Who is the author of Nirukta, a work on the etymology of words in the Rigveda that belongs to 6th century BCE?

Correct option is A

The correct answer is (a). Yaska is the renowned ancient Indian grammarian who authored 'Nirukta', which is one of the six Vedangas dealing with etymology and the interpretation of difficult Vedic words.
Information Booster

• Nirukta is the oldest surviving treatise on etymology in the world.
• It provides a commentary on 'Nighantu', a list of archaic Vedic terms.
• Yaska classified words into four categories: Nama (noun), Akhyata (verb), Upasarga (preposition), and Nipata (particle).
• He argued that all nouns are ultimately derived from verbal roots.
• Yaska's work is essential for the linguistic analysis of the Rigveda.

• Max Muller: A 19th-century German Indologist who edited the first complete edition of the Rigveda.
• Kalhana: Author of 'Rajatarangini', the 12th-century historical chronicle of Kashmir.
• Bana: The court poet of Harshavardhana and author of 'Harshacharita'.