Questions tagged [worship]
Worship is the act of praising and seeking the blessings of God. It is widely referred to as Pooja in Hinduism.
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Why is Shiva primarily worshipped in a linga form?
In Hindu temples, the statues of the deities are present in the sanctum. But in (most) Shiva temples, only a linga is present instead of a Shiva statue. The linga worship seems to be limited only to ...
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Is the ultimate purpose of life only to serve God?
I wonder at this question, because as with most major religions, it seems all you are mostly meant to do is to serve/devote yourself to God. It also seems that even in Hinduism this is the only way to ...
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What is the basis for worshipping Sai Baba? Are there are references to him in the Vedas or other Vedic literature?
Recently, Dwarka Shankaracharya, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati stirred controversy by claiming that since Shirdi Sai was a human and that there are no mention of him any Hindu scripture, he shouldn't ...
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What is the significance of Murthi pooja (idol worship)?
Hindus believe in Murthi pooja or idol worship. What is the reason behind this?
Since my childhood, I believed that God does exist in an idol but I don't have the exact clarification or history ...
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What is Dharma according to the Bhagavad Gita?
What is Dharma according to the Bhagavad Gita? Are hymns and worship of God compulsory in the Bhagavad Gita ?
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Do methods of worship change according to yugas?
Are there different methods of worshiping God in different yugas?
For example, in the Sathya Yuga, the major method of worship is meditation or yagas. In Kaliyuga - chanting of God's name. I have ...
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Why one should worship God?
I am looking for exact purpose/reason on why one should worship God? Is it because we are in god's depth as he offered us a life or is it just because god is supreme, creator of world around us?
Is ...
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What is the reason behind lokas in Hinduism?
In the Puranas, and already in the Atharvaveda, there are fourteen worlds, seven higher ones (vyahrtis) and seven lower ones (patalas), viz. bhu, bhuvas, svar, mahas, janas, tapas, and satya above and ...
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What is the meaning of worshiping a demigod? And is it bad to worship a demigod? [BG 4.12] [duplicate]
In Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 12 it is stated that:
Men in this world desire success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods. Quickly, of course, men get results from ...
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Is the Gayatri mantra used to worship the sun or Goddess Gayatri?
I've heard that the Gayatri mantra is actually used to worship the sun, and that the mantra was titled "Gayatri mantra" because the mantra is formed using Gayatri meter (a Vedic meter).
Is that true?
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What is the significance of Bel leaves in Shiva worship?
Aegle Marmelos or Bel Leaves are used in the rituals related to Lord Shiva. What is the significance of these leaves in Hinduism?
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What made Indra the king of Svargalok?
Svargalok is considered as a place where good people reside. From the wiki -
Svarga is seen as a transitory place for righteous souls who have
performed good deeds in their lives.
However, many ...
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Does chanting Holy Names while doing worldly duties generate any punya karma?
Does chanting of holy names while doing worldly duties (like travelling, working at home, etc.) generate any good (punya) karma?
In this case sometimes one may or may not pay attention to what is ...
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Why can Tulsi leaves only be picked on certain days?
I've heard that it is not allowed to pick the leaves of a Tulsi plant on certain days such as Dwadasi among others. This is why Acharyas advise against using store-bought Tulsi in offerings.
Which ...
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Why is Kartikeya not worshiped much compared to lord Shiva, lord Ganesha and goddess Parvati?
Kartikeya is elder son of lord Shiva and goddess Parvati, but he is not worshiped much compared to his dad, mother and brother.
If you visit temples in our country, rarely any temple will have an ...
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Why is Lord Shiva's daughter Ashokasundari not worshipped?
The sons of Lord Shiva, Ganesha and Muruga (Kartikeya) are very famous and worshipped by many, but not his only daughter, Ashokasundari.
What is the reason behind it?
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Why do we need to do Three time praying(trikal sandhya)
As per Hindu culture, we believe in God and worship to them. We should need to remember on time(Like during Morning when we wake up, Then when we eating and last when we sleep) in a day.
So what is ...
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If God is both omniscient and omnibenevolent, then, why do we need to pray?
The question I asked earlier on the Riddle of Epicurus was really a question on God's omnipotence and omnibenevolence, but here, I want to ask about God's omniscience and omnibenevolence.
If God is ...
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How is animal or human sacrifice justified?
Killing of animals or humans as a sacrifice is generally banished in Hinduism although some clans are still allowed to do so.
How is this Hindu practice of sacrificing animal or human life to make ...
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Do the Vedas prohibit idol worship?
It is a very controversial thing about this verse along the religious websites, especially non-Hindu websites, they claim that idol worship is prohibited in Hinduism.
They are arguing with this verse.
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What is the significance of Sashtang Namaskar?
In Hinduism, we do Namaskar to the God statues in the temples as a symbol of belief, respect, and worship. In addition, we also do Sashtang Namaskar.
What exactly is Sashtang Namaskar, and why must ...
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What are the different branches of Shaktism?
There are many different sects in Hinduism,like Vaishnavism,Shaivaism and Shaktism.Some sects,like Vaishnavism and Shaivaism,have different branches like Gaudiya Vaishnavism,which glorifies Krishna ...
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What's the significance of worshiping Shiva in the month of Shravan?
We all know about worshipping Shiva in the month of Shravana (श्रावण), especially on every Monday of that month i.e Shravana Somavara.
What's the significance of worshipping Shiva in Shravana? In ...
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Does prayer remove bad deeds of past lives?
If this birth is based on the deeds of our previous life, then our destiny is pre-determined. So, there is no need for god unless prayer offered to him will erase the bad deeds.
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Madhurya bhava towards goddesses such as Radha, Parvati, etc.,
I've seen that many people do devotion in madhurya bhava (the emotion of lover-beloved) to male Gods e.g., Krishna, Shiva, Rama etc.
In a similar way, can a devotee have madhurya bhava towards ...
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Is there a time, place or method for chanting the holy name?
Is it necessary that I should chant the holy name for example shrirama at a holy place and with specific methodology (sit on asana, etc) only?
Will it not show its effects if I chant it while walking ...
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Worship of one god and worship of Shri Ram
In Bhagvad Gita , Lord Vishnu says, Worship me alone :-
http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/verse-09-23.html
Even those who, being devoted to other gods and endowed with faith,
worship (them), ...
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Why do Hindus have no restrictions on going to churches or any other religious places?
Hinduism is known for its wide acceptance of other cultures. Most religions, like Christianity, Islam, etc. have very strict rules regarding this. They are not allowed to worship or visit any other ...
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Why do Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva always meditate on each other?
I watched a TV serial named "Devo ke Dev Mahadev" on channel "Life Ok". In that, they mentioned several stories of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu always meditating upon each other and connected to each ...
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Any mantras that are not of Sanskrit origin?
Are there any spells (mantras) in Hinduism which are not in Sanskrit, but in other languages. I came across a mantra in Awadhi dialect of Hindi, it's something about blessings for studying and was ...
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Nag Panchami and its importance?
There are a few questions in my mind regarding Nag Panchami:
What is the history and importance of Nag Panchami?
Why do we worship Nagas or Snakes in Nag Panchami though we're afraid of them?
Why do ...
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What do Hindu scriptures or Gurus say on How to Introduce Hinduism to Children?
I am aware that this question is more a parenting question.
The reason I ask the question is, to me and many young children around me, it was just told that idol worship in a temple is holy and wish-...
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Which Vedic verses declare Lord Brahma as supreme?
Lord Brahmaa is a very important figure in Vedic tradition. He is referred to as PrajApatI and hiranyagarbha in the Vedas. As per Puranic tradition he is the part of trimurti's or trinity.
However, ...
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Why Hindus worship Peepal Trees? (Ficus religiosa)
I've often seen people, women especially, worship Peepal Trees (Ficus religiosa)
Why they do so? Is there any reason from Hindu scriptures behind doing that? As far as I know, people say that our ...
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Were there any temples in Satya yuga?
Is there any reference of temple of lord in the time of Satya Yuga?
Around that time people used to worship which God/Goddess?
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As per which scriptures worshiping two Shiva Lingas in one house is not considered good?
The book Nitya Karma Puja Prakasha (Gita Press) says:
In a house, if two Shiva Lingas (linga dvayam), three Ganeshas, two conch shells
(Shankha), two Suryas, three Durga Murtis (or three Shakti ...
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For what reasons do prayers go unanswered?
If a devotee comes forward with a claim that his prayers were unanswered, I keep hearing one of the following reasons from the other devotees:
You are not praying hard enough.
You are not destined to ...
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If Brahman is unattached, why does It remain attached to a devotee?
This answer to the Riddle of Epicurus says:
These activities do not in any way bind Me, because I remain detached like one unconcerned in their midst.
Gita 9.9
There is, however, one ...
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What is offered during Arati and what they represent?
From this link we get the below explanation about arati.
it is not very clear what is what, where can we get a more detailed description on what is what in the aratik?
these are the elements I can ...
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Why do Hindus remove their footwear before entering temples?
Why is it that people don't wear shoes and sandals when they visit a temple? Sometimes they remove them outside of temple premises and sometimes outside of the temple steps...
It's a common practice ...
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Why is Ganga considered sacred? Why do so many devotees worship this river?
What is river Ganga considered sacred? Why do so many devotees worship her?
Note: This is not a dup. of Historically, when (and why) did Ganga become a holy river? Is it after Sarasvati dried up? as ...
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Why is Moon on Lord Shiva's head only shown as crescent?
The story that of, how the Moon god ended up in Lord Shiva's hair, goes like this:
Moon god had to get relief from the disease that he got by his own fault. He came to know that the only remedy for ...
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Why each day of the week is dedicated to a particular god?
As the title explains, why do we have specific days to worship specific gods? For example
Sunday - Lord Surya
Monday - Lord Shiva
Tuesday - Lord Ganesha
Wednesday - Lord Vithal
Thursday - Sai Baba, ...
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What is the significance of nãrikel (coconut) in pooja?
In almost all Poojas (worship) nãrikel (coconut) is used.
Image source: picdif.com
What is the significance of using nãrikel in pooja?
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As per Hindu scriptures does lord Śiva explicitly claim himself to be a deity that has to be worshiped?
Note: I have limited knowledge in these matters. But I am a curious person and go with reasoning.
I want to know that in which all Hindu's divine/sacred scriptures lord Śiva has claimed or explicitly ...
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What is significance of Agni karyam?
What is Agni karyam(worshiping fire)?
Are there any classifications among?
Whats the eligibility to do Agni karyam?
How one gets benefited by such act?
What is Nityagnihotra?
Are there any ...
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Why householders are advised not to worship fierce forms of Kali?
Why are householders advised not to venerate fierce forms of Kali? I was told by those who follow the shakti tradition that householders should not honor the angry forms of Kali. Why is this?
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Which is oldest known sacred place of Hindus?
Which is oldest known sacred place of Hindus?
I have found several temples & sacred places of the Hindu religion to be told as many thousand years old. Which of them is oldest known such temple ...
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does any scripture say worship must be in Sanskrit?
The most prominent non-Sanskrit scripture is the Tamil Divya prabandham of Southern Vaishnavites. Non-brahmin Tamils don't have a great love of Sanskrit and one can increasingly see them conduct Puja ...
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Should we pray to Kubera a Yaksha?
What exactly are yakshas? Is it good or bad to worship them? Will they get angry if you stop praying to them?
My point is that should we worship Kubera even if he is a yaksha or is he evil being ...
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