QUES ANSW DIVINE 16
Q1 How many sacraments arethere?
A1 According to Greha Sutra, the number of sacraments is 11
Q2 What is the sacrament- Garbhadana or Garbha-Lambhana
A2.Garbhadana orGarbha-Lambhana :-first rite was sometimes called Chaturthi
Karma. During the previous day, the brideand the bridegroom, after ablutions
purified their bodies, and beforeapproaching his wife, which act might bring
another human being into the world,the bridegroom repeated two mantras (R'Gveda
X. 186): “Let all pervading Vishnuprepare her womb; let the creator shape the
forms; let Prajapati be theimpregnator; let the creator give the embryo.” This
sacrament, in modern times,is a physical act and has lost its religious
sanctity.
Q3What is the importance of a son’s birth?
A3Aitareya-Brahmana of the R’Gveda VII.3.13 says, “When a father sees the face
ofa living son, he pays a debt in him, and gains immortality.
The pleasure, which a father has in his son,exceeds all other enjoyments. His
wife is a friend, his daughter an object ofcompassion, his son shines as his
light in the highest world.”
Q4 What is the sacrament- Seemantonnyan or hair parting
A4. Seemantonnyanor hair parting : this sacrament is performed in the fourth
monthof the pregnancy. It starts with the oblation to fire, with repetition of
the Vedic texts (Atharva VedaVII.17.1 Rigveda III.59.1; V.25; II 32.4-5). The
woman then performedher ablutions in pure water; fragrant oil was poured on her
head and a line orparting (Simanta) was drawn three times through her hair from
the fore headupwards with three stalks of kusa grass bound together. Three
sacred wordscalled vyahritis (Bhur, Bhavar, Svar) and the hallowed syllable OM
(AUM)uttered during each operation.
Certainmedicines, having purifying efficacy for the remaining period of
gestation,were also given.
Musical entertainment andcheering took place, thought essential for the proper
development of the unbornchild. The idea for the proper development of the
unborn child.
The idea was that the body of the mother should beconsecrated and protected
from evil influences at the critical period ofgestation. This rite is only
performed for the first pregnancy.
Q5 What is the sacrament- Jata Karman or birth ceremony
A5. JataKarman or birth ceremony : this sanskara (sacrament) is performedafter
the birth of the infant and before the severing of the umbilical cord, bythe
father. Honey and ghee (clarified butter) mixed together, stirred by agolden
rod or spoon, a small portion of the mixture is introduced into the ofmouth of
a newborn infant. This rite symbolized good fortune. Certain texts were
repeated(R’Gveda II.21.6; III.36.10) with the prayer: “ O long lived one, may
you livea hundred years in this world, protected by the gods.”Both the ears of
the infant were then touched with the golden rod repeating theprayer, “May
Savitri, May Saraswati, may the Asvins, grant the wisdom.” Lastly,rubbing the
shoulders, the prayer uttered is, “become firm as a rock, sharp asan axe, pure
as gold; thou art the Veda called a son, live thou a hundredyears. May Indra
bestow on thee his best treasures.”
Q6 What is the sacrament- Nam karan(Nam karana – name giving
A6. Namkaran (Nam karana – name giving): among the Hindus, giving a name,is a
solemn religious ceremony, fraught with important consequences in it’sbearing
on the future prospects of the infant. Asvalayasa laid down the rulesbased on
the sound and meaning in name giving. The name of the boy should betwo, four or
even syllables and have a soft consonant for the first letter anda semi vowel
in the middle e.g.. Bhadra, deva etc. Sarman (prosperity) forBrahmins and
varman for Ksatriyas; Gupta (protected) for vaishays and Dasa (slave)for Sudras
were prescribed. The female names were required to be agreeable,soft, clear,
captivating, auspicious and ending in long vowels. This sacramentis performed
on the 10th or 11th day of the birth of thechild. On this occasion, food is
given to the Brahman etc. according to Manu,Nam karan of each caste should be
made in different way.
Q7 What is the sacrament- Nishkramana (ceremony?
A7. Nishkramana (Carrying out). In thissacrament, the child is taken out of the
house for the first time and is madeto have a “Darshan” of the sun.
This sacrament isperformed by the parents after four months of the birth of the
child. Theprayer made the occasion is: “that eye like luminary, the cause of
blessings tothe gods (or placed in the sky by the gods), rises in the east; may
be beholdit for a hundred years.” “May we hear, may we speak, maywe be free
from poverty for a hundred years and more.” (R’Gveda VII.66.16; Vaj– Samhita
XXXVI.24).
Q8 Doacquisition of wealth is sin?
A8 Hindu scriptural texts have said inunambiguous terms that acquisition of
wealth is no sin; nor is there any virtuein being poor.
The ancient thinkers-the venerable seers-have included wealth (Artha) in
thefour Purusharthas, the fundamental aspirations one should have, theother
three being Dharma (righteousness)Kama (pleasure) and Moksha (deliverance of
the soul).
All that the thinkers insisted was that wealth beearned through proper means.
Similarly, there is no harm in enjoying pleasureswhich are not opposed to the
dictates and principles of Dharma.
One is entitled to all happiness that is derivedfrom leading a pure and noble
life, the individual performing his dutiesfaithfully.
Q9 Who is the Vedic God worshipped till today/ What isthe speciality of making
offering to him?
A9 Agni is oneof the few gods who have retained theirsupremacy in the Hindu
hierarchy of gods, from the Vedic age till today and hasthe largest number of
hymns addressed to him.
He is the priest of the gods and the god of the priests and serves asthe
liaison between gods and men. He presides over all the great events of
aperson’s life and at the end it is Agni, through the flames of the
funeralpyre, who accepts the body as an offering.
The priest, whilepouring butter in the fire summons ‘Svaha’, the consort
ofAgni, by name.
Q10 What are the three divisionof ganga?
A10 Ganga is divided intothree parts. One part which remained in the heavens
was called Mandakini.
The part that came down toearth is known as Ganga, and the part flowing in
thenether region is called the Bhagirathi,
Most of the holy cities of India are located on the banks ofthe Ganga. These
are Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi (Benares), Allahabad etc.Those who die within
the specified limits of the Ganga go to the heavenlyworld. If after cremation
the ashes are thrown into tl1e Ganga, the samepurpose is served. No Hindu would
dare speak a falsehood with the Ganga water(Ganga-jal) in his hand.
Q11 When did karthikeyalost his priority in north India? What is the orgin of
Karhtikeya told in theMahabharata?
A11 With the advent of Shiva, Kartikeya started losing his importancein
Northern India where he was sometimes relegated to the position of aguardian
deity in Shaivite temples.
In the South he isstill popular, and is also associated with deities like
Murugan, Velam andSeyyan.
A passage in the Mahabharata mentions Agni's adulterous relationshipwith six
wives of the Rishis(ascetics), who represent the six stars that formthe Indian
Pleidaes in the constellation of Taurus. The relationship resulted in the
birthof Kartikeya
Because of his having six heads, all his six mothers were able tosuckle him at
the same time.
Many women worshipKartikeya so that they may be blessed with a male offspring.
Q12Do Nandi had a human form once?
A12 Yes. Originally, under the name ofNandikeshvara, Nandi seems to have
existed in human form as a sage (rishi) whoacted as Shiva’s door keeper before
achieving divine status
The reason for the association may have stemmed from Shiva’srelationship with
Rudra who was sometimes referred to as the bull.
This probably has roots in the vast mythology and the symbolismsurrounding
bulls that are found in ancient cultures.
Nandi’s associationwith fertility is illustrated by the custom of the devotees
touching the feetand testicles of the Nandi idol when entering a Shiva temple.
Q13 How Parvathi got the name Gauri?
A13 When Shiva teased her about her blackskin, through penances she had
hercolour changed to that of gold and was then called Gauri.
Parvati is not important enough to be worshipped alone butonly as a minor deity
in a Shiva temple.
Q14When did the worship of female deities started?
A14Between the 5th and the 13th centuries,from being merely the consorts of the
maledeities, and their active partners, female deities (shakti) became
independentand objects of worship in their own right having a temple in which
they werethe main icons .
It was around this time that Parvati, from a minordeity as a consort of Shiva,
became a major deity as Durga and Kali.
Q15Do Saraswathi was a river or deity? If she was a deity what are her
origindetails?
A15 In the Vedas Saraswati is primarily a riverbut in the hymns she is
celebrated as both a river and a deity. Herorigins are obscure but it is
possible that she once hadsomething to do with the river Saraswati in Rajasthan
or with water in someother way.
At allevents, she seems to have been associated with the creative properties
thatwater has for seeds and vegetation. Being the goddess of learning, she is
worshipped when a child isgiven instructions for the first time in reading and
writing. Many schools inIndia start classes with a mass prayer to the goddess.
Q16 It is told the dead body should not becremated before 5 hours after death.
What is the reason?
A16 After death the soul takes four hours and forty minutes to reach Yama.
Thereforea dead body should not be cremated before this time has elapsed
Q17What are the positive and negative points of the seven days of the week?
A17 Sundayis the day to worship Shakti (Female Energy) and a good day to begin
a newventure. Red colour should be worn on this day.
Tuesday-No auspicious activities should be started on thisday and one should
wear red for good-luck.
Budh-var(Wednesday) is the day of Mercury (Budh). He is the son of Soma (Moon),
light yellow in colour with four armscarrying a mace, a sword and a shield and
riding a lion. The clothes andgarland worn by Budh are also green coloured. He
is considered wise and always exerts an influence inconjunction with other
planets.
Feedingthe Brahmins on this day is considered good.
Brihaspati-var(Thursday) is also called Guruvar A person under his influence
will have a lot of wealth. A girlcoming to motherhood on this day will have
many sons. Brihaspati is the teacherof the Gods. Thursday's colour is yellow.
Friday-He is the most auspicious of the planets. It is good to fast on Fridays
Shani(Saturn) is the most malicious of the planets.
Allmisfortunes are traced to him, so much so that periods of misfortune are
termedas ‘Shani-dasa’. Due to a curse given by his wife, Shani has the capacity
tocause destruction with his eyes. Hence he is always looking down so as not
todestroy anything.
Theplanet should be worshipped on Saturdays to reduce his evil influence.
Q18How many chapters are in Bhagavat geetha? How many days the mahabharata
warlasted?
A18 Both eighteen.
The Gita, as it is popularly called, is composed of eighteenchapters. The scene
for the working out of the Gita is a battlefield near Delhiwhere the battle
between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, involving an army offive million, took
place and continued for eighteen days
Q19What is the importance of the Red in Hindu religion?
A19In Hindu religion red is of utmost significance and the colour most
frequently used forauspicious occasions like marriages, birth of a child,
festivals etc.
A redmark is put on the forehead during ceremonies and important occasions. As
a sign of marriagewomen put red powder on their hair parting.
Theyalso wear a red sari during marriage. Red powder is usually thrown on
statuesof deities and phallic symbols during prayers.
Itis also the colour of shakti (prowess). A red coloured dress is put on
deities who arecharitable, brave, protective and who have the capacity to
destroy evil. On thedeath of a woman, her body is wrapped in a red cloth for
the cremation.
Q20What is the importance of the saffron in Hindu religion?
A20Saffron-It represents fire and as impuritiesare burnt by fire, this colour
symbolizes purity. Wearing the colour symbolizes the quest for light. Itis the
battle colour of the Rajputs, the warrior caste.
Q21What is the importance of the Yellow in Hindu religion?
A21 It is the colour of spring and activatesthe mind. Lord Vishnu's dress is
yellow symbolizing his representation ofknowledge. Lord Krishna and Ganesha
also wear yellow dresses.
Q22 What is the importance of the white colour inHindu religion?
A22 White-It is a mixture of seven differentcolours hence it symbolizes a
little bit of the quality of each. It represents purity,cleanliness, peace and
knowledge. The goddess of knowledge, Saraswati is alwaysshown as wearing a
white dress, sitting on a white lotus.
The other prominent deities would also have atouch of white on their dress. A
Hindu widow would wear a white dress inmourning.
Q23How the cow has become the living symbol of Mother Earth ?
A23 The cow is supposed to be the living symbol of Mother Earth. For the early
migrants the cow was an indispensable member of the family.
As agriculture was the occupation of themigrants, the cow provided them with
milk and its by products and alsonecessities of life such as fuel, manure for
the farm, etc.
During this time the Aryans prayed to theirnumerous gods through ‘yagna’ (from
‘yaj’, to worship). invoking the fire-god,‘Agni’, by ritually kindling sacred
wood on an altar, and keeping the firealive by constantly feeding it with
melted butter.
It wasthrough the instrumentality of ‘Agni’ (fire) that the offering of
milk-puddingand a drink of milk, curds and honey (madhupeya) was conveyed to
one's chosengods.
Thus the cow supplied the major requirementsof the yagna and this association
soon made it sacred.
Q24Why do the eldest son lit fire to the pyre?
A24The nearest relation, normally the eldest son lights the funeral pyre.
Thisis important as whoever lights the pyre is considered the legal heir
In the days following the cremation a mourning period ofapproximately twelve
days is observed, during which time the sitting room iscleared of furniture and
the relatives and visitors have to sit on the floor.This is the time for
friends and relatives to pay a condolence visit.
These are information posted bymembers compiled asQA by me in 1998’s-2000’s
and stored in my computer. At this date I have noinformation of the members
posted.
Posted by R Gopala krishnan,78 ,on 8-10-2021
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