Consider the following statements about the epic Mahabharata. Identify the correct statements.
A. Contents of the text can be classified into narrative and didactic.
B. The narrative section contains stories.
C. The didactic section contains social norms.
D. The narrative section was added later.
E. The text 'Mahabharata' is described as an 'itihasa' within early Sanskrit tradition.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A, B, C, E only
A. Contents of the text can be classified into narrative and didactic. Correct. Historians usually classify the contents of the present text under two broad heads, the narrative and the didactic.
B. The narrative section contains stories. Correct. The sections that contain stories are designated as the narrative.
C. The didactic section contains social norms. Correct. The sections that contain prescriptions about social norms are designated as didactic.
D. The narrative section was added later. Incorrect. Historians agree that the Mahabharata was meant to be a dramatic, moving story, and that the didactic portions, not the narrative, were probably added later.
E. The text ‘Mahabharata’ is described as an ‘itihasa’ within early Sanskrit tradition. Correct. The text is described as an itihasa within early Sanskrit tradition; the term means “thus it was” and is generally translated as “history”.
NCERT (2026-27): “6.1 Language and content … Historians usually classify the contents of the present text under two broad heads – sections that contain stories, designated as the narrative, and sections that contain prescriptions about social norms, designated as didactic. This division is by no means watertight – the didactic sections include stories, and the narrative often contains a social message. However, generally historians agree that the Mahabharata was meant to be a dramatic, moving story, and that the didactic portions were probably added later. 6.1 Language and content … Interestingly, the text is described as an itihasa within early Sanskrit tradition. The literal meaning of the term is ‘thus it was’, which is why it is generally translated as ‘history’.…” |