Indian Philosophy

At the time of Mahavira's birth, his town was prospering in

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Mahavira, also known as Vardhamana, was the twenty-fourth and last guru of the Jain religion. He was born into a royal family in what is currently the state of Bihar, India. The town of his birth at the time when he was born was markedly prosperous in terms of agriculture, health, wealth and wisdom. It is for this reason that he was named Vardhman by his parents. When he was 30 years old, he left his home in search of spiritual awakening and spent over 12 years practising intense meditation and severe penance. After this period, he achieved enlightenment. He then travelled all over India for the next 30 years, teaching his philosophy, which is based on the concepts of ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigraha. He is said to have attained nirvana at the age of 72. He is considered to be the 24th Tirthankara (guru) of Jainism and is regarded as a reformer, rather than a founder of this religion.
While it is unknown exactly that where Mahavira was born, 3 distinct places in Bihar have been identified as possible birthplaces. These include Kundigram in Vaishali district, Lachhuar in Jamui and Kundalpur in Nalanda. Most historians will agree that Basokund was his birthplace, but traditionally, it is considered to be Kundalagrama, which is an ancient city of Vaishali, whose location continues to remain unidentified. According to Jainism, Mahavira was born in the year 540 BCE, which has prompted many historians to consider him to be a contemporary of Gautama Bhudda. According to Jainism, his birth is ascribed to be on the thirteenth day of the rising moon of Chairtra in the Vira Nivana Samvat calendar, which falls in either March or April according to the Gregorian calendar. Mahavira was born into the royal family of King Siddartha of Kudraam and Queen Trishala, whose brother was King Chetaka of Vaishali. In his childhood, he was called Vardhamana, which means “one who grows”. He was named this because of the increased prosperity that was experienced in the kingdom at the time of his birth. Both of his parents are said to be strict followers of Parsva.

According to the passage, What is Mahavira’s philosophy based on?

Directions:  Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

Mahavira, also known as Vardhamana, was the twenty-fourth and last guru of the Jain religion. He was born into a royal family in what is currently the state of Bihar, India. The town of his birth at the time when he was born was markedly prosperous in terms of agriculture, health, wealth and wisdom. It is for this reason that he was named Vardhman by his parents. When he was 30 years old, he left his home in search of spiritual awakening and spent over 12 years practising intense meditation and severe penance. After this period, he achieved enlightenment. He then travelled all over India for the next 30 years, teaching his philosophy, which is based on the concepts of ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigraha. He is said to have attained nirvana at the age of 72. He is considered to be the 24th Tirthankara (guru) of Jainism and is regarded as a reformer, rather than a founder of this religion.
While it is unknown exactly that where Mahavira was born, 3 distinct places in Bihar have been identified as possible birthplaces. These include Kundigram in Vaishali district, Lachhuar in Jamui and Kundalpur in Nalanda. Most historians will agree that Basokund was his birthplace, but traditionally, it is considered to be Kundalagrama, which is an ancient city of Vaishali, whose location continues to remain unidentified. According to Jainism, Mahavira was born in the year 540 BCE, which has prompted many historians to consider him to be a contemporary of Gautama Bhudda. According to Jainism, his birth is ascribed to be on the thirteenth day of the rising moon of Chairtra in the Vira Nivana Samvat calendar, which falls in either March or April according to the Gregorian calendar. Mahavira was born into the royal family of King Siddartha of Kudraam and Queen Trishala, whose brother was King Chetaka of Vaishali. In his childhood, he was called Vardhamana, which means “one who grows”. He was named this because of the increased prosperity that was experienced in the kingdom at the time of his birth. Both of his parents are said to be strict followers of Parsva.

Which philosophy, according to the author, does not represent a mere passing phase?

1. The philosophy that existed at Bhitargaon in Northern India in the fifth century.
2. The philosophy represented by monuments at Ellora and Elephanta.
3. A brick temple with a tower, but with a true arch over the doorway.
4. Philosophy of architectural excellence by carving monoliths out of living stones.

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

From the seventeenth century onward India witnessed the development of its classical architecture in stone. Uptill now the extant architectural remains had overwhelmingly been in the form of monoliths, caves, and buildings cut out of living rock. This mode of architecture continued to create its great monuments at Ellora and Elephanta. But the emphasis was now on stone-block construction.
In the fifth century, Bhitargaon in Northern India had represented a philosophy: a brick temple with a tower, but with a true arch over the doorway. It proved, however, to represent a mere passing phase. The arch, vault and dome, as well as mortar cement, remained strangers to Indian masons till the thirteenth century. As a result, when they built on a large scale, they were obliged either to have towering roofs, the walls tapering to meet at top, or to instal thick pillars, in order to bear the weight of heavy beams. Recourse had then to be taken to using larger and larger solid stone blocks. The inevitable effect of the resulting massiveness was sought to be relieved by a profusion of sculpture with which these structures were increasingly endowed.
The Brahmanical temple constitutes the principal product of this tradition of monumental architecture. Its sanctuary comprised the cella, containing the idol or symbol of the deity and the spire over it. A pillared hall was attached to the sanctuary, with sometimes an intermediate chamber, transepts and porch. Jain temples followed a similar plan.
Two styles, the so-called ‘Indo-Aryan’ (Northern) and ‘Dravidian’ (Southern) have been discerned within this broad tradition of temple architecture. The ‘Aryan’ shikarasare simple ribbed spires, the ‘Dravidian’, terraced towers; the ‘Aryan’ roofs tend to be flat or pyramidal, the ‘Dravidian’, more commonly globular. Both these styles are present in early Chalukya architecture of the Deccan. At Ellora, in Maharashtra, was created the greatest building in India ever cut out of living rock. Cutting down vertically a rectangular space of rock, over 90 m. by 53 m. in area, the shikara being so carved as to be about 30.5 m. high, the rock-cutters scrupulously followed the design of a stone-structured building, with ‘Dravidian’ features.