Literature, philosophy & religion

Answer: (b) 2 only

Only Statement 2 is correct. The Upanishads do contain many teaching stories, such as the tale of Shvetaketu and his father, and they are much older than the Puranas, which were compiled only from about the early centuries CE.

• ✗ 1. NCERT points to many stories in the Upanishads, for example Shvetaketu and the seed of reality in the Chhandogya Upanishad, and Nachiketa and Yama. Stories that teach a lesson are parables.
• ✓ 2. The early Upanishads date from about the sixth century BCE onwards, while the Puranas were compiled by about the middle of the first millennium CE (from c. 200 CE onwards).

Remember · Upanishads (c. 6th century BCE onwards) are full of teaching stories and are far older than the Puranas (compiled from c. 200 CE onwards).

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 6 Exploring Society: India and Beyond, Ch 7 (practise this chapter) · 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)

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (c) Madhyama-vyayoga

Bhasa is the early Sanskrit dramatist whose plays draw on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Thirteen of them survive, and Madhyamavyayoga is one. The other titles are not his plays: Natyashastra is a treatise on drama and Mahabhashya is a work on grammar.

• ✓ (c) NCERT lists Madhyamavyayogam among Bhasa's extant plays, along with Carudattam, Pratimanatakam and Karnabharam.
• ✗ (b) Natyashastra is the oldest treatise on dramaturgy, ascribed to Sage Bharata. It is a theory text, not a play.
• ✗ (d) Mahabhashya is Patanjali's work, grouped with Panini's Ashtadhyayi among the foundational texts of Sanskrit grammar.

Remember · Bhasa wrote Sanskrit plays on epic themes (thirteen survive), including Madhyamavyayoga. Natyashastra is Bharata's treatise on drama; Mahabhashya is Patanjali's grammar work.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Ch 1 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 9 Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Ch 5 (practise this chapter)

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error