Questions & Answers
Indian History Questions & Answers

Animal Sacrifice without Killing

Question: Throughout the Mahābhārata and the Bhāgavata there are references to animal sacrifices being performed by saintly kings. I’d like to more carefully understand the nature of these sacrifices. For example: “Śrī Kṛṣṇa caused three well-performed Aśvamedha-yajñas (horse sacrifices) to be conducted by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and thus caused his virtuous fame to be glorified in

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Questions & Answers

Stages of Bhakti, Doubts and Offenses

Question: It seems that anyone who has doubts cannot completely “believe” in the words of śāstra. In SB 1.2.21 it is said that doubts are destroyed upon seeing Paramātmā at the jivan-mukta stage. It follows that there must be doubts at the anartha nivrtti stage. How should I understand this? Answer:  A doubt can be of

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Questions & Answers

Spiritual and Material Love

Question: Let’s say the disciple loves the guru. How is it possible that all his or her experiences of love, before coming in contact with the guru, had been only material?   Answer:  Why is it not possible? Before contacting the guru, was this person following material life or spiritual? In all probability, he was

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Questions & Answers

Power of the Holy Name

Question:  Suppose a neophyte devotee chants the Holy Names loudly while making so many nāma aparādhas and suppose the listener, who is free from offenses, hears those holy names, then do the holy names reveal its full potency because the holy name does not reveal his potency during the offensive stage? Answer: The Holy Name can reveal its power to

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Questions & Answers

Offenses, Siddha Devotees, Purañjana Story

Question: If a person has no contact with bhakti or devotees, can one also commit offense even with a different concept of God in another religion? Answer: Everyone can commit offense no matter where he or she lives or which concept of God that person may have. Just read the list of offences and you

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General Questions & Answers

Moon, Mood, Mantra, and Nara-līlā

Moon Planet Question: Is the moon planet described in śāstra the same planet that our scientists identify as the moon? Are humans even able to access the abode of Candradeva?  Answer: The description in śāstra does not match the moon identified by modern scientists. The moon in śāstra is described as a watery planet while

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General Questions & Answers

Wife’s Benefit, Association, Sannyāsa

Question: How does the vow of pativrata help a wife to advance in spiritual life if the husband is not a devotee and is unfavorable to devotees and Harikathā? The husband’s mentality would likely affect the wife’s respect for her husband. Is the pativrata vow still helpful for her spiritual progress? Answer: In any society

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