Prelims 2003 · archive
HardConsider the following statements:
- 1.Vardhaman Mahavira’s mother was the daughter of Lichchhavi chief Chetaka
- 2.Gautama Buddha’s mother was a princess from the Koshalan dynasty
- 3.Parshvanatha, the twenty-third Tirthankara, belonged to Benaras.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 2 and 3
Statement 3 is settled: Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, is traditionally placed at Varanasi (Benaras). Statements 1 and 2 rest on family traditions that vary between accounts; the generally accepted answer treats statement 2 as correct and statement 1 as not.
- • 1. Mahavira was born near Vaishali; traditions link his mother Trishala to the Licchavi chief Chetaka's family, but accounts differ on whether she was his daughter or sister.
- • 2. Traditions differ on the Buddha's mother's family; the Sakya clan of Kapilavastu is the one NCERT names for his father.
- ✓ 3. Parshvanatha is the 23rd Tirthankara and, with Mahavira, one of the two historical Tirthankaras; tradition places his birth at Varanasi (Benaras).
Remember · Parshvanatha (23rd) and Mahavira (24th) are the historical Tirthankaras; Mahavira was born near Vaishali.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 6 Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Ch 7 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 6 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Chapter 7 “His birthplace was near the city of Vaishali, in modern-day Bihar.”
- NCERT Class 11 · Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Chapter 2 “Out of these twenty four ti-rthan karas, the last two, i.e., Parsvanatha and Mahavi-ra (sixth century B.C.) are historical personalities.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2003, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2003: the answer shown is the generally accepted one, and the sources above explain the facts behind it. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·