Consider the following statements: 1) There are no parables in Upanishads. 2) Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas. [2024]

Consider the following statements:

Upanishad uses parables to convey complex philosophical concepts in a simple, relatable, and symbolic manner.
Important Parables from the Upanishads:
- Story of Uddalaka and Svetaketu: It is a brief dialogue between the father (Uddalaka) and his son (Svetaketu) from the Chandogya Upanishad. It teaches us that God exists in everything.
- Story of Gargi: This is story of Gargi (who is known for her intelligence) and Yajnavalkya from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. It teaches us that we should be humble and respect those who are wiser.
- Story of Yama-Nachiketa: This is a story of Nachiketa, a boy who goes to the Yama (Lord of Death) to learn about death and what happens after it, from Katha Upanishad.

Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas. The origins of the Puranas may have overlapped to some extent with the Vedas, but their composition extended into the 4th–5th centuries CE, and in some cases even later. There are 18 Mahapuranas (great Puranas), and many more Upapuranas (secondary Puranas).

StateRment 1 can be eliminated first because the phrase “There are no parables” is too absolute. Upanishads contain many stories, dialogues, and symbolic teachings, so such an extreme claim is unlikely. Statement 2 is a basic chronology fact—Upanishads are part of later Vedic literature and were composed much earlier than the Puranas.