His ______ was inscribed on a slab of pure white marble.

The word that fits is Epitaph, an inscription on a tomb or gravestone commemorating the dead. A slab of white marble carved with words about a person who has died is the classic picture of an epitaph, so option D is correct.

• Epilogue is the closing section of a book, play or speech, not an inscription. Wrong.
• Epigraph is a short quotation placed at the head of a book or chapter, and it can also mean an inscription on a monument. It is the closest rival, but the question's memorial setting points to epitaph more precisely. Wrong here.
• Epigram is a witty, pithy saying or short poem. It is not carved on a grave. Wrong.
• None of these is wrong because epitaph fits.

Core concept: vocabulary of literary and memorial forms, tested through collocations. Mains connection: funerary art and commemorative heritage, such as the inscribed tombs and memorials that form part of India's built heritage.

Trap: choosing Epigraph because it also means an inscription. Ask what the inscription is for. On a grave, the word is epitaph.