Q. Which of the following statements regarding the features of Early Vedic religion are correct?
1.Rigvedic gods were largely personifications of natural forces like rain, storm, fire, and thunder.
2.Goddesses like Ushas, Sarasvati, and Prithvi occupied the primary and dominant positions in the Rigvedic pantheon.
3.Indra was the most prominent deity, with the highest number of hymns (about 250) dedicated to him.
4.Varuna was revered as the guardian of Rita (the cosmic and moral order).
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: C
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: Early Vedic religion was naturalistic polytheism, where natural forces were anthropomorphized into deities.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: Female deities like Ushas, Aditi, Prithvi, and Sarasvati existed, but they held secondary or subordinate positions in a male-dominated pantheon.
- Statement 3 is correct: Indra (Puran-dara/Rain and War god) is invoked in roughly 250 hymns, making him the chief deity of the Rigveda.
- Statement 4 is correct: Varuna maintained the physical and cosmic law termed Rita.
