निम्नलिखित पर विचार कीजिए :
- 1.बुद्ध में देवत्वारोपण
- 2.बोधिसत्त्व के पथ पर चलना
- 3.मूर्ति उपासना तथा अनुष्ठान
उपर्युक्त में से कौन-सी विशेषता/विशेषताएँ महायान बौद्धमत की है/हैं?
Read this question in English
Consider the following:
1. Deification of the Buddha
2. Treading the path of Bodhisattvas
3. Image worship and rituals
Which of the above is/are the feature/features of Mahayana Buddhism?
(a) 1 only · (b) 1 and 2 only · (c) 2 and 3 only · (d) 1, 2 and 3
उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English
Answer: (d) 1, 2 और 3
From about the first century CE, Mahayana turned the Buddha from a human teacher into a saviour figure, made the compassionate Bodhisattva the ideal to follow, and gave the worship of images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas a central place. All three are Mahayana features.
- ✓ 1. Early Buddhism saw the Buddha as a human who won nibbana by his own effort; Mahayana came to regard him as a saviour who could ensure salvation, in effect deifying him.
- ✓ 2. The Bodhisattva ideal developed in Mahayana: compassionate beings who used their merit to help others rather than to attain nibbana for themselves.
- ✓ 3. Worship of images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, with its attendant rituals, became an important part of the Mahayana tradition.
Remember · Mahayana ('great vehicle'): Buddha as saviour, Bodhisattva ideal, image worship; followers of the older way called themselves Theravadins.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 4 “However, gradually the idea of a saviour emerged. It was believed that he was the one who could ensure salvation. Simultaneously, the concept of the Bodhisatta also developed.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 4 “The worship of images of the Buddha and Bodhisattas became an important part of this tradition. This new way of thinking was called Mahayana”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·