The terms used for cereals in the Rig Veda are :

The terms used for cereals in the Rig Veda are :

Godhuma and Vrihi
Yava and Dhanya
Tila and Khala
Priyangu and Shyamaka
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UPSC CDS-2 – 2024
In the Rig Veda, the most frequently mentioned grain is ‘Yava’, which refers to barley. The general term for grain or corn used in the Rig Veda is ‘Dhanya’.
While agriculture was known during the Rig Vedic period, the economy was predominantly pastoral. Barley (‘Yava’) was the main cultivated cereal.
Terms like ‘Godhuma’ (wheat), ‘Vrihi’ (rice), ‘Tila’ (sesame), ‘Priyangu’ (millet), and ‘Shyamaka’ (millet) are more commonly found and associated with later Vedic texts (like Yajur Veda, Atharva Veda) and subsequent periods, indicating a greater reliance on agriculture and diversification of crops.