21
votes
Accepted
When does a soul lose its memory of its previous birth?
According to the Garbha Upanishad, the soul can remember its past life when it is 9 months old in the womb:
Whatever is consumed or drunk by the mother passes through the nerves
and vessels to ...
- 111k
16
votes
Accepted
How can one know about their previous births?
Patanjali Yoga Sutra III.18 says:
By making samyama on previous thought-waves, one obtains knowledge of
one's past lives.
The basic idea is that every thought remains in a subtle form even after ...
- 35.8k
12
votes
Is it possible for one to have animal birth after human birth?
Yes, this is a possibility according to the Vedanta schools of Sri Madhva and Sri Vallabha. This view is based on the following shloka:
O son of Kunti! Falling into demoniac wombs, in life after ...
- 35.8k
12
votes
Accepted
Does prayer remove bad deeds of past lives?
Prayer, PujA (worship) etc can remove sins committed in infinite number of our past lives.
Here is a proof that prayer in the form Mantra Japa can do it:
Lakshyadwayen pApAni saptajanmakritAnyapi |...
- 111k
12
votes
How does the Yogi Remember his previous births?
According to the Patanjali Yoga Sutras (with translation and commentary by Swami Vivekananda) a Yogi can know past and future by employing a technique called Samayana. To know what Samayana is you ...
- 111k
11
votes
Accepted
If soul gets rebirth into another body, will pinda pradanam and shraddha rituals reach that soul?
The same question was asked to Sri Swami Sivananda. He answers this question in his book "May I Answer That?"
267. When the Jiva undergoes transmigration and takes another birth after ...
- 31k
10
votes
What happens to one in afterlife who doesn't believe in God?
What happens if anyone is not believing in God?
What happens to the human in afterlife if he does not believe in any God and any theory related to god?
The answers of these questions are provided ...
- 31.9k
10
votes
What will happen to a youth who wants to enjoy life as well as continuing spiritual efforts?
Enjoyment is not forbidden as long as it's not against the principles of Dharma. So, one should make sure of that.
18 He should be a man who applies himself to acquiring wealth in
righteous (...
- 111k
9
votes
Accepted
Did Vasishta's brother sage Agastya have a previous birth?
Agastya is an incarnation of both Agni and Vayu. I found the answer in this excerpt from the Matsya Puranas. Once a bunch of Asuras hid themselves in the ocean, so Indra ordered Agni and Vayu to dry ...
- 96.9k
9
votes
Accepted
Is there any incarnation of God currently living among us?
From history it is evident that whoever revives Dharma in difficult times almost single-handedly is being considered as Avatar of God. Going by this definition in the recent past, in Mughal era, ...
- 1,883
9
votes
Accepted
Is there any ancient story in which individuals are born in the opposite sex in the rebirth?
Is there any story, about born on opposite sex?
Yes, there is a story of King Puranjana in Shreemad Bhagvat purana, where the King Puranjana was reborn as women- SB 4.28 : Purañjana Becomes a woman ...
- 31.9k
8
votes
Can animals attain moksha?
Well,they probably can get Moksha too.Its all upto Parameswara to decide.
Manu Smriti says that even insects & plants can attain higher worlds(i.e heavens) by austerities!.So,if they can attain ...
- 111k
8
votes
What were the previous births of the characters of Mahabharata?
There is already an answer present here which quotes from Adi Parva ( and several other Parvas also). I'm here quoting the last Parva of Mahabharata from where we can get information about characters ...
- 48k
8
votes
Why man is mortal irrespective of good or bad activity?
Why is man mortal?
We are not mortal. In fact no living being in true sense is mortal. it is only owing to our ignorance that we think that we are being born, growing, dying etc.
in Bhagavad Geeta ...
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8
votes
Accepted
Do we take rebirth if we help others?
Let's apply superposition theory. Imagine that in your life only this Karma will decide, whether you will take rebirth or not.
Karma
If someone is starving for the food and then,
You offer food ...
- 19.7k
8
votes
What happens to one in afterlife who doesn't believe in God?
What happens to the human in afterlife if he does not believe in any
God and any theory related to god? Does anything regarding this has
mentioned in any Vedas?
Well,not sure about the Srutis(...
- 111k
8
votes
How many rebirths does a soul go through?
It must be numerous rebirths. Can not be counted and explicitly stated. Certainly not seven for all cases.
Atra janma sahasreshu sahasrairapi pArvati | KadAchit labhyate
janturmAnushyam ...
- 111k
8
votes
In Mahabharat who were Dhitrashtra & Pandu incarnations of?
The Devi Bhagavatam mentions Dhritarashtra as the reincarnation of an Asura called Hamsa, the son of Nemi. Nothing is mentioned about Pandu.
30-32. Vâsudeva was the part incarnation of Kas’yapa, ...
- 111k
7
votes
Accepted
Do any scriptures say that the hunter Jara was a rebirth of Vali?
Ananda Ramayana.
This alternate version of Ramayana has many unique legends which are not mentioned anywhere in Puranas like Padma Purana, Skanda and Bhagavata Purana. (I took these names because ...
- 25.7k
7
votes
What happened to Pandavas in future lives?
Arjuna was reborn as Kannappa Nayanar, one of the 63 great Shiva-bhaktas in South India.
When Arjuna fought with Lord Shiva as a Kirata to obtain the Pasupatastra, he had at first insulted him based ...
- 6,165
7
votes
Was Krishna in moksha state during his life?
Krishna or vishnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or
portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is
...
- 2,746
7
votes
Karma & Rebirth: If you're too attached to your pet and are reborn as that pet, what happens to your karma?
Was it merely written to convey a message? Yes I think so and its seems “The story seems to suggest that your final thoughts play such a crucial role that nothing else matters. “ is also right. The ...
- 31.9k
7
votes
Is reincarnation or rebirth mentioned in the Vedas (Samhitas)?
Well, there are several hymns in Vedas which can mention rebirth. However it depends upon interpretation.
I've found couple of verses from Rigveda Mandala 1 of which interpretation mention rebirth ...
- 25.9k
7
votes
Why did gods follow rule of Hinduism?
The Gods have their own rules, their own Laws. Such rules are not the ones we humans are required to follow.
This is mentioned in the Vedas as follows:
DevA devAnAm anu hi vratA guh.
............
- 111k
7
votes
What will happen to a youth who wants to enjoy life as well as continuing spiritual efforts?
Refer below from Bhagavad Gita:
Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter oṁ-kāra, and who are
great sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such
perfection, one ...
- 8,840
7
votes
Accepted
Who owns a soul?
There is a minor mistake in the explanation. You are not the body. The one changing bodies is the atma. You are the soul (atma). One should identify themselves as the soul which is non different and ...
- 25.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Do Vedas have these concepts?
Brahman
shariram brahma prAvishat |
Brahman has entered this body (AV 11.8.30)
rucham brAhmam janayantah, devA agre tat abruva, yastu evam brAhmano
vidyAt, tasya deva asan vashe ||
When the gods got ...
- 111k
7
votes
How to ensure one doesn't get to born as animal or plant?
Jivas whose sins are at the maximum level get born as plants, Jivas who have large amount of sins but comparatively lesser than the preceding group get born as various types of animals and so on.
...
- 111k
6
votes
What were the previous births of the characters of Mahabharata?
Bhishma: The eight Vasus were incarnated of Ganga by her husband Santanu. The seven were killed by Ganga before Bhishma's birth and the youngest of them was Bhishma.
Drona: Drona sprung from a ...
- 23.9k
6
votes
Can animals attain moksha?
Yes , animals can attain moksha. Sri vaishnavas take sharanagathi from a guru. The guru can also give sharanagati to a cow in the house of a vaishnava.
From Padma Purana Uttara Kanda Chapter 224
...
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