With reference to ancient India, Gautama Buddha was generally known by which of the following epithets ? 1. Nayaputta 2. Shakyamuni 3. Tathagata Select the correct answer using the code given below :

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only ✓ UPSC's answer
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None of the above are epithets of Gautama Buddha

Why the answer is (b)

• Shakyamuni, 'sage of the Shakya clan', is one of the Buddha's commonest epithets, referring to his birth in the Shakya republic at Lumbini — item 2 is correct.

• Tathagata, 'thus-gone' or 'thus-come', is the title the Buddha most often used for himself in the Pali suttas — item 3 is correct.

• Nayaputta (Nataputta, 'son of the Naya/Jnatrika clan') is an epithet of Vardhamana Mahavira, the Jain Tirthankara, not of the Buddha — item 1 is wrong.

• Other Buddhist epithets include Sugata, Bhagavan and Jina (the last shared with Jainism).

• Hence 2 and 3 only, option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 1 only: Nayaputta refers to Mahavira, not the Buddha.
(c) 1, 2 and 3: Nayaputta is a Jain epithet, so all three cannot be correct.
(d) None of the above are epithets of Gautama Buddha: Shakyamuni and Tathagata are genuine epithets of the Buddha.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2024, held on 16 June 2024. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.