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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. What is Agastya's chosen path in life when his wife approaches him to beget a child?

2. What is the name of the god of intimate friendship among one's own kind?

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

4. Who is Rudra's successor as a Hindu god?

5. In "Gambler's Lament", dice are born during a storm and cease to hang like _____ from the nut tree.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why is the Rig Veda described in "Realia" as worldly?

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

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

5. What is the central image of the hymn, "Mudgala's Wife and the Bull in the Chariot", and how do their interpretations overlap?

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

7. What is the conflict present in all of the dialogues with women in the Rig Veda? Who succeeds, and who fails in this conflict?

8. Who competes in the contest in "The Maruts" and what are they doing in the competition?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the meaning of "Hiranyagarbha". What are the different meanings of the separate parts of the word? What is the symbolism contained in the word?

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

What tasks is Varuna charged with? Who is Varuna a friend of? What threatens their friendship? How is this resolved?

(see the answer keys)

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