DharmaQuiz: May 2012

Friday, May 25, 2012

DharmaQuiz Session 140: 25-May-2012

Theme: Indian Train Names and Hinduism.

This train named after a famous old woman from Ramayana, travels from Deccan plateau to the tip of South India. Name it. #DharmaQuiz 1056. Ans: S(h)abari Express.
This train, traveling from Mumbai to a major city in UP, is named after an ancient Indian flying plane. Name it. #DharmaQuiz 1057. Ans: Pushpak Express
There is an express train on the western coast of India, named after the great grandmother of Pandavas & Kauravas. Name it. #DharmaQuiz 1058. Ans: Matsyagandha express.
There is an train between Poschim Bongo and Odisha, literally meaning, "The Express of the Lord of the Earth". Name it. #DharmaQuiz 1059. Ans: Sri Jagannath Express.
{Final, Open till 11PM} Name this train whose name is a combination of northern and southern sacred rivers of India. #DharmaQuiz 1060. Ans: Ganga Kaveri Express.

Top Scorers:

@bips_98 : 5
@bhaviknz : 5
@sweetandu : 5
@rahulghildiyal : 5
@sharathinindia : 5
@iSaakshi : 5
@sumeetgaarg : 5
@vschanna : 5

Congrats to :

@shawjipk : 4
@keerthinarayan8 : 4
@saikumar_k : 4
@bhijeetD : 4
@geophyraj : 4

@Bgiridharr : 3
@TheArvindDhar : 3

@sanathandharma : 2
@abhipar7 : 2
@Dhanushm : 2
@mabhik : 2
@sharad_51 : 2
@arunohri : 2
@singhrakeshk : 2
@Scarysouthpaw : 2

@arora_chandan : 1
@Alex_Pandian : 1
@jp_surat : 1
@vkspathak : 1
@pp_chn : 1
@khaishk : 1
@Rajsan2012 : 1
@sohanjain : 1
@arbitvalue : 1
@beingkedar : 1
@debabrata2008 : 1
@_Innovision : 1
@shashi_b_prasad : 1
@paragbakshi : 1
@mayaadvaita : 1
@LMAATHUR : 1
@siddarthpaim : 1
@DevaSrik : 1
@amsrjn : 1
@drvijayr1 : 1

Thanks for your participation.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

DharmaQuiz Session 139: 22-May-2012

Theme: Hindu Puranas

Name this Purana, the largest among Maha Puranas, which describes many pilgrimage spots related to Shiva. #DharmaQuiz 1051. Ans: Skanda Purana, 81,000 verses!
The famous Lalita Sahasranama chanted by Hindu women, is found in which Purana, as a talk between Hayagriva & Agastya? #DharmaQuiz 1052. Ans: Brahmanda Purana.
Name this Purana, the one which describes Vishnu's avataras, particularly the glorious descriptions of Krishna's childhood. #DharmaQuiz 1053. Ans: Bhagavata Purana.
Name this Purana which is usually read daily for 2 weeks, at a home that sees a human death. #DharmaQuiz 1054. Ans: Garuda Purana.
{Final, Open till 11PM} How many Chiranjeevis or immortals are there per Puranas? Hint: "Ashwathama Balir..." #DharmaQuiz 1055. Ans: Seven. "Ashwathama Bali-r-vyaso, Hanumans-cha Vibhishan-h, Kripa-h Parashurams-cha, Saptai-te Chirjeevin-h"

Top Scorers this time:

@iSaakshi : 5
@rahulghildiyal : 5
@venshu : 5
@keerthinarayan8 : 5
@pirateadmiral : 5

Congrats to:

@shawjipk : 4
@DevNakshi : 4
@sharad_51 : 4
@abhipar7 : 4
@geophyraj : 4
@sharathinindia : 3
@sweetandu : 3
@ashutosh_poddar : 3
@vschanna : 3
@SharmaTweeting : 2
@gootypp : 1
@satyajitdas84 : 1
@ankushraj29 : 1
@AnkurTri : 1
@s007kunal : 1
@trram : 1
@tandonb : 1
@nyjoshi : 1
@advanirajesh : 1
@MukulAgarwal66 : 1
@man0jsharma : 1
@vbsingh60 : 1
@pchaturved : 1
@nimeshchandra : 1
@tweetmands : 1
@IamNK4 : 1
@poopa10 : 1

Good luck next time to those who couldn't make to the list here.

Friday, May 18, 2012

DharmaQuiz Session 138: 18-May-2012

Theme: Indian Army Regiments and Hinduism/Sikhism in them.

Name this Indian Army's infantry regiment whose battle cry is "Jai Bajarang Bali" (Victory to Lord Hanuman) - #DharmaQuiz 1046. Ans: Bihar Regiment.
Name this oldest regiment of Indian Army,whose motto is "Swadharme Nidhanam Shreyah" (It's a glory to die doing one’s duty) #DharmaQuiz 1047. Ans: Madras Regiment.
{Easy one} Name this Indian Army regiment whose battle cry is "Jai Durga Naga" (Hail Durga Naga). #DharmaQuiz 1048. Ans: Naga Regiment.
Name the regiment of Indian army with battle cry "Jo Bole So Nihal,Sat Sri Akal" (Victory to those, who recite God's name) #DharmaQuiz 1049. Ans: Sikh Regiment.
{Final, Open till 11PM} Name this old regiment of Indian army, whose battle cry ENDS with "Jai Bhagwan" (Victory to God). #DharmaQuiz 1050. Ans: Jat Regiment. War cry is: Jat Balwan, Jai Bhagwan (The Jat is powerful, Victory to God).

A few answers above do cover other similar regiments like Rajput, Punjab etc. You can read through more online.

Top Scorers:

@Amaresh80 : 5
@anandt_05 : 5
@DevNakshi : 5
@rahulghildiyal : 5
@iSaakshi : 5
@sharathinindia : 5
@Dhanushm : 5
@ad_k : 5
@sharad_51 : 5
@surnell : 5
@pradeepkhs : 5
@keerthinarayan8 : 5
@clumsycoder : 5
@iSumitRk : 5
@arunz : 5
@pvaidyaraj : 5
@pirateadmiral : 5

Congrats to:

@chandrabhushanj : 4
@siddarthpaim : 3
@talismaan : 2
@mecalledmrh : 2
@JagannathAjnabi : 2
@BHARATH_H_RAJU : 2
@akhilm176 : 1
@pawandurani : 1
@RamRajyaForever : 1
@amit8195 : 1
@AmiSri : 1
@rinku3009 : 1
@ibakarc : 1
@nilesh75 : 1
@Marut_ : 1

Watch out for the next session on Tuesday..

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

DharmaQuiz Session 137: 15-May-2012

Theme: Importance of Himalaya for Hindus

Name the 10th tallest mountain in the world, which is in Himalayas and named after Goddess Parvati, the food giver. #DharmaQuiz 1041. Ans: Annapurna I - More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapurna
This Uttarakhand mountain is named "Bliss Giving Goddess". It's the highest mountain fully within Indian borders. Name it. #DharmaQuiz 1042. Ans: Nanda Devi. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanda_Devi
Name this extremely sacred mountain for Hindus and Buddhists, in Tibet, which has never been climbed by a human till date! #DharmaQuiz 1043. Ans: Kailash Parbat or Mount Kailash. More here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kailash
Name this very popular Hindu pilgrimage place in Himalayas, where a naturally formed structure within a cave is worshiped. #DharmaQuiz 1044. Ans: Amarnath.
Only one (undisputed) among the 12 Jyotir Lingas, is in the Himalayan mountain range. Name it. #DharmaQuiz 1045. Ans: Kedarnath.

Top Scorers:

@praveenmla : 5
@ranganaathan : 5
@manojkagarwal : 5
@Sonal_Aga : 5
@clumsycoder : 5
@iCSM : 5
@surnell : 5
@ChandanYogendra : 5
@surenc1974 : 5
@hchaturv : 5
@bhaviknz : 5
@sharathinindia : 5
@iSaakshi : 5
@rinku3009 : 5
@TheArvindDhar : 5
@prashanthkpp : 5
@ad_k : 5
@chandrabhushanj : 5
@shanthigrama : 5

Congrats to:

@geophyraj : 4
@Rasraj : 4
@sweetandu : 4
@Dhanushm : 4
@GirishPodar : 4
@jemin_p : 4

@NikhilShembekar : 3
@KumarAshish : 3
@drvivekhada : 3
@_Aniket : 3

@RightwingIndian : 2
@atulbadani : 2
@virendersj : 2
@pandya_varun : 2
@ShekharGokhale : 2

@sanathandharma : 1
@mjrajput : 1
@pradeepkhs : 1
@rk_kulkarni : 1
@drvijayr1 : 1
@vaswaniravi : 1
@poopa10 : 1
@anilkohli54 : 1
@Harsh1011 : 1
@stormylook : 1
@adityaagnihotri : 1
@NikhilVadia : 1
@sweetandu : 1
@upretivineet : 1
@abhipar7 : 1
@mbhagawat : 1
@shanthikod : 1
@amithk108 : 1
@satyajitdas84 : 1
@mayureshgaikwad : 1
@hindu_tweeter : 1
@Narainised : 1
@CricRaks : 1
@vismayshah : 1

Nice to see so many people getting onto this score board. Please do read more about the shrines, mountains, lakes and rivers of Dharmic importance in the Himalayas. It's an incredibly importance region of the world for Hindus and other Dharmic tradition people.

Share any other interesting things you know, in the comments.

Friday, May 11, 2012

DharmaQuiz Session 136: 11-May-2012

Theme: Vande Mataram

In Vande Mataram, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee sang "Malayaja Sheetalam". What does that phrase mean? #DharmaQuiz 1036. Ans: malaya-ja = of the fragrance of (Sandalwood) hilly trees. Sheetalam = cold winds. So "Cold winds of delight" is the poetic expression. Check this for malaya-ja meaning - http://vedabase.net/sb/10/35/20-21/
Mother India is termed as "Suhasini" in Vande Mataram. What does Suhasini mean? #DharmaQuiz 1037. Ans: Woman with lovely smile.
Vande Mataram song describes the nation-goddess' brave face as 'ripu daLa variNi' - What does it mean? #DharmaQuiz 1038. Ans: ripu = enemy; daLa = army; variNi = Destroyer.
What is Bankim Candra conveying with the words "Shubra Jyotsna" in Vande Mataram? #DharmaQuiz 1039. Ans: Shubra = Clean (white). Jyotna = Light - referring to moonlight.
Vande Mataram talks of "kamalaa kamaladaLa vihaariNi". Which Goddess is being referred here? #DharmaQuiz 1040. Ans: Lakshmi.

Please refer for Shri Aurobindo's authentic translation for the entire Vande Mataram:
http://www.indianchild.com/vande_mataram.htm

Top Scorers:

@Gaandeeva : 5
@venkateshkm : 5
@pvaidyaraj : 5
@clumsycoder : 5
@iSaakshi : 5
@rahulghildiyal : 5
@shanthigrama : 5
@anandt_05 : 5
@SAKottadamane : 5

Congratulations to:

@TheArvindDhar : 4
@bhijeetD : 4
@prashanthkpp : 4
@neerajstpl : 4

@talmukund : 3
@kalyan_sk3011 : 3
@_Innovision : 3
@Rasraj : 3
@shalini_mishtie : 3

@akhilm176 : 2
@AjitVGupta : 2
@geophyraj : 2
@neesh2073 : 2
@abhipar7 : 2
@sharathinindia : 2
@pchaturved : 2
@tnvlalitha : 2

@MukulAgarwal66 : 1
@khaishk : 1
@BalkishanLohia : 1
@puneethot : 1
@rinku3009 : 1
@neesh2073 : 1
@arvind_joshi : 1
@BasantiMomified : 1
@shakwrites : 1
@pvnatarajan : 1
@hakkiraju : 1
@rpmkarthi : 1
@vastav4 : 1
@seshasivasailam : 1
@mamtan14 : 1
@dnaveenvarma : 1
@manojkagarwal : 1

This was indeed a very interesting session for me, as I had to read through some good translations. If you know more authentic translations of Vande Mataram, than presented above, kindly share word by word translations.

If there's a mistake, do correct in a comment.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

DharmaQuiz Session 135: 8-May-2012

Theme: How is Hinduism different from Abrahamic Religions?

If Christianity says a man (soul) is born sinner, what does Hinduism say about the natural state of your soul? #DharmaQuiz 1031. Ans: Pure Bliss (Sat - Chit - Ananda)
If Abrahamic religions teach eternal hell or eternal heaven, what do most Hindus believe in, after this human form's death? #DharmaQuiz 1032. Ans: Reincarnation (due to laws of Karma)
Missionaries tell - in Hinduism you can't have a personal relationship with God. You must go thru' a priest. True or False? #DharmaQuiz 1033. Ans: Totally False.
Abrahamic religions at max, "tolerate" other religions. How do Hindus deal with other religions? a) Tolerate or b) Respect. #DharmaQuiz 1034. Ans: (b) Respect.
{Final, Open till 11PM} Unlike Abrahamic religions, Hinduism is a "non-Prophet" way of life. Then who were Rama & Krishna? #DharmaQuiz 1035. Ans: Bhagawan's avataars.

Strongly suggested read for basics of why Dharma is not really a typical "religion" and how is it different from Prophet based religions. - http://hindugoodnews.com/

Today's Top Scorers:

@surnell : 5
@__Alka : 5
@sweetandu : 5
@rahulghildiyal : 5
@clumsycoder : 5
@shibu_kt : 5
@geophyraj : 5
@shalini_mishtie : 5
@ChandanYogendra : 5
@vschanna : 5
@Gaandeeva : 5
@ashutosh_poddar : 5
@arunz : 5
@Gurush_ : 5
@saikumar_k : 5
@DevNakshi : 5
@aravozhukkam : 5
@philAmit : 5

Congrats to:

@iSaakshi : 4
@Amaresh80 : 4
@TheArvindDhar : 4
@keerthinarayan8 : 4
@pp_chn : 4
@pirateadmiral : 4
@santosh2304 : 4
@sharathinindia : 4
@ad_k : 4
@bhijeetD : 4

@Rasraj : 3
@RightwingIndian : 3
@manojkagarwal : 3
@GappistanRadio : 3

@santosh2304 : 2
@RaviGhiyar : 2
@bvrsreddy : 2
@krimhumhrim : 2
@malviyamit : 2
@poopa10 : 2
@nvignesh93 : 2
@rinku3009 : 2

@kunal_in : 1
@ssunilkrishna : 1
@ajeybhatia : 1
@GovindBharadia : 1
@ishekhar_sk : 1
@88nav : 1
@pradeepkhs : 1
@AnkurTri : 1
@voice_of_dharma : 1
@jemin_p : 1
@idurgesh : 1
@subodh1945 : 1
@prithvisingh03 : 1
@nimeshchandra : 1

Every Hindu should know the uniqueness of Sanatana Dharma. Or else, there are million ways to confuse you today.

Also, do share in comments if you know other online links highlighting the uniqueness of Hindu or Sanatana Dharma, vis-a-vis Jerusalem area origin religions.

Friday, May 4, 2012

DharmaQuiz Session 134: 4-May-2012

Theme: Narasimha Jayanti

There's a massive 22 feet (now deformed) Narasimha statue in Hampi, capital of Vijayanagara. What type of Narasimha was it? #DharmaQuiz 1026. Ans: Ugra Narasimha. More here: http://hampionline.com/attractions/ugranarasimha.php
There's a district in India named after Lord Narasimha, called Narsinghpur. Which state is it in? #DharmaQuiz 1027. Ans: Madhya Pradesh.
The richest temple in world now, the Padmanabha Swamy temple, has a Narasimha idol. Which form of Narasimha is it? #DharmaQuiz 1028. Ans: Yoga Narasimha.
Of course you should know this. Name the boy for whom Bhagawan Vishnu came to this earth in Narasimha avatara. #DharmaQuiz 1029. Ans: Bhakta Prahlada.
{Final, Open till 11PM} Out of the 14 PMs India had till date, only one had (primary) name of Vishnu's avatara. Who? :) #DharmaQuiz 1030. Ans: Narasimha Rao. (Note on the highlight primary for Krishna, when thinking about Morarji or Manmohan).

Reference: Learn about the 74 forms of Bhagawan Narasimha.
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070613071333AALGauP

Top Scorers:

@sharathinindia : 5
@philAmit : 5
@pirateadmiral : 5
@hchaturv : 5

Congrats to:

@iCSM : 4
@surnell : 4
@arunz : 4

@geophyraj : 4
@iSumitRk : 4
@iSaakshi : 4
@rk_kulkarni : 4
@Gaandeeva : 4

@bips_98 : 3
@SudhirSubhartam : 3
@Mimaniya : 3
@vschanna : 3
@chandrabhushanj : 3
@balamy : 3
@rahulghildiyal : 3
@surenc1974 : 3
@DevNakshi : 3

@Chalupurja : 2
@rinku3009 : 2
@Rakeshpundir15 : 2
@ishekhar_sk : 2
@adityaagnihotri : 2
@FatAngryBird : 2
@gootypp : 2
@Dhanushm : 2
@AshutoshNSingh : 2
@s007kunal : 2
@sbhagat10 : 2
@anandt_05 : 2
@KPGanesh : 2
@gvenki9868 : 2
@jagdish : 2

@kalyan_sk3011 : 1
@sharad_51 : 1
@roshan_halwai : 1
@Vnaasp : 1
@shivaprasad_124 : 1
@psudo : 1
@mohandoshi : 1
@abhipar7 : 1
@dominodeck : 1
@dominodeck : 1
@RajivSuresh : 1
@harshdgreat07 : 1
@stormylook : 1
@GappistanRadio : 1
@alok_in : 1
@_Innovision : 1
@rohitrockinn : 1
@Victory_women : 1
@steadyhunk : 1
@AKumar4u : 1
@siddtalks : 1
@Chalupurja : 1
@Chalupurja : 1
@kk_ahm : 1
@itskkrish : 1
@Rajsan2012 : 1
@tnvlalitha : 1
@iTannu : 1
@servantofkrsna : 1
@tweeterjumbo : 1
@WOLFKID : 1
@vedantadharma : 1
@rsyashasvi : 1
@upendrverma : 1
@raghu_sal : 1
@hindu_tweeter : 1
@shivsBHARAT : 1
@prakashreddy461 : 1
@Swamy_Army : 1
@mohandoshi : 1
@akhilm176 : 1
@stormylook : 1
@Stupidintellect : 1

It was a bit surprising to see only 4 people get to the top category, from nearly 80 who managed to get to the scorecard. Maybe the link about Hampi would be a good read.

Thanks for participating. Good luck to those who tried, but couldn't get to the list above.

Till next time..

Friday, May 25, 2012

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Friday, May 18, 2012

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Friday, May 11, 2012

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Friday, May 4, 2012

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