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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the quality of the path to the Unrevealed according to Krishna?

2. From what is no creature free from?

3. What grow on the limbs of the ashvattha tree as buds?

4. Who does Arjuna say knows Krishna's real nature?

5. What do the gunas and all that changes come from?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the limits to Krishna's divine power?

2. What does Krishna tell Arjuna about the path to the Unrevealed?

3. What does Sanjaya say that Krishna showed Arjuna?

4. What kind of knowledge belongs to each of the gunas?

5. What are Krishna's instructions for Arjuna if he finds he cannot still his mind?

6. What happens to souls who die in each of these states?

7. What exists without Krishna?

8. Why does Arjuna apologize to Krishna?

9. What instructions does Krishna give Arjuna at the beginning of this chapter?

10. With what kind of person is Krishna in love?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Krishna tells Arjuna that the will is the Self's only friend as well as the Self's only enemy. What does this mean? For whom is the Self a friend? For whom is the Self an enemy? What does Krishna say an aspirant should do with respect to her will? Use specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

At the beginning of the first chapter, Dhritarashtra asks Sanjaya to tell him what happened on the field of dharma where his family gathered to fight the Pandavas. The story of the Bhagavad Gita then unfolds for the reader through the mouth of Sanjaya.

How do we understand the story differently because it is narrated by Sanjaya, and not Krishna or Arjuna? How does this choice make the reader feel? In what ways does this narrative device enhance the effect of the story? Discuss citing specific examples.

(see the answer keys)

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