FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH - KSEEB - CLASS 10 - COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - THE TEMPLE AND THE BODY (VACHANA)

 

Poem – 3

THE TEMPLE AND THE BODY (VACHANA)

Basavanna (Translator: A.K. Ramanujam)

Comprehension Questions

A. Answer briefly the following questions:

1) The lines The rich / will make a temple for Siva’, implies that

a) they want to please the Lord.

b) they can afford to build temples

c) they believe that this is how they can serve God

d) they believe that the temple is the only place to feel the presence of God.

Ans: c) they believe that this is how they can serve God

 

2) Which of the following statements are true?

a) the speaker is against building any structures for worshiping God

b) it’s not possible for the speaker to build a temple.

c) it’s only an excuse given by the speaker for not being able to build a temple.

d) the speaker believes that God is present within ourselves and not in any temple.

Ans: d) the speaker believes that God is present within ourselves and not in any temple.

 

3) What are the feelings of the speaker, suggested in the question, “What shall I, a poor man, do?”

a) helplessness               b) doubt               c) humility

d)anger                          e) pride                f) anguish.

Ans: a) helplessness

 

 4) The word ‘Listen’ in the last stanza is

a) an order                    b)  an appeal

c) a request                    d) an advice

 Ans: b) an appeal

 

5) The expression “Things Standing”, suggests

a) any man-made temple                 b) anybody who is standing

c) anything which is static                d) the human body

Ans: c) anything which is static.

 

6) There are two examples of paradox in the last two lines (A paradox is a statement containing opposite ideas)

i) What opposite ideas are suggested in “things standing shall fall?”

ii) What opposite ideas are suggested in “the moving shall ever stay?”

Ans: i) The opposite ideas are suggested in “things standing shall fall”, here it represents that human beings give importance to materialistic things which represents their pride and those things will destroy one or another day but the soul that will never die.

 

ii) The opposite ideas are suggested in “the moving shall ever stay”, as per the poet the moving is the soul which transfers from one to another body as per God’s wish, and these movements is continuous and remain forever.

 

7) What final message do the last two lines convey?

Ans: God is one who creates and destroys the things. Similarly the body or structures can be created or destroyed one day but the soul is a part of almighty that eternal and it cannot be destroyed. The most important element is devotion towards God; everyone has to be true devotee.

 

B. Close Study

Read the following extract carefully. Discuss in pairs and then write the answers to the questions given below it.

My legs are pillars,

the body the shrine,

the head a cupola of gold.

 

1) How is the human body compared to a temple?

Ans: The human body is compared to a temple as: The legs are compared to the pillars of the temple. The soul which is a part of God is a shrine. A cupola of gold is head of the temple.

2) What is the figure of speech used here?

Ans: The figure of speech used here is a metaphor.

 

3) Why is the speaker comparing the human body to a temple?

Ans: The speaker is comparing the human body to a temple because the speaker was unable to construct temple and the speaker compared his body a temple. As human soul is a part of God, similarly God’s idol is placed in the temple as the soul lives in the body.

 

Paragraph Writing

Discuss in pairs/groups of four each and answer the following question. Note down the important points and then develop the points into a paragraph.

 1) What ideas of spirituality emerged from the study of this well-known Vachana?

Ans: The temple and the body (Vachana) a beautiful poem, Basvanna tells us that rich man can build temples for Shiva but a poor man cannot afford it. He compares his body as temple, where his legs as pillars, his body as shrine and his head as cupola. He says that things, structures could destroy as passes but the soul which is a part of God cannot destroy, it is eternal. He is comparing the human body to a temple because the speaker was unable to construct temple and the speaker compared his body a temple. As human soul is a part of God, similarly God’s idol is placed in the temple as the soul lives in the body.

 

Memorization: 4 Marks

 

The rich

will make temples for Siva.

What shall I,

a poor man,

do?

 

My legs are pillars,

the body the shrine,

the head a cupola

of gold,

 

Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers,

things standing shall fall,

but the moving ever shall stay.