Std 8 English chapters › Unit 3 · Question Answers ↓ · Take the lesson test ↓
In short: When Emperor Akbar praises Tansen's singing, Tansen says his guru Sant Haridas sings far better, and they visit the hermit; Akbar learns that music sung for God is greater than music sung for a king.
(सम्राट अकबर तानसेनच्या गायनाची स्तुती करतो, तेव्हा तानसेन सांगतो की त्याचे गुरू संत हरिदास त्याच्यापेक्षा खूप चांगले गातात; ते दोघे त्या संतांकडे जातात आणि अकबराला समजते की देवासाठी गायलेले संगीत राजासाठी गायलेल्या संगीतापेक्षा श्रेष्ठ असते.)
- Type: Story
- Characters: Tansen, Emperor Akbar, Sant Haridas (Tansen's guru)
- Unit: 3
Summary in English
After Tansen sings Raag Darbari, Emperor Akbar praises him and says he has the most wonderful voice in the world. Tansen humbly says that someone sings far better: his guru, Sant Haridas. But his guru will not come to court even if the emperor calls him.
Instead of getting angry, Akbar agrees to go to him, not as emperor but as a humble lover of music. Sant Haridas, who lives a simple life as a hermit, refuses to sing, saying he is too old. Tansen then sings before him and deliberately makes a mistake. Annoyed, the guru takes the tanpura and sings the correct note, and goes on singing.
His music spreads through the forest like the first light of dawn or the scent of jasmine. Akbar is spellbound. On the way back he asks Tansen why he cannot sing like that. Tansen replies that he sings at the command of the emperor, but his guru sings for God, the master of kings, and his music comes freely from his soul.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
तानसेनने राग दरबारी गायल्यावर सम्राट अकबर त्याची स्तुती करतो आणि म्हणतो की तुझा आवाज जगात सर्वोत्तम आहे. तानसेन नम्रपणे सांगतो की कोणीतरी त्याच्यापेक्षा खूप चांगले गाते: त्याचे गुरू संत हरिदास. पण सम्राटाने बोलावले तरी ते दरबारात येणार नाहीत.
राग न येता अकबर स्वतः त्यांच्याकडे जायला तयार होतो, सम्राट म्हणून नव्हे तर संगीताचा नम्र रसिक म्हणून. साधे संन्यस्त जीवन जगणारे संत हरिदास 'माझे गाण्याचे वय गेले' म्हणून गायला नकार देतात. मग तानसेन त्यांच्यासमोर गातो आणि मुद्दाम एक चूक करतो. वैतागलेले गुरू तानपुरा घेऊन योग्य सूर लावतात आणि पुढे गात राहतात.
त्यांचे संगीत पहाटेच्या पहिल्या किरणासारखे किंवा मोगऱ्याच्या सुगंधासारखे जंगलभर पसरते. अकबर मंत्रमुग्ध होतो. परत येताना तो तानसेनला विचारतो, तू असे का गाऊ शकत नाहीस? तानसेन उत्तर देतो, मी सम्राटाच्या हुकुमावरून गातो, पण माझे गुरू राजांच्याही स्वामीसाठी, देवासाठी गातात; त्यांचे संगीत आत्म्यातून सहज उमटते.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
Art offered with devotion and from the heart is the purest and finest; true greatness is humble.
भक्तीने आणि मनापासून सादर केलेली कला सर्वात शुद्ध आणि श्रेष्ठ असते; खरे मोठेपण नम्र असते.
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| exquisite | अतिशय सुंदर, उत्कृष्ट | The dancer gave an exquisite performance. |
| summoned | बोलावले | The king summoned his minister. |
| austere | साधे, कठोर (जीवन) | The monk lived an austere life. |
| deliberate | मुद्दाम केलेला | It was a deliberate mistake. |
| exasperated | वैतागलेला | The teacher was exasperated by the noise. |
| hypnotised | मंत्रमुग्ध | The audience sat hypnotised by the music. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- Language study: phrases and clauses. A clause has a subject and a main verb (‘who sings far better’); a phrase does not (‘on the carpet’).
- Learn types of sentences from the story: ‘Wonderful!’ (exclamatory), ‘What has happened to you?’ (interrogative), ‘Take me to him.’ (imperative).
3.2 The Song of Songs: English Workshop Question Answers
Every English Workshop activity for this story, as games. Score points, earn stars and challenge a friend on WhatsApp! (खेळा, गुण मिळवा आणि मित्रांना आव्हान द्या!)
🎵 Warm-up: Indian or Western instrument?
🗂️ Sort the instruments.
Which tradition?
Ragas and their occasions
Raag Malkauns – late night; Raag Bhairav – early morning; Raag Yaman – evening; Raag Megh/Malhar – monsoon; Raag Bhoopali – evening; Raag Darbari – late night.
🎬 Put the story in order
What happens?
- Akbar praises Tansen's Raag Darbari.
- Tansen says someone sings far better than he does.
- Akbar agrees to go as a humble lover of music.
- Sant Haridas refuses to sing.
- Tansen deliberately sings a wrong note.
- Haridas takes the tanpura and sings divinely.
- Tansen explains that his Guru sings only for God.
🤔 Think as you read
How was Akbar different from other rulers?
Answer: He agreed to go himself, as a humble lover of music.
Why did Tansen make a deliberate mistake?
Answer: The trick worked: Haridas took the tanpura and sang.
Why was Haridas’s music more divine than Tansen’s?
Answer: Tansen sang at the emperor’s command; Haridas sang for the Master of kings.
Q2. Music words
👉 Which word is NOT related to music?
Pick the odd one out.
Answer: A hermit lives alone. Music words: musician, tanpura, strains, Raag Darbari, voice, sing, music, note, music teacher, lover of music.
Q3. Who said to whom?
🧩 Choose the speaker and listener.
Speaker → listener
Q4. Types of sentences
🧩 Match each sentence with its type.
Sentence → type
Q6. True, Not True or Can Not Say?
👉 Tap T, NT or CNS.
(i) Akbar admired Tansen’s music, but now he was bored with it.
Answer: He said he could never have enough of it.
(ii) Akbar was arrogant and expected everyone to obey.
Answer: He was humble and went himself.
(iii) Guruji recognised the king.
Answer: The story does not tell us.
(iv) Tansen continued to make deliberate mistakes in general.
Answer: He did it only once, on purpose, to make his Guru sing.
(v) Any effort dedicated to God turns out to be the best.
Answer: That is the message of the story.
Q8. Phrase or clause?
🗂️ A clause has a subject and a verb; a phrase does not.
Classify the part of the sentence
Q5 and Q7. Words and thoughts
✍️ Q5. Words from EXASPERATED. Try, then compare
exasperate, separate, spread, sprat, paste, taste, treat, trade, tread, reared, desert, dear, read, rate, date, tape, pear, peat, seat, star, past, stare.
✍️ Q7. Discuss and write briefly
(i) If Akbar had summoned Sant Haridas, he would have refused politely. He sang only for God, not at anyone’s command, and he cared nothing for royal favours.
(ii) I would stop and listen, offer some money or food, and tell him his voice is beautiful. If possible, I would tell my teachers so that he could get a chance to sing at a school function.
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- Why did Tansen make a deliberate mistake?
- How was Akbar different from other rulers of his time?
- Who is your favourite singer or musician? Why?
Online test · 15 questions
3.2 The Song of Songs: Lesson Test
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शिक्षकांसाठी: धडा शिकवून झाल्यावर ही test वर्गाला पाठवा. प्रत्येक विद्यार्थ्याचे गुण तुम्हाला आपोआप मिळतील.
These are original study notes by englishresources.in to help you revise. Read the lesson in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it and do not reproduce its text.