Indian Mythology Quiz - Rendezvous IIT Delhi

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X, arguably the most famous verse among western Indologists is a creation
hymn from the Rig Veda. But instead of giving an answer it starts questioning.
An atheistic interpretation sees this as one of the earliest accounts of skeptical
inquiry and agnosticism. It was quoted in Carl Sagan’s Cosmos as India's
"tradition of skeptical questioning and unselfconscious humility before the great
cosmic mysteries."

X is a ‘tribe’ in Indian mythology whose occupation is storytelling. They are the
narrators of several puranas and brought the complex Indian philosophy to the
common people through stories. Even the names of some of the people like
Romaharshana (one whose recitals thrilled the hairs of the listeners) shows how
good storytellers they are.
But their other occupation is more famous than the first one because of a very
famous character who left this occupation

Upon defeating the demon, X found out that the demon was actually a young
woman who had been cursed to live the life of a demon. The defeat set the
woman free who, in turn, proposed to X.
He refused saying that he had been ordained to go to forest and answer the
prayers of devotees. But, the young woman was persistent. So, X promised to
marry her the day new devotees stop visiting him with their prayers.
The woman agreed to wait for him at a neighbouring temple. The legend goes
further saying that in honour of her, X took a vow for it would be an insult to her
love and sacrifice.
X & the vow ?

X - Ayyappa
Naishtika Brahmacharya

Mahabharata mentions the story of X who is horrified to find his mother with
another man. When he complains to his father, Uddalaka, the father says, “A
woman is free to do as she pleases.” When the son questions his paternity,
Uddalaka says, “It is not my seed that makes you my child, it is my love.” But X is
not convinced. He wants to change the system. He created the practice of the
"woman being confined to one husband for life" and abolished adultery

There are many versions of the Ramayana in different languages. One estimate
says as many as 300 different Ramayanas exist. There is one such version known
as the “Adbhuta Ramayana” which is attributed to X who wrote it because he
was dissatisfied with his previous version. Adbhuta Ramayana accords far more
importance to Sita. In Fact in the battle Ravana renders Rama unconscious & Sita
takes the form of Kali to kill Ravana
X ?

According to a legend once Sage Narada, persuaded Vayu to humiliate proud
Mount Meru to prove his supremacy. For an year, the God of Wind blow
unremittingly against the Mount to destroy it – and he would have made it if
Garuda, wouldn’t have protected it with his mighty wings. But when Garuda
closed his wings for a moment to rest, Vayu stroke the last breath of wind
towards Mount Meru’s summit which cracked and fell off to create ?

X was one of the few people who was described both in the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata. X, King of ____ refused to bow to Yudhishthira stating that he
bowed to none but Rama who was Vishnu on earth. Krishna, who was also
Vishnu on earth, fell at Yudhishthira’s feet stating that any king who upholds
dharma on earth is like Rama. Seeing this, X changed his mind and fell at
Yudhishthira’s feet
X?

X worked as an archer of King Jarasandha. When Jarasandha planned to besiege
Mathura, he was aided by X who was a skillful archer. X also helped Jarasandha
and Shishupala by chasing Rukmini while she eloped with Krishna. After
Jarasandha’s demise, X sought to avenge him by campaigning to destroy
Kuntibhoja and every Yadava in Dwarka. During the attack, he is slain by Krishna.
According to some legends X survived his battle against the yadavas and
somehow reached the court of Duryodhan and was greeted by the prince. He is
also said to have made X the king of all forests in Hastinapur. X became a close
friend of the crown prince. He was killed by Krishna who broke his skull from a
rock when he tried to kill his son Samba under the order of Duryodhan.

Clue 2
King of Videha
Son of Manu

Clue 3
Once X performed Yagya and invited Vasishtha to be the main priest. However Vasishtha
had already committed to conduct yagya for Lord Indra, he told X that he would officiate
as Head Priest after having conducted Lord Indra's Yagya and thus X will have to wait. X
went away without replying. Vashistha got impression that X has assented to wait for
him.
Vasishtha conducted Lord Indra's Yagya and rushed to preside at X’s Yagna only to find
that the Yagna was already being conducted. Vasishtha got angry and cursed X that "he
would cease to live in corporal form"

Clue 1 - Etymology
to cover/bind

Clue 2
Carries Noose as a weapon
Guardian deity of the West direction

Ashwatthama
Bhishma
Dhrishtadyumna
Karna
Shalya
Drona
Connect ?

Commander-in-chiefs of both the sides
of the Mahabharata war

Manu
Yamuna
Ashvins
Yama
Shani
Karna
Connect ?

1 3 6 10 HC1
2 5 9 13 HC2
4 8 12 15 HC3
7 11 14 16 HC4
VC1 VC2 VC3 VC4 MC
VC - Vertical Connect
HC - Horizontal Connect
MC - Mega Connect (Connect of all HCs)

A Pilgrimage to Kashi is one of the aspirations of a devout Hindu. Many consider taking a
dip in river Ganges cleanses one’s sins and ensures salvation. Death at Kashi is believed to
break one away from the vicious cycle of birth and death.
Some devotees undergo a certain type of pilgrimage called “Sampoorna Kashi Yatra”. It
begins with the collection of sand from this place, dissolving it in River Ganges & ends
with the Abhishekam of the Lord at this place with the water collected from the Ganges.
What Place ?

Dhanushkodi / Rameshwaram
Rameshwaram ↓ for the Vertical Connect
Shiva → for the Horizontal Connect

The name is derived from X-giri, a nearby hill that is believed to have contained the
hermitage of X, a sage born with horns of a deer.
It is the site of the first matha established by Y. According to the legend, Y is said to have
selected the site to stay and teach his disciples, because when he was walking by the
river, he saw a cobra with a raised hood, providing shelter from the hot sun, to a frog
undergoing labour. Impressed with the place where natural enemies had gone beyond
their instincts, he stayed here for twelve years
Y & the site ?

X - Rishyasringa
Y- Adi Shankaracharya
Place - Sringeri
Rishyasringa goes into the connect (both HC & VC)

The term is used with the meaning of a Mahabhuta, one of five that the earliest Vedic
thinkers believed to constitute material existence. The etymology of the word is
uncertain and contested. Some say it came from a word which means "first", referring to
"that first in the universe to arise". The Rig Veda uses the epithet “Vaishvanara” to
describe him referring to his unending appetite

Agni
Agni goes into the connect (both HC & VC)

Shravana Kumara
Dasharatha goes into the connect (both HC & VC)

Indra killing Vritra
Indra goes into the connect (both HC & VC)

A legend has it that the X lived with his wife at a village called Govuru. Once,
Ganesha, on the wish of the munis, sent a miraculous cow which resembled a
normal cow. It entered the X’s abode and started spoiling the rice while he was
meditating. Since cattle is treated with respect, X put the dharbha grass on the
cow. But, to his surprise, it fell dead.
X wished to atone for this grievous sin. Therefore, he went to ____ and observed
tapas to Lord _____ (a manifestation of the god Shiva), praying for atonement
and asking him to make the Ganges flow over the cow. Shiva was pleased with
the sage and diverted the Ganges which washed away the cow and gave rise to
the Y. The water stream flowed past Kovvur and ultimately merged with the Bay
of Bengal.

X - Rishi Gouthama
Y - River Godavari
Saptarishi goes into the connect (both HC & VC)

Satyavati was a princess who was married to a sage. The sage desired a son
having the qualities of a Brahmin and so he gave Satyavati a potion which he had
prepared to achieve this objective. At the request of Satyavati's mother, he gave
her another potion to make her conceive a son with the character of a Kshatriya.
But Satyavati's mother doubting the sage exchanged the potions. But the sage
understood that the potions were exchanged. At the request of his wife, he
delayed the effect of the potion by a generation
This resulted in Satyavati's mother giving birth to X, son of a Kshatriya with
qualities of a Brahmin and Satyavati gave birth to a sage who fathered Y, a
Brahmin with the qualities of a Kshatriya
X & Y ?

X - Rishi Vishwamitra
Y - Parashurama
Parashurama ↓ for the Vertical Connect
Vishwamitra → for the Horizontal Connect

The Telugu version Sri Ranganatha Ramayanam mentioned a small story
involving young Rama and X in Balakanda. When Rama was playing with a ball
and a stick, suddenly X threw the ball far away from Rama. In anger, Rama struck
X on the knee with the stick and X's knee was broken. This message was
conveyed to king Dasharatha. The king decides to send Rama and his other sons
to school.
This incident makes the king think about his responsibility of educating his sons,
so that they can learn and become wise. However, X had developed a kind of
antagonism towards Rama after this incident. X?

X - Manthara
Krishna ↓ for the Vertical Connect
Rama → for the Horizontal Connect

A demon, Sahasrakavacha, got a boon for 1000 armors. It was said that it would take
1000 years to break each Kavacha and that the one to destroy it would die instantly. So
Nara and Narayana do this: one does a penance for 1000 years while the other fights for
a thousand years to break one armor. He dies, but the 1000 year penance is used to
revive him. They alternate roles and keep at it. They break 999 armors, when it came
down to the last armor the demon sought Surya’s help and took a mortal form, X. The
sages followed, being born as Y and Z to kill the demon
X, Y & Z ?

X - Karna
Y - Arjuna
Z - Krishna
Vishnu ↓ for the Vertical Connect
Nara Narayana → for the Horizontal Connect

Connect
1. Crane
2. Snake
3. Disk
4. Cart
5. Crocodile
6. Turtle
7. Pig

Different ‘Vyuha’ employed in battles
The word “Commander-in-chief (Senapati)” goes into
the connect (both HC & VC)

The story goes that X once came across Indra riding his elephant, Airavata. He
gave a garland to Indra, who caught it and placed it on Airavata's head. The
elephant was irritated by the fragrance of the nectar in the flowers, so it threw
the garland to the ground with its trunk. X was enraged to see his gift treated so
callously and cursed Indra that he would be cast down from his position of
dominion over the three worlds, just as the garland was cast down. Because of
the curse, Indra and the devas were diminished in strength and were defeated
by the Asuras. They asked Vishnu for an advice to defeat the Asuras. Vishnu in
turn advised them to call a truce and told them to do something to defeat the
Asuras in future
X & What’s the advice ?

X - Durvasa
Samudra Manthan
Arjuna ↓ for the Vertical Connect
Durvasa → for the Horizontal Connect

The origin of the word X means “Sugarcane”. He’s been referred to in the Jain
texts as Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara. He is considered to be the first
king to execute the rules of Manusmriti

X - Ikshvaku
Manu ↓ for the Vertical Connect
Ikshvaku → for the Horizontal Connect

X is basically a conversation between two friends. One “conquered the
ignorance/sleep” & the other one “conquered his senses”
X ?

X - Bhagavad Gita
Conversation between Gudakesa (conquered sleep) &
Hrishikesha (conquered senses)
Arjuna goes into the connect (both HC & VC)

Indian Mythology Quiz - Rendezvous IIT Delhi

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