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Karnataka State Syllabus Class 8 English Prose Chapter 1 The Heavenly Parasol
The Heavenly Parasol Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes
Textbook Questions And Answers
I. Comprehension:
A. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences each:
Question 1.
What was the name of the beautiful princess of Pragjyotisha?
Answer:
The beautiful princess of Pragjyotisha was Arnrita prabha.
Question 2.
What was arranged for her, when she attained the age of marriage?
Answer:
A Swayamvara was arranged when she attained the age of marriage.
Question 3.
Who was Meghavahana?
Answer:
Meghavahana was the great-grandson of a former king of Kashmir.
Question 4.
Why did the priest cry out in surprise?
Answer:
The Parasol of Varuna, the lord of seas had cast its shadow over prince Meghavahana. Hence the priest cried out in surprise.
Question 5.
What was the uniqueness of the Parasol?
Answer:
The Parasol casts its shadow on only the sovereign of the whole world.
Question 6.
Why did the ministers of the Kashmir court make an offer to Meghavahana to be their King?
Answer:
The ministers of Kashmir were dissatisfied with their ruler as he devoted himself to a life of prayer and neglected the affairs of the kingdom. Hence they wanted the brave and noble charactered Meghavahana to be their king.
Question 7.
What was the law imposed by Meghavahana in his kingdom?
Answer:
The law imposed was that there should not be the killing of living beings.
Question 8.
Why did Meghavahana want to conquer the island of Lanka?
Answer:
The island of Lanka was the land of demons, they had to be taught the ways of peace. Hence he wanted to conquer the island of Lanka.
Question 9.
What did Meghavahana witness in the middle of the wood?
Answer:
Meghavahana witnessed some sort of human sacrifice.
Question 10.
Why did the barbarian want to kill an innocent man?
Answer:
The barbarian wanted to make the human sacrifice to the gods, so that the gods would be pleased and thereby save the life of barbarian’s son who was a victim to a disease.
Question 11.
How did Meghavahana rescue both the victim and the barbarian’s son?
Answer:
Meghavahana readily offered his body in sacrifice to Chandika and thereby recused the lives.
Question 12.
What happened when Meghavahana was about to strike himself?
Answer:
Meghavahana was about to strike himself there was a shower of divine flowers of beautiful colors and lord Varuna held back his arm.
B. Answer the following in about 150 – 200 words each:
Question 1.
Describe the incident of how Meghavahana got the heavenly parasol.
Answer:
Once the king of Pragjyothisha held a swayamvara to his beautiful princess Amrita Prabha. She had to choose her husband. And she chooses Meghavahana and put a garland around his neck. As the blessings, the parasol of Varuna has cast its shadow over the prince. Meghavahana looked up in surprise at the beautiful, dazzling white parasol. The king explained that it was the parasol of Varuna. The Lord of the seas and casts its shadow on only a sovereign of the whole world. This way Meghavahana got the heavenly parasol.
Question 2.
How did Varuna, the Lord of the Seas, test Meghavahana’s nobility of mind?
Answer:
Meghavahana was on an expedition near the sea. The king and his weary army rested in the shade of some palm groves. As he was in his deep thoughts of conquering the island of Lanka, he heard a cry, that seemed to come from the woods, praising the king’s rule but was in deep agony. The king ran towards the wood.
There he found a man ready to be slain by the barbarian to stop. The barbarian fell to the king’s feet and said that his son was dying of some disease and if a human being would be given as a sacrifice to the god’s then the son would be saved. The king looked at the boy and the victim moved with compassion he readily offers his body to god Chandika.
The barbarian refuses to kill the king. Hence the king raises his sword to strike himself. Suddenly there was a shower of flowers on his head and lord Varuna holds back his arm. Everybody vanishes except for the king and lord Varuna. It was an illusion created by the lord to test the nobility of king Meghavahana.
II. Read the following statements and answer the questions given below:
Question 1
“It casts its shade on none else but a sovereign of the whole world…”
a) Who said this?
b) Who was it said to?
c) When was it said?
Answer:
a. The father of princess Amritaprabha.
b. It was said to king Meghavahana and the rest present in the court.
c. When Meghavahana looked up in surprise at the dazzling white parasol casting its shadow over him.
Question 2.
“You wretch! You dare to threaten another’s life in my realm.”
a) Who said this?
b) To whom was it said?
c) Why was it said?
Answer:
a. Meghavahana
b. The Barbarian
c. Because the barbarian was about to kill a man as a sacrifice to God Chandika.
Question 3.
“If you cannot bring yourself to strike at me, I will use my own sword for the purpose.”
a) Who said this?
b) Who was the listener?
c) What meaning does this sentence convey?
Answer:
a. King Meghavahana
b. The barbarian
c. It tells that the king was ready to lay down his life for saving the life of the little boy and the victim.
III. Language Activity:
Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:
1. Due to heavy rainfall, the huge tree fell ______ and unfortunately, Shamu was caught ______ the tree. (under, down, below)
Answer:
down, under
2. There is a roof ______ us. ( above, over)
Answer:
above
3. I bought a gift _______my brother, (to, for)
Answer:
for
4. Sheetal took leave_______ her office. (of, from)
Answer:
from
5. They climbed ________the stairs, went the______ terrace to have a view of the star-studded sky. (on, up, above)
Answer:
up; on
6. I have to go to a meeting _______12-30 p.m. (at, on)
Answer:
at
7. I cried “ Help, Help” when the boy fell _______the well, (down, into)
Answer:
into
8. Shika travels ________ Chandigarh Delhi every week. (on, from, to)
Answer:
from; to
9. My sister’s wedding is______ Hotel Taj ________ Mumbai, (in, on, at)
Answer:
at; in
10. Shashank took an express bus to Mysuru, which goes ________ Mandya. (by, through)
Answer:
through
VI. Dictionary Use
A. Choose the appropriate specialists given below in brackets for the following ailments: (Take the help of a dictionary)
(Gynaecologist, Paediatrician, Obstetrician, Dermatologist, Ophthalmologist, Cardiologist, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Orthopaedician, Physiotherapist)
1. Sheela has got white patches on her skin. She needs to consult a ________
Answer:
Dermatologist
2. Priya cannot see the letters on the board. She has to see an _________
Answer:
Ophthalmologist
3. The child is suffering from a fever. The parents have to take him to a ________
Answer:
Pediatrician
4. Kiran fell from the cycle and broke his bones got injured. He immediately consulted an ________
Answer:
Orthopedics
5. Students .are stressed because of their exams. They should have a session with a ________
Answer:
Psychologist
6. My grandfather had a pain in the chest. We took him to a __________
Answer:
Cardiologist
7. This person has really gone mad. He needs the help of a ______
Answer:
Psychiatrist
8. Rohan always suffers from muscle catch and cramps. So he always visits his _________
Answer:
Physiotherapist
9. Ritu introduced me to a _______who delivered her baby.
Answer:
Obstetrician
10. A __________ specialises in treating the ailments of women.
Answer:
Gynecologist.
VII. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word chosen from the brackets:
1. I can’t ________ you from such a distance. Come and tell me. (here, hear)
Answer:
hear, here
2. Arjun used _________ formula to solve the .(sum, some)
Answer:
some; sum
3. Veena has __________ of rupees but still she peace, (lacks, lakhs)
Answer:
lakhs, lacks
4. Two years ago, the shop was _______ and so it _________ to exist. (ceased, seized)
Answer:
seized, ceased
5. We should _________ how to say ________ without hurting others. (no, know)
Answer:
know, no
VII. Reading Activity:
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Alexander Fleming
His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to eke out a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up at the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
“I want to repay you”, said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.” “No, I can’t accept payment for what I did”, the Scottish farmer replied, waving aside the offer. At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel.
“Is that your son?” the nobleman asked. “Yes,” the farmer replied proudly. “I’ll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll grow into a man you can be proud of’, said the nobleman. And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming’s son graduated from St.Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman’s son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son’s name? Sir Winston Churchill.
IX. Answer The Following As Directed:
Question 1.
Find the meanings of the following words: (Take the help of a dictionary) (a) bog (c) lad (e) hovel (b) muck (d) sparse (f) pneumonia
Answer:
a. Swamp, marshland
b. sewage, manure
c. boy
d. meager, bare
e. hut, a small dirty house
f. illness in which the lungs become infected.
Question 2.
Farmer Fleming saved the boy from ______. (Fill in the blank)
Answer:
muck.
Question 3.
What was the deal the nobleman made with Farmer Fleming?
Answer:
The nobleman made a deal that he would take his farmer’s son with him and give him good education.
Question 4.
Farmer Fleming’s son graduated from ________. (Fill in the blank)
Answer:
St. Mary’s hospital medical school in London.
Question 5.
Who was Farmer Fleming’s son?
Answer:
Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin.
Question 6.
The nobleman’s son suffered from _________ . (Fill in the blank)
Answer:
Pneumonia.
Question 7.
What is the lesson you learn from the story?
Answer:
Lend a helping hand to the needy, you will be repaid with loads of blessing.
Question 8.
The nobleman’s son was _________ . (Fill in the blank)
Answer:
Sir Winston Churchill.
X. Fill the missing letters in the adjectives:
Eg: The character of a person who gets angry very fast:
s h o r t_t e m p e r e d
1) The character of a person who always remains calm and poised:
c _ _ p _ s _ d
Answer:
composed
2) The character of a person who is concerned too much with his own needs or wishes: s _ _ f _ s _
Answer:
selfish
3) The character of a person which is compared to a fox: c _ n _ _ ng
Answer:
cunning
4) The character of a person who is careful and precise in everything: m _ t _ c u _ o _ s
Answer:
meticulous
5) The character of a person who exhibits very strong emotions or intense enthusiasm for something:
p _ ss _ _ n_t_
Answer:
passionate
The Heavenly Parasol Additional Questions and Answers
I. Give one word for the following
Question 1.
a person holding highest power
Answer:
sovereign
Question 2.
light umbrella used to give shade from the sun.
Answer:
parasol
Question 3.
Warning of an unpleasant future event.
Answer:
portent
Question 4.
Coarse or cruel human being.
Answer:
barbarian
Question 5.
Lower one’s body in fear.
Answer:
cringe
Question 6.
disturbed state of mind.
Answer:
agitation
Question 7.
Voyage with a particular aim.
Answer:
expedition.
II. Answer the following questions :
Question 1.
Where did the beautiful princess live?
Answer:
The beautiful prices lived in the town of Pragjyotisha.
Question 2.
Why did many suitors attend the swayamvara?
Answer:
Many suitors attended the swayamvara because they were lured by tales of Amritaprabhas beauty.
Question 3.
Who are the couple who moved forward the seek the blessing?
Answer:
The couple are Meghavahana and Amritaprabha.
Question 4.
What was casting its shadow on Meghavahana?
Answer:
The parasol of Varuna was casting its shadow on Meghavahana.
Question 5.
Who was Varuna?
Answer:
Varuna was the lord of the seas.
Question 6.
What is referred to as the land of demons?
Answer:
The island of Lanka is referred to as the land of demons.
Question 7.
Why did the king run towards the wood?
Answer:
The king heard a plaintive call telling “Even under Meghavahana’s rule, I have been slain’’. The king was disturbed in his mind and ran towards the wood.
Question 8.
Who was the barbarian with the sword in his hands?
Answer:
The barbarian was the leader of a troop of barbarians that lived in the woods.
Question 9.
Why was that particular man caught to be sacrificed?
Answer:
The man was wondering about, alone and friendless in the forest. Hence he was caught to be sacrificed.
Question 10.
Who held Meghavahana’s arm when he was about to strike himself with a word?
Answer:
Varuna, the lord of seas held his arm when he was about to strike himself.
Question 11.
Why had Varuna come there?
Answer:
Vanina had come to reclaim his parasol.
Question 12.
Who had carried away the parasol?
Answer:
The powerful Bhauma, the father of Amritaprabha’s father had carried away the parasol.
Question 13.
Why was it a powerful parasol?
Answer:
The parasol had powers to quell calamities in Varuna’s land.
Question 14.
What was the boon Meghavahana asked for?
Answer:
Meghavahana asked for a boon that he needed help to cross the waters so that he may conquer the islands.
Question 15.
Who was the king of Lanka?
Answer:
Vibhishana was the king of Lanka.
The Heavenly Parasol Summary in English
This is the story that depicts how a noble and compassionate king Meghavahana fights against superstitions. During his time there was the killing of human beings in the name of sacrifice and religion. He fights against this evil practice.
Once there was a beautiful princess called Amrita Prabha in the town of Pragjyotisha. The king held a swayamvara to enable the princess choose her husband. She chooses Meghavahana, the great-grandson of a former king of Kashmir. As the couple moved forward to seek the blessings of the king, Meghavahana saw by his side, a beautiful, dazzling white parasol with exquisite decorations that cast a shadow over him. Meghavahana was surprised. The king then explained that it was the parasol of Varuna the lord of the seas. And it casts its shadow on only a sovereign of the whole world and the prince was destined for glory.
On his return, the minsters of Kashmir offered Meghavahana the throne of Kashmir. They were not happy with their king because he spent most of his time in prayers and neglected the affairs of his kingdom.
Meghavahana became the king and proclaimed a law against the killing of living beings. He wanted to impose this law on the kingdom he conquered. Once while on his expedition near the sea he asked his weary army to take rest. He was in deep thoughts planning to conquer the islands of Lanka. Suddenly he heard a cry from the wood by the seashore and reached the temple of Chandika(Durga). There he saw a human sacrifice that was in progress. A man was laying on the ground asking for mercy and a fierce-looking barbarian stood over him with a sword in his hand.
The king stops him the barbarian fell on his knees before the king and told him that his little son was on his death bed due to some disease. If the man was killed and offered to the gods, then the gods would be pleased and thereby his son’s life would be saved. If the king prevented this then his son would die and the rest of the troops would give up their lives with him.
The king wanted to save the man and hence asked the barbarian to kill him. The barbarian refused to kill the king, hence the king drew out his sword to strike himself there was shower of divine flowers on his head. Varuna held the king’s arm and raised him. He told him that he had created that illusionary to test the nobility mind of the King. He also had come to reclaim his parable that was once carried away from his town by the powerful Bhauma, grandfather of Amritaprabha.
King Meghavahana with due reverence returned the parasol to Varuna. The Lord of the seas and granted him with a boon that when he desired to cross the ocean to conquer the islands he would pull away from the water. The king reached Lanka and won over king Vibhishana in friendship. Returning back to Kashmir he explained Arnrita Prabha of his expedition and returned the Parasol.
Glossary:
- parasol: light umbrella used to give shade from the sun.
- lure: attract or invite
- exquisite: extremely beautiful or delicate
- cast: spread, act of throwing something
- sovereign: person holding highest power
- dazed: confused, surprised, bewildered
- portent: sign or warning of an unpleasant future event
- impose: try to make somebody to accept
- expedition: journey or voyage with a particular aim
- weary: tired
- wood: small forest
- slain: kill violently
- agitation: disturbed state of mind
- brandish: display, show
- barbarian: primitive, coarse or cruel human being
- victim: living creature killed and offered as religious sacrifice
- cringe: move back or lower one’s body in fear
- incredulity: showing disbelief
- vanished: disappeared.