A Shadow by R. K. Narayan

Question and Answers: -

1. Contrast Sambu's and his mother's responses to the film.

A: - A Shadow is one of the popular works of R. K. Narayan. The literal meaning of 'shadow' is simply, the reflection of a person or things. However in this lesson, the word 'shadow' has a symbolic meaning that denotes the harrowing (unpleasant) past experiences of a widow's husband, following her like a shadow.

                There is a film going to be released, in which Sambu's father acts as a hero. Sambu likes the film a lot. He eagerly waits for the releasing date of the film as he has been missed his father since his death. When he goes to the theater to see it, he enjoys every moment of the movie. He feels very happy to see his father walking, dressing, singing and everything. When he watches the action between his father and a girl, Kumari, he recollects his past experiences with his father at home. He even feels very disappointed when the movie ends and looks at the projection room as if his father has vanished into it. He wants to see the movie every day and he does so.

             In contrast, Sambu's mother does not even want to see her husband again on the film screen as he has passed away in the recent past. She does not hate her husband, in fact, but she just does not want to recollect her past experiences with her husband. IT is only due to the persistent requests of her son, Sambu, she goes to theatre to watch the film. He feels very discomfort to sit in the theater, accumulates all her courage to sit down in the hall. Her heart beats fast when she sees her husband walking, dressing, singing and playing with children. She feels the show as an affliction (a cause of pain) to her. Unable to bear to watch the movie, eventually (finally) she becomes fainted.

2. Why does Sambu's mother faint during the screening?

A: - A Shadow is one of the popular works of R. K. Narayan. The literal meaning of 'shadow' is simply, the reflection of a person or things. However in this lesson, the word 'shadow' has a symbolic meaning that denotes the harrowing (unpleasant) past experiences of a widow's husband, following her like a shadow.
          Sambu's mother does not want to recall the past memories of her husband. Perhaps, she does not want her husband commanding her for something. She does not also like to see her husband reclining (bending back to take rest) in a chair and absorbing (deeply involve) in newspaper without caring any family responsibility. Losing her temper for this behavior of her husband, she once in her past life has said, “You and your newspaper!" of which he does not bother it. When she watches the scene of her husband leaning back in a chair reading newspaper and shouting at Kumari, who is about to cry, Sambu's mother finds it difficult to control herself. She feels the total movie as an affliction to her. The scene is unbearable to her and that is why she sobs to a large extent, eventually breakdowns and faints in the hall.

Note: - Do not write the words that are there in the brackets in the examination. They are only meant for your better understanding of the lesson.

Vikram Sarabhai

Question and answers: -

1. Describe India's journey towards space.
A: - India's space programme began in the early 1960s. The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research did its experiment with high altitude balloons to collect data. As magnetic equator passes through Thumba, near Trivandrum, at first the rocket launching station was established at Thumba. The first sounding rocket, Rohini 75 went up through Thumba station in 1967. India later planned to use US-built ATS-6 satellite during 1974-75 to try out experimental TV broadcasting to about 2000 Indian villages.

           The first satellite, Aryabhatta was launched from Soviet Russia in 1975, as India did not have a launching pad then. Later Bhaskara satellite was launched to get the details like movement of glaciers in the Himalayas. As Thumba rocket launching station was located in a densely populated area, Sriharikota of Andhra Pradesh was selected as a launching station. It was a deserted island and had the added advantage of the sea. In 1980, Rohini satellite was put in orbit by an Indian launch vehicle, SLV-3. The next attempt, Rohini-II did not succeed, it burnt up.

           Later APPLE satellite was sent into orbit. With APPLE, Indian space exploration entered another phase. India's INSAT-I series satellites are currently providing telephone and television links and taking meteorological pictures. India's remote sensing satellites are basically meant for earth's observation. There are helping in mining, agriculture, in assessing ocean resources and assisting oil exploration.

        For all this and much more Indians have to thank Vikram Sarabhai as he was the architect of space programme in India.

2. 'Space exploration...had immense benefit to offer to a country of India's size with its innumerable problems.' Identify the benefits.
A: - We can explain the benefits of space exploration in the words of Vikram Sarabhai himself. To the question 'why should India venture into space?' he replies that it was a quickest way to success. If India had satellites of her own, messages can be transmitted in a matter of seconds and important information can be gained easily. India's INSAT-1 series satellites particularly provide telephone and television links. They also enable us to take meteorological pictures. India's remote sensing satellites are helping us in mining, agriculture, in assessing (estimate) ocean resources and in bringing out oil exploration. With the help of communication satellites, we can pass the information on nutrition, health and agriculture to the village-dwellers/people.

3. What advantages did Sarabhai bring about in the scientific world in India?
A: - Vikram Sarabhai is one of the greatest personalities in the scientific world of India. He brought about number of changes in the scientific world of India. But he is chiefly remembered as an architect of the space age in India. In fact, he set the stage for India's take-off into space age.

           Sarabhai established a research station at Gulmarg in 1954 which was later expanded into a full-fledged high altitude laboratory. Most of the people of the world were dismissive about India's chances of success in space technology. Sarabhai had the foresight, courage and confidence to launch India into space age even when most of the Indian scientists were in no mood to do any further space research.

         With the help of Vikram Sarabhai's efforts, we were able to launch number of satellites like Aryabhatta, the first Indian satellite, Bhaskara, Rohini and APPLE etc. Besides these, India launched communication satellites like, INSAT-I series and remote sensing satellites. All these satellites are helping us in mining, agriculture, assessing ocean and oil resources, and providing telephone and television links and taking meteorological pictures etc. For all this we have to thank Vikram Sarabhai.

            The initiations of Homi Jahangir Bhabha like, atomic energy technology, power plants, heavy water plants and nuclear fuel complex etc. were taken over by Sarabhai. Sarabhai marched all these fields to the pinnacles of success. In his view, there had to be a close relation between basic science, technology and the industry to achieve maximum efficiency. Thus, Sarabhai brought a new totality of approach to science.

4. Trace Sarabhai's work relating to atomic energy.
A: - Sarabhai took over the chairmanship of the Atomic Energy Department when Homi Jahangir Bhabha died in 1966. It is true that Bhabha's efforts had introduced atomic energy technology in India. While, Bhabha laid the foundation of atomic energy, Sarabhai led it to the success levels in India. During Sarabhai's time Reactor Physics, which is related to power production had made unimagined progress and nuclear technology was a wide, varied and highly sophisticated field.

            Like Bhabha, Sarabhai also committed to a large atomic programme, particularly to the building of fast breeder reactors. He gave special priority to the Cyclotron project at Calcutta, which is now an advanced Centre for Nuclear Research and the best of its kind in Asia.

 

                

  

 

The Secret of Work

Question and Answers

1. How, according to Swami Vivekananda, can people be made completely free of misery?
A: - Swami Vivekananda is one of the greatest philosophers of India. In his essay, 'The Secret of Work' he opines that miseries of the world cannot be cured by mundane (worldly) things. Our needs in this world are unlimited and until man's character changes, one’s physical needs will always arise, and miseries will always be felt. No amount of physical help or worldly help will remove them completely. The only solution that Vivekananda suggests to this problem is, to make mankind pure. He suggests that mankind should have ‘light’ in their hand. One should be spiritually strong and educated. A spiritually strong man will be strong in every other thing he wishes. Then only miseries of the world will come to an end. If we can do this, he says that we may even convert every house into a charitable asylum.

2. What is the nature of work according to the writer? In what spirit should it be done?
A: - In order to explain the nature of work, Vivekananda quotes the words of the Bhagavad Gita, which suggests to work incessantly (continuously). We cannot do any work which will not do some good somewhere. Likewise, there cannot also be any work which will not cause some harm somewhere. Hence, he says that every work necessarily is a mixture of good and evil. Yet we must work incessantly. While good and evil both have their consequences. Good action will result in good effect on us and bad action bad. But both good and bad actions bind us in chains.
        Hence, he says that we should not have attachment with the works we do. He says we should solve this problem as the Gita suggests, 'work incessantly but be not attached to it'.

3. How does the idea of 'Samskara' explained in the essay?
A: - The word 'Samskara' means 'inherent tendency'. Vivekananda opines that whatever action we do, which is either good or bad, leaves lasting (continuous) impressions in our mind and they don't die out entirely. These actions leave a mark of impressions in our mind. By using a simile (making a comparison) of a lake for the mind, he says that no wave of the lake that rises in it like our actions dies out entirely, but it leaves a mark and there is every possibility of that wave or action coming out again. This possibility of the reappearing of wave or actions is called 'Samskara'. Every work that we do, every movement of our body and every thought that we think leaves such an impression on the mind stuff. Even these impressions are not obvious (appear) on the surface, they work in the subconscious region of the mind. Vivekananda opines that each man's character is determined by the sum total of these impressions. These impressions decide one's character too.

4. What does Vivekananda want to convey by drawing a comparison between a human being and a tortoise?
A: - Vivekananda opines that a man of character can be compared with a tortoise. As tortoise hides its feet and head inside the shell and will not come out unless it wishes, even though we may break the shell into pieces. Likewise, a man of character will never deviate from his ideal principles and norms. He will totally have control over his motives, his thought process and over his physical organs.
          Vivekananda says that a man of character will not commit evils or sins even in the moments of extreme difficulties. Even when he is placed in any company, under any typical circumstance there is no danger for him and he will not commit evil actions. He controls his inner forces and nothing can deviate him from his right path and from his strong will. This is what Vivekananda wants to convey with this comparison.

 

5. What does the essay tell us about being 'unattached' in all that we do?
A: - The essay tells us that we should work incessantly but we should not have any attachment with it. We all should work incessantly but we should not let our actions produce a deep impression on the mind, it should be unaffected with our works or thoughts of work. The essay also tells us that in this world, most of the people work like slaves and their work is slaves work. We cannot find happiness with this kind of tedious (boring; monotonous) work but can only misery. Vivekananda, in this essay, opines that our work for the things of the world is also selfish work. That is why we are unable to find any happiness in our work but only misery. If we have constant attachment with the things of this world like slaves, there cannot be happiness in our life. 'Attachment comes only where we expect something in return'.
        Hence Vivekananda says to be unattached. Attachment is bondage. 'Bondage is terrible'. So we should be free from this bondage, be unattached from all that we do. Moreover to this, in long time, we can achieve this detachment by counteracting bad tendencies with good ones, later good ones respectively. Thus attached becomes completely unattached.

6. What are the two ways in which we can work without expecting anything in return?
A: - There are two effective ways which we can work without expecting anything in return. The first one is 'love'. When we do some work having love in it, we will find happiness in it. Every act of love, as Vivekananda opines, brings happiness. There is no act of love which does not bring peace and blessedness in its result. We should love others like we love the members of our family, relatives and beloved ones.
           The second way in which we can work without expecting anything in return is to become free. We should be free from the attachment with this world. We can attain (achieve) it only when we do not expect anything in return of whatever we do for others. Vivekananda remarks that we do love our children do anything for them without expecting anything in return. Likewise, we should assume(have) the same attitude towards anybody we come across in our life as we have towards our children- whatever we do for any person, a city or a state. Hence we should be free from attachment with the things of the world. We should work like masters of our mind to make ourselves free from the bondage of nature. Then we can see nature clearly as she (nature) is.
      

Note: - do not write the words in the brackets. These words are meant only for your understanding of the queries.