. He will be a Brahmin just for the namesake. From Manu Smriti: 2.103. But he who does not (worship) standing in the morning, nor sitting in the evening, shall be excluded, just like a Sudra, from all the duties and rights of an Aryan. From VYasa Smriti , chapter 4:...

Question What is meant by “the world of the Manes”? Answer अथ त्रयो वाव लोकाः—मनुष्यलोकः पितृलोको देवलोक इति; सोऽयं मनुष्यलोकः पुत्रेणैव जय्यः, नान्येन कर्मणा; कर्मणा पितृलोकाः, विद्यया देवलोकः; देवलोको वै लोकानां श्रेष्ठः, तस्माद्विद्यां प्रशंसन्ति। ॥ १६ ॥ atha trayo vāva lokāḥ—manuṣyalokaḥ pitṛloko devaloka iti; so'yaṃ manuṣyalokaḥ putreṇaiva jayyaḥ, nānyena karmaṇā; karmaṇā pitṛlokāḥ, vidyayā devalokaḥ; devaloko vai lokānāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ, tasmādvidyāṃ praśaṃsanti || 16 || There are indeed three worlds, the world of men, the world of the Manes and the world of the gods....

Question Does the Devi Bhagavatam say that Lakshmi and Saraswati are daughters of Parvati? Answer There is nothing bizarre or surprising in it. Even the Brahmanda Purana says that Mother Lalita recreates the entire universe and recreates every deities including Lakshmi and Saraswati. H. At the end of this great fire sacrifice, all of you (the performers of the Yaga) should jump in to the Homa Kunda (fire pit). While doing so, you must possess absolute devotion....

Question Does Geeta have gender and caste discrimination verses? Answer In chapter 10, verse 34 Lord Krishna says: मृत्यु: सर्वहरश्चाहमुद्भवश्च भविष्यताम् | कीर्ति: श्रीर्वाक्च नारीणां स्मृतिर्मेधा धृति: क्षमा || Meaning: I am the all-devouring Death, and I am the origin of those things that are yet to be. Amongst feminine qualities I am fame, prosperity, fine speech, memory, intelligence, courage, and forgiveness. These are the best qualities of women and Krishna is saying that these qualities are Krishna Himself....

Question Are there any verses which pray for the birth of daughter in Vedas? Answer It is not that the Vedas only praise the birth of a male child alone. There are instances where female progeny is also praised. Further, it is important to know that the word "putra" does not necessarily mean only male child but could mean child in general. Similarly in many places word "man" does not only indicate men but all of the mankind including men and women....

Question Did Lord Rama break His promise to his mother Kausalya and if so why? Answer चतुर्दश हि वर्षाणि वत्स्यामि विजने वने | मधु मूल फलैः जीवन् हित्वा मुनिवद् आमिषम् || 2.20.29 The word Amisham is translated as meat by the translator. But Amisham also has several other meanings. See, it has many other meanings like fees, lust, desire, etc. Rama might have said he will live without lust. In case of Valmiki Ramayana 5....

Question How Maharshi Vyasa knew all the story of Mahabharata? Answer We believe the Great epic Mahabharatha was written by the great sage Veda Vyasa. He was the grandfather of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He had great powers of meditation and hence lived a very long life (One of the Immortals). He lived even after all his grandchildren – the Pandavas and the Kauravas had died. अश्वत्थामा बलिव्र्यासो हनूमांश्च विभीषण:। कृप: परशुरामश्च सप्तएतै चिरजीविन:॥ सप्तैतान् संस्मरेन्नित्यं मार्कण्डेयमथाष्टमम्। जीवेद्वर्षशतं सोपि सर्वव्याधिविवर्जित॥ Ashwathaama Balirvyaaso Hanumanshcha Vibheeshanaha Krupaha Parshuramascha Saptaitey Chiranjivinaha Saptaitaan Samsmareynnityam Markandeymathaashtamam Jivedvarshshatam Sopi Sarvavyadhivivarjit...

Question What are some mantras which are dedicated to Lord Indra? Answer Here is an Agamic mantra (or Tantric mantra) dedicated to Lord Indra taken from the Mantradeva Prakashika. Im IndraYa Hrith | asya Brahmarishi Pangtischandaha Indro DevatA Im Bijam Ayethi Shaktihi | ..... Im Indraya namaha, for this mantra the Rishi is BrahmA, Chandah is Pangti, Devata is Indra, Bija is Im, and Aya is the Shakti. Nyasa Vidhi:...

Question Did ancient Yogis float in the air and what is the method to do it? Answer First we should know our body is not just physical body, but has five sheaths (Pancha Kosha). What we see externally is Annamaya Kosha (food sheath). After death we shed Annamaya kosha and jiva with other four koshas (Sookshma Sareera or Subtle body) go to other realms, hell or heaven depending of Karma and Sukshma Sareera takes new physical body (rebirth) as mentioned in Chandogya Upanishad....

Question What are the after-effects of insulting gods or goddesses? Answer A punishment which one has to face in the afterlife is given in Devi Bhagavata Purana 9.33. The wretch that abuses Mûla Prakriti, the Vedas, the S’âstras, Purânas, Brahmâ, Visnu, S’iva and the other Devas, Gaurî, Laksmî, Sarasvatî and the other Devîs, goes to the hell named Bhayânaka Narakakunda. There is no other hell more tormenting than this. The sinners live here for many Kalpas and ultimately become serpents....

Question Did Satyavati and Shantanu belong to same caste? Answer Did Satyavatī and Śantanu belong to the same caste (birth-based varṇa)? No. Śantanu was a kṣatriya and Satyavatī a śūdra. Satyavatī's biological parents Father - Uparicara Vasu (a king, most likely a kṣatriya king) Mother - Adrikā (a fisher-woman, so most likely an outcaste or śūdra) Here's the official birth story of Satyavatī from the Mahābhārata: And the king [Uparicara Vasu] became possessed with desire, and he saw not his wife before him....

Question Is the objective of vedas spiritual prosperity or material prosperity? Answer The ultimate purpose of the Vedas can be understood by reading the Bhagavad Gita. In 15.15 Lord Krishna says: sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham Translation: I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas....

Question If Shiva Linga is worshiped in all yugas then what curse did Rishi Bhrigu give to Lord Shiva? Answer Firstly, Can anyone really Curse Lord Shiva? Do the sages who come for fractions of time in the Universe have power to curse the Lord Shiva? No, it isn't possible. When in a story we see that someone curses Shiva and Shiva suffers from it, it is not that Shiva suffers because of effect of that curse, it's because Shiva wishes to do so....

Question Who was at Fault for Draupadi Vastraharan – Duryodhan Or Yudhishthir? Answer After reading above comments and answer just my opinion is, i don't think only Kauravas were responsible for draupadi’s fate ,i think all the people who was presented in raj sabha are equally responsible. Because, Wasn’t it the mistake of Yudhishtir to bet Draupadi, his wife in the very first place? Well, if Yudhishtir considers Draupadi as an object and bets her in a game of dice, then Duryodhan being the winner of the game as well as the object don’t you think so had every right to do anything to the winning thing ?...