Question 76 from UPSC CSE 2022 - Art & Culture

Question

With reference to Indian history, consider the following pairs:
1. Aryadeva - Jaina scholar
2. Dignaga - Buddhist scholar
3. Nathamuni - Vaishnava scholar
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. Only two pairs

Strategy: Carefully verify each scholar's association. The key is to confirm Aryadeva with Buddhism (not Jainism), Dignaga with Buddhism, and Nathamuni with Vaishnavism.

Based on these checks, it's determined that Aryadeva is incorrectly paired in the list, while Dignaga and Nathamuni are correct, leading to two correctly matched pairs.

Key Info: ### Scholar Details

#### Aryadeva
-   **Period**: 3rd century CE
-   **Affiliation**: Prominent Mahayana Buddhist philosopher, disciple of Nagarjuna.
-   **Contributions**: Extensive contributions to Madhyamaka thought. No connection to Jainism.

#### Dignaga
-   **Period**: Early 6th century CE
-   **Affiliation**: Seminal Buddhist logician.
-   **Contributions**: Founded the school of Buddhist logic (Hetu Vidya). Authored foundational treatises such as 'Pramāṇasamuccaya'.

#### Nathamuni
-   **Period**: 9th-10th century CE
-   **Affiliation**: Vaishnava acharya.
-   **Contributions**: Renowned for compiling the Nalayira Divya Prabandham. Considered the founder of the Sri Vaishnava tradition. Authored spiritual and philosophical texts like Yogarahasya and Nyāyatattva.

### Related Traditions
Jainism and Vaishnavism are distinct traditions. Major Jaina scholars include Umasvati, Kundakunda, and Haribhadra. Early Vaishnava philosophy is marked by Nathamuni and later acharyas such as Ramanuja. Buddhist scholarship produced many key figures, with Aryadeva and Dignaga particularly influential in philosophy and logic.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: None of the pairs

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Only one pair

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: All three pairs

With reference to Indian history, consider the following pairs: Aryadeva - Jaina scholar Dignaga - Buddhist scholar Nathamuni - Vaishnava scholar How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

With reference to Indian history, consider the following pairs:

Aryadeva - Jaina scholar

Dignaga - Buddhist scholar

Nathamuni - Vaishnava scholar
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?