Question

Who has composed Nirukta?

• A. Kautsa
• B. Yāska
• C. Pāṇini
• D. Bhartihari

Hint:

Nirukta explains the Nighantu, the word list.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understand the question.
The question asks for the author of Nirukta, one of the six Vedangas. Nirukta explains the meanings and origins of Vedic words.

Step 2: Check option 1, Kautsa.
Kautsa was an early scholar whom Yaska mentions and criticises. Kautsa held that Vedic mantras have no meaning. He was not the author of Nirukta. So this option is wrong.

Step 3: Check option 2, Yaska.
Yaska, who lived before Panini, wrote the Nirukta. It explains the Nighantu, a list of Vedic words. So this option is correct.

Step 4: Check option 3, Panini.
Panini wrote the Ashtadhyayi, the famous Sanskrit grammar. That is Vyakarana, not Nirukta. So this option is wrong.

Step 5: Check option 4, Bhartihari.
Bhartrihari wrote the Vakyapadiya on the philosophy of language, long after Yaska. So this option is wrong.

Step 6: Pick the answer.
Yaska is the author of the Nirukta.

Final Answer:
Nirukta was composed by Yaska. \[ \boxed{\text{Option 2}} \]