CAPF AC 2021 Q42: Art & Culture – Literature & Languages
Which one of the following pairs of authors and Sanskrit literary works is not correctly matched?
- (a) Somadeva : Kathasaritsagara
- (b) Ashvaghosha : Buddhacharita
- (c) Bilhana : Vikramankadeva-charita
- (d) Kalidasa : Vasavadatta
Answer: (d) Kalidasa : Vasavadatta
Explanation
Sanskrit authors and their works
How to think: check each pair.
The trap is the name Vasavadatta.
The prose romance Vasavadatta is by Subandhu.
The play Svapnavasavadatta is by Bhasa.
Neither is by Kalidasa.
| Author | Work | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Somadeva | Kathasaritsagara | Collection of stories (11th century, Kashmir) |
| Ashvaghosha | Buddhacharita | Life of the Buddha |
| Bilhana | Vikramankadeva-charita | Life of Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI |
| Subandhu | Vasavadatta | Prose romance |
| Kalidasa | Abhijnanashakuntalam, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsha, Kumarasambhava | Plays and poems |
Answer: (d) Kalidasa : Vasavadatta.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. This pair is right: Somadeva wrote the Kathasaritsagara.
- (b) Incorrect. This pair is right: Ashvaghosha wrote the Buddhacharita.
- (c) Incorrect. This pair is right: Bilhana wrote the Vikramankadeva-charita.
- (d) CORRECT. This pair is wrong: Vasavadatta is by Subandhu, not Kalidasa.
Key point
Vasavadatta: Subandhu. Svapnavasavadatta: Bhasa. Kalidasa: Abhijnanashakuntalam, Vikramorvashiyam, Malavikagnimitram, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsha, Kumarasambhava, Ritusamhara.
Remember
Vasavadatta = Subandhu; Svapnavasavadatta = Bhasa.
Common mistakes
- Giving Vasavadatta to Kalidasa because he is the best-known Sanskrit writer.
- Mixing up Subandhu's Vasavadatta with Bhasa's Svapnavasavadatta.
- Confusing Bilhana's Vikramankadeva-charita with Kalidasa's Vikramorvashiyam.
Exam tip
Educated guess: recall the seven works of Kalidasa. Vasavadatta is not among them, so that pair fails.
Sources
- NCERT Class XI Fine Arts — An Introduction to Indian Art and NCERT Class XII History — Themes in Indian History Part I (literary sources)
- A. L. Basham, The Wonder That Was India — Language and Literature