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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. Manmata asks Brahma if he may test his strength by sending out his __________.

2. In the story Devi, Mahisha claims that no woman has weapons other than ______________.

3. Kumbha claims that the curse put on him makes him turn into ___________ every night.

4. The woman in the woods refuses to help the king unless he does what in Lavana?

5. What does the goddess Devi ride upon?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Manmata's arrows when he shoots them in the beginning of Manmata?

2. What does Mahisha grow up to be like, in Devi? Why does Indra stand against him?

3. What moral lesson does King Lavana learn from his encounter with a magician?

4. How does Yayati encounter Deyayani in the story Yayati?

5. What is King Chedi's response to his dinner invitation in the beginning of Viswamitra? How is it explained?

6. Who does Sikhi-Dhvaia's father arrange for him to marry? What is their marriage like?

7. How is the struggle between the gods and demons described in the beginning of Yayati?

8. What does King Chedi come upon in the beginning of Viswamitra?

9. What is the objective of Mahishasura, according to the storyteller in the beginning of Devi?

10. What is the third test which Chudala places on her husband? What comes of it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the plot structure and settings of Yayati. What are the story's central themes? How do the characters react to temptation in this narrative? How does it relate to the other stories in the anthology?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Manmata's creation to that of Eros or Cupid in Greek and Roman mythology. In what ways is Manmata like Cupid? How does he differ?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the Indian practice of Swayamwara. How does this tradition differ from Western marriage arrangements? What power do women have within this system?

(see the answer keys)

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