Passage 1:
…Khana was a smart and intelligent girl who did not spend her time playing games like the other children. In a short period, she acquired a complete knowledge of astronomy! Her adoptive father admired her diligence and taught her all that he knew in the subject…In the village where Khana lived, a brahmin boy, Mihira by name, was also being brought up by another family…
Though we know nothing regarding the parentage of Khana, we know a little about the family roots of Mihira. He was the son of Varaha, an astronomer royal and one of the nine great scholars in the court of the famous emperor Vikramaditya. Varaha was the author of many great treatises on astronomy. When a son, Mihira, was born to him, he drew up the horoscope of the child calculating the positions of the different planets following the mathematical rules for them. Due to an unrecognized error that crept into his calculations, Varaha thought that the child‟s life span would be only ten years, though in reality it was a hundred years...He visualized the misery and sadness he would suffer at the loss of his dear child after bringing him up affectionately for
ten years, and he preferred to abandon the child straightaway. Accordingly, the child was laid in a box and put into a flowing river. A family of tribal people found him, adopted him, and trained him to be a master in their learning.
After their marriage, Khana and Mihira wanted to rejoin their elite Aryan community…Their protectors conceded the request, and chose a tribal woman as a guide to accompany Khana and Mihira, so that they could safely cross over into the Aryan territory…An opportunity to test their (astrology) skills occurred just when the party was nearing its destination. A cow was about to deliver its calf. With a view to testing the ability of the new scholars, the guide wanted them to predict whether the calf to be born in a short time would be brown or white in color. Mihira made a quick calculation and declared that the calf would be white. But in a few minutes the cow
delivered a brown calf…
…King Vikramaditya was camping in the village next to a forest, along with his party of hunters. Mihira met the king holding court, and exhibited his skill and scholarship. Vikramaditya was pleased, and appointed him scholar to his royal court. The hunting party returned to the capital. The king sent word to Varaha and entrusted to him the young couple, who were to be his guests of honor...Varaha accepted the pleasant duty, and in a short time found out that the child he had abandoned years ago had come back to him as a grown young man along with his scholarly wife.
One day, King Vikrama became curious to know the number of stars in the sky, and posed the question to Varaha: “Count the stars in the sky and let me know their number.” Varaha realized that he was facing an insurmountable problem, and though he attempted to refer to books he had, he could not obtain the information. Counting the stars in the sky was plainly not possible! He consulted Mihira…His skill and intuitive ability too were of no use in finding a solution…On learning of the problem, (Khana) immediately set to work. She worked for a little while and gave them the result of her calculations along with the basis of the formula she used. They felt
relieved and with confidence went back to the royal court…The courtiers assembled there also praised the excellence of Khana‟s scholarship. Vikramaditya announced that she, a scholar of such magnitude, would adorn his royal court forthwith as the tenth jewel, along with the nine scholars who were called the navaratna of his court…
The royal orders created a panic in Varaha. He felt women should live a secluded, sheltered life in their homes. Making their presence felt in public only degraded them. But if his daughter-inlaw was not taken to the court, he would have to face the fury of the king...He ordered his son to cut Khana‟s tongue off.
1. This question has two subparts, A+B. Both have to be answered:
A. In passage 1, why does Varaha order for Khana's tongue to be cut off? Do you think his reasons were convincing? Write a reasoned answer in about 250-300 words.
B. Rewrite Khana and Mihira‟s story from Mihira‟s perspective in about 350-500 words.
Answers
Answer:
Khana was a smart and intelligent girl who did not spend her time playing games like the other children. In a short period, she acquired a complete knowledge of astronomy! Her adoptive father admired her diligence and taught her all that he knew in the subject…In the village where Khana lived, a brahmin boy, Mihira by name, was also being brought up by another family…
Though we know nothing regarding the parentage of Khana, we know a little about the family roots of Mihira. He was the son of Varaha, an astronomer royal and one of the nine great scholars in the court of the famous emperor Vikramaditya. Varaha was the author of many great treatises on astronomy. When a son, Mihira, was born to him, he drew up the horoscope of the child calculating the positions of the different planets following the mathematical rules for them. Due to an unrecognized error that crept into his calculations, Varaha thought that the child‟s life span would be only ten years, though in reality it was a hundred years...He visualized the misery and sadness he would suffer at the loss of his dear child after bringing him up affectionately for
ten years, and he preferred to abandon the child straightaway. Accordingly, the child was laid in a box and put into a flowing river. A family of tribal people found him, adopted him, and trained him to be a master in their learning.
After their marriage, Khana and Mihira wanted to rejoin their elite Aryan community…Their protectors conceded the request, and chose a tribal woman as a guide to accompany Khana and Mihira, so that they could safely cross over into the Aryan territory…An opportunity to test their (astrology) skills occurred just when the party was nearing its destination. A cow was about to deliver its calf. With a view to testing the ability of the new scholars, the guide wanted them to predict whether the calf to be born in a short time would be brown or white in color. Mihira made a quick calculation and declared that the calf would be white. But in a few minutes the cow
delivered a brown calf…
…King Vikramaditya was camping in the village next to a forest, along with his party of hunters. Mihira met the king holding court, and exhibited his skill and scholarship. Vikramaditya was pleased, and appointed him scholar to his royal court. The hunting party returned to the capital. The king sent word to Varaha and entrusted to him the young couple, who were to be his guests of honor...Varaha accepted the pleasant duty, and in a short time found out that the child he had abandoned years ago had come back to him as a grown young man along with his scholarly wife.
One day, King Vikrama became curious to know the number of stars in the sky, and posed the question to Varaha: “Count the stars in the sky and let me know their number.” Varaha realized that he was facing an insurmountable problem, and though he attempted to refer to books he had, he could not obtain the information. Counting the stars in the sky was plainly not possible! He consulted Mihira…His skill and intuitive ability too were of no use in finding a solution…On learning of the problem, (Khana) immediately set to work. She worked for a little while and gave them the result of her calculations along with the basis of the formula she used. They felt
relieved and with confidence went back to the royal court…The courtiers assembled there also praised the excellence of Khana‟s scholarship. Vikramaditya announced that she, a scholar of such magnitude, would adorn his royal court forthwith as the tenth jewel, along with the nine scholars who were called the navaratna of his court…
The royal orders created a panic in Varaha. He felt women should live a secluded, sheltered life in their homes. Making their presence felt in public only degraded them. But if his daughter-inlaw was not taken to the court, he would have to face the fury of the king...He ordered his son to cut Khana‟s tongue off.