Section A
A.1. Have you ever tried to analyse yourself? Do you face a situation readily or do you try to avoid it? What do you do in the following situations? Tick (✔) your choice.
(i) When you make a mistake, do you—
admit it? ✔
hold someone else responsible?
(ii) When you see a person better than you, do you try to—
learn from him? ✔
prove him to be inferior?
(iii) When you come across a difficult question, do you—
try your best to find the answer? ✔
find fault with the question?
(iv) When you are unable to score good marks, do you—
work harder than before? ✔
give up after sometime?
(v) When you find your teacher is not satisfied with your performance, do you—
try to improve yourself? ✔
complain about it?
A.3. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against the given statements. If a statement is false, correct and write it in the space provided.
(i) Ekalavya and his family lived in Hastinapur.
Answer – False
Correction: Ekalavya and his family lived away from Hastinapura.
(ii) Ekalavya failed to understand the discrimination between the high-born and the low-born.
Answer – True
(iii) Ekalavya requested Arjuna to teach him archery.
Answer – False
Correction: Ekalavya requested Drona, not Arjuna, to teach him archery.
(iv) Ekalavya carved a stone statue of Drona.
Answer – False
Correction: Ekalavya carved a wooden statue of Drona.
(v) Drona asked for Ekalavya’s left thumb as his guru dakshina.
Answer – False
Correction: Drona asked for Ekalavya’s right thumb as guru dakshina.
(vi) In the battle of Kurukshetra, Drona and Arjuna were on the opposite sides.
Answer – True
A.4. Complete the given statements briefly.
(i) Ekalavya’s mother would often tell him not to go near the high-born people.
(ii) The Kuru princes came to the forest to practise archery.
(iii) Arjuna’s skill in archery was exceptional and magical—he could shoot blindfolded and with both hands.
(iv) Each day Ekalavya would practise shooting and imagine a pat on the back from Drona.
(v) After the loss of his right thumb, Ekalavya learnt to shoot with his left hand and feet.
(vi) Real courage means fighting against wrong limits and respecting the correct ones.
A.5. Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow.
(i) ‘Don’t go near them.’
(a) Who said these words and to whom?
Answer – Ekalavya’s father said these words to Ekalavya.
(b) Who are ‘them’ here?
Answer – ‘Them’ refers to the Kuru princes and their teacher Drona.
(c) Why did the speaker say so?
Answer – Because Ekalavya’s family was considered low-born and not allowed to mix with the high-born.
(ii) ‘I offer my services to you in this battle.’
(a) Who do ‘I’ and ‘you’ refer to?
Answer – ‘I’ refers to Ekalavya and ‘you’ refers to Drona.
(b) Which battle is going on and between whom?
Answer – The battle of Kurukshetra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
(c) Why is the speaker offering his services?
Answer – Because Ekalavya wanted to honour Drona as his Guru despite past injustice and show he had overcome his limits.
A.6. Short Answer Questions
(i) Why did Ekalavya’s family live away from Hastinapura?
Answer – Because they belonged to a low caste and were shunned by society.
(ii) Why did Ekalavya carve Drona’s statue?
Answer – To practise archery and imagine Drona as his teacher, since Drona refused to teach him due to caste discrimination.
(iii) Why did Drona ask for Ekalavya’s right thumb as ‘guru dakshina’?
Answer – Because he feared Ekalavya might surpass Arjuna and wanted to preserve Arjuna’s status as the best archer.
A.7. Value-Based Questions
(i) Inspiration from Ekalavya’s story:
Answer – Ekalavya teaches us that determination, self-discipline, and inner strength can help overcome even unfair limits set by society. His perseverance and dedication are truly inspirational.
(ii) Who is more worthy of respect – Drona or Ekalavya?
Answer – Ekalavya is more worthy of respect because despite facing discrimination, he pursued his goals with determination and even forgave the injustice done to him. He represents humility, sacrifice, and courage.
A.8. A few words from the text have been given in the box. Choose an appropriate word from the Aid Box which can be used to replace the bold words in the sentences given below. Write the chosen word in the space provided.
Sentence | Word from Aid Box |
The old man was looking fiercely at his son, when the guests came in. | glaring |
In olden times, kings used to travel in two-wheeled vehicles drawn by horses. | chariots |
Shekhar was avoided by his friends due to his bad habits. | shunned |
Every one dislikes the village head for his unfavourable attitude towards a few village families. | discrimination |
Sheena went to the Principal and accepted her mistake with an ability to disregard fear. | courage |
A.9. ‘Drona was speechless.’— In the word ‘speechless’, ‘less’ is a suffix which has been added to the word ‘speech’ to make a new word.
(i) Words from the text ending with suffixes:
(a) fearless
(b) greatness
(c) hopeless
(d) wordlessly
(e) darkness
(ii) Adding ‘less’ Suffix:
(a) Mahatma Gandhi is remembered for his selfless service to the nation.
(b) After half an hour’s waiting, the children started feeling restless.
(c) Rahul felt helpless when he saw his house on fire.
(d) He seems to think that I have an endless supply of money.
(e) The tireless effort of the construction staff helped in the completion of the bridge before time.
(f) The bird’s body appeared to be lifeless but a little water revived it.
A.10. Life Skills (Discussion Points)
- Determination: Ekalavya had an intense desire to learn archery.
- Difficulties: Faced caste-based discrimination and rejection by Drona.
- Overcoming difficulties: Practised alone with a statue of Drona as his Guru.
- Success: Became a master archer without his right thumb and raised an army.
A.11. Based on your discussion, write a character sketch of Ekalavya in your own words (60-80 words).
Ekalavya was a brave, determined, and disciplined young boy. Despite being denied training due to his caste, he carved a statue of Drona and taught himself archery. He showed immense perseverance by continuing his practice even after losing his right thumb. His humility, sacrifice, and respect for his Guru, even when wronged, make him a true hero and a symbol of dedication and inner strength.
A.12. Proverbs Matching
Column A | Column B |
(i) All that glitters is not gold. | (c) All that looks good may not always be good. |
(ii) Birds of a feather flock together. | (e) People of the same character stay together. |
(iii) Cut your coat according to your cloth. | (a) Act according to your financial capability. |
(iv) Don’t cross the bridge till you come to it. | (b) Do not worry about difficulties till they arise. |
(v) Every cloud has a silver lining. | (d) Even the worst situation has some hope. |
Three more proverbs with meanings:
(i) Actions speak louder than words.
Answer – What people do is more important than what they say.
(ii) Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Answer – Great things take time and effort.
(iii) Honesty is the best policy.
Answer – Being truthful is always the right path.
A.13. You have read about Ekalavya, who, even after losing his right thumb, kept practising, became a great archer and even raised an army. Now listen to the story of a brave boy, Jitendra Kumar Sharma, who fought with some robbers even after a bullet had hit him in the back.
Complete the passage:
It was late evening. Some robbers entered the Kalyanji Temple at Diggi. After threatening the priest, they proceeded to take off the crown and the jewels of the main idol. The priest’s 14-year old son, Jitendra, pounced upon a robber. His mother, Shakuntala Devi, snatched the crown from the robber. The robbers fired to frighten her. A bullet hit her in the head and the crown slipped from her hands. Jitendra quickly picked it. One of the robbers’ bullets hit Jitendra in the back. But still Jitendra ran out of the temple with the crown. The robbers chased him but failed. The crowd caught two of the robbers and handed them over to the Police.