ISHOPANISHAD

QUESTION BANK
INTRODUCTION

1 What are the Vedas? Why should one accept them?

(p 1 knowledge, p 2 with all the four defects we can give perfect knowledge, nor are we ourselves perfect)

2 What are the four defects to which one in conditioned state gets subjected to?
(p 1-2)

3 To err is human - explain.

(p 1 /2 Mahatma Gandhi)

4 Explain the cheating propensity in a human being.

(p 2 one though fool no one, he poses as very intelligent, although defective writes volumes of books)

5 How is a condition soul in illusion?

(p 2 identify with the body though not)

6 Explain the nature of imperfect senses in the conditioned souls.

(p 2 just in the immediate darkness we cannot see our hands, what to speak of seeing God)

7 Why Vedic truths are accepted as axiomatic truths?

(p 3 there cannot be any mistake: cow dung is pure though the stool of an animal )

8 Why Vedas are described as shruti?

(p 4 / p 5 that knowledge which is acquired through hearing not through experiment, like mother)

9 What are the three kinds of evidences? (p 5) Which is the best?

(pratyaksa, anumana, sabda pramana: if we receive knowledge from authoritative sources it is perfect/ we cannot go to the end
of universe then how

10 What are the two systems of receiving knowledge?

(p 7 / p 8 inductive and deductive: man is mortal accept it by deduction or aroha process= go on experimenting)

11 Who are the two kinds of transcendentalists?

(p 6 impersonalists, Vaishnavas)

12 Why did Vyasadeva put Vedas into writing / How did Vyasadeva divide the Vedic literature?
(In kali yuga people will be short lived, memory will be poor and intelligence will not be sharp = divided into four)

13 How did Vyasadeva benefit dvija bandhus? Who are dvija bandhus?
14 What does Vedanta mean? (p 10 ultimate knowledge ultimate objective is Krishna) / What
are the different commentaries on Vedanta sutra?
(p 10 Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya: Vyasadeva= Srimad Bhagavatam)

15 What are the qualifications of a bonafide spiritual master?

(p 8 who has rightly heard Vedic message from right source, firmly established in Bramhan)

INVOCATION

1 What is complete realization of Supreme Absolute Truth? What are incomplete realizations?
(p 14 Personality of Godhead: sat -cit -ananda, impersonal Bramhan sat, Paramatma = sat cit)

2 Why is this phenomenal world complete? What is the reason of experiencing

incompleteness?
(p 15 immense potency of the Personality of Godhead which are complete thus all emanations from Him are complete: all
incompleteness is due to incomplete knowledge of the complete whole)

3 How can one realize completeness of human life?

(p 15 by engaging in the service of the complete whole)

4 How misleading life of sense enjoyment is an illusion?

(p 15 living entity cannot enjoy one of senses without being dovetailed with the complete whole)

MANTRA 1

1 How is everything property of Supreme Personality of Godhead?

(p 18/ p 19)
Explain with example how the Supreme Lord is ultimate controller of everything?
(p 19 both para and apara prakriti are energy of the Supreme Lord, there is nothing in the universe that does not belong to
either para or apara prakriti of the Lord)

2 Explain with example, how one should accept only that much that is set aside by the Lord as
one's quota?
(p 19 cow gives milk but does drink the milk)

3. Give the English meaning of the terms:

(a) ishavasya (b) para and apara prakåti (c) Bhagavata communism (d) apaurusheya

4 How is human life alone a life of responsibility? / Why animal does not incur sin by killing / (p
21 animals, birds, reptiles and lower forms strictly adhere to the laws of nature and there is no question of sin for them nor are
the Vedic instruction meant for them)

5 Explain solution to the quarrel between communist and capitalists.

(p 20 capitalists cannot curb the communists simply by political manoeuvring nor can the communists defeat the capitalists
simply by fighting for stolen bread, if they do not recognize the proprietorship of SPOGH all the property they claim to be their
own is stolen= follow the instructions of Isopanishad)

6 Why simply by becoming vegetarian, one does not transgress laws of nature?
(p 21 vegetables also have life and it is nature's law that one living being is meant to feed another, for human beings it is to
recognise the proprietorship of the Supreme Lord)

7 How can a human being discharge his duty perfectly?

(p 22)

8 What is root of all sin? How does one overcome to go to back to Godhead?
(p 22 deliberate disobedience to the laws of nature through disregarding the proprietorship of the Lord: not influenced by
unnecessary attachment or aversion)

MANTRA 2

1 What is karma bandhana?

(p 24 bondage by one's work: transmigration of the soul)

2 What is karma, akarma, vikarma?

(p 24 action performed in terms of one's prescribed duty as mentioned in the scriptures, actions that free one form cycle of
birth and death, action that lead one to lower form of life)

3 When does one attain the stage of naiskarmya or work that does not bind to cycle of birth
death?
(p 25 When one realizes the authority of Personality of Godhead the modes of nature cannot work)

4 Explain how various 'isms' are attractive forms of karma bandhana?

(p 26 conditioned soul works for either himself or extended sense gratification: when sense enjoyment is extended to include
society nation or humanity it is attractive for sense gratification)

5 What according to Bhagavat Gita is the greatest danger in human life? What is the way out?
(danger of gliding down again into evolutionary cycle of birth and death among the 8.4 million species)/
Explain how humble God centred life is more valuable than altruism or socialism?
(p 26 / 27)

MANTRA 3

1 What does example of boat in ocean explain with respect to human life?
(p 30 human body boat, vedic scriptures and acaryas are expert boatmen, facility of human body are favourable breeze)

2 Who is a killer of soul? What is his destination?

(p 30 with facilities of human body one does not utilize it for self-realization: destined to enter darkest region of ignorance to
suffer perpetually)
3 who are the two type of human being in the universe?
(p 30 sura: who recognize the responsibility of human life and work in that spirit, asuras: those who do not recognise the
responsibility of human life and have no information)

4 How is human life distinctly important than animal life?

(p 30/31 given all facility of a comfortable by the laws of nature because human form of life is more important than animal life)

5 What is the gross result of a human being who does not endeavour for self-realization?
(p 31 laws of nature force us to work very hard even though we may not want to do so: work hard like asses and bullocks)

6 What are the various destination for unsuccessful transcendentalist?

(p 32 by simply attempting to realize God on is guaranteed birth in a wealthy or aristocratic family)

7 atmasambhabita

MANTRA 4

1 What are the principal categories of Supreme Lord's potencies?

(p 34 internal marginal external)

2 Why demigods and sages cannot properly know Supreme Personality of Godhead?
(p 35 part parcel are never equal to the whole, therefore they cannot appreciate the Lord's full potency, men are accustomed
to reach conclusions according to their capacity for understanding but the Supreme Lord is not subjected to our limited capacity
for understanding)

3 Why mental speculators cannot understand Krishna?

(p 35/36)

4 Why do Upanishads warn that no one can approach Supreme Lord by one's limited potency?
(p 35)

5 What is proper initiative on the part of part and parcel living entity?
(p 36 when a person properly utilizes his initiative or active nature with intelligence, understanding that everything is Lord's
potency he can revive his original consciousness which was lost due to association with maya the external energy)

MANTRA 5

1 What are the contradictory qualities of Supreme Lord? What do they prove?
(p 38 prove the inconceivable potency of the Lord)

2 Disprove with example an argument of non-believer that Lord cannot incarnate or He

descends in a form of material energy?
(p 39 by the inconceivable potency of the Lord He can convert this energy into spiritual energy: since the source of the energy is
one and the same the energies can be utilized according to the will of the source)
3 What is the meaning of Supreme Lord's quality of being near and far away?
(p 40 for the surrendered soul He is always within the reach whereas for the unsurrendered soul He is far far away and cannot
be approached)

4 Why arca vigraha worship is not idol worship?

(p 40)

5 Give the English meaning of the phrase tad dure tad vantike.

6 What does saguna and nirguna refer with respect to Supreme Lord?
(p 40 saguna does not imply that when the Lord appears with perceivable qualities He must take on material form and be
subject to laws of material nature/ material energy works according to His direction and therefore He can use that energy for
His purpose without ever being influenced by any of the qualities of that energy)

7 What is reason for Supreme Lord's appearance?

(p 41 the Lord will appear anywhere and everywhere to show mercy to His devotee)

8 How is Supreme Lord within everything and outside of everything?

(p 42 outside of everything as virat purusa, withing everything as antaryami: everything is manifestation of His energies like the
heat and light emanating from fire)

9 Establish with example that Supreme Lord's personal feature is above oneness of His diverse
energies?
(p 42)

MANTRA 6

1 What are the characteristics of kanistha adhikari?

(p 44 in this stage think that Lord is present at the place of worship and nowhere else / follow the routine formulas and
sometimes quarrel among themselves)

2 What are the characteristics of madhyama adhikari?

(p 44 observes the distinction between four types of people)

3 What are the characteristics of uttma adhikari?

(p 44/p 45 sees everything in relation to Supreme Lord so that he does not discriminate between an atheist and theist but sees
everyone as part and parcel of God)

4 Why the concept of universal brotherhood must be learned from uttma adhikari?
(p 45 he sees that bramhana particle of Lord has not misused his little independence given to him and dog particle has misused
his independence and therefore being punished: not considering the respective action of the bramhana and dog the uttama
adhikari tries to do good for both)

5 What does aunpasyati explain? What is its practical significance?

(p 45 follow / observe: one should not see things as he does with the naked eye but should follow the previous acaryas)

MANTRA 7
1 What is the vision of oneness of mahabhagavata devotee?
(p 50 sees everything as energy of the Supreme Lord: heat light and fire)

2 What is the true explanation of ekatvam of the living entity with Supreme Lord?
Give two example.
(p 50/51 salt in a drop and ocean, qualitatively one but quantitatively different, oneness in interest like that of a family)

3 Why on the transcendental platform of nirguna there is no clash of interest?

(p 51/52)

4 How can one get rid of all illusion to create unity?

(p 52 must God into all our activities)

5 What is atma bhuta stage?

(p 52 only by serving the interest of the Lord we can perceive the atma bhuta stage)

6 Give the English meaning of the terms – “ekatvam anupashyataù”.

MANTRA 8

1 What does the word 'unembodied ' explain about the Supreme Lord?
(p 56 forms of the living entities in the world are embodied in material machine: they have vein but transcendental form of the
Lord has nothing like veins: there is no difference between His body and soul)

2 What does the word ' formless ' explain about the Supreme Lord?
(p 56/57)

3 What does the word ' omnipotent ' explain about the Supreme Lord?
(p 57 although has no hands and legs can accept all that we offer to Him by a different type of hand and leg)

4 What does the word ' paribhuh' explain about the Supreme Lord?
(p 59 greatest no one is greater than or equal to Him Lord supplies things the living entity desire, He supplies liberation)

5 What does the word ' suddham and apapa biddham ' explain about the Supreme Lord?
(p 60 antiseptic: even an impure thing can become purified just by touching Him: sun, apapabiddham: sin cannot touch Him)

6 Explain how the arca vigrha form of the Lord is non-different from the original form of
Supreme Lord?
(p 57 descends at the request of acarya and works exactly in the original way of the Lord by virtue of His omnipotence:
expanded form of the Lord)

7 What does word yathatathyatah explain?

(p 59 Lord rewards the living entities just in pursuance of their desire: if the living entity wants to go to hell the Lord allows him
to do so without interference, and if one wants to go back home, the Lord helps him)

MANTRA 9
1 Why is so called vidya condemned more than avidya?
(p 64 forgetfulness of the fact that Supreme Lord is the proprietor of everything is ignorance: the more a man forgets this fact
he is in ignorance, as modern civilization is directed toward so called education it is condemned)

2 What is avidya? What type of people are engaged in cultivation of avidya?

(p 65)

3 Who are the veda vada ratas? What is their character and destination?
(p 65/66/67 attainment of heaven for sense gratification is the ultimate goal of life, give own explanation of the vedas, raise
some unscrupulous person from among themselves and present him as the leading exponent of vedic knowledge)

4 Who are the mayay apahrita jnana? What is their thinking pattern and characteristics faults?
(p 67 self-made Gods, they themselves are God that there is no need to worship any other God agree to worship an ordinary
man if he happens to be rich: How can God be trapped by His own illusory energy)

5 How is advancement of learning by Godless civilisation dangerous? Explain with example. (p 65

cobra decorated with jewel, decorating a dead body)/
How is human civilisation a patchwork of activities?
(p 65)

MANTRA 10

1What are different process for culturing knowledge?

(p 69/70/71 18 items of knowledge)

2 What are the qualifications, characters of a ' dhira'?

(p 73)
How does one become a dhira?
(one who is not disturbed by material illusion / perfectly spiritually realized, realizes that material body and mind are acquired
by chance association of material elements)
(p 74 only by submissively hearing from a bona fide spiritual master)

3 What is the process to attain actual education?

(p 74)

4 Explain how modern universities are centres on nescience only? / How does it kill spiritual
consciousness of students?
(p 72 scientist are busy discovering lethal weapons to wipe out existence of other countries, no training in bramhacarya:
animosity in the field of religion and social political field)

5 What is the effect of cultivation of nescience on development of nationalism?

(befooled men have created their own nation within these planets in order to grasp sense enjoyment more effectively for few
years: such foolish people draw various plans to render national demarcations perfectly a task that is totally impossible thus
each nation is a source of anxiety for other nation)

MANTRA 11
1 Why no one can avoid hands of death? Give one example?
(p 76/77 Hiranayakasipu)//
Advancement of material knowledge cannot solve birth death old age or death. Explain.
(p 76 laws of nature are so cruel that no one can escape the hands of death)

2 Give the English meaning of the name Hiraëyakaçipu.

3 What does the miseries of this material world indirectly remind us?
Who takes note of them and what do they do?
(remind us of our incompatibility with dead matter, intelligent people take note of them and engage themselves in the culture
of vidya)

4 Who is a naradhama?
(p 78 human life is the best opportunity for culture of spiritual knowledge and human being who does not take advantage of
this opportunity is naradhama)

5 When is real sense enjoyment possible?

(p 79 when disease of materialism is removed, free from all material contamination, patient must regain health before he can
truly enjoy sense pleasure again)

6 What is meaning of best use of bad bargain while culturing vidya?

(p 80 culture of spiritual knowledge necessitates the help of body and mind, therefore maintenance of body and mind is
required if we are to reach our goal)

7 How is the path of avidya putting the world in a most dangerous situation?
(p 79 increase the temperature of feverish material condition which has reached to 107 degree in the form of atomic energy)

8 Compare the path of vidya and abidya.

(p utilizing human life for self-realization - life of unrestricted sense enjoyment)

MANTRA 12

1 What do words 'sambhuti' and 'asambhuti ' explain?

(p 84 absolutely independent of everything, no independent existence)

2 Why Absolute Truth cannot be reached by the process of negation?

(p 84 negative qualities are simply reversals of relative material qualities and therefore also relative, negative definitions lead
one to create one's own concept thus imagining that Absolute must be formless and without qualities)

3 What are the difficulties and limitations in demigod worship?

(p 85/86/87 temporary result, wrong desire for sense gratification)

4 What is the destination of impersonalist and pseudo religionist?

(p 88 liable to enter into darkest region of universe because they mislead people who follow them, though may escape
punishment by law of the state cannot escape law of the Supreme)

5 How do pseudo religionist and impersonalists ruin the life of innocent people?
(p 88/89)
MANTRA 13

1 Why is it important to receive transcendental knowledge from undisturbed authorities?

(p 92 unless one hears form a bonafide acarya who is never disturbed by the changes of the material world, one cannot have
the real key to transcendental knowledge)

2 How to counter the argument that all paths lead to the same goal?
(p 92/93)

3 What is sambhavat? Prove by some scriptural reference that Lord Krishna is that Absolute. (p
94/95 worship of the Supreme cause, BG, atharba upanishad, Narayana upanishad )

4 Which type of people are called buddha or really learned? How does one become so?
(p 96 really learned when they worship Krishna as all in all, only Krishna)

5 When is real service to humanity rendered?

(p 98)

6 Analyze sambhuta and establish that effort of so called spiritual leader is useless as far as
welfare of soul is concerned.
(p 98/99 real service to humanity is rendered when one teaches surrender to and worship of the Supreme Lord with full love
and energy)

MANTRA 14

1 Why entire material universe is called as martyaloka?

(p 102/103)

2 Why is scientist's endeavour to be deathless a futile attempt?

(p 102)

3 What is eka pada vibhuti? What is tri pada vibhuti?

(p 105)

4 What are two unmanifest condition of material world?

(p 104)
How is material world unmanifest in different way? /
Describe Bramha's life cycle.
(at the end of Bramha's day and at the end of Bramha's life)

5 How the powerful material nature can be pacified?

(p 107 only by awakening God consciousness)

6 Why is it necessary to know both sambhuti and vinasa side by side?

(p 107 by knowing the material manifestation alone one cannot be saved for in the course of nature there is devastation at
every moment nor can one be saved by opening hospitals, one can be saved by complete knowledge of the eternal life of bliss)

MANTRA 15
1 Prove by shastra analysis that Krishna is the source of impersonal bramhajyoti.
(p 110/113 BG 14.27, BS 5.40)

2 Why Lord Krishna's stealing of butter is not reproachable?

(p 111 by stealing butter the Lord gave pleasure to His pure devotees, everything done in Vrindavana was for the pleasure of
the pure devotees)

3 Why is Supreme Lord addressed as pusan: the ultimate maintainer?

(p 110/111 by one plenary expansion the all-pervading Paramatma the Lord maintains the complete material cosmic
manifestation, He also maintains all manifestation in the spiritual world)

4 What are the Visnu tattvas that act as Supersoul?

(p 113 Kshirodakshayi, Karanadakasayi, Garbhodakasayi)

5 Why is it necessary for removal of bramhajyoti to see the real face of Supreme Lord?
(p 114/115)

6 How is bramhajyoti described in the shrutis?

(p 114/115 no need of sun, moon, illumination, all pervading, personal rays of SPOGH)

7 What is state of realization when one attains different level of realization of Absolute Truth?
(p 115 one who has no knowledge of the potencies of the Lord will realize impersonal Bramhan, realizes material potencies will
attain Paramatma realization, full potency after removal of hiranmaya patra = SPOGH)

8. Give the English meaning of the term hiranmayena patrena.

MANTRA 16

1 Why does Isopanishad pray to Supreme Lord for removing His glaring effulgence?
(p 118/119 impersonalist philosopher blinded by the dazzling bramhajyoti cannot realize the factual abode of the Lord nor His
transcendental form. cannot understand the all blissful transcendental form of Krishna)

2 What is the level of progression of auspiciousness on realization of different aspect of the

Lord?
(p 119 auspicious, more auspicious, most auspicious)

3 What is Jiva Goswami's explanation about completeness of Lord as He is exhibited in the

Personality of Godhead?
(p 120)
Why bramhan realization is a partial realization of Absolute Truth?
(p 120 full potency of the Absolute Truth is not realized in bramhajyoti)

4 What is the meaning of the word Bhagavan?

(p 120 bha = one who maintains, guardian, ga= guide, leader creator, van= every living being lives in Him and He also lives in
every being bhagavan= infinite knowledge, potency, energy, opulence.. without any material inebriety)
5 How does Supreme Lord help His unalloyed devotee?
(p 120 fully maintains unalloyed devotee, guides them progressively on the path of devotional perfection, as the leader of His
devotee awards desired result of devotional service by giving Himself to them)

MANTRA 17

1 What is the wonderful workmanship of material nature in creating bodies?

(p 124 creates varieties of bodies for living beings according to their propensity for sense gratification: to eat stool to eat flesh)

2 In the cycle of evolution, what is the highest development of one's spiritual sense?
(p 124/125)

3 Why does living entity pray to Supreme Lord to remember what he has done? What is
devotee's advantage in this?
(p 127/128 dying human being can remember activities of his life like dreams at night, therefore mind remains surcharged with
material desires: devotee even if at the time of death does not remember his service to Lord, the Lord does not forget him)

4 How did different devotees perfect themselves even by practising one of items of navadha
bhakti?
(p 130 hearing Parikshit, Kirtan Sukdev, praying Akrura, remembering Prahlad, worship Prithu, serving Lakhsmi, personal service
Hanuman, friendship Arjuna, surrendering Bali)

MANTRA 18

1 How devotee is protected in all aspects of life?

(p 137 a conditioned soul is often to commit mistakes and the only remedial measure to take against such unintentional sins is
to give oneself up to the lotus feet of the Lord so that He may guide to avoid such pitfalls)/
Why is there no chance for a devotee to again fall into illusion?
(p 137)

2 Why is Lord addressed as fire? How can He make anyone pure?

(p 134/136)