1996 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 1996 · General Studies
Question 66: History and Culture
The term apabhramsa was used in medieval Sanskrit texts to denote
aoutcastes among the Rajputs
bdeviations from Vedic rituals
cearly forms of some of the modern Indian languages
dnon-Sanskrit verse metres
AnswerThe answer is (c).
Apabhramsa (literally 'corrupted' or 'deviated') was the term used in medieval Sanskrit works for the language stage between the Prakrits and the modern Indian languages, from which the early forms of Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and others developed. It has nothing to do with outcastes, rituals or metres. Remember: Sanskrit - Prakrit - Apabhramsa - modern Indian languages.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Not a term for outcastes among the Rajputs.
- (b) Not a term for deviations from Vedic rituals.
- (c) Right: early forms of some modern Indian languages.
- (d) Not a term for non-Sanskrit verse metres.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1996, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.