Questions tagged [animals]
30
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
13
votes
0answers
152 views
Why do the Krodhavasas take away the merits of people with dogs?
When Indra comes to take Yuddhisthira to Swarga, the latter refuses to go without the dog who has been accompanying him all this while:
"Yudhishthira said, ‘O thou of a 1,000 eyes. O thou that art ...
8
votes
0answers
963 views
What is this ancient animal called Yali?
I have been told that Yali is a fierce animal of ancient times. I have seen this in temple sculptures:
It is beyond doubt that this animal is extinct now, but my questions are as below.
Which Hindu ...
7
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0answers
107 views
What scriptures describe the Rishi Shalihotra cutting the wings off of horses?
The Ashva Shastra is a work of unknown authorship about the nature and proper care of horses. Now this chapter of the Ashva Shastra says that there used to be winged horses, but then Indra asked the ...
7
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0answers
151 views
Which scriptures describe the concept of “Shadjanma Pashu”?
While reading the article "Ahimsha and Vegetarianism in Kashmir Shaivaism" on the Kamakotimandali, i came across the concept of "Shadjanma Pashu" ( Shad=six; Janma=birth; Pashu=an animal).
It is ...
6
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0answers
73 views
Are any stories available for the sons of Sarama that serve Yama?
Sarama is the female dog that is mentioned in many Vedic verses as the helper of the gods and is especially associated with Indra. Her children are also mentioned in some verses as being assistants of ...
6
votes
0answers
93 views
What is the most recent reference to wild Sharabhas existing?
Most people only know the story of how Shiva took an incarnation as the half-lion half-bird Sharabheshwara in order to try to subdue Vishnu's incarnation Narasimha, as I discuss here. What's not as ...
6
votes
0answers
208 views
What scriptures describe toads being found in the heart of solid rocks?
The term "Shaivite" is overused nowadays. For instance, Iyer Brahmins are often called Shaivites, but they're actually followers of Adi Shankaracharya's Smartha sect (which I discuss here and here), ...
5
votes
0answers
148 views
What is Śuka's birth-based varṇa? Is his biological mother literally a parrot or a human named Ghṛtācī or he had no mother at all?
The birth of Vyāsa's son, Śuka, is narrated in the Mahābhārata as follows.
Bhishma said. 'The son of Satyavati having obtained this high boon from the great God, was one day employed in rubbing his ...
5
votes
0answers
487 views
What scriptures describe peacocks producing children through tears?
A Rajasthan High Court judge recently made the following statement:
Peacock is a Bramhachari and it does not have sex with a peahen. The peahen gets pregnant drinking the tears of the peacock. Even ...
5
votes
0answers
85 views
Origin of the practice of Piśṭa paśu in Vedic Yajnas?
Piśṭa paśu is said to be the replacement of animals with images of animals made of corn-flour in Vedic rituals. My question is, in which scripture is this practice mentioned and what are the details ...
4
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0answers
47 views
Was/is there a caste/subcaste designated to actually kill the animal at animal sacrifices?
An example of a specialized occupation in Tamil Nadu is the inherited, highly stigmatized office of funeral drummer and graveyard attendant, called vettiyan (drawn from the Paraiyar subcaste).
Is the ...
4
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0answers
57 views
Where in the hindu sacred texts does it say animals do not create new karma?
Where in the hindu texts does it say that animals and the gods do not create new karma but only pay off karma?
4
votes
0answers
132 views
Did the influence of Jains reduce animal sacrifice in Hinduism?
In the Wikipedia article on Jainism and Hinduism, there is a section Vedic sacrifices which says following:
The practice of Vedic animal sacrifices was opposed by Jains. Hemachandra, a Jain monk, ...
4
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0answers
76 views
Did the Samkhya school discuss the danger of Yagna fires to surrounding wildlife?
As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school. But there are five other Astika or orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy: Purva Mimamsa, Samkhya,...
4
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0answers
155 views
What scriptures describe Vishnu riding a tortoise?
The term "Shaivite" is overused nowadays. For instance, Iyer Brahmins are often called Shaivites, but they're actually followers of Adi Shankaracharya's Smartha sect (which I discuss here and here), ...
4
votes
0answers
95 views
Do our sins really burn away if we're reborn as animals or trees (i.e., other than human)?
I have heard that we can not earn any merit or demerit in any birth other than the human birth.
So my question is, do our sins (demerits) burn away in animal or tree birth?
E.g., a dog born in dirty ...
4
votes
0answers
153 views
How prevalent is animal sacrifice in India as part of Hindu ritual?
I was under the impression that animal sacrifice as Hindu ritual was a minority phenomenon in India.
Am I wrong? Are there any statistics available?
Note that I am not asking if it is justified, ...
3
votes
0answers
68 views
How did Gods select their animal vehicles?
For example,
Ganesh --> Mouse
Durga --> Lion
Shiva -–> Bull, and the list is endless....
So, how are these assigned or rather selected by all the Gods as their vehicles?
OR
Is it just that ...
3
votes
0answers
387 views
Who is Vena, the possible inspiration for Phoenix?
While researching about the phoenix I came across this interesting website that says:
The Phoenix is a unique bird, there may only exist one at a time, which ... legend of Phoenix, the same bird is ...
3
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0answers
186 views
Did lord Shri Ram, Laxman and Sita ever face dangerous wild animals during their exile in forests?
During lord Rama's exile period they killed many Asuras. And sometimes I assume that, In jungle or forest wild animals like lions, tigers,bears and others would also be present there.
Did they ever ...
2
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0answers
57 views
Hindu Gods associated with ravens
Many Hindu Gods and Goddesses are often associated with animals : Shiva with the bull, Durga with the lion, Vishnu with the eagle etc.
Which of them is associated with the raven?
2
votes
1answer
128 views
Sighting of Garuda (Grudha or vulture) when a person is ill. What does it signify?
What is the significance of seeing Garuda/Grudha (Vulture) on a tree in front of house ( never appeared in past,
not in the neighborhood too ) and it flew the moment a person looked at it. It appeared ...
2
votes
0answers
39 views
Do animals dream?
Human beings can experience atleast three states: Jagart (waking state), swapna (dream state) and sushupti (deep sleep).
How many states, among the three, can an animal experience? Are there any ...
2
votes
0answers
55 views
How Can An Animal Accumulate Karma?
If we take into consideration the behavior of certain animals whose intelligence and perception are radically different from our human perspective (e.g. a flatworm , a jellyfish or even an Amoeba) ...
2
votes
0answers
110 views
Is it okay to dispose a dog's dead body in the river?
My dog passed away last night and as far as the rituals in my family are concerned, we have to dispose the dead body into the river. But most of my relatives and friends are now saying we should have ...
2
votes
0answers
481 views
How is killing of black deer for skin and other products justified
Shatpath Bramhana says that brahmin boys should cover their bodies with skin of Black Deer or Krishna Mriga (Black Buck), and this is okay if they don't just kill them for that purpose. A dead buck's ...
1
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0answers
137 views
Does Tantrik, avaidik, or agamic animal sacrifice have any scriptural authority?
No one has done a Vedic animal sacrifice for hundreds of years, but the Shakta, Shaiva, and Vamachara traditions, especially in East India, are known to perform lots of avaidik animal sacrifices for ...
1
vote
0answers
88 views
Do all species have soul?
There is a famous quote which is circulating online that according to Hinduism, soul transmigrates through 8.4 million or 84 lakh bodies before reaching human form. Now, if we remove 4 lakh human ...
1
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0answers
109 views
What are the rituals to be performed for a dead kitten at our house?
A 3 days kitten died in our house. We tried to bring her to life but failed. What type of rituals should we do? Are there any rituals to distribute salt among neighbours and like that?
1
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0answers
97 views
What scriptures describe worms born from honey?
As I discuss in this question, 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 Vyasa ...
