Sri Isopanisad

Introduction:
1. What are the Vedas? Name the four Vedas.
A) Srila Prabhupada establishes the definition of Veda and the need to take
guidance from them, he gives eg: Of mother (Sruti) we take so much
knowledge from our mother if we want to know who your father is, who can
answer you? Your mother, similarly if you want to know something beyond
your experience, experiential knowledge, beyond the activities of the
senses then you have to accept the Vedas, Vedas are the original
knowledge , The four vedas are Rigveda , Yajurveda, Samaveda and
Atharvaveda.
2. How many ways can you acquire knowledge? What are they?
A) There are three ways you can acquire Knowledge
Pratyaksa : Means direct evidence- as our sense are not perfect for
example we see the sun daily which appears as a disc Therefore we
have to read books; then we can understand about the sun. So direct
experience is not perfect.
Anumana : Means Inductive knowledge for example Darwin's theory
says it may be
like this, it may be like that. But that is not
science. That is a suggestion, and it is also not perfect.
Sabda-Pramana(Sruti): Means knowledge is acquired by hearing. It is
not experimental knowledge
Invocation:
1. What is the theme of the invocation?
A) The theme is that, The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Complete
and Completely perfect, even though everything that emanates of
complete wholes is also complete in itself ,He remains the complete
balance.
2. Realization of Brahman grants experience of which feature of the Supreme
Lord? Name it in Sanskrit and define it.
A) Realization of impersonal Brahman is incomplete realization of the
Absolute complete the Sanskrit definition Sat feature or His aspect of
eternity.
3. Why can't the living entities enjoy their senses without being dovetailed
with the Supreme Lord?
A) Because the misleading life of sense enjoyment is illusion, like the
hand of a body is a complete unit only as long it is attached to the
complete body, when the hand is severed from the body, it may appear
like a hand, but it actually has none of the potencies of a hand similarly,
living beings are part and parcel of the Complete Whole and if they are
severed from the Complete Whole, the illusory representation of the
completeness cannot fully satisfy them.

4. If this world is complete and perfect, why is it miserable? Why is there lack
of money, food, etc.?
A) We want enjoy without Krishna, The completeness of human life can
only be realized when we engage in the service of the Complete Whole.
We will remain incomplete until we dovetail with the Complete Whole, the
attached parts and parcels also become complete in themselves.
Mantra One:
1. Explain how this mantra establishes spiritual communism.
A)There are three groups of socio-economic system, these include
capitalism, communism and Varnasrama. There are many differences
between them. Varnasrama acknowledges the proprietorship of the
supreme personality of Godhead.Communism imposes on people the belief
of artificial material equality.Capitalism allows the talented to gain wealth
also gaining position and power, as a result exploiting the needy. There are
many defaults in communism and capitalism as they both cannot politically
maneuver the other and they cannot recognise the proprietorship of the
supreme personality of Godhead. What they believe is theirs, is actually not,
but its owner is God.
2. Answer the following based on Mantra One: If everything belongs to
Krishna, can I use your laundry soap without asking you?
A) No , because you are invading my quota
3. What are the four defects?
A) Commit mistakes
Subject to illusion
Propensity to cheat others
Senses are imperfect
4. What is the continuity between the invocation and mantra one.
A)The absolute Truth is the source of everything yet he retains His own
personality, he reveals our practise of accepting only our quota and
engaging in the Lords service
Mantra Two:
1. Define akarma, karma and vikarma. Work done in the svsya conception
described in
Mantra Two assures us of everlasting life by working in this way. Although
we are by nature eternal parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord we are
suffering repeated birth and death due to transgressing these laws of
nature. There are three ways in which we can work in relation to the laws
of nature:
a) Akarma:- Actions that free us from birth and death
Karma:- Actions that are performed in terms of ones prescribed duties
it could be good or bad
Vikarama: -Actions misuse of freedom
2. Mantra One falls into which category?

A. Mantra one falls under AKarma

3. Are material welfare activities completely useless?
Material welfare are certainly very attractive forms of karma bandhana
but if one actually wants to live above this, he should execute activities
in relation with svra
4. Show the relation between mantra 1 and two.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Mantra Three:
Define sura and asura
Who is a soul-killer?
Why is a human birth better than an animal birth?
What is the continuity between 2 and 3.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Mantra Four:
Why can't even the demigods know the Lord perfectly?
Explain the example of the Sun, heat and light.
Who can know the Lord and when?
What do varieties in the Lord prove?
What is the continuity between 3 and 4.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Mantra five:
What are the contradictions mentioned in mantra five? What do they prove?
Explain briefly personalism and impersonalism.
To whom are the spiritual and material energies non-different and why?
What is the continuity between 4 and 5.

Mantra Six:
1. Explain four characteristics of the Madhyama Vaisnava. How is he different
from the kanistha?
2. Who does not hate anyone? Why?
3. What is the continuity between 5 and 6.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Mantra Seven:
Explain the example of salt water.
What Sanskrit word indicates that one should see the unity of all from the
sastras.
We must see the living entities as one, does this mean we are all the same?
Why does seeing all entities as one alleviate anxiety?
What is the continuity between 6 and 7.

Mantra Eight:
1. Define suddham, apapaviddham and asnavira.
2. Why is the Lord called "unembodied"?
3. The Lord awards enjoyments to living entities according to their desires. T/F

4. Krishna is self-sufficient and untouched by sin how does this relate to his
Vrndavana Pastimes?
5. What is the continuity between 7 and 8.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Mantra Nine:
Explain the example of the cobra.
Knowledge is more valuable now than ever before. T/F and why?
Who are Veda-vada ratas? Who are Vidya ratas?
What is the continuity between 8 and 9.

Mantra Ten:
1. We generally think of education as the acquisition of knowledge. The Vedic
perspective, however, views education as the development of character
traits. Express your thoughts on this?
2. Who are dhiras? Why?
3. What is the continuity between 9 and 10.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Mantra Eleven:
List the defects of material science.
Why should we cultivate knowledge of nescience at all?
What does the 107 degree fever refer to?
Who can realize the Absolute Truth?
What is the continuity between 10 and 11.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Mantra Twelve:
Give a few reasons impersonalists are worse than demigod worshippers.
Why are negative qualities also relative?
Define Sambhuti. Find its equivalent from mantra nine.
What is the continuity between 11 and 12.

4.

Mantra Thirteen:
Why is the reference of Gita 9.25 given here?
Many people believe that all religions and spiritual paths will lead to the
same goal. To what extent do we agree? To what extent do we disagree?
Summarize Srila Prabhupadas presentation of Krishna-worship as the
highest perfection of religion.
What is the continuity between 12 and 13.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Mantra Fourteen:
Define sambhuta, sambhavat, and sambhuti.
What are para and apara saktis?
Which planets are destroyed during the night of Lord Brahma?
What is avyakta?
What message do you get from the purport?
What is the continuity between 13and 14.

1.
2.
3.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Mantra Fifteen:
Define Hiranyamaya and satya-dharma.
Why Gita 14.27 is quoted here?
Why is S.B. 10.12.11 quoted here?
Why is bhakti a science?
What is the continuity between 14 and 15.
Mantra Sixteen:
Write the Sanskrit and English translations of the worlds used in this mantra
to address Krishna.
Explain the word bhagavan.
Explain the three gradations of God realization using the example of the sun
and sunrays.
What is the continuity between 15 and 16.

Mantra Seventeen:
1. What is the request made here?
A)
2. What does the Lord not forget?
3. What is the continuity between 16 and 17.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Mantra Eighteen:
What is the remedy to be free from sins?
What is the continuity between 17 and 18.
Summarize the conclusion of Sri Isopanisad.
How can the Sri Isopanisads teachings be used in your personal life and in
your preaching?