Who among the following was not an Acharya in The Nalanda Vishvavidyalaya?

Question

Who among the following was not an Acharya in The Nalanda Vishvavidyalaya?

1. A. Nagarjuna
2. B. Kautilya (Correct answer)
3. C. Sheelbhadra
4. D. Shantirakshit

Correct Answer

Option B — Kautilya

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Kautilya.

Key Points

• Kautilya was not an Acharya at Nalanda Mahavihara.
• He belongs to a much earlier period — he was the mentor of Chandragupta Maurya in the 4th century BCE and is credited with the Arthashastra, whereas Nalanda was founded far later, in the 5th century CE, under the Gupta ruler Kumaragupta I.
• The other three were genuinely associated with Nalanda. Nagarjuna, the founder of the Madhyamaka (Shunyavada) school of Mahayana philosophy, is traditionally linked with Nalanda. Sheelbhadra (Shilabhadra) was the head of Nalanda when the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) studied there in the 7th century. Shantirakshita was a Nalanda scholar who carried Buddhism to Tibet.
• Nalanda was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji around 1193 CE, and the modern Nalanda University revived the legacy.

Exam Tip

• Nalanda, Vikramshila and Odantapuri were all in Bihar — high-yield for BPSC.

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

निम्नलिखित में से कौन नालन्दा विश्वविद्यालय में आचार्य नहीं थे?

1. A. नागार्जुन
2. B. कौटिल्य
3. C. शीलभद्र
4. D. शांतिरक्षित