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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. In "Have Mercy on Us, Rudra", Rudra's hair is braided or piled on top of his head in a _____.

2. What is another name for the Maruts?

3. Svarbhanu is the demon of _____ in "Atri and the Lost Sun".

4. In "Varuna Provoked to Anger", even _____ does not avert evil in the poet's estimation.

5. A 'yojana' is a measurement of _____.

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Yami's argument to persuade Yama to have incest relations with her, and who does she invoke to aid her with this?

2. How is the phrase 'O, little mother' a triple entendre in "Indra and the Monkey"?

3. In "Varuna Provoked to Anger", what is the nature of Vasistha's sins toward Varuna?

4. What are the possible meanings of the 'banner that dawn plants in the sky' in "Dawn and the Asvins"?

5. Who are the sons of the sun and what are their roles?

6. According to Indian theory, what happens to the sun during the rainy season?

7. What does the poet ask for at the end of "Parjanya, the Bull", and why?

8. Who brandishes their power and in what way in "The Deeds of Varuna"?

9. What does Vena personify in the hymn of the same name, and how does this relate to the theme of the hymn?

10. Why does the author say it is a possibility that priests are being satirized in "The Frogs"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the ritual involved in the sacrifice of the horse. Describe of each stage of the sacrifice. Who is involved? Who is the sacrifice dedicated to?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the plot of the allegory of the "The Boy and the Chariot"? How does the boy follow his father into the realm of Yama? What is he trying to accomplish? What does the chariot symbolize in this myth and throughout the Rig Veda?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the many faces of Agni and how he fits into the hierarchy of beings in the Rig Veda. What is mysterious about his birth? Why does he hide?

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