Consider the following statements :
- 1.There are no parables in Upanishads.
- 2.Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Show answer
Answer: B. Statement 1 is wrong: the Upanishads contain many parables and stories, such as Nachiketa and Yama in the Katha Upanishad and Satyakama Jabala in the Chandogya Upanishad. Statement 2 is correct: the major Upanishads were composed around 800-500 BCE, while the Puranas were compiled much later, mostly in the early centuries CE. So 2 only.
Watch for: The Upanishads are known as philosophical texts, so students assume they have no stories, but they teach through dialogues and parables.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because the Upanishads do contain parables.
- C. Wrong because Statement 1 is false.
- D. Wrong because the Upanishads are clearly older than the Puranas.
Source to check: NCERT Class 12 Themes in Indian History Part I, Chapter 4 'Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings'; NCERT Class 6 Our Pasts I, Chapter 'New Questions and Ideas'
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.