The Enchanted Pool ( Questions Answers )

 Lesson 1 :  The Enchanted Pool

 

Read the following passages and answer the questions put there upon:

(1) Yudhishthira waited for……………….his voice and wept. 

Question.

1. What had the brothers of Yudhishthira gone in search of ?

2. What did Yudhishthira fear had happened to his brothers ? 

3. What did Yudhishthira do?

4. What did Yudhishthira do when he saw his brothers lying dead ?

Answer:

1. The brothers of Yudhishthira had gone in search of water.

2. Yudhishthira feared either they had fainted or died of thirst.

3. Yudhishthira gave up waiting and started out to look for them.

4. When Yudhishthira saw his brothers lying dead, he could not control his grief. He cried out and wept.

(2) He touched the faces ……………… pool belongs to me”.

Question.

1. In what condition did Yudhishthira find his brothers ?

2. What did Yudhishthira mourn ?

3. What did Yudhishthira wonder to see the mighty limbs of his brothers ?

4. What would have happened to Yudhishthira if he had tried to drink from the pool without answering the Yaksha’s questions ?

5. Who did the pool belong to?

Answer:

1. Yudhishthira found his brothers lying dead.

2. Yudhishthira mourned, saying, “Was this to be the end of all our vows? Just when

our exile is to end, you have been taken away. Even the Gods have forsaken me in my misfortune.”

3. Yudhishthira wondered to see the mighty limbs of his brothers who could have been powerful enough to kill them.

4. If Yudhishthira had tried  to drink from the pool without answering the Yaksha’s questions, he would also have died.

5. The pool belonged to Yaksha.

(3) It did not take…………wisdom that he gets wisdom.”

Question.

1. What did Yudhishthira understand within a moment ?

2. What did Yudhishthira do to bring his brothers back to life ?

3. What does a man gain by being in the company of wise ?

Answer:

1. Yudhishthira understood within a moment that these were the words of Yaksha.

2. To bring his brothers back to life Yudhishthira became ready to answer the questions of Yaksha.

3. In the company of wise a man gets wisdom. 

(4) Your brothers died …………………….ask your questions. 

Question.

1. Write the name of the lesson from which the above passage has been taken. Who is the author of the lesson ?

2. Who was the owner of the pool? Why did the four brothers of Yudhishthira die? 

Answer:

1. This passage has been taken from the lesson “The Enchanted Pool. C.

Rajgopalachari is the author of this lesson.

2. Yaksha was the owner of the pool. The four brothers of Yudhishthira died because they did not heed the words of Yaksha.

(5) The voice put questions ……..result of good conduct.”

Question.

1. What rescues man in danger ?

2. What is swifter than the wind ?

3. What is more faded than a dried straw ?

4. Who is the friend of one who stays at home?

5. What is happiness ?

Answer:

1. Courage rescues man in danger.

2 Mind is swifter than the wind.

3. A sorrow-stricken heart is more faded than a dried straw.

4. Wife is the friend of one who stays at home.

5. Happiness is the result of good conduct.

Questions

1. When and where does the wife act as a friend ?

2. What does ' dharma’ do to us ?

3. How can we be happy?

4. What will happen if we are proud ?

Answer:

1. The wife acts as a friend when we stay at home.

2. Dharma alone accompanies the soul in its solitary journey after death.

3. Our good conduct gives us happiness.

4. If we are proud, nobody will love us.

(6) “What is that ……. is the greatest wonder.”

Question.

1. What is that, by giving up which, a man becomes loved by all?

2. What is the loss which yields joy and not sorrow?

3. What makes one a real ‘Brahmana’ ?

Answer:

1. By giving up pride, a man becomes loved by all.

2. By giving up anger, one gets joy and not sorrow.

3. Good conduct alone makes one a real Brahmana.

(7) Thus, theYaksha put …………than either of these two.”

Question.

1. How many questions did Yaksha ask and how many of them did Yudhishthira answer ?

2. Did Yudhishthira  answer the questions of the Yaksha satisfactorily ?

3. Which brother did Yudhishthira choose to be alive ? Describe his appearance.

4. What did Yaksha ask Yudhishthira about his choice ?

5. Who had the strength of sixteen thousand elephants ?

Answer:

1. Yaksha asked Yudhishthira many questions and Yudhishthira answered all of them.

2. Yes, Yudhishthira answered the questions of Yaksha satisfactorily.

3. Yudhishthira chose Nakula. He was cloud - complexioned, lotus-eyed, broad-chested and long-armed. 

4. Yaksha asked Yudhishthira “Why did you choose Nakula in preference to Bhima who has the strength of sixteen thousand elephants and he is the most dear to you.”

5. Bhima was Yudhishthira’s brother. He had the strength of sixteen thousand elephants.

(8) “OYaksha, ……. then he disappeared.

                                   Or

“O Yaksha, ……………….. mayrevive.

Question.

1.What is the shield of man ?

2. According to Yudhishthira when can man be ruined ?

3. Why did Yudhishthira ask the Yaksha to bring Nakula back to life?

                                 Or

Why did Yudhishthira ask for Nakula’s revival ?

                                 Or

How did Yudhishthira want to follow his dharma ?

4. What quality of Yudhishthira pleased the Yaksha most? How did he reward him for that ?

5. Who had taken the form of Yaksha and why ?

6. Which words in the passage have the synonyms of the following words :

(1) protection,

(2) destroyed.

7. What will happen if ‘Dharma’ is given up?

8. Who was Nakula?

Answer:

1. Dharma is the only shield of man.

2. According to Yudhishthira, if dharma is given up, man will be ruined.

3. Yudhishthira wanted to follow his dharma by reviving Nakula, the son of Madri.

4. Yudhishthira’s impartiality pleased the Yaksha most. So Yaksha rewarded him by reviving his all dead brothers.

5. Yama had taken the form of Yaksha to see and test Yudhishthira.

6.

protection = shield,

destroyed = ruined.

7. If ‘Dharma’ is given up, man will be ruined .

8. Nakula was the son of Madri.

Long Answer Type Questions 

Q1 : What happened to all Yudhishthira’s brothers?

Ans:  Yudhishthira was the eldest of five brothers. They all were living in exile. One day they felt an overpowering thirst. So four brothers of Yudhishthira started in search of water.They had to pass through a forest full of bears, deer and wild birds. Ultimately they reached a pool of water. They wanted 

to drink the water. At once a bodiless voice warned them to answer his questions. Without answering his questions they could not drink the water. But they did not pay heed to his words and wanted to drink water. So he killed them .

Q2 : Who was the Yaksha? Why had he come to test Yudhishthira without form? 

Ans: Yaksha was Yama, the Lord of Death. He had taken the form of Yaksha to see and test Yudhishthira the eldest of five brothers. Yudhishthira was known as ‘Dharmaraj’. So Yaksha wanted to check the qualities of Yudhishthira. For this, he asked many questions to him rapidly. Yudhishthira answered all the questions of Yaksha wisely. Yaksha was pleased by the answers of Yudhishthira.

Q3 : What questions did the Yaksha ask Yudhishthira? 

Ans:  Yaksha asked many questions to Yudhishthira. These questions include: What rescues a man in danger?; By the study of which science does man become wise?; What is swifter than the wind?; What is more faded than a dried straw?; What befriends a traveller ? ; Who is the friend of one who stays at 

home ?; Who accompanies a man in death?; Which is the biggest vessel ?; What is happiness?; What makes one a real Brahmana? and so on.

Q4 : Give a character sketch of Yudhishthira as an impartial and justice-loving person.

Ans:  

A loving brother: Yudhishthira was the eldest of all Pandavas. He loved all of them greatly. They had been living in exile. When Yudhishthira saw his brothers lying dead, he could not bear their separation. He cried loudly and mourned. 

Brave and intelligent: Yudhishthira was a brave man. He could face any situation. He was very intelligent also. He answered all questions of Yaksha satisfactorily .

 Impartial: When Yaksha asked Yudhishthira about the brother he would like to revive, 

Yudhishthira wished Nakula to be revived. Thus Yudhishthira proved that he was impartial.

Love for justice: Yudhishthira loved justice very much. So he chose Nakula to be revived so that the scale of justice should be even. Yudhishthira was known as ‘Dharmaraj for his love for justice.

Q 5. Why did Yudhishthira prefer Nakula to be alive?

Ans: In search of his brothers, Yudhishthira reached the same pool.When he wanted to drink water, he also heard the same warning that his brothers had heard. His brothers were lying dead near the pool. But Yudhishthira answered all the questions of Yaksha. Yaksha was most pleased by his answers. So he 

became ready to revive one of his brothers of his choice. Yudhishthira chose Nakula, the son of Madri because he, the son of Kunti, was alive. So Kunti was not completely bereaved. In order to keep the scales of justice even, he wanted to revive Madri’s son, Nakula.

Q6 : How did Yudhishthira prove himself impartial? 

Ans:  When Yudhishthira reached near the pool, he saw his brothers lying dead on the ground. He heard a voice without form, which warned him. This was the voice of Yaksha. He asked him to answer his questions. Yudhishthira answered all the questions of Yaksha. Yaksha was pleased by his answers. So he became ready to revive one of his brothers of his choice.Yudhistira chose Nakula, the son of Madri because he, the son of Kunti, was alive. So Kunti was not 

completely bereaved. In order to keep the scales of justice even, he wanted to revive Madri’s son Nakula. Thus he proved himself impartial .

[C] Short Answer Type Questions.

Q1 : Who was Yudhishthira?

Ans: Yudhishthira was the eldest of all Pandavas. He was known as ‘Dharmaraj’.

Q2 : Where had all his brothers gone?

Ans: His all brothers had gone in search of water.

Q3 : Why did his brothers not return?

Ans: His brothers did not return because they had died. 

 Q4: What doubts were bothering Yudhishthira when his brothers did not come back?

Ans: Yudhishthira doubted whether his brothers might have fainted or died of thirst, or might have been subjected to a curse or were still wandering in the forest for water. These thoughts were bothering Yudhishthira when his brothers did not come back. 

 Q5: What did Yudhishthira find when he reached near the pool? 

Ans: When Yudhishthira reached near the pool, he found his brothers lying dead. 

 Q6: What did Yudhishthira mourn?

Ans: Seeing his brothers lying dead on the ground, Yudhishthira mourned. 

 Q7: Why did Yudhishthira descend into the pool?

Ans: Yudhishthira descended into the pool to quench his overpowering thirst.

Q8 : Who stopped Yudhishthira from drinking water?

Ans: Yaksha, the owner of the pool, stopped Yudhishthira from drinking water. 

Q9 : What did the Yaksha tell Yudhishthira about the death of his brothers? 

Ans: Yaksha told Yudhishthira that his brothers died because they did not heed his words and wanted to drink water before answering the questions. 

Q10: Why is the mind said to be swifter than the wind ? 

Ans: Mind is described as swifter than the wind because it reflects ideas very very fast and  within a moment. 

Q11: How can a person become rich and loved by all according to Yudhishthira?

Ans: According to Yudhishthira by giving up desire a person can become rich and by giving up pride a person can be loved by all. 

Q12: What is the greatest surprise in this world ?

Ans: Everyday men see creatures depart to Yama’s Kingdom, and yet those who remain want to live forever. This truth is the greatest wonder.

Q13: Why did Yudhishthira want Nakula to be alive?

Ans: Yudhishthira wanted Nakula to be alive because his father had two wives, Kunti and Madri. He himself, the son of Kunti, was alive. So Kunti was not completely bereaved. In order to keep the scales of justice 

even , he wanted to revive Madri’s son Nakula.

Q14: What quality of Yudhishthira pleased Yaksha the most?

Ans: Yudhishthira’s love for justice pleased Yaksha the most.