Prelims 2019 · Q9
EasyConsider 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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 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). Permalink ·