NCERT Textbook: New Questions & Ideas | Old & New NCERTs for IAS Preparation (Must Read) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


? 52
our pasts –i Anagha’s school trip 
This was the first time Anagha was going on a school trip. 
They boarded the train from Pune (in Maharashtra) late 
at night, to go all the way to Varanasi (in Uttar Pradesh). 
Her mother, who came to see her off at the station, told 
the teacher: “Do tell the children about the Buddha, and 
take them to see Sarnath as well.”
The story of the Buddha
Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder 
of Buddhism, was born about 2500 years ago. 
This was a time of rapid change in the lives of 
people. As you saw in Chapter 5, some kings in 
the mahajanapadas were growing more powerful. 
New cities were developing, and life was changing 
in the villages as well. Many thinkers were trying 
to understand these changes in society. They also 
wanted to try and find out the true meaning of life. 
The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as 
the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he 
was a young man, he left the comforts of his home 
in search of knowledge. He wandered for several 
years, meeting and holding discussions with other 
thinkers. He finally decided to find his own path to 
realisation, and meditated for days on end under 
a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he 
attained enlightenment. After that, he was known 
as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to 
Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the 
first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling on 
foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till 
he passed away at Kusinara. 
CHAPTER 6
NEW QUESTIONS AND IDEAS
Chapter 5-6.indd   52 22 April 2022   12:50:00
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 2


? 52
our pasts –i Anagha’s school trip 
This was the first time Anagha was going on a school trip. 
They boarded the train from Pune (in Maharashtra) late 
at night, to go all the way to Varanasi (in Uttar Pradesh). 
Her mother, who came to see her off at the station, told 
the teacher: “Do tell the children about the Buddha, and 
take them to see Sarnath as well.”
The story of the Buddha
Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder 
of Buddhism, was born about 2500 years ago. 
This was a time of rapid change in the lives of 
people. As you saw in Chapter 5, some kings in 
the mahajanapadas were growing more powerful. 
New cities were developing, and life was changing 
in the villages as well. Many thinkers were trying 
to understand these changes in society. They also 
wanted to try and find out the true meaning of life. 
The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as 
the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he 
was a young man, he left the comforts of his home 
in search of knowledge. He wandered for several 
years, meeting and holding discussions with other 
thinkers. He finally decided to find his own path to 
realisation, and meditated for days on end under 
a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he 
attained enlightenment. After that, he was known 
as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to 
Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the 
first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling on 
foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till 
he passed away at Kusinara. 
CHAPTER 6
NEW QUESTIONS AND IDEAS
Chapter 5-6.indd   52 22 April 2022   12:50:00
Rationalised 2023-24
53 ?
new questions  
and ideas The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering 
and unhappiness. This is caused because we 
have cravings and desires (which often cannot 
be fulfilled). Sometimes, even if we get what we 
want, we are not satisfied, and want even more 
(or want other things). The Buddha described this 
as thirst or tanha. He taught that this constant 
craving could be removed by following moderation 
in everything. 
He also taught people to be kind, and to respect 
the lives of others, including animals. He believed 
that the results of our actions (called karma), 
whether good or bad, affect us 
both in this life and the 
next.  The Buddha taught 
in the language of  the 
ordinary people, Prakrit, 
so that everybody could 
understand his message. 
What was the language 
used to compose the 
Vedas? 
He also encouraged 
people to think for 
themselves rather 
than to simply 
accept what he 
said. Let us see 
how he did this.
The stupa at Sarnath. 
This building, known 
as a stupa, was built to 
mark the place where the 
Buddha first taught his 
message. Y ou will learn 
more about stupas in 
Chapter 10.
Chapter 5-6.indd   53 22 April 2022   12:50:01
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 3


? 52
our pasts –i Anagha’s school trip 
This was the first time Anagha was going on a school trip. 
They boarded the train from Pune (in Maharashtra) late 
at night, to go all the way to Varanasi (in Uttar Pradesh). 
Her mother, who came to see her off at the station, told 
the teacher: “Do tell the children about the Buddha, and 
take them to see Sarnath as well.”
The story of the Buddha
Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder 
of Buddhism, was born about 2500 years ago. 
This was a time of rapid change in the lives of 
people. As you saw in Chapter 5, some kings in 
the mahajanapadas were growing more powerful. 
New cities were developing, and life was changing 
in the villages as well. Many thinkers were trying 
to understand these changes in society. They also 
wanted to try and find out the true meaning of life. 
The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as 
the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he 
was a young man, he left the comforts of his home 
in search of knowledge. He wandered for several 
years, meeting and holding discussions with other 
thinkers. He finally decided to find his own path to 
realisation, and meditated for days on end under 
a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he 
attained enlightenment. After that, he was known 
as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to 
Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the 
first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling on 
foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till 
he passed away at Kusinara. 
CHAPTER 6
NEW QUESTIONS AND IDEAS
Chapter 5-6.indd   52 22 April 2022   12:50:00
Rationalised 2023-24
53 ?
new questions  
and ideas The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering 
and unhappiness. This is caused because we 
have cravings and desires (which often cannot 
be fulfilled). Sometimes, even if we get what we 
want, we are not satisfied, and want even more 
(or want other things). The Buddha described this 
as thirst or tanha. He taught that this constant 
craving could be removed by following moderation 
in everything. 
He also taught people to be kind, and to respect 
the lives of others, including animals. He believed 
that the results of our actions (called karma), 
whether good or bad, affect us 
both in this life and the 
next.  The Buddha taught 
in the language of  the 
ordinary people, Prakrit, 
so that everybody could 
understand his message. 
What was the language 
used to compose the 
Vedas? 
He also encouraged 
people to think for 
themselves rather 
than to simply 
accept what he 
said. Let us see 
how he did this.
The stupa at Sarnath. 
This building, known 
as a stupa, was built to 
mark the place where the 
Buddha first taught his 
message. Y ou will learn 
more about stupas in 
Chapter 10.
Chapter 5-6.indd   53 22 April 2022   12:50:01
Rationalised 2023-24
? 54
our pasts –i The story of Kisagotami
Here is a famous story about the Buddha.
Once there was a woman named Kisagotami, whose son had died. She 
was so sad that she roamed through the streets of the city carrying the 
child with her, asking for help to bring him back to life. A kind man took 
her to the Buddha.
The Buddha said: “Bring me a handful of mustard seeds, and I will bring 
your child back to life.”
Kisagotami was overjoyed and started off at once, but the Buddha gently 
stopped her and added: “The seeds must come from the house of a family 
where nobody has died.”
Kisagotami went from door to door, but wherever she went, she found 
out that someone or the other — father, mother, sister, brother, husband, 
wife, child, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother — had died. 
What was the Buddha trying to teach the sorrowing mother?
Upanishads
Around the time, various other 
thinkers also tried to find answers 
to philosophical questions. Some 
of them wanted to know about 
life after death, others wanted 
to know why sacrifices should 
be performed. Many of these 
thinkers felt that there was 
something permanent in the 
universe that would last even 
after death. They described this 
as the atman or the individual 
soul and the brahman or the 
universal soul. They believed that 
ultimately, both the atman and 
the brahman were one. 
Many of their ideas were 
recorded in the Upanishads. 
These were part of the later 
Vedic texts. Upanishad literally 
means ‘approaching and sitting 
Six Schools of Indian Philosophy
Over centuries, India’s intellectual 
exploration of truth has come to 
be represented by six systems of 
philosophy. These are known as 
Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, 
Purva Mimansa and Vedanta or 
Uttara Mimansa. These six systems 
of philosophy are said to have been 
founded by sages Konada, Gotama, 
Kapila, Patanjali, Jaimini and Vyasa, 
respectively. These philosophies 
still guide scholarly discourse in 
the country. German-born British 
indologist, Friedrich Max Muller, 
has observed that the six systems of 
philosophy were developed over many 
generations with contributions made 
by individual thinkers. However, 
today, we find an underlying harmony 
in their understanding of truth, 
although they seem distinct from 
each other.
Chapter 5-6.indd   54 22 April 2022   12:50:01
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 4


? 52
our pasts –i Anagha’s school trip 
This was the first time Anagha was going on a school trip. 
They boarded the train from Pune (in Maharashtra) late 
at night, to go all the way to Varanasi (in Uttar Pradesh). 
Her mother, who came to see her off at the station, told 
the teacher: “Do tell the children about the Buddha, and 
take them to see Sarnath as well.”
The story of the Buddha
Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder 
of Buddhism, was born about 2500 years ago. 
This was a time of rapid change in the lives of 
people. As you saw in Chapter 5, some kings in 
the mahajanapadas were growing more powerful. 
New cities were developing, and life was changing 
in the villages as well. Many thinkers were trying 
to understand these changes in society. They also 
wanted to try and find out the true meaning of life. 
The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as 
the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he 
was a young man, he left the comforts of his home 
in search of knowledge. He wandered for several 
years, meeting and holding discussions with other 
thinkers. He finally decided to find his own path to 
realisation, and meditated for days on end under 
a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he 
attained enlightenment. After that, he was known 
as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to 
Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the 
first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling on 
foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till 
he passed away at Kusinara. 
CHAPTER 6
NEW QUESTIONS AND IDEAS
Chapter 5-6.indd   52 22 April 2022   12:50:00
Rationalised 2023-24
53 ?
new questions  
and ideas The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering 
and unhappiness. This is caused because we 
have cravings and desires (which often cannot 
be fulfilled). Sometimes, even if we get what we 
want, we are not satisfied, and want even more 
(or want other things). The Buddha described this 
as thirst or tanha. He taught that this constant 
craving could be removed by following moderation 
in everything. 
He also taught people to be kind, and to respect 
the lives of others, including animals. He believed 
that the results of our actions (called karma), 
whether good or bad, affect us 
both in this life and the 
next.  The Buddha taught 
in the language of  the 
ordinary people, Prakrit, 
so that everybody could 
understand his message. 
What was the language 
used to compose the 
Vedas? 
He also encouraged 
people to think for 
themselves rather 
than to simply 
accept what he 
said. Let us see 
how he did this.
The stupa at Sarnath. 
This building, known 
as a stupa, was built to 
mark the place where the 
Buddha first taught his 
message. Y ou will learn 
more about stupas in 
Chapter 10.
Chapter 5-6.indd   53 22 April 2022   12:50:01
Rationalised 2023-24
? 54
our pasts –i The story of Kisagotami
Here is a famous story about the Buddha.
Once there was a woman named Kisagotami, whose son had died. She 
was so sad that she roamed through the streets of the city carrying the 
child with her, asking for help to bring him back to life. A kind man took 
her to the Buddha.
The Buddha said: “Bring me a handful of mustard seeds, and I will bring 
your child back to life.”
Kisagotami was overjoyed and started off at once, but the Buddha gently 
stopped her and added: “The seeds must come from the house of a family 
where nobody has died.”
Kisagotami went from door to door, but wherever she went, she found 
out that someone or the other — father, mother, sister, brother, husband, 
wife, child, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother — had died. 
What was the Buddha trying to teach the sorrowing mother?
Upanishads
Around the time, various other 
thinkers also tried to find answers 
to philosophical questions. Some 
of them wanted to know about 
life after death, others wanted 
to know why sacrifices should 
be performed. Many of these 
thinkers felt that there was 
something permanent in the 
universe that would last even 
after death. They described this 
as the atman or the individual 
soul and the brahman or the 
universal soul. They believed that 
ultimately, both the atman and 
the brahman were one. 
Many of their ideas were 
recorded in the Upanishads. 
These were part of the later 
Vedic texts. Upanishad literally 
means ‘approaching and sitting 
Six Schools of Indian Philosophy
Over centuries, India’s intellectual 
exploration of truth has come to 
be represented by six systems of 
philosophy. These are known as 
Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, 
Purva Mimansa and Vedanta or 
Uttara Mimansa. These six systems 
of philosophy are said to have been 
founded by sages Konada, Gotama, 
Kapila, Patanjali, Jaimini and Vyasa, 
respectively. These philosophies 
still guide scholarly discourse in 
the country. German-born British 
indologist, Friedrich Max Muller, 
has observed that the six systems of 
philosophy were developed over many 
generations with contributions made 
by individual thinkers. However, 
today, we find an underlying harmony 
in their understanding of truth, 
although they seem distinct from 
each other.
Chapter 5-6.indd   54 22 April 2022   12:50:01
Rationalised 2023-24
55 ?
new questions  
and ideas near’ and the texts contain conversations between 
teachers and students. Often, ideas were presented 
through simple dialogues. 
Most Upanishadic thinkers were men, especially 
brahmins and rajas. Occasionally, there is mention 
of women thinkers, such as Gargi, Apala, Ghosha, 
and Maitreyi, who were famous for their learning, 
and participated in debates. Poor people rarely took 
part in these discussions. One famous exception 
was Satyakama Jabala, who was named after his 
mother, the slave woman Jabali. He had a deep 
desire to learn about reality, was accepted as a 
student by a brahmin teacher named Gautama, 
and became one of the best-known thinkers of the 
time. Many of the ideas of the Upanishads were later 
developed by the famous thinker Shankaracharya, 
about whom you will read in Class VII. 
The wise beggar
Here is a dialogue based on a story from one of the most famous 
Upanishads, the Chhandogya Upanishad.
Shaunaka and Abhipratarin were two sages who worshipped the 
universal soul. 
Once, as they sat down to eat, a beggar came and asked for some food.
“We cannot spare anything for you,” Shaunaka said.
“Learned sirs, whom do you worship?” the beggar asked.
“The universal soul,” Abhipratarin replied. 
“Ah! It means that you know that the universal soul fills the entire world.”
“Yes, yes. We know that.” The sages nodded. 
“If the universal soul fills the whole world, it fills me too. Who am I, but 
a part of the world?” the beggar asked. 
“You speak the truth, O young brahmin.”
“Then, O sages, by not giving me food, you are actually denying food 
to the universal soul.”
The sages realised the truth of what the beggar said, and shared their 
food with him. 
How did the beggar convince the sages to share their food with him?
Chapter 5-6.indd   55 26 May 2022   10:47:50
Rationalised 2023-24
Page 5


? 52
our pasts –i Anagha’s school trip 
This was the first time Anagha was going on a school trip. 
They boarded the train from Pune (in Maharashtra) late 
at night, to go all the way to Varanasi (in Uttar Pradesh). 
Her mother, who came to see her off at the station, told 
the teacher: “Do tell the children about the Buddha, and 
take them to see Sarnath as well.”
The story of the Buddha
Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder 
of Buddhism, was born about 2500 years ago. 
This was a time of rapid change in the lives of 
people. As you saw in Chapter 5, some kings in 
the mahajanapadas were growing more powerful. 
New cities were developing, and life was changing 
in the villages as well. Many thinkers were trying 
to understand these changes in society. They also 
wanted to try and find out the true meaning of life. 
The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as 
the Sakya gana, and was a kshatriya. When he 
was a young man, he left the comforts of his home 
in search of knowledge. He wandered for several 
years, meeting and holding discussions with other 
thinkers. He finally decided to find his own path to 
realisation, and meditated for days on end under 
a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he 
attained enlightenment. After that, he was known 
as the Buddha or the Wise One. He then went to 
Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the 
first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling on 
foot, going from place to place, teaching people, till 
he passed away at Kusinara. 
CHAPTER 6
NEW QUESTIONS AND IDEAS
Chapter 5-6.indd   52 22 April 2022   12:50:00
Rationalised 2023-24
53 ?
new questions  
and ideas The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering 
and unhappiness. This is caused because we 
have cravings and desires (which often cannot 
be fulfilled). Sometimes, even if we get what we 
want, we are not satisfied, and want even more 
(or want other things). The Buddha described this 
as thirst or tanha. He taught that this constant 
craving could be removed by following moderation 
in everything. 
He also taught people to be kind, and to respect 
the lives of others, including animals. He believed 
that the results of our actions (called karma), 
whether good or bad, affect us 
both in this life and the 
next.  The Buddha taught 
in the language of  the 
ordinary people, Prakrit, 
so that everybody could 
understand his message. 
What was the language 
used to compose the 
Vedas? 
He also encouraged 
people to think for 
themselves rather 
than to simply 
accept what he 
said. Let us see 
how he did this.
The stupa at Sarnath. 
This building, known 
as a stupa, was built to 
mark the place where the 
Buddha first taught his 
message. Y ou will learn 
more about stupas in 
Chapter 10.
Chapter 5-6.indd   53 22 April 2022   12:50:01
Rationalised 2023-24
? 54
our pasts –i The story of Kisagotami
Here is a famous story about the Buddha.
Once there was a woman named Kisagotami, whose son had died. She 
was so sad that she roamed through the streets of the city carrying the 
child with her, asking for help to bring him back to life. A kind man took 
her to the Buddha.
The Buddha said: “Bring me a handful of mustard seeds, and I will bring 
your child back to life.”
Kisagotami was overjoyed and started off at once, but the Buddha gently 
stopped her and added: “The seeds must come from the house of a family 
where nobody has died.”
Kisagotami went from door to door, but wherever she went, she found 
out that someone or the other — father, mother, sister, brother, husband, 
wife, child, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother — had died. 
What was the Buddha trying to teach the sorrowing mother?
Upanishads
Around the time, various other 
thinkers also tried to find answers 
to philosophical questions. Some 
of them wanted to know about 
life after death, others wanted 
to know why sacrifices should 
be performed. Many of these 
thinkers felt that there was 
something permanent in the 
universe that would last even 
after death. They described this 
as the atman or the individual 
soul and the brahman or the 
universal soul. They believed that 
ultimately, both the atman and 
the brahman were one. 
Many of their ideas were 
recorded in the Upanishads. 
These were part of the later 
Vedic texts. Upanishad literally 
means ‘approaching and sitting 
Six Schools of Indian Philosophy
Over centuries, India’s intellectual 
exploration of truth has come to 
be represented by six systems of 
philosophy. These are known as 
Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, 
Purva Mimansa and Vedanta or 
Uttara Mimansa. These six systems 
of philosophy are said to have been 
founded by sages Konada, Gotama, 
Kapila, Patanjali, Jaimini and Vyasa, 
respectively. These philosophies 
still guide scholarly discourse in 
the country. German-born British 
indologist, Friedrich Max Muller, 
has observed that the six systems of 
philosophy were developed over many 
generations with contributions made 
by individual thinkers. However, 
today, we find an underlying harmony 
in their understanding of truth, 
although they seem distinct from 
each other.
Chapter 5-6.indd   54 22 April 2022   12:50:01
Rationalised 2023-24
55 ?
new questions  
and ideas near’ and the texts contain conversations between 
teachers and students. Often, ideas were presented 
through simple dialogues. 
Most Upanishadic thinkers were men, especially 
brahmins and rajas. Occasionally, there is mention 
of women thinkers, such as Gargi, Apala, Ghosha, 
and Maitreyi, who were famous for their learning, 
and participated in debates. Poor people rarely took 
part in these discussions. One famous exception 
was Satyakama Jabala, who was named after his 
mother, the slave woman Jabali. He had a deep 
desire to learn about reality, was accepted as a 
student by a brahmin teacher named Gautama, 
and became one of the best-known thinkers of the 
time. Many of the ideas of the Upanishads were later 
developed by the famous thinker Shankaracharya, 
about whom you will read in Class VII. 
The wise beggar
Here is a dialogue based on a story from one of the most famous 
Upanishads, the Chhandogya Upanishad.
Shaunaka and Abhipratarin were two sages who worshipped the 
universal soul. 
Once, as they sat down to eat, a beggar came and asked for some food.
“We cannot spare anything for you,” Shaunaka said.
“Learned sirs, whom do you worship?” the beggar asked.
“The universal soul,” Abhipratarin replied. 
“Ah! It means that you know that the universal soul fills the entire world.”
“Yes, yes. We know that.” The sages nodded. 
“If the universal soul fills the whole world, it fills me too. Who am I, but 
a part of the world?” the beggar asked. 
“You speak the truth, O young brahmin.”
“Then, O sages, by not giving me food, you are actually denying food 
to the universal soul.”
The sages realised the truth of what the beggar said, and shared their 
food with him. 
How did the beggar convince the sages to share their food with him?
Chapter 5-6.indd   55 26 May 2022   10:47:50
Rationalised 2023-24
? 56
our pasts –i Panini, the grammarian
This was also the time when other scholars were 
at work. One of the most famous was Panini, who 
prepared a grammar for Sanskrit. He arranged the 
vowels and the consonants in a special order, and 
then used these to create formulae like those found in 
Algebra.  He used these to write down the rules of the 
language in short formulae (around 3000 of them!).
Jainism
The last and 24th tirthankara of the Jainas, 
Vardhamana Mahavira, also spread his message 
around this time, i.e. 2500 years ago. He was a 
kshatriya prince of the Lichchhavis, a group that 
was a part of the Vajji sangha, about which you 
read in Chapter 5. At the age of thirty, he left home 
and went to live in a forest. For twelve years, he 
led a hard and lonely life, at the end of which he 
attained enlightenment. 
He taught a simple doctrine: men and women 
who wished to know the truth must leave their 
homes. They must follow very strictly the  rules of 
ahimsa, which means not hurting or killing living 
beings. “All beings,” said Mahavira “long to live. 
To all things life is dear.” Ordinary people could 
understand the teachings of Mahavira and his 
followers, because they used Prakrit. There were 
several forms of Prakrit, used in different parts of 
the country, and named after the regions in which 
they were used. For example, the Prakrit spoken 
in Magadha was known as Magadhi. 
Followers of Mahavira, who were known as 
Jainas, had to lead very simple lives, begging 
for food. They had to be absolutely honest, and 
were especially asked not to steal. Also, they 
had to observe celibacy. And men had to give up 
everything, including their clothes.
Chapter 5-6.indd   56 22 April 2022   12:50:01
Rationalised 2023-24