Linked Questions

6 votes
1 answer
520 views

Do any authentic scriptures other than Valmiki Ramayan talk about Shambuka's story (from Uttara Kanda)? [duplicate]

According to the Ramayana, Shambuka, a Shudra ascetic, was slain by Rama for attempting to perform penance. This act of Shambuka was perceived by Rama as the act in violation of dharma as he believed ...
Sarvottam Kumar Mishra's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
39 views

Why did Shri Ram kill Shambhuk? [duplicate]

I was recently reading the Uttara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana and came across Chapter 76. Perhaps the most controversial question of all times. Chapter 76: Hearing the words of Rama of imperishable ...
Sachin Bahukhandi's user avatar
18 votes
3 answers
2k views

Is the story of Sita's banishment present in any scriptures other than Valmiki Ramayana?

The story of Mother Sita's banishment by Sri Rama present in the Uttara Khanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, is perhaps the most controversial part of Sri Rama's story. Many Hindu acharyas such as Swami ...
user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
4k views

K.S. Bhagavan's critique of Adi Shankara

An Indian writer named K.S. Bhagavan published in 1982 a book entitled Shankaracharya and Reactionary Philosophy = ಶಂಕರಾಚಾರ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರತಿಗಾಮಿತನ. I heard that Bhagavan criticized Adi Shankara in ...
Jo Wehler's user avatar
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12 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why did Lord Rama give a second chance to Ravana, but not to Vali?

In Ramayana, Lord Rama gave a chance to Ravana to surrender and sent Angada as his ambassador for peace conciliation. This was because mercy befits a warrior. Why didn't Rama, for the same reason, ...
doptimusprime's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
349 views

Will there be ill-effects from universally disseminating scripture to non-Dvijas?

Westerners who are not Dvijas and are probably not Hindus have done yeoman service in translating Vedas and other scripture into English. The prohibition against writing down scripture has universally ...
S K's user avatar
  • 1
5 votes
1 answer
500 views

How can subhuman treatment of a person be justified because he was "born" in a particular varna?

I was very shocked to read recently that venerated gurus of vedanta like Adi Shankara and Ramanuja said shudras (and women) have no right to study vedas when infact vedas clearly don't say so . Quite ...
Sikh and ye shall find's user avatar
11 votes
0 answers
910 views

Do characters in the same Brahmavidya always have the same caste?

As I discuss in the this answer, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school, which bases its tenets on the doctrines laid out in the Brahma Sutras, a work by the sage ...
Keshav Srinivasan's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
389 views

How has the killing of Shambuka been described by the Sri Vaishnava tradition and what reason/justification, if any, has been given for the same

As per this site, Kulasekara Azhwar indicates the incident of Shri Rama killing Shambuka in verse 749 in the 10th dashakam of Perumal Tirumozhi of the Muthalayiram of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. ...
Adiyarkku's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
337 views

Shudra doing Tapas

As discussed in this answer, SRSTIKHANDA of Padma Purana says: Shudras are not entitled to do penance in all the three yugas, except the Kali Yuga. Does it mean Shudras are allowed to penance in ...
Kanthri's user avatar
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