With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements :
- 1.Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga.
- 2.Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana.
- 3.Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta – II.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Show answer
Answer: C. Statement 1 is wrong: Panini lived around the 5th-4th century BCE, long before Pushyamitra Shunga; it was Patanjali who is linked to Pushyamitra. Statement 2 is wrong: Amarasimha is traditionally one of the 'nine gems' of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya), not Harsha. Statement 3 is correct: Kalidasa is linked to Chandragupta II. So only 3.
Watch for: Students mix up Panini with Patanjali, the grammarian linked to Pushyamitra Shunga.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because Panini and Amarasimha are wrongly paired.
- B. Wrong because Amarasimha is linked to Chandragupta II, not Harsha.
- D. Wrong because statements 1 and 2 are false.
Source to check: R.S. Sharma, India's Ancient Past; Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.