UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 25
With reference to ancient Indian History, consider the following pairs:
| Literary work | Author |
|---|---|
| 1. Devichandragupta | Bilhana |
| 2. Hammira-Mahakavya | Nayachandra Suri |
| 3. Milinda-panha | Nagarjuna |
| 4. Nitivakyamrita | Somadeva Suri |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Correct Option: B (Only two)
Explanation: Hammira-Mahakavya is attributed to Nayachandra Suri and Nitivakyamrita to Somadeva Suri. The other two works have different authors.
Statement / Pair / Item-wise Analysis:
1. Incorrect/False - Devichandraguptam is attributed to Vishakhadatta, not Bilhana.
2. Correct/True - Nayachandra Suri authored Hammira-Mahakavya.
3. Incorrect/False - Milinda-panha is an early Buddhist dialogue involving King Milinda and Nagasena, not a work by Nagarjuna.
4. Correct/True - Nitivakyamrita was composed by Somadeva Suri.
Option-wise Analysis:
A. Incorrect-it counts 1, but items 2, 4 qualify, giving 2.
B. Correct-exactly 2 of the 4 listed items satisfy the condition.
C. Incorrect-it counts 3, but only 2 qualify; item(s) 1, 3 do not.
D. Incorrect-it counts 4, but only 2 qualify; item(s) 1, 3 do not.