Questions tagged [history]
For questions about the history of Hinduism.
6
votes
0answers
29 views
What was the dialogue (debate) between YajnaMurti and Ramanujacharya?
While reading the biography of Sri Ramanujacharya, I've read one story of YajnaMurti (यज्ञमूर्ति), (You can read it from Internet Archive pg. 107) who was the believer of Advaita. He was pundit of ...
2
votes
0answers
48 views
Why is Garba performed?
I came to know that in many parts of India Garba is performed.
Is there any secret behind that?
When did the practice of Garba start?
1
vote
0answers
24 views
Difference between old and new temple of Yadagiri gutta
I recently visited Yadagiri gutta sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple with my parents and siblings.
While going back I came to know that we don't visit the old temple. I did search on the wiki about ...
4
votes
2answers
104 views
Didn't the Sati practice exist in India? [duplicate]
There's a YouTube channel called FMF, which makes videos on Indian culture and Hinduism. Recently one of its videos focused on the Sati practice.
here's the link to that video. It will also be ...
7
votes
1answer
86 views
What is the story behind the legendary temple of the virgin Goddess, Kanya Kumari?
As the question title says I would like to read references from some authentic resources (scriptures, if possible) about the story behind the legendary temple of the virgin Goddess, Kanya Kumari, like ...
3
votes
0answers
49 views
Before taking Samadhi Dnyaneshwar did follow Ashtangyoga?
Ashtangyoga contains 8 parts in yoga. Ashta means 8.
Ashtangyoga - Yam Niyam Aasan Pranayam Pratyahar Dharana Dhyan Samadhi
These are eight parts of Ashtangyoga. The saint Dnyaneshwar has taken ...
8
votes
1answer
111 views
Did Vedanta Desikan debate Tuvarapati Kavalar?
The Sri Vaishnava sect has two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Vadakalais follow the teachings of Vedanta Desikan, whereas Thenkalais follow the teachings of Pillai Lokacharya. Now the Vedanta ...
3
votes
0answers
67 views
Did Vedanta Desikan perform Samashrayanam for Vidyaranya?
The famous 13th century Sri Vaishnava Acharya Vedanta Desikan was childhood friends with the Advaita philosopher Vidyaranya, who served as the Shankaracharya of Sringeri and chief advisor of the ...
3
votes
5answers
423 views
Why Gayatri mantra is widely recited by non-bramhins nowadays which was once the stronghold of only the brahmins?
Is there any reason for release of Gayatri mantra to non brahmins and even to women? I think such practice is irregular. Who is responsible for deviation from very ancient practice and making it ...
1
vote
0answers
74 views
Are there any curse associated with Padmanabhaswamy temple & Sabrimala of Kerala, India?
Padmanabhaswamy kshetra and Sabrimala area are 2 of the most sacred places in the state of Kerala, India.
In recent years, there have been certain controversies associated with them, where the ...
3
votes
0answers
20 views
Was there any Rishi/Sant/Saint by the name of Maadan?
I was reading an article about Shukracharya here, which says:
There lived Saint Maadan in ancient India, once he visits an
Ashram (residential area for saints in jungle) and see beautiful
...
2
votes
0answers
122 views
Is Agathyar (Agastya) from Ramayana same as the one who lived in Tamil Nadu 5000 years back?
We all know Agathyar (Agastya) had a part to play in Ramayana. But was it the same Agathyar who lived in Tamil Nadu 5000 years back as 1st Siddhar? His famous writing is Agathyar 12000 songs & his ...
7
votes
4answers
584 views
Who is the goddess depicted as “Bharat Mata” & why is she having Indian tricolor flag?
What is the story of Bharat Mata?
What's her connection with the Indian national flag?
6
votes
1answer
128 views
Norse mythology and hindu scriptures
I don't have a question but I was reading about J.R.R. Tolkien and it's books, and I found many similarities with our scriptures. I am not even sure that is it debatable or not.
Now like, most of the ...
3
votes
0answers
100 views
Is Velukkudi Krishnan from a Swayamacharya lineage?
As I discuss in this question, the Sri Vaishnava sect (of which I'm a member) is divided into two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Both Thenkalais and Vadakalais have Mathams, similar to the ...
5
votes
0answers
71 views
How has been the religious exchange among India and the West after Vivekananda's Chicago speech?
Swami Vivekananda in his time had stated that spiritualism grew at a faster rate in India contrasting to the West, where materialism developed faster.
In his later life he had in fact been ...
3
votes
0answers
69 views
Thrivikrama Avatar
When God Narayana incarnated Thrivikrama avatar he kept his feet on Mahabali and showed his finger upwards. Thirumangai alwar composed a lyric on this and Thirugnanasambandar after hearing the ...
4
votes
1answer
79 views
Which scripture provides details about Suka?
I want to learn more about Suka (son of Vyāsa) who narrated Bhagvatam to Parikshit. Which purāna provide details on life or past-life of Suka ?
0
votes
0answers
19 views
At what point of time the SanAtana Dharma was started to be known as “SanAtana Dharma”? [duplicate]
"Hinduism" is typically known as a religion or set of religions . In broader sense, it's also called a "way of life". See:
Do any Hindu scriptures say that Hinduism is not a religion but simply a way ...
2
votes
1answer
168 views
Which is the oldest of all Purāṇas?
I was trying to answer Which scripture was first to identify Buddha as an avatar of Lord Vishnu? but then I don't know which is the oldest of the Purāṇas.
I'm not looking for references from Purāṇas ...
3
votes
0answers
67 views
Was Buddha a Hindu? [duplicate]
I was wondering where to post such a question. I chose Hinduism because it is the most liberal religion.
My question is: Was Buddha a Hindu? Was he a Kshatriya?
4
votes
0answers
46 views
What is the oldest scripture which explains how a temple should be built?
What is the oldest (surviving) Hindu scripture which explains how a temple should be built, maintained, and what should be its day-to-day affairs?
Is an English translation of the same available?
Is ...
5
votes
3answers
141 views
Which characters of Mahābhārata are also mentioned in the Vedas?
By characters, I mean people (kings, queens and sages) like Kṛṣṇa, Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Duryodhana, Draupadī, Vyāsa, etc. and not gods/mythological beings like Indra, Agni, Śiva and Viṣṇu....
1
vote
0answers
35 views
Which characters of Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa are also mentioned in the Vedas?
By characters, I mean people (kings, queens and sages) like Daśaratha, Rāma, Janaka, Sītā, Viśvāmitra, Vasiṣṭha, etc. and not gods/mythological beings like Indra, Agni, Śiva and Viṣṇu.
And by Vedas, ...
2
votes
1answer
162 views
If some of the early Alwars used to consider Venkateswara as Shiva and Vishnu both then what's the proof of it?
Venkateswara, AFAIK, is a form of Lord Vishnu. And, Alwars a group of Tamil Vaishnavite saints.
But, the article, Sri Venkateswara on the Kamakotimandali.org, says that initially, the Alwars used to ...
6
votes
5answers
913 views
Who coined the term 'Jambudvipa' and 'Bharat' for India as a country?
I was going through this article in which there is a mention of India or 'Bharat' not being called as a country until in the Third century BC Ashoka used 'Jambudvipa' for 16 mahajanpadas which could ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Is there any God/Deity of Electricity?
For all the natural & social aspects like water, fire, animals, wind, earth, trees, engineering, sex, day/night, knowledge, maths, strength -- we have certain kind of deity.
Ancient civilization ...
4
votes
1answer
129 views
Was Śatānanda the son of Gautama or Indra?
It is generally believed that Śatānanda was the son of Gautama and Ahalyā.
But was Śatānanda born before Indra had the brief affair with Ahalyā?
How do we know Śatānanda was not the son of ...
2
votes
0answers
80 views
Where is the bridge that were built between Sri Lanka and India in the epic ,Ramayana?
I have a question about our epic ,Ramayana .It was said that Lord Srirama built a bridge between India and Sri Lanka with the help of his vanara senna ,if so where is that bridge ?
1
vote
0answers
44 views
What is the lineage of kings in Bharata after Mahabharata war until recent day? [duplicate]
Arjuna's son Abhimanyu's son Parikshit's son Janamejaya around 5000 B.C
After that, what is the lineage of monarchy of chandravamsha (to which all Kurus belong)?
In history classes, 'India' ...
1
vote
0answers
113 views
What is the story of the first Acharya of Ramanujacharya's Matham in Melkote?
When the famous Sri Vaishnava Acharya Ramanujacharya fled Sri Rangam due to the persecution of the Shaivite Chola king (which I discuss here), he went to Melkote in Karnataka. It's only after the ...
5
votes
1answer
613 views
How exactly did Swami Vivekananda die?
Wikipedia says:
On 4 July 1902 (the day of his death) Vivekananda awoke early, went to the monastery at Belur Math and meditated for three hours. He taught Shukla-Yajur-Veda, Sanskrit grammar and ...
4
votes
1answer
187 views
Is there any Hindu spiritual principle that causes many Hindus to oppose the Aryan Migration Theory?
Recently a question was asked about the reasons why many Hindus are opposed to the Aryan Migration Theory (AMT)? The question was asked in a manner that does not fit with the requirements of this site....
2
votes
1answer
94 views
Which schools prior to the Gautam Buddha gave the finite size of the atma (आत्मा )?
Gautam Buddha is said to talk about Self in his teachings later during third turning of wheel (or call it whatever). He said about the self like this which is Advaitic & in agreement with both ...
0
votes
0answers
292 views
Why was Vedanta Desikan's other uncle initiated by Pillai Lokacharya's father?
The Sri Vaishnava sect has two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Vadakalais follow the teachings of Vedanta Desikan, whereas Thenkalais follow the teachings of Pillai Lokacharya. I just found an ...
4
votes
0answers
88 views
Did Sri Ramanuja convert atheists?
Sri Ramanuja, the great Vaishnava acharya and the propounder of Vishishtadvaita philosophy, is known to have converted many Buddhists and Jains back to Hinduism.
What about atheists? Did he convert ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
Is hiding one's caste a punishable offense?
From this article:
Although the first Maratha ruler, Shivaji, freely recruited Mahars in his army, two centuries later, by the time of the Peshwas, the status of Mahars was lower than ever. The ...
8
votes
0answers
133 views
What was the debate where Ramanandi tradition defeated Ramanuja tradition in 1921 Ujjain Kumbh mela?
From wiki
The 1921 Simhastha is notable for a historic debate in which the Ramanandi Sampradaya defeated the Ramanuja sampradaya (Shri Vaishnavas). The debate was to address the question whether ...
2
votes
1answer
95 views
Are the ancient commentator Dramidacharya's descendants Sri Vaishnavas?
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 ...
4
votes
1answer
92 views
Is Brahmo Samaj still functional?
wiki says
"Brahmo Samaj (Bengali: ব্রাহ্ম সমাজ Bramho Shômaj) is a Hindu reform movement. It is the societal component of Brahmoism, a monotheistic reformist movement of the Hindu religion that ...
3
votes
0answers
45 views
If Hinduism is not the same as Sanatana Dharma, in what way are they different?
That the names Hinduism was given by foreigners means nothing. After all, "India" is a foreign-origin name. Sanatana Dharma by definition extends back to the remotest past and would live forever. ...
0
votes
3answers
500 views
Is there a scriptural basis for Out-of-India hypothesis? [duplicate]
I heard that Hindus believe that all Vedic-era people originated in Bhārat. Is this a cultural belief or is it from scripture?
3
votes
0answers
43 views
Were the harsher punishments laid out in smṛtis actually carried out or they merely served as a deterrent?
Were some of the harsher punishments laid out in smṛtis like the Manu actually carried out (any real examples?) or they merely served as a deterrent?
From Manusmṛti:
On abusing a Brāhmaṇa the ...
4
votes
0answers
84 views
Where does Vaduga Nambi call two other shishyas of Ramanujacharya double-minded?
The famous Sri Vaishnava Acharya Ramanujacharya had 74 disciples, known as the Simhasanadhipatis, but three of his closest disciples were Kurathalwan, Mudhaliandan, and Vaduga Nambi. Kurathalwan is ...
1
vote
0answers
31 views
does stars come to exact same positions in next same age axial precession
does stars come to exact same positions in next same age (after all other stars/ astrological sign ruling days are over, the current one comes again after full cycle) after complete of axial ...
3
votes
0answers
51 views
Where did Ramanujacharya's statue of Varadaraja come from?
I just came back from a trip to India, and one of the temples I visited was the famous Ranganatha temple in Sri Rangam. The temple has a shrine called the Udaiyavar Sannidhi, which contains the ...
2
votes
1answer
79 views
Were there sacraments to convert non-arya and arya but non-kshatriya kings to kshatriyas?
Wiki article of Mahapadma Nanda says
The Puranas describe Mahapadma as a son of Mahanandin by a woman from the Shudra caste.[ Jain works like Parishishtaparvan and Avashyaka sutra represent him as ...
1
vote
0answers
186 views
Was Pillai Lokacharya a descendant of Ramanujacharya's sister?
The Sri Vaishnava sect has two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Vadakalais follow the teachings of Vedanta Desikan, whereas Thenkalais follow the teachings of Pillai Lokacharya. My question is ...
1
vote
0answers
223 views
What is the story of Manavala Mamunigal's ancestor Gomadathalwan?
The Sri Vaishnava sect has two sub-sects, Thenkalai and Vadakalai. Vadakalais follow the teachings of Vedanta Desikan, whereas Thenkalais follow the teachings of Pillai Lokacharya and Manavala ...
3
votes
1answer
103 views
Did the Ancient Indian Rishis keep Shikha?
Shikha is a lock of hair on the crown on a shaven head. In the modern times, it is mostly worn by priests.
It is believed that traditionally all Hindu men kept Shikha, but later this was restricted ...
