Question

Choose the odd text out of the group.

• A. Pramāṇasamuccaya
• B. Pramāṇavartika
• C. Bauddha Tarkabhāṣā
• D. Dhammapada

Hint:

Look for the language and subject: Options 1, 2, and 3 are Sanskrit Logic. Option 4 is Pali Ethics.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept: To find the "odd one out," we must look for a common thematic or generic link among the majority of the options.

Step 1: Categorizing the texts by genre.
• Pramāṇasamuccaya: A seminal work on Logic (Pramāṇa) by Dignaga.
• Pramāṇavartika: A foundational text on Logic and Epistemology by Dharmakirti.
• Bauddha Tarkabhāṣā: A technical manual on Logic and dialectics by Mokshakaragupta. All three are advanced, technical Sanskrit treatises on Buddhist Logic (Nyaya).

Step 2: Identifying the outlier. The Dhammapada, however, is a Pali text focused on Ethics and practical spiritual guidance for the laity and monks. It does not deal with technical logic or epistemology. Therefore, it is the odd text out.