Questions tagged [history]
For questions about the history of Hinduism.
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questions
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83 views
Why was traveling to Kalinga (modern-day Odisha) considered a sin?
I was reading the Baudhayana Dharma Sutra and saw the following.
He who has visited the (countries of the) Āraṭṭas, Kāraskaras, Puṇḍras, Sauvīras, Vaṅgas, Kaliṅgas, (or) Prānūnas shall offer a ...
3
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1answer
67 views
How did ancient Indonesians and other South East Asians become Hindus?
While Hinduism is a non proselytising religion and Brahmins were neither allowed to cross oceans nor to marry mlecchas ,how did Hindus convert Indonesians to Hinduism ? And how were Varnas Created in ...
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2answers
82 views
Are there any Hindu scriptures or tales from the modern era?
Are there any Hindu sacred texts from modern times, such as during the Mughal Empire all the way to the modern era? I feel some of the more recent scriptures don't get the love they deserve, mostly ...
1
vote
1answer
69 views
What was the status of actors in Ancient India ? What were the laws applicable to them ? What rights or restrictions were levied on them? [closed]
It is said that in ancient Rome, actors were banned from mixing with common citizens. Certain restrictions were levied on them and they were viewed as one if the lowest rungs of society. I would like ...
2
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0answers
60 views
Where do mlecchas come from? [duplicate]
Do any Puranas elaborate on the origin of the Śaka, Hūṇā, Yavanas, etc? I have only heard suggestions like being the progeny of Asuras or rogue members of different Varnas.
2
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0answers
108 views
On what basis does the author of Ancient India say that the original Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa contained only 6,000 or 12,000 verses?
In Ancient India, which served as a textbook for Class XI students in India during the 1980s, the author, Ram Sharan Sharma, makes the following claim about Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa:
The two epics and the ...
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0answers
25 views
Was the nath sampradaya ( whose head his Yogi adityanath now) was created against brahmanism?
I remember reading it somewhere.
Any backstory?
2
votes
1answer
39 views
History behind Daridraya Dukha Dahana Shiva Stotram?
I was listening to this stotram on YouTube. Wanted to know more about it!
For knowledge sake just wanted to know some facts about it for instance:
Who wrote it and when?
What was the prime reason ...
1
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0answers
106 views
The road to Taxila [closed]
During a study about various neoplatonic authors like Philostratus, there are beautiful passages in his scriptures , on how the western ascetics from the pythagorean school , which for their rules and ...
4
votes
2answers
136 views
Was Ram Bhagwan Ji sighted in recent times?
Was Ram Bhagwan Ji sighted in recent times ? I mean some reliable story of darshan etc.
I have read a lot on the internet but want to see what people have to say.
2
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0answers
60 views
Who was the Yoga Guru of Swami Vivekananda?
I know that Swami Vivekananda's Mantra Guru was Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. But this is about his Yoga Guru (if he had any).
In Hinduism the importance Guru is paramount.
Swami Vivekananda himself ...
3
votes
1answer
104 views
What is the oldest commentary on the Vedas (Saṃhitās)?
What is the oldest commentary, extant or otherwise, ever written on the Saṃhitā portion of the Vedas?
Assuming no commentary was written prior to 1000 A.D, what could be the reason for this?
P.S. ...
5
votes
0answers
67 views
Does any scripture mention about Chanakya other than the Srimad Bhagavatham?
Srimad Baghavatham has an indirect mention to Chanakya
A certain brāhmaṇa [Cāṇakya] will betray the trust of King Nanda and
his eight sons and will destroy their dynasty. In their absence the
Mauryas ...
2
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0answers
27 views
Is it possible that all sects of Hinduism could be right about their Parabrahman?
Different sects of Hinduism declare different God's as Parabrahman. Is it possible that all are true if Parabrahman takes different forms in each Kalpa?
Since Parabrahman can take any form, is the ...
0
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1answer
57 views
Do new God's emerge from Parabrahman at the end of each Mahapralaya?
Please clarify the following:
If other Mahapralayas have occurred before, have the same God's always emerged from Parabrahman (such as Shiva, Shakthi, Vishnu etc) or do different God's emerge at the ...
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0answers
60 views
Who is Lord Dattatreya and Lord Dakshinamurthy? What is their relation with other avatars? When did they originate? What is their true timeline?
I know many say lord dattatreya and lord dakshinamurthy are guru rupas or avatars of Vishnu and shiva, but are they really? Can someone really tell the truth?
Also what were they doing in other kalpas ...
2
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0answers
21 views
Shiva Tandava Stotram [duplicate]
I am trying to write an article on the origin and meaning of Shiva Tandava Stotram for the general audience. I know the basic background story of how Ravana wanted to impress Lord Shiva and how this ...
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0answers
121 views
Are pornographic sculptures part of sanatan dharma?
I stay in a small town in west bengal, india, I found a temple ruin/old temple of very low archeological importance which had orgy position. if you need will upload photos.
My question is since many ...
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1answer
191 views
In what context did Vivekananda say “Stand up, be bold, and take the blame on your own shoulders. Do not go about throwing mud at others…”
In what context did Swami Vivekananda say this?
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35 views
Biographies of 27 Nakshatras
Nakshatra is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology and Indian Astronomy which are 27 in number. I want to know about the complete biographies of 27 Stars.
3
votes
1answer
83 views
Is it common in the previous yugas for a women to have multiple husbands? Like Draupadi had [duplicate]
Draupadi had five husbands but no where in the Mahabharatam its described as out of the ordinary, as of my knowledge, or its described as a sin. Is it common in those eras to have multiple husbands ...
2
votes
1answer
98 views
When was Yama Smriti lost?
Yama Smriti is one of the eighteen Smriti which is no more extant.
Till when it is in existence and when did (in which year) we lose that scripture?
2
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0answers
58 views
Was Sati (a hindu custom) a rule during Shivaji's tenure?
I want to know : To whom was it mandatory to perform sati during shivaji's rule- only kshatriya widows? or all widows irrespective of castes?
3
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0answers
44 views
Did Adi Shankaracharya establish Akharas in addition to mathas?
Quite a few websites have popped up that claim Akharas were set up by Adi Shankaracharya. Some sites have even claimed that the Naga Sadhu order was organized into a mitary order by Adi Shankaracharya ...
2
votes
1answer
155 views
Why Brahmans cannot touch the blue color
In Alberuni’s India Volume 2, page 132 , about Brahmans , is said :
...the blue color is impure for him, so if it touches his body , he is
obliged to wash himself
Albiruni, writing about 1030 c....
3
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0answers
134 views
Does any sacred Hindu text have knowledge of electricity?
At many places our ancient books exhibit deep knowledge of various branches of maths, and that is discussed a lot. For instance, Yuktibhasha, a 15th century Malyalam textbook of maths teaches ...
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0answers
82 views
Does anyone write books on analyzing ( or reviewing) Hinduism?
Did any non-Hindu write any analysis (review) of Hinduism about why Vedas said like this and why our Puranas said like that etc?
The concepts in our Vedas and Puranas are far away from reality, so ...
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0answers
34 views
Does the tradition of writing Rama Koti have any scriptural basis?
Rama Koti is a practice in Hinduism in which a devotee of Rama writes the name of Rama in a book for one crore times.
Is this tradition of writing rama koti mentioned anywhere in the scriptures or ...
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0answers
41 views
Is Hinduism a foreign belief system in India? [closed]
As far as I know, Aryans migrated from Asia Minor (Anatolia or Turkey) to Indus valley.
And, in order to rule over the local and indigenous people, they created the caste system. They also created ...
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0answers
23 views
Datta guru's time and ashrams
When did Dattatreya live and preach and help devotees? If he was in the 15th century, who were his contemporaries? Where are his ashrams situated, and are they now protected and available for pilgrims'...
0
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2answers
99 views
What were Kauravas doing during geetopadesham from Sri Krishna? [duplicate]
When Arjuna was feeling bad to fight against Bheeshma and his Guru Dronacharya, Shri Krishna tries to enlighten Arjuna by preaching Geethopadesha when they are in the middle of the war field. What ...
0
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0answers
35 views
What happened to Ekalavya? [duplicate]
We have heard the story that Ekalavya just by peeping the training of Dronacharya to Arjuna, he became master in archery. But once Dronacharya found that Ekalavya is greatest Archer than his favorite ...
3
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0answers
117 views
Is Anushasan Parva from Mahabharat an interpolation? It is claimed by many scholars and also it is not mentioned in the spitzer manuscript [closed]
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/index.htm
I have read at many places that Shanti parva and Anushasan parva were later added in the original mahabharata. Does that also make vishnu sahasranamam ...
3
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2answers
176 views
Why there was so much hatred towards Karna on the part of Bheeshma and Dronacharya?
During the time of war also, they did not let Karna do war. They always insulted every given chance against Karna. Is it just because Karma is a Sut Putru? Or they just hate him that Karma was a ...
3
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0answers
68 views
When was Vasavadatta praised in Sita’s assembly?
Madal is an ancient Indian practice where a man rejected by the woman he loved would go around riding on a fake horse made of palmyra stems badmouthing the woman, in an effort to embarass her into ...
5
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1answer
151 views
Who decided that mantras should be used for yajñas that came later?
Were the ṛṣis who heard the mantras (found in the saṃhitā portion of the Vedas) aware that what they heard (or was revealed to them) will be used to conduct yajñas (sacrifices)?
If not, who decided ...
3
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1answer
140 views
What is a jambu tree?
I am reading 'The Wonder That Was India' by A.L.Basham. In chapter 1, Introduction the author mentions as a footnote that,
The ancient Indians knew their sub-continent as Jambudvipa (the continent ...
3
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0answers
39 views
Is yoga an independent philosophy as classified in shad-darshan? or was it later incorporated in Tantra? or is it a part of tantra itself?
There is a separate school in Āstika tradition of Sanatana dharma as "Yoga". Also, the tantrik texts consists a section as Yoga itself. So how does the yoga as mentioned in Shad-Darshana differs from ...
1
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1answer
85 views
Hinduism opposite of a third eye [closed]
Is there the concept of someone who sees futures that shouldn't exist or shouldn't be?
I know about the third eye.
0
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1answer
74 views
Is Kṛṣṇasāra mentioned in Manusmṛti 2.23 the spotted deer (Axis axis) or the blackbuck (Indian antelope)?
Ganganath Jha translates 'kṛṣṇasāra' as 'spotted deer':
kṛṣṇasārastu carati mṛgo yatra svabhāvataḥ |
sa jñeyo yajñiyo deśo mlecchadeśastvataḥ paraḥ || 23 ||
But the region where the spotted ...
1
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1answer
229 views
Which group of currently active Hindus (not necessarily a sect) reject the least from the totality of Hindu scripture?
Most modern Hindus would probably reject animal sacrifice - although it is actively practiced by many Hindus today.
Many sects are currently active today and many of them are defined more by what ...
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0answers
106 views
Has the current day India become a mlecchadeśa? Is it still fit for sacrifices?
Commenting on Manusmṛti 2.23, Medhātithi says:
In fact, the name ‘mlecchadeśa’ is to be taken literally, in the sense that it is ‘the country of mlecchas’; so that if mlecchas happen to conquer a ...
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0answers
48 views
Where are imperishable personalities from Mahabharata?
The characters listed below are Chiranjeevi's or imperishable personalities from Dwaaparayuga that means they are immortal. So where do they exist in Kaliyug? Is there any evidence or documents ...
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0answers
31 views
Indian Solar dynasty king
Was there a Solar Dynasty king called Salisuka. If yes, please provide details of his place in the list of solar dynasty kings.
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0answers
46 views
Who is Jalangiman Chetti and what powers did he possess?
Swami Vivekananda in one of his talks mentions a person, Jalangiman Chetti, claiming he acquired some special powers from constant repetition of certain mantras.
Who is this person and what powers ...
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0answers
127 views
What scriptures describe Hiranyaksha mining the Earth?
Most people only know the story of the demon Hiranyaksha putting the Earth in the Garbhodska ocean, after which Vishnu’s incarnation Varaha the boar killed Hiranyaksha and rescued the Earth. But page ...
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1answer
201 views
When was the last Ashwamedha yajna conducted?
I have read at few sites that Pushyamitra Shunga (2nd century B.C.) had conducted two Ashwamedha yajnas. Did any king conduct Ashwamedha yagna after Pushyamitra ?
4
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2answers
427 views
Is there any religious significance of saffron flag as per our scriptures?
Modern Hindu organisations usually use saffron triangular flag as a unanimously accepted symbol of Hinduism. However, does the flag or colour have any significance as per authentic Hindu scriptures?
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0answers
83 views
What is the earliest reference to identifying/differentiating Siddhartha Gautama and the Buddha Avatara?
Hindu scripture describes two Buddha Avataras of Vishnu born to deceive people. One Buddha Avatara took place during the Tripura incident. Another Buddha Avatara took place in the present Kali Yuga. ...
6
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1answer
335 views
Did Ramakrishna ever meet Dayanand Saraswati?
I read somewhere(maybe Ramakrishna Kathamrta) that Ramakrishna had a meeting with Dayanand Saraswati(founder of Arya Samaj). Is it true? If so what topics were discussed between then and what ...
