QUES ANSW DiVINE 82 Dear friends,
These are information posted by members compiled as QA by me in1998’s-2004’s and stored in my computer. At this date I have no information ofthe members posted. BEING COMPILATIONTHERE MAY BE ERRORS. Sincerely, R. Gopalakrishnan, 78,Former AGM Telecom Trivandrum dated 22-12-2021 Q1 Everybody wouldhave heard about Ashtabuja perumal temple in kancheepuram. Question- How do theperumal got Ashtabhujam? A1 Sri Pushpavalli samedhaAshtabuja Swami temple .. Lord Vishnuhas eight hands in this Divya Desam temple. Ashta means "eight" and bhuja means"hands." It is said that goddess Saraswati let loose an armyof demons to ruin the sacrifice performed by Brahma. These demons were all killed by Lord Vishnu. She then sent Sarabha, an unnatural type of ferocious beast with eight legs. To defeatthis beast Lord Vishnu assumed this form with eight arms equipped witheight weapons. Q2 Do Pada poojaexisted in olden times? What are its details? A2 The female attendantsof the kings used to wait at the door with gold pots filled withpure water and as soon as the sage appeared the gold pots wereemptied at the feet of the sage which were made to rest in the gold plates. This water wassprinkled on the people present as holy water. The Padapuja assumed greater significance on important occasions likeRajasuya, Asvamedha, Vajapeya Yagas to which many references are found in epicsand mythologies. Duryodhana condemning Krishna as most unsuitable forthe honour of Agrapuja at the Rajasuyayaga is a well - known episode inMahabharata. The smritiwriters have made it mandatory. When a king defeated another king, the defeatedking had to submit to the victorious king by performing many rituals in public.Among them the most significant was the washing of the feet of the victoriousruler. In some ofthe Hindu communities, particularly of the upper caste, the bridegroom's feet are washed atthe time of the marriage as the bridegroom is considered to be theembodiment of Vishnu or Narayana. Washing the feet is also a ritualduring the sraddhas. Q3 What are the attributes of Gayain Bihar? A3 Themost celebrated and highly venerated stone carved foot is Vishnupada at Gaya.Though it has great mythological antiquity, the present temple which houses itwas built during the thirteenth century AD. Literallylakhs of people have visited this shrine and offered pinda (rice ball offering)to their ancestors on this stone foot of Gadadhara Vishnu. It is the ambition of everyreligious Hindu to perform Gaya Sraddha at Vishnupada. Bodh Gayaor Bodhgaya is the place of Buddha's attainment of Enlightenment. This islocated about 96 kilometers from Patna, contains the Mahabodhi Temple with thediamond throne (called the Vajrasana) and the holy Bodhi tree and was builtover 2500 years ago. This treeis a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka, itself a sapling of theoriginal Bodhi tree. In 2002,Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gaya finds mention in the great epics, Ramayana andMahabharata. Rama along with Sita and Lakshmanavisited Gaya for offering PINDAM to their father Dasharath. In Mahabharat, the place has been identifiedas Gayapuri. About theorigin of the name ‘Gaya' as referred to in Vayu Purana is that Gaya was thename of a demon (Asura) whose body was pious after he performed rigid penanceand secured blessings from Vishnu. It was said that the Gayasura's body wouldcontinue to be known as Gaya Kshetra. It would beincumbent upon all sons to offer PINDA (oblations) for the salvation of the soul of their ancestors The soul could befreed from the agonies of Hell and sent to Heaven by performing Gaya-Shraddhawithin this area. Gaya has been named after the demon. Q4 Everybody knows about Malayalamfilm vaisali. Question- where is the place vaisali and what are its attributes? A4 Vaishali is 60 kmfrom Patna Ithas one of the Vishwa Shanti Stupas for world peace built by Buddhists fromJapan in different cities of the world in memory of Hiroshima andNagasaki. Vaishali also has a small museumwith mainly Buddhist exhibits found in excavations nearby.There is also an Asokan Pillar with a lion capital made of polished sandstone Q5 What is the importance of placerajagriha told in the Mahabhata? A5 Rajagriha is mentioned in the Mahabhrata asthe capital city ofKing Jarasandha then the most powerful ruler. His repeated attackson Mathura to decimate the Yadavas resulted in their departure to distantDwaraka. TheMahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana say that since Yudhishthira could notperform the Rajasuya sacrifice and proclaim himself the king of kings withoutdefeating the mighty Jarasandha, Krishna and Bhima went to Rajagriha where,acting on Krishna's advice, Bhima killed Jarasandha in a duel that would not stand scrutiny. Q6 Where is Gaya? What are itsattributes? A6 Gaya,which was a part of the Magadhan empire, is 92 km southwest of Patna. It is oneof the most important places of pilgrimage for the Hindus, second only to Varanasi. Most Hindus visit Gaya to offerpitru sraddha or pindas and pray for the salvation of theirancestors' souls On thebanks of the river Phalgu around which the ancient town of Gaya was built, isthe Vishnupada temple. It is said to have been built over a footprint ofVishnu on solid rock. It is about 100 ft high and octagonal, surrounded bya pyramidal roof. The Holkar princess, Ahilya Bai, renovated it in A.D 1787. Q7 What is sivagayathri? A7 The Shiva Gayatri is a variation of the Gayatri Mantra sung in praise of Lord Shiva, the hindu god of meditation, penance, and destruction Q8 How do Tiruvanmiyur in Chennaigot the name so? A8 Legend says that Lord Shiva Showed his Dance pose to Saint Vanmiki(vanmeekam - anthill) ,hence the placewas named after him as vamiyur. Q9What are the details of salagramam? A9 Salagrams are the animal fossils withammonites embedded in it. Considered to be embodiment of Vishnu and thusextremely holy. They need no prana prathistha. Salagramas do not requirepreliminary rituals of purification and consecration. They naturally containthe vibhuti of the Godhead, and may be worshipped straight away. Usually,the stone which is passed off as a salagrama is gently struck on all sides by asmall hammer, or knocked with one’s fingers firmly. If it is a fake stone,the boring of the hole and the tracing of the chakra marks would have left softpowders within, which will fall out when the stone is struck or knocked. An even number of salagramastones must be worshipped, but they must not be only two; an odd number of themis never worshipped, A salagrama-stone continues to beworthy of worship even when it is broken. Split or cracked, it does not loseits auspicious nature Asalagrama-stone will not bring luck if it is got by fraud or by force; worshipping an illicitly obtained salagrama will be in vain. Q10 What is VarahaPurana? A10 The Varha Purana glorifiesVishnu in his incarnation of a Varaha(boar), it is also sometimes described as a Vaishnava Purana.The Varaha Purana is a Sattvika Purana. It is believed that hearing, reading orreciting the Varaha Purana destroys one's sins, liberates one and assuages the mind's suffering. Varaha means or signifies onewho envelopes and sets limits to theformless. In the Varaha incarnation, theLord lifted up the universe from the primeval depths of dissolution and darkness. Q10Do the betel leaf was obtained by the demigods during the grand ocean-churning? A10 TheSkanda Purana says that the betel leaf was obtained by the demigodsduring the grand ocean-churning. The useof betel leaf in India is mentioned in the great epics, such as the Ramayanaand the Mahabharata, as well as in Buddhist and Jain literature. Q11What do the Kalasa represent? A11 The word meaning of the scriptural hymnsof the kalash's worship describe the mouth, throat, and base of the kalashas seats of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, and Lord Brahma respectively, whereasthe belly represents all goddesses and Divine-mother's power streams. Q12What is the legend about coconut tree? A12 Sage Vishwamitra is said to have got the first coconuttree grown on this earth by the power of his tapas, or austerities It has glucose, phosphorous, and carbohydratesin good quantity and is also good for diabetes. My note-Current studies states tender coconut water consumed regularly can damage kidneys. Q13 Why siva is worshipped in Linga form in theearth? A13 Refer Brighu story of testing supremacy oftrinties. Brighu, again feeling offended, cursed Shiva to be worshiped only as a lingamon earth. This is the reason why Lord Shiva is primarily represented and worshipedas a lingam on this planet. Q14Why do Brahmin remain with out much money? A14 ARefer Brighu story of testing supremacy of trinties Brighu pushed Vishnu with feet but Vishnu askd brighus legget pained. However, Lakshmidevi, the goddess of fortune and LordVishnu’s wife, was very displeased by Brighu’s action and, therefore, does not bestow much mercy onthe brahmanas who, as a result, are often without much money. Q15What is the shape of Banalingam? A15 To explain the shape of the lingam,a Baana linga is egg-shaped and is meant to show that Ishvara hasneither beginning nor end. Q16What are the specialties of Rasa lingam? A16 Mercury Shiva lingas are known tobe especially potent. Mercury is known as parad or para in Hindi.It is also known as Shivadhatu, literally Shiva's metal. Inreality, it refers to Shiva's semen. Whenevera deity is made ceremoniously with a combination of mercury, it is said to bevery effective. It isbelieved that whoever offers prayers to the mercury Shiva linga will be blessed andconsidered as having offered prayers to all Shiva lingas in theuniverse. Q17Do skanda purana has details of salagrama? A17 Yes. In the SkandaPurana, Shiva has narrated the importance of Shalagrama Everyyear in the month of Kartik (Oct-Nov) on the twelfth day of the lunar monthwomen conduct marriages between Shalagrama and Tulasi and offer new clothes andother items. Amongst Hindus the marriage season starts thereafter. It is believed that whoever looks afterTulasi, Shalagrama, and the conch shell, shall always be dear to Vishnu. Q18What is the importance of Cow in one sentence? A18 Maharishi Vashistha once played his ownlife for the Kamadhenu, the celestial cow. Maharishi Chyavan preferred a cow to a kingdom Q19What are the attributes of cow told in puranas? A 19 The Agni Purana says that the cowis a pure, auspicious animal. Looking after a cow, bathing it and making it eatand drink are commendable acts. Cow dung and urine are said to have medicinalqualities and are known to contain antiseptic properties In the Atharva-Veda, it is said: Thecow is the mother of Rudras; she is a daughter of the Vasus; sheis the sister of Surya. She is a storehouse of ghee that is likethe celestial nectar. The back of the cow is symbolic of the Rig-Veda,the body of Yajur-Veda, the mouth of the Sama-Veda, The Atharva-Vedaalso relates that cow's milk helps overcome debility and regain lost physicaland mental health. It promotes intelligence In the Mahabharata, Kurma Purana,Yagyavalkya Smriti, and several other Vedic texts, it is said that whoever gives acow in charity shall always be happy and content and attain heaven after death. Q20When do practice of tying the thread in hand started? A20 The practice of tying the thread datesback to the time when Vamana Bhagwan tied this holy thread on the wrist of theprogressive King Bali to grant him immortality. Q21Has any importance of drinking water from Copper pot?A21 Ayurveda and homoeopathic practitionershave confirmed this. Copper cures spasmodic pains. It is believed that drinkingwater stored in a copper vessel improves intellect, memory, and wisdom. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/371588426.290699.1640134601130%40mail.yahoo.com.
