“Watchman of the Lake: Question and Answers” is a reminder that we all have a responsibility to protect nature. We should not take nature for granted, and we should do everything we can to preserve its beauty and integrity. We should also be mindful of the ways in which our actions can impact the environment. Read More Plus One English Question and Answers.
Watchman of the Lake Question and Answers
Question 1.
What instructions does the Headman give Bhima? Why?
OR
How does the Headman try to frighten Mara?
OR
How does the village Headman try to prevent Mara from approaching the king?
Answer:
Initially, the Headman tries to control Mara with his harsh words. He calls him a lunatic and orders him to keep away from the path. When this fails, he even tries to cajole Mara by offering him a gift on condition that he kept away. After failing to persuade Mara to leave the spot with either threat or reward, the Headman decides to use force on Mara. He decides to make use of Bhima, a giant-sized man, to restrict Mara from coming to the spot. He instructs Bhima to bind Mara hand and foot and throw him into the cellar behind the old temple and keep him there till the king passed by that way. He also cautions Mara that if he tried any trick, Bhima would crush him between his thumb and forefinger.
Question 2.
Why does Mara rush to the King? What request has he made to the Goddess?
OR
How does Mara save the village and the kingdom from the threat of the flood?
OR
How does Mara attempt to save the kingdom from the wrath of the Goddess?
OR
How does Mara sacrifice his life for the people in ‘Watchman of the Lake’?
Answer:
Mara rushes to the king after witnessing the dangerously rising levels of river Veda. In his vision, he sees the Goddess in her destructive mood and no amount of pleading on Mara’s part makes her change her decision of overflowing the bank. It is then that Mara pleads with the Goddess to contain her wrath and ensure that the water didn’t overflow the banks submerging the whole kingdom until he informed the king and returned. The Goddess agrees and Mara rushes to the kingdom to let the king know what has happened.
Just as the king gets ready to face the inevitable deluge and the destruction of his whole kingdom, Mara points out to him that if he (Mara) didn’t return, the Goddess would keep her word of the water not overflowing the bank. He then urges the king to put an end to his life so that he wouldn’t be able to return. The king, though reluctant, is helpless, and fulfils the request of Mara. Thus, Mara saves the king and his kingdom by sacrificing himself.
Question 3.
What instructions does Ganga give his son?
Answer:
Ganga carries on the legacy of his father and keeps the trust of his father. Just as Mara wanted his son to continue his duty as the watchman, Ganga wants his son to continue after him as the watchman of the lake. Ganga has another instruction for his son. He wants his son not to miss the worship at the shrine. Even as he reminds his son that after his death he should watch over the lake, he also tells him that he would be annoyed if his son missed the worship at the shrine. Thus, we see that Mara’s wish that the lake should be taken care of by his son and later by his son’s son has been fulfilled.
Question 4.
Sketch the character of Mara, the watchman.
OR
Mara can be called ‘a common man with uncommon determination’. Elucidate.
Answer:
The title of the play ‘Watchman of the Lake’ by R.K. Narayan refers to a watchman, a common man, who is instrumental in a lake coming into being. The one-act play unfolds before us the saga of Mara who against stiff opposition ensures that the lake comes into being, and sacrifices himself to ensure that the lake does not overflow its banks, destroying the whole capital of the king who has constructed the lake. The play revolves around the vision of Mara who has been told by the Goddess that a tank must be built for river Veda.
Though the Headman tries his best to prevent Mara from meeting the King, a lake comes into being after Mara convinces the king. Mara supervises the building of the tank, taking into consideration every stone that is placed and after the tank is built, protects the lake and all the creatures near the lake from trespassers. He also gives water to the needy according to the rules of the king and trains his son to be the future watchman of the lake. Thus, we see that Mara is: god-fearing; loyal to the king; hard-working as the watchman of the lake; fair and impartial in his dealings with the people who come to the lake; a common man with uncommon determination, and above all, is selfless in sacrificing his life for the sake of the kingdom. He is fearless too. When the Headman is insulting towards him, he makes fun of him. He is an admirable mixture of dedication, vision and hard work.
Question 5.
What does Mara, the watchman, reveal to the king on the night of the storm?
Answer:
The night of the storm is a dark night for Mara, the watchman of the lake, who realises that the lake which until then had been the life-giver is on the verge of turning into the life-destroyer. After we see that Mara is worried about the rising levels of the water, we see him at the palace seeking permission to speak to the king late at night. Mara, who is drenched in water and has mud splashed all over him, confides with the king that the Goddess had appeared in his dream again and had warned him about Veda overflowing the banks of the lake. She hadn’t relented even when Mara had reminded her that it was at her behest that the bank had been built. Mara adds that the Goddess seemed to be in a destructive mood. Mara tells the king that if the water overflowed, then the whole kingdom would be destroyed.
Even as the king gets ready to inform his subjects about the impending deluge and doom, Mara tells him that there is one way of saving the kingdom. He says that the Goddess had promised not to overflow the bank until Mara returned and the king could ensure that Mara didn’t return by killing him. Thus, we see that Mara sacrifices himself for the welfare of the king and his subjects. His only request is to make his son the next watchman and his grandson and great-grandsons after his son to be subsequent watchmen of the lake.
Question 6.
Contrast the different moods of the Goddess that are portrayed in “Watchman of the Lake”.
Answer:
The constructive and destructive appearances of the Goddess are symbolic of the constructive and destructive aspects of nature. They are also symbolic of God himself being both the preserver and the destroyer. The two facets of the Goddess also make one more point clear. Human beings cannot follow the design of the supreme being. He has to only accept the divine will unquestioningly.
First time when the Goddess appears before Mara, he recognises her immediately as the divine mother and falls at her feet. He is struck by her grandeur, and this is evident from the graphic description he gives to the king of the tresses, the stars in her coronet and the ruby on the forehead of the Goddess.
The second time Mara sees the Goddess in her destructive mood. Her tresses are wild, her eyes gleam with a strange light, her forehead is splashed with vermilion and she carries a sword. This time too Mara falls at her feet, but this time he is frightened and pleads for mercy. The Goddess offers no explanation for her fury. However, she shows mercy and asks Mara to leave the hut. She also agrees to contain herself until he returned.
Question 7.
Give an account of Mara’s second meeting with the king.
Answer:
If the first meeting of Mara with the king is adventurous, the second meeting is very disturbing. In Scene Four we see Mara at the palace seeking permission to speak to the king late at night. Mara, who is drenched in water and has mud splashed all over him, confides with the king that the Goddess had appeared in his dream again and had warned him about Veda overflowing the banks of the lake. She hadn’t relented even when Mara had reminded her that it was at her behest that the tank had been built. Mara adds that the Goddess seemed to be in a destructive mood. Mara tells the king that if the water overflowed, then the whole kingdom would be destroyed. Even as the king gets ready to inform his subjects about the impending deluge and doom, Mara tells him that there is one way of saving the kingdom.
He says that the Goddess had promised not to overflow until Mara returned and the king could ensure that Mara didn’t return by killing him. Thus we see that Mara sacrifices himself for the welfare of the king and his subjects. His only request is to make his son the next watchman and his grandson and great-grandsons after his son to be subsequent watchmen of the lake.
Question 8.
Narrate the story of Sanjeevini as told by Mara in the play ‘Watchman of the Lake’.
Answer:
According to Mara’s narration, the spot was sacred because Hanuman stood there on the day Lakshmana lay in a dead faint in the battlefield at Lanka. Hanuman was guided by divine omens and came to the spot where the king stood, and went up the mountain to find Sanjeevini, with which he revived Lakshmana. In the place of the Sanjeevini, a stream arose and it flowed past the spot where the king stood. Thus, the place was sacred for two reasons. First of all, the great Hanuman came there; secondly, river Veda, originating from the spot where Sanjeevini grew, flowed there.
Question 9.
What did Mara tell the king about the tank on a stormy night?
Answer:
Mara told the king that until that evening there was no sign of the coming rain, but at dusk, the sky darkened all of a sudden. Raindrops started battering his roof and at midnight the wind rocked his hut. He came out of his hut and saw a terrifying sight. Veda was thundering down the mountain, and the wind shook the earth. When he went to the edge of the water, the waves rose to a man’s height and hammered at the bank; the water level was just a hair’s breadth below the shore. It appeared as though it might heave and flow over.
Question 10.
Give an account of Mara’s vision of the Goddess on the night of the storm.
Answer:
Until that evening there was no sign of the coming rain, but at dusk, the sky darkened all of a sudden. Raindrops started battering Mara’s roof and at midnight the wind rocked his hut. He came out of his hut and saw a terrifying sight. Veda was thundering down the mountain, and the wind shook the earth. When he went to the edge of the water, the waves rose to a man’s height and hammered at the bank; the water level was just a hair’s breadth below the shore. It appeared as though it might heave and flow over. On seeing the turbulent Veda, Mara fell down and prayed. He had a vision of the Goddess of the lake. He saw the Goddess standing before him. Her tresses were wild, and her eyes gleamed with a strange light; she carried a sword in her hand and she had splashed her forehead with vermilion.
Question 11.
How did Mara save the lake?
Answer:
When Mara fell at her feet, the Goddess asked him to rise up and hear her intently. She told him that she was the Goddess of the Lake and that river Veda was her plaything. She asked him to leave the hut at once and save his life. Mara asked her what was going to happen. She told him that she was going to destroy the tank that imprisoned Veda. When Mara told her that they had built the tank at her command, the Goddess replied that she was in a different mood and wanted to splash away the waters of Veda. Mara told the Goddess that the waters of Veda would wash away hundreds of villages and towns and the king’s capital beyond if the bank was removed.
Mara prostrated before her and begged her to stay her hand and not to carry out the devastation until he came back after informing the king about it. After meeting the king he requested the king to get him executed and prevent him from returning to the Goddess. Though the king disliked the suggestion, finally he granted Mara’s wish and got him executed. The Goddess stayed her hand, did not destroy the tank and waited for Mara’s return. Thus, Mara saved the lake.
Question 12.
Why did Mara meet the king the first time?
Answer:
Mara met the king the first time in order to tell him about the conversation he had with the Goddess in his dream. The Goddess of the river appeared in Mara’s dream several times and told him to ask his king to build a tank for river Veda and to not let river Veda leave their village. The Goddess appeared in Mara’s dream and told him that the king was passing through their village the next day and he should tell the king to build a tank for Veda and give her a home.
Question 13.
How did Mara manage to meet the king the first time?
Answer:
After having been told by the Goddess of the river that the king was passing through their village the next day, Mara went to see the road the king would pass through. The workers told the headman of the village that Mara had peeped at them from behind a rock and had run away.
The village headman considered Mara a lunatic. Therefore, he wanted to prevent Mara from meeting the king. He called Bhima, a worker, who was well-built and strong, to bind Mara hand and foot and throw him into a cellar behind the old temple and keep him there for two days. Mara went along with Bhima without showing any resistance. On the way, Mara told him about what the Goddess had asked him to tell the king. Bhima was convinced that Mara was telling the truth and so set him free.
Mara hid on a tree near the road on which the king was passing through. Later, that day, while the king was going through that road, Mara jumped down from the tree and was brought before the king by his servants. When the king asked him why he was hiding there, he told the king what the Goddess had asked him to do.
Question 14.
Describe the circumstances that prompted Mara to meet the king on a stormy night.
Answer:
One evening, when daylight was gradually fading and the sky was darkening, Mara sensed that it was going to rain very heavily. He called his son in and shut the door of his hut. Raindrops started battering his roof and at midnight the wind rocked his hut. Mara became anxious and came out of his hut. He saw Veda thundering down the mountain and also felt the wind shaking the earth. He went to the edge of the water in the tank and watched the waves rising to a man’s height and hammering at the bank. The water level had risen to just a hair’s breadth below the shore. He thought it might heave and flow over the banks any moment.
Mara went on his knees and prayed to the Goddess of the river. She appeared before him in an angry mood. Her tresses were wild, her eyes gleamed with a strange light; there was a sword in her hand and her forehead was splashed with vermilion. When he cowered at her sight she asked him to stand up and listen to what she was going to say. Then she told him to clear out of his hut at once as she desired to destroy the tank built around her. Mara pleaded with her to spare them and have pity on them. But the Goddess did not change her mood. Then Mara requested her to grant his one wish. He begged her to promise him that she would stay her hand and not carry out the devastation until he returned from the king’s palace after informing him about what was going to happen to the tank.
The Goddess gracefully granted his wish and agreed to wait until he came back. Thus having stayed the decision of the river Goddess, Mara had to somehow save the tank and his people. That is why Mara met the King on a stormy night.
Question 15.
How did the king respond to Mara’s information about the command of the Goddess?
Answer:
Mara met the king in order to tell him about the conversation he had with the Goddess in his dream. The Goddess of the river appeared in Mara’s dream several times and told him to ask his king to build a tank for river Veda and to not let river Veda leave their village. The Goddess told him that the king was passing through their village the next day and he should tell the king to build a tank for Veda and give her a home. As soon as he heard what Mara told him, the king was very happy to learn about the command of the Goddess. He was also happy that Mara had been lucky enough to have spoken to the Goddess. That is why Mara asked the king that he might get him trampled down by his royal elephant if he did not believe his words. The king, on the contrary, expressed his appreciation for Mara for having been graced by the Goddess. The king said that Mara’s words were valuable and needed due consideration.
Question 16.
Describe Mara’s reaction to the Goddess on a stormy night.
Answer:
On that stormy night, when the raindrops started battering the roof of his hut and the wind rocked his hut, Mara was disturbed by the change in the weather. He came out of the hut and saw the huge waves rising to a man’s height and hammering at the banks of the tank. The tank was almost full and it looked as if it might heave and flow over the land any moment.
Mara was shocked to see the tank in such a state. He prostrated and prayed to the Goddess of the river. The Goddess appeared before him. Her tresses were wild, her eyes gleamed with a strange light; she carried a sword in her hand and she had splashed her forehead with vermilion. He cowered at the sight of her. The Goddess asked him to get up and hear her intently.
The Goddess told him that she was the Goddess of the lake and that river Veda was her plaything. She ordered him to clear out of his hut at once. Mara begged the Goddess to spare them. He asked the Goddess what was going to happen. She told him that she was going to kick away the stones that bound the tank as she wanted to destroy the tank. Mara then told the Goddess that they had built the tank at her command. The Goddess told him that she was in a destructive mood, Veda was her plaything and she liked to splash away its waters.
Then Mara pleaded with her and requested her to stay her hand until he returned to the village after informing the king about it. The Goddess granted his wish.
Question 17.
What did Mara request the Goddess and the king to save the lake?
Answer:
The Goddess of the river told Mara that she intended to destroy the lake and splash the waters of the river Veda. She asked him to clear out of the hut at once. Mara pleaded with her to spare them. He then told her that they had built the tank aj her command. The Goddess told him that Veda was her plaything and she was now in a destructive mood and wished to destroy the tank. Mara requested the Goddess to stay her hand until he returned to his village after informing the king about it. The Goddess granted his wish.
Then Mara met the king at midnight and told him the whole story. He then asked the king to execute him and make it impossible for him to return to his village. That way, he would be able to save the tank, since the Goddess had agreed to not destroy the tank until he came back. Mara then requested the king to make his son the watchman of the lake, and after him, his son, and then his son’s son to the last generation of his family. Though the king was disturbed by his request, he finally agreed and got Mara executed.
Question 18.
Give an account of Mara’s meeting with the king on a stormy night in ‘Watchman of the Lake’.
Answer:
When Mara fell at her feet, the Goddess asked him to rise up and hear her intently. She told him that she was the Goddess of the Lake and that river Veda was her plaything. She asked him to leave the hut at once and save his life. Mara asked her what was going to happen. She told him that she was going to destroy the tank that imprisoned Veda. When Mara told her that they had built the tank at her command, the Goddess replied that she was in a different mood and wanted to splash away the waters of Veda.
Mara told the Goddess that the waters of Veda would wash away hundreds of villages and towns and the king’s capital beyond if the bank was removed. Mara prostrated before her and begged her to stay her hand and not to carry out the devastation until he came back after informing the king about it. After meeting the king he requested the king to get him executed and prevent him from returning to the Goddess. Though the king disliked the suggestion, finally he granted Mara’s wish and got him executed. The Goddess stayed her hand, did not destroy the tank and waited for Mara’s return. Thus, Mara saved the lake.
Question 19.
Why was the shrine dedicated to Mara by the king in ‘Watchman of the Lake’?
Answer:
‘Watchman of the Lake’ by R.K. Narayan enacts the legendary story of the martyrdom of Mara, an innocent villager of Sakkarepatna situated in the eastern base of Baba Sudan Hills, in Karnataka. It was once the capital of a king called Rukmangada.
One night Mara saw in his dream, the Goddess of the River Veda which flows down the hills throughout the year. The Goddess told Mara to meet the king and ask him to build a tank and to give her a home. Though no one believed Mara’s story and made fun of him, Mara managed to meet the king one day and narrate his story. The king, unlike the others, believed Mara’s account and eventually got a tank built and stored the waters of the river Veda. The king made Mara the watchman of the lake and saw to it that the water of the lake was properly utilized for agricultural and other useful purposes.
Many years later, one evening Mara noticed that there was going to be a thunderstorm and owing to strong winds, there were waves in the tank rising very high and hammering at the bank. Mara at once realized that it was a dangerous situation and the waters of the lake might overflow the banks and destroy his village. He feared for the lives of the people and their property in the village. Mara, at once, went down on his knees and prayed earnestly to the Goddess of the river. The Goddess appeared before him carrying a sword in her hand and her forehead was splashed with vermilion. She told Mara to move out of his hut at once and save himself. She told him that she was going to break out of the tank and flow over the villages and the towns and the king’s capital beyond it.
Mara immediately prostrated before her and begged her to give him enough time to go and inform the king about it. He requested her to wait and not do anything until he returned.
Later Mara met the king, narrated the whole story and also gave him a suggestion as to how he could save the tank and his people. He requested the king to get him executed so that he would never return to his place and the Goddess would continue to wait for Mara.
Though the king was not ready to accept Mara’s suggestion, Mara persuaded the king to get him executed so that the tank and the people of his kingdom could be saved. The king agreed and as per his wish, got Mara executed. Next, he got a shrine built for Mara in which the top pedestal had the idol of the Guardian Goddess of the village and just below it was the idol of Mara. The king ordered that the villagers should worship those idols every Tuesday and Friday to commemorate the martyrdom of Mara.