Studies 1 - Parampara

Studies 1 – Parampara, from Guru to disciple

om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah

I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.

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(Use your general notebook for writing your homework. Later we will sort the verses and topics for its respective notebook)

1. Write the above verse in your notebook 16 times. Try to learn it to your best capacity.

2. Read through the introduction to the Bhagavad Gita to p. 3 (ending with “…Kuruksetra”). What is Srila Prabhupada emphasizing throughout the text? How he illustrates his point?

3. Read from 4th chapter of Bhagavad Gita the 8 first verses. Read only the verses and then the purports to verse 4 and verse 6…

a) Write down any question, doubt, inspiration or thought that arises within you while reading. Also take note of the Sanskrit words that appear in the purports.

b) In the purport to verse 4 you can read about demons. Why Prabhupada divides people into demons and devotees? What makes a demon?

c) What does it mean that the Lord is “Transcendental”?

d) In these verses Arjuna asks a question to the Lord and the Lord answers. Your mission is to be able to explain the question and the answer. You have a lot of help from the purport of verse 6.

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GLOSSARY

transcdendental—beyond dualitites
maya—the illusion; the matrix; the temporary; “that which can be measured”
acharya—great teacher who represents His Guru
age of Kali—The present age of quarrel and iron.
parampara—diciplic succesion
ajnana-- ignorance;
jnana-- knowledge;
caksuh--eyes; sight; vision
namah—obeisance
.