4Aug, 2025
Chapter 7 India’s Cultural Root

Worksheet 17 PP Publication

A. Fill in the blanks using appropriate words:

  1. The word “Veda” comes from the Sanskrit word vid which means knowledge.
  2. The Vedas consist of thousands of hymns.
  3. The Vedic hymns were composed by rishis and rishikas.
  4. The last verses of the Rig Veda also call for unity among people.
  5. A group of texts known as Upanishads built upon Vedic concepts.

B. State whether the following statements are True or False:

  1. The Vedas are the most ancient texts in the world.
    ✅ True
  2. The hymns were composed in the Vidarbha region.
    ❌ False (They were composed in the Sapta Sindhava region)
  3. The hymns were in a written form.
    ❌ False (They were recited orally)
  4. The Vedic hymns were in an early form of Sanskrit language.
    ✅ True
  5. The Vedic schools of thought became the foundation of Hinduism.
    ✅ True

C. Match the following:

Column AColumn B
1. Concerned with the spirit or soul(d) Spiritual
2. Someone who seeks the truths of the world(e) Seeker
3. Our actions or their results(b) Karma
4. The world or universe as an ordered system(a) Cosmos
5. Someone who uses traditional healing methods(c) Healer

D. Very Short Answer Questions:

  1. What are the Vedas?
    They are the most ancient texts of India, consisting of hymns that form the basis of Indian knowledge traditions.
  2. Who composed the Vedas?
    The rishis and rishikas (male and female seers).
  3. What do the last mantras (verses) of the Rig Veda call for?
    They call for unity of purpose, speech, and thought among people.
  4. Make a list of professions mentioned in the Vedic texts.
    Agriculturist, weaver, potter, builder, carpenter, healer, dancer, barber, priest.
  5. Name a school of thought that grew out of the Vedas.
    Vedanta or Yoga.

E. Short Answer Questions:

  1. In which language were the Vedic hymns composed and to whom were they addressed? Name all those deities.
    • Composed in early Sanskrit.
    • Addressed to Indra, Agni, Varuṇa, Mitra, Sarasvatī, Uṣhas, and more.
  2. Name all the four Vedas. What do the Vedas consist of?
    • Ṛig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda
    • They consist of thousands of hymns.
  3. In 2008, UNESCO recognised Vedic chanting as ‘a masterpiece’. Why?
    Because of its meticulous oral transmission over thousands of years without written texts.
  4. How many Janas are listed in the Rig Veda? List any five of them.
    • Over 30 janas.
    • Examples: Bharatas, Purus, Kurus, Yadus, Turvaśhas
  5. What is Atman? Where was this concept introduced?
    • Atman is the divine self within every being.
    • Introduced in the Upanishads.

F. Long Answer Questions:

  1. What do the Vedas consist of? Where and when were the Vedas composed?
    • Vedas consist of hymns, songs, and prayers.
    • Composed orally in the Sapta Sindhava region, between 5th and 2nd millennium BCE.
  2. Write a note in detail on Vedic culture and Vedic schools of thought.
    • Vedic culture involved rituals (yajña), hymns, social organisation in janas.
    • Schools like Vedanta, Yoga emerged later, emphasizing unity with brahman, ātman, karma, rebirth, and truth as a divine essence.

G. Complete the hymns/verses:

  1. ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti…
    “The Existent is one, but sages call it by many names.”
  2. Come together, speak together; common be your mind, may your…
    “United be your purpose, united may your thoughts agree.”
  3. Aham brahmāsmi
    “I am brahman” (I am divine)
  4. Tat tvam asi…
    “You are That“