With reference to the critical edition of the Mahabharata, consider the following statements: 1. The project was initiated in 1919 under the leadership of V.S. Sukthankar. 2. The team collected only those manuscripts which were written in the Devanagari script. 3. The project revealed that there were enormous regional variations in the ways the text had been transmitted. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct option is 1 and 3 only. Explanation The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata was a monumental philological project undertaken by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), Pune, aimed at analyzing various manuscripts to produce a definitive version of the epic. - Statement 1 is Correct: The project was initiated in 1919 under the leadership of the noted Sanskrit scholar V.S. Sukthankar. The objective was to prepare a critical edition by collating various manuscripts found in different parts of the country. - Statement 2 is Incorrect: The team did not rely solely on manuscripts written in the Devanagari script. They collected Sanskrit manuscripts written in a wide variety of scripts, including Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu, Nepali, Grantha, and Sarada, to ensure a comprehensive analysis of the text's transmission. - Statement 3 is Correct: The comparative analysis revealed that while there were common elements running through the Sanskrit versions, there were also enormous regional variations in the ways the text had been transmitted over centuries. These variations were documented in the footnotes and appendices of the Critical Edition. Key Takeaway: The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata (1919-1966), led by V.S. Sukthankar, utilized manuscripts in multiple scripts to identify the text's common core while systematically recording significant regional divergences.

NCERT Class 12 History — Chapter 3: Kinship, Caste and Class - Early Societies (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)

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With reference to the critical edition of the Mahabharata, consider the following statements:

The project was initiated in 1919 under the leadership of V.S. Sukthankar.
The team collected only those manuscripts which were written in the Devanagari script.
The project revealed that there were enormous regional variations in the ways the text had been transmitted.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Official previous-year question

Verified 1 Aug 2026.

Options

A1 and 2 only
B2 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3

Did you get this right?

Solution

The correct option is 1 and 3 only.

Explanation

The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata was a monumental philological project undertaken by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), Pune, aimed at analyzing various manuscripts to produce a definitive version of the epic.

Statement 1 is Correct: The project was initiated in 1919 under the leadership of the noted Sanskrit scholar V.S. Sukthankar. The objective was to prepare a critical edition by collating various manuscripts found in different parts of the country.
Statement 2 is Incorrect: The team did not rely solely on manuscripts written in the Devanagari script. They collected Sanskrit manuscripts written in a wide variety of scripts, including Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu, Nepali, Grantha, and Sarada, to ensure a comprehensive analysis of the text's transmission.
Statement 3 is Correct: The comparative analysis revealed that while there were common elements running through the Sanskrit versions, there were also enormous regional variations in the ways the text had been transmitted over centuries. These variations were documented in the footnotes and appendices of the Critical Edition.

Key Takeaway: The Critical Edition of the Mahabharata (1919-1966), led by V.S. Sukthankar, utilized manuscripts in multiple scripts to identify the text's common core while systematically recording significant regional divergences.

Your note

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The correct option is 1 and 3 only.

Explanation

Statement 1 is Correct: The project was initiated in 1919 under the leadership of the noted Sanskrit scholar V.S. Sukthankar. The objective was to prepare a critical edition by collating various manuscripts found in different parts of the country.
Statement 2 is Incorrect: The team did not rely solely on manuscripts written in the Devanagari script. They collected Sanskrit manuscripts written in a wide variety of scripts, including Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu, Nepali, Grantha, and Sarada, to ensure a comprehensive analysis of the text's transmission.
Statement 3 is Correct: The comparative analysis revealed that while there were common elements running through the Sanskrit versions, there were also enormous regional variations in the ways the text had been transmitted over centuries. These variations were documented in the footnotes and appendices of the Critical Edition.