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Q21 (IAS/2020) History & Culture › Culture, Literature, Religion & Philosophy › Vedic and Hindu religious traditions Official Key

With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following pairs : 1. Parivrajaka - Renunciant and Wanderer 2. Shramana - Priest with a high status 3. Upasaka - Lay follower of Buddhism Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2 (1 and 3 only). Below is the explanation for the cultural terms mentioned:

  • Pair 1 is correctly matched: The term Parivrajaka refers to a "renunciant and wanderer." In ancient Indian tradition, these were individuals who abandoned worldly life and household ties to seek spiritual truth, moving from place to place.
  • Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Shramana refers to a "seeker" or "one who performs acts of austerity." The Shramana movement (including Buddhism and Jainism) was a non-Vedic movement that challenged the authority of the Brahmins. Therefore, a Shramana was not a "priest with high status" but rather a monk or ascetic who rejected traditional priestly hierarchies.
  • Pair 3 is correctly matched: An Upasaka is a "lay follower" of Buddhism (or Jainism). These were householders who followed the Buddha's teachings and supported the monastic community (Sangha) without becoming monks or nuns themselves.

Since pairs 1 and 3 are accurate, while pair 2 is conceptually opposite to its description, Option 2 is the right choice.

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Q. With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following pairs : 1. Parivrajaka - Renunciant and Wanderer 2. Shramana - …
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 3.3/10
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This is a classic 'Static Terminology' question disguised as cultural history. While the skeleton flags it as current affairs due to web hits, these are foundational Ancient India terms found in RS Sharma and NCERTs. The core strategy is mastering the 'Brahmana vs. Shramana' dichotomy and the internal hierarchy of religious orders (Monk vs. Laity).

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In the cultural history of India, does the term "Parivrajaka" mean "renunciant and wanderer"?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 13: Cultural Syncretism: Bhakti Movement in India > 13.3 Impact of Sufism > p. 192
Strength: 5/5
“In parallel with the Bhakti movement in Hinduism, Sufism played a similar role in Islam. The terms Sufi, Wali, Darvesh and Fakir are used for Muslim saints who attempted to develop their intuitive faculties through ascetic exercises, contemplation, renunciation and self-denial. By the 12th century, Sufism had become an influential aspect of Islamic social life as it extended over almost the entire Muslim community. Cultural Syncretism: Bhakti Movement in India 192”
Why relevant

Lists terms (Sufi, Wali, Darvesh, Fakir) used for Muslim saints characterised by ascetic exercises, contemplation, renunciation and self-denial — showing that Indian sources use specific words to label renunciant/ascetic types.

How to extend

A student could compare how Sanskrit or Pali terms for ascetics (e.g., 'parivrajaka') are used in similar lists and look up lexical definitions in contemporary dictionaries or primary texts to see if 'parivrajaka' denotes renunciation and wandering.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: The Rise of the Marathas > Who are the Marathas? > p. 63
Strength: 4/5
“14th century, the Yadava dynasty was overcome by the Khilji Sultanate from Delhi. Amidst such political changes, the cultural traditions continued, particularly those related to bhakti (devotion to the divine or a particular deity). Between the 7th and the 17th centuries, for spiritual upliftment, saints and seekers from several parts of India preferred the path of bhakti to merely external ritualism. These saints, coming from diverse sections of society, composed devotional songs and poetry in the languages of the masses, which allowed their messages to travel far and wide.”
Why relevant

Describes saints and seekers between 7th–17th centuries who composed devotional works and travelled widely — showing a historical pattern of wandering religious renunciates in India.

How to extend

A student could map historical accounts of wandering bhakti saints and check whether 'parivrajaka' is applied to such itinerant devotional figures in literary or inscriptional evidence.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 7: The Revolt of 1857 > Political Causes > p. 170
Strength: 3/5
“succession would have to renounce the regal title and the ancestral Mughal palaces, in addition to the renunciations agreed upon by Prince Faqiruddin. The collapse of rulers—the erstwhile aristocracy—also adversely affected those sections of the Indian society which derived their sustenance from cultural and religious pursuits.”
Why relevant

Uses the word 'renounce' in a historical/religious context (succession would have to renounce the regal title) — illustrating that 'renounce' is a common concept in Indian social/religious language.

How to extend

A student might search for occurrences of the root 'van'/'vraj' or the verb 'to renounce' in primary texts and compare formation of terms like 'parivrajaka' to confirm semantic links to renunciation.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 13: Cultural Syncretism: Bhakti Movement in India > Introduction > p. 190
Strength: 3/5
“Like all cultural traditions, religion too does not exist in isolation. It adapts to existing situations and meets both social and spiritual needs of the people. As a country with a long history, religion in India developed by interacting with various traditions. Vedic religion, which came with the advent of Aryan-speaking peoples to India, absorbed many elements from the Indus civilization. Mother goddess worship had its origins in Harappa. Similarly, in the mid-first millennium of the Common Era, a great religious tradition flourished in the form of a devotional or bhakti movement. Bhakti as a religious concept means devotional surrender to a supreme god for attaining salvation.”
Why relevant

Defines 'bhakti' as devotional surrender to a supreme god for attaining salvation — linking devotional surrender (a form of renunciation of worldly ties) with the broader vocabulary of religious life.

How to extend

A student could examine whether lexicons or literary references classify 'parivrajaka' among bhakti/renunciant categories, implying both renunciation and itinerancy.

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