Who among the following is the author of the Hastyayurveda ?
- A.Palakapya
- B.Vagbhata
- C.Sushruta
- D.Charaka
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Palakapya. The Hastyayurveda, an ancient Sanskrit treatise on the care and medicine of elephants, is traditionally ascribed to the sage Palakapya.
Hastyayurveda means the Ayurveda of elephants. Set as a dialogue between Palakapya and King Romapada of Anga, it describes the anatomy of elephants, their diseases, surgery, diet and management in four large sections. Elephants were central to Indian armies and royal households, so their care was a specialised branch of knowledge, and Palakapya is regarded as the founder of elephant science (gaja shastra) in India. Treatises on horses (ashvayurveda) and on trees (vrikshayurveda) formed parallel branches.
B is wrong because Vagbhata wrote the Ashtanga Hridaya and Ashtanga Sangraha, compendiums of human medicine. C is wrong because Sushruta wrote the Sushruta Samhita and is known as the father of Indian surgery. D is wrong because Charaka compiled the Charaka Samhita, the classic text of internal medicine.
Exam tip: Palakapya – elephants; Charaka – medicine; Sushruta – surgery; Vagbhata – Ashtanga Hridaya.
Practice Questions
View allThe royal portraits of Simhavishnu and Mahendravarman are found in which cave temple at Mamallapuram?
- A.Varaha Cave
- B.Ramanuja Cave
- C.Adivaraha Cave
- D.Trimurti Cave
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The Adivaraha cave temple at Mamallapuram has two rare royal portrait panels of the Pallava kings. One shows Simhavishnu seated between two queens, and the other shows his son Mahendravarman I standing with his two queens, with labels in the Pallava Grantha script naming them.
Read the full explanation →Near which one of the following cities in India have large statues of Kushana rulers been discovered ?
- A.Karnal
- B.Ropar
- C.Hisar
- D.Mathura
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At Mat, a village near Mathura, the Kushanas had a dynastic shrine (devakula) where life-size statues of their kings were found.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
I. The Kailasanatha temple of Kanchi is the earliest Pallava temple hewn from solid rock.
II. The Vaikuntha Perumal temple at Kanchi is a rare Pallava temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- A.I only
- B.II only
- C.Both I and II
- D.Neither I nor II
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The Kailasanatha temple of Kanchi is a structural temple built of stone blocks, not a temple cut out of solid rock, so statement I is wrong.
Read the full explanation →Teejan Bai, a recipient of the M. S. Subbulakshmi Centenary Award, 2016, is an exponent in
- A.Kannada classical vocal
- B.Kajari dance
- C.Bihu dance
- D.Pandavani, a traditional performing art
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Teejan Bai of Chhattisgarh is the best-known exponent of Pandavani, a folk ballad form that tells stories from the Mahabharata.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following National Parks of India are declared as World Heritage by UNESCO? 1. Keoladeo National Park 2. Sundarbans National Park 3. Kaziranga National Park 4. Ranthambore National Park Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.1, 2 and 3 only
- C.3 and 4 only
- D.1, 2, 3 and 4
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Keoladeo, Sundarbans and Kaziranga national parks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while Ranthambore National Park is not one in its own right.
Read the full explanation →