UPSC Prelims 2022 · GS Paper I
Question 56: History and Culture
With reference to Indian history, consider the following pairs :
| Historical person | Known as | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aryadeva | Jaina scholar |
| 2 | Dignaga | Buddhist scholar |
| 3 | Nathamuni | Vaishnava scholar |
How many pairs given above are correctly matched ?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).
Dignaga was a Buddhist logician of the Yogachara school, and Nathamuni was the first acharya of the Sri Vaishnava tradition, who gathered the Alvars' hymns, so pairs 2 and 3 are right. Aryadeva was a Buddhist philosopher, a disciple of Nagarjuna in the Madhyamika school, not a Jaina scholar. Two pairs are correct.
- 1. Aryadeva was a Buddhist philosopher of the Madhyamika school.
- 2. Dignaga was a Buddhist logician.
- 3. Nathamuni was a Vaishnava teacher who compiled the Alvars' hymns.
How you could have got this
No shortcut here: in a “how many” question, ruling out options doesn’t help. Every statement has to be judged.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong. Dignaga and Nathamuni are correctly matched.
- (b) Wrong. Two pairs are correct.
- (c) Correct. Pairs 2 and 3 match; Aryadeva was Buddhist.
- (d) Wrong. Aryadeva was Buddhist, not Jaina.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2022, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.