UPSC One
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2023 · Q16

Which one of the following statements about the Shvetambara Sect of Jainism is not correct?

General KnowledgeHistory of India
  1. AIt refers to monks, who wear white clothes.
  2. BIt refers to monks, who migrated to the south of Vindhyas in 4th century BCE.
  3. CThey recognized the existence of canonical texts including the 12 Angas.
  4. DThey believed that women can also attain salvation.

Explanation

Statement B is not correct: the monks who migrated south of the Vindhyas during the 4th-century BCE famine under Bhadrabahu belong to the Digambara tradition, while those who stayed back under Sthulabhadra became the Shvetambaras. The Shvetambaras are indeed the white-clad order (A), accept the 12 Angas as canonical texts (C), and hold that women can also attain salvation (D).