UPSC Prelims 2022 Q94: Yogavasistha Persian Translation — Explained
"Yogavāsistha" was translated into Persian by Nizamuddin Panipati during the reign of:
- Akbar
- Humayun
- Shahjahan
- Aurangzeb
Answer: (a) Akbar
Statement-wise explanation
- a: correct — Nizam al-Din Panipati finished his Persian version of the Laghu Yoga-Vasistha, called the Jug-Basisht, in 1597. Akbar ruled from 1556 to 1605, so 1597 falls in his reign. The work was dedicated to Prince Salim, who later became Jahangir. It belongs to the large wave of Sanskrit-to-Persian translation sponsored by Akbar's court.
- b: incorrect — Humayun ruled 1530–1540 and again 1555–1556. He spent most of the years between in exile in Persia. No major Sanskrit-to-Persian translation programme existed under him. Court translation of Sanskrit texts started under Akbar.
- c: incorrect — Shah Jahan ruled 1628–1658, decades after the 1597 Jug-Basisht. His son Dara Shikoh did sponsor Persian translations in this period, including the Sirr-i-Akbar, a Persian version of fifty Upanishads finished in 1657. That is where the confusion comes from. Panipati's Yogavasistha came earlier.
- d: incorrect — Aurangzeb ruled 1658–1707, about sixty years after the Jug-Basisht was finished. His court is not known for sponsoring translations of Hindu philosophical texts into Persian.
How to eliminate
This question depends on one fact: Nizamuddin Panipati's Persian Yogavasistha (Jug-Basisht) was made in 1597, under Akbar. You can still narrow the options. Humayun's reign was short and broken by exile, so drop him. Aurangzeb did not sponsor Sanskrit translation, so drop him too. That leaves Akbar and Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan is the trap because of Dara Shikoh's translations. When a question asks about a Persian translation of a Sanskrit text, start with Akbar. His Maktab Khana at Fatehpur Sikri ran the largest such programme. Pick Shah Jahan only if the question names Dara Shikoh or the Upanishads.
Know more
Sanskrit-to-Persian translation under the Mughals
Akbar made translation a state project. He set up the Maktab Khana (house of translation) at Fatehpur Sikri. There, Sanskrit scholars and Persian writers worked together, often going through an intermediate Hindi version. This fits his wider interest in religious dialogue. The Ibadat Khana, built in 1575, held debates between faiths, and Din-i-Ilahi followed in about 1582.
| Work | Persian version / translator | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Mahabharata | Razmnama: Naqib Khan, Badauni and others | Akbar, 1580s |
| Ramayana | Badauni | Akbar |
| Lilavati (mathematics) | Faizi | Akbar |
| Rajatarangini | Shah Muhammad Shahabadi | Akbar |
| Baburnama (Turkic to Persian) | Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan | Akbar, 1589 |
| Laghu Yoga-Vasistha | Jug-Basisht: Nizamuddin Panipati | Akbar, 1597 |
| 50 Upanishads | Sirr-i-Akbar: Dara Shikoh | Shah Jahan, 1657 |
What the Yogavasistha is: a Sanskrit philosophical dialogue between the sage Vasistha and Prince Rama. It teaches Advaita (non-dual) ideas about mind, illusion and liberation. The Mughal court translated it more than once. Panipati's version was the earliest major one.
Earlier and later links:
- Before the Mughals, Zain-ul-Abidin of Kashmir (15th century) had Sanskrit works translated into Persian.
- After Akbar, Dara Shikoh continued the tradition. His Sirr-i-Akbar reached Europe through Anquetil-Duperron's Latin Oupnek'hat.
Pattern for UPSC: they often pair a translated text with its translator or ruler. The usual traps are Dara Shikoh (Shah Jahan's reign) and Zain-ul-Abidin (Kashmir).
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Maktab Khana: The Maktab Khana was the main Mughal translation bureau. Knowing whose bureau it was helps date Persian versions of Sanskrit texts.
- Dara Shikoh: Dara Shikoh sponsored famous Persian translations of Hindu texts. Know which reign he belongs to before matching any translation to a ruler.
- Zain-ul-Abidin: This Kashmiri sultan sponsored Persian translations long before the Mughals. He is a common distractor when UPSC asks about translation patrons.
- Fatehpur Sikri: Fatehpur Sikri housed the translation bureau. Linking this city to its builder helps place the translation programme in time.
- Baburnama: The Baburnama was itself translated from Turkic into Persian at the Mughal court. It shows how wide the court's translation work was.