Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation
The writer of Mahabhashya 'Patanjali' was contemporary of-
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Concept
Patanjali, the famous grammarian who wrote the Mahabhashya (a commentary on Panini), is a key figure for dating the linguistic and political history of ancient India.Explanation
Patanjali's writings contain references to the Shunga dynasty and specifically mention performing sacrifices for Pushyamitra Shunga. This places him in the 2nd century BCE.Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option C is correct. Patanjali is widely accepted as the court priest or at least a contemporary scholar during the reign of the first Shunga king.
Logic 2: Chandragupta and Ashoka (A, B) belong to the earlier Mauryan period. Chandragupta I (D) belongs to the much later Gupta period (4th century CE).