Class Notes NCERT Solutions for CBSE Students
Unseen Comprehension Passages Set II – [05]
A good teacher is like a candle-it consumes itself to light the way for others.
Let’s Celebrate Teacher’s Day
In India, we celebrate Teacher’s Day on the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. But why did we choose his birthday and not that of any other leader? Legend says that after Dr Radhakrishnan became the President of India, a group of students wanted to celebrate his birthday as Radhakrishnan Jayanti. He humbly refused and instead suggested to them to celebrate it as a day to honour teachers. He was himself a renowned teacher and believed that “teachers should be the best minds in the country.”
Now, read the following story …………………
Surdas was an eager student who wanted to learn about spirituality. He met a Guru who accepted him as his disciple. The Guru found that Surdas was hampered by his quality of getting angry easily, Which prevented him from learning. Thus, the Guru decided to make Surdas shed his anger.
The Guru asked Surdas to chant God’s name while doing all his activities for one month and then meet him. Surdas followed the Guru’s instructions and the day after one month, he went to meet his Guru. On his way to the Guru’s ashram, a sweeper. He went home, changed clothes and then met his guru.
To his surprise the Guru told Surdas that he was not yet ready to learn and he had to chant and do his chores for another for another month. Surdas returned sadly, and continued to chant Gods’s name for another month, while doing his chores.
After a month, he eagerly went his Gurji’s ashram and the same thing happened again. Surdas again became really angry and blamed the sweeper. After bathing, he met his Guru who asked Surdas to chant God’s name for one more moth.ou
One month passed away and his time the same incident happened when Surdas went to meet his Guru. However, this time Surdas addressed him softly saying “Thank you. You are my master. You have helped me to overcome my anger.”
This time as Surdas approached his Guru’s hermitage, he could see his Guru standing in front of the hermitage welcoming him. He told Surdas that he was now ready to teach him. Surdas could now understand the process he went through.
A Guru knows what a student is lacking in and knows the ways that would put him / her on the right path.
As a student, you must have faith in your Gurus’ words and follow them with devotion.
On the basis of your reading of the above passage answer the following questions:
- Why is Teacher’s day celebrated on the birth anniversary of Dr. Radhkrishnan?
- Why do you think that “Teachers should be the best minds in the country?”
- Who was Surdas? Give a brief description of some of his great work that was majorly influenced by his Guru’s teachings.
- As a student, you must have faith in your Gurus’ words and follow them sincerely. Do you agree? Justify.
