U.P. Lower Sub. (Spl) (Pre) 2004

Indo-Iranian Heritage

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

There is a similarity in Avesta and the Rig Veda, from which region the Avesta is related to-

Solution & Analysis

Answer: B

Concept The linguistic and mythological parallels between Indian and Persian scriptures suggest a common ancestral Indo-Iranian culture.

Explanation The Avesta is the sacred text of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran. Its language, Gathic Avestan, is remarkably similar to the Vedic Sanskrit of the Rig Veda.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Both texts mention similar deities (Indra/Andra, Mitra/Mithra, Varuna) though their roles are sometimes inverted (Asura vs Ahura).
Logic 2: The geographical descriptions in the Avesta relate to the Iranian plateau and Central Asia, the neighbors of the Vedic people.

Active Recall

Question

What is a major linguistic parallel between the two texts?

Answer

The word for 'God' in the Vedas (Deva) and Avesta (Daeva) and 'Lord' (Asura in Veda, Ahura in Avesta) show direct cognates with flipped moral connotations.

Core Insight

The Avesta-Rig Veda connection is the strongest evidence for the common origins of the prehistoric populations of North India and Iran.