With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements: 1. Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga. 2. Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana. 3. Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta-II. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

QUESTION

Medium

Art & Culture

Prelims 2020

With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements:

Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga.
Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana.
Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta-II.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Statement 1 is Incorrect: Panini was a renowned Sanskrit grammarian who authored the 'Ashtadhyayi' around the 5th-4th century BCE. Pushyamitra Shunga, the founder of the Shunga dynasty, ruled much later in the 2nd century BCE. It was the grammarian Patanjali who was contemporary to and associated with Pushyamitra Shunga.

Statement 2 is Incorrect: Amarasimha was a Sanskrit grammarian and poet, famous for the 'Amarakosha'. He was one of the 'Navaratnas' (nine gems) in the court of the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya), whereas Harshavardhana ruled the Pushyabhuti dynasty much later in the 7th century CE.

Statement 3 is Correct: Kalidasa is widely regarded as the greatest Sanskrit poet and dramatist. He was one of the 'Navaratnas' in the court of Chandragupta II (r. 375-415 CE). His masterpiece works include 'Abhijnanashakuntalam', 'Meghaduta', 'Raghuvamsa', and 'Kumarasambhava'.

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