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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 is the mother of the Maruts?

2. In "The Three Strides of Visnu", the commentator suggests that the ferocious beast is a _____.

3. Mudgala's wife hopes that Indra will turn her husband into a _____.

4. Why does Apala's husband supposedly hate her in the later commentaries associated with "Apala and Indra"?

5. Who called "Indra and the Monkey' the strangest hymn in the Rig Veda?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. What are two meanings of "Atri and the Lost Sun"?

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

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

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

Describe Indra's greatest heroic deed in slaying the dragon Vrtra. Why did he slay Vrtra? What was the dragon doing that caused him to be the enemy of Indra? What does this symbolize?

Essay Topic 2

How is Parjanya personified? What is paradoxical about the way he is personified in "Parjanya, the Cow'?

Essay Topic 3

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

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