UPSC CSE Prelims 2022

Religious Thinkers of India

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

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?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: C

Concept This question tests the identification of prominent philosophers from different religious traditions during the early medieval period.

Explanation Aryadeva was a Mahayana Buddhist, not a Jaina. Dignaga is recognized as the father of Buddhist logic. Nathamuni was the first of the great Acharyas who organized the Sri Vaishnava tradition.

Logical Breakup

Logic 1: Pair 1 is incorrect. Aryadeva was a disciple of Nagarjuna and a key philosopher of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism.

Logic 2: Pair 2 is correct. Dignaga founded the system of Buddhist logic (Pramana).

Logic 3: Pair 3 is correct. Nathamuni was a famous Vaishnava saint who compiled the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.

Active Recall

Question

What was Dignaga's major contribution to Indian philosophy?

Answer

He established the 'Pramanasamuccaya', shifting the focus of Buddhist thought toward logic and epistemology to defend Buddhist tenets against rivals.

Core Insight

Scholars like Aryadeva and Dignaga represent the intellectual zenith of Nalanda university and the expansion of Mahayana thought into logic.

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?

Solution & Analysis

Active Recall

Core Insight

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