To answer this question, we need to understand the story of the Pandavas from the Mahabharata. After losing the game of dice, the Pandavas were sent into exile for a total of 13 years. This exile period consisted of two parts: vanavasam (living in the forest) and agnathavasam (living incognito).
During the vanavasam, the Pandavas lived in various forests for 12 years. They disguised themselves and spent their time in different places, facing various challenges and adventures.
After completing the 12 years of vanavasam, the Pandavas had to spend one more year, known as agnathavasam, living incognito. They had to hide their true identities and avoid being recognized by anyone.
Therefore, the total number of years spent by the Pandavas in both vanavasam and agnathavasam was 12 years + 1 year = 13 years.
Now let's go through each option to understand why it is correct or incorrect:
Option A) 10 - This option is incorrect because the correct answer is 13 years, as explained above.
Option B) 11 - This option is incorrect because the correct answer is 13 years, as explained above.
Option C) 12 - This option is incorrect because the correct answer includes both vanavasam and agnathavasam, which adds up to 13 years.
Option D) 13 - This option is correct because it represents the total number of years spent by the Pandavas in both vanavasam and agnathavasam.
Therefore, the correct answer is option D) 13.