Which one of the following pairs of authors and Sanskrit literary works is not correctly matched?
- A.Somadeva : Kathasaritsagara
- B.Ashvaghosha : Buddhacharita
- C.Bilhana : Vikramankadevacharita
- D.Kalidasa : Vasavadatta
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Kalidasa : Vasavadatta. The prose romance Vasavadatta was written by Subandhu, not Kalidasa, so this pair is wrong.
Subandhu's Vasavadatta, of about the sixth or seventh century, is famous for its ornate style full of puns and long compounds. Kalidasa, the great poet of the Gupta age, wrote the plays Abhijnanashakuntalam, Vikramorvashiyam and Malavikagnimitram, the epics Raghuvamsha and Kumarasambhava, and the lyric poems Meghaduta and Ritusamhara. The story of Vasavadatta also appears in Bhasa's play Svapnavasavadatta, which adds to the confusion.
A is correct: Somadeva of Kashmir wrote the Kathasaritsagara in the eleventh century, retelling Gunadhya's lost Brihatkatha.
B is correct: Ashvaghosha, linked with Kanishka's court, wrote the Buddhacharita, a poem on the Buddha's life.
C is correct: Bilhana wrote the Vikramankadevacharita in praise of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI of Kalyani.
Exam tip: Vasavadatta = Subandhu; Svapnavasavadatta = Bhasa; Meghaduta = Kalidasa.
Practice Questions
View allWho among the following is the author of the Kiratarjuniya?
- A.Magha
- B.Bharavi
- C.Bhasa
- D.Bhavabhuti
Show answer
The Kiratarjuniya, a Sanskrit epic poem of the sixth century, was written by Bharavi. The Kiratarjuniya tells, in 18 cantos, a story from the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata: Arjuna performs penance to win divine weapons, and Shiva tests him by appearing as a Kirata, a mountain hunter.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhasa ?
- A.Kavyalankara
- B.Natyashastra
- C.Madhyama-vyayoga
- D.Mahabhashya
Show answer
Madhyama-vyayoga is a one-act Sanskrit play by Bhasa, based on an episode from the Mahabharata. Bhasa is one of the earliest known Sanskrit dramatists, admired by Kalidasa himself.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following is the author of the book, Bandi Jivan ?
- A.Rash Behari Bose
- B.Veer Savarkar
- C.Aruna Asaf Ali
- D.Sachindranath Sanyal
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The revolutionary Sachindranath Sanyal wrote Bandi Jivan, an account of his life as a prisoner. Sanyal was closely linked with Rash Behari Bose in the Banaras conspiracy and was sent to the Cellular Jail in the Andamans.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following is associated with 'Songs from Prison', a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
- A.Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- B.Jawaharlal Nehru
- C.Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- D.Sarojini Naidu
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Read the full explanation →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?
- A.Only one
- B.Only two
- C.Only three
- D.All four
Show answer
Pairs 2 and 4 are right; pairs 1 and 3 name the wrong authors. The Hammira-Mahakavya, a Sanskrit poem on the Chauhan ruler Hammira of Ranthambore, was written by the Jain poet Nayachandra Suri in the fifteenth century.
Read the full explanation →