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According to the Bhagavad Gita's philosophy, what is the inevitable byproduct of existence itself?
Action, which makes duty an inherent part of being.
What is the Gita's central philosophy, distilled into a powerful analogy?
To exist is to act.
What is the term for one's inherent nature or duty, which arises from being part of the cosmic fabric?
Svadharma.
According to the Gita, what is the primary cause of human suffering?
Suffering arises not from action itself, but from attachment to the results of those actions.
The Gita's solution for freedom, given that action is unavoidable, is to act without self-interest. What is this concept called?
Nishkama Karma.
What are the three canonical texts of the Vedanta school, collectively known as the Triple Foundation?
The Prasthanatrayi.
Within the Prasthanatrayi, what is the role of the Upanishads?
They serve as the intuitive foundation, providing the 'What' (the nature of Reality).
Within the Prasthanatrayi, what is the classification of the Upanishads?
Shruti, meaning 'Heard' or 'Revealed' truth.
Within the Prasthanatrayi, what is the role of the Brahma Sutras?
They serve as the rational foundation, providing the 'Why' (the logical proof).
Within the Prasthanatrayi, what is the classification of the Brahma Sutras?
Nyaya, meaning 'Logic'.
Within the Prasthanatrayi, what is the role of the Bhagavad Gita?
It serves as the practical foundation, providing the 'How' (the application in life).
Within the Prasthanatrayi, what is the classification of the Bhagavad Gita?
Smriti, meaning 'Remembered'.
What was the primary purpose for which Sage Vyasa wrote the Brahma Sutras?
To systematise and reconcile the seemingly contradictory teachings of the Upanishads.
The format of the Brahma Sutras consists of very short, pithy statements designed for memorisation. What are these called?
Aphorisms or Sutras.
What does the first Sutra of the Brahma Sutras, 'Athato Brahma Jignasa,' mean?
Therefore, now, let us inquire into the Ultimate Reality.
What is the term for a commentary required to understand the brief statements of the Brahma Sutras?
Bhashya.
How do the Brahma Sutras methodically define Brahman?
As the source, the sustenance, and the end of the universe.
The Brahma Sutras use a logical framework called _____ to prove the soul is distinct from the body.
Nyaya.
What is the Brahma Sutras' 'Argument from Consciousness' (Caitanyam) for the soul's independence?
It argues that unconscious matter (the body) cannot produce a 'knower' or subjective experience; that is the role of the Atman.
What is the Brahma Sutras' 'Argument from Purpose' (Pararthatva) for the soul's existence?
It argues that any complex assembly, like the body, must exist for the sake of a 'user' who is distinct from it, that user being the Atman.
How do the Brahma Sutras use the concept of 'Recognition' to prove the soul is an unchanging substance?
Despite the body and mind changing completely over time, the persistent sense of being the 'same person' points to an unchanging soul.
In the unified philosophy of the Prasthanatrayi, doing your duty is not a social contract but a _____.
metaphysical law.
In the traditional Cow and Milk analogy, what do the cows represent?
All the Upanishads, the vast source of wisdom.
In the traditional Cow and Milk analogy, who is the milker who provides the Gita's essence?
Krishna.
In the traditional Cow and Milk analogy, what does the milk represent?
The nectar of the Gita, the concentrated essence of Upanishadic wisdom.
How does the Gita apply the theoretical concepts of the Upanishads to a practical setting?
It takes concepts like the immortal soul and applies them to a battlefield, proving their relevance for people under real-world stress.
The Bhagavad Gita directly quotes or paraphrases many verses from which specific Upanishad?
The Katha Upanishad.
What is the 'Relationship of Authority' among the Prasthanatrayi texts?
Upanishads are primary (Shruti), the Gita is secondary (Smriti), and the Brahma Sutras act as the logical arbiter (Nyaya).
Which text in the Prasthanatrayi primarily focuses on 'Being' and what you *are*?
The Upanishads.
Which text in the Prasthanatrayi primarily focuses on 'Doing', explaining that because you *are* the eternal Atman, you must act?
The Bhagavad Gita.
Which text in the Prasthanatrayi focuses on 'Reasoning', explaining *why* the Atman is eternal?
The Brahma Sutras.
In the analogy of spiritual knowledge as water, what do the Upanishads represent?
The clouds, the high and ethereal source of wisdom.
In the analogy of spiritual knowledge as water, what do the Brahma Sutras represent?
The plumbing, the logical structure that directs the water.
In the analogy of spiritual knowledge as water, what does the Bhagavad Gita represent?
The glass of water, the practical portion you can drink.
In the integrated circuit summary, the Upanishads provide the Vision, the Gita provides the Requirement, and the Brahma Sutras provide the _____.
Proof.
What philosophical conflict regarding Brahman, found in the Upanishads, do the Brahma Sutras resolve?
Whether Brahman is with attributes (Saguna) or without attributes (Nirguna).
How do the Brahma Sutras logically resolve the conflict between Saguna and Nirguna Brahman?
By using the logic of 'Levels of Reality', where Brahman is essentially formless but appears as a personal God for the soul's journey.
In Chapter 12 of the Gita, Krishna states that while both paths lead to the same goal, worshipping the _____ is much harder for a being with a body.
Formless (Nirguna Brahman).
What is the concept that explains why we feel confused and paralyzed, despite being eternal souls with an inherent duty?
Maya.
Maya is not non-existence but an ontological category of illusion. What are its two primary powers?
The power of veiling (Avarana) and the power of projection (Vikshepa).
What is the core logical argument of the Brahma Sutras explaining how we get 'lost' in the world by mixing the qualities of the Soul and Body?
Superimposition or Adhyasa.
How does performing duty without attachment (Nishkama Karma) help to pierce the veil of Maya?
It forces one to act from the perspective of the Witness rather than the Ego, causing the Ego to dissolve and Maya to lose its grip.
What term does the Bhagavad Gita use for a person of 'steady wisdom' who has pierced through Maya?
Sthitaprajna.
What analogy does the Gita use to describe the Sthitaprajna's ability to withdraw the senses from worldly objects?
The tortoise pulling its limbs into its shell.
A Sthitaprajna remains the same in pleasure and pain, victory and defeat. What is this quality of equality called?
Samatvam.
According to the Gita, what is the first step on the 'Ladder of Fall' that leads to the destruction of reason?
Contemplation of an object of the senses.
On the Gita's 'Ladder of Fall', contemplation leads to attachment, which in turn leads to _____.
Desire or craving.
On the Gita's 'Ladder of Fall', what arises when desire is not met, clouding one's judgement?
Anger.
In the unified philosophy, the Upanishads give the Vision, the Gita gives the Mandate, and the Brahma Sutras provide the _____.
Logic.
Why do the Brahma Sutras argue that reincarnation is a logical necessity?
To explain the inequality of birth conditions and to account for the karmic momentum of a permanent soul.
According to the Brahma Sutras, when the soul travels after death, it remains wrapped in what?
The Sukshma Sharira or the Subtle Body.
What does the Subtle Body (Sukshma Sharira) consist of?
The mind, the senses, and the 'life force' (Prana).
What is the famous metaphor the Gita (2.22) uses to present the complex logic of reincarnation?
The soul casting off worn-out bodies and entering new ones, just as a person changes worn-out garments.
What is the ultimate goal of the Gita's teachings regarding the cycle of reincarnation?
To end the cycle by acting with total detachment, thereby creating no new Karma to be exhausted.
What is the term for the state of final liberation, where action becomes a spontaneous expression of joy?
Moksha.
How do the Brahma Sutras logically explain Moksha, given that the soul is already Brahman?
Moksha is not the creation of a new state, but the removal of an error (ignorance), like realising a 'snake' in the dark was always a rope.
What is the term for being liberated while still alive in the body?
Jivanmukti.
A liberated person (Jivanmukti) continues to act not from a sense of debt, but for what purpose?
Lokasangraha, meaning the welfare of the world.
Krishna offers a specific technique to bridge logic and action, called _____ Yoga, or The Yoga of Practice.
Abhyasa.
What is the meditation practice of establishing oneself as the observer, separate from thoughts, feelings, and sensations?
Witness Meditation or Sakshi Bhava.
What is the practice of 'handing over' the body's actions to the Universe, seeing work as a sacrifice or offering?
Dedication of Action or Ishwara Arpana.
The material world is explained as being made of three qualities or 'modes'. What are these called?
Gunas.
What is the Guna associated with harmony, light, and intelligence?
Sattva.
What is the Guna associated with passion, movement, and activity?
Rajas.
What is the Guna associated with inertia, darkness, and sleep?
Tamas.
The practice of the Gita involves using the quality of _____ to observe the quality of _____.
Sattva (clarity); Rajas (action).