Bhagavad Gita Flashcards
What does Bhagavad Gita translate to?
“Song of the Gods”
In “The War Within,” what is the role of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita?
Sri Krishna is Bhagavan, “the Lord”; He appears on Earth as a royal prince of the house of the Yadavas; He is Arjuna’s charioteer and advisor
Who is this character and what is their role? Pandu?
He was the king of Hastinapura, retired to the forest on spiritual retreat and died young;
Who is this character and what is their role? Dhritarashtra?
Pandu’s older brother; Was blind since birth; Shared power with Pandu and took over after he died
Who is this character and what is their role? Sanjaya?
Narrator of the Gita to the blind king Dhritashtra; Given divine sight by Vyasa, the composer of the Gita, so that he can see and report everything
Who is this character and what is their role? Yudhishthira?
Pandu’s eldest son, was only a boy when Pandu died so couldn’t take over throne then
Who is this character and what is their role? Duryodhana?
Dhritarashtra’s eldest son; Going to battle with Arjuna
Pages 74 and 75 summarize perspectives on this war, as they are laid out at the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita. What are these two perspectives?
1: Orthodox Hindu - The Gita condones war for the warrior class, it is the dharma (the moral duty) of soldiers to fight in a good cause, though never for evil leaders – War is evil but it is an evil that can’t be avoided 2. Mystics: Battle is an allegory, a cosmic struggle between good and evil – Krishna is asking Arjuna to engage in a spiritual struggle with himself.
In “Self-Realization,” we learn that Krishna becomes a “guru” to Arjuna. What does this mean?
Krishna becomes Arjunas guru, meaning his spiritual teacher; A basic prereq for Hindu tradition is that virtually all seekers need the guidance of an experienced teacher
What is the “Atman”?
Arjuna’s deepest self; Krishna is a symbol of this
What is “Samsara”?
The idea of rebirth.
What is “yoga”?
“Evenness of mind”, profound peace of mind; Detachment from the dualities of pain and pleasure, success and failure
In “Selfless Service,” what is “karma yoga”? How is “karma” defined?
“The Way of Action”; The obligation of selfless action; The idea that each being must do their part in the grand scheme of things, and there is no way to avoid this obligation - except by the complete enlightenment which loosens all the old bonds of karma
What is the concept of the “avatar’ in “Wisdom in Action”?
The idea of incarnations; Krishna is seen to be a reincarnation of an aspect of God in order to continuously reestablish divine law (dharma) so that society doesn’t decline i.e.
Who is a “yogi” in “The Practice of Meditation”?
A yogi is a person who does his/her job with detachment from the rewards; “One who has attained a goal of meditation”; Wholeness or the process of becoming whole at the deepest spiritual level; A person who is an adept at meditation
