Directions: For the following question, choose the option that fills up the blank most correctly.

A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light, which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the _________ of bards and sages.

The essence of this sentence is that a man should be self-reliant, he should recognize his own thoughts and accordingly act upon them, instead of acting on the infinite thoughts of other poets and philosophers. Therefore, the blank must be replaced by the word that suggests the infinite meaning. 'Firmament' is the sky, viewed poetically as a solid arch or vault, thereby, depicting the vastness or boundless of the sky. Hence, (2) is the answer.