MAK LABS — Std 9 English 4.5 Tansen

1(a) Find out the names of at least 10 Ragas and the time when they are sung to produce greater effect.

No.	Name of Raga	Effective when (Time/Season)
1.	Raga Bhairav	Early morning (Sunrise)
2.	Raga Bhupali	Early evening (Dusk)
3.	Raga Yaman	First quarter of the night (Evening)
4.	Raga Darbari Kanada	Deep night (Midnight)
5.	Raga Malkauns	Late night / Midnight
6.	Raga Todi	Late morning
7.	Raga Multani	Late afternoon / Sunset
8.	Raga Megh	Rainy season (Monsoon)
9.	Raga Basant	Spring season
10.	Raga Jaunpuri	Late morning

2(b) Archaic words and their modern equivalents.

Archaic Word	Modern Equivalent	Meaning in English
thou	you	used to address one person
thy	your	possessive form of thou
thee	you	objective form of thou
hath	has	third-person singular present of have
doth	does	third-person singular present of do
ere	before	earlier than
alas	unfortunately	expression of sorrow or pity
oft	often	frequently
mid	middle / amidst	in the middle of
whither	where	to what place or state

3(c) Name some of the nine gems (Navaratnas) in Akbar's Court and the stories associated with them.

The nine gems in Emperor Akbar's court were Birbal, Tansen, Abul Fazl, Faizi, Raja Todar Mal, Raja Man Singh, Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana, Fakir Aziao-Din, and Mulla Do-Piyaza.

Stories associated with them:

Birbal: Famous for his wit and clever answers that always impressed Akbar.
Tansen: Legendary musician whose singing could light lamps (Deepak Raga) and bring rain (Malhar Raga).
Raja Todar Mal: Known for reforming the land revenue system of the Mughal Empire.

◆ How did Akbar reward Tansen for the ecstatic effect of his singing?
Akbar praised him, gave him many gems, and called him the chief jewel in his diadem (crown).

◆ What happened to Tansen when he sang the Deepak Raga with great vigour?
When Tansen sang the Deepak Raga, his body burned like a pyre and burst into consuming flame from the intense heat generated by the song.

◆ How did he come back to normal, again?
A maiden came and sang Raga Malhar, the song of cold water, which cooled his burning heart and restored his health.

◆ What did Tansen tell about his Teacher to Akbar?
Tansen told Akbar that his teacher lived far away in a cave in the Himalayas, remote from the world, scorning its wealth, and refusing to sing to earthly kings.

◆ Why did Akbar change his kingly attire?
Akbar changed his kingly attire and dressed in robes of poverty (like a slave) because Tansen told him that his master disdained singing to earthly kings, so they had to approach him in utter humility.

◆ What was the magical effect of Ostad's rendering the Malkous Raga?
When Ostad sang the Malkous Raga, birds and beasts gathered around, enchanted, and waves of heavenly rapture rolled over Akbar's dreaming soul.

◆ What happened before Akbar could come out of his trance?
Before Akbar could recover from his trance and speak words of praise, Ostad had vanished from his wondering gaze.

◆ Why did Tansen's singing not produce the same effect as that by Ostad?
Tansen's singing did not produce the same divine effect because, as Tansen explained, he sang to please an earthly king (Akbar), whereas his master Ostad sang purely in devotion to God.

1Pick out Archaic words from the poem and give their modern equivalents.

Archaic Words	Modern Equivalents
(a) thy	your
(b) Huzoor	Your Majesty / Sir
(c) 'twere	it would be
(d) lo	look / behold
(e) disdains	refuses / scorns

2Who said the following, to whom, and when?

(a) "Mighty thy Teacher must be and divine."
Speaker: Emperor Akbar.
To whom: Tansen.
When: When Tansen narrated how Raga Malhar cured him after his body burned from singing Raga Deepak.
(b) "He dwells within a cave of Himalay."
Speaker: Tansen.
To whom: Emperor Akbar.
When: When Akbar expressed his eager desire to meet and listen to Tansen's great teacher.
(c) "As you desire, Huzoor."
Speaker: Tansen.
To whom: Emperor Akbar.
When: When Akbar said he would deny his royal state and walk in poverty just to hear the master sing.
(d) "O Holy Master, bless us with thy song!"
Speaker: Emperor Akbar (and Tansen).
To whom: Ostad (the master teacher).
When: When they reached the Himalayan cave, knelt at the master's feet, and made a humble request.
(e) "Ah no, to thee I sing: he sings to God."
Speaker: Tansen.
To whom: Emperor Akbar.
When: When Akbar asked Tansen if he could sing the same theme to lure his heart, and Tansen explained the difference between performing for an earthly king versus singing in pure devotion to God.

3Rearrange the following in their proper order as in the poem. Write the serial number against each line.

1 (f) One day, the singer sang Deepak Raga in the court.
2 (j) She sang Raga Malhar, which had a cooling effect.
3 (g) Akbar expressed his wish to meet the Teacher.
4 (b) Akbar followed Tansen, dressed miserably.
5 (e) O Divine Teacher, please gift us the joy of your song.
6 (a) The Ostad sang the Malkous Raga enchantingly.
7 (h) He experienced heavenly delight.
8 (d) Ostad was nowhere to be seen.
9 (c) I request you to sing such a song that I will experience unmatched joy.
10 (i) Tansen sings to please the earthly king but Ostad devotes his songs to God.

4Write the reason in your own words.

(a) Akbar strongly desired to hear Ostad sing.
Akbar was so moved by Tansen's singing that he felt Tansen's teacher must be even greater. So he longed to hear him sing.

(b) Akbar had to dress like a slave.
Tansen's master was a hermit who refused to sing for earthly kings. So Akbar had to go to him humbly, dressed like a slave.

(c) After the song Ostad had vanished.
Ostad was a hermit who did not care for praise from kings. So he left quietly as soon as his song was over.

(d) Ostad's song was more elating than Tansen's songs.
Ostad sang only for God, with pure devotion, while Tansen sang to please an earthly king.

5What message does the poet wish to convey through this narrative poem, 'Tansen'?

Through this poem, the poet wishes to convey that true art and music attain their highest form when they are dedicated purely to the divine (God) rather than performed for material wealth, fame, or the approval of earthly rulers. Spiritual purity and true devotion surpass all royal power and material riches.

6Summarise this poem in your own words in 8 to 10 lines, highlighting only the main points.

Tansen was a celebrated singer in Emperor Akbar's court, known for his magical voice. Once, after singing Raga Deepak, his body began to burn with intense heat, but he was saved when a maiden sang Raga Malhar to cool him down. Deeply impressed by Tansen's talent, Akbar praised him, but Tansen humbly replied that his master, living in a Himalayan cave, sang far more divinely. Filled with curiosity, Akbar dressed like a slave and accompanied Tansen to meet the holy teacher. When the master sang the Malkous Raga, nature and animals were enchanted, and Akbar experienced profound heavenly joy. After the song, the master vanished. When Akbar asked Tansen why he couldn't sing with the same divine magic, Tansen replied that he sang to please an earthly king, whereas his master sang purely for God.

4.5 Tansen

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