General Awareness · History

Indian Literature and Texts

3,277 Questions

Indian literature features rich ancient texts, epics like the Mahabharata, and philosophical Upanishads. This topic covers seminal works of Indian mythology and Sanskrit tradition. It is a highly scoring area in UPSC, state PSC, and other competitive examinations.

Ancient Indian epicsSacred Hindu textsSanskrit traditionIndian mythologyJain literary texts

Indian Literature and Texts Questions

Multiple choice general knowledge history
  1. Tripitakas

  2. puranas

  3. mangidis

  4. jathaka kathas

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Tripitakas (Three Baskets) are the primary sacred texts of Buddhism, containing Buddha's teachings. They consist of Vinaya Pitaka (monastic rules), Sutta Pitaka (discourses), and Abhidhamma Pitaka (philosophical analysis). Jataka tales are stories about Buddha's previous lives, but not the canonical holy books.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. Dreams of jannie

  2. Rage of Angles

  3. Screen james

  4. Nancy

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Sidney Sheldon's 'Rage of Angels' (1980) was adapted into a TV film in 1983. The novel follows a woman lawyer's life and career, and the adaptation starred Jaclyn Smith. Sheldon was known for his bestselling novels that were frequently adapted for television and film.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. Dalai Lamba

  2. Pervez Musharraf

  3. Asli Ali Zaradri

  4. Ashok Kumar

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, authored 'The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality' published in 2005. The book explores the intersection between Buddhist philosophy and modern science, discussing topics like quantum physics, consciousness, and ethics. The other options are political figures (Musharraf, Zardari) or actors (Ashok Kumar) not associated with such philosophical works.

Multiple choice general knowledge culture
  1. The Bible

  2. Hiraka Sutra

  3. The Ramayana

  4. The Mahabaratha

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra), dated AD 868, is considered the world's oldest printed book. It was discovered in the Dunhuang caves in China. The Buddhist text was printed using woodblock printing during the Tang dynasty. The Bible, Ramayana, and Mahabharata manuscripts existed earlier but in handwritten form, not printed form. The spelling 'Hiraka Sutra' appears to be a variant/transliteration of Diamond Sutra.

Multiple choice general knowledge culture
  1. Bhagvad Gita

  2. Puranas

  3. Upanishads

  4. Vedas

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Vedas are the oldest and most authoritative Hindu scriptures (c. 1500-500 BCE), considered the supreme source of religious knowledge. While Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, and Upanishads are sacred texts, the Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva) are regarded as the most pious as they are believed to be eternal divine revelations (shruti) rather than human compositions (smriti).

Multiple choice general knowledge culture
  1. Zend Avesta

  2. Injil

  3. Torah

  4. Zabur

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Zend Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts in Zoroastrianism, the ancient Persian religion. It was composed in the Avestan language. Injil is the Islamic term for the Gospel of Jesus, Torah is Jewish scripture, and Zabur refers to the Psalms.

Multiple choice general knowledge culture
  1. Sam ved

  2. Rig ved

  3. Atharva ved

  4. Yjur ved

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Rig Veda is the oldest among the four Vedas of Hindu scripture, composed approximately between 1500-1200 BCE. It contains hymns dedicated to various deities and is considered the foundation of Hindu literature and culture.

Multiple choice general knowledge history
  1. Zend Avesta

  2. Koran

  3. Bible

  4. Guru Granth Sahib

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

To answer this question, the user needs to have knowledge of different religious texts and their associated religions. In this case, the question is asking for the holy book of the Parsis, so the user needs to be familiar with the religious beliefs and practices of the Parsi community.

Now, let's go through each option and explain why it is right or wrong:

A. Zend Avesta: This option is correct. The Zend Avesta is the holy book of the Parsis. It contains the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, the religion followed by the Parsis.

B. Koran: This option is incorrect. The Koran is the holy book of Islam, not the Parsis.

C. Bible: This option is incorrect. The Bible is the holy book of Christianity, not the Parsis.

D. Guru Granth Sahib: This option is incorrect. The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy book of Sikhism, not the Parsis.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

A. Zend Avesta

Multiple choice general knowledge history
  1. India

  2. Bangla Desh

  3. India and Bangla Desh

  4. India and Nepal

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Rabindranath Tagore composed 'Jana Gana Mana,' which became India's national anthem in 1950. He also wrote 'Amar Shonar Bangla,' which was adopted as Bangladesh's national anthem in 1972. Tagore is the only person to have composed national anthems for two different nations. This makes him unique in world history.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. Baksho Rohosso

  2. Gorosthan-e Sabdhan

  3. Napolean er chiti

  4. Hatyapuri

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Baksho Rahasya (The Mystery of the Box) contains the address 'The Nook, Wild Flower Hall, Shimla' for Mr G C Dhameeja. This is a key address in that story. Gorosthan-e Sabdhan involves a different setting in Kolkata, and the other stories have different locations.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports
  1. Rig Veda

  2. Dsicovery of India

  3. Mahabharata

  4. Bibble

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The lines 'There was neither non exist nor exist. There was neither the realm of space nor the sky beyond' are from the Nasadiya Sukta (Creation Hymn) of the Rig Veda, one of the oldest sacred texts. Despite the spelling errors in the question ('non exist', 'Bibble'), option A correctly identifies the Rig Veda as the source.