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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. The Soma stalk mixes with water to form the juice of _____.

2. What word denotes mankind, the eponymous ancestor of mankind, or the brother of Yama?

3. In the hymn "Yama and the Fathers", who is being told to go away from the burning-ground where they live?

4. What turns into a plant that is used as a substitute for the Soma plant in the hymn, "Soma and Indra and the Eagle"?

5. Indra splits open a _____ to release trapped cows.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the function of the goat in "The Funeral Fire"?

2. In the hymn "The Child of the Waters", what do the three women give to the deity, and why?

3. What is the function of the "Royal Consecration" hymn, and what would accompany it?

4. What does the hymn, "The Sacrificial Priests", liken the work of the priests to? How?

5. What is the meaning of the use of hunger in "In praise of Generosity"?

6. In "The Creation of the Sacrifice", what is the significance of weaving?

7. In "Aditi and the Birth of the Gods", what does the author think is meant by the poet's seeing the birth of the gods?

8. What is the nature of the 'child of the waters' and how does this relate to Agni?

9. What is the back story about the priest of the oblation's getting angry in "The Birth of Agni", and what does the priest do that is mentioned in this hymn?

10. What is the significance of the membrane in "The Gods Coax Agni Out of the Waters"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role does 'butter' play in the Rig Veda? What is its literal meaning in this context? Find examples of and explain its metaphorical meaning.

Essay Topic 2

What are the different types of oblation? Where and when are they presented, and by whom? Cite specific instances from the hymns.

Essay Topic 3

Describe Indra's greatest heroic deed in slaying the dragon Vrtra. Why did he slay Vrtra? What was the dragon doing that caused him to be the enemy of Indra? What does this symbolize?

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