UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 17
With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements :
- Sautrantika and Sammitiya were the sects of Jainism.
- Sarvastivadin held that the constituents of phenomena were not wholly momentary, but existed forever in a latent form.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Correct Option: B
Explanation: Sautrantika and Sammitiya belong to Buddhist philosophical/sectarian history, not Jainism. Sarvastivada taught that dharmas exist across past, present and future.
Statement/Pair-wise Analysis:
Statement/Item 1: Incorrect - Both Sautrantika and Sammitiya are historical Buddhist schools, not Jain sects.
Statement/Item 2: Correct - Sarvastivada (“all exists”) treats dharmas as existing across the three times, even though their manifestations change.
Option-wise Analysis:
A: Incorrect - includes incorrect statement/item 1; omits correct statement/item 2.
B: Correct - includes all and only the true statements/items.
C: Incorrect - includes incorrect statement/item 1.
D: Incorrect - omits correct statement/item 2.