[Mission 2023] STATIC QUIZ, 30 December 2022 – Ancient and Medieval

Solution: c)

Nathpanthis, Siddhacharas and Yogis:

• They advocated renunciation of the
• To them the path to salvation lay in meditation on the formless Ultimate Reality and the realisation of oneness with it.
• To achieve this they advocated intense training of the mind and body through practices like yogasanas, breathing exercises and meditation.
• These groups became particularly popular among “low”
• Their criticism of conventional religion created the ground for devotional religion to become a popular force in northern India.

Solution: a)

Solution: b)

Nayanars and Alvars:

There were 63 Nayanars, who belonged to different caste backgrounds such as potters, “untouchable” workers, peasants, hunters, soldiers, Brahmanas and chiefs. The best known among them were Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar and Manikkavasagar. There are two sets of compilations of their songs – Tevaram and Tiruvacakam.

There were 12 Alvars, who came from equally divergent backgrounds, the best known being Periyalvar, his daughter Andal, Tondaradippodi Alvar and Nammalvar. Their songs were compiled in the Divya Prabandham.

Solution: a)

Sufis consider that the knowledge of the Truth can be based only on self-experience. There is no other way to realise the Truth except through one’s own experience. All the practices are aimed at gaining the capability and to enhance the completeness of this experience.

The Almighty cannot be persuaded by cleverness. One, who considers oneself to be frail and prays the Almighty in distress, receives His grace immediately. There is lot of strength in prayers. When the devotee cries for His help, the ocean of His mercy gets stormed. There is no sin so heinous that it cannot be forgiven, provided one repents truly and firmly resolves not to commit it again.

Solution: d)

Kabir was born in the city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, he is known for being critical of both organized religion and religions. He questioned meaningless and unethical practices of all religions primarily the wrong practices in Hindu and Muslim religion.

In Bijak, Kabir mocks the practice of praying to avatars such as Buddha of Buddhism, by asserting “don’t call the master Buddha, he didn’t put down devils”. Kabir urged people to look within and consider all human beings as manifestation of God’s living forms.