Hindu Mythology Quiz Does Your Grey Matter? The quiz consists of 20 questions based on Hindu Mythology. Researched by: Pritam Panigrahi (President, IEM Quizzard Club)

1. By: Pritam Panigrahi

2. One and only rule:
“Quizmaster is always correct.”

3. Let’s start.

4.  In Hinduism, Himvaan is the personification of
Himalayas and the father of X & Y.
 He is therefore the father in law of Shiva and Kartikeya
spent much of his childhood with his maternal aunt Y,
who is herself a much revered and much spoken about
Goddess.
 She also finds mention during election times. Identify
Y.

5.  In Hindu mythology, Sanjana was the daughter of
Vishwakarma, the architect of Gods and wife of Surya.
Due to Surya’s blazing heat, she was unable to look
at him or be close to him.
 On his daughter’s request, Vishwakarma, made Surya
lessen his shine, so that she could go closer to him.
What does Vishwakarma do with the 1/8th of Surya’s
shine which he reduced? Most of us would have seen
it at least once.

6.  During Satyuga, Ahalya was cursed by Gautam Rishi
and turned into stone. When Ahalya told she was
fooled by Indra’s deception and asked him to get her
rid from the punishment of stone statue, he assured
her that during Tretayug, Lord Rama will come and
touch her with his feet, she will be back into life.
 Listening to this, Ahalya said that presently it was
Satyuga going on and it will take thousands of years
to complete and there after Dwaparyug will come and
will take million more years. What did Gautam Rishi
do so that Ahalya could get relieved from the curse as
soon as possible?

7.  Other names for him include:
(a) Atanu (one without a body),
(b) Ragavrinta (stalk of passion),
(c) Kandarpa (inflamer even of a God),
(d) Manmatha (churner of hearts),
(e) Manasija (he who is born of mind) and
(f) Madana (intoxicating).
Who is he?

8.  After the war when Vibhishana invites Rama to live in
Lanka, he says, “The city is amazing. But even
though it is full of gold and heavenly I prefer to go
to my motherland which is much better.”
 The origins of which verse can be attributed to the
above event and is also the national motto of Nepal?

9.  According to one interpretation of the event, King
Subala of the Gandhar Kingdom was imprisoned by
his own son-in-law. He died in prison with his sons,
all but one.
 He instructed him (the surviving son) to cause the
downfall of the entire clan of his son-in-law by
creating something from his thighs. Who was the
surviving son and what did he create from his father’s
thigh bones?

10.  The personal God in Hinduism is worshipped in a five-step
process:
(a) Dhupa
(b) Deep
(c) Naivedya
(d) Akshatra
(e) Pushp
 Sanskrit verses used to describe this process have been
taken from Taittriya Upanishad. This verse is so useful and
sacrosanct that it became part of the Hindu ‘code of
conduct’. What part of this verse are we talking about?

11.  X was the youngest son of Sage Vishrava, who was the son
of Sage Pulastya, one of the Heavenly Guardians.
 X plays a small part in Mahabharata. Yudhisthira crowned
himself as the Emperor of Indraprastha and began
preparations for a Rajasuya sacrifice. He dispatched his
brother, Sahadeva to the southern kingdoms to subjugate
the rulers to his authority and supremacy. Sahadeva’s men
reached the tip of the mainland, wherein Sahadeva
stopped and sent his messengers to X’s kingdom. X
gratefully accepted Yudhisthira’s authority and regarded it
as “an act of time”.
 He also sent diverse kinds of jewels, gems, pearls, celestial
ornaments and costly apparel to Sahadeva and Yudhisthira.
Identify X.

12.  In one interpretation, they symbolize the 6 shastras
and 4 vedas, making him a great scholar.
 However, one negative interpretation states that they
represent these 10 traits namely:
 “Ahamkara, Moha, Krodha, Anyaya, Amanavta, Irshya,
Lobha, Kama, Swartha, Mada.”
 Symbolic significance of what?

13.  According to some sources, one day Sita left Luv in the
custody of Sage Valmiki and went into the forest to
collect firewood. But when the Sage left for his daily
prayers, Luv wandered into the forest and followed
his mother. Upon returning, Sage Valmiki, on not
finding the child, became tensed. He searched for Luv
everywhere but was unable to find him.
 What happened next?

14.  After the battle of Kurukshetra, Yudhisthira performed
the funeral rites for all loved ones. Karna had no sons
to perform his final rites as all of them had been killed.
Kunti could not bear his injustice and revealed the
secret that Karna was her son.
 Yudhisthira got deeply hurt that Kunti didn’t reveal
to him earlier that Karna was his brother. The
depressed prince, in turn did something. What did he
do?

15.  The East India Company took control of this place in
1809 and banned entry of sub-castes like Pirali,
Chamar, Dom. At some point, even Sant Kabir, Guru
Nanak and Lord Curzon were refused entry.
 When Lord Mountbatten visited the place with his
Executive Council Member Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, he
was given a grand welcome. However, Ambedkar was
not allowed inside. Which place is this?

16.  From the Bhagvata Purana, the Vishnu Purana and the
Mahabharata, it is learnt that the Samudra Manthan
yielded X as one of the valuables. Lord Indra brought it
to heaven.
 Lord Krishna is believed to have stolen X from Indra’s
paradise for his wife Satyabhama to Dwarka.
 Identify X.

17.  Sage Kashyapa’s two wives Vinata and Kadru gave
birth to two and thousand children respectively,
which include X, Aruna and thousand Nagas.
 X is a legendary creature depicted as Dharma-
Protector in Hinduism, Astasena in Buddhism and the
Yaksha of the Jain Tirthankara Shantinatha.
 You can find X in the national emblems of
Indonesia & Thailand.
 Identify X.

18.  Which mythological event is being shown here:

20.  Netaji is considered by some people to be a God
known as “The Last Hope” whose vehicle is a white
horse. Identify him by the picture shown at left:

21.  Which organization's tagline is:
 Vidyayamritam Asnute (Be immortal through
knowledge)
 The logo of the organization is given as a hint:

22.  The Great Indian Novel is a satirical novel by Shashi
Tharoor. This work is based on Mahabharata.
 Here Nehru plays Dhritarashtra, Bose as Pandu,
Kamla Nehru as Gandhari, Indira Gandhi as
Duryodhona and Mahatma Gandhi as Bhishma.
 What is Draupadi?

23.  ‘Bed of Arrows’ is a pose where the entire body is
rested on wooden blocks which enables to create a
feeling of lightness and supports the heart, making it
a pose of choice for cardiac patients.
 This asana is named in honor of one of the most
cherished and respected mythological figures, whose
fate is reflected in the asana.
 Identify the character or the asana.

24.  Indra was once driven out of Devalok by an asura
named Vrittasur. He had a boon that he cannot be
killed by any weapon made of metal or wood.
 The Gods then fashioned _____ from the vertibral
bones of Sage Dadhichi to kill Vrittasur.
 How is this weapon/design still commemorated in
India?

25. Exchange the answer
sheets.

26.  In Hinduism, Himvaan is the personification of
Himalayas and the father of X & Y.
 He is therefore the father in law of Shiva and Kartikeya
spent much of his childhood with his maternal aunt Y,
who is herself a much revered and much spoken about
Goddess.
 She also finds mention during election times. Identify
Y.

27. Ganga.

28.  In Hindu mythology, Sanjana was the daughter of
Vishwakarma, the architect of Gods and wife of Surya.
Due to Surya’s blazing heat, she was unable to look
at him or be close to him.
 On his daughter’s request, Vishwakarma, made Surya
lessen his shine, so that she could go closer to him.
What does Vishwakarma do with the 1/8th of Surya’s
shine which he reduced? Most of us would have seen
it at least once.

29. He made the Sudarshan
Chakra.

30.  During Satyuga, Ahalya was cursed by Gautam Rishi
and turned into stone. When Ahalya told she was
fooled by Indra’s deception and asked him to get her
rid from the punishment of stone statue, he assured
her that during Tretayug, Lord Rama will come and
touch her with his feet, she will be back into life.
 Listening to this, Ahalya said that presently it was
Satyuga going on and it will take thousands of years
to complete and there after Dwaparyug will come and
will take million more years. What did Gautam Rishi
do so that Ahalya could get relieved from the curse as
soon as possible?

31. With his power, he rotated the time span
such that Tretayuga came before
Dwaparyuga.
Although in Sanskrit, Dwapar means
Second and Treta means Third.

32.  Other names for him include:
(a) Atanu (one without a body),
(b) Ragavrinta (stalk of passion),
(c) Kandarpa (inflamer even of a God),
(d) Manmatha (churner of hearts),
(e) Manasija (he who is born of mind) and
(f) Madana (intoxicating).
Who is he?

33. Kamadeva.
Lord Shiva destroyed his body.

34.  After the war when Vibhishana invites Rama to live in
Lanka, he says, “The city is amazing. But even
though it is full of gold and heavenly I prefer to go
to my motherland which is much better.”
 The origins of which verse can be attributed to the
above event and is also the national motto of Nepal?

36.  According to one interpretation of the event, King
Subala of the Gandhar Kingdom was imprisoned by
his own son-in-law. He died in prison with his sons,
all but one.
 He instructed him (the surviving son) to cause the
downfall of the entire clan of his son-in-law by
creating something from his thighs. Who was the
surviving son and what did he create from his father’s
thigh bones?

37. Shakuni and the pair of dice.

38.  The personal God in Hinduism is worshipped in a five-step
process:
(a) Dhupa
(b) Deep
(c) Naivedya
(d) Akshatra
(e) Pushp
 Sanskrit verses used to describe this process have been
taken from Taittriya Upanishad. This verse is so useful and
sacrosanct that it became part of the Hindu ‘code of
conduct’. What part of this verse are we talking about?

39. Atithi Devo Bhava.

40.  X was the youngest son of Sage Vishrava, who was the son
of Sage Pulastya, one of the Heavenly Guardians.
 X plays a small part in Mahabharata. Yudhisthira crowned
himself as the Emperor of Indraprastha and began
preparations for a Rajasuya sacrifice. He dispatched his
brother, Sahadeva to the southern kingdoms to subjugate
the rulers to his authority and supremacy. Sahadeva’s men
reached the tip of the mainland, wherein Sahadeva
stopped and sent his messengers to X’s kingdom. X
gratefully accepted Yudhisthira’s authority and regarded it
as “an act of time”.
 He also sent diverse kinds of jewels, gems, pearls, celestial
ornaments and costly apparel to Sahadeva and Yudhisthira.
Identify X.

41. Vibhishana.

42.  In one interpretation, they symbolize the 6 shastras
and 4 vedas, making him a great scholar.
 However, one negative interpretation states that they
represent these 10 traits namely:
 “Ahamkara, Moha, Krodha, Anyaya, Amanavta, Irshya,
Lobha, Kama, Swartha, Mada.”
 Symbolic significance of what?

43. 10 heads of Ravana.

44.  According to some sources, one day Sita left Luv in the
custody of Sage Valmiki and went into the forest to
collect firewood. But when the Sage left for his daily
prayers, Luv wandered into the forest and followed
his mother. Upon returning, Sage Valmiki, on not
finding the child, became tensed. He searched for Luv
everywhere but was unable to find him.
 What happened next?

45. He created Kush.

46.  After the battle of Kurukshetra, Yudhisthira performed
the funeral rites for all loved ones. Karna had no sons
to perform his final rites as all of them had been killed.
Kunti could not bear his injustice and revealed the
secret that Karna was her son.
 Yudhisthira got deeply hurt that Kunti didn’t reveal
to him earlier that Karna was his brother. The
depressed prince, in turn did something. What did he
do?

47. He cursed all womanhood
that no woman shall succeed
in keeping a secret in the near
future.

48.  The East India Company took control of this place in
1809 and banned entry of sub-castes like Pirali,
Chamar, Dom. At some point, even Sant Kabir, Guru
Nanak and Lord Curzon were refused entry.
 When Lord Mountbatten visited the place with his
Executive Council Member Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, he
was given a grand welcome. However, Ambedkar was
not allowed inside. Which place is this?

49. Jagannath Puri.

50.  From the Bhagvata Purana, the Vishnu Purana and the
Mahabharata, it is learnt that the Samudra Manthan
yielded X as one of the valuables. Lord Indra brought it
to heaven.
 Lord Krishna is believed to have stolen X from Indra’s
paradise for his wife Satyabhama to Dwarka.
 Identify X.

51. Parijat, the kalpa-taru.

52.  Sage Kashyapa’s two wives Vinata and Kadru gave
birth to two and thousand children respectively,
which include X, Aruna and thousand Nagas.
 X is a legendary creature depicted as Dharma-
Protector in Hinduism, Astasena in Buddhism and the
Yaksha of the Jain Tirthankara Shantinatha.
 You can find X in the national emblems of
Indonesia & Thailand.
 Identify X.

53. Garuda.

54.  Which mythological event is being shown here:

56. Draupadi’s Swayamvar.

57.  Netaji is considered by some people to be a God
known as “The Last Hope” whose vehicle is a white
horse. Identify him by the picture shown at left:

58. Kalki avatar of Lord Vishnu.

59.  Which organization's tagline is:
 Vidyayamritam Asnute (Be immortal through
knowledge)
 The logo of the organization is given as a hint:

60. BHU.

61.  The Great Indian Novel is a satirical novel by Shashi
Tharoor. This work is based on Mahabharata.
 Here Nehru plays Dhritarashtra, Bose as Pandu,
Kamla Nehru as Gandhari, Indira Gandhi as
Duryodhona and Mahatma Gandhi as Bhishma.
 What is Draupadi?

62. Democracy.

63.  ‘Bed of Arrows’ is a pose where the entire body is
rested on wooden blocks which enables to create a
feeling of lightness and supports the heart, making it
a pose of choice for cardiac patients.
 This asana is named in honor of one of the most
cherished and respected mythological figures, whose
fate is reflected in the asana.
 Identify the character or the asana.

64. Bhisma & Bhismasana.

65.  Indra was once driven out of Devalok by an asura
named Vrittasur. He had a boon that he cannot be
killed by any weapon made of metal or wood.
 The Gods then fashioned _____ from the vertibral
bones of Sage Dadhichi to kill Vrittasur.
 How is this weapon/design still commemorated in
India?

66. Vajra, it froms the motif of
the Param Vir Chakra.

67. Thank You.