Q 01/05

Valmiki, the traditional author of the Ramayana, is revered by the title Adi Kavi, meaning what?

A) The first poet

B) The wandering poet

C) The divine poet

D) The royal poet

Answer · why

A) The first poet

The first poet; some legends say Valmiki was once a robber before he turned to penance and became a sage.

Q 02/05

Rama is regarded as an avatar of which Hindu god?

A) Vishnu

B) Shiva

C) Brahma

D) Indra

Answer · why

A) Vishnu

Vishnu, as his seventh avatar, born a man at the gods' bidding to put an end to the demon king Ravana.

Q 03/05

Valmiki's Ramayana has about 24,000 couplets; which epic is roughly four times longer?

A) Mahabharata

B) Iliad

C) Odyssey

D) Epic of Gilgamesh

Answer · why

A) Mahabharata

Mahabharata, which even retells Rama's story in brief, while the Ramayana tells it at great length.

Q 04/05

Which kanda, the Ramayana's first book, covers Rama's birth?

A) Bala Kanda

B) Ayodhya Kanda

C) Aranya Kanda

D) Kishkindha Kanda

Answer · why

A) Bala Kanda

Bala Kanda, in which the sage Vishvamitra takes the young Rama away to kill the demons ruining his sacrifices.

Q 05/05

What does the name Ramayana literally mean?

A) Rama's law

B) Rama's journey

C) Rama's victory

D) Rama's kingdom

Answer · why

B) Rama's journey

It joins Rama with ayana, "travel", by an internal sandhi that lengthens the shared vowel.