CDS 2018 (I)

Comparative Philosophy

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Which one of the following statements is not correct?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept Al-Biruni was a pioneer of comparative religion, using his knowledge of Sanskrit to find philosophical commonalities between the Islamic and Indian intellectual traditions.

Explanation In his *Kitab-ul-Hind*, Al-Biruni compared Sufi concepts of 'Fana' (annihilation) to the Bhagavad Gita and aligned Sufi soul theories with Patanjali's *Yoga Sutra*.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Options A, B, and C are historically correct. The *Amrita Kunda* (a Hatha Yoga text) was indeed translated and influenced Sufi 'breath control' techniques.
Logic 2: Option D is incorrect. Al-Hujwiri (author of *Kashf al-Mahjub*) was actually critical of the yogis' physiological views, arguing that Sufis should treat the body as a temple of the spirit rather than focusing purely on its physical/elemental composition.

Active Recall

Question

What was the significance of the Amrita Kunda translation?

Answer

It helped integrate Indian Hatha Yogic practices into the spiritual physical training of Sufi orders in India.

Core Insight

Medieval Islamic scholars like Al-Biruni were among the first to view Indian philosophy not as 'heathen' myths but as sophisticated metaphysical systems.