QUEST – Questions & Answers

The Puranas have no historical account since there is no archaeological or other evidence to prove the existence of the Ten Avataras or other stories in the Puranas. There is one school of thought that the Puranas were written to espouse Hindu religious values since at that time other religions such as Buddhism, Jainism and later Islam were trying to convert Hindus. To prevent this, the Bhakti Movement started and along with devotional songs, Puranas and bhashyas to Vedantic philosophies were written to bring new energy to Hindu concepts and prevent people from conversion and the influence of other religions. Is this understanding of the Puranic Age and its significance in protecting and preserving Hinduism correct?

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While no one is able to state with absolute authenticity the dates when the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita were actually written by Veda Vyasa, it is said that the Mahabharata war probably took place around 3500 BC and Bhagavad Gita was written by Veda Vyasa around 450 BC to 200 AD. Since this is a big gap of 2000 years, how can we be sure that we are reading the original versions and that other authors have not added their interpretation or views to them?

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I am facing a lot of hurdles in getting married. Can praying to Lord Krishna sincerely help me fulfil my desire? My friends say that Lord Krishna gives only Bhakti but He does not fulfil material desires. They are asking me to pray to Lord Shiva or Goddess Parvati instead. But I love Lord Krishna very much. What shall I do?

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What is the problem with live-in relationships? Don’t you think that living with someone and getting to know him or her before marriage is much better than ending up in divorce later?

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I and my girlfriend both love each other deeply and have decided to get married once we settle down properly in our respective careers. Since we are already committed to marriage in the future, is there any fault in getting physically involved with each other now to express our love? Don’t you think that if we are mentally wedded to each other, marriage is just a formality which will, in any way, happen in the future?

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