In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.

Assertion: Lingayats do not practise funerary rites such as cremation, prescribed in the Dharmashastras

Reason: The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the “pollution” attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas.

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.

The correct answer is Option 2 - Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.

Assertion: Lingayats do not practise funerary rites such as cremation, prescribed in the Dharmashastras (Correct). Lingayats (or Virashaivas) traditionally bury their dead rather than cremating them. They believe that upon death, the devotee is united with Shiva and does not return to this world, making the sacrificial fire of cremation unnecessary according to their tradition.

Reason: The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the “pollution” attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. (Correct). The movement, which emerged in the 12th century, was characterized by a strong critique of the caste system and the Brahmanical notions of ritual purity and pollution. They advocated for the equality of all devotees.

Does R explains A: No. The Reason does not explain the Assertion because the funerary practice of burial is specifically linked to their religious belief about union with Shiva after death, not directly to their opposition to caste or pollution. (The NCERT clearly gives a different basis for the funerary practice of the Lingayats. It states that they did not practise cremation because they believed that after death the devotee would unite with Shiva and would not return to this world. Thus, their practice of burial is rooted in their religious belief about death and liberation.) Thus, although both statements are true, they are based on different aspects of the Lingayat tradition, and the Reason does not provide the correct explanation for the Assertion.

 NCERT: "The twelfth century witnessed the emergence of a new movement in Karnataka, led by a Brahmana named Basavanna (1106-68) who was a minister in the court of a Kalachuri ruler. His followers were known as Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or Lingayats (wearers of the linga). Lingayats continue to be an important community in the region to date. They worship Shiva in his manifestation as a linga, and men usually wear a small linga in a silver case on a loop strung over the left shoulder. Those who are revered include the jangama or wandering monks. Lingayats believe that on death the devotee will be united with Shiva and will not return to this world. Therefore they do not practise funerary rites such as cremation, prescribed in the Dharmashastras. Instead, they ceremonially bury their dead. The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the “pollution” attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. They also questioned the theory of rebirth. These won them followers amongst those who were marginalised within the Brahmanical social order. The Lingayats also encouraged certain practices disapproved in the Dharmashastras, such as post-puberty marriage and the remarriage of widows. Our understanding of the Virashaiva tradition is derived from vachanas (literally, sayings) composed in Kannada by women and men who joined the movement."