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UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Paper 1, question 20

Topic: Ancient history

Q20

In which one among the following texts does the term kshetra-patni ('mistress of the field') originate ?

  1. (a) Rigveda
  2. (b) AtharvavedaCorrect answer
  3. (c) Ashtadhyayi
  4. (d) Arthashastra

Solution.

Answer: (b) Atharvaveda

  1. The term kshetra-patni ('mistress of the field') originates in the agricultural hymns of the Atharvaveda (Book 3, Hymn 17), where she is invoked alongside Sita (the furrow) for agricultural fertility.
  2. While the Rigveda (4.57) invokes Kshetrapati ('lord of the field'), the feminine form kshetra-patni appears specifically in the Atharvaveda.

Trap: Do not confuse Kshetrapati in Rigveda 4.57 with kshetra-patni in Atharvaveda 3.17.