Which of the following statements with regard to the heterodox sect between sixth and fourth century BC are correct? 1. The Jain ideas were already being circulated in the seventh century BC by Parshva. 2. Although Buddhism, and to a lesser extent Jainism, took account of the changes in material life and reacted against orthodoxy, neither of these sought to abolish the caste system. 3. The first female disciple of Mahavira is said to have been a captured slave woman. 4. Buddha held that nuns could attain spiritual liberation just like a monk and granted them an equal status in the mendicant order. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The heterodox sects of the sixth to fourth century BC, primarily Jainism and Buddhism, emerged as a reaction to Brahmanical orthodoxy [3]. Statement 1 is correct as Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, is historically placed in the 8th or 7th century BC, circulating Jain ideas before Mahavira. Statement 2 is accurate; while these sects challenged Vedic rituals and the supremacy of Brahmins, they did not seek to completely abolish the caste system (varna), instead focusing on spiritual equality and personal effort [1]. Statement 3 is correct according to Jain tradition, which identifies Chandana (or Chandanbala), a captured princess or slave woman, as Mahavira's first female disciple. Statement 4 is incorrect because, although Buddha allowed women into the Sangha (nuns) and acknowledged their spiritual potential, they were subjected to the 'Eight Garudhammas' (heavy rules), which subordinated them to monks, thus not granting them strictly equal status in the mendicant order.

Sources

1. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81r%C5%9Bvan%C4%81tha
2. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects > Causes of Intellectual Awakening > p. 37