[Solved] Who Composed Madhyamika Karika? Nagarjuna's Work

Madhyamika Karika, the basic text of Madhyamika School, was composed by

[CAPF 2021]

Detailed Solution & Historical Context

Concept

The Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school is a major Mahayana tradition that explores the concept of 'Shunyata' or the emptiness of all phenomena.

Authentic Source Evidence

Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 CE) composed the Mulamadhyamakakarika (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way), which uses rigorous dialectical reasoning to prove that nothing has an inherent, independent existence.

Analytical Breakdown

Logic 1: Option A is correct. Nagarjuna is the father of this tradition, which significantly influenced East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism.

Logic 2: Asanga (B) and Vasubandhu (C) founded the Yogachara (Mind-Only) school. Dharmakirti (D) was a later logician and epistemologist.

Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic

"What is the 'Middle Way' in Madhyamaka?"

It is the middle path between the extremes of eternalism (believing things exist permanently) and nihilism (believing things don't exist at all).

Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip

"Nagarjuna's Madhyamika Karika is one of the most intellectually challenging texts in world philosophy, equating emptiness with dependent origination."

Topic Clusters (click to see related topic questions)

Shunyata 2 Dependent Origination 3

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