Vedic Period Questions and Answers – Page 3

The Yajurveda describes grains including vrihi, yava and godhuma in the context of the expanding agrarian economy of the Later Vedic period. The Samaveda is primarily liturgical music, while the Rigveda reflects the earlier pastoral setting more strongly.

The Atharvaveda is conventionally associated in standard examination material with the earliest mention of canals used for irrigation.

The Samaveda arranges many verses, largely derived from the Rigveda, for melodic chanting in ritual. For this reason it is traditionally regarded as the foundation or origin of Indian music.

The prayer ‘Asato ma sadgamaya, tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, mrityor ma amritam gamaya’ occurs in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28.

Correct answer: (D) Third mandala; Vishvamitra. The Gayatri Mantra occurs at Rigveda 3.62.10 and is traditionally attributed to the seer Vishvamitra. It is addressed to Savitr, the solar deity, and prays that the divine radiance may inspire or illuminate human intellect. The first, ninth and tenth mandalas and the seers named in the other choices do not match this mantra’s textual location and traditional attribution.

The ninth mandala of the Rigveda is devoted to Soma Pavamana, the purifying Soma. Its hymns celebrate the pressing, filtering, offering and divine power of Soma.

Correct answer: 10 मंडल और 1028 सूक्त. The received Rigveda is arranged in ten mandalas and contains 1,028 hymns when the eleven Valakhilya hymns are included.

Correct answer: छह. There are six Vedangas: Shiksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chhandas and Jyotisha. They support correct pronunciation, ritual practice, grammar, etymology, metre and calendrical or astronomical calculation. Hence, the remaining choices do not fit the exact textual, chronological or conceptual context of the question.

Correct answer: संहिता → ब्राह्मण → आरण्यक → उपनिषद्. The conventional sequence of the major layers of Vedic literature is Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad.

There are four Vedas: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. They should not be confused with the six Vedangas, which are auxiliary disciplines for studying and applying Vedic knowledge.