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Q46 (CDS-II/2021) History & Culture › Culture, Literature, Religion & Philosophy › Ancient and classical literature Answer Verified

Consider the following statements about Patanjali’s Mahabhashya : 1. It makes a mention of Kautilya. 2. It is a book on grammar and refers to historical personalities only incidentally. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

Patanjali’s Mahabhashya is primarily a monumental work on Sanskrit grammar, serving as a comprehensive commentary on Panini’s Ashtadhyayi [1]. While it is a grammatical treatise, it provides valuable incidental historical data. It mentions the Mauryas, the Nanda dynasty, the siege of Ayodhya, and the Ashvamedha sacrifice performed by Pushyamitra Sunga. However, historical scholarship generally notes that the Mahabhashya does not mention Kautilya (Chanakya) or his work, the Arthashastra. The absence of Kautilya's name in the Mahabhashya is often cited by historians as an 'argument from silence' regarding the dating and identity of Kautilya [2]. Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect as there is no mention of Kautilya, while statement 2 is correct because the text is a grammatical work that refers to historical events and personalities only incidentally to illustrate linguistic rules.

Sources

  1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Sanskrit Grammar > p. 99
  2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabhashya
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