mahajnpd, magadh, jain, budh, vaishnism, shaivism Flashcards

Question

Which was the first empire in ancient India to use elephants in its war on a large scale? (a) Shunga (b) Chola (c) Kushans (d) Magadha

Answer 1

Ans. (d) : Magadha Kingdom was the first ancient kingdom to use elephants in the war. King Bimbisara (C. 544–C.492 BCE), who began the expansion of the Magadhan Kingdom, relied heavily on his war elephants. Chandragupta Maurya (321–297 BCE), had about 9000 elephants

Answer 2

Ans. (c) : The 24th and last Tirthankara of the Jains was Mahavira Swami (Vardhaman Mahavira) (540-527BC). Mahavira left his home at the age of 30 and after 12 years of rigorous penance, he was attained Kaivalya under a Sal tree on the banks of Rijupalika river near village Jrimbhik. Parshvanath was the 23rd Tirthankara of Jainism.

Answer 3

Ans : (a) There are 24 Tirthankaras in Jainism. The first among them was Risabhdeva and the 24th and the last tirthankar was Mahavir Swami. The tirthankara was the tittle of its founder and Jitendriya and enlightened Mahatmas in Jainism. Mahavir is believed to be the real founder of Jainism. The historicity of the preceding Tirthankaras is doubtful except for the 23rd Tirthankara Parshvanath. The period of Parshvanath is considered as 250 BCE before Mahavir Swami. His followers are called as Nirgranth. Jainism believes in rebirth and Karmwad (Karmism). According to him Karma is the cause of birth and death. In Jainism 'Sanlekhna' means to sacrifice the body by fasting

Answer 4

Ans. (c) : See the explanation of above question

Answer 5

Ans : (d) Paryushan is the main festival of Jainism. Basic purpose of the festival is to purify the soul and concentrate on the necessary genres. The people of this community follow the qualities of forgiveness, defecation, truth, penance, renunciation and celibacy.

Answer 6

Ans (d) : Mahavira Swami was considered as the 24th & last Tirthankara of Jainism. He was born in 540 BCE at Kundagrama near Vaishali. His father name was Siddhartha and mother name was Trishala. He was married to Yashoda & had a daughter Priyadarshana. He died at Pavapuri in 468 BCE.

Answer 7

Ans : (c) Santhara also known as Samlehna or Sallekhana, is a supplementary vow to the ethical code of conduct of Jainism. It is the religious practice of voluntarily fasting unto death by gradually reducing the intake of food & liquid. Santhara is a religious ritual of Shwetambara Jain. Whereas Digambara Jain call it Sallekhana

Answer 8

Ans : (b) Kaivalya is related to Jainism. In Jainism attaining enlightenment is called Kaivalya. The 24th & last Tirthankara, Mahavira Swami had abandoned the worldly life at the age of 30 & attained 'Kaivalya' at the age of 42. He had attainted the Kaivalya at Jrimbhika village under a Sal tree. There after he was called Mahavira, Jina, Jitendriya, Nigrantha and Kevalin.

Answer 9

Ans : (b) The Jains collectively call their sacred texts 'Anga' which contain the teaching of Mahavira. Jainism texts are written in semi Magadhi-Prakrit language. Some texts have also been composed in apbhransh. The fundamental principles given by Mahavira Swami the 24th Tirthankar of Jainism are compiled in 14 ancient texts. These texts have been called purva/purva Kalpasutra an important scripture of Jainism, which is written in Sanskrit language

Answer 10

Ans : (b) Ranakpur is located in Rajasthan and is one of the major pilgrimage centres of Jainism. This place is famous for beautifully carved ancient Jain temples. This temple was built during the reign of Rana Kumbha in the 15th century. The main temple of this place is dedicated to the first Jain tirthankara Rishbhanatha.

Answer 11

Ans. (c) : Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) was the birth place of Rishabhdeva, the first Tirthankara of Jainism and Abhinandannath, the fourth Tirthankara.

Answer 12

Ans. (b) : Jina is a Sanskrit term used in Jainism which means "a liberated great teacher or the conqueror (victor). The term Jina has been adopted to denote those who have conquered their enemies. Jainism believes that our enemies are desires that reside within us.

Answer 13

Ans. (c) : The teachings of Mahavira and his followers were transmitted orally for several centuries. They were written down in the form in which they are presently available at a place called Valabhi, in Gujarat, about 1500 years ago.

Answer 14

Ans. (d) : The Son Bhandar Caves are located in Rajgir, Bihar. Son Bhandar Caves, classically is a set of two artificial cave structures located in the foothills on the Vaibhar Hills, dating back to 3rd or 4th century BC These caves belong to the Jains.

Answer 15

Ans. (a) : Mahaprajapati Gautami was the first woman to become a nun in Buddhism. Mahaprajapati Gautami, the maternal aunt (foster) of Mahatma Buddha, was the first woman to be chosen as a nun at the behest of her beloved disciple Ananda.

Answer 16

Ans. (b) : There are many stupa sites in Vengi areas of Andhra Pradesh like Jaggayyapeta, Amaravati, Bhatti Proluro, Nagarjunakonda, Goli etc. • Amaravati was a center of Buddhist studies in the second century BC, located in Andhra Pradesh. • Jaggayyapeta or Jagaiyapeta is located in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, Buddhist stupas dating back to 200 BC have been found here. • Chaukhandi stupa is located in Sarnath, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). It is believed that here Buddha met his five disciples for the first time.

Answer 17

Ans. (c) : The oldest stupa of the Buddhist period is Sanchi Stupa. It is situated in a plateau region to the west of Betwa River in Madhya Pradesh. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989.

Answer 18

Ans. (b) : Gautama Buddha attained 'Bodhi' - enlightenment while meditating under a pipal (Bodhivriksha) tree at Uruvela, near the city of Bodh Gaya in present day Bihar. Gautama Buddha was born in the province of Lumbini, located in Southern Nepal, in 623 BC. He was born into a noble family of the Shakya Clan residing in the Himalayan Foothills. The head of the Shakya clan. Suddhodana, was his father, while his mother Maya was a koliyan princess

Answer 19

Ans. (d) : Vinayapitak was the book in which all the rules made for the Buddhist sangha was written down in. Vinayapitaka literally means "basket of discipline". Buddha's teachings are included in Sutta Pitaka and topics related to philosophy are included in Abhidhamma Pitaka.

Answer 20

Ans.(d): Buddha gave his first sermon in Sarnath near Varansi, which is called Dharmachakrapravartan. He died in Kushinagar of Malla Republic in 483 BC.

Answer 21

Ans. (b) : Kye Gompa, the largest centre of Buddhist learning in the western Himalayas, is situated at Lahaul Spiti district in the state of Himachal Pardesh. Gompa means monastery/temple of Buddhism. It was established in the 11th century.

Answer 22

Ans. (b) : The place of Buddha's birth was Lumbini. It has been also mentioned in the Paderia Inscription of Ashoka. Buddha was also known as Tathagat and Light of Asia. He died at Kushinara. He laid the foundation of Buddhism

Answer 23

Ans. (c) : Lord Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya at the age of 35, on Vaishakha Purnima. The real name of Gautama Buddha was Siddhartha Gautama. He delivered his first sermon at Sarnath (Rishipatana) in Varanasi. The second Buddhist Council took place at Vaishali approximately one hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvana. Rajgir or Rajgriha was associated with the first Buddhist Council. It was also the ancient capital city of Magadha

Answer 24

Ans : (b) Gautama Buddha was a resident of Shakya Republic. The Shakya Republic was located in the North eastern part of Uttar Pradesh and the lowland part of Nepal. In the Buddhist period Kapilvastu was its capital. The father of Gautama Buddha, Shuddhodana was the chief of the Shakya republic.

Answer 25

Ans : (d) First Buddhist Council was held soon after Mahaparinirvana of Gautama Buddha around 483BC under the patronage of king Ajatshatru. It was presided over by Mahakshayapa and was held in Saptparni Cave at Rajgriha

Answer 26

Ans : (c) Buddhist Council Patron Venue Chairman Year First Ajatashatru Rajgriha Mahakashyapa 483 BC Second Kalashoka Vaishali Sabakami 383 BC Third Ashoka Patliputra Moggaliputta- Tissa 250 BC Fourth Kanishka Kundalban (Kashmir) Vasumitra 72 AD

Answer 27

Ans. (a) : See the explanation of above question.

Answer 28

Ans. (d) : Pali literature is primarily a collection of the teachings of Lord Buddha. Most texts of Buddhism were written in Pali language

Answer 29

Ans. (a) : During the reign of Kanishka the ruler of the Kushan dynasty the fourth Buddhist Council was held at Kundalvan in Kashmir. It was headed by Vasumitra and its Vice President was Ashvaghosh. Buddhism, in this committee was divided into two sects Hinayana and Mahayana. It is known that the followers who accepted the original objectives of Buddha without any change were called Hinyani. Those who changed the rigid and traditional rules of Buddism were called Mahayani.

Answer 30

Ans. (a) : The term stupa is associated with the death event of Gautam Buddha. In Stupas the relics related with Gautam Buddha's life is kept such as teeth, ashes, and religious objects. Therefore the Stupa is related to death of Buddha. It is known that Buddha died in Kushinara in 483 BC in 80 year while at the age of 29 he gave up his home and abondoned the world it is called 'Mahabhinishkramana'.

Answer 31

Ans. (d) : The most important sources of Buddhism are Tripitakas. Tripitakas are written in Pali language. They are:– (i) Sutta Pitaka (ii) Vinaya Pitaka & (iii) Abhidhamma Pitaka. The Vinay Pitaka consist of rules of conduct & discipline applicable to the monastic life of monks & nuns. Sutta Pitaka consist of the main teaching or Dhamma of Buddha. It is divided into 5 Nikayas :– Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikayam, Samyutta Nikaya, Anguttara Nikaya & Khuddaka Nikaya. The Abhidamma Pitaka is a Philosophical analysis and systematization of the teaching of Monks.

Answer 32

Ans : (d) See the explanation of the above question.

Answer 33

Ans. (b) : Gautam Buddha's teachings are found mainly in Sutta Pitaka.

Answer 34

Ans : (b) Mahabodhi temple group or Mahabodhi Vihar is a famous Buddhist Vihara located in Bodh Gaya. Lord Buddha attained enlightenment here and spread his divine knowledge in the world. The Bodhi tree mentioned in the Jataka tales is also present here. This was built by Mauryan ruler Ashoka. It was declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002.

Answer 35

Ans : (c) Lord Buddha gave his sermons in Pali language. It was the official language along with the language of the educated community. This language was originally in Magadhi language

Answer 36

Ans. : (a) Chaukhandi, Dhamek, Rambhar Stupa sites are located in Uttar Pradesh. Whereas Bharhut Stupa site is located in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. It was discovered in 1873-74 by Alexander Cunningham, the father of Indian archaeology. Bharhut Stupa was situated at one end of the central province of Magadha Empire. Historians and archaeologists believe that the place where this stupa is situated was an important center of the major highway of that era.

Answer 37

Ans. : (b) Harmika is related to the architecture of the Buddhist stupa. The balcony-like structure built over the anda (egg like structure) was a symbol of the abode of God. It was called Harmika. In it were kept the relics of Buddhist or other Bodhisattvas. The gopuram or gopura (also known as the aviation) is a monumental attallika, often decorated with sculptures and located mostly at the entrance of the temples of South India.

Answer 38

Ans. (c) : Gautama Buddha was the founder of Buddhism, he was born in 563 BC at a place called Lumbini in Kapilvastu. His childhood name was Siddhartha. After the Fourth Buddhist Council held at Kundalvana, Buddhism was divided into two major sect:- Hinayana and Mahayana.

Answer 39

Ans : (b) Mahavastu is an important Buddhist text, which is an early biography of Lord Buddha. The history of the sixth century BC has been presented. The main objective of the Hinayana school is to teach on the basis of 'Mahavastu'

Answer 40

Ans. (b) : Buddha was born around 563 BCE in a small kingdom just below the Himalayan foothills in Lumbini (present day in Nepal). His father was a chief of Shakya clan. His mother name was Maya Devi and at the age of 16 he was married to Yashodhara. At the age of 80 he died in Kushinagar

Answer 41

Ans. (d) : 'The concept of Four Noble Truths is related to Buddhism. Following are the four noble truths:- there is suffering in life, cause of sorrow, there is relief from sorrow & there is a way to get rid of sorrow

Answer 42

Ans. (b) : The Buddhist Sites Vaishali & Nalanda are situated in Bihar. Vaishali is an important Buddhist pilgrim site as Lord Buddha spent 5 years of his life here before announcing his Mahaparinirvana. He also delivered his last sermon here. Nalanda was an acclaimed Mahavihara, a large Buddhist monastery in ancient kingdom of Magadha. It was a centre of learning from 5th century CE to 1200 CE.

Answer 43

Ans. (c) Ashta Mahasthanas are eight great holy places associated with the life of Gautam Buddha. Lumbini, Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Sankasya, Rajagriha and Vaishali were known as Ashta Mahasthan in Buddhist texts. Hence, out of the given options, Raigarh is not related to Ashta Mahasthana

Answer 44

Ans. (d) : During the reign of Kanishka, Kundalvan in Kashmir was the place choosen as the venue of the fourth Buddhist Council.

Answer 45

Ans. (b) : Gautam Buddha, a Shakya prince delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, near Varanasi. Buddha taught four noble truths: • The world is full of suffering. • The main cause of suffering is desire. • To overcome the suffering one must give desire. • One will attain nirvana if disires are given up. The first sermon is called Dhamm Chakraparvatan. The Buddhist literature includes Jataka tales and Tripitaka that were written in Pali.

Answer 46

Ans. (c) : Andal was not a Nayanar Saint. The Nayanars was the Tamil Poet-Saints who played a key role in propagating the Bhakti Movements in Southern India during the 5th -10th centuries. The Nayanars were a group of 63 Saints devoted to Lord Shiva who lived during the 6th to 8th centuries CE. The name of the Nayanars were first compiled by Sundarar. Sundarar–Sundarar means "the lovely, handsome one". He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Sundarar was born in Tirunavalur. Sambandar–He was a Saiva poet Saint of Tamil Nadu. He was a contemporary of Appar, another Saiva poetsaint.

Answer 47

Ans : (b) Nataraja is the depiction of the Hindu God Shiva as the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe to make way for the process of creation. In Hindu mythology, Shiva as Nataraja appears at the end of one cosmic cycle and the beginning of the text, and is thus associated with both creation and destruction. In his hands he holds both the destructive fire and the double-sided drum, the sound from which summons up new creation. Nataraja is derived from the Sanskrit words Nartarajan "lord of dance". The sculpture is usually made in bronze.

Answer 48

Ans : (b) The worship of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shankar) began in the Gupta period under trimurti. Vishnu and Shiva worship is particularly prevalent in the society at present time but the worship of Brahma is neglected. The temple of Brahma is located in Pushkar Rajasthan.

Answer 49

Ans : (d) Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh is dedicated to Lord Shri Venkateswara. The temple is the richest temple in the world and most famous incarnation of Lord Vishnu in South India. Lord Vishnu is one of the principal deities of Hindu trinity and the preserver. God Vishnu is also known as Narayana, Jagannath, Venkateswara, Ranganatha, Padmanabhaswamy, Vasudeva, Vithoba, and Hari. There are various Avatars of Lord Vishnu, Dashavatara of Vishnu are Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki

mahajnpd, magadh, jain, budh, vaishnism, shaivism Flashcards

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