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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only
A parivrajaka is a wandering renunciant and an upasaka is a lay follower of Buddhism, so pairs 1 and 3 are correct. A shramana is an ascetic who strives for spiritual goals, not a priest of high status.
- ✓ 1. NCERT says the renunciants who chose to live as ascetics and wanderers rather than householders were called parivrajaka (wanderer), among other terms.
- ✗ 2. NCERT gives the meaning of shramana as one who strives, that is, an ascetic seeker outside the householder's life. It does not mean a priest of high status.
- ✓ 3. An upasaka is a lay devotee of the Buddha, that is, a Buddhist who is not a member of a monastic order.
Remember · Parivrajaka = wandering renunciant. Shramana = ascetic who strives (not a priest). Upasaka = lay follower of Buddhism, not a monk.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 9 Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Ch 5 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 9 · Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Chapter 5 “Contemporary sources refer to them by different terms, such as parivrajaka (wanderer), bhikshu (one who lives by begging alms), or shramana (one who strives).”
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Upasaka ↗ · reference work “upasaka , lay devotee of the Gautama Buddha. The term correctly refers to any Buddhist who is not a member of a monastic order”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·