With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements: 1. Sthaviravadins belong to Mahayana Buddhism. 2. Lokottaravadin sect was an offshoot of Mahasanghika sect of Buddhism. 3. The deification of Buddha by Mahasanghikas fostered the Mahayana Buddhism. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: B. Statements 2 and 3 are correct; Statement 1 is wrong. This question concerns the development of Buddhist sects from the Second Buddhist Council (Vaishali, c. 383 BCE) onwards. Statement 1 is WRONG. STHAVIRAVADINS (literally 'followers of the elders') represent the CONSERVATIVE / ORTHODOX wing of early Buddhism that emphasised strict adherence to the Vinaya (monastic discipline) and the original teachings as preserved in the Pali Canon. Sthaviravadins are the predecessors of THERAVADA BUDDHISM (the form practised today in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos). They do NOT belong to Mahayana; in fact, they are the school MAHAYANA later differentiated itself from. Mahayana grew out of the more liberal Mahasanghika tradition. Statement 2 is CORRECT. The LOKOTTARAVADIN (literally 'transcendentalist') was a SUBSECT OF THE MAHASANGHIKA branch. The Mahasanghikas had broken away from the Sthaviravadins at the Second Council over issues of monastic discipline and doctrinal interpretation. Within the Mahasanghika tradition, several subsects developed, including the Lokottaravadins who held that the Buddha is fundamentally transcendental and his earthly form merely a projection. The Lokottaravadin sect produced the important MAHAVASTU text. Statement 3 is CORRECT. The DEIFICATION OF THE BUDDHA, the doctrine of multiple Buddhas, the emphasis on bodhisattvas, and the development of devotional practices began within the MAHASANGHIKA tradition (especially Lokottaravadins, Caitikas, Andhakas). These ideas matured into MAHAYANA BUDDHISM (the 'Great Vehicle') in the early centuries CE. The Mahasanghika tradition is therefore considered the doctrinal precursor of Mahayana. Texts like the Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra crystallised the Mahayana view, but its roots lie in the Mahasanghika deification of the Buddha. So 2 and 3 capture the historical development; 1 mistakenly groups Sthaviravadins with Mahayana. Source: NCERT Class 12 Themes in Indian History Part I 'Through the Eyes of Travellers' and ancient India volumes; A.K. Warder 'Indian Buddhism'; Etienne Lamotte 'History of Indian Buddhism'.