Journal Topic
Reflections on a goal I have set
for myself (what I’ll have to do to
get there—try to get as specific
as you can)
~or~
What makes goal-setting difficult
or unnecessary for me at this time
Arjuna’s path to his goal
EQ: How does the reader determine
the key points of a text?
3 Questions
What does it say? (literal level)
Goal: Paraphrase text
What does it mean? (deeper meaning)
Goal: Support ideas with the text
What does it matter? (Theme)
Goal: Application of text (demonstrate
understanding of the text in context of
our lives and those of others)
What it says…
What it means…
Stanzas 31-37
Stanzas 31-37
Stanzas 39-43
Stanzas 39-43
Stanzas 55-58
Stanzas 55-58
Stanzas 62-65
Stanzas 62-65
Stanzas 68-72
Stanzas 68-72
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Things to consider for
“What it means”:
How do ideas expressed connect to
our ongoing discussion of Hinduism
(dharma, karma, caste, reincarnation)?
What is Krishna saying is important for
a person of understanding to realize?
Based on what Krishna is telling him,
what difficulties does Arjuna seem to
be experiencing? What is he asked to
understand in order to overcome these
problems?
You should be ready to cite examples
from the reading in your answers
Things to consider for
“Why it matters”:
What do people become
“attached to” today? How can
these attachments affect a
person and their personal pursuit
of “oneness”?
Why is it so difficult for people to
achieve “oneness” with their goals
(if you like, think about people of
your own “caste”)
Review of Stanzas 1-27
What does it say? (your paraphrase)
What does it mean? (your
interpretation)*
What does it matter? (How does it
connect to our discussion/our lives?)*
* To be collected
Finish the text and…
Record your answers to the 3
questions for the remaining
stanzas
But what do you do with
literature?
Use context clues
Look for the familiar
Make inferences
What is our context?
What might be familiar?
What are you going to look at in
order to make inferences?
Stanzas 1-8
Read each stanza and:
Write a paraphrase
After you have finished with
stanza 8:
Write a brief summary of this section
of the story
Stanzas 1-8
1 - Arjuna is sad/filled with pity as
Krishna appears to talk with him
2 - Krishna asks why he is acting
like a coward
3 – Don’t give in (to weakness)
Fight agains this urge!
4 – Arjuna is worried about
fighting those he should respect
Stanzas 1-8
5 – Shouldn’t I choose personal loss
(lower caste) over victory (dishonor)?
6 – Won’t it be worse to win (and suffer
dishonor) than to lose with honor?
7 – I have pity (guilt) in my heart which
is keeping me from my duty – help me
to know what I should do
8 – All I can think about is how I will
feel (guilt/sorrow/regret) if I go against
my elders to win greatness in this life
Stanzas 9-27
Repeat paraphrase/summarize
steps for this section
(30 minutes)
Stanzas 1-8
Sanjaya – narrator provides situation
Krishna – asks question of Arjuna:
Why this cowardice in time of crisis?
What is the real question as it relates to
the dharma of a soldier?
Arjuna – responds:
How can I fight? (against elders)
Has personal conflict (“the flaw of pity”)
Torn between sacred duty and family
honor
The nature of the story – an Ethical
Dialogue
How to fight against
those who ought to
be respected
What should be the
desired outcome in
such a conflict
How should one deal
with the feelings of
pity one experiences
as a result
Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual
Discipline
Krishna’s response (to the flaw of pity):
“You grieve for those beyond grief”
Key Questions:
• What makes understanding reincarnation so important
for Arjuna to understand? (see 12-20)
• According to Krishna, when is someone fit for
immortality? (see 15)
Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual
Discipline
Krishna discusses the implications of dharma
“Look to your own duty; do not tremble
before it; nothing is better for a warrior
than a battle of sacred duty.”
Key Questions:
What consequences will Arjuna face if he does not
follow his dharma?
How does spiritual discipline help in this area?
Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual
Discipline
Krishna speaks of discernment
“Arjuna, action is far inferior to the discipline
of understanding.”
Key Questions:
What characterizes an undiscerning person (4144)?
What characterizes true discernment (46-53)?
Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual
Discipline
Krishna speaks of discernment (cont.)
Key Questions:
How does the one with discernment overcome the
sensuous/material world 55-58)
How do the senses fight against true discernment
(59-63)?
What results from yielding to the senses (62-63)?
Reincarnation’s role in Spiritual
Discipline
Krishna speaks about the victory gained by the
discerning person
“But a man of inner strength whose senses
experience objects without attraction and
hatred, in self-control, finds serenity.”
Key Questions:
According to Krishna, how is discernment and
peace achieved (64-68)?