01:840:211 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Asia, Vedas, Rigveda
01:840:211
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Gita
● The mind is refined form of nature
○ Lucity
○ Passion
○ Dark inertia (numb and dull)
○ These three qualities characterize the body
The self is not involved with activities of nature
Renunciation- to give up
Renounce class duties (Hard to leave)
Only interested in spiritual liberation
Moksha- ultimate liberation
“It is better to perform one's duty imperfectly than someone else's”
Best form of actions
Sacrifice
Charity
Penance
Physical aspect is individuality
Atman-soul universal
Fighting against attachment and desire
Exam 1
● Half of the exam will be on the gita
● 30 questions MC
● 15 on Gita
● Other 15 are on the first three text
● Focus on in class reading
● Know the basics of the Indus Valley Civilization (First notes on sakai)
○ Urban Civ that flourished 13 to 1500 BC
○ Aryans then entered indus valley
● What is the Veda?
● Basic gods we covered
○ Agni (RigVeda)
○ Soma (RigVeda)
○ Indura (rigVeda)
○ Hymn to primal person pursa (End of RigVeda)
■ Sacrifice made the cosmos
■ Classes first appeared in the text
● Four layers of Veda
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
○ Upanishad notes. The four groups of vedas and the four layers
RigVeda
Upanishads
● Chandoka
○ The conversation between father and son (What is the nature of the self?)
○ Uses several metaphors
■ Invisible being
■ Focus on the last several verses
■ Brahtman (Ultimate reality)
Mondaka
● Focus on the first couple pages
● Higher and lower knowledge
Dharmasustra
● What is Atman?
● Four classes
● In sanskrit term
● Source of Dharma (Duty)
● Creation
● Consequences of sins and liberation
● WHo handles the dead bodies?
● Know the general outline of what kind of text it is and what does it cover?
● Where is that passage from?
Gita
● Know what kind of text it is
● Where it is from (Epic from mahbarta)
● Who is krishna
● Who is arjuna
● Know the basic setup
● What does the scene look like
● Dilemmas that fronts Arjuna
● Class duty vs Family Duty
● Doesn’t know nature of self
● What did krishna propose to solve Arjuna’s problem
● Three paths
○ Knowledge
○ Action
○ Devotion
● Three qualities of Nature
○ Where out action forms
○ Lucity
○ Passion
○ Dark inertia (numb and dull)
○ Karma Yoga (Path of action)
Atman
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The mind is refined form of nature. The self is not involved with activities of nature. It is better to perform one"s duty imperfectly than someone else"s . Half of the exam will be on the gita. Other 15 are on the first three text. Know the basics of the indus valley civilization (first notes on sakai) Urban civ that flourished 13 to 1500 bc. Hymn to primal person pursa (end of rigveda) The four groups of vedas and the four layers. The conversation between father and son (what is the nature of the self?) Know what kind of text it is. Where it is from (epic from mahbarta) What did krishna propose to solve arjuna"s problem. Broader epic: a part of the most famous epic. There were two famous indian epics. (rayana and mahabharata) dramatized story of heroes is an epic. Who has the right to succeed the throne. Could not have kids because of curses.