The Quiz You'll Never Forget

Answer: Brahma

This event happens at the brink of a major deluge, before the beginning of the new Satya Yuga (Era). Lord Vishnu observes the entire event. He descends to the Earth as the Matsya (Fish) avatara, and saves the seven ancient sages, including Satyavrata Manu. Lord Vishnu also kills Hayagriva to restore the knowledge of the Vedas to Brahma.

The deluge depicted is similar to the story of Noah in the Bible, as animals of various kinds are saved alongside the sages in the deluge.

Answer: Lakshmana

The demon Maricha had disguised himself as a golden deer, and Rama and Lakshmana had gone to capture the golden deer on Sita's insistence. Lakshmana drew a line around the house, telling her not to venture out for her own safety. Ravana, meanwhile, disguised as a mendicant, arrived at Sita's cottage, begging for alms. Sita stepped across the line and Ravana kidnapped her. She was flown all the way to Lanka.

In languages like Hindi or Bengali, the phrase 'Lakshmana rekha' (line of Lakshmana) refers to a socially acceptable moral limit, which should not be transgressed.

Answer: Narada

Narada has appeared multiple times in the "Puranas" and the "Mahabharata". Apart from being an ardent worshipper of Vishnu, he is a wanderer, storyteller and musician.

The legend goes that he asked Vishnu who he thought his greatest devotee was. Vishnu told Narada about a certain farmer. They disguised themselves and acquainted themselves with the farmer, who informed them that he thought of Vishnu once in a while when he was busy tilling his farms. Narada later informed Vishnu that he, in comparison, always thought of Vishnu. Vishnu gave him the chore of carrying the drop of oil. Narada realized that it is of greater credit to remain a householder and think of God occasionally while also performing daily duties, rather than being a mystic and always thinking of God.

Answer: Kamadeva

Kamadeva is the god of desire and lust. Kamadeva was sent by Lord Indra to break Shiva's penance, as the demon Tarakasura was terrorising the gods. Kamadeva woke Shiva up with a flower arrow, and made him feel that spring had arrived untimely. Angered, Shiva burnt him to ashes. On Parvati's advice, Shiva restored Kama to life, in a disembodied form. Shiva's son Kartikeya, also known as Kumara, defeats Tarakasura later.

Answer: Narasimha

Hiranyakashipu had asked for a boon so that he cannot be killed inside or outside a residence, during day or night, standing or the ground or flying in the sky. Moreover, he asked Brahma so that he cannot be killed with any weapon, by a human, demon, animal or any other creation of Brahma (the creator).

Narasimha, Vishnu's fourth avatar, was half-man and half-lion. Vishnu, the preserver, was not Brahma's creation. During twilight, inside Hiranyakashipu's courtyard, Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu by placing him on his thigh, and tearing his stomach open with his claws. The manner of Hiranyakashipu's death thus did not contradict the powers granted by the boon.

Answer: Shakuntala

The story of Shakuntala was immortalised by the poet Kalidasa in his play "Abhijnanashakuntala".

The legend is that King Dushyanta had met Shakuntala in a forest and they had fallen in love. He had given his ring to Shakuntala so that he could recognise her once she came to the court. Enamoured by him, Shakuntala forget to pay proper respects to Sage Durvasa, who cursed that Dushyanta would forget her. Shakuntala lost her ring in a river, making her situation worse. However, Shakuntala and Dushyanta do reconciliate in the future. Bharata was the son of Shakuntala and Dushyanta, and he was an ancestor of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

Answer: Yudhishthira

Yudhishthira was the noblest, and most righteous Pandava brother, yet gambling was his only weakness. The Kauravas plotted to win the Hastinapura kingdom from the Pandavas in a game of 'pachisi'. Shakuni, the uncle of the Kauravas, played on their behalf and cheated with biased dice.

Once Yudhishthira, a ludomaniac, had lost his kingdom, his wealth, and even his brothers in the game, he wagered his wife. Once he lost it too, Duhshasana, the second eldest Kaurava brother, tried to disrobe her. The legend goes that Draupadi started thinking of Lord Krishna, and she was divinely dressed in a never-ending cloth, preserving her dignity.

Answer: Kumbhakarna

Kumbhakarna was the brother of the main antagonist Ravana. When Ravana, Kumbhakarna and their other brother Vibhishana performed penances to appease Lord Brahma, Lord Brahma granted them boons. The gods were scared about the chaos Kumbhakarna would cause if he was granted unlimited power.

Saraswati, the goddess of learning, interfered, and made him ask for 'nidrasana'(bed to sleep) instead of 'indrasana'(throne of Indra, the king of gods). Kumbhakarna additionally asked for 'nidravatvam '(immense sleep) instead of 'nirdevatvam' (annihilation of gods).

Answer: Karna

Karna was a son of Kunti before her marriage. He was adopted by a charioteer family. He had lied about his lineage in order to gain the knowledge of Brahmastra (a weapon) from Parashurama, who had cursed him that he would forget his knowledge when he needed it the most. Thus, he forgot how to lift the wheel of his chariot.

Another curse by a villager, whose cow was accidentally killed by Karna, prophesied his death in a helpless manner. Arjuna killed Karna while Karna was still trying to lift his wheel.

Answer: Daksha

Sati was an avatar of Adi Parashakti. Sati was the daughter of King Daksha, a son of Brahma, but has married Shiva, who lived as an ascetic, without her father's approval. Daksha had not invited Sati and Shiva to his yajna, but Sati went there uninvited. The legend goes that Daksha shouted at Sati, and insulted Shiva. Sati self-immolated herself, and cursed Daksha that he would be killed by Shiva.

Shiva, angered, tore two locks of his hair, whence Virabhadra and Bhadrakali were born. Virabhadra decapitated Daksha, but he was later revived with a goat's head by Shiva. Sati was later reborn as Parvati.