Friday, February 27, 2015

Hinduism in Vietnam

#DharmaQuiz Session 320: 27-Feb-2015

#DharmaQuiz 1986: A 4000 year old Vishnu statue was discovered in Vietnam recently.
Next to which major river? Ans: Mekong. (Ma Ganga, some say)

DQ 1986
Read more: http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/4-000-year-old-vishnu-statue-discovered-in-vietnam

#DharmaQuiz 1987: Champa Kingdom in Vietnam was a famous Hindu kingdom 1600 years ago. Name any one Champa King. Ans: Bhadravarman, who ruled from 349-361CE. Others are Shambhuvarman, Vijayavarman and Simhavarman.

DQ 1987

Read more: http://indiafacts.co.in/forgotten-hindus-vietnams-champa-kingdom/

#DharmaQuiz 1988: Champa Hindu kingdom of Vietnam had 5 parts.
Indrapura, Amaravati, Vijaya, Kauthara (Nha Trang). Name the 5th one.
Ans: Panduranga is known today simply as Phan.

#DharmaQuiz 1989: Apart from the Champa Kingdom of Cham Hindus, another Hindu kingdom was in Vietnam 1900 years ago. Name it. Ans: Funan.

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1990: Identify this Hindu deity from Vietnam. It's at My Son temple complex. Ans: Lord Shiva.

DQ 1990
Scores for session 320 were not counted. Will do it next time.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Famous Hindu Quotes

#DharmaQuiz Session 319: 10-Feb-2015

#DharmaQuiz 1981: Vivekananda used - Uttishthata Jagrata Prapya Varan nibodhata.
Was from Katha upanishad. Who speaks these words there? Ans: Yama Dharma Raya to Nachiketa.

#DharmaQuiz 1982: Mano Buddhi Ahankaara Chitta ni naaham is a great Indian philosophical song. Who composed it? Ans: Adi Shankara. Known as Atma Shatakam.

Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atma_Shatkam

#DharmaQuiz 1983: Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya Cha, is a Rig Veda's shloka that is the motto of a famous dharmic matha. Which one? Ans: Ramakrishna math, started by Vivekananda.

#DharmaQuiz 1984: Punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi janani jathare shayanam. This great philosophical line is a part of which song? Ans: Bhaja Govindam by Adi Shankara.

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1985: Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah = Dharma protects those who protect Dharma - is a part of which text? Ans: Manu Smriti.

Scores of session 319:
  1. @ramas_cal : 5
  2. @sumanthbharatha : 5

  1. @Simuntweets : 4
  1. @UKKishor : 3
  2. ‏@niranjanprabhu : 3
  3. @Aamchigele : 3
  4. @Telugutalli : 3
  5. @TrivediNcbhatt : 3
  6. ‏@DrSrishtiGupta : 3
  1. @aravozhukkam : 2
  2. @ravikantbhat : 2
  1. @puneethsamani : 1
  2. @padbalaram : 1
  3. @Pria12Rao : 1
  4. @Suprith_Mandara : 1
  5. @db_is_db : 2
  6. @PoonamV_ : 1
  7. @deshi_mangoman : 1
  8. ‏@sudhirapai : 1
  9. @Bruhannale : 1
  10. @arunrush : 1
  11. @aasare1 : 1
  12. @ANILKUMARAN5 : 1
  13. @pramodhbala : 1
  14. @balamura001 : 1
  15. ‏@realactivex : 1
  16. @shathrao : 1
  17. @Umeshkumarr26 : 1
Congratulations to all those who made to the score list.
 

Shiva

DQ 1977: Image: Wiki
#DharmaQuiz Session 318: 10-Feb-2015

#DharmaQuiz 1976: Lord Shiva is praised with the name "Aashutosh". What does it mean? Ans: The One Who Fulfills Wishes Instantly or becomes happy easily. Ans: Ashu = quick. Tosh = please.

#DharmaQuiz 1977: Shiva has a name for carrying this club like weapon in hand. What's that name of Lord Shiva? Ans: Khatvangi. The weapon is called Khatvanga.

DQ 1980: Image: indotemple
#DharmaQuiz 1978: For having an eye on the forehead, Lord Shiva has a special Sanskrit name. What is it? (Hint: starts with L). Ans: Lalataksha. Lalata = forehead.

#DharmaQuiz 1979: Give one name of Lord Shiva that is based on his cosmic dance. Ans: Nataraja.

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1980: Where is this Jyotir Linga for Shiva? Said to be the last Jyotirlinga. Ans: Grishneshvara, Maharashtra (near Ellora caves).

Scores for session 318:

Could not score - election night and too many tweet responses. Sorry.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Bhagavad Gita

#DharmaQuiz Session 317: 03-Feb-2015

#DharmaQuiz 1971: How many shlokas are there Bhagavad Gita? Ans: 700 (701 if you count Arjuna's question in chapter 13)

#DharmaQuiz 1972: In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna addresses Arjuna with at least 7 names. Name any one, apart from Arjuna. Ans: Kounteya, Anasuhya, Kurunandhana, Gudaakesha, Vijaya, Parantapa, Dhananjaya, Partha..

#DharmaQuiz 1973: The most famous Bhagavad Gita shloka "Karmanyeva Adhikarastey..." comes in which Yoga chapter? Need the chapter's name. Ans: Sankhya Yoga, Chapter 2. Shloka number 47.

#DharmaQuiz 1974: There are six chapters in Bhagavad Gita that talk of 3 types of Human "Gunas" or natures. Satva, Tamas and the third one? Ans: Rajas.
Read more here on the Chapter 18's shloka: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu%E1%B9%87a#Bhagavad_Gita

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1975: In the Purushottama Yoga of Gita, Krishna talks of a fire that digests food. Name that agni. Ans: Vaishvanara.

Read more here: http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/Gita/verse-15-13.html

Scores for session 317:

Could not count, sorry.
Lots of answers though! It was nice to see 100s of folks participating today.
Jai Shri Krishna!

Ancient India's amazing temple building techniques

#DharmaQuiz Session 316: 27-Jan-2015

#DharmaQuiz 1966: Which is this 1000+ year old temple, that has 81,250 KG stone Shikara (crown) at 210+ feet? Ans: Brihadeshwarar temple, Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

DQ 1966. Image from indiatemplesinfo
#DharmaQuiz 1967: This iron pillar is 1600+ yr old. No rust in a heavy rainfall area.
Front of which temple is this? Ans: Kollur, Karnataka.

DQ 1967: Image - iisc
Read more here: http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/jun10/articles13.htm

#DharmaQuiz 1968: 1250 year old temple carved from top, off a rocky hill.
4,00,000 tons rock scooped. By which King? Ans: Krishna 1 of Rashtrakuta dynasty. Temple is Kailasanatha temple at Ellora, Maharashtra.

DQ 1968. Image: Wiki
#DharmaQuiz 1969: 150+ year old Shiva temple can be visited in the mornings, but gets submerged by afternoons. Where? Ans: Stambheshwar Mahadev, Kavi Kambhoi, Gujarat

DQ 1969 - Before (Image Cityshor)
DQ 1969 - After (image: cityshor)

Read more here: http://www.cityshor.com/ahmedabad/travel/others/stambheshwar-mahadev-the-disappearing-temple-of-gujarat/

{Final,Open till 10.00PM} #DharmaQuiz 1970: A Hindu temple, built in 1553 CE, is in a Japanese pagoda style. Where? Ans: Manali, Himachal Pradesh. Hidimba Devi temple.

DQ 1970. Image: blogspot
Scores for session 316:

@srikrishnashar : 4

@sudarshan_v1 : 2
@Telugutalli : 2
@talismaan : 2
@naonome : 2
@SnookyBangalore : 2
@pai_rajesh : 2
@Nachiketa_Vriti : 2

@FakeJourno : 1
@YuthikaSharma : 1
@optimist_300 : 1
@guyonblackybx : 1
@SSViv : 1
@spicy_words : 1
@skdeshpande : 1
@Mamdhata : 1
@Vyomakesha_ : 1
@pavanaja : 1
@SameerTandon1 : 1
@santhosh680 : 1
@shaileshwelekar : 1
@anandrk77 : 1
@105Hari : 1
@SumitBajoria : 1
@Muktaatma : 1
@sivajichowdary1 : 1
@unrealTechie : 1
@mrsnrao : 1
@Akhilesh_k_r : 1
@arunrush : 1
@NKNAIK : 1
@ShootinThoughts : 1
@deepchilwal : 1
@oarhtanirs : 1
@_abhisingh_ : 1
@77Rohitsharma : 1
@aapforcongress : 1
@ushavasant : 1

These were some very unusual temples of India!