Bhagavad Gita

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

DEBATE: “Is War Ever Justifiable?”

In this activity, students will argue either for or against the assertion that war is a justifiable action.

Scholars have continually debated the Bhagavad Gita’s viewpoint on the role of war and the battlefield in Hindu text. Using the text as well as your own research, you will argue either for or against the following assertion: Based on the Bhagavad Gita, war is a justifiable action. Working with your classmates, you will develop an argument, including opening and closing statements as well as rebuttals, that supports your point of view. Be sure to rehearse your argument with your group prior to the in-class debate. Finally, participate in a post-debate class discussion in which you analyze and reflect on each team’s argumentative approaches.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity invites students to apply their analytical and debate skills to the text’s themes of Battle and War, The Search for Enlightenment, and The Binary Nature of Existence. Students may use arguments from the text, as well as their own opinions on the subject. This teacher-facing resource from Harvard University provides guidance on facilitating in-class debates.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas is a family conflict, and Arjuna faces a moral quandary because he does not want to kill family members.

• How does Arjuna resolve this issue? (topic sentence)
• Identify 1-2 examples from the text and analyze how these examples influence Arjuna’s way of solving the issue.
• How does Arjuna’s resolution speak to the larger theme of Battle and War?

2. Krishna’s main objective is to teach Arjuna about faith, duty and the path to enlightenment.

• What methods does he use to achieve this? (topic sentence)
• Do you believe that he is a good teacher? Why or why not?
• What does his instruction say about the theme The Search for Enlightenment?

3. The fig tree and the field are both potent metaphors in the text.

• How does Krishna use these metaphors to convince Arjuna? (topic sentence)
• Explain the purpose of Krishna’s comparisons in terms of instructing Arjuna.
• How are the fig tree and the field examples of The Binary Nature of Existence?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Krishna is not impressed by ignorant people. His passionate descriptions of those who turn away from enlightenment are the most negative in the text. In your opinion, does Krishna value good people more than he loathes bad people? Why or why not? Provide examples from the text to substantiate your opinion.

2. Krishna’s instructions and advice can appear contradictory at times. Provide examples of Krishna’s contradictions and explain the meaning of these contradictory sections. Do you believe these contradictions are accidental or contrived to make a point? Explain your response using examples from the text.

3. Research the study and use of the Bhagavad Gita in contemporary society. Do people still regard this text as having important religious value? If so, how? Are there modern interpretations of the story that adapt its central themes? Explain your response using points from your research.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following words best describes Krishna’s role in the battle?

A) Wise advisor

B) Vengeful warrior

C) Principled warrior

D) Avid ally

2. Which of the following phrases best describes the content of The Bhagavad Gita?

A) A manifesto in support of combat

B) A response to the difficult questions of life

C) A scripture on the importance of family

D) A commentary on the necessity of Hindu temples

3. Which of the following words best describes Arjuna’s sentiment at the start of the story?

A) Sorrowful

B) Bashful

C) Mindful

D) Disrespectful

4. In Chapter 2, Krishna tells Arjuna that “[u]nborn, eternal, immutable, immemorial, you do not die when the body dies.” Which of the following Hindu beliefs are represented by this thought process?

A) Karma

B) Dharma

C) Samsara

D) Jiva

5. Which of the following sentences best describes the contrast between Arjuna and Krishna at the beginning of the text?

A) While Krishna enjoys watching the battle, Arjuna is afraid of its consequences.

B) While Krishna urges Arjuna to leave the battle, Arjuna desires to fight for his family’s honor.

C) While Krishna is preoccupied with preparing to fight, Arjuna begs him to reconsider his role in the battle.

D) While Krishna is interested in explaining spiritual knowledge, Arjuna is more concerned about the present battle.

6. Which of the following words best describes the relationship between the words “action” and “inaction” in the Bhagavad Gita?

A) United

B) Filled with contradiction

C) Fictitious

D) Conveying judgment

7. Which of the following sentences best align with Krishna’s explanation of meditation?

A) It must be mastered in one’s lifetime.

B) It cannot be achieved through the path of action.

C) It should be practiced without food or drink.

D) It will most likely take several lifetimes to achieve purification.

8. Krishna says, “Arjuna, I am the taste of pure water and the radiance of the sun and moon. I am the sacred word and the sound heard in air, and the courage of human beings. I am the sweet fragrance in the earth and the radiance of fire; I am the life in every creature and the striving of the spiritual aspirant.” Which of the following literary terms is used in this quote?

A) Personification

B) Anaphora

C) Paradox

D) Allegory

9. Which of the following words best describes the tone of the text’s dialogues?

A) Pejorative

B) Didactic

C) Lively

D) Balanced

10. Which of the following phrases best summarizes the relationship between Arjuna and Krishna?

A) Krishna despises Arjuna’s ignorance.

B) Arjuna struggles to understand Krishna.

C) Krishna patiently instructs Arjuna.

D) Arjuna seethes with resentment of Krishna.

11. Which of the following words best describes Krishna?

A) Humble

B) Omnipresent

C) Circumscribed

D) Sacrificial

12. Which of the following is a practice of people of sattwa?

A) Worship of power

B) Self-denial

C) Hollow austerity

D) Worship of dead spirits

13. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the relationship between one’s gunas and the Self?

A) A person’s trajectory is defined by their respective guna.

B) All three gunas must be possessed to overcome one’s dharma.

C) A person must strive to achieve tamas in order to be propelled from samsara.

D) A person must understand that gunas and action are not related.

14. Which of the following phrases best describes the structure of the text’s chapters?

A) A lecture by Krishna to the warriors

B) An ongoing dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna

C) A monologue by Arjuna to Krishna

D) A symposium amongst various warriors

15. Why does Krishna say it is impossible to know the whole of the fig tree?

A) Because it is inherently complex and complicated

B) Because the branches stretch toward the heavens

C) Because the roots stretch to the Earth

D) Because it is inherently destined to die

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What is the setting of the text? How does the setting contribute to the central plot and argument of the scripture?

2. Describe the narrative style of the text. Who are the narrator(s)? How does this style connect with the central purpose of the text?