Grade 10, English Unit-4 Work and Leisure || Leave this Chanting and Singing

Reading II

a. What are the people in pictures doing?

Ans:- There are two pictures, in the first picture, a farmer is ploughing the field. He is doing hard work.

In the second picture, a girl is praying to the god.

 

b. Why are they doing these activities?

The man is doing his daily activity for his survival where as the girl is trying to please the god through religious practices to get rid of pain and misery.

 

c. Who, do you think, is better at serving the god? Why?

I think the man is better serving the god, because god loves those who are laborious and enjoys the life on their toil.

 

The poem is written by the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore and is titled "Leave This Chanting." The poem is a call to action and encourages the reader to leave behind the rituals and traditional practices of worship and instead seek out the divine through everyday experiences and actions.

 

Leave this Chanting and Singing

 

Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads!

Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut?

Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee!

 

The speaker is challenging the traditional practices of religious worship that are confined to a temple or a specific place. The speaker urges the reader to stop chanting and singing prayers and counting prayer beads, which are all ritualistic practices associated with worship in a temple. The speaker questions the value of such practices and asks the reader to reflect on whom they are worshipping in a dark, lonely corner of a temple with closed doors. The speaker suggests that instead of blindly following traditional practices of worship, the reader should open their eyes and realize that God is not limited to the confines of a temple. The divine is present everywhere, and by limiting oneself to a specific place and set of rituals, one may miss out on the opportunity to experience the divine in everyday life. The speaker encourages the reader to seek a more personal, experiential relationship with the divine, which is not confined to any particular place or ritualistic practice.

 

He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground

and where the path maker is breaking stones.

He is with them in sun and in shower,

and his garment is covered with dust.

Put off thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil!

 

The speaker suggests that the divine is present in everyday life, in the hard work of the tiller tilling the ground and the pathmaker breaking stones. The speaker suggests that the divine is with them in all conditions, whether it be in the sun or in the shower, and his garment is covered with dust. The speaker encourages the reader to put off their "holy mantle," which is likely a reference to their religious robes or symbolic clothing, and to come down to the "dusty soil" like the divine. This suggests that the speaker is urging the reader to engage in hard work alongside the tiller and the pathmaker and experience the divine in everyday life, rather than confining themselves to the rituals and practices of religious worship. The line "Put off thy holy mantle and even like him come down on the dusty soil!" can be interpreted as an invitation to engage in the world and to live life fully, rather than withdrawing into oneself or seeking detachment from the world. The speaker is suggesting that by engaging in hard work and coming down to the dusty soil, the reader can experience a deeper connection with the divine and can find meaning and purpose in our everyday life.

 

 

Deliverance?

Where is this deliverance to be found?

Our master himself has joyfully taken upon him the bonds of creation; he is bound with us all forever.

 

The speaker is questioning the traditional concept of deliverance or liberation from the cycle of birth and death, which is often associated with religious practices. The speaker questions where this deliverance can be found, suggesting that it may not be found in the traditional practices of religious worship or rituals. The speaker seems to suggest that deliverance may be found in something else entirely. The speaker then notes that their master has taken on the "bonds of creation," which likely refers to the cycle of birth and death that all living beings are subject to. The master has joyfully taken on these bonds and is bound with all of us forever. This suggests that the master has found a different path to deliverance, one that is not based on detachment from the world but rather on joyful engagement with it. The deliverance may not be found in traditional practices of religious worship or detachment from the world, but rather in joyful engagement with the world and acceptance of the bonds of creation. The speaker seems to suggest that the path to deliverance may be found in finding meaning and purpose in everyday life rather than seeking to escape it.

 

Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy flowers and incense! What harm is there if thy clothes become tattered and stained? Meet him and stand by him in toil and in sweat of thy brow.

 

The speaker is urging the reader to move beyond the traditional practices of religious worship and meditation and to engage with the world more fully. The speaker is suggesting that the reader should leave aside the flowers and incense, which are often used in religious worship, and come out of their meditative state. The speaker implies that these traditional practices of worship may not be enough to connect with the divine or to find true meaning and purpose in life. The speaker then asks what harm there is if the reader's clothes become tattered and stained, suggesting that the reader should be willing to engage in hard work and get their hands dirty in order to find meaning and purpose in life. The speaker suggests that by doing so, the reader can meet the divine and stand by them in the toil and sweat of their work. The speaker is encouraging the reader to move beyond traditional practices of religious worship and to engage with the world more fully. The speaker suggests that true connection with the divine may be found in engaging with the world and finding meaning and purpose in everyday life, rather than in detachment or traditional practices of worship.

 

-Rabindranath Tagore

 

A. Find the words from the poem which have the following meanings.

a. a small piece of glass or stone threaded with others to make a necklace - beads

b. to prepare and use land for growing crops -  tilling

c. a piece of clothing- mantle

d. a layer of something that covers a surface garment

e. the state of being rescued from danger, evil or pain - - deliverance

f. a substance that produces a pleasant smell when you burn it - incense

g. covered with marks stained

h. hard unpleasant work that makes you very tired- toil

 

B. Find the modern equivalents of the following archaic words used in the poem.

a. dost             b. thou             c. thine            d. thy

 

a. dost --> do

b. thou --> you

c. thine --> your

d. thy --> your

 

C. Answer the following questions.

a. Who is the poem addressed to?

Ans:- The poem is addressed to the reader or anyone who is engaged in religious worship or meditation.

 

b. What does the speaker advise people?

Ans:- The speaker advises people to leave aside traditional practices of religious worship and to engage with the world more fully, in order to find a true connection with the divine.

 

c. Where do people try to find the god?

Ans:- People try to find God in places like temples or through traditional practices of worship such as chanting, singing, and telling of beads.

 

 d. Where, according to the speaker, does the god actually reside?

Ans:- According to the speaker, God actually resides with the people who are working hard in the fields, breaking stones, and getting their hands dirty.

e. How can people have a glimpse of the god?

Ans:- People can have a glimpse of God by engaging in hard work and getting their hands dirty, rather than through traditional practices of worship and meditation.

 

f. Why can't the god rescue people?

Ans:- The speaker suggests that God has taken upon himself the bonds of creation and is bound with all of us forever. Therefore, God cannot simply rescue people from their struggles, instead, people must find their own deliverance by engaging with the world and finding meaning and purpose in everyday life.

 

g. What does the speaker ask people to do in the last stanza?

Ans:- In the last stanza, the speaker asks people to come out of their meditative state and to engage with the world more fully. The speaker suggests that people should leave aside traditional practices of worship, be willing to get their clothes tattered and stained, and stand by God in the toil and sweat of their work.

 

D.Do you believe in the existence of god? What do you do to please him? Share your opinion.

Ans:- The existence of God is a topic of much debate and discussion among people of various religions and beliefs. Many believe in the existence of a divine being who created and governs the universe, while others reject the idea of God altogether. As far as I am concerned, I do believe in the existence of god more or less.

Many people find comfort and meaning in their belief in God, and they may engage in various practices and rituals to please or honor their deity. These practices may include prayer, meditation, attending religious services, performing acts of charity, or following religious laws and commandments. Unlike these people, to please God, I don't do meditations, leave aside flowers and incense, and instead, I try to meet God in the toil and sweat of one's work. Furthermore I serve those helpless people and work alongside others, regardless of their caste or social status, in order to please God.