Consider the following statements : 1. There are no parables in Upanishads. 2. Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Statement 1 is incorrect. Upanishads, while primarily philosophical texts based on dialogues and discussions, do contain illustrative stories and analogies, which can be considered parables or fables, used to explain complex concepts (e.g., the story of Nachiketa in Katha Upanishad). Statement 2 is correct. The Upanishads are considered part of the later Vedic literature and generally predate the Puranas, which are part of the post-Vedic Smriti literature compiled much later, around the 4th to 16th centuries CE.