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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. Who are the sky and earth parents of?

2. For what is 'the house of clay' a metaphor?

3. _____ is incarnate as a goddess closely associated with the Asvins.

4. What do the Maruts give Gotama when he prays to them?

5. Who are 'those who eat serpents' most likely to be in "Savitr at Sunset"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. In "Indra and the Maruts", why does Indra mock the Maruts?

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

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

7. In the dialogue between Agastya and the Maruts in "Agastya and the Maruts", what is Agastya trying to do?

8. How is creation mythology presented in "Varuna Provoked to Anger"?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the relationship between male and female characters in the Rig Veda. Do females have an equal role in the texts? Who is the female counterpart to Yama and what is she known for? Do females invoke the gods? How are female characters voiced?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Describe how Soma is symbolic. What is it made from? What is its function? Who uses it? Why?

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