Prelims 2012 · archive
EasyThe religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Worship of nature and yajnas
Early Vedic people prayed to natural forces such as Agni, Indra and Soma through hymns and sacrifices (yajnas). Image worship and bhakti came later.
- ✓ (c) Rigvedic hymns praise deities of nature and were chanted at sacrifices.
- ✗ (b) Temple images are a post-Vedic development.
Remember · Early Vedic religion: nature deities and yajnas.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 4 “The Rigveda consists of hymns in praise of a variety of deities, especially Agni, Indra and Soma. Many of these hymns were chanted when sacrifices were performed”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2012, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2012: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·