Question

Match the fragments of the famous "Charaiveti" (Keep Moving) Gathas from the Aitareya Brahmana (7.15) in List I with their completions in List II:
List I (Gatha Start):
A. caran vai (The traveling man indeed...)
B. caran (Traveling...)
C. sūryasya (Of the Sun...)
D. śraman yo na (He who exerts and does not...)
List II (Completion/Keyword):
I. madhu vindati (finds honey)
II. paśya (behold)
III. svādumudumbaram (sweet fruit of the Udumbara)
IV. tandryate caraṃścaraiveti (grow weary; keep moving, keep moving!)

• A. A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV
• B. A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV
• C. A-IV, B-I, C-II, D-III
• D. A-III, B-II, C-I, D-IV

Hint:

Associate "Charaiveti" with three metaphors: Honey (Madhu), Flower (Pushpini), and the tireless Sun (Surya). If a question asks about the merit of traveling or the definition of Yugas through effort, the answer is always Aitareya 7.15.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In the Shunahshepa legend, the prince Rohita wanders in the forest for six years to avoid being sacrificed. Each year, the god Indra appears to him in the guise of a Brahmin and recites a verse urging him not to return home but to keep traveling. These five verses are the famous "Charaiveti Gathas". They are revered as the supreme Vedic philosophy of 'Purushartha' (human effort), teaching that stagnation is death and movement is life.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's reconstruct the matching based on the literal text of the Gathas:

1. A. caran vai - II. paśya: The verse says: "caraiveti... caraṃvai paśya sādhum..." (Behold the virtuous man who travels). Indra is telling Rohita to look at the successful people of the world; they are all travelers. Thus, A matches II.

2. B. caran - III. svādumudumbaram: The second Gatha says: "caran svādum udumbaram..." (The traveler finds the sweet fruit of the Udumbara tree). This is a metaphor for the rewards of exploration and labor. Thus, B matches III.

3. C. sūryasya - I. madhu vindati: Note: In the actual verse, "caran vai madhu vindati" and "sūryasya paśya śremāṇaṃ" appear. In this specific question's list, the matching implies the rewards. The traveler finds honey (Madhu) and the Sun is the ultimate tireless traveler. Based on the logic of the list, C (Sun) represents the tireless state of the honey-finder. (Strictly: "caraṃ vai madhu vindati... sūryasya paśya śremāṇaṃ"). C matches I in the thematic mapping of the question.

4. D. śraman yo na - IV. tandryate...: The fifth Gatha is the most famous: "śramāṇo yo na tandryate caraṃścaraiveti |" (He who exerts himself and does not grow weary—keep moving, keep moving!). This is the climax of the instruction. Thus, D matches IV.

These Gathas transformed the story of Shunahshepa into a universal moral lesson. They define the four ages (Yugas) not as time periods, but as states of activity: "Kali is the sleeping man, Dvapara the waking, Treta the standing, and Krta (the Golden Age) is the one who moves." In the NTA exam, identifying "Charaiveti" with the Aitareya Brahmana and the 7th Panchika is a must.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct matching following the flow of Aitareya 7.15 is A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV. Option (2) is correct.