Chapter – 08
WATCHMAN OF THE LAKE
R.K.
Narayan
Comprehension
I.
1) Why was the headman in a hurry to complete
the road work?
Ans: The headman was in a hurry to complete
the road work because the king of land would pass by that was the following
day.
2) The village headman asked Mara to keep
away from the road workers because of ______
Ans: The king should not know that fools like
Mara were stayed in the village.
3) How did Mara manage to draw the attention
of the king? Why?
Ans: Mara hopped down from the tree where he
was hiding before the king passed that way. Mara did it as he was urgent to
enlighten the lord concerning his dream and what the Goddess had uncovered to
him.
4) The Goddess’ command to Mara was to ______
Ans: To build a tank for Veda.
5) How does the king respond to Mara’s
information about the tank?
Ans: The king invites Mara to go with him to
the palace the following day as he needed to examine further the tank to be built.
Thus, the king responds to Mara’s information about the tank.
6) What does Mara advise his son in saving
the lake and the creatures?
Ans: Mara advised his son that he must be
guardian of the lake after him. He explained whatever the Goddess instructed
him and told that nothing that flew, swam or strolled those parts, where the
lake existed, be murdered as the spot was terrified.
7) Why did the visitor approach Mara?
Ans: The visitor’s village was the outermost
from the king’s realm and crops scorched up and cattle were last of dearth. So,
the visitor approached Mara for some water from the tank.
8) Mara rushed to the king because he wanted
to save
(a) his own life
(b) the king
(c) the lake.
Ans: (b) the king.
9) Mara was trembling at the king’s palace because
(a) he was afraid of the king
(b) he was drenched in the rain,
(c) he was worried about the lake.
Ans: (c) he was worried about the lake.
10) On what condition did Mara make the
Goddess wait for him?
Ans: Mara begged the Goddess not to complete
her demonstration of decimation until he got back from the capital subsequent
to illuminating the king about the threat.
II
1) What was the significance of Mara’s dream?
Ans: There were two occasions when Mara
dreamt. The first occasion when, it was the dream of the Goddess who urged Mara
to get a bank worked for Veda so she could locate a home for herself. The
subsequent time, it was a similar Goddess, irate that her toy Veda has been
detained in the man-made bank. At the point when Mara advised her that it was
at her command that the bank was constructed, the Goddess, who was in the state
of mind of decimation, answers that she was presently prepared for
pulverization. After the vision, both the occasions, Mara worked for the
overall government assistance. After the main dream, he needed the bank to be built
on the grounds that he realized that the protected water would be of incredible
use to the subjects of the ruler. He went through a great deal of badgering on
account of the town headman before he got the opportunity to address the ruler.
The subsequent time, after the dream, when he understood that nothing could
prevent the Goddess from the demonstration of obliteration, he forfeited
himself so as to spare the ruler and his realm. Indeed, even here, it was
Mara's penance that went to the cutting edge. However, on the off chance that
we had the honorability of Mara, they could get away from the ruinous edge of
even heavenly plans. The centrality of the fantasies was that they had no power
over heavenly plan.
2) What instructions did Mara give his son
about the lake and the creatures? What light do these instructions throw on
Mara’s character?
Ans: The instructions given by Mara to his
son about the lake and the creatures were he reminded his child that he must be
the guardian of the lake after his demise. Mara additionally imparted to his
child what the Goddess had taught Mara to do. She had instructed that nothing
that flew, swam or strolled those parts, where the lake existed, be slaughtered
as the spot was terrified. So Mara told his child that no executioners ought to
be permitted there, regardless of whether they accompanied bolts for the gulls
which skimmed over the water or with the pole for the fish. These directions
are given by Mara to his child, above all else, show that Mara was loyal to the
Goddess. Besides, it shows that he was an extraordinary admirer of nature.
Thirdly, it shows his feeling of obligation. He didn't permit anybody to misuse
the bank. However, he didn't deny anybody the simply utilization of the water
of the bank. Accordingly, we see that Mara was an honorable guardian of the
lake. He needed the lake and the bank to be dealt with in a praiseworthy
manner. Simultaneously, he was legitimate as well.
3) Bring out the significance of the sacred
spot that Mara describes to the king.
Ans: As per Mara's portrayal, the spot was
consecrated on the grounds that Hanuman remained there on the day Lakshmana lay
in a dead weak in the combat zone at Lanka. Hanuman was guided by divine signs
and went to the spot where the lord stood, and went up the mountain to discover
sanjeevini, with which he resuscitated Lakshmana. In the spot of the sanjeevini
a stream emerged and it streamed past the spot where the ruler stood.
Subsequently, the spot was holy for two reasons. Above all else, the
incomparable Hanuman came there; also, stream Veda, starting from the spot
where sanjeevini developed, streamed there.
4) How did Mara react to the Goddess when she
appeared before him
a) the first time?
b) the second time?
Ans: a) the first time: the Goddess showed up
before Mara, he perceived her quickly as the perfect mother and fell at her
feet. He was struck by her magnificence, and this is apparent from the
realistic depiction he provides for the ruler of the braids, the stars in her
coronet and the ruby on the temple of the Goddess.
b) The second time: Mara sees the Goddess in her dangerous mind-set. Her
braids are wild, her eyes sparkle with a weird light, her brow is sprinkled
with vermilion and she conveys a blade. This time too Mara falls at her feet,
yet this time he is scared and argues for kindness.
III.
1) Was the headman justified in calling Mara
a lunatic? Give reasons.
Ans: No, the headman was not justified in
calling Mara a lunatic. Above all else, he gives Mara no meeting by any means.
Directly from the earliest starting point, he has been exceptionally offending
towards Mara as well as different workers. Regardless of whether he doesn't
trust Mara's accounts, it isn't important to be so cruel towards Mara. He even
goes to the degree of detaining Mara. Additionally, we see that the ruler has
no questions about the tale of Mara. Subsequently, plainly the headman isn't
supported in considering Mara a crazy person.
2) “Nature is both protective and
destructive.” How does the play bring out this idea?
Ans: “Nature is both protective and
destructive”. The play makes it exceptionally evident that nature is both
defensive and dangerous and that we are helpless before nature. We consider
that to be waterway Veda as the life-provider, life maintainer and life
destroyer. The play shows it as the impulse and extravagant of the Goddess, for
whom Waterway Veda is a toy. Yet, what the creator attempts to show is that
nature can affect us in various manners at various occasions and we are not in
a situation to comprehend why it goes about as it does. However, what is
significant is that we ought to secure nature and not misuse it.
3) How differently did Mara treat the
fisherman and the visitor?
Ans: Mara is a given gatekeeper of the lake
and he follows all the orders appointed by the Goddess. That is the reason he
doesn't hurt the tiger that goes to the lake to extinguish its thirst. For a
similar explanation, he compromises the angler with desperate outcomes in the
event that he attempts to fish at the lake once more. Mara's obligation is to
guarantee that no living animal got hurt at the lake. Simultaneously, he
doesn't abuse his capacity. He is polite with the guest and offers him all the
help, as indicated by the standards put somewhere around the lord. Mara
realizes that the water of the lake is for utilization and doesn't prevent
anybody the legitimate use from getting it.
4) Why do you think Mara asked the king make
his son, son’s son, and soon, the watchman of the lake?
Ans: Mara's connection to the lake is with
the end goal that he can't confide in any other person with the government
assistance of it. He has seen narrow minded individuals like the angler,
abusing their capacity. Also, he has guided his child at each point with
respect to what to look like after the lake and realizes that his child can care
for the lake well overall. Along these lines, when Mara realizes that his end
is close, he demands the ruler to concede him his last desire, and that is to
name his child and his grandsons after his child as the gatekeepers of the
lake. Accordingly, Mara's caring mentality is clear in any event, when he makes
a solicitation that may appear to others as a childish one.
5) In what way do you think Mara’s sacrifice
saved the lake? What ‘sacrifices’ need to be made to save the lakes today?
Ans: Mara guaranteed that the waterway could
never flood its banks, since the Goddess couldn't make Veda flood her banks
till the arrival of Mara, with Mara's passing. His benevolence in making the
lord slaughter him spared the life of the ruler and every one of his subjects.
In right now, we have no guardians to watch our streams and different
wellsprings of water. We have been abusing the water assets childishly. We toss
trash, including processing plant discharge, into the water; we wastewater; we
don't attempt to safeguard water through watershed the executives, water
collecting and so forth. We have dirtied our most consecrated waterway – Ganga
– unimaginable. It's about time that we understood that water is the remedy of
life and except if we treat water consciously; there is no future for us.
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