Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 29 (Contd...) - Atma Jnana is a wonderWhat are the 6 things that are āścaryam?jñānam āścaryam & jnātha āścaryam=================================How is Ātma jñāna Asādāranam?Is the Ātma jñāna teaching about something new?In the 10 friends crossing the river story-- Why did the person fail to count 10?- Why did he not count himself?- Was he foolish?- What was the reason that he was looking for the 10th man outside?- When he was made to know the 10th did he learn something new?- What did he get as a result of this episode?- After getting the knowledge, was he relieved of sorrow?Is Brahman a new substance revealed by Vēdānta?How is the Ātma to be understood from the definition of "I"?How is Atma to be understood as against the other objects?Why is ātma jñāni a wonder (rare)?How is the same idea given in Kathōpaniṣad?Upadesha āścaryam & Upadeshta āścaryam=======================================Difficulty in explaining ātma When can we describe an object?According to our Shastras, what are the 4 basis characterisitics on which an object can be described?What is the example of describing an object based on kriya (action)?What is the example of describing an object based on guna (nature)?What is the example of describing an object based on dravyam (ingredients)?What is the example of describing an object based on sambandam (relation)?Can we describe ātma using any of the 4 above?Can ātma be objectified by senses?Can ātma be conceived by mind?Is ātma perceptible?What does the Upanishad verse "yatho vacho nivartante aprāpya manasā saha" mean?Are there many people explaining ātma jnana?Shravanam āścaryam & Shrotha āścaryam======================================Difficulty in understanding ātma Can anyone be a born jnani (non-samsari)?What are people deluded on?What is the meaning of "dvandwa mohena"?Do we need to be taught to be a samsari?Do we need to be trained to get angry?Do we need to be trained to become jealous?Is discontentment inherent in all of us?Do then people come for Spirituality?Within those who come to Spirituality, how many come to know about Moksha?Within those who know about Moksha, how many come to vedanta?Within those who come to Vedanta, how many know the steps to get Atma Jnana?What are the steps to get atma moksha?What is the pramana for atma jnana?The Sloka==========How do we need to understand the word "paśyati" ?How can we take "seeing" to be "understanding"?If "āśhcharya-vat" is considered to be an adverb, what do we understand the sloka?If "āśhcharya-vat" is considered to be an adjective, what do we understand the same sloka?How can the first line be understood as "Some see this ātma as a wonder"?How can the first line be understood as "Rarely Someone see this ātma"?How can the second line be understood as "Someone speaking (teaching) about ātma is a wonder"?How can the second line be understood as "Rarely Someone speaks (teaches) about this ātma"?How can the third line be understood as "Someone hearing (listening) about ātma is a wonder"?How can the third line be understood as "Rarely Someone hears (listens) about this ātma"?What does Bhagavan say in the fourth line?Why do "Some never understand this atma, in spite of hearing"?

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 28 - What is Birth and What is Death?What is the essence of this sloka?Why do we need to understand death?What are we ignorant about?What is creation?Can there be an effect without a cause?Can things appear & disappear on its own?What does vyakta and avyakta mean?What is the unmanifest state of a tree?How is the seed different from tree?Is birth considered the manifest state or the unmanifest state?What do we call when a thing changes from avyakta to vyakta state?What is birth?What is the physical body made of?Where does the physical body's creation, sustenance and dissolution happen?Why is sleep called Nitya pralayam?What is death?What is Brahma's day?How many Chatur yugas make a Kalpa?What happens during pralaya?Is there total destruction at anytime?Is Vedanta against the law of conservation of matter and energy?Can Ishvara create anything out of nothing?What is body creation then?What is our delusion in terms of birth and death?Will atma have a manifest and unmanifest state?What are the 2 states of anatma?What is the advantage of knowing about death?What should be our attitude towards things that are constant?What is our problem with regards to accepting the change?How does Bhagavan explain the cycle of birth and death in this sloka?And what is the lesson he wants us to take from this understanding?How should we overcome grief?Sloka 29 - Atma Jnana is a wonderWhat is the essence of this sloka?From which upanishad is this sloka picked from?What are the three points that Bhagavan wants to convey in this sloka?What are the 2 meanings for the word āścarya?What is an example of an unusual event?What is an example of a rare event?How is Ātma jñāna Asādāranam?How do we generally learn about anything?What is one common thing about all the things that we have learnt so far?What does Shastra say we must do to attain Moksha?How is knowledge of atma different from all other things that we have learnt?Why is Ātma jñāna Asādāranam?What are the three things that human beings look for in this world?Does everyone come to spirituality?Does everyone who come to spirituality get to know about Brahman or atma?Does everyone who get to know Brahman or atma know that is the very subject and that it cannot be experienced?Where is the fulfillment, security and happiness that we look for in this world is actually present?Does a person need punya to come into vedanta?is it fair to say that the self knowledge is the greatest wonder?

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 26 (Contd) - Bhagavan's advice to Arjuna if atma is constantly born and dyingWhat is kṣaṇika vijñāna vādaḥ? What happens to atma in this case?What hypothetical argument (abhyupetya vādaḥ) does Bhagavan present to Arjuna?Does Bhagavan say atma will die?What is the intent of Bhagavan when he presents different forms of argument?What does Bhagavan say if the atma is constantly born and dying?How does Bhagavan negate that scenario?Should Arjuna grieve if the atma is constantly born and dying?How does Bhagavan call Arjuna here?Sloka 27 - What is born has to die; What dies has to be born!Why is this an important verse?What is certain for one who is born?What does druvam mean?What are the 3 pramāṇās by which we can understand death is certain?How does pratyakṣa pramāṇā help us understand this?How does anumāna pramāṇā help us understand this?How does sastra pramāṇā help us understand this?How does the analogy of flame and oil relate with life and karma?Until when the body lives in this world?What is the difference between understanding and assimilation?What is the general trend of Asuras asking for boon in Puranic stories?Does Ishvara or Brahma ji grant immortality?How does Hiraṇyakaśipu seek immortality?Can anyone escape death?How do we indicate departure of avathāra?How do we indicate departure of Sannyasi?What is certain for one who dies?Is there a concept of eternal hell and eternal heaven in our religion?Why is Capital punishment possible?What does punarapi jananam punarapi maraṇam mean?What do we need to do after getting this knowledge?What does aparihāryē arthē mean?What should be our attitude towards remedyless situation?Are all situations choiceless?How is past a choiceless situation?How is present a choiceless situation?How are many things in future choiceless situations?Should we try to change a situation?If we are not able to change the situation then what should we do?After we put the effort and the situation does ot change then what should we do?Will we ever know which situations can be changed and which cannot be changed?When will the mind accept a situation?How do we get mental strength?Is the situation the reason for our sorrow or the inability to accept the situation the reason for our sorrow?How does our likes and dislikes impact our sorrow?If an event is the cause for our sorrow then should we not feel the sorrow whenever and wherever it occurs?What happens if there is a resistance to a situation?What is Samsara?Will we feel bad if the neighbour's son is not studying well or behaving properly?Will we feel bad if the neighbour's son is not studying well or behaving properly?Is Sorrow far away or within us?How does Physical discomfort become sorrow?How are pain and sorrow distinguished?How is Titiksha important with regards to acceptance?

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 23 - Pancha Bhootas cannot destroy Atma How does Bhagavan convey that the atma is avinashi in this sloka?What are the four elements that can affect objects in the creation?What cannot cut the atma?What cannot burn the atma?What cannot drown the atma?What cannot dry the atma?Sloka 24 - Atma feature SummaryHow does Bhagavan conclude the section of atma?From which sloka did Bhagavan start giving the features of atma?Which sloka is repeated in the first line of this sloka?What cannot be cut by weapons?What canot be burnt?What does dāhyaḥ mean?Why is our body called dehaha?What cannot be wet or drowned by water?What cannot be dried up?Is immortality to be got or is it our true nature?What is our innermost urge?How do we try to remain long after even our body is gone?If something is unnatural, do we accept or reject?Do we complain if we are happy?Why do we complain when we are unhappy?What happens when anything unnatural enters our body?How does our eyes react?How does our nose react?How does our stomach react?How does our skin react?How does a lady's body react when she is pregnant?Is that considered natural?What is the word to denote that atma is all pervading?Why does Bhagavan not take Neivedhya?What does sthāṇuḥ mean?What changes in this creation?How does the body change over the years? Who has the name Sthāṇuḥnāthaḥ?What does acalaḥ mean?How do we derive atma is akarta and abhokta?What is the meaning of the word sanātanaḥ?Why is Hinduism called sanātana dharma?What are the 2 topics that Hinduism deal in?Which portion of the vedas deal with Dharma?Which portion of the vedas deal with Brahman?Which contains the religion portion of Hindusim?Which contains the philosophy portion of Hinduism?Has Dharma changed over the years?Has Brahman changed over the years?Has Bhagavad Gita stayed relevant over so many years?Has science or medicine remained the same over these years?Will Vedas become obsolete?What is the concept of Upakrama and Upasamhara?Sloka 25 - One cannot grieve after Knowing features of AtmaWhat does Avyaktaḥ mean?Can atma be perceived by sensory organs?Can atma be perceived through śabda, sparśa, rūpa, rasa and gandha?What does Acintyaḥ mean?Can atma be conveived through mind like how we feel anger, love etc.?How is Apramēya is equal ti avyaktaḥ + acintyaḥ?What does Bhagavan mean when He says ucyatē?How does that increase our shraddha in our shastras?What does Na anuśhochitum arhasi mean?Why do we not have the right to feel sad about atma?What is the 3 pronged strategy that Bhagavan uses to remove the sadness from Arjuna's mind?What is the highest knowledge that Bhagavan gives here?Where will Bhagavan give the next steps of knowledge?What happens if we do not understand these concepts now?Sloka 26 - Bhagavan's advice to Arjuna if atma is constantly born and dyingHow do we bring comfort to a person who is grieving?Can we ask them not to feel sad without giving them a reason?Can we downplay their emotion?Does Vedanta impose its concepts on others?

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 22 - Atma remains whilst the bodies changeWhat example does Bhagavan use to denote death and re-birth?What is compared to the physical body?What is compared to the dress?Which body is the abode of papa and punya?Which body is called the Bhoga Sādānam?Which body is called the Bhoga āyatanam?What determines the kind of body we take?What determines how long the body is kept?What is Prarbda Karma?What is Sanchita Karma?What is Aagami Karma?What determines our body, parents, childhood & upbringing?What does a person's horoscope indicate?When does the jiva consider the body to be jīrṇam?Is Anayasena maranam in our hands?Why has Ishvara made death a secret?

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 20 (Contd...) - Atma is free from the 6 modificationsIs this sloka also taken from Katoponishad?Why has the meter been changed for this sloka?What are the shad vikaaraha (6-fold changes)?What does asti mean?What does Jayate mean?What does Vardhate mean?What does viparinamate mean?What does apakshiyate mean?What does vinashyati mean?What does Bhagavan say about atma?What does na jāyatē mean?What does na mriyatē mean?What does na bhūtvā mean?What does na abhavitā bhūyaḥ mean?What does ajaḥ mean?What does nityaḥ mean?What does śāśvataḥ mean?What does purāṇaḥ mean?What does na hanyatē mean?What does Bhagavan negate when he says "na bhūtvā na abhavitā bhūyaḥ"?What does Bhagavan negate when he says "na jāyatē"?What does Bhagavan negate when he says "purāṇaḥ"?What does Bhagavan negate when he says "na hanyatē"?What does Bhagavan negate when he says "śāśvataḥ"?What does Bhagavan negate when he says "na mriyatē"?Sloka 21 - Atma is neither the doer nor the instigatorWhat are the 2 types of action?What does kartaḥ mean?What does kārayitaḥ mean?How does Bhagavan explain this principle about atma not being the instigator?Whom does Bhagavan brin to explain atma lakshana?Why does Adi Sankara consider this sloka as very significant?How is this sloka both atma lakshana as well as benefit of atma jnana?What does the word Vēdāḥ mean here?What are the 4 characteristics of atma that Bhagavan brings here?What is the rhetorical / exclamatory statement that Bhagavan uses?How is that an instigator gets 2 sins for any bad deed?If atma is the witness principle, then what is karta, bhokta & hetu karta?What are the 2 stages to recognize that I am the atma?How do we understand the consciousness principle in the first step?How does the light and hand analogy help in understanding atma-anatma relation?On what should we drop the claim of "I"?How do we claim the Consciousness to be "I"?What are the different ways of negating the body & mind to be "I"?

Chapter 02 - Sankhya YogaSloka 19 - Atma is neither the doer nor the enjoyerIf atma is akarta and abhokta, who is the karta and bhokta?Who is in Samsara?How does other philosophies differ from Advaita in terms of who is karta and bhokta?If the body and mind are inert, how does it become conscious and sentient?Where does the mind borrow the consciousness principle?Which Shareera becomes the karta & bhokta?How does Bhagavan explain this concept in this sloka?Why does Bhagavan use the example of killing?What does Bhagavan say about the one who considers atma to be the "killer"?What does Bhagavan say about the one who considers atma to be the "killed"?What are the three analogies that we can use to explain atma?How can the space be compared to atma? Which among the panch bhoothas is not capable of destroying anything?How can the light be compared to atma?How is the cinema screen compared to the atma?What is the cause for our samsara?How can we use this feature to come out of samsara?Why is this sloka and this feature of atma significant?Does atma have karma?Does atma have punyam and paapam?Does atma have punar jenma?If atma does not have punyam and paapam, why are we doing shraddham and tarpanam?Does a jnani need to shraddham or tarpanam?Does a jnani have punar jenma?Sloka 20 - Atma is free from the 6 modificationsIs this sloka also taken from Katoponishad?Why has the meter been changed for this sloka?What are the shad vikaaraha (6-fold changes)?What does asti mean?What does Jayate mean?What does Vardhate mean?What does viparinamate mean?What does apakshiyate mean?What does vinashyati mean?

Sloka 17 - Atma is Changeless Eternal (Kootastha Nityam) and Un-objectifiable (Aprameyah)What are the 2 features of atma provided in this sloka?What are the 2 types of Nityam?How is Kootastha Nityam different from Pravaaha Nityam?Is the Universe (Jagat) Kootastha Nityam or Pravaaha Nityam and why?Is the atma Kootastha Nityam or Pravaaha Nityam?What is the meaning of the word Antah?Where is it said that the bodies belong to the Imperishable Atma?If the body is mortal, what should be our attitude towards it?On what should we identify the self to be?What is the meaning of the word Premeyaa?What do we mean by Atma Aprameyaha?If atma can never be the object of experience, can it be non-existent?What is that, which is ever existent, but which can never be known?Will the camera in which the pic was taken, be ever seen in the photograph?Is Atma the experiencer or the experienced?Can the subject be ever an object of experience?If atma cannot be experienced, it cannot be perceived by mind, and if words cannot show us the atma, then why are we listening to the class?Does the shastras say "THIS IS ATMA"?How does Shastras explain the Atma?What is the meaning of "Neti Neti"?What remains after removing anatma mixture from "I"?What does "yudhyasva" mean, according to Adi Sankara?What is the relation between doing duty and moksha?Sloka 19 - Atma is neither the doer nor the enjoyerFrom which upanishad are the slokas 19 and 20 taken from?Why does Bhagavan bring Upanishadic mantras hereWhat does akarta & abhokta mean?What is that within us, which says "I acted"?What are the 2 phalams of any action?What are the drshta and adrashta phalam of an action like daanam?What happens to drshta and adrshta phalam?Who converts the drshta/adrshta to sukham/dukham and when?Who experiences the result?How is Advaita philosophy different from other philosophies?