Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
Which twelfth century Sanskrit scholar was first responsible for the compilation of 'Nibandhas' or digests of epic and Puranic texts?
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Concept
By the 12th century, Indian literature had become so vast that scholars began creating 'Nibandhas' (digests) to organize and summarize knowledge from the Smritis, Puranas, and Epics into manageable thematic codes.Explanation
Lakshmidhara, the minister of the Gahadavala King Govindachandra, authored the 'Kritya-kalpataru', which is the most influential early collection of Nibandhas.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option C is correct. Lakshmidhara’s work set the pattern for subsequent legal and religious digests in India.
Purpose: These texts served as reference manuals for judges, priests, and administrators to understand 'Dharma' without reading thousands of original pages.