Buddhism, Jainism and other sects: previous-year questions
23 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 8 of them came in the last five papers.
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With reference to the history of philosophical thought in India, consider the following statements regarding Sankhya school :
- 1. Sankhya does not accept the theory of rebirth or transmigration of soul.
- 2. Sankhya holds that it is the self-knowledge that leads to liberation and not any exterior influence or agent.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statement 2 only is correct (b). Sankhya, traced to the sage Kapila, is dualist: it sees reality as purusha (consciousness) and prakriti (matter, with its three gunas). It holds that liberation comes from right knowledge, discriminating the self from matter, not from God or any outside agent (2); classical Sankhya is even atheistic. Statement 1 is wrong: Sankhya accepts rebirth and the transmigration of the subtle body until liberation. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the six orthodox schools: Sankhya pairs with Yoga (Patanjali), Nyaya (logic) with Vaisheshika (atomism), and Mimamsa with Vedanta. Heterodox schools include Charvaka, Buddhism and Jainism. Trap: atheism does not mean denying rebirth.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the history of ancient India, which of the following was/were common to both Buddhism and Jainism?
- 1. Avoidance of extremities of penance and enjoyment
- 2. Indifference to the authority of the Vedas
- 3. Denial of efficacy of rituals
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Both Buddhism and Jainism rejected the authority of the Vedas (2) and denied the efficacy of rituals and animal sacrifices (3), stressing ethics and personal effort instead. Statement 1 is wrong: the Middle Path, avoiding both extreme penance and indulgence, is Buddhist only; Jainism praised severe austerity, even fasting unto death (sallekhana). So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the other contrasts: Jainism believes in a soul in all things, while Buddhism teaches anatta (no permanent self). Both used local languages, Pali and Prakrit, and both arose in the 6th century BCE Magadha region with Kshatriya founders. Trap: shared anti-ritualism hides different views on austerity.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Jain philosophy holds that the world is created and maintained by
Answer (a) & explanation
Universal Law is correct (a). Jainism denies a creator God. It holds that the universe is eternal, uncreated, and runs by its own universal law: the natural working of its six substances (soul, matter, space, time, motion, rest) and the law of karma. (b) and (c) are vague terms that do not express this idea. (d) is wrong: a single 'Universal Soul' (Brahman) belongs to Upanishadic and Vedantic thought; Jainism instead believes in countless individual souls (jivas).
Notice the related ideas: Jain ethics rest on the three jewels (right faith, right knowledge, right conduct) and the five vows led by ahimsa; knowledge is many-sided (anekantavada). Buddhism, too, avoids a creator God. Trap: 'Universal Soul' sounds Indian but is Vedantic.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.