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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How many of the horse's thirty-six ribs are distributed to the universe in ritual sacrifice?
(a) One.
(b) Thirty-four.
(c) Ten.
(d) Twenty-two.

2. Which river surrounds heaven and earth in the unknown god myth?
(a) Euphrates.
(b) Ganges.
(c) Rasa.
(d) Tiber.

3. At the end of "The Birth of Agni", what does Agni turn into?
(a) A demon.
(b) A frog.
(c) A horse.
(d) A bull.

4. What is the name given to the cremation fire?
(a) Dharma.
(b) Agni.
(c) Aditi.
(d) Yama.

5. What is the path of death referred to, as in "The Boy and the Chariot"?
(a) The golden road.
(b) The water trail.
(c) The lonely road.
(d) The evil way.

6. What is the male element of the newborn sun or fire?
(a) Eyes.
(b) The flames.
(c) Bones.
(d) Heat.

7. What is the inner membrane of the embryo called?
(a) Cytoplasm.
(b) Caul.
(c) Wall.
(d) Nucleus.

8. _____ is the cry that is made when an offering is presented to the gods.
(a) "Agni!".
(b) "Vasat!".
(c) "Soma!".
(d) "Visvakarman!".

9. What does the word 'tapas' mean?
(a) Heat.
(b) Longing.
(c) Death.
(d) Cold.

10. In the hymn, "In Praise of Generosity", fortune is described as _____.
(a) Fickle.
(b) Easy.
(c) Death.
(d) Freedom.

11. Who is sometimes Indra's enemy, yet helps him fight the serpent and steal the solar disc?
(a) Astus.
(b) Kutsa.
(c) Rudra.
(d) Agni.

12. The enemy of true speech in "The Origins of Sacred Speech" is said to have been the _____ of the author.
(a) Rival.
(b) Best friend.
(c) Wife.
(d) Son.

13. The Rbhus are the _____ of the gods.
(a) Translators.
(b) Housekeepers.
(c) Horsemen.
(d) Craftsmen.

14. What is the hollow cavern that the rivers fill in "The Child of the Waters"?
(a) The moon's wake.
(b) The ocean.
(c) The valley.
(d) The sky.

15. How many shafts does the chariot have in "The Boy and the Chariot"?
(a) One.
(b) None.
(c) Seven.
(d) Three.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who eats the flesh of the sacrificed horse?

2. What did Martanda's name originally mean in "Aditi and the Birth of the Gods"?

3. "The Sacrificial Priests" is described as a kind of _____ for priests.

4. Who is the mother of the sun?

5. Susna is the demon of _____.

(see the answer keys)

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