With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following pairs:
- Parivrajaka – Renunciant and Wanderer
- Shramana – Priest with a high status
- Upasaka – Lay follower of Buddhism
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
| Term | Description |
| Parivrajaka | Refers to renunciants and wanderers in ancient India |
| Shramana | Refers to ascetics and renouncers in ancient India, including monks, lay followers, and ascetics from various sects like Buddhism, Jainism, Ajivika, and others |
| Upasaka | Lay follower of Buddhism |
| Agni | The god of fire in Hinduism, identified as the divine priest and hotṛ (invoking priest) in the initial verse of the Ṛigveda |
| Adhvaryu | The administrative priest in Vedic rituals |
| Rtvij | The sacrificial priest, encompassing various types of priests involved in the Vedic sacrifice, including hotri, potr, nestr, Agnidh, prasastṛ, adhvaryu, and brahman |
| Potṛ | Involved in the ritual of the soma sacrifice |
| Neṣṭṛ | Involved in the ritual of the soma sacrifice |
| Brahman | Involved in the ritual of the soma sacrifice; part of the sacrificial priest group |
| Soma sacrifice | A ritual involving the sacred drink soma, with priests like potṛ, neṣṭṛ, and brahman playing specific roles |
Note: The table represents the different terms and their respective descriptions in a concise format.
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
