vedic period MCQ set 2 Questions and Answers Detailed Explanation

Answer: (a)

Battle of the Ten Kings is a battle alluded to in Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. It is a battle between Aryans allied with other tribes of the north-west India and guided by the royal sage Vishvamitra, oppose the Trtsu (Bharata) king Sudas in battle, but are defeated.

Answer: (a)

The fauna of the Rigveda is yet more obviously Indian including

• peacocks (Mayur),
• swans (Hamsa),
• water buffalos (Mahish),
• gaura (another type of buffalo or the Indian bison),
• camels (Ushtra) and
• elephants (Hasti) — all of which are common to the region.

Horse and cow were the two most important animals during this period.

Answer: (d)

The Rigvedic gods were generally personifications of different aspects of natural forces such as rain, storm, sun etc.

The attributes of these gods also reflect the tribal and patriarchal nature of the society as we do not find many goddesses mentioned in the text. Indra, Agni, Varuna, Mitra, Dyaus, Pushana, Yama, Soma, etc. are all male gods.

In comparison, we have only a few goddesses such as Ushas, Sarasvati, Prithvi, etc which occupy secondary positions in the pantheon. The functions of different gods reflect their needs in society. Thus, since the Rigvedic people were engaged in wars with each other they worshipped Indra as a god. He is the most frequently mentioned god in the Rigveda.

He carried the thunderbolt and was also respected as a weather god who brought rains. Maruts the god of storm aided Indra in the wars in the way tribesmen aided their leader in the tribal wars. Agni, the fire god was the god of the home and was considered an intermediary between gods and men. Soma was associated with plants and herbs.

Soma was also a plant from which an intoxicating juice was extracted.

Answer: (d)

It is accepted that the word ‘yava’ in the oldest texts, including the Rigveda, applied to any type of grain that was grounded into flour. Yet, many Indologists treat the word as meaning specifically barley.

Answer: (a)

Answer: (d)

Early Buddhist texts speak of six foremost opponents of Lord Buddha who were:

1. Ajit Kesh Kamblin—Believed in Materialism
2. Maskari Gosal—Founder of Ajivaka sect
3. Puran Kasyap—Atomist
4. Pakudh Katyayam—Believed in Fatalism
5. Sanjay Vethaliputta—Believed in materialism synicism
6. Niggantha Nathputta—He was Bhagvan Mahavir