Which of the following texts gives evidence of the prevalence of polyandry in early societies?
(i) Ramayana
(ii) Mahabharata
(iii) Buddhacharita
(iv) Divyavadana
Choose the correct answer from the code given below:

Correct option is C

The text that most famously and clearly gives evidence of the prevalence of polyandry (one woman having multiple husbands) in early Indian societies is the Mahabharata.
The correct answer is (ii) only.

Information Booster

(ii) Mahabharata: This epic features the central example of Draupadi, who was married to all five Pandava brothers (Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva). This familial arrangement is a specific, well-known instance of fraternal polyandry.
(i) Ramayana: While the Ramayana deals with other complex family arrangements, it does not contain a prominent instance of polyandry.
(iii) Buddhacharita and (iv) Divyavadana: These are Buddhist texts (the first being a life of the Buddha, the second a collection of Buddhist narratives) and do not focus on providing examples of polyandry in early society in the same way the Mahabharata does. The Divyavadana contains historical legends, but polyandry is not a key theme.

Therefore, the Mahabharata is the definitive text among the options for providing evidence of polyandry.