Questions tagged [vedas]
Vedas are the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. There are four vedas viz., Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. They were compiled by Sage Vyasa.
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Is the Anukramani index of sages and deities of the Rig Veda available online?
As I discuss in this answer, how the Vedas originated is that from time immemorial, sages known as Dhristas have heard mantras (sacred verses) directly from the gods during a state of Tapasya (deep ...
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How did the Vedas in Hinduism come into existence?
Who wrote the Vedas and why?
How did the Vedas exist since their inception?
Where can we read the Vedas?
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How has Lord Vishnu's understanding developed and what was his role initially?
I've recently come by an excellent research on how the understanding of Shiva has been evolving through the ages and I wonder whether such a research has been made with respect to Vishnu. The book I ...
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Was the Purva mimansa an atheist school?
Why purva mimansa school did not believe in existence of vedic gods but were strict believers of Vedas?
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What is the origin of the word "Hindu"?
It is a fact that the term "Hindu" derives from the river "Sindh". But most of Hinduism's tenets and teachings derive from the Vedas. Why wasn't it named after the Vedas, but it's rather given a name ...
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Is it true that one can not convert to Hinduism from any other religion or vice versa?
One of my friends told me that you are either born as a Hindu or not: You cannot convert from any other religion to Hinduism or the other way round. Is something of that sort mentioned in the Vedas or ...
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Why are brahmins represented by names of Vedas?
Why are brahmins represented by names of Vedas?
For example, a person x is a brahmin of some y class (Kanyakubja/ Kokanstha/Deshastha etc.) Then person x will be introduced or called as x person is a ...
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What are the Agama scriptures? Are they related to Shruti/Vedas?
I know that Hindu scriptures classified as Shruti and Smriti but don't know much about Aagama.
I would like to know about Agama Scripture:
What are the Agama Scriptures?
Are they related to Vedas?
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Whose commentaries on the Vedas and Upanishads are most followed?
There are many people who write commentaries on the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita etc. Whose commentaries is most followed.
Also where can I get all of those Upanishads and Vedas in English? ...
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Can a Sudra become a Brahmin in 'this' birth?
Scriptures have remedy for everything. Various mantras various austerities can give us miraculous position. For eg. It is possible to become Indra (who is King of Heaven) by performing 100 Ashwamedha ...
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What are the Vedas technically? How can Upanishads be called Vedas when some parts are neither revelations nor hymns dedicated to any specific deity?
It is believed that the Vedas are the revelations from the Almighty to the seers in exalted states of consciousness.
Further, it is also believed that the Vedas are authorless.
Keeping these ...
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Procedures used for preserving the integrity of the Vedas
It is said that the metering of the sanskrit verses in Vedas and process of recitation imbue certain qualities to the scripture that make it inimitable(if I may use the word) or easy to identify ...
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What names of Lord Shiva used today are from Vedas?
Generally people have a severe misconception that Shiva is represented by the name 'Rudra' only in Vedas. Various names used today used for Lord Shiva are from Vedas.
Some names are only in Puranas ...
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Which Vedic verses describe Indra as Brahman?
Which Vedic verses describe Indra as Brahman? Or as creator of universe or as source of universe or as someone who pervades whole universe?
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Who is considered Hindu?
Keeping geographical location aside, who is considered to be a Hindu? (i.e. not belonging to other religions)
Should that person accept authority of someone (Vedas, some God, philosophy etc.)?
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Why is Lord Shiva called Pashupati? Who are the Pashus?
Pashu means those whose which are tied and thus Pashupati literally means Lord of those which are tied. Pashu also means Cattles/Animals, and Pashupati also means Lord of Animals
The name PashuPati ...
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What do the Vedas say about animal sacrifice?
In ancient times, there had been animal sacrifices at various Yagyas and rituals were performed by Brahmins for kings, while on the other hand they also used to advocate non-violence and preferred a ...
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Which scripture describes the procedure for an ideal marriage including how to find the ideal bride or groom?
Like Grihya Sutras and Brahmanas of Vedas give details of how 16 Samskaras should be performed, is there any scripture which gives ideal procedure for finding and marrying the ideal bride or groom?
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I want scripture-based explanation for "God is Everywhere"
Most dominant philosophy in Hinduism is that God is everywhere and in everything. I want to understand this in more detail. As per science we know that around us there are two distinct things: Space-...
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Who is the seer of the Isha Upanishad?
As I discuss in this answer, each of the four Vedas consists of four portions: Samhitas, the core part of the Vedas which consist of hymns heard from the gods; Brahmanas, commentaries on the Samhitas ...
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Is Hanuman going to be future Brahma?
I have read in multiple forums, which talks about Hanumana being rewarded as future Brahma.
Can anyone point out, where exactly it is mentioned that he is going to be future Brahma?
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Do any Vedic verses depict Lord Vishnu to be supreme?
Are there any verses from Vedas and the Upanishads that show Lord Vishnu as supreme?
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What is the difference between Buddhi (बुद्धि) and Mann (मन)?
I know Buddhi (बुद्धि) means intelligence/intellect and Mann (मन) means mind. But what is difference between them?
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What are the eight forms (Ashtamurti) of Lord Shiva?
Lord Shiva pervades the entire universe through various forms like that of Ekadasha Rudra, or PanchaBrahma and also through Ashtamurti form. Lord Shiva is also called by the name Ashta Murti, for eg. ...
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Is the vedic supreme God different from the puranic supreme God?
Is the vedic supreme God different from the puranic supreme God? If not, then why is the puranic concept of God trimurty and vedic concept, brahman?
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Where does Rig Veda states about Cyclical Nature of Creation?
It is a common belief in Hinduism that the nature of creation is cyclic. Continuous creation and destruction happens in certain intervals of time. Most of such ideas are found in Puranas and also in ...
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Who all were the different Ved-Vyas?
We all know that the Mahabharat was written by Ved-Vyas, but what many of us don't know is that Ved-Vyas was not the name of the person but the title. This title is given to the one who add/modify/...
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What is the Yogic meaning of getting liberation by reaching Varanasi?
Varanasi which is also known by the name Kashi is one of the the most sacred place. It is also known as Avimukta which means which is never forsaken by Shiva.
अविमुक्तं स्वयं लिङ्गं स्थापितं परमा...
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What is the origin of Ganapathi Atharvasheersh?
Where do we find the Ganapati Atharvasheersh in scriptures? What is the meaning of the word 'Atharvsheersh'. Who is the writer of it (Rishi Ganak or Atharvan)?
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Are there any mantra or mantras in Veda Samhitas that confirm that Vedas are apaurusheya?
We know that the Vedas are authorless or apaurusheya.. At least we believe the Vedas to be so.
The mantras of Vedas are revealed directly by God to some selected Rishis in a trance like state that ...
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I want to know the exact explanation of Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra
Can any one give the exact explanation of this mantra? What is the logic behind chanting this Mantra?
How the mind of a person related to this and is it true that we can save the life of a dying ...
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What are Mahavakyas?
I heard that तत्त्वमसि (Tat Tvam Asi) is the Mahavakya. So, I want to know what are the Mahavakyas and which are they?
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Do any non-Vaishnava Agamas trace their origins to a Vedic Shakha?
As I discuss in this answer, Hindu scripture is made up of two categories, Shruti or that which is heard from the gods, and Smriti or that which is composed by humans authors and passed down from ...
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Is Shiva or Rudra born and is he still alive? Was he killed or merged with supreme brahman at any point of time?
Is there any references in Vedas, ithihasas and puranas or any scriptures about birth of Siva or Rudra? Also, shiva purana says that Siva also has incarnations. So are all these incarnations still ...
user808
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Liberated souls come back [duplicate]
Do the souls which attained moksha in this creation again come back to earth to undergo birth and death process in the next creation which takes place after mahapralay?
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Are there any references to Gravity in Hindu Scriptures?
Are there any references to Gravity or any fundamental forces in Hindu Scriptures viz. Vedas, Upanishands and Puranas or any Scientific Vedic Scriptures?
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Does Science contradict Hinduism? How to deal with scientific discoveries that don't line up with Vedas?
I would like to know if Hinduism and science contradict each other. This is an issue that arises in many religions, the most prominent example being Christianity and its disagreement with evolution. ...
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How is evolution portrayed?
In Hinduism, is there a concept of evolution? If so, how it it portrayed? I seen a YouTube video that I am unable to find again that says that the Vedic text says that beings evolve from most complex ...
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Was the story of adultery of Indra in the story of Ahalya a PRAKSHIPTA?
If Lord Indra is a "womaniser" as described as in the Puranic Literature, can anyone tell as to how many women fall prey to him?
Only Ahalya's story occurs to me. So we have to closely examine the ...
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How Rudra became Shiva in Vedas?
There are four parts of Vedas; Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. Among these Samhita are those parts which are directly revealed to the seers. ie. They are always eternal syllable by ...
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How was the Madhu Vidya passed down before Dadhichi?
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 ...
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Is Shiva Sankalpa Suktam also a Khila Sukta of RigVeda?
Khila Suktas of RigVeda are those Suktas which are associated only in Baskala Shakha of RigVeda and not in Sakala Shakha. For eg. Sri Suktam of RigVeda is also a Khila Sukta.
Shiva Sankalpam Sukta is ...
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What are the Kashmir Agamas defended in Yamunacharya's lost work?
As I discuss in this answer, one of the early movements that was important to the development of Vaishnavism was the ancient Pancharatra movement, whose sacred texts or Agamas consisted of detailed ...
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What is the validity of Authoritativeness of vedas?
Pramana is defined as that which is the means of valid knowledge ( Prama)
In general three Pramanas are accepted by all vedantins.
Prtyaksha ( Perception)
Anumana ( Inference )
Sabda ( Verbal ...
user808
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Did Trisiras predict his own death in a Vedic hymn?
Trisiras (AKA Vishwarupa) was the three-headed son of the divine architect Tvashta (AKA Vishwakarma). He was extremely devout, even serving as temporary guru of the gods when Brihaspati had abandoned ...
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Are there any Variants in Samhita of Vedas?
Does samhitas have any variants ? How many old copies do we have and do they match exactly or if not how do they differ.
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Where is this verse from in the Vedas about the Manusmriti?
This verse is said to exist in the Vedas:
yad vai manuravadat tad bheṣajam
‘Whatever Manu has said is medicine.’
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Does the Taittiriya Upanishad quote a hymn of the Sama Veda?
The Taittiriya Upanishad constitutes the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Vallis (sections) of the Taittiriya Aranyaka of the Yajur Veda. The last of these is known as the Bhrigu Valli, and here is how it ...
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What is the relation of Saraswati (Vak) with the River Saraswati and Trinity or Brahman?
What is the relation or connection of Saraswati (Vak - Vani) with the River Saraswati and with the Hindu Trinity or Brahman?
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Vedas and Vedic dharma on homosexuality
This link describes that the Vedas have no problem with homosexuality:
In contemporary India LGBT people face discrimination and marginalization. This results from cultural attitudes imposed by the ...
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