Ramayana
What is the name of the bow that Lord Rama broke before he married Devi Sita?
Pinaka (or Pinak Dhanush)
How old was Dhruva when he did his penance?
5 years old
Who served food for both armies all through the war?
King of Udipi
Which astra does Rama use to ultimately defeat Ravana?
Brahmaastra- to the chest per Valmiki Ramayana - missile- returned to his quiver
How many Balavihar teachers are named after Goddess Parvati?
Parvati: Bhuvana, Shailaja, Vijaya, Naina, Aparna- 5
Lakshmi: Krishna, Haritha, Padma,Radhika - 4
Who was the mother of Shatrughna?
Queen Sumitra
What is the name of the female avatara of Vishnu?
Mohini
What was the boon the great Bhishma got from his father?
Can decide time of the death, Iccha Mrityu (self-willed death),
What are the other 5 common names of Devi Sita?
Janaki, Maithili, Vaidehi, Bhumija, Siya
Why do we say OM three times?
Adhidaivik (Divine): Natural disasters or forces beyond control.
Adhibhautik (Physical): Obstacles from the external world or surroundings.
Adhyatmik (Internal): Internal obstacles such as disease or mental distress.
Who informed Rama of Sita’s abduction by Ravana?
Jatayu
What is the age of the universe according to Hindu Puranas?
Scientific Estimate: 13.8 billion years.
Hindu Scriptural Alignment: 13.82 billion years
Which son of Dhritarashtra survived the war?
Yuyutsu
According to the original Mahabharata why did King Dushyanta not accept Shakuntala when she arrived at his court?
Pretended not to know her- since married in secret and his ministers/subjects would question the legitimacy of the child - he is calculated and politically minded.
What is the actual name of the tradition that later was termed Hinduism?
Sanatana Dharma
What was the original name of Valmiki before he became a sage?
Ratnakara (or Ratnakar)
How many yrs ago did the Saraswati river dry up?
2500 BC- 1900 BC - 3900 -4000 yrs ago
Which event marked the start of Kaliyuga?
Krishna lived for 36 yrs after the war- start of Kaliyuga after he left his mortal body.
Which festival is dedicated to Rishi Vyasa, the author of Maha Bhratha?
Guru Purnima- Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa considered Adi Guru. - anniversary of the day he started compiling Mahabharata.
What do the cotton wick and the oil symbolize in a diya?
Cotton Wick-ego oil-vasanas(negative tendencies).
Rama followed his duty as a son and went to exile. What exactly is this incident teaching us?
Promises need to be kept
What are the names of the 4 rivers that have origin at Mount Kailash and flow in 4 different directions?
Indus (North), Brahmaputra (East), Sutlej (West), and Karnali (South)
Why was Ekalavya denied lessons by Drona?
Ekalvya’s father has allegiance to Jarasandha- enemy of Hastinapur. Drona was paid to teach princes of Hastinapur and allies sons only.
Who broke the first rule in the Kurukshetra war?
On the first day of battle, Brihadbala attacked Abhimanyu’s charioteer. Brihadbala was a direct descendant of Rama (the 115th king of the Ikshvaku dynasty) Killed by Abhimanyu in the Chakravyuha 13th day. subjugated by Karna during his Digvijaya Yatra (conquest of the world), forcing him into an alliance with Hastinapura.. worst was 6 Maharathas -warriors attacking A at the same time.
How many people practice the Hindu faith worldwide?
1.2 billion Hindus worldwide- 3rd largest religion.