Read the passage and answer the question :
Art historians had to acquire familiarity with hagiographies of the Buddha in order to understand Buddhist sculpture. According to hagiographies, the Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating under a tree. Many early sculptors did not show the Buddha in human form - instead, they showed his presence through symbols. The empty seat was meant to indicate the meditation of the Buddha, and the Stupa was meant to represent the Mahaparinibbana.
Why did the early sculptors not show Buddha in human form?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Because they chose to show the major event of Buddha's life through symbols.
Option (1) Because they hadn't seen Buddha in person. — Incorrect. The early sculptors left out the human figure on purpose and marked the Buddha’s presence with symbols such as the empty seat; whether they had seen him in person does not come into it.
Option (2) Because of the poor art style adopted by them. — Incorrect. Using symbols was a deliberate choice: each symbol stood for an event in the Buddha’s life. It says nothing about poor skill.
Option (3) Because most of them were only symbol artists. — Incorrect. The same carvings show the people who gather round the tree, the seat and the stupa in human form. Only the Buddha was shown through a symbol.
Option (4) Because they chose to show the major event of Buddha's life through symbols. — Correct. Many early sculptors did not show the Buddha in human form; instead, they showed his presence through symbols. The empty seat stood for his meditation, the stupa for the mahaparinibbana and the wheel for his first sermon. Such a carving is not meant literally: a tree in it symbolises an event in the life of the Buddha.
NCERT (2026-27): “9.2 Symbols of worship … Art historians had to acquire familiarity with hagiographies of the Buddha in order to understand Buddhist sculpture. According to hagiographies, the Buddha attained enlightenment while meditating under a tree. Many early sculptors did not show the Buddha in human form – instead, they showed his presence through symbols. The empty seat (Fig. 4.14) was meant to indicate the meditation of the Buddha, and the stupa (Fig. 4.15) was meant to represent the mahaparinibbana. Another frequently used symbol was the wheel (Fig. 4.16). This stood for the first sermon of the Buddha, delivered at Sarnath. As is obvious, such sculptures cannot be understood literally – for instance, the tree does not stand simply for a tree, but symbolises an event in the life of the Buddha.…” |