Explanation: In a high-voltage series capacitor bank, individual capacitors can have slightly different capacitance values and leakage currents due to manufacturing tolerances. When DC voltage is applied, these differences can cause the voltage to divide unevenly across the capacitors. This means one capacitor might experience a much higher voltage than its rating, leading to premature failure. Shunting a high-resistance fixed resistor across each capacitor unit creates a parallel resistive path. Since these resistors are chosen to be equal and their resistance is much lower than the inherent, variable leakage resistance of the capacitors, they dominate the DC voltage division. This effectively forces the DC voltage to divide equally across each resistor, and consequently, across each capacitor unit. This ensures that no single capacitor is over-stressed, maximizing the lifespan and reliability of the filter bank. Option B is partially true, as these resistors do contribute to discharging the capacitors, but their primary purpose in this specific configuration (shunted across *each unit* in a *series bank*) is voltage equalization. Options C and D are incorrect as the resistors precisely ensure correct voltage distribution.