Question:

According to McNeill, a Brahmin priest was expected to be able to recite at least one of the Vedas. The practice was essential for several centuries when the Vedas had not yet been written down. It must have had a selective effect, since priests would have been recruited from those able or willing to memorize long passages. It must have helped in the dissemination of the work, since a memorized passage can be duplicated many times.

Which one of the following can be inferred from the above passage?

Show Hint

The passage ends by saying that a memorized passage "can be duplicated many times". Ask which option describes a person who stores a text and lets it be copied, the way a recording does.
Updated On: Nov 4, 2026
  • Reciting the Vedas was a Brahmin's obligation.
  • Vedic hymns had not been scripted.
  • McNeill studied the behaviour of Brahmin priests.
  • The Vedic priest was like a recorded audio cassette.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Collect what the passage says:
A Brahmin priest was expected to be able to recite at least one Veda. This was essential for centuries when the Vedas were not written down. It selected people who could memorize long passages. It helped spread the work, because a memorized passage can be duplicated many times.

Step 2: Check each option:
Option (1) says that reciting the Vedas was an obligation. The passage says only that a priest was "expected to be able to recite at least one" Veda. That is an expected ability, not a duty to recite, so this goes beyond the passage. Option (3) says McNeill studied Brahmin priests. The passage only says "According to McNeill", which shows his view, not what he studied. Option (2) repeats a fact, namely that the Vedas were not written down for some centuries. It is a restatement, and it speaks of "hymns", a word not used in the passage, and of all time, while the passage speaks of "several centuries". Option (4) says the priest was like a recorded audio cassette. The priest stored a long text in memory and the text could be duplicated many times by others hearing and memorizing it. That is how a recording works. This is the one conclusion that follows from the passage as a whole.

Step 3: Decide:
Option (4) is the inference that draws on the whole of the passage (memorization, storage, duplication).

Final Answer:
The correct option is (4): The Vedic priest was like a recorded audio cassette.
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