Arizona State University (ASU) REL100 Religions of the World Practice Exam

The Bhagavad Gita is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. Specifically, it is found in the Bhisma Parva (Book of Bhisma) and is presented as a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and the god Krishna, who serves as his charioteer. The context of the Bhagavad Gita revolves around a moral and philosophical dilemma faced by Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where he is confused about battling his own relatives and teachers. This dialogue addresses critical themes such as duty (dharma), righteousness, devotion, and the nature of reality.

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient Indian literature, the other being the Ramayana. While the Ramayana tells the story of Lord Rama and his quest to rescue his wife Sita, it does not contain the Bhagavad Gita. The Vedas, which are the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, primarily consist of hymns, rituals, and philosophical discussions, but they do not include the Bhagavad Gita. Similarly, the Puranas are a genre of ancient texts that contain mythological narratives and cosmology but are separate from the narrative of the Mahabhar