Question
This Vedic meter, which consists of three octosyllabic lines or pādas, is used for a series of Vedic and post-Vedic hymns whose three lines end with the words “vidmahe,” “dhīmahi,” and “prachodayāt.” For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this shortest and most sacred meter of Vedic Sanskrit. A hymn named for being in this meter opens with the extrametrical anacrusis, “oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ.”
ANSWER: gāyatrī [accept Gāyatrī Mantra; accept sāvitrī or Sāvitrī Mantra]
[10h] This word ends the first line of the Gāyatrī Mantra instead of “vidmahe.” To fit the meter, this three-syllable word describing Savitr as being most worthy of worship is lengthened during recitation.
ANSWER: varenyam [accept vare’eṇyaṃ or vareṇiyaṃ or vareṇyaṃ’ṃ]
[10e] This god’s gāyatrī mantra opens with eight syllables, “tatpurushāya vidmahe,” but deviates from the meter with a light third syllable. The Nataraja Mantra is sacred to this god whose destructive aspect dances the tāndava.
ANSWER: Shiva [or Rudra] (The first line of a poem in gāyatrī meter should follow the weight pattern H-L-H-H / L-H-L-X.)
<AS, Religion (Hinduism)>
Data
| Team | Opponent | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawk Tuahology | Quining Quem Quaeritis | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
| The Book of Coming Forth by Gay | Trielectic Materialists | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| The Waterloo Queens | Hawk the Herald Angels Tuah | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Summary
| Tournament | Edition | Exact Match? | Heard | PPB | Easy % | Medium % | Hard % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 RMP Fest Online Mirror | 05/31/25 | N | 5 | 12.00 | 100% | 20% | 0% |
| 2025 RMP Fest Carleton Mirror | 07/13/25 | Y | 3 | 13.33 | 100% | 33% | 0% |
| 2025 RMP Fest CO Mirror | 08/10/25 | Y | 6 | 13.33 | 100% | 33% | 0% |