Creation Hymn & Night (p. 181-182 in textbook) From the Rig Veda Creation Hymn & Night (p. 181-182 in textbook)

What is the Rig Veda? The Rigveda (Sanskrit:  "praise, shine"[1] and veda "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. It is one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism known as the Vedas. The text is a collection of 1,028 hymns and 10,600 verses, organized into ten books (Mandalas). A good deal of the language is still obscure and many hymns as a consequence seem unintelligible.

To whom and about what… The hymns are dedicated to Rigvedic deities. For each deity series the hymns progress from longer to shorter ones; and the number of hymns per book increases.  In the eight books that were composed the earliest, the hymns predominantly discuss cosmology and praise deities. Books 1 and 10, which were added last, deal with philosophical or speculative questions about the origin of the universe and the nature of god, the virtue of dāna (charity) in society, and other metaphysical issues in its hymns.

Questions to answer: What is the Rig Veda? What is its significance within Hinduism? What are the central questions / concepts explored by the poet in “Creation Hymn”? In “Night,” how is night portrayed? What does the speaker ask “Night” to do? How might this request help the speaker and the audience of this hymn feel safer in the darkness? What types of poetic devices are used by the poet of each of these. List two examples from each.