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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. Asura is a _____ in early Vedic tradition, before he becomes a demon.

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

3. According to the author, who is the only Vedic goddess of any true stature?

4. Parsu's name,as mentioned in the notes for "Indra and the Monkey", means _____.

5. In "The Deeds of the Asvins", the feet in the phrase 'in three chariots with six horses and a hundred feet' are _____.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In "The Courtship of Ghosa", what does Ghosa ask the Asvins?

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

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

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

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

8. What is the meaning or the invocation, 'O, master of the stones' in "The House of Clay"?

9. What are the different meanings of the 'house of clay' metaphor in "The House of Clay"?

10. What is the role of beauty in regards to women in the Rig Veda?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the two incarnations of Parjanya? What is the significance of Parjanya as a god figure? What is paradoxical about Parjanya's gender in "Parjanya, the Cow"?

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

Who are the Asvins? Who bore them, and out of what part of her body? What are their deeds?

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