Which of the following statements about Saguna bhakti traditions is/are correct ? 1. Saguna bhakti traditions focus on the worship of specific deities such as Vishnu or his avatars. 2. In Saguna bhakti traditions, Gods and Goddesses are conceptualised in anthropomorphic forms. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Both 1 and 2. Saguna bhakti is devotion to God with attributes, so it centres on particular deities and imagines them in human-like forms. Historians divide the bhakti traditions into two broad groups. Saguna, meaning with attributes, includes traditions that worship specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars like Rama and Krishna, and forms of the goddess, often shown in images and temple idols with human features and stories. Tulsidas, devoted to Rama, and Surdas and Mirabai, devoted to Krishna, are well-known saguna saints, as are the Alvars and Nayanars of south India. Nirguna, meaning without attributes, is the worship of an abstract, formless God, as in the teachings of Kabir and Guru Nanak. Option A is wrong because it leaves out statement 2, which is also correct. Option B is wrong because it leaves out statement 1. Option D is wrong because both statements correctly describe saguna bhakti. Exam tip: saguna = God with form (Tulsidas, Surdas, Mirabai); nirguna = formless God (Kabir, Nanak).
Practice Questions
View allThe principle that the framing of the new Constitution for independent India should be primarily (though not solely) the responsibility of Indians themselves, was for the first time conceded in the
- A.Government of India Act, 1935
- B.August Offer of Viceroy Linlithgow
- C.Cripps Proposals
- D.Cabinet Mission
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Made on 8 August 1940, it was the first time the British government accepted that framing India's new constitution should be mainly the responsibility of Indians.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following was the author of the famous Sanskrit work 'Mrichchhakatika'?
- A.Kalidasa
- B.Bhasa
- C.Valmiki
- D.Shudraka
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Mrichchhakatika, meaning 'The Little Clay Cart', is a ten-act Sanskrit play attributed to King Shudraka. The play tells the love story of Charudatta, a generous Brahmin merchant of Ujjayini who has lost his wealth, and Vasantasena, a rich and noble courtesan.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about the technological innovations during the Industrial Revolutions are correct ? 1. Mule was the nickname for a machine invented in 1779, that allowed the spinning of strong and fine yarn. 2. Water Frame, invented in 1769 by Richard Arkwright, made it possible to weave pure cotton clothes. 3. Power loom, invented by Edmund Cartwright in 1787, could be used to weave any kind of materials. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.1, 2 and 3
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.3 only
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All three statements correctly describe the spinning and weaving machines that drove the British cotton industry in the late eighteenth century.
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following was NOT a Panch Sheel principle ?
- A.Peaceful Co-existence
- B.Mutual respect for territorial integrity
- C.Nuclear deterrence
- D.Non-interference in internal affairs
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Panchsheel is a set of five principles of peaceful relations between states, and the threat of nuclear weapons has no place in it.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about Rabatak inscription is not correct ?
- A.It throws important light on Kushana genealogy.
- B.It refers to Kanishka as 'a king of kings and a son of God'.
- C.The 23-line inscription is written in Gandhari language.
- D.It mentions names of States which were part of Kanishka's empire.
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The Rabatak inscription is written in the Bactrian language using the Greek script, not in Gandhari. The inscription was found in 1993 at Rabatak in northern Afghanistan.
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