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Quick Revision Table
| Concept | Key Fact | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Karma | Sanskrit kri = "to act"; law of moral causation | Define + types in 5-mark Q |
| Sanchita Karma | Accumulated karma from all past lives | Karma types Q |
| Prarabdha Karma | Ripened karma determining current life | Karma types Q |
| Nishkama Karma | Gita 2.47 — action without desire for fruits | Highest priority concept |
| Gandhi & Gita | Gita = Gandhi's "spiritual reference book" | Gandhi philosophy link |
| Dharma | dhri = sustain; righteous duty, moral order, cosmic law | Define Dharma Q |
| Sadharana Dharma | Universal: truth, non-violence, purity, contentment | Universal ethics |
| Varna Dharma | Duties per caste group | Ambedkar critique |
| Svadharma | One's own specific duty (Gita 3.35) | Gita ethics |
| Purushartha | Four life goals: Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha | Most testable concept |
| Arthashastra | Kautilya, ~300 BCE; Artha is "root" of all Purusharthas | Artha Purushartha |
| Kamasutra | Vatsyayana, ~300 CE; Kama as civilised pursuit | Kama Purushartha |
| Brahmacharya | 0–25 years; study + celibacy; Gurukula | First Ashrama |
| Grihastha | 25–50 years; "root of all ashramas"; Pancha Mahayajnas | Second Ashrama |
| Vanaprastha | 50–75 years; gradual withdrawal; forest-going | Third Ashrama |
| Sannyasa | 75+ years; complete renunciation; moksha focus | Fourth Ashrama |
| Pancha Mahayajnas | 5 duties of Grihastha: Brahma, Pitru, Deva, Bhuta, Manushya | Grihastha duties |
| Ambedkar on Dharma | Burned Manusmriti 1927; rejected Varnashrama Dharma | Critical perspective |
| India elderly 2021 | 138 million (60+); projected 346 million by 2050 | Modern relevance data |
| Maintenance Act 2007 | Legal obligation of children for parents | Vanaprastha modern parallel |