Q&A

Question Where is it mentioned that chanting Krishna is more powerful than chanting Rama’s name? Answer This comparison is actually unfair and made famous from some particular sects only. This is same how they started saying "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare" instead of Kali-Santarana Upanishad version "Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare" i....

Question How many different Chandas are there in the Vedas? Answer A question What are the 21 meters known to Rig Vedic seers? (actually a Rigveda mantra quoted) triggered me to search for the list of 21 Chhandas. So, I have searched for Chhandasutras of Pingalacharya which is the oldest scripture on Chhanda, one of the six Vedangas. Original Sanskrit text is easily available on Vedic reserve of Maharshi University site, I searched for the translation but couldn't find any handy English or Hindi translation....

Question Did Adi Shankaracharya accept equality of 5 major gods in his works? Answer Since you believe the Stotrams attributed to Adi Shankara are later works, I guess then it will be difficult to prove that he believed all the Panchatayana deities as Saguna Brahman. This is because his major works only refer to Sriman Narayana as supreme alone. For example, his Bhagavad Gita commentary states that nobody is equal to Sriman Narayana:...

Question Are children of Brahmin parents also Brahmin by caste? Answer Yes, caste is based on birth. There is scriptural support for it. Scriptural support: Manusmriti (10.5).- In all castes (varna) those (children) only which are begotten in the direct order on wedded wives, equal (in caste and married as) virgins, are to be considered as belonging to the same caste (as their fathers) Āpastamba (2.13.1).—‘Sons begotten by a man who approaches in the proper season a woman of equal caste, who has not belonged to another man, and who has been married legally, have a right to follow the occupations of their castes....

Question Who was the author of the Manusmriti? Answer So who was this narrator who wrote the Manusmriti? It depends on whether you are looking for the traditional answer or an academic (non-faith) scholarly opinion. Based on your citing the example of Vyasa/Ganesha for the Mahabharata, it appears you are looking for the former. In that case, the narrator of the Manu-Smriti is Bhrigu Maharshi. The last verse of the text reads:...

Question Is sannyasa a Vedic way of life? Is it recommended by the Vedas, the ten authentic Upanishads or Grhyasutras? Answer I am referring to Rig Vedic mantras alone, which are the oldest and considered to be apaurushEya. The definition of Sannyasa was already elaborated by the OP. Hence, I am not reproducing similar content here. The Rig Vedic mantras were composed by the Sages. They prayed, apart from wealth, for children also....

Question Do humans breathe 21600 times in a day according to Yoga sastra? Answer Hamsa Upanishad, Yoga Upanishad which belongs to Shukla Yajurveda, mentions that. अथ हंस ऋषिः । अव्यक्ता गायत्री छन्दः । परमहंसो देवता । अहमिति बीजम् । स इति शक्तिः । सोऽहमिति कीलकम् । षट् सङ्ख्यया अहोरात्रयोरेकविंशतिसहस्राणि षट् शतान्यधिकानि भवन्ति । English Translation by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar: (Here the performance of Ajapā Gāyaṭrī is given). "Now Hamsa is the ṛshi; the metre is Avyakṭā Gāyaṭrī; Paramahamsa is the ḍevaṭā (or presiding deity) 'Ham' is the bīja; 'Sa' is the śakṭī; So’ham is the kīlaka....

Question Who are the pseudo-advaitins referred to by Shringeri Acharya? Does Adi Shankara state characteristics of true advaitins? Answer Thanks to Rickross and Partha for their answers. You are not wrong. But this question is significant even in Advaita circles and deserves a level of detail which neither have covered. Advaita, during the course of time, has been morphed in to a confused, hodge podge of philosophical diversions. In the same book quoted in the question, on page 604, the acharya says: They will do well to bear in mind the declaration of the Kaṭha-upaniṣad, “One who has not desisted from bad conduct, whose senses are not under control, whose mind is not concentrated and whose mind is not free from hankering for the result of concentration cannot attain the Ātman through knowledge....

Question What exactly is meant by Harernamaiva Kevalam Answer Narada Muni was repeating to many other similar verses found in other Mahapuranas i.e., Vishnu Purana and Bhagavatam in different matters. The mode of worship change from time to time and yuga to yuga due to change in conditions and the ability of the worshippers. The spiritual levels of people has also fallen. We do not have much time to perform penances or do meditation....

Question What do ancient Hindu acharyas say about accepting the authority of Shruti but denying the authority of Smriti? Answer Ancient Acharyas say that it is only logical to accept the validity of Smriti, because the expounders of Shruti also expound the Smriti. Hence, the Smriti is based on Shruti. Firstly, we accept the Vedas as eternal and divine because Vedic scholars say so. In other words, we have trust in Vedic scholars and the Vedic Sampradayas that produce very learned, trustworthy, and religious Vedic scholars....

Question Does Krishna say in the Bhagavad Gita that he alone can grant liberation? Answer This actually depends on the commentator or the one who is reading it. This link shows that Sri Adi Shankaracharya means the Real Self by 'Me' here, whereas some others mean Narayana. And this link shows it means Lord Krishna: https://asitis.com/18/66.html It is very cllear that Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and Surya are just the altrnative forms of the Supreme Godhead according to Mahabharat and Gita , because:...

Question What is the original Hare Krishna mahamantra Answer The original mantra is indeed "Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare". The scriptural basis of this mantra comes from the Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upanishad where Brahma reveals this mantra to Narada in response to the latter's question of how Jivas can resist the effects of Kali in Kali-Yuga: At the end of Dvāpara yuga, Nārada went to Brahma and addressed him thus: "...

Question Is the Manusmriti written to favor a particular Varṇa? Answer NOTE: Manusmriti critics have cherry-picked certain verses from the Manusmriti to show that Manu was unfair towards Shudras and partial towards Brahmins. The purpose of this answer is to provide the rest of the other verses that censure bad Brahmins and praise good Shudras, to show that the critics cherry-picked those verses unfairly, and that Manu is actually fair towards all castes....

Question What exactly is the role of the Puranas in the Sanatana Dharma? Answer According to the Devi Bhagavatam, for the benefit of the Sudras, lower Dvijas and women Puranas are composed. 18-24. At every Manvantara, in each Dvâpara Yuga, Veda Vyâsa expounds the Purânas duly to preserve the religion. Veda Vyâsa is no other person than Visnu Himself; He, in the form of Veda Vyâsa, divides the (one) Veda into four parts, in every Dvâpara Yuga, for the good of the world....

Question How come Shukadeva did not undergo Upanayanam? Answer First of all, the Madhwa commentator Viijayadhvaja Tirtha and the Pushtimarga Acharya Vallabhacharya both say that the word "pravrajantam" in this verse does not mean taking up Sanyasa, and that Shuka did not take Sanyasa without doing Upanayana; see page 15 of this book. Second of all, the Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan actually discusses Shuka in this excerpt from the Alepakamatabhangavada, a chapter of his Satadhusani devoted to refuting the Advaita view that those who have attained Brahmajnana do not have to follow the rules of Varnashrama Dharma....