Questions Answers

Supplementary: Crossing the River

Read and Understand

A. Match the following:

A / B

1. ritual - spell bound

2. pundit - to cross the river easily

3. Moti - eloquent discourse

4. ferry - faithful

5. audience - vow

6. secret - passenger boat

[Answer: 1. (e); 2. (c); 3. (d); 4. (f); 5. (a); 6. (b)]

1. ritual - (e) vow

2. pundit - (c) eloquent discourse.

3. Moti - (d) faithful

4. ferry - (f) passenger boat.

5. audience - (a) spell bound

6. secret - (b) to cross the river easily. 

B. Fill in the blanks

1. Pundit have many disciples and admirers.

2. Moti is a poor milkmaid.

3. The milkmaid discharged her duties faithfully.

4. Moti feels it as a great privilege to serve the great pundit.

5. The pundit was an eloquent speaker.

6. Moti assured to give the milk at the dawn enthusiastically.

C. Answer the following:

1. What was the pundit’s discourse about?

Answer: The pundit’s discourse was about God and Truth and similar tough and complex matters.

2. Why did Moti, the milkmaid, feel happy?

Answer: She left happy that she made a humble contribution towards the pundit’s physical well being by regularly supplying him with pure milk.

3. What was the resolution of Moti?

Answer: Moti’s resolution was that even if the landlord failed to pay her for the milk and her labour, she would not fail in her duty.

4. Give reason for the pundit to ask for the milk at dawn.

Answer: The pundit was under a vow for performing a certain ritual for which he needed the milk at down.

5. Why did Moti come late on the first day of the ritual?

Answer:  She came late on the first day of the ritual because the boatman did not turn up that early even though Moti informed him of the need for her to cross the river.

6. Mention an incident that show the naivety of Moti.

Answer: When Moti came late to pundit’s house, she explained that she couldn’t cross the river without the help of the boatman. When the pundit commented jocularly that one could cross even the ocean of life by uttering the name of Vishnu, she told him that she did not know about it. She thanked him for passing the secret on to her. The pandit laughed at her naivety.

7. How did the milkmaid cross the river?

Answer: She just uttered the name of Vishnu and walked across the river.

8. What was the secret shared by pundit to milkmaid?

Answer: The secret was that one could cross even the ocean of life by uttering the name of Vishnu. This was shared by the pundit to the milkmaid.

9. How did the pundit appreciate the milkmaid? Who else did he convey his thanks for?

Answer: He appreciated the pain she had taken in getting up early, milking the cow and delivering the milk to him at dawn. He also asked the milkmaid to convey his thanks to the boatman.

10. Why did the pundit faint at the end of the story?

Answer: When the pundit saw thd milkmaid crossing the river with ease, he was dumbstruck and almost fainted.

D. Identify the Speaker:

1. “But I apply the secret?”

[Answer: Moti, the milkmaid]

2. “Tell the boatman how pleased I am with him”.

[Answer: The pandit]