Choose the incorrect statement regarding ‘Shankaradeva’:

Choose the incorrect statement regarding ‘Shankaradeva’:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → He discouraged the establishment of satra or monasteries for the transmission of spiritual knowledge

Option (1) Shankaradeva was one of the leading proponents of Vaishnavism in Assam in late fifteenth-century — Correct statement (not the answer). In the late fifteenth century Shankaradeva emerged as one of the leading proponents of Vaishnavism in Assam.

Option (2) His teachings are often known as the ‘Bhagavati dharma’ — Correct statement (not the answer). His teachings were called the Bhagavati dharma because they were based on the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana. They stressed absolute surrender to Vishnu and naam kirtan, reciting the names of the lord in congregations of devotees.

Option (3) He discouraged the establishment of satra or monasteries for the transmission of spiritual knowledge — Incorrect statement (the answer). Shankaradeva encouraged, not discouraged, the setting up of satra or monasteries for passing on spiritual knowledge, and of naam ghar or prayer halls. Many of these institutions still flourish in Assam.

Option (4) His major compositions include the Kirtana-ghosha — Correct statement (not the answer). The Kirtana-ghosha is one of his major compositions.

NTA turned ‘encouraged’ into ‘discouraged’, and the whole statement flipped. Read the verb in each statement before you trust it.

NCERT (2025-26): “Shankaradeva … In the late fifteenth century, Shankaradeva emerged as one of the leading proponents of Vaishnavism in Assam. His teachings, often known as the Bhagavati dharma because they were based on the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana, focused on absolute surrender to the supreme deity, in this case Vishnu. He emphasised the need for naam kirtan, recitation of the names of the lord in sat sanga or congregations of pious devotees. He also encouraged the establishment of satra or monasteries for the transmission of spiritual knowledge, and naam ghar or prayer halls. Many of these institutions and practices continue to flourish in the region. His major compositions include the Kirtana-ghosha.”