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Q61 (IAS/2020) History & Culture › Culture, Literature, Religion & Philosophy › Buddhist doctrine and sects Official Key

With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term 'paramitas' ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3.

In Buddhist terminology, Paramitas refers to "perfections" or "transcendental virtues." According to Mahayana Buddhism, these are the essential spiritual qualities cultivated by a Bodhisattva on the path to becoming a fully enlightened Buddha. The traditional list includes six perfections: Dana (generosity), Shila (virtue), Kshanti (patience), Virya (energy), Dhyana (meditation), and Prajna (wisdom).

Regarding other options:

  • Option 1 refers to Dharmasutras.
  • Option 2 refers to Heterodox or Nastika schools like Charvaka or Jainism.
  • Option 4 refers to groups like Ayyavole or Manigramam.

Therefore, Paramitas specifically describe the moral and spiritual discipline required to achieve the state of a Bodhisattva, making Option 3 the accurate cultural description.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term 'paramitas' ? [A] The…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 2.5/10
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This is a classic 'Term-Definition' question from the static Art & Culture syllabus. While the exact word might be a footnote in some NCERTs, it is a headline concept in standard references (Nitin Singhania, RS Sharma) under Mahayana Buddhism. The strategy is simple: when studying a religion, memorize its unique vocabulary (Sects, Texts, Terms).

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 "paramitas" refer to the earliest Dharmashastra texts written in aphoristic (sutra) style?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Kinship, Caste and Class > Eight forms of marriage > p. 58
Strength: 5/5
“These were meant to be followed by Brahmanas in particular and the rest of society in general. From c. 500 BCE, these norms were compiled in Sanskrit texts known as the Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras. The most important of such works, the Manusmriti, was compiled between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE. While the Brahmana authors of these texts claimed that their point of view had universal validity and that what they prescribed had to be obeyed by everybody, it is likely that real social relations were more complicated. Besides, given the regional diversity within the subcontinent and the difficulties of communication, the influence of Brahmanas was by no means all-pervasive.”
Why relevant

States that from c. 500 BCE norms were compiled as Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras, identifying a class of texts called Dharmasutras.

How to extend

A student could check whether the label 'paramitas' appears as a title or synonym among known Dharmasutras/Dharmashastras to test the claim.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires > DON'T MISS OUT > p. 95
Strength: 5/5
“The famed Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini lived around the 5th century BCE, during the time of the Nandas. He is known for composing the Aṣhṭādhyāyi, an ancient text that lists the rules of Sanskrit grammar in 3,996 short sūtras. Sūtras: Sutras are concise, carefully crafted phrases that capture knowledge and important ideas (from ancient Indian text) in a way that's easy to remember and pass on.”
Why relevant

Defines sūtras as concise, memorable aphorisms and gives Panini's Aṣṭādhyāyi as an example of a work composed of short sūtras.

How to extend

Use this definition to assess whether 'paramitas' is likely to be the name of an aphoristic sutra corpus or instead a doctrinal term found within sutra/other texts.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Art and Culture > p. 60
Strength: 4/5
“Most of the literature and art of the period have not survived. Sanskrit language and literature. Emergence of State and Empire were enriched by the work of the grammarian Panini (c. 500 BCE), and Katyayana, who was a contemporary of the Nandas and had written a commentary on Panini's work. Buddhist and Jain texts were primarily written in Pali. Evidently many literary works in Sanskrit were produced during this period and find mention in later works, but they are not available to us. The Arthasastra notes the performing arts of the period, including music, instrumental music, bards, dance and theatre.”
Why relevant

Notes production of many Sanskrit works in this period and highlights Panini and grammarian tradition that used sutra style.

How to extend

Combine with knowledge of Dharmasutra dating to judge chronological plausibility that an early aphoristic corpus called 'paramitas' would be a Dharmashastra.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings > How Buddhist texts were prepared and preserved > p. 86
Strength: 4/5
“The Vinaya Pitaka included rules and regulations for those who joined the sangha or monastic order; the Buddha's teachings were included in the Sutta Pitaka; and the Abhidhamma Pitaka dealt with philosophical matters. Each pitaka comprised a number of individual texts. Later, commentaries were written on these texts by Buddhist scholars. As Buddhism travelled to new regions such as Sri Lanka, other texts such as the Dipavamsa (literally, the chronicle of the island) and Mahavamsa (the great chronicle) were written, containing regional histories of Buddhism. Many of these works contained biographies of the Buddha. Some of the oldest texts are in Pali, while later compositions are in Sanskrit.”
Why relevant

Describes Buddhist textual categories (Sutta, Abhidhamma, Vinaya) and that philosophical matters appear chiefly in Abhidhamma and Sutta collections.

How to extend

A student could use this to investigate whether the term 'paramitas' (a known doctrinal term in Buddhist literature) is more commonly treated as teaching within Buddhist suttas rather than as a Dharmashastra title.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Buddhist Literature > p. 99
Strength: 3/5
“The earliest Buddhist works are in Pali, but in the later phase, Sanskrit came to be used to a great extent. Most of the works are in prose with verse passages in mixed Sanskrit. Arya Deva and Arya Asanga of the Gupta period are the most notable writers. The first regular Buddhist work on logic was written by Vasubandhu. Vasubandhu's disciple, Dignaga, was also the author of many learned works.”
Why relevant

Indicates that many early Buddhist works exist in Pali and later in Sanskrit and that prose suttas and philosophical works were composed, suggesting different genres where doctrinal lists appear.

How to extend

Combine with the sutra/ Dharmashastra distinction to check whether 'paramitas' fits the genre of doctrinal lists within Buddhist suttas/Abhidhamma rather than being a Dharmashastra sutra corpus.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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