General Studies Questions on Rigvedic Literature for SSC and PCS examinations

1. What are the four Vedas?

The four Vedas are Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda. They form the primary texts of Hinduism dating back to 1500 BCE. The Vedas explain philosophical concepts and sacred Hindu traditions.

2. What is Samhita in the context of Vedas?

Samhita refers to a collection of mantras or hymns from the Vedas. Each Veda has an associated Samhita which is the core text containing these hymns. For example, Rig Veda Samhita contains hymns from Rig Veda.

3. Which are the two categories into which Vedic literature is broadly divided?

Vedic literature is divided into Shruti and Smriti literature. Shruti meaning “that which is heard”, refers to eternal knowledge of the Vedas. Smriti meaning “that which is remembered”, refers to later scriptures building on the Vedas.

4. What is the literal meaning of Shruti?

Shruti literally means “that which has been heard”. It refers to revelation, sacred knowledge that is eternal and unquestionable. The four Vedas and Upanishads make up Shruti literature.

5. Which texts are considered part of the Shruti literature?

The Shruti literature is comprised of the four Vedas – Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda along with Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. These are considered the central Hindu scriptures.

6. What is the literal meaning of Smriti?

Smriti literally translates to “that which is remembered”. It refers to later Hindu scriptures and commentaries that build upon the Vedas but are considered secondary and may change over time.

7. Which are the 10 parts of Rig Veda?

The Rig Veda is organized into 10 books known as mandalas. The first and tenth mandalas were composed last. The second to seventh are the oldest parts while eighth and ninth mandalas contain hymns of mixed age.

8. How many hymns are there in the Rig Veda?

The Rig Veda contains 1017 hymns in total or 1028 hymns including the 11 additional hymns of the Valakhilya recession. It is considered the oldest religious Hindu text composed between 1500-1200 BCE.

9. Which was the last Veda to be composed?

The Atharva Veda is considered the last Veda and differs significantly from the preceding three. It incorporates popular beliefs and contains spells, incantations related to healing and magic.

10. What are the two surviving recensions of the Atharva Veda?

There are two surviving recensions or versions of the Atharva Veda – the Shaunaka recension known as AVS and the Paippalada recension known as AVP. They likely originated around 900 BCE.

11. What explains the hymns in the Vedas and their applications?

The Brahmanas explain the hymns in the Vedas, provide interpretation and stories related to the origin of the hymns along with their ritual applications and instructions.

12. What were the Brahmanas associated with the four Vedas?

The key Brahmanas are Aitareya Brahmana of Rigveda, Satapatha Brahmana of Yajurveda, Tandya Mahabrahmana of Samaveda, and Gopatha Brahmana of Atharvaveda.

13. Where were Aranyakas composed?

The Aranyakas were composed in forests and wilderness, intended for ascetics and students living far from villages and towns. They emphasize spiritual philosophy over ritual.

14. What do the Upanishads reveal?

The Upanishads reveal the final spiritual and philosophical teachings of the Vedas. Their central theme is attaining liberation through realizing the ultimate reality or Brahman.

15. Why are Upanishads called Vedanta?

Upanishads are called Vedanta meaning “end of the Veda” because they represent the last phase of Vedic period and also as they reveal the philosophical essence and aims of the Vedas.

16. What are the 11 major Upanishads?

The 11 principal or Mukhya Upanishads are Isha, Kena, Katha, Prashna, Mundaka, Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, and Svetasvatara Upanishads.

17. What are the 6 Vedangas?

The 6 Vedangas are auxiliary disciplines for Vedic study – Shiksha (phonetics), Vyakarana (grammar), Kalpa (rituals), Nirukta (etymology), Chhandas (meter), and Jyotisha (astronomy).

18. Who authored the Ramayana?

The Ramayana was composed by the sage Valmiki. It recounts the mythical story of Lord Rama through over 24,000 verses of Sanskrit poetry divided into 7 books.

19. What is the poetic meter used in the Ramayana?

The Ramayana uses the 32-syllable anustubh meter for the majority of its verses totalling over 50,000 lines of Sanskrit poetry.

20. How many verses are there in the Mahabharata?

The Mahabharata contains over 100,000 verses amounting to almost 1.8 million words across 18 books (parvas). It is considered one of the longest epic poems ever written.

21. Who is attributed as the author of Mahabharata?

The Mahabharata is attributed to the sage Vyasa. He compiled and likely composed this Sanskrit epic that revolves around the Kurukshetra war and philosophical themes.

22. What do the Puranas consist of?

The Puranas contain ancient legends, mythology, cosmology, genealogies of gods, sages and kings as well as religious duties, philosophy and sacred geography – serving as important records of Hindu traditions.

23. Which are the 18 major Puranas?

The 18 major Puranas are Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Naradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Padma Purana, Varaha Purana, Brahma Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Brahmavaivarta Purana, Markandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Vamana Purana, Matsya Purana, Kurma Purana, Linga Purana, Siva Purana, Skanda Purana and Agni Purana.

24. What does Upaveda mean?

Upaveda refers to ‘applied knowledge’ and denotes traditional Hindu texts dealing with various technical subjects that are considered supplementary to the Vedas.

25. Which Upaveda deals with medicine?

Ayurveda is the Upaveda dealing with traditional Indian medicine, pathology, herbal remedies, diagnosis and surgery, said to be an supplement to the Rig Veda.

26. Which Upaveda deals with military technology?

The Dhanurveda Upaveda deals with martial arts, warfare, strategy, military technology including weaponry and chariots. It supplements the Yajur Veda.

27. Which Upaveda is associated with the Rigveda?

Ayurveda, the Upaveda dealing with Hindu traditional medicine and surgery, is considered supplementary to the Rig Veda.

28. Which Upaveda is associated with the Yajurveda?

The Dhanurveda Upaveda associated with military technology and warfare is linked to the Yajur Veda.

29. Which Upaveda is associated with the Samaveda?

Gandharvaveda, dealing with music, dance, poetry and drama is an Upaveda associated with supplementing the Samaveda.

30. Satyamev Jayate is taken from which Upanishad?

“Satyamev Jayate” meaning ‘Truth alone triumphs’ was coined from the Mundaka Upanishad of Atharvaveda and adopted as India’s national motto.