The Epics' Quiz

Q1. According to a myth, 'X' is believed to have been designed by Vishwakarma, the celestial architect, who designed it for 'Dhanapati'. Dhanapati's younger brother, who is said to have the knowledge of the 4 vedas and 6 upanishads, defeated Dhanapati and wrested control over 'X'. Identify 'X'.

ans. Lanka ('Dhanapati' is Kubera, 4vedas+6upanishads = 10 heads of Ravana)

Q2. According to a very popular legend, Ravana's sister Sooparnaka, wanted to marry Ram, but her nose was cut by an angry Lakshman. This incident is believed to have incited Ravana to abduct Sita. At which place in modern India is this incident said to have taken place?

ans. Nashik

Q3. 'Y' is known as adi kavi in Indian tradition for having composed the first Sanskrit sloka. Identify Y.

ans. Ved Vyasa

Q4. The Mahabharata is being recited by Vaisampayana, a disciple of Ved Vyasa, to King Janmejaya. From which of the five Pandavas was Janmejaya descended and how was he related to that Pandava?

ans. Jamnejaya was Parikshita's son. Hence, he was Arjuna's great-grandson

Q5. In Ved Vyasa's Mahabharata, Ved Vyasa is directly related to both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. How is Ved Vyasa related to them?

ans. Ved Vyasa was the grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas since he was the father of Dhritharashtra and Pandu

Q6. Could you connect Hanuman and Sanjay Gandhi?

ans. Maruti (Hanuman is maturi-putra while Sanjay Gandhi started Maruti)

Q7. According to the Mahabharata, Duryodhana was humiliated by Draupadi when Duryodhana mistook water for glass in the wax palace built for the Pandavas. This incident directly lead to Draupadi's disrobing in the Kaurava court. In which modern city of India is this incident (the humiliation) said to have taken place?

ans. New Delhi (Since Indraprastha is believed to be in Delhi)

Q8. Shikhandi was said to be a reincarnation of Amba, a princess who had been rejected by one of the male members of the first family of Hastinapura. Shinkhandi was a sister of Draupadi (and later becomes a male by exchanging her gender with a Yaksha) goes on to kill the person who rejected her with the help of Arjuna. Identify the man who rejected her in her first birth.

ans. Bhishma

Q9. After leaving their kingdom, the Pandavas went on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas with a dog. One by one, all of the Pandavas (including Draupadi) died and were taken to hell. The only one to live was Yudhishtira, who was taken by Yamaraj (disguised as the dog) to hell for a moment. Yamaraj later explained that this brief moment in hell was a result of a single sin that Yudhishtira had committed in his life. What sin?

ans. The lie about Ashwatthama's death

Q10. Arjuna is said to have had four wives - Draupadi, Chitrangada, Ulupi and Subhadra. One of them gave birth to Abhimanyu, whose son, Parikshita, was the sole remaining Kuru at the end of the story. Who was the mother of Abhimanyu?


ans. Subhadra