UPSC Prelims 2024 Question:

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?

Explanation:

• A parable is a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson. Upanishads also called as Vedanta tried to explain the higher meaning of rituals, and answered metaphysical questions like Atma, Brahma and Prakriti. These lessons are presented in the form of questions and answers between Guru and Shishya. For example - The Chandogya Upanishad is one of the most famous and often-read Upanishads. It tells the story of a father teaching his son the ultimate truth of Hinduism. In the beginning of the Upanishad, the father sends the boy away to study the Vedas with a religious instructor. The Katha Upanishad, for instance, uses the parable of the chariot to explain the nature of the self and the chariot rider. So, statement 1 is not correct.
  
  
• On the other hand, Puranas are generally considered to be later compositions compared to the Upanishads. The Upanishads are believed to be composed between 800 BCE and 500 BCE, while the Puranas are estimated to have been compiled between 500 BCE and 1000 CE. So, statement 2 is correct.
  
  

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.

Subject: History| Indian Literature