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: Understanding the Concept
This question requires knowledge of Sanskrit terms for different types of land as classified in the Amarakosha, a classical Sanskrit thesaurus. The task is to arrange them in the specific sequence: fertile, fallow, muddy, and sandy.
Step 2: Defining the Terms
We need to find the meaning of each term:
(A) Sharkarāvati: Land that is sandy or full of gravel (from 'sharkara', meaning gravel/sugar).
(B) Ūrvara: Fertile, productive land that yields crops.
(C) Aprahata: Unploughed land, wasteland, or fallow land.
(D) Pankikala: Muddy, swampy, or marshy land (from 'panka', meaning mud).
Step 3: Arranging in Sequence
The required sequence is: fertile, fallow, muddy, and sandy.
1. Fertile land is Ūrvara (B).
2. Fallow land is Aprahata (C).
3. Muddy land is Pankikala (D).
4. Sandy land is Sharkarāvati (A).
The correct order of the codes is (B), (C), (D), (A).
Step 4: Final Answer
The correct sequence according to the meanings is (B), (C), (D), (A), which corresponds to option (C).