Question What is the meaning of the term “Svadharma”? Answer Swadharma in scriptures means the duties (Dharma) prescribed for someone (Swa) based on his Varna. It is one set of duties for a BrAhmin, another set for a Kshatriya and so on. Here is a verse from Manu Smriti that is quite clear in explaining the concept: Varam swadharmo viguno na pArakyah swanushthitah | Paradharmena jivan hi sadhyah patati jAtitah ||...
Question Can anyone control Krishna? Answer Such Shlokas can be found in scriptures. For example, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa) 9.4 has such shlokas (not explicitly for Radha but for all devotees in general): श्रीभगवानुवाच अहं भक्तपराधीनो ह्यस्वतन्त्र इव द्विज साधुभिर्ग्रस्तहृदयो भक्तैर्भक्तजनप्रियः ||०९०४०६३|| The Supreme Personality of Godhead (Lord Nārāyaṇa) said to the brāhmaṇa (Durvāsā Muni): I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts....
Question Why worship, respect and do pradikshna for Rahu and Ketu? Answer Because the scriptures ask us to worship them. That's why they are worthy of worship. There is a detailed chapter (called Graha Shanti) in Yajnavalkya Smriti dedicated to Navagraha worship. Verses from that chapter are given below: CCXCV.—A person desirous of Sri or good fortune, or desirous of S^anti or propitiation should perform Graha Yajna (sacrifice to the planets)....
Question What is the relevance of “Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah” in Kaliyuga? How is it justified now? Answer The verse of which " Dharmo rakshita rakshitah" is a part is found in Manu Smriti. We need to understand the context in which it was said. The following is the translation of the full verse. Manu Smriti 8.15. ’Justice, being violated, destroys; justice, being preserved, preserves: therefore justice must not be violated, lest violated justice destroy us....
Question Origin of Naam Traya Mantra Answer In the 19th patala of Aanadikalpa-Tantra ऋषय उचुः- नामत्रयस्य माहात्म्यं श्रोतुकामा वयं प्रभो। भगवन् श्रोतुमिच्छामो वक्तुमर्हस्यशेषत:। Rishis said: O Prabho, We wish to here about the Nama-Traya Mahatmya! Please enlighten us with it. ब्रह्मोवाच अतिगुह्यतरं मन्त्र वर्षकोटिशतैरपि। नशक्यं विस्तराद वक्तुं संक्षेपाच्छूणुत द्विजा:॥ १ ॥ What you wish to here is highly secret. Even if I speak for a hundred crore years, I would be unable to describe it completely....
Question Awakening of Kundalini is possible without mentor/guru? Answer Yes, Kundalini can be aroused without the help of Guru also. Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda / Volume 1 / Raja Yoga / Chapter IV / The Psychic Prana: The rousing of the Kundalini is the one and only way to attaining Divine Wisdom, superconscious perception, realisation of the spirit. The rousing may come in various ways, through love for God, through the mercy of perfected sages, or through the power of the analytic will of the philosopher....
Question Is the story of Sita’s banishment present in any scriptures other than Valmiki Ramayana? Answer Do any puranas mention about Sita's second excile? Yes , as you have enquired ,Puranas do talk about mother Sita's second excile. Although not in detail as Valmiki Ramayana because it is Itihasa (true history) and Primarily a story of Lord Rama and mother Sita alone. Puranas are mythology (true tails) and talk about various other topics also ,rather than a tail of single god they contain a whole lot of topics related to all the gods and goddesses other narrations and discuss other philosophies of Hinduidm....
Question Mentions of bacteria, viruses, or microbes in Hindu scripture? Answer Microbes in Hindu scriptures. Yes , there is mentioning of microbes in Hinduism Scripture. Take a look at below verse from Shanti-Parva of Mahabharata -Section XV. The word krimi (कृमि) is generally used in for such microscopic creatures like bacteria ,virus or other tiny worms almost invisible to human eye. Here in below verse the word Sukshma Yoni(सूक्ष्म-योनि) is used to mention microscopic organisms....
Question How are gods and goddesses such as Shiva and Shakti seen in the Vaishnava sampradayas? Answer You have asked :1. Are the various devatas manifestations of aspects of the Supreme God or are they subservient to the Supreme God, as is the view in orthodox Gaudiya Vaishnavism? 2..How is Shakti/the consort of Shiva (including her various forms such as Kali, Durga, Parvati, Tara, etc.) seen in the various Vaishnava sampradayas?...
Question Does Bhagavad Gita say anything about whether a person should eat Vegetarian or Non Vegetarian food? Answer Here's the most specific dietary "guidelines" I could find in Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, BG 17.8: Those foods which promote longevity, strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction; Which are juicy, oleaginous, nourishing, and pleasing to the stomach, are dear to those flourishing in sāttva (bright righteousness). BG 17.9 Those foods which are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry, and overly-piquant;...
Question As per Hindu scriptures does lord Śiva explicitly claim himself to be a deity that has to be worshiped? Answer Yes, for example, in Kurma Purana he does so. in this Purana, we have the Iswara Gita where he identifies himself as the Parambrahma. Parama Shiva says: Veeta raaga bhaya krodhaa manmayaa maamupaashritaah, Bahavenena yogena putaa madbhaavamaagataah/ Ye yathaa maam praadyantey taamstayaiva bhajaamyahjam, Jnaana yogena maam tasmaad yajeta Parameshwaram/...
Question Scriptural basis for Draupadi’s decision of denying Karna Answer According to the scriptures, the Pratiloma marriage, where the Varna of the wife is higher than that of the husband, is not considered as good. See the following passage from Agni Purana: An anuloma marriage is a marriage where the husband is from a higher class than the wife. The offspring of such a marriage belong to the mother’s class. A pratiloma marriage is a marriage where the wife is from a higher class than the husband....
Question How do we clear our debts? Answer There are three types of debts as of Pitris, Devas and Rishis. One can be freed from debt of Pitris by providing a son, from debt of Devas by doing sacrifices and from debt of Rishis by pupil-ship. It is stated in Satapatha Brahma 1.7.2. Verily, whoever exists, he, in being born, is born as (owing) a debt to the gods, to the Rishis, to the fathers, and to men....
Question What food is suggested for Yogi? Answer Hatha Yoga Pradipika (1.61 to 1.70) gives the list of foods that are fit for the Yogi as well as those foods which a Yogi must avoid. Recommended foods are rice, wheat, milk etc. Varjayeddurjanaprāntam vahnistrīpathisevanam Prātahsnānopavāsādi kāyakleśavidhim tathā || Wheat, rice, barley, shâstik (a kind of rice), good corns, milk, ghee, sugar, butter, sugarcandy, honey, dried ginger, Parwal (a vegetable) the five vegetables, moong, pure water; these are very beneficial to those who practise Yoga....
Question Which Manusmṛti verses were written exclusively for vaiśyas and śūdras? Answer Pattanaik appears to be quoting from Patrick Olivelle's translation of Manusmṛti but does not quote him fully. Olivelle first presents an overall schematic of the Manu in the introduction to his translation, then goes on to argue that in the Rules of Action in Normal Times, only 10 verses are allocated exclusively to vaiśyas and śūdras. We can then view the overall structure of the MDh schematically:...