Which of the following is not identified as a Buddhist text?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Panchatantra
After the Buddha’s death his teachings were compiled into the Tipitaka, the ‘three baskets’: the Vinaya Pitaka (rules for the sangha), the Sutta Pitaka (the Buddha’s teachings) and the Abhidhamma Pitaka (philosophical matters). The Ashokavadana is also a Buddhist text; it says that Asoka sent portions of the Buddha’s relics to every important town and had stupas built over them. The Panchatantra is not a Buddhist text: it is a collection of stories, many of which began as popular oral tales.
NCERT (2025-26): “7.1 Why were stupas built? … According to a Buddhist text known as the Ashokavadana, Asoka distributed portions of the Buddha’s relics to every important town and ordered the construction of stupas over them.… 5.1 Popular perceptions of kings … Nevertheless, historians have tried to solve this problem by examining stories contained in anthologies such as the Jatakas and the Panchatantra. Many of these stories probably originated as popular oral tales that were later committed to writing.…”
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