In 1975, the theorist of rituals as “rules without meaning,” Frits Staal, was allowed to meticulously document the Nambūdiri’s performance of a sacrifice named for this deity. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this deity who is the namesake of an ancient 12-day ritual conducted on top of altars made of 10,800 bricks in the shape of a bird.
ANSWER: Agni [accept agnicayana]
[10e] The agnicayana sacrifice might include the sprinkling of darbha grass or this liquid on the altar. This psychoactive drink was made by pressing the stalks of an unidentified plant.
ANSWER: soma
[10h] King Janaka discussed the more prosaic agnihotra ritual with this sage, who reduced the number of gods from 3,003 to 33 to 1.5 to 1. This husband of Maitreyi is repeatedly challenged to explain the world’s “weave” in a dialogue with the female philosopher Gargi in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
ANSWER: Yajñavalkya (“YAHG-nyuh-vull-kyuh”)
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