Maharashtra State Board Textbook Solutions
Standard VI – English
Chapter 4.2 – The Story of Gautama’s Quest
Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| prophesied | said what would happen in the future |
| a renunciate | a person who gives up all the pleasures of life |
| imaginable | possible to imagine |
| mansion | a large and impressive house |
| secluded | isolated or away from others |
| realm | a kingdom |
| beheld | saw |
| monk | a religious man who gives up luxuries and lives a simple life |
| vision | an idea or mental picture |
| renounce | to give up |
| quest | a search |
| illumination | understanding |
| attainment | achievement or obtaining something |
| nirvana | the state of peace and happiness achieved after giving up all desires |
| asceticism | a simple and strict way of living for religious reasons |
| in succession | one after the other |
| decay | rot or slowly get destroyed |
| stimulant | something that gives energy or encouragement |
| infused | filled with a particular quality |
| overslack | very loose |
| dumb | silent |
| venerate | show great respect for |
Pointers
1. Complete the following sentences with reference to the passage:
(a) Gautama, the Buddha, was born over two thousand five hundred years ago, as ……..
Ans: Gautama, the Buddha, was born over two thousand five hundred years ago as Prince Siddharth.
(b) The king was determined to prevent his beloved son from ……..
Ans: The king was determined to prevent his beloved son from renouncing the world.
(c) For six years did Gautama practise ……..
Ans: For six years, Gautama practised intense asceticism.
(d) He realised that making the body suffer was not ……..
Ans: He realised that making the body suffer was not the way to enlightenment and truth.
(e) To this day, we venerate this tree as ……..
Ans: To this day, we venerate this tree as the Bodhi Tree.
2. Write short notes on the following:
(a) Prince Siddharth’s protected life
Ans: When Siddharth was born, it was prophesied that he would either become a great emperor or a renunciate who would guide people and bring comfort to suffering souls. King Shuddhodana did not want his son to give up the world. Therefore, he surrounded Prince Siddharth with every possible luxury and comfort in magnificent palaces.
Different palaces were built for different seasons of the year. Siddharth lived a very protected and secluded life in the beautiful royal palaces, away from the sufferings of the outside world.
(b) The ‘four signs’ that Prince Siddharth beheld
Ans: At the age of twenty-nine, Siddharth went out to see his kingdom and meet his people. During this journey, he saw what Buddhist books call the ‘four signs’. These signs showed him the truth about life.
He saw an old man, a diseased man, a dead man, and a monk. These sights made him realise that suffering, illness, and death are a part of life. This experience deeply affected him and inspired him to search for the truth of life.
(c) The message in the vision
Ans: The message of the vision was that one should not torture the body in the search for truth. Gautama realised that starving the body and causing extreme suffering was not the right path to enlightenment.
This idea was explained with the example of a sitar. If the strings of a sitar are stretched too tightly, they break. If they are too loose, they cannot produce music. Similarly, a person should avoid extremes in life. One should follow a balanced and moderate path.
(d) Sujata’s offering
Ans: One day, Gautama was very weak because he had been fasting for many days. When he tried to get up and go to the river to bathe, he was too weak to stand.
At that moment, a kind girl named Sujata appeared with a golden bowl filled with sweetened milk and rice. Seeing the weak ascetic, she offered the food to him with respect. Gautama accepted her offering.
After eating the meal, he felt refreshed and regained his strength. This experience helped him realise that torturing the body was not the way to achieve enlightenment and truth.
3. Read aloud a paragraph of your choice from the passage.
Ans: Students must do this activity on their own.
4. Visit a library: Read stories about Gautama Buddha. Relate one story in the class.
Ans: Students must do this activity on their own.