The blog article titled “Torch Bearers Summary” provides a comprehensive overview of the concept of torchbearers and their significance in various fields. It explores the role of torchbearers as individuals who carry the flame of knowledge, innovation, and inspiration, guiding others towards progress and success. This summary delves into the qualities and characteristics that make a torchbearer, highlighting their impact on different industries and communities. Read More Class 10 English Summaries.
Torch Bearers Summary
Torch Bearers Difficult Word Meanings
Torch Bearers Summary in English
Part-I
(भाग-I)
Once upon a time, many centuries ago, there lived an old merchant. All his life he had toiled hard, buying and selling, with the result that he had made a lot of money. As the years went by, he laid by more and more riches. But the day came when he felt that he had not long to remain in this world. He began to wonder what he should do with his money.
Now, he had two sons. He made up his mind that he would not divide his money between them, but that he would give it all to the one who proved himself to be the cleverer of the two. The problem to be solved was that of finding out which of the two sons was the cleverer. He decided to solve this problem by giving them a test.
Calling the young men, he said to them, “Here are two rupees. I want you to take one rupee each, and then to go out separately and buy something which will fill this house. You are not to spend more than one rupee.”
The two sons looked at him as if he had taken leave of his senses. “How can we possibly buy enough of anything to fill the house with only one rupee?” They asked themselves. And they were reluctant to pick up the rupees. But the old man insisted on their doing as he told them. “Off you go,” he said, “and don’t take too long over the business. I expect you back in a couple of days.”
So each young man took up a rupee and went out. The first one wandered through the bazaar all day long. But nothing could he find which would, in any way, serve his purpose. He became more and more certain that something had gone wrong with his father. He was about to give up his search in despair when he saw a bullock cart with a load of hay. “That looks hopeful,” he thought, “I wonder how much hay I can get for a rupee.”
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He went up to the driver of the cart and enquired about the price of the hay. There was a good deal of haggling over the price, but, in the end, he was able to buy the load of hay for a rupee. (In those days a rupee would buy a great deal more than it will buy now.)
So the young man led off the cart with the hay to his father’s house. Hopefully he piled it into the house. But when it was all in, he found that there was not enough to cover even the floor, let alone fill the whole house.
When the second son went out with his rupee, he did not go straight away to the bazaar. Instead of doing that, he sat down and began to think. For a long time he sat thinking about what he could possibly buy. In the evening, an idea struck him. Taking his rupee, he walked quickly down the bazaar till he came to a shop where candles were sold. He spent his rupee on candles, of which he got quite a number. Then, taking his candles with him he made his way back to his father’s house. When he got there his brother was standing disconsolately looking at the hay spread out on the floor.
It was now getting dark. Quickly the second son stood two or three candles in each room. Then he lit them. At once the house was filled with light.
His father was very pleased with him and said, “My son, you have shown true wisdom. I am ready to hand over all my money to you.”
Now, we all live in a big house which we call our native country. We have each of us been given, some one rupee, some two rupees, some three and some four. These rupees are not rupees with which we can buy things, but they are different powers we have been given. Each of us has powers of body, powers of mind and powers of character. Each of us has strength, time and intelligence, which can be used. As we leave school and go out into the world, we are tested as to how we are going to use these talents which we possess. Are we going to use them to buy useless hay or are we going to use them to spread light throughout our house, that is, our country? If we are going to be good citizens, then we shall use our powers and abilities to try to spread light into all parts of our country, that is, we shall spend ourselves in the service of our country.
Non country can progress unless it has good citizens. So, if we love our country and want to serve it, we should try to become good citizens. We will be training ourselves in citizenship and cultivating the characteristics of good citizens. We will be able to fill our country with the light of good citizenship when we leave our school and home, and go out into different parts of our country.
Part-II
(भाग-II)
The next night they came to another village where they received a very different reception. The villagers welcomed them, treated them kindly, found them a place to stay for the night, and gave them food to eat. In the morning, as Guru Nanak and Mardana were leaving, the Guru said, “I pray that the people of this village may not remain in their village, but may be scattered throughout the country.”
But this was too much for Mardana. He protested. “Why”, he said to the Guru. “do you pray for good things for people who treat us badly, and for misfortunes for those who treat us well ? You should have prayed for those inhospitable villagers to be scattered over the country, and for these good people to remain comfortably where they are.”
“No,” replied Guru Nanak, “it is better for those inhospitable and selfish people to stay in one place where they can do harm in one place only. If they went to other places they would have an evil influence all through the country. Now these good people, with whom we put up last night, are too good to be left in one place. They have something which is needed everywhere. Their influence and their character will be of benefit to others, wherever they go. Hence they ought to be scattered so that they can take their light to other places.”
Now we have to see to it that we grow into such citizen that people will want the light of our character and our influence everywhere. We do not wish to have the sort of character that will make people want us to stay in one place, and not to mix with others, If we are to be good citizens, who will be able to serve their country. We must be carrying light with us wherever we go, and not darkness.
Our influence on others must be for good, and not for bad. Our lives must be such that wherever we go, and wherever we live, other people should feel better for our having been with them. A good citizen is a centre of light wherever he lives, and whatever he does. The greater the number of good citizens in a country, the more enlightened will the country be as a whole.
A chain is as strong as is weakest link. Each one of us is a link in the chain that is our country. If we are weak and poor citizens, then our country will suffer, even though we may try to comfort ourselves with the false idea that it does not make any difference what one person does in such a large country where so many people live. But if one candle goes out then in that one place there is darkness instead of light. It is only when all the candles burn brightly that the whole house will be full of light.
Each of us, therefore, has the responsibility of being a good citizen. We must see that our particular link in the chain is not a weak one. When the Olympic Games were held in London in 1948, a flame was carried to London from Greece, where the Olympic Games used to be held in times long ago. This flame was carried by a long relay of runners right across Europe. Each runner, carrying a lighted torch, ran for a certain distance till he came to the place where a fresh runner was waiting for him.
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The new runner then lit his torch from the one that had been carried to him. As soon as he had done this he set out to run with his lighted torch to where the next runner was waiting. He had a fresh torch, which he, in his turn, lit from the one brought to him. And so from runner to runner the flame was carried till it reached London. From the last torch was lit the fire which burned all the time the games were going on.
Although nothing was said about it, and no names were mentioned, at one place there was an accident. One runner, when handing over his torch to a fresh runner, let it go out. How ashamed he must have been! He had let the flame go out. He had broken the chain.
Each one of us, as we leave school, has a flame to carry which we have to pass on to others. We have been given knowledge and skill. These we pass on by using them in the service of our country. If we do not use them, it means that we are letting the flame go out, and none of us wants to do that. But if we are going to be able to keep alight the torch that has been given to us, we have to know how to look after it, and we have to know how to hold it as we run. In other words, we have to train ourselves for citizenship, and for service of our country.