Questions for Closed Book Assessment

Bhagavad-gétä Chapter 1

1. What is the significance of Dhrtarastra saying mämakäù? (1.1)

māmakāḥ — my party (sons);

Both the Pāṇḍavas and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra belong to the same family, but Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s mind is
disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pāṇḍu
from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhṛtarāṣṭra in his relationship
with his nephews, the sons of Pāṇḍu.

2. Why was Dhrtarastra fearful? (1.1)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He
knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pāṇḍu favorably, because by nature they
were all virtuous. 

3. How was Saïjaya able to see the Battlefield of Kurukñetra? (1.1)

Sañjaya was a student of Vyāsa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyāsa, Sañjaya was able to envision the
Battlefield of Kurukṣetra even while he was in the room of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. 

4. What is the significance of Duryodhana's saying dhématä, tava çiñyeëa, tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā? (1.3
Lecture)

Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of Droṇācārya, the
great brāhmaṇa commander in chief.

Now, on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Dhṛṣṭadyumna took the side of the Pāṇḍavas, and it was he who
arranged for their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Droṇācārya. Duryodhana pointed
out this mistake of Droṇācārya’s so that he might be alert and uncompromising in the fighting. By this
he wanted to point out also that he should not be similarly lenient in battle against the Pāṇḍavas, who
were also Droṇācārya’s affectionate students.

5. List the vows Bhéma made after the gambling match. (1.4, Surrender Unto Me )

Before the battle, he took three vows. First, he vowed to kill each of Dhåtaräñöra’s one hundred sons.
Second, he vowed to break Duryodhana’s thigh. Third, Bhéma vowed to tear open Duùsasana’s chest,
pry out his heart and drink his blood.

6. Why was Duryodhana confident of full support of Bhéñmadeva and Droëä? (1.11)

He was confident of the full support of Bhīṣmadeva and Droṇācārya in the battle because he well knew
that they did not even speak a word when Arjuna’s wife Draupadī, in her helpless condition, had
appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to appear naked in the presence of all the great
generals in the assembly

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 Questions for Closed Book Assessment
7. List four signs of victory for the Pandavas. (1.14-20)

a) Krishna’s Personal presence

b) Goddess of fortune – wherever Krishna is , goddess of fortune is
c) Venue – Kurukshetra is a holy place.
d) Hanumanji on Arjuna’s Flag
e) Transcendental Conchshells
f) Agnideva’s Chariot
g) Shattering of hearts

8. What is the significance of Hanuman's being on Arjuna’s flag? (1.20 Lecture)

The emblem of Hanumān on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanumān cooperated
with Lord Rāma in the battle between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, and Lord Rāma emerged victorious. Now both
Rāma and Hanumān were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Kṛṣṇa is Rāma Himself,
and wherever Lord Rāma is, His eternal servitor Hanumān and His eternal consort Sītā, the goddess of
fortune, are present.

9. What is the meaning of the word Gudakesa? (1.24)

Guḍākā means sleep, and one who conquers sleep is called  guḍākeśa.

10. List the six kinds of aggressors. (1.36)

According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors: (1) a poison giver, (2) one who sets fire
to the house, (3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, (4) one who plunders riches, (5) one who occupies
another’s land, and (6) one who kidnaps a wife.

11. List the List the consequences of destruction of the dynasty. (1.39-42)

a) Death of Elderly (1.39)

b) Family traditions stop : Irreligion increases (1.39)
c) Women Polluted (1.40)
d) Varna- Sankara (unwanted Progeny) (1.40)
e) Hellish life for ‘family’ and ‘destroyers of family’ (1.41)
f) Culture is destroyed (1.42)

Bhagavad-gétä Chapter 2
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 Questions for Closed Book Assessment
12. List Arjuna’s arguments for not fighting. (1.27-2.7)

a) Compassions
b) Loss of enjoyment
c) Fear of sinful reactions
d) Destruction of family traditions
e) Indecision

13. List the six symptoms of Bhagavän in English or Sanskrit (2.2)

The Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, all strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all
renunciation is called Bhagavān.

14. What is the meaning of the phrase kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ? (2.3)

kṣudram — petty; hṛdaya — of the heart; daurbalyam — weakness;

Give up such petty weakness of heart 

15. According to scriptural codes, when is a teacher is fit to be abandoned ?( 2.5)

According to scriptural codes, a teacher who engages in an abominable action and has lost his sense of
discrimination is fit to be abandoned.

16. What is the meaning of the phrase dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ? (2.7)

 dharma — religion; sammūḍha  — bewildered; cetāḥ — in heart;

I am confused about my duty

17. What is the size of soul and what is the symptom of its existence? (2.17)

This soul is described as one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair point in size.

Individual consciousness is the symptom of the soul.

18. List the six kinds of transformations the body is subject to. (2.20)

Birth, growth, sustenance, by-products, dwindling and death

19. Give the English meaning of: aëu-ätmä and vibhu-ätmä. (2.20)

There are two kinds of souls – namely the minute particle soul (aṇu-ātmā) and the Supersoul (vibhu-
ātmā).

20. Why is it that the killing of animals in sacrifice not considered an act of violence? (2.31)

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 Questions for Closed Book Assessment
killing on the battlefield on religious principles and killing animals in the sacrificial fire
are not at all considered to be acts of violence, because everyone is benefited by the
religious principles involved. The animal sacrificed gets a human life immediately
without undergoing the gradual evolutionary process from one form to another,

21. What is the meaning of the word kñatriya? (2.31)

One who gives protection from harm is called kṣatriya (trāyate – to give protection). 

22. What is meant by sva-dharma and what are the two types of sva-dharma? (2.31)

sva-dharmam  — one’s own religious principles;

Two types: Spiritual – attained after liberation , Material (varṇāśrama-dharma,)

23. What is the meaning of the phrase svarga-dväram apävåtam? (2.32)

svarga — of the heavenly planets; dvāram — door; apāvṛtam — wide open;

opening for them the doors of the heavenly planets.

24. Give the English meaning of the phrase pratyaväyaù na vidyate. (2.40)

pratyavāyaḥ — diminution;  na — never; vidyate — there is; 

there is no loss or diminution, 

25. Give the English meaning of the phrase vyavasāyātmikā buddhir (2.41)
vyavasāya-ātmikā — resolute in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; buddhiḥ — intelligence; 

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus,
the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.

26. The Vedas deal mostly with what? (2.45)

The Vedas  deal mostly with fruitive activities to gradually elevate the general public from the field of
sense gratification to a position on the transcendental plane. 

27. How is the purpose of Vedic culture best served? (2.46)

All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water. Similarly, all the
purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.

28. What is the meaning of the word prajnä? (2.54)

sthita-prajñasya  — of one who is situated in fixed Kṛṣṇa consciousness; 

29. A well-dressed fool cannot be identified unless what? (2.54)

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 Questions for Closed Book Assessment
a well-dressed fool cannot be identified unless he speaks, but as soon as he speaks, he reveals himself at
once. 

30. What is the meaning of the phrase paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate? (2.59)
param  — far superior things; dṛṣṭvā  — by experiencing; nivartate — he ceases from.

Though the embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects remains.
But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.

31. Who is the example of a mat-paraḥgiven in 2.61?

mat-paraḥ  — in relationship with Me;

One who restrains his senses, keeping them under full control, and fixes his consciousness upon Me, is
known as a man of steady intelligence.

32. List the eight stages of spiritual falldown in English or Sanskrit. (2.62-63)

contemplating the objects of the senses leads to

Attachment; develops into
Lust
If lust unfulfilled, anger arises; leads to
Complete delusion
Bewilderment of memory
Intelligence Is lost
Falls down again into material pool

33. What is the meaning of the phrase brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati? (2.72)

brahma-nirvāṇam — the spiritual kingdom of God; ṛcchati — one attains.

That is the way of the spiritual and godly life, after attaining which a man is not bewildered. If one is
thus situated even at the hour of death, one can enter into the kingdom of God.

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 Questions for Closed Book Assessment
Bhagavad-gétä Chapter 3

34. What is Kåñëa consciousness sometimes misunderstood as? (3.1)

Sometimes Kṛṣṇa consciousness is misunderstood to be inertia

35. Give the English meaning of the following:

a. tad ekaà vada. (3.2)

Therefore, only one, please tell

b. mithyacarah. (3.6)
Pretender

c. karma-yogam asaktaḥ sa viśiṣyate. (3.7)

Devotion without attachment, he , is by far the better

d. tad-arthaà karma kaunteya mukta-saìgaù. (3.9)

tat — of Him; artham — for the sake;  karma — work; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; mukta-saṅgaḥ —

liberated from association; 

e. yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ (3.12)

yaḥ — he who; bhuṅkte — enjoys; stenaḥ — thief; eva — certainly; saḥ — he.

But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.

f. annäd bhavanti bhütäni. (3.14)

annāt  — from grains; bhavanti — grow;  bhūtāni — the material bodies;

All living bodies subsist on food grains,

g. vikarma (3.15)

Anything performed without the direction of the Vedas is called vikarma, or unauthorized or sinful

work.

36. Why is a fully Kåñëa conscious person not obliged to follow the Vedic injunctions? (3.17)
A person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, and is fully satisfied by his acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no longer
has any duty to perform. Due to his being Kṛṣṇa conscious, all impiety within is instantly cleansed, an
effect of many, many thousands of yajña performances. By such clearing of consciousness, one becomes
fully confident of his eternal position in relationship with the Supreme. His duty thus becomes self-
illuminated by the grace of the Lord, and therefore he no longer has any obligations to the Vedic
injunctions.

37. Give the English meaning of äcärya. (3.21)

Lord Caitanya said that a teacher should behave properly before he begins teaching. One who teaches in
that way is called  ācārya
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38. Why did Kåñëa perform prescribed duties? (3.23)

He descended to establish the principles of religion He followed the prescribed rules. 

39. What qualifications are required for beginning practice of Kåñëa consciousness? (3.26)

40. Give the English meaning of the phrase niräçér nirmamo. (3.30)

nirāśīḥ — without desire for profit; nirmamaḥ  — without ownership;

without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, 

41. Give the English meaning of the phrase nitya-vairiṇā (3.39)

nitya-vairiṇā  — by the eternal enemy; 

42. List the three sitting places of lust. (3.40)

The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust

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Bhagavad-gétä Chapter 4

43. The Gétä was spoken by the Lord to Vivasvän, at least how many years ago? (4.1)

Gītā was spoken by the Lord to His disciple the sun-god Vivasvān, a rough estimate is that the Gītā was
spoken at least 120,400,000 years ago; and in human society it has been extant for two million years

44. List the six kinds of avatäras. (4.8)

There are various kinds of avatāras, such as puruṣāvatāras, guṇāvatāras, līlāvatāras, śakty-āveśa

avatāras, manvantara-avatāras  and yugāvatāras – all appearing on schedule all over the universe. But
Lord Kṛṣṇa is the primeval Lord, the fountainhead of all avatāras.

45. List the eight steps from çraddhä to prema. (4.10).

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-
saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt
tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvas

tataḥ premābhyudañcati
sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ
prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

46. What is a pāṣaṇḍī.? (4.12)

Anyone who thinks that God and the demigods are on the same level is called an atheist, or pāṣaṇḍī. 

47. List the modes predominantly influencing the four divisions of human society. (4.13)

beginning with the intelligent class of men, technically called  brāhmaṇas due to their being situated in
the mode of goodness. Next is the administrative class, technically called the kṣatriyas due to their being
situated in the mode of passion. The mercantile men, called the vaiśyas, are situated in the mixed modes
of passion and ignorance, and the śūdras, or laborer class, are situated in the ignorant mode of material
nature. 

48. List the 12 mahäjanas. (4.16)

One must follow in the footsteps of great authorities like Brahmā, Śiva, Nārada, Manu, the Kumāras,
Kapila, Prahlāda, Bhīṣma, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Yamarāja, Janaka and Bali Mahārāja.

49. Matter dovetailed for the cause of the Absolute Truth regains what? (4.24)

Matter dovetailed for the cause of the Absolute Truth regains its spiritual quality. 

50. Describe a devotee’s attitude to longevity. (4.29)

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A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, however, being always situated in the transcendental loving service of the
Lord, automatically becomes the controller of the senses. His senses, being always engaged in the service
of Kṛṣṇa, have no chance of becoming otherwise engaged. So at the end of life, he is naturally
transferred to the transcendental plane of Lord Kṛṣṇa; consequently he makes no attempt to increase his
longevity. He is at once raised to the platform of liberation,

Bhagavad-gétä Chapter 5

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 Questions for Closed Book Assessment
51. Give the English meaning of the word pradhäna. (5.10)

The material world is a sum total manifestation of the three modes of material nature, technically called
the pradhāna. 

52. Give the English meaning of the phrase phalaṁ tyaktvā śāntim āpnoti naiṣṭhikīm (5.12)

karma-phalam — the results of all activities; tyaktvā — giving up; śāntim —

perfect peace; āpnoti — achieves; naiṣṭhikīm — unflinching; 
The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the result of all activities to Me

53. List the nine gates of the body. (5.13)

The body consists of nine gates [two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, one mouth, the anus and the genitals].

54. Give the English meaning of the words vibhu and aëu. (5.15)

The Lord is vibhu,  or omniscient, but the living entity is aṇu, or atomic.

55. Give the English meaning of the phrase paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. (5.18)

paṇḍitāḥ — those who are wise; sama-darśinaḥ — who see with equal

vision.
see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa,
56. List the eight limbs of añöäìga-yoga. (5.27)

one can come to that position by the practice of the mysticism or yoga known as aṣṭāṅga-yoga, which is
divisible into an eightfold procedure called yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā,
dhyāna  and samādhi.

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 Questions for Closed Book Assessment
Bhagavad-gétä Chapter 6

57. When is the mind the best of friends and when is the mind greatest enemy? (6.6)

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so,
his mind will remain the greatest enemy.

58. Give the English meaning of the words ekäké (6.10) and śucau deśe. (6.11)

ekākī — alone; śucau — in a sanctified; deśe — land;

59. What is the result of extravagance in eating, sleeping, defending, and mating? (6.17)

Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating – which are demands of the body –
can block advancement in the practice of yoga. 

60. Give the English meaning of the term yukta. (6.18)

yuktaḥ  — well situated in yoga;

61. Give the English meaning of pratyahara. (25)

By proper conviction and intelligence one should gradually cease sense activities. This is
called pratyāhāra. 

62. Yogés who are attracted to what cannot attain the stage of perfection? (6.23)

If yogīs are attracted by the by-products of yoga, then they cannot attain the stage of perfection,

63. Describe what happens to an unsuccessful yogé. (41-42)

The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is
born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy. (41)

Or [if unsuccessful after long practice of yoga] he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who
are surely great in wisdom. Certainly, such a birth is rare in this world. (42)

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