- There are no parables in Upanishads.
- Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.
Answer: 2 only
Notes: The correct answer is [B] 2 only. The Upanishads and Puranas represent two different layers of ancient Indian literature, belonging to the Vedic and Post-Vedic periods respectively.
- Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Upanishads are well-known for using parables (stories with a moral or spiritual lesson) to explain complex metaphysical concepts like Brahman and Atman. Famous examples include the story of Nachiketa and Yama in the Katha Upanishad, the dialogue between Satyakama Jabala and his teacher in the Chhandogya Upanishad, and the parable of the Two Birds in the Mundaka Upanishad.
- Statement 2 – Correct: The principal Upanishads (Mukhya Upanishads) were composed roughly between 800 BCE and 500 BCE, during the later Vedic period. In contrast, the Puranas, in their current written form, are generally dated to the Gupta period and later (approx. 300 CE to 1000 CE). While Puranic oral traditions are old, the texts themselves are significantly younger than the core Upanishads.
