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Question 48 of 72 · Vedic Period
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The Yoga school of Indian philosophy was systematised by:

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Answer: Option D — Patanjali

Detailed Solution

The Yoga school of philosophy was systematised by the sage Patanjali in his "Yoga Sutras".

About the Yoga Sutras:

  • They consist of about 196 short sutras (aphorisms), divided into four chapters ("padas"): Samadhi, Sadhana, Vibhuti and Kaivalya.
  • They were composed probably between the 2nd century BCE and the 4th century CE.
  • The second sutra defines yoga as "yogas chitta vritti nirodhah", meaning "yoga is the stopping of the fluctuations of the mind".

Ashtanga Yoga (the eight limbs of yoga):

Patanjali described eight limbs (steps) of yoga:

  • "Yama": moral restraints (non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, non-possession).
  • "Niyama": personal disciplines (purity, contentment, austerity, study, devotion to God).
  • "Asana": posture.
  • "Pranayama": control of breath.
  • "Pratyahara": withdrawal of the senses.
  • "Dharana": concentration.
  • "Dhyana": meditation.
  • "Samadhi": complete absorption.

Philosophy of Yoga:

  • It is closely linked with the Samkhya school, and accepts its theory of purusha and prakriti.
  • Unlike early Samkhya, it accepts the idea of God ("Ishvara"), as a special purusha.
  • Its goal is "kaivalya", the isolation of the self from matter, leading to liberation.

Yoga today:

  • At India's proposal, the United Nations General Assembly declared 21 June as the "International Day of Yoga" in December 2014; it was first celebrated in 2015.
  • UNESCO inscribed "Yoga" on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016.
  • The Ministry of AYUSH promotes yoga.

About Patanjali:

According to tradition, he was also the author of the "Mahabhashya", a commentary on Panini's grammar, though scholars debate whether this was the same person.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Kapila, Kanada and Jaimini are associated with other schools of philosophy.

Quick tip

Remember: Yoga = Patanjali (Yoga Sutras; eight limbs, Ashtanga Yoga; "chitta vritti nirodhah"); International Day of Yoga = 21 June (since 2015).

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Vedic Period — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Vedic Period, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

The Vedic period followed the arrival of the Indo-Aryans and is divided into the Early (Rig Vedic) and Later Vedic ages. This topic covers the four Vedas, the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads, Vedic society, polity, economy and religion, and the rivers and gods mentioned in Vedic texts. Exams often ask which Veda deals with what (the Sama Veda with music, the Atharva Veda with charms and medicine), the most important Rig Vedic god (Indra), and Vedic assemblies such as the Sabha and Samiti. Note how society changed from the Early to the Later Vedic age, especially the rise of the varna system and the growth of kingship. Practise the Vedic period questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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