RAS question
The Purusha Sukta, which describes the origin of the four varnas, is in which mandala?
Correct answer: (A) Tenth Mandala.
The Purusha Sukta is Hymn 10.90 in the Tenth Mandala of the Rigveda, where it links Purusha's division to the origin of the four varnas.
Explanation
The Purusha Sukta belongs to the Tenth Mandala of the Rigveda: the cited eGyanKosh unit identifies it as the 90th sukta in the 10th Mandala. This is why the answer is the Tenth Mandala, not an earlier or thematic mandala. The hymn describes Purusha being divided into four parts and connects those parts with social classification: the Brahmin from the mouth, the Kshatriya or Rajanya from the arms, the Vaishya from the thighs, and the Shudra from the feet. For the MCQ, the key factual anchor is the location of this hymn, Rigveda 10.90, because that is the passage traditionally cited for the four-varna origin motif.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) The Second Mandala is a family book, whereas the Purusha Sukta is specifically identified as the 90th sukta of the Tenth Mandala.
- (C) The First Mandala may contain later material, but it is not where Hymn 10.90, the Purusha Sukta, is located.
- (D) The Ninth Mandala is associated with Soma, while the Purusha Sukta and its four-varna reference are placed in the Tenth Mandala.
Concept
This tests Vedic literature, especially the internal location of major hymns in the Rigveda. RAS repeats such facts because ancient-history questions often connect textual sources with social institutions such as varna.