Question 48 from UPSC CSE 2024 - Art & Culture

Question

Consider the following statements:
1. There are no parables in the Upanishads.
2. The Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. 2 only

Strategy: Check the accuracy of each statement against core ancient Indian literature facts. Parables—short instructive stories—are present in the Upanishads, often used to convey philosophical truths, so statement 1 can be eliminated. For statement 2, knowing the literary chronology helps: the Upanishads are older than the Puranas. Thus, select statement 2 as correct.

Key Info: The Upanishads, classified as Vedanta, represent the concluding portion of Vedic literature and primarily focus on philosophical and metaphysical questions. They were composed roughly between 800 BCE and 400 BCE, with principal Upanishads like Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, and Katha containing numerous parables—such as dialogues between Nachiketa and Yama, Satyakama and Jabala, and others—to elucidate complex concepts like Atman and Brahman. The Puranas are a different category of ancient Hindu texts, written predominantly from around the 3rd to 10th centuries CE or later. They are encyclopedic narratives containing myths, genealogies, legends, and religious rituals, and are significantly later in origin than the Vedic texts, including the Upanishads. While the Upanishads are didactic and philosophical, the Puranas are more aligned with traditional Hindu mythology and devotional practices.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: 1 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: Both 1 and 2

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: Neither 1 nor 2

Consider the following statements: There are no parables in the Upanishads. The Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements:

There are no parables in the Upanishads.

The Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?