Question

Arrange the following lands mentioned in Amarkoşa in a sequence of fertile, fallow, muddy and sandy land-
(A) Sharkarāvati
(B) Ūrvara
(C) Aprahata
(D) Pankikala
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. (A), (B), (C), (D)
• B. (B), (A), (C), (D)
• C. (B), (C), (D), (A)
• D. (C), (B), (D), (A)

Hint:

In questions involving ancient terminology, try to break down the words to understand their root meaning. For example, 'panka' in Pankikala means mud, and 'sharkara' in Sharkarāvati means gravel, which can lead you to the correct definitions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Concept Overview
This question assesses knowledge of Sanskrit terms for land types from the Amarakosha, a Sanskrit thesaurus. The objective is to order these terms as: fertile, fallow, muddy, and sandy.

Step 2: Term Definitions
The meanings of the terms are as follows:
(A) Sharkarāvati: Sandy or gravelly land (derived from 'sharkara' meaning gravel/sugar).
(B) Ūrvara: Fertile, crop-yielding land.
(C) Aprahata: Unploughed, wasteland, or fallow land.
(D) Pankikala: Muddy, swampy, or marshy land (derived from 'panka' meaning mud).

Step 3: Sequential Arrangement
The required order is: fertile, fallow, muddy, and sandy.
1. Fertile land corresponds to Ūrvara (B).
2. Fallow land corresponds to Aprahata (C).
3. Muddy land corresponds to Pankikala (D).
4. Sandy land corresponds to Sharkarāvati (A).
The resulting code sequence is (B), (C), (D), (A).

Step 4: Conclusion
The correct sequence based on the definitions is (B), (C), (D), (A), matching option (C).