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Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk, who travelled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, was the author of a commentary on :
Explanation
Sanghabhuti authored a commentary on the Vinaya of the Sarvastivada school, a significant early Buddhist tradition, and his work contributed to its spread and understanding in China during the late 4th century CE.[1] The Sarvastivada school was one of the major early Buddhist schools, and the Vinaya texts deal with monastic discipline and rules governing the Buddhist monastic community.
Option A (Prajnaparamita Sutra) is incorrect as these are Mahayana perfection of wisdom texts not associated with Sanghabhuti. Option B (Visuddhimagga) is incorrect because this text was written by Buddhaghosha in the 5th century CE and is a comprehensive manual of Theravada Buddhism.[2] Option D (Lalitavistara) is incorrect as this is a Mahayana biographical text about the Buddha's life, not connected to Sanghabhuti's work. Therefore, option C is the correct answer as it accurately identifies Sanghabhuti's commentary on the Sarvastivada Vinaya.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a 'Bouncer' question derived from niche historical trivia or specific current affairs regarding cultural diplomacy. It is NOT found in standard NCERTs or Nitin Singhania. The cost-benefit ratio of chasing such obscure monks is poor; rely on logical guessing or skip.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Was Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk who traveled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, the author of a commentary on the Prajnaparamita Sutra?
- Statement 2: Was Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk who traveled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, the author of a commentary on the Visuddhimagga?
- Statement 3: Was Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk who traveled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, the author of a commentary on the Sarvastivada Vinaya?
- Statement 4: Was Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk who traveled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, the author of a commentary on the Lalitavistara?
- Directly states which text Sanghabhuti authored a commentary on (Sarvastivada Vinaya).
- Specifies his work's role in spreading that Vinaya in China in the late 4th century CE, matching the time/place in the statement.
- Explains that a monk would be associated with the Vinaya (monastic code), supporting the attribution of a Vinaya commentary to Sanghabhuti.
- Treats Sarvastivada Vinaya as the plausible authorial attribution rather than Prajnaparamita.
States that Indian Buddhist teachers travelled to faraway places carrying texts which were translated in East Asia.
A student could use this rule to ask whether a travelling Indian monk like Sanghabhuti might have carried or produced commentarial texts (e.g., on the Prajnaparamita) that were then translated in China.
Gives the concrete example of Faxian (early 5th c.) who collected manuscripts in India and took them back to China.
Compare dates/routes: if Sanghabhuti was active around end-4th c., a student could check whether similar pilgrim activity (collecting/commenting texts) occurred slightly earlier and thus was plausible.
Notes Xuanzangâs practice of bringing Sanskrit manuscripts back to China and translating themâshowing a pattern of textual transmission between India and China.
Use this pattern to investigate whether commentaries authored in India were known in Chinese catalogues or translation histories (search Chinese bibliographies for Sanghabhuti or Prajnaparamita commentaries).
Mentions the Karakoram/central Asian routes used by Buddhist monks travelling to China, establishing plausible physical routes for textual transmission.
A student could map Sanghabhutiâs proposed travel date against known use of these routes to assess logistical plausibility of him carrying a commentary to China.
Describes the broad spread of Buddhism from India through Central Asia to China and that Buddhist teachings were reconstructed from translated/edited texts.
This suggests checking whether the Prajnaparamita and its commentaries were among works transmitted along these channels and whether author attributions appear in surviving Chinese or Tibetan editions.
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This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
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