Q64 · UPSC Prelims 2024 · Set A · Art and Culture

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Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk, who travelled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, was the author of a commentary on :

A Prajnaparamita Sutra
B Visuddhimagga
C Sarvastivada Vinaya
D Lalitavistara

Correct answer: (c) Sarvastivada Vinaya

Explanation

  1. A

    Prajnaparamita Sutra

    Prajnaparamita Sutra. Perfection-of-wisdom corpus; not Sanghabhuti’s known commentary.

  2. B

    Visuddhimagga

    Visuddhimagga. Buddhaghosa’s Pali path-manual, centuries later in Sri Lanka.

  3. C

    Sarvastivada Vinaya

    Sarvastivada Vinaya. Sanghabhuti (end of 4th century) commented on this vinaya in China.

  4. D

    Lalitavistara

    Lalitavistara. A Buddha-biography sutra, not his vinaya commentary.

Summary. Official key is (c) Sarvastivada Vinaya. Chinese tradition records Sanghabhuti, an Indian monk who reached China in the late 4th century, as a commentator on the Sarvastivada monastic code. Visuddhimagga and Lalitavistara are different genres and authors.