Consider the following statements regarding the decline of Later Vedic ritualism in the Middle Gangetic Plains: 1. The Shatapatha Brahmana reflects the eastward expansion of Vedic culture, but also indicates that the lands of Magadha and Videha were initially looked down upon as non-sacrificial zones. 2. The high cost of performing elaborate sacrifices (Yajnas) like Rajasuya and Ashvamedha drained the resources of the common peasantry, driving them toward simpler Shramana paths. 3. The Upanishadic thinkers within the Vedic fold itself had begun to criticize external rituals and animal sacrifices, paving the way for heterodox philosophies. Which of the statements given above are correct?

Options:

• A: 1 and 2 only
• B: 2 and 3 only
• C: 1 and 3 only
• D: 1, 2 and 3

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