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To know how a deity looks like we need to look into that deity's Dhyana Shloka (also called Dhyana Mantra sometimes).
For Lord BrahmA, since his worship is prohibited, it's difficult to find a Dhyana Mantra. But I know about a DhyAna Shloka, that is quoted in the book Anhika Kritya (by Shyamacharana Kaviratna Varidhi); first BhAga; first Khanda; section-...
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Yes, besides Uttar Kanda sargas 73-76 of Valmiki Ramayana, Puranas also mention this incident of Killing of a shudra ascetic called Shambuka by Shree Rama. For instance in Padma Purana- Shristi Kanda- Section 1 - Chapter 35 - The Killing of Sudra Ascetic we find mention of this story.
Brief of the story - :
After killing of Ravana, once when Shree ...
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Ganesha has an elephant head because Lord Shiva had cut his head off. He was not letting Lord Shiva into his house because Godess Parvati didn't want Lord Shiva in to his house. Then Parvati in anger made Shaktis and made them kill the Devas and Shiva's Ganas so Bramha Vishnu apologized to Parvati so Parvati said get the head of the first creature you meet ...
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The reason behind Ganesha's elephant head is due to Lord Shiva cutting of his real head and giving an actual elephant's head. When Parvathi Devi was taking a bath, she sees that the house is unguarded. So she creates a human figure to guard the house. This figure is called Ganesha. She orders him to guard the house and let no one in during her bath. When ...
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It is hard to definitively answer this question without a survey. Swami Vivekananda himself considered the question of historicity of the Puranas to be an unimportant issue. I think he preferred to read the Puranas allegorically.
Q. — Here and there attempts are made to import into the Purânas
hidden ideas which are said to have been allegorically ...
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I suggest you to read more about the concept of Trimurti in Hinduism.
The puranas tried to convey the esoteric truths of the Veda in a popular manner. In the process Puranas elevated some Vedic gods by endowing them with virtues, which they loved to see; while at the same time they relegated some other Vedic gods to secondary status.
For instance, ...
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You have said that Swami Harshananda does not take puranic stories seriously. This is your opinion, he doesn't say that. You are projecting your own opinion. There is no 'dogma' as to whether any specific or all puranic stories are taken as truth; rather it is up to the individual. Do the followers of Siva accept the Vishnu Purana stories as true? Do the ...
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I heard most of the valuable sources are outside India.
Thanjavur Saraswathi Mahal Library is one among several known depositories.
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This is based on what Brahmaji said in Rudra Samhita of the Shiva Purana itself which claims to be the greatest of all Puranas. Vishnu is stated as only a demi-god on the same level as Rudra. While Shiva is free from all Gunas. And Vishnu is not only on the same level as Rudra, he is called Tamasic. Also Laxmi is called Tamasic.
Vishnu, Rudra and I (Brahma) ...
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Actually Ramanuja was a Vaishnava. Shaivas consider Vaishnava puranas as Tamasic. This is based on what Brahmaji said in Rudra Samhita of the Shiva Purana itself which claims to be the greatest of all Puranas. Vishnu is stated as only a demi-god on the same level as Rudra. While Shiva is free from all Gunas. And Vishnu is not only on the same level as Rudra, ...
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Actually Shaivas consider Vaishnava puranas as Tamasic. This is based on what Brahmaji said in Rudra Samhita of the Shiva Purana itself which claims to be the greatest of all Puranas. Vishnu is stated as only a demi-god on the same level as Rudra. While Shiva is free from all Gunas. And Vishnu is not only on the same level as Rudra, he is called Tamasic. ...
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