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RAS question

The Pashupata sect is associated with the worship of:

Correct answer: (D) Shiva.

The Pashupata sect is associated with the worship of Shiva.

  1. (A)

    Surya

  2. (B)

    Brahma

  3. (C)

    Vishnu

  4. (D)

    Shiva

Explanation

The Pashupata sect belongs to Shaivism, so the deity attached to it is Shiva. It is the oldest Shaivite sect, founded by Lakulisha, who is regarded there as the 28th avatar of Shiva, with the Pashupata Sutras as its earliest philosophical text. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts describes the Lakulisa-Pasupata tradition as a sect of Saivism and connects Lakulisa with Sivahood. That is why the option should be read through the sectarian category: Pashupata is not a generic ancient cult label, but a Shaivite tradition centred on Shiva.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) Surya worship belongs to the Saura tradition, whereas Pashupata is identified as a Shaivite tradition.
  • (B) Brahma worship is not the basis of the Pashupata sect; the sect is linked to Shaivism and to Lakulisha's association with Shiva.
  • (C) Vishnu worship belongs to Vaishnavism, while the Pashupata tradition is explicitly Shaivite.

Concept

This tests the ancient Indian religious-sect mapping of deity, founder and textual tradition. It recurs in RAS because Shaiva, Vaishnava, Saura and other sectarian identities are standard markers in ancient-history MCQs.

Source

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