How many arms does maa Durga have and why?

Question: Durga ke kitne hath(hands) hai or kyu?- Mohammad Shahnawaz, MuzaffarnagarA: Before coming to the question, let me explain some basics. According to Sanatan Dharma, Durga(Shakthi) is known as the Mother of the Cosmos with infinite power to protect her devotees from all kinds of destructive forces. Actually, Shiva and Shakti are one and the same - both are manifestations of the all-in-one divine consciousness. SHIVA...

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Why god has created this universe? What is the purpose of life? Who am I?

Q: Why god has created this universe? What is the purpose of life? Who am I?- Vaibhav, BangaloreA: 1. Why god has created this universe? The notion of god "creating" something not true. Because the concept of "creation" in Hinduism is not an external creation, rather it is a manifestation of Parabrahman itself. The world as it appears is not an absolute truth, but is relative. It is called mithya or maya. The illusion,...

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Why did Sri Ram abandon Sita maiya?

Q: Isn't it wrong in part of Sree Ram to abandon sita maya into forest even though she had passed The Agni Pariksha and that too just because a drunkard was shouting on his wife.... While the drunkard should have been punished instead ..?- RAKES, PuriA: The main point to be considered here is that the original Valmiki Ramayana ends with Yuddha Khanda. Since we have a well maintained 'parampara' through which scriptures are handed down the generation,...

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Why did God separate souls from himself which should go back to him?

Q: Souls are not born, they are eternal. They must go to God to achieve salvation. But souls came from God...So if souls comes from God and it has to go back to God, why did God separate souls from himself to come back to him?- Madhukar SinghA: In Sanathan Dharma, the concept of 'Atma' cannot be equated with the 'soul' in Abrahamic religions. Neither is their concept of "god" same as that of Ishwara. Atma need not "go to Ishwara", because Atma is not at all separated from Brahman. There is an example of 'AkASa'(space) used in Vedanta...

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Are Vedas five? Is Pranava Veda included in Vedas?

Q: Viswakarma or Viswabrahmins says that vedas are five including pranava veda. wats ur opinion?By: Prajith.V, KeralaA: Though the re-discovery of Pranava Veda has made a little influence on our society, the path of a Hindu has not changed much. Even though there are innumerable sects in Hinduism, Advaita Vedanta is the backbone of Sanathan Dharma. Since the revival of Dharma by Adi Shankaracharya, it stands on his contributions. And...

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Should I Become a Vegetarian?

In essence, Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma, and that Dharma is from time immemorial; it involves pursuit of Moksha through self-reflection, inquiry, and Self-Knowledge. Self-Knowledge in Hinduism is synonymous with Moksha (Liberation from the cycle of birth and death).Therefore, the one who is seeking to understand the ultimate mystery of existence and thereby gaining salvation or release is a true Hindu, irrespective of the nationality, caste, creed...

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Why drona did not teach archery to ekalavya?

When we hear the word Ekalavya, Guru Bhakti will come to our mind immediately. He gave his thumb, an important finger as Guru Dhakshina for the education obtained from Guru. However, Ekalavya was actually a grey character: partially good and partially bad. Before practicing the shastras (shastra vidya) in front of Drona’s idol, earlier he learned Paishacha vidya from group of devils (pishachi). From this force only, he fought against Sri...

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What is Yaga(Yagam) as per Vedas? What are the types of Yagas?

Yajna, Yaga and Homa are the terms derived from root word 'yaj'. Both yajna and yaga mean the same. The definition of yaga is-- ☀ devatoddeshena dravyatyagaH yagaH. Setting apart some material to be offered to a deity is yaga. ☀ Tasya agnau prakShepaH homaH. The offering of that material into the fire is homa. ☀ So the mantra says- sUryAya svAhA, sUryAya idam na mama- This is for sUrya and is no longer mine. ✔ Meaning of Yagna: In its...

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What is Diwali/Deepawali? Why is it celebrated?

Deepavali or Diwali means "a row of lights". It falls on the last two days of the dark half of the Hindu month of Kartik (October-November). Origins of Diwali: There are various alleged origins attributed to this festival. Some hold that they celebrate the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. In Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Kali. It also commemorates that blessed day on which the triumphant Lord Rama returned to...

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Are Hindus idol worshipers?

First of all, the term idol is misleading. It is called vigraha/mUrti though we vaguely call it an idol.The stone or metal deity images in Hindu temples and shrines are not mere symbols of the Gods. They are the form through which their love, power and blessings flood forth into this world. We may liken this mystery to our ability to communicate with others through the telephone. We do not talk to the telephone; rather we use it as a means...

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Why Do Hindus worship the cow?

Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor and adore the cow. By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures. Hindus regard all living creatures as sacred—mammals, fishes, birds and more. We acknowledge this reverence for life in our special affection for the cow. At festivals we decorate and honor her, but we do not worship her in the sense that we worship the Deity. To the Hindu, the cow...

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Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?

Contrary to prevailing misconceptions, Hindus or rather Sanatan Dharma does not have a concept of 'God' at all! Ishwara, as understood in our tradition, is not an entity that sits in heaven and does supervision business. Hence even though we use the term God to refer to Ishwara - the idea behind it is completely different from organized religions. In Hindu culture, the primordial factor has always been karma and goal has always been Moksha -...

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