vedic period Practice Questions Answers Test with Solutions

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)

The word Visamatta was used in the latter Vedic age for the king. In the Shatapatha Brahmana, the king is described as devourer of the people.

Answer: (b)

Varuna, the Vedic god was the custodian of the moral and cosmic order. He was also concerned with societal affairs other than being a deification of nature.