General Awareness · Civics Polity

Indian Philosophy and Aesthetics

2,776 Questions

Indian philosophy spans diverse concepts from Buddhist teachings and practices to ancient aesthetics. This collection covers meditation rules, spiritual enlightenment, and cultural expressions like Odissi. These topics are vital for general awareness in civil services and state exams.

Buddhist philosophy practicesAesthetics treatisesTantra categoriesMoksha conceptsClassical dance movements

Indian Philosophy and Aesthetics Questions

Multiple choice

Kaushetki and Aitreya Brahmanas are attached to

  1. Yajur Veda

  2. Atharva Veda

  3. Sama Veda

  4. Rig Veda
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Each veda has several Brahmanas attached to it. For example: 1. Rigveda: Kaushetki and Aitreya 2. Yajurveda: Taitriya and Shatpatha 3. Samveda: Panchvish and Jemineya

Multiple choice

How many Vedangas were composed during the later Vedic period?

  1. Four

  2. Five

  3. Six

  4. Eight
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The most important contribution of the later Vedic period was the composition of Vedangas. These Vedangas were regarded as less authoritative than Sruti and are styled Smriti. They were six in number:

  1. Siksha (phonetics)   2. Kalpa (ritual)    3. Vyakaran (grammar)
  2. Nirukta (etymology)   5. Chhand (metrics)   6. Jyotish (astronomy)
Multiple choice

Ceremonies of Hindu marriage have been laid down in minute detail in

  1. Dharma sutra

  2. Dharma shastra

  3. Grhiya sutra

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Dharma Shastra texts like Manusmriti contain detailed prescriptions for Hindu marriage ceremonies (samskaras). Grhya Sutras deal with domestic rituals but Dharma Shastras provide the comprehensive legal and religious framework for marriage rites. Dharma Sutras primarily outline social duties rather than ceremonial details.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are correct in relation to Jainism?

  1. Tirthankaras were regarded as deities in pantheistic or polytheistic sense.
  2. Apart from the Tirthankaras, Jains worship some special Arihants.

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both of these

  4. Neither of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Tirthankaras are not regarded as deities in the pantheistic or polytheistic sense, but rather as pure souls that have awakened the divine spiritual qualities that lie dormant within each of us. Apart from the Tirthankaras, Jains worship special Arihants, such as Bahubali. A statue of Bahubali is located at Shravana Belagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka state. It is a sacred place of pilgrimage for Jains.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not correctly matched?

  1. Digha Nikaya – collections of long sermons of Buddha

  2. Lalitavistara – an anonymous biography of Buddha

  3. Jataka – comprises of stories of previous births of Buddha

  4. Vinaya Pitaka – legends about Bodhisattvas

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

Vinaya Pitaka is a Buddhist scripture, one of the three parts that make up the Tripitaka. Its primary subject matter is the monastic rules for monks and nuns.

Multiple choice

Which among the following is not one of the triple gems of Jainism that provide the path for attaining liberation from the cycles of birth and death?

  1. Right knowledge

  2. Right faith

  3. Right vision

  4. Right conduct
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Jainism encourages spiritual development through cultivation of one's own personal wisdom and reliance on self-control through vows. The triple gems of Jainism - right vision or view (Samyak Darshana), right knowledge (Samyak Gyana) and right conduct (Samyak Charitra) - provide the path for attaining liberation from the cycles of birth and death.

Multiple choice

What did the term 'nikaya' refer to during the Maurya period?

  1. Village headman

  2. A type of coin

  3. A group of administrators

  4. Religious philosophy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The king during the Maurya period was assisted by a council of advisors styled the Parishad or the Mantri Parishad. There were also bodies of trained officials (nikaya) who looked after the ordinary affairs of the realm.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is/are correct in relation to Samudragupta?

  1. He was a great patron of art and literature.
  2. He was a firm believer in Buddhism.
  3. He had friendly relations with the Malwas, the Yaudheyas, the Arjunayanas, the Maduras and the Abhiras, all of which provided strength to his empire.

  1. 1, 2 and 3

  2. Only 1 and 2

  3. Only 1

  4. Only 1 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Samudragupta was not only a talented military leader but also a great patron of art and literature. He was a firm believer in Hinduism and is known to have worshipped Lord Vishnu. He attacked the Malwas, the Yaudheyas, the Arjunayanas, the Maduras and the Abhiras, all of which were tribes in the area.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

  1. The earliest Pandya to be found in epigraph is Nedunjeliyan.
  2. Pandyas are also mentioned in the Pillars of Ashoka.

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The earliest Pandya to be found in epigraph is Nedunjeliyan. The record documents a gift of rock-cut beds, to a Jain ascetic. Statement 2 is also correct: Pandyas are also mentioned in the Pillars of Ashoka (inscribed 273 - 232 BCE).