View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Nirvana?

2. What are those who have achieved perfect renunciation free from?

3. Who attains the goal of yoga according to Krishna?

4. Where do devotees of Krishna come?

5. What happens to the one who knows Krishna as his own divine Self?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Krishna's instructions for the practice of meditation.

2. What does Krishna say about those who abstain from action to enjoy sensual pleasures?

3. What are Krishna's instructions to those who aspire to a state of yoga?

4. What does Krishna tell Arjuna concerning the performance of selfless action versus the renunciation of action?

5. What does Krishna say about the duality of attraction and aversion?

6. What does Arjuna say would be better than killing Dhritarashtra's sons?

7. Why does Arjuna suggest he could receive no satisfaction from killing Dhritarastra's sons?

8. How does Krishna say Arjuna may pass from death to immortality?

9. What does Krishna say truly great souls seek? How?

10. How does Krishna say ignorance is destroyed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Krisha says, "At the beginning of time I declared two paths for the pure heart: jnana yoga . . . and karma yoga."

Part 1) Compare and contrast jnana yoga and karma yoga.

Part 2) What kind of aspirants does Krishna say pursue each? What are the advantages of each path?

Part 3) Discuss which path Krishna favors.

Cite specific textual examples for all of the above.

Essay Topic 2

Toward the end of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna shifts his attention to those souls with "demonic tendencies."

1) Describe the attitudes of souls of this nature. How are they different from the attitudes Krishna has previously promoted?

2) Discuss what Krishna teaches concerning the destiny of souls of demonic nature.

3) What are the "three gates" to self-destruction? How may these be avoided?

Use specific examples for all the above.

Essay Topic 3

Citing specific examples, answer and discuss the following:

1) What is Karma?

2) What instructions does Krishna offer for transcending karma?

3) What is the destiny of one who has transcended karma?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 791 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample