Which one of the following describes best the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism?

The answer is A. The word nirvana (Pali nibbana) literally means 'blowing out', like a lamp going out. In the Fire Sermon, the Buddha says the world is burning with the fires of raga (lust), dosa (hatred) and moha (delusion). Nirvana is the extinction of these fires, which means the cessation of craving. This is the third of the Four Noble Truths, the cessation of dukkha.

• B is wrong: Buddhism teaches anatta (no permanent self). There is no enduring self to annihilate, so the option misframes the doctrine.
• C is wrong: Some texts do speak of nirvana as peace or happiness, but bliss is a secondary description. It is not the core definition the question asks for.
• D is wrong: The Buddha often declined to describe nirvana in conceptual terms, so 'beyond comprehension' captures an aspect of how it is described, not what it is.

Core concept: dukkha, samudaya, nirodha, magga. For Mains, this links to Buddhist ethics and the Middle Way, and to Buddhism in the Indian philosophy syllabus.

Trap: Aspirants pick C or D because texts describe nirvana as blissful and ineffable. Ask what it is defined as, not how it feels.