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Predicted Questions with Model Answers
Q1 (5 marks — 50 words): What is Nishkama Karma? What is its significance in Indian philosophy?
Model Answer:
Nishkama Karma (Bhagavad Gita 2.47) — "You have right to action, never to its fruits" (Karmanyevadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana). It means performing duty without attachment to personal outcomes. Significance: (1) frees the individual from anxiety of results; (2) encourages selfless service; (3) inspired Gandhi's political philosophy — work for independence without personal ambition; (4) underpins CSR and servant leadership in modern management.
(Word count: 50 — exact)
Q2 (5 marks — 50 words): Explain the Purushartha system. Which is the most important Purushartha and why?
Model Answer:
The Purushartha system identifies four life goals: (1) Dharma (righteousness — moral framework); (2) Artha (wealth — Kautilya's Arthashastra); (3) Kama (pleasure — Vatsyayana's Kamasutra); (4) Moksha (liberation — Upanishads). Dharma is most important because it regulates Artha and Kama within ethical limits — Artha without Dharma becomes greed; Kama without Dharma becomes harm. Moksha is the ultimate transcendent goal.
(Word count: 52 — within range)
Q3 (5 marks — 50 words): Describe the four stages of the Ashram system with their primary duties.
Model Answer:
The Ashram system divides life into four stages: (1) Brahmacharya (0–25 years) — study under guru, celibacy; (2) Grihastha (25–50) — marriage, family, livelihood, Pancha Mahayajnas (five social duties); (3) Vanaprastha (50–75) — gradual withdrawal, spiritual study, handing responsibilities to children; (4) Sannyasa (75+) — complete renunciation, wandering asceticism, focus on moksha. Each stage corresponds to a Purushartha.
(Word count: 52 — within range)
Q4 (5 marks — 50 words): What is Dharma? Distinguish between Sadharana Dharma and Varnashrama Dharma.
Model Answer:
Dharma (from dhri = "to sustain") means righteous duty, cosmic order, and moral conduct. Sadharana Dharma (universal duties) applies to all humans: truth, non-violence, non-theft, purity, compassion — transcending caste, gender, and age. Varnashrama Dharma assigns specific duties based on Varna (caste) and Ashrama (life stage) — Brahmin studies, Kshatriya protects, Vaishya trades. Ambedkar critiqued Varnashrama Dharma as legitimising caste inequality through religious sanction.
(Word count: 52 — within range)
Q5 (5 marks — 50 words): How do Buddhism and Hinduism differ in their concepts of Karma and liberation?
Model Answer:
Hindu Karma: Permanent soul (Atman) accumulates karma across lives; liberated when Atman realises its identity with Brahman (Moksha). Path: Jnana, Bhakti, or Karma Yoga. Buddhist Karma: No permanent self (anatman) — karma flows through a stream of consciousness as intentional mental action (cetana). Liberation (Nirvana) = extinguishing desire, hatred, delusion — cessation of suffering, not union with God. Both reject karma as deterministic fate; human effort is decisive.
(Word count: 53 — within range)
Q6 (5 marks — 50 words): What is the relevance of the Ashram system in modern India, especially for the elderly?
Model Answer:
The Vanaprastha and Sannyasa stages of the Ashram system anticipate life beyond 50 as a time for spiritual growth, service, and gradual withdrawal — not mere idleness. Modern relevance: India has 138 million elderly (2021), rising to 346 million by 2050. The Maintenance of Parents Act (2007, amended 2019) codifies Grihastha-Dharma — children legally responsible for parents. Urban nuclear families are disrupting traditional elder care that the Ashram model institutionalised.
(Word count: 52 — within range)