Gautam Buddha taught in which common language of the ordinary people, so thateverybody could understand his messages?

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (C) Pali

Explanation:

• Gautam Buddha chose to preach his teachings in Pali, the language of the common people (Prakrit dialect), so that his messages of peace, non-violence, and liberation could be understood by everyone, not just the elite or priestly classes.
• At the time, Sanskrit was the language of the Brahmins and scholars, while Pali was widely spoken by ordinary people in the Magadha region (present-day Bihar).
• By using Pali, Buddha democratized spiritual knowledge, making his teachings more accessible and inclusive.

Information Booster:

• The earliest Buddhist scriptures, including the Tripitaka (Three Baskets), were written in Pali.
• Pali Canon (Tipitaka) consists of:
• Vinaya Pitaka – Monastic rules
• Sutta Pitaka – Buddha’s discourses
• Abhidhamma Pitaka – Philosophical and psychological analysis
• Pali became the sacred language of Theravada Buddhism, still used in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand.
• The use of Pali helped spread Buddhism across different strata of society.

Additional Knowledge:

• (A) Sanskrit – Used in later Mahayana Buddhist texts but not by Buddha himself for public teachings.
• (B) Sindhi – A regional language of Sindh (modern-day Pakistan), not related to Buddha’s time or teachings.
• (D) Awadhi – A regional dialect of northern India, emerged much later than Buddha’s era.