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 ?
- (a) None of the pairs
- (b) Only one pair
- (c) Only two pairs ✓ UPSC's answer
- (d) All three pairs
Why the answer is (c)
• Pair 2 is correct: Dignaga (c. 5th–6th century) was the Buddhist logician who founded the school of Buddhist logic and epistemology.
• Pair 3 is correct: Nathamuni (c. 10th century) was the first Sri Vaishnava acharya, who compiled the Alvars' hymns into the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.
• Pair 1 is wrong: Aryadeva (c. 3rd century) was a Buddhist Madhyamaka philosopher and disciple of Nagarjuna, not a Jaina scholar.
• Hence two pairs, option (c).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) None of the pairs
- Pairs 2 and 3 are correct.
- (b) Only one pair
- Two pairs, not one, are correct.
- (d) All three pairs
- Aryadeva was a Buddhist, not a Jaina, so pair 1 is wrong.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2022, held on 5 June 2022. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.