THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1 Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose

You are going to go through Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1. Understanding a text meticulously in its entirety is very important for a learner for scoring better in the exam. Efforts have been made to ensure a thorough and proper Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1.

About the author

Attipate Krishnaswami Ramanujan (16 March 1929 – 13 July 1993) was an Indian poet and scholar of Indian literature who wrote in both English and Kannada. Ramanujan was a poet, scholar, professor, philologist, folklorist, translator, and playwright. His academic research ranged across five languages: English, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Sanskrit. He published works on both classical and modern variants of this literature and argued strongly for giving local, non-standard dialects their due. Though he wrote widely and in a number of genres, Ramanujan’s poems are remembered as enigmatic works of startling originality, sophistication and moving artistry. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award posthumously in 1999 for The Collected Poems.

Theme

Nobility and kindness always wins in life-

The heavenly parasol is one of the Rajatarangini Kashmiri tales. The moral from the story is nobility and kindness always wins in life. It starts with swayamwara of Megavahana in Pragjyotisha and also receiving the parasol. Then Megavahana becomes the king of Kashmir with his great deeds and valour. The great kindness and nobility of the king were beautifully portrayed when he was ready to sacrifice his own life to save the innocent’s life from the barbarian. This act of kindness pleased lord Varuna, who later helped him in crossing the ocean. Although lord Varuna took the parasol with him, the king continued to receive the protection in divine manner because of his kindness and nobility.

I. Comprehension:

A. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences each:

1. Amritaprabha was the name of the princess of Pragjyotisha.

2. A ‘Swayamvara’ was arranged for her to choose her husband.

3. Meghavahana was the great grandson of a former king of Kashmir.

4. The parasol of Varuna had cast its shadow over Meghavahana. So, the priest cried out in surprise.

5. The parasol would cast its shadow over a sovereign of the whole world and no one else.

6. The ministers were dissatisfied with their ruler. The king had devoted himself to a life of prayer and neglected the affairs of the kingdom.

YOU ARE READING: THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1 Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose

7. Meghavahana imposed a law against the killing of living beings.

8. Meghavahana wanted to conquer the island of Lanka and teach the demons the ways of peace.

9. Meghavahana saw some sort of human sacrifice in progress on the steps of a temple of Chandika.

10. The barbarian’s son was ill and dying. The barbarian wanted to kill the man in sacrifice, so that the gods would be pleased and save his son’s life.

11. Meghavahana offered his body in sacrifice to Chandika to save the lives of the victim and the barbarian’s son.

12. As Meghavahana was about to strike himself, his head was covered with divine flowers of exquisite colour and perfume. Someone held back his arm from killing himself.

YOU ARE READING: THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1 Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose

B. Answer the following in about 150-200 words each.

Answer 1:

Amritaprabha, the princess of Pragjyotisha, was a beautiful young girl. When she attained marriageable age, her father, the king, arranged a swayamvara, so that she could choose her husband. Many famous young men who wanted to marry her assembled in Pragjyotisha. Meghavahana, the prince of Kashmir, also came there. Amritaprabha came into the court where her suitors were sitting. She garlanded Meghavahana. Meghavahana was very happy. He and his bride went near the king to seek his blessings. All of a sudden the heavenly parasol of Varuna appeared beside Meghavahana and cast its shadow over him. The king said that the parasol favoured only the sovereign of the whole world and that he was going to be very famous.

Answer 2:

Meghavahana became the king of Kashmir. He  passed a law against killing of living beings. Once, on his expedition, he and his army were taking rest in the shadow of the palm groves. He heard the plaintive call of a man.

Meghavahana went in search of the man and came near a Durga temple where a barbarian was about to kill a man. Meghavahana ordered the barbarian to stop and asked him why he was killing the man. The barbarian said that his son was suffering from a fatal disease and was on his death bed. He wanted to kill the victim in sacrifice and appease the gods. He hoped the gods would save his son’s life.

Also, he pleaded with the king to allow him to kill the innocent man to save his son and relatives. Meghavahana decided to save the victim and the dying boy. He asked the barbarian to kill him and offer his body in sacrifice to goddess Durga. When the barbarian refused to kill him, Meghavahana drew out his sword and was about to strike himself. Then, someone held back his hand. He turned round and saw god Varuna appear before him. The ailing boy, the victim and the barbarian had vanished by then. God Varuna said that he had created that illusion to test Meghavahana’s nobility of mind.

YOU ARE READING: THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1 Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose

II.Read the following statements and answer the questions that follow:

1.

a. The king of Pragjyotisha said this.

b. It was said to Meghavahana.

c. When the parasol of Varuna appeared beside Meghavahana and cast its shadow over him.

2.

a. King Meghavahana said this.

b. It was said to the barbarian.

c. The barbarian was about to kill a man in sacrifice.

3.

a. King Meghavahana said this.

b. The barbarian.

c. The king asked the barbarian to kill him in sacrifice. The barbarian refused to do so. The king said that he would kill himself with his own sword.

YOU ARE READING: THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1 Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose

III.  Language activity.

1. down, under

2. over

3. for

4. from

5. up, on

6. at

7. into

8. from, to

9. at, in

10. through

VI. Dictionary Use.

1. Dermatologist

2. Ophthalmologist

3. Pediatrician

4. Orthopaedician

5. Psychologist

6. Cardiologist

7. Psychiatrist

8. Physiotherapist

9. Obstetrician

10. Gynecologist

YOU ARE READING: THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1 Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose

VII. Fill in the blanks

1. hear, here

2. some, sum

3. lakhs, lacks

4. seized, ceased

5. know, no.

IX. 1. Find the meanings of the following words:

a) bog – an area of wet soft ground

b) muck – dirt or mud

c) lad – boy

d) sparse – thin and scattered

e) hovel – a small house that is not fit to live in because it is damp, dirty, etc.

f) pneumonia – a serious illness affecting the lungs.

2. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from

Answer:

a slow and terrifying death.

 3. What was the deal made by the nobleman with Farmer Fleming?

Answer:

The nobleman offered to take farmer Fleming’s son and give him a good education.

 4. Farmer Fleming’s son graduated from

Answer:

St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London.

 5. Who was Farmer Fleming’s son?

Answer:

Alexander Fleming was farmer Fleming’s son.

YOU ARE READING: THE HEAVENLY PARASOL Chapter 1 Textbook Questions And Answers OF Karnataka Board Class 8 English Prose

X. Fill the missing letters in the adjectives:

1.  c o m p o s e d

2. s e l f i s h

3. c u n n i n g.

4. m e t i c u l o u s

5. p a s s i o n a t e