Consider the following pairs of texts and their subjects:
1. Tilakmanjari – Mathematics
2. Nighantu – Medicine
3. Janakiharan – Logic
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
1 only
2 only
1 and 2
2 and 3
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2024
1. Tilakmanjari – Mathematics: Tilakmanjari is a renowned prose romance (katha) written in Sanskrit by Dhanapala in the 11th century CE. It is a work of literature, not mathematics. This pair is incorrectly matched.
2. Nighantu – Medicine: The term ‘Nighantu’ originally referred to collections of Vedic words, essentially vocabularies or glossaries. Over time, the term was applied to lexicons in various fields. A significant branch of later ‘Nighantu’ literature comprises texts dedicated to listing and describing medicinal plants, minerals, animal products, and their properties, which are fundamental to Ayurveda and traditional Indian medicine (materia medica). Examples include Dhanvantari Nighantu, Raja Nighantu, Bhavaprakasha Nighantu. Thus, Nighantu texts are indeed related to medicine. This pair is correctly matched in this sense.
3. Janakiharan – Logic: Janakiharana is a famous Sanskrit epic poem (Mahakavya) attributed to Kumaradasa, believed to be a poet from Sri Lanka (possibly 6th or 7th century CE). It retells the story of the Ramayana, focusing on the abduction of Sita (Janaki). It is a work of poetry/literature, not logic. This pair is incorrectly matched.
Based on the analysis, only the second pair is correctly matched, considering the later development of Nighantu literature focusing on medicinal substances.