Which of the following statements with regard to specific texts within the Khuddaka Nikaya is/are correct? 1. Therigatha is a collection of devotional and philosophical verses composed by senior nuns. 2. Jataka tales describe the historical events of the First and Second Buddhist Councils following the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana. 3. Buddhavamsa is a verse text providing biographical accounts of Gautama Buddha and the twenty-four preceding Buddhas. Select the answer using the code given below: |ForumIAS

[A] 1 and 2 only

[B] 1 and 3 only

[C] 3 only

[D] 1, 2 and 3

Answer: B

Notes:

Detailed Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Therigatha (Verses of Elder Nuns) forms the ninth book of the Khuddaka Nikaya and consists of poems composed by Buddhist nuns celebrating spiritual liberation.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Jataka stories (tenth book of Khuddaka Nikaya) contain folklore and narratives detailing the previous lives of the Bodhisattva prior to his birth as Gautama Buddha.
Statement 3 is correct: The Buddhavamsa (fourteenth book of Khuddaka Nikaya) chronicles the lives of Gautama Buddha and the 24 legendary previous Buddhas who prophesied his attainment of enlightenment.