Q20. The Kalpa Sutra is associated with which religion?
[APPSC Panchayat Secretary – 2018]
A. Jainism
B. Buddhism
C. Sikhism
D. Judaism
Answer: A. Jainism
Explanation: The Kalpa Sutra is an important Śvetāmbara Jain text containing biographies of prominent Tirthankaras, monastic genealogies and regulations particularly associated with the Paryushana period.
Q19. The philosophical doctrine of Syādvāda belongs to:
[CGPSC Civil Service – 2018]
A. Jainism
B. Buddhism
C. Vedanta
D. Samkhya
Answer: A. Jainism
Explanation: Syādvāda teaches conditional predication: any assertion describes reality only from a particular standpoint. It is closely related to Jainism’s broader doctrine of Anekāntavāda.
Q18. Mahavira was:
[RRC Group D – 2018]
A. The first Jain Tirthankara
B. The twenty-fourth Jain Tirthankara
C. The founder of Buddhism
D. A Mauryan emperor
Answer: B. The twenty-fourth Jain Tirthankara
Explanation: Mahavira was the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankara of the current Jain cycle. Jain tradition therefore recognizes twenty-three spiritual teachers before him.
Q17. An important reason for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in the sixth century BCE was:
[RRC Group D – 2018]
A. Religious dissatisfaction with elaborate ritualism
B. European influence
C. Islamic expansion
D. Decline of all towns
Answer: A. Religious dissatisfaction with elaborate ritualism
Explanation: The new Śramaṇa movements challenged elaborate sacrifices, hereditary religious authority and ritual orthodoxy while offering alternative paths emphasizing ethics, renunciation, karma and personal spiritual discipline.
Q16. Who was the first Jain Tirthankara?
[SSC JE – 2018]
A. Mahavira
B. Ajitanatha
C. Rishabhadeva
D. Parshvanatha
Answer: C. Rishabhadeva
Explanation: Rishabhadeva or Adinatha is Jainism’s first Tirthankara. His traditional emblem is the bull, and he occupies a prominent position in Jain religious mythology and iconography.
Q15. Who travelled and preached extensively to propagate Jain philosophy in ancient India?
[SSC CHSL – 2018]
A. Mahavira
B. Ashoka
C. Kanishka
D. Kalidasa
Answer: A. Mahavira
Explanation: After attaining Kevala Jnana, Mahavira spent decades teaching across the eastern Gangetic region, gathering monks, nuns and lay followers into an organized fourfold Jain community.
Q14. Syādvāda is related to which religion?
[SSC CHSL – 2018]
A. Jainism
B. Sikhism
C. Islam
D. Christianity
Answer: A. Jainism
Explanation: Syādvāda is Jainism’s doctrine of qualified assertion. It recognizes that statements about reality can be true under certain conditions or viewpoints rather than absolutely and exhaustively.
Q13. The term “Tirthankara” is especially associated with:
[SSC CHSL – 2018]
A. Jainism
B. Buddhism
C. Sikhism
D. Zoroastrianism
Answer: A. Jainism
Explanation: Jainism recognizes twenty-four Tirthankaras—liberated teachers who rediscover and teach the path toward release from karma, rebirth and the cycle of worldly existence.
Q12. Which is the most fundamental ethical principle of Jainism?
[SSC CHSL – 2018]
A. Ahimsa
B. Animal sacrifice
C. Yajna
D. Idol destruction
Answer: A. Ahimsa
Explanation: Ahimsa, or non-injury, is applied with exceptional strictness in Jainism. It influences food, livelihood, monastic behaviour and everyday efforts to avoid harming living beings.
Q11. What was Lord Mahavira’s name before attaining spiritual distinction?
[SSC CHSL – 2018]
A. Vardhamana
B. Anshuman
C. Sudhakar
D. Somdutt
Answer: A. Vardhamana
Explanation: Mahavira was born as Vardhamana. Following his spiritual conquest and attainment of omniscience, titles including Mahavira, Jina, Kevalin and Nirgrantha became associated with him.
