With reference to ancient India, Gautama Buddha was generally known by which of the following epithets?

Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None of the above are epithets of Gautama Buddha

The correct answer is (b) 2 and 3 only.

Shakyamuni: This epithet means “Sage of the Shakyas” and is commonly used to refer to Gautama Buddha, highlighting his origin from the Shakya clan .
Tathagata: This term is used by Gautama Buddha to refer to himself or other Buddhas, meaning “one who has thus gone” or “one who has thus come”.
Nayaputta: This is not an epithet of Gautama Buddha. It is an epithet used for Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism.

Birth and Early Life: Born as Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini, near Kapilavastu, on the present-day India-Nepal border, he was a prince of the Shakya clan .
Enlightenment: After renouncing his princely life, he sought enlightenment through various ascetic practices and ultimately achieved it under the Bodhi tree by realizing the Four Noble Truths.
Teachings: He preached the Eightfold Path, which offers a middle way between self-indulgence and self-mortification, leading to nirvana.
Death: He died after eating a meal that may have contained spoiled pork, escaping the cycle of rebirth, and his relics were enshrined in stupas.

Shakyamuni: Emphasizes his origin from the Shakya clan .
Tathagata: Used by Buddha to refer to himself, signifying one who has transcended the human condition .
Other Epithets: Includes Bhagavato (Blessed One), Sammasambuddho (Perfectly self-awakened), and many others that highlight his qualities and achievements .

Names and Epithets: Known by several names such as Nayaputta, Muni, Samana, and Nigantha.
Teachings: Promoted doctrines like anekantavada, emphasizing multiple perspectives and the nature of reality.