This quiz is designed to motivate you to study the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava scriptures in specific, and the Sad Darshanas in general, which are necessary to understand Gauḍīya philosophy properly.
Jnana or knowledge related to bhakti is also part of bhakti. In fact, hearing, which includes studying shastra, is the first limb of bhakti. Learning, followed by consolidating and then testing our knowledge in the form of a quiz is a fun and effective way to help us retain information.
This quiz is in multiple-choice questions format. (MCQs). If you see the response that you anticipated simply click on it. The quiz will immediately show which answers are correct or incorrect so we can learn as we go.
1 / 10
Why is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the nondual Absolute, advaya-brahma?
The Brahman described in Upaniṣad verses, such as ekam evādvitīyaṁ brahma (CHU 6.2.1) and satyaṁ jñānaṁ anantaṁ brahma (TU 2.1.1), is identified in Bhāgavatam as Kṛṣṇa.
There is no Brahman other than Him. There is no entity equal to Him, nor can any entity exist without Him. Therefore, He is advaya, or nondual. He can become many and remain one at the same time; thus, He is advaya-brahma.
2 / 10
If the para-mūrti of Bhagavān is eternal, then why are there are statements in the Padma Purāṇa (6.227.7) such as, “bṛhac-charīro’bhivimāna-rūpo” (The Lord accepted a form)?
Although there are statements such as, “The Lord accepted a form” (PP 6.227.7), these do not indicate that prior to the acceptance of form, the Lord was formless.
Such statements indicate the actions that He manifests to His devotees. For Him, the acceptance of form is without beginning — it is eternal. Otherwise, nothing else could have form.
3 / 10
What are the two categories of āveśāvatāras?
There are two categories of āveśāvatāras — bhagavad-āveśāvatāra, pervasion as the Lord directly, and bhagavat-śakti-āveśaavatāra, pervasion as an upholder of one of the Lord’s potencies.
The first type of pervasion induces the living being to identify himself directly as the Lord. The second type of pervasion induces the living being to identify himself as a devotee, and an upholder of the Lord’s potency.
4 / 10
What determines the relative importance of a particular avatāra of Bhagavān?
Kardama Muni says that only those forms that are pleasing to the devotees are suitable forms of the Lord. Other forms have no relevance, as the Lord is never alone. This means He manifests only those forms that are pleasing to His devotees.
In fact, the relative importance of a particular avatāra is determined by the greatness of His associates —parikara-vaiśiṣṭyād āvirbhāva-vaiśiṣṭyam.
One of the super-excellent characteristics of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which distinguishes Him from all other forms of God, is that He has unsurpassed loving relationships with His devotees, prema-mādhurī.
5 / 10
Bhagavān is full of bliss, knowledge, energy and opulence, so why is He not perceived by everyone, at all times and in all places?
Bhagavān is full of bliss, knowledge, energy and opulence, so why is He not perceived by everyone, at all times and in all places? Because the jīvas have embraced the inferior energy, māyā.
Although the Lord is present everywhere, He cannot be perceived through the material senses:
nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥmūḍho’yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam
I am not manifest to everyone, for I am covered by My yoga-māyā. This foolish world does not know Me, who am unborn and infallible. (GĪTĀ 7.25)
Just as the sun is present always in the sky, but is not visible to everyone at all times, so the Lord is visible only when He manifests His pastimes in the cosmos at a specific time. At other times, He remains covered by a veil of māyā, māyā-javanikācchannam (SB 1.8.19). Yet even when He manifests His pastimes, not everyone can recognize Him as the Lord on account of this covering of māyā, just as the sun cannot be seen when clouds cover our vision.
The veil of māyā is a manifestation of the three guṇas. An inferior object is generally used to conceal a superior one. As cloth is used to hide a gem, or an iron strongbox to secure money, similarly, Bhagavān hides Himself with the veil of māyā. This shows not only that He is superior to māyā, but that His abode and attributes are also of the same nature as Himself.
6 / 10
What is the nature of Kṛṣṇa's āveśa-rūpas?
Kṛṣṇa’s prakāśa manifestations in Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā are in the category of svayaṁ-rūpa. His tad-ekātma-rūpa expansions include his vilāsa forms, such as Śrī Nārāyaṇa, and svāṁśa manifestations, such as Śrī Matsya. There is no difference between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His prakāsa manifestations. His vilāsa manifestations are almost equal to Him in opulence, but His svāṁśa expansions have less manifest power than His vilāsa forms.
Kṛṣṇa’s āveśa-rūpas, on the other hand, are not viṣṇu-tattvas; they are empowered jīvas. They are not in the same category as Svayaṁ Bhagavān or tad-ekātma-rūpa.
7 / 10
According to Śrī Brahmā, why it is most difficult to understand how and when Śrī Kṛṣṇa acts?
In SB 10.14.21, Śrī Brahmā posed four rhetorical questions, and the answer to each is that no one can know the Lord.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī comments that the four reasons why no one can know Bhagavān are concealed in the four ways He is questioned— kva vā kathaṁ vā kati vā kadeti. The four questions are: kva (where?), katham (how?), kati (how many? or how much?) and kadā (when?).
The four names Brahmā used to address the Lord are:
The first question is answered by the first address, and so on. No one can understand where (kva) the Lord will manifest a particular pastime because He is all-pervading (Bhūman) and can manifest any form anywhere.
No one knows how (katham) the Lord will perform His līlā because He has all opulences (Bhagavān). He can lift Govardhana Hill on His little finger. To lift a hill one has to get underneath it and uproot it like a mushroom, while keeping it intact. Even if one could accomplish this, how would he be able to sustain it on a single point? No civil engineer could conceive of how to do it, because such a heavy weight cannot be concentrated on a single pillar, what to speak of the tip of the finger. Yet the Lord did this and the mountain did not collapse.
No one knows how many (kati) actions the Lord can perform because He has unlimited qualities and performs unlimited acts simultaneously (Parātmā). Even Śrī Ananta cannot enumerate them with His thousand tongues.
And no one knows when (kadā) the Lord will perform a particular act, because He is not limited by time (Yogeśvara). Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna that he could see whatever he wished within the viśva-rūpa. He said that all the soldiers on the battlefield had already been killed by Him, and, indeed, Arjuna saw this. Nonetheless, Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna to fight. The viśva-rūpa which Arjuna saw was not magical but real.
Śrī Brahmā concludes by stating that it is most difficult to understand how and when Śrī Kṛṣṇa acts. Anyone who claims that he knows exactly how the Lord will function is grossly ignorant.
8 / 10
According to Śrī Brahmā, which attributes describe the material world?
tasmād idaṁ jagad aśeṣam asat-svarūpaṁsvapnābham asta-dhiṣaṇaṁ puru-duḥkha-duḥkhamtvayy eva nitya-sukha-bodha-tanāv anantemāyāta udyad api yat sad ivāvabhāti
"Therefore, this entire universe, which is insubstantial, like a dream, which covers consciousness, which is full of abundant and endless misery, and which arises out of Your māyā potency, still appears as real because it is situated in You, who are limitless and possess a body that is eternal, full of bliss and consciousness." (SB 10.14.22)
In this verse Śrī Brahmā lists three attributes of the material world: asat svarūpa (ephemeral by nature), asta dhiṣaṇa (devoid of consciousness) and puru-duḥkha-duḥkha (replete with misery).
In contrast, the verse lists three attributes of the Lord’s body: nitya (eternality), sukha (bliss) and bodha (consciousness). Thus, the Lord’s form is eternal, full of bliss and consciousness, whereas the material world is temporary, full of misery and ignorance.
9 / 10
Why is Śrī Kṛṣṇa's body called Śabdabrahman?
There are various types of pramāṇas, or valid means of knowing. These are outlined in the commentary to Section 9 of Tattva Sandarbha.
Therein, it was explained that Bhagavān’s form can be understood only through śabda-pramāṇa, or revealed sound. Thus,His body is called Śabdabrahman. The Lord’s body is self-luminous, which means that it reveals itself and, hence, cannot be perceived by material senses.
Moreover, because śabda reveals the form of the Lord, śabda or Śabdabrahman is nondifferent from Him. This was confirmed by the Lord Himself to King Citraketu: “Śabdabrahman and Parabrahman are my two eternal bodies” (SB 6.16.51)
Also, Maitrāyaṇi Upaniṣad states: "The Absolute Truth is to be understood as Śabdabrahman and Parabrahman. After comprehending Śabdabrahman, one attains Parabrahman, or the Supreme Lord. (Maitrāyaṇi Upaniṣad 6.22)
10 / 10
When Śrī Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ vai sarva-bhūtāni, “I am all living beings”, what does it mean?
When the Lord says ahaṁ vai sarva-bhūtāni, “I am all living beings,” it does not mean that the living beings and Bhagavān are absolutely one.
The meaning is that Bhagavān is immanent in all living beings. Though mangoes are wrapped in paper and packed in a wooden crate, they are still referred to as mangoes.
The Smṛti says: haris tu sarva-bhūtāni tad-antaryaṁ vyāpekṣayā
"Śrī Hari is all living beings because He is within every being"
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