Question:hard

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

The Yoga system is divided into two principal parts, Hatha and Raja Yoga. Hatha Yoga deals principally with the physiological part of man with a view to establish his health and train his will. The processes prescribed to arrive at this end are so difficult that only a few resolute souls go through all the stages of its practice. Many have failed and some have died in the attempt. It is therefore strongly denounced by all the philosophers. The most illustrious Shankaracharya has remarked in his treatise called Aparokshanubhuti that 'the system of Hatha Yoga was intended for those whose worldly desires are not pacified or uprooted.'

Which one of the following, if true, most substantially strengthens the idea given in the passage?

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The passage is about difficulty and success in completing the practice, so the strengthener must compare success rates, not participation numbers.
Updated On: Jul 10, 2026
  • The percentage of people in a given ashram practicing Raja Yoga is more than the percentage of people practicing Hatha Yoga.
  • The number of people in a given ashram practicing Raja Yoga is more than the number of people practicing Hatha Yoga.
  • The number of Yoga schools teaching Raja Yoga is more than the number of Yoga schools teaching Hatha Yoga.
  • The percentage of students who have successfully learnt Raja Yoga is more than the percentage of students who have successfully learnt Hatha Yoga.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The passage argues that Hatha Yoga's practice is so hard that very few people who attempt it actually complete all its stages, with many failing and some even dying in the attempt. We must find the option that best supports this specific claim about difficulty and outcome, not just any fact loosely connected to Yoga.

Step 2: Key Approach:
A strengthener for a claim of this is very difficult, few succeed, must talk about success or completion rates, not about how many people try it, how many schools exist, or how many teachers are available, since those numbers can be high or low for reasons unrelated to difficulty.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Option A and option B both talk about how many people practice Raja Yoga versus Hatha Yoga, in percentage or raw number form respectively. Both describe participation or popularity, not outcome, so neither confirms that Hatha Yoga is actually harder to succeed at, people might simply prefer one over the other for unrelated reasons.
Option C talks about the number of schools teaching each style, which reflects demand for teaching or how widely a style is offered, not the difficulty of mastering it once someone starts.
Option D compares the percentage of students who actually succeeded, completed, at Raja Yoga against Hatha Yoga. If Raja Yoga's success percentage is higher, that directly means Hatha Yoga's success percentage is lower, which is exactly the kind of evidence that supports the passage's claim that Hatha Yoga is uniquely hard to complete.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The option that strengthens the passage is the one comparing success percentages, since it directly supports the claim that Hatha Yoga's processes are unusually difficult to complete, unlike the other three options which only measure participation or availability.
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