2002 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2002 · General Studies

Question 19: History and Culture

In ancient Indian Buddhist monasteries, a ceremony called Pavarana used to be held. It was the

aoccasion to elect the Sanghaparinyaka and two speakers, one on Dhamma and the other on Vinaya
bconfession by monks of their offences committed during their stay in the monasteries during the rainy season
cceremony of initiation of new person into the Buddhist Sangha in which the head is shaved and when yellow robes are offered
dgathering of Buddhist monks on the next day to the full-moon day of Ashadha when they take up a fixed abode for the next four months or rainy season

AnswerThe answer is (b).

Pavarana was held at the end of the rainy-season retreat (vassa). Each monk invited the others to point out any offence he had committed, or was seen, heard or suspected to have committed, and he confessed and made amends. It is therefore a confession by monks of their offences during the rains. The ceremony that begins the retreat, the day after the Ashadha full moon, is a different event, and so is ordination.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Choosing office-bearers is not what Pavarana was.
  • (b) Right: monks confessed offences at the close of the rains retreat.
  • (c) That describes ordination into the Sangha, not Pavarana.
  • (d) That describes the start of the rains retreat, not the ceremony that ends it.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

Practise this paper timedPrevious questionNext question

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2002, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.