Can your figure this out? (Edition 2)

In edition 1 of "Can you figure this out" (blog published in November 2008), I had posted 7 questions & many of you had written to me how enjoyable and perplexing those queries were. Here is some more food for thought.

(1) Why has a coconut been given the pride of place in Hindu rituals? It is in fact called "shreephal" - but do you know why a coconut has been awarded this numero uno status. Many years ago (when human civilization had hardly progressed) it was common practice to offer "human sacrifice" to propitiate GOD who was offered an "abhishek" of blood from the victim. Later, a coconut was chosen to replace this reprehensible ritual. It resembled a human skull (hair, eyes, hard exterior) which when smashed gave milk that was now used to offer the abhishek. So remember, everytime you offer a coconut in a temple you are symbolically offering a "human sacrifice". Why not take a bunch of grapes or some bananas next time? I am not sure however if that would be looked at kindly by others.

(2) Why are cases of rebirth never reported from Muslim or Buddhist families? How come all "reported" cases of someone remembering things from their previous birth are from amongst Hindus? It is another matter that none of these cases have ever been proved genuine. Hindus are virtually brainwashed right from childhood that this is what happens & the form that you take in the next birth is a reward (or punishment) of the acts that you committed in the previous birth. The Muslims or Buddhists do not believe that this happens and hence there are never any cases of "rebirth" reported from these communities. See the kind of games our mind can play on us.

(3) Why are Hindu priests who perform rituals after death not allowed to perform other "auspicious" rituals? The pecking order is clear - the former are at a lower heirarchy & are not allowed to perform marriages, for example. I can understand "death" as an inauspicious event but how can the priest become ineligible? Why create such a "caste system" even amongst Brahmins? I think it is a clear case of "commercially preserving ones turf" by the "auspicious" segment. The actual reasons given (they can handle only "unclean" events) are pure hog wash।

(4) Why are there no Hindu rituals for men to get the same wife in future "births"? While there are many for women (करवा चौथ for example) there is no similar ritual for men. Does this mean that the men are actually not very keen to have the same partners in the next birth? A friend once pointed out the bizarre situation that this can theoretically lead to. Imagine a devout Hindu wife who lived a pious life and prayed for the same husband in the next birth. Her husband however was a scoundrel in this birth itself & neither prayed nor wanted the same partner in the next birth. Lets say the husband gets re - born as a donkey ( punishment) while the lady is re-born again as a lady (getting re-born as a human is considered a reward for having lived a good life earlier). Now since the lady had prayed to marry the same husband, she has to marry the donkey.

(5) How does one explain instances of sages eating beef in Hindu mythology? In mythological stories (which are otherwise quoted extensively) there are instances of sages eating and offering non vegetarian food including beef, to their guests. I have never heard this aspect being mentioned or debated.

(6) Why did GODs have to marry in order to beget children? This never ceases to puzzle me. If GODs created human beings, why did they have to themselves marry in order to beget children. This idea of marriage is so "earthly" and "human" that I suspect that it is human beings who have created GODs.

(7) Why do we worship "shiva - linga" (शिव लिंग ) ? Why was it ordained that such a private part of the anatomy be worshipped? In spite of being a conservative community, how could we have permitted devotees, especially our womenfolk, to worship this? So explicit is the idol in temples that I fail to see any symbolism in it - even if there is one. Mythological stories explaining this are so pornographic that they cannot be recounted except in an X-rated environment.