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Sri Isopanisad: Answers To Final Examination Questions

1) The document contains the answers to exam questions about the Sri Isopanisad. The questions cover the nature of the Supreme Lord, knowledge versus ignorance, and praying to God for mercy. 2) Question 1 is answered by explaining the themes of different sections of the Isopanisad. Question 2 discusses human tendencies like making mistakes, being illusioned, and cheating. 3) Questions 3-10 are answered by referring to specific mantras in the Isopanisad that illustrate the concepts addressed in each question, such as the features of absolute truth, different types of actions, and knowledge versus ignorance.

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2K views

Sri Isopanisad: Answers To Final Examination Questions

1) The document contains the answers to exam questions about the Sri Isopanisad. The questions cover the nature of the Supreme Lord, knowledge versus ignorance, and praying to God for mercy. 2) Question 1 is answered by explaining the themes of different sections of the Isopanisad. Question 2 discusses human tendencies like making mistakes, being illusioned, and cheating. 3) Questions 3-10 are answered by referring to specific mantras in the Isopanisad that illustrate the concepts addressed in each question, such as the features of absolute truth, different types of actions, and knowledge versus ignorance.

Uploaded by

Jejixev
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SRI ISOPANISAD

Answers to Final Examination Questions

1. a) The Invocation, and Mantras 1-2, and then Mantras 4-8 are explaining the nature
of the Supreme Lord, our relationship with Him, and the results of acting in
relation with Him.
b) Mantra 3 and Mantras 9-14 are explaining about knowledge and ignorance, and
the consequences of both.
c) Mantras 15-18 show the speaker feelingly praying to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead for mercy, particularly in relation to leaving his body. (10 pts)
2. a) Tendency to commit mistakes: Mahatma Gandhi was warned not to go the prayer
meeting because it was known there was a plot to kill him, but he went anyway.
3. Tendency to be illusioned: We think we are these bodies.
4. Tendency to cheat: People who don’t really understand certain subjects write
books or teach about them as if they did know
5. We have imperfect senses: People challenge “can you show me God” but when
the lights are turned out in a room they can’t even see their own hand. (10 pts)
3. a) The 3 features of the Absolute Truth are complete in themselves.
b) The material world is a complete unit.
c) The Lord has given us complete opportunity to go back to Him. (4 pts)
d) Karma means prescribed material activities, as described in the Vedas. Actions that
are performed through the misuse of one’s freedom and that direct one to the
lower life forms are called vikarma. Actions that free one from the cycle of birth
and death are called akarma. (4 pts)
e) See Mantra One. (12 pts)
f) See Mantra Four. (12 pts)
g) See Mantras 6-8. (12 pts)
h) Mantras 9 and 12 have more or less the same message. The only difference in the
Sanskrit is avidyam/asambhutim in 2nd lines of 9/12, and vidyayam/sambhutyam in
4th lines, which are reflected in the English translations by the terms “culture of
nescient activities/worship of the demigods” and “culture of so-called
knowledge/worshippers of the impersonal Absolute.”
Mantras 10 and 13 are more or less the same. The only difference in the Sanskrit is
vidyaya/sambhavad in the first line of 10/13, and avidyaya/asambhavat in the second
lines). They are reflected in the English by the words “culture of knowledge/supreme
cause of all causes” and “culture of nescience/that which is not supreme.”
Mantra 11 talks of learning the process of nescience and the process of
transcendental knowledge side by side, whereas Mantra 14 talks of knowing the Supreme
Lord clearly, and understanding the material world in all its details. In other words their
messages are essentially very similar. (12 pts)
9. See Mantra 10. (12 pts)
10. See Mantras 15-18. (12 pts)

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