Bilasi by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay Practice Flashcards

120 practice questions and answers testing the characters, plot points, vocabulary, and author information from the story 'Bilasi' by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay.

When was Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay born?

15th September 1876

In which village was Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay born?

Devanandpur village

Which district is Devanandpur located in?

Hughli district

What was the name of Sarat Chandra's father?

Motilal Chattopadhyay

What was the name of Sarat Chandra's mother?

Bhubanmohini Devi

At what age did Sarat Chandra leave home to become a sanyasi?

$24$ years old

To which country did Sarat Chandra go for his livelihood?

Burma (present-day Myanmar)

What are the core characteristics of Sarat Chandra's artistic mind?

Humanity and love for people

What was Sarat Chandra's first printed work?

A story named 'Mandir'

Which award did the story 'Mandir' receive?

Kuntalin Prize

List some of Sarat Chandra's famous novels.

'Devdas', 'Palli-Samaj', 'Charitrahin', 'Srikanta', 'Grihadaha', 'Denapaona'

What medal did Calcutta University award him in 1923?

Jagattarini Gold Medal

Which university awarded Sarat Chandra an honorary D.Litt degree in 1936?

Dhaka University

When did Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay die?

16th January 1938

Where did Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay die?

Kolkata

How many 'kros' did the narrator have to walk to school?

$2$ kros

What percentage of village boys allegedly have to walk for education in this manner?

Approximately $80 \%$

What is the total distance of four 'kros' in miles?

It is more than $8$ miles

What is the weather like for the schoolboys in the rainy season?

Rainwater on the head and knee-deep mud under the feet

What replaces mud on the road during the summer?

A sea of dust

According to the transcript, who is the Hindu Goddess of learning?

Ma Saraswati (Ma-Saraswati)

What is the literal meaning of 'Kritabidya'?

A person who has attained knowledge; a scholar

Why do many gentlemanly families leave the village for the city?

The hardship of walking four kros to school

Identify the 'important' geographic facts the school tests students on.

The capital of Kamchatka and whether silver or gold is found in Siberian mines

Where is Kamchatka located?

A peninsula in the northeast of Siberia, Russia

What is the capital of Kamchatka?

Petropavlovsk

What is the modern name for 'Persia'?

Iran

In the story, who was Humayun's father according to the exam answer?

Tughlaq Khan (noted as historically incorrect in the text)

Who was the real father of the Mughal Emperor Humayun?

Babur

In the context of the story, what does 'Third Class' represent?

The current class $8$

Who was the boy the narrator often met on the way to school?

Mrityunjay

What was the characteristic of Mrityunjay's academic progress?

He remained in 'Third Class' for a very long time

What did Mrityunjay possess instead of immediate family?

A large mango and jackfruit garden and a dilapidated house

What was the primary motive of Mrityunjay's uncle (Khura)?

To spread rumors and claim half of the garden

How did Mrityunjay manage his yearly expenses?

By leasing the mango garden

Why was Mrityunjay popular among his schoolmates?

He was unrivaled in feeding them snacks from the shop

How did some fathers misuse Mrityunjay's generosity?

By sending their sons to him for money, making excuses about lost fees or stolen books

What was the general social reputation of Mrityunjay in the village?

No gentleman would admit their son spoke to him; he had a bad reputation

Who treated Mrityunjay when he was near death?

An old Malo (snake charmer) and his daughter Bilasi

What is the meaning of 'Malo'?

A snake charmer/oar/healer or a fishing community

How did the narrator describe Bilasi’s appearance during the illness?

Like a stale flower kept in water, looking worn out from staying awake

What was Bilasi’s estimated age range?

$18$ to $28$ years old

For how long was Mrityunjay bedridden?

About one and a half months

For how long was Mrityunjay in an unconscious state during his illness?

$10$ to $15$ days

Who is 'Nyara'?

The narrator of the story

Why did Bilasi want to walk Nyara to the road after his visit?

The forest path was thick, dark, and dangerous

What was the size of Mrityunjay's garden?

$20$ to $25$ bighas

What realization did Nyara have about the widow's fear during her husband's death?

Duty or living together doesn't overcome the fear of death; it's a different strength

What rumor did the uncle spread about Mrityunjay's new domestic life?

Mrityunjay had 'Nika' (married) a Malo girl and was eating rice from her hand

What does the term 'Nika' refer to in the story?

Remarriage or a specific type of marriage contract

What was considered the ultimate social sin ('Annpap') by the villagers?

Eating rice prepared by a lower-caste person

Who accompanied the uncle to Mrityunjay's house to 'save' the village's reputation?

$10$ to $12$ village men, including the narrator

What was Bilasi doing when the mob arrived at her house?

Making rotis in the broken veranda

How did Bilasi address the mob regarding her relationship with Mrityunjay?

She said she was married to 'Babu' (Mrityunjay) through 'Nika'

What physical abuse did the mob inflict on Bilasi?

They pulled her hair, ears, and dragged her

What was Bilasi's plea as she was being dragged out of the village?

To let her put the rotis inside so they wouldn't be eaten by animals and the sick man wouldn't starve

What was Mrityunjay's reaction to the mob from inside the locked room?

He banged his head against the wall and kicked the door while swearing

Why was the village mob specifically angry about 'rice'?

They considered eating rice from her hand an unpardonable 'Annpap'

What foods would have been acceptable for Mrityunjay to eat from Bilasi's hand without scandal?

Luchi, Sandesh, or goat meat

Who was the 'Chhotobabu' mentioned in the text?

The man who brought back the widowed daughter-in-law from Kashi

How did Chhotobabu silence the village gossip?

By donating $200$ rupees to the temple and feeding Brahmins from five villages

According to the satire in the text, what is the 'final' requirement to save the country?

Being able to scold the British severely

Why did the narrator resign from being a Sanyasi?

He could not bear the mosquito bites

Where did the narrator meet Mrityunjay a year later?

In the Malopara (snake charmer colony)

What was Mrityunjay's new appearance after a year?

Wearing a saffron turban, long beard/hair, and beads (Rudraksha)

What profession did Mrityunjay take up?

Snake charming (Sapuḍe)

What instances of 'caste loss' for love did the narrator mention?

Brahmin to Mehtar, Kayastha to Butcher (Kashai), and Brahmin to Dom

What were the two childhood hobbies of Nyara?

Keeping a cobra as a pet and becoming 'Mantra-siddha' (master of spells)

Whose disciple did Mrityunjay become to learn snake charming?

His father-in-law's

How long did it take for Nyara to become Mrityunjay's apprentice?

One month

What did Mrityunjay provide Nyara to make him a proper snake charmer?

A spell (mantra) and a talisman (maduli) for the wrist

What goddess is mentioned in the snake-charming mantra?

Manasa Devi

Who were the only two people who didn't believe in Nyara's wizardry?

Mrityunjay (who remained silent) and Bilasi

What was the 'most profitable' trick mentioned in the snake-charming trade?

Selling 'roots' that supposedly make snakes flee

What was the secret behind the snakes fleeing from the 'root'?

They were previously burnt with a hot iron rod whenever shown that root or stick

What days of the week did Bilasi use as excuses to stop Mrityunjay from catching snakes?

Saturday and Tuesday

Where were they called to catch a snake on the day of the tragedy?

A milkman's (Goala) house

How far was the milkman's house from their location?

$1.5$ kros

How did Bilasi know there was more than one snake in the milkman's house?

She saw scraps of paper used for the nest

What kind of snake bit Mrityunjay?

Kharish Gokhra (a type of cobra)

Where did the snake bite Mrityunjay?

On the back of his hand

What was Bilasi's immediate first aid after the bite?

Tying the hand with her veil (anchal) and giving him roots to chew

What physically happened to Mrityunjay about $15$ to $20$ minutes after the bite?

He vomited (a sign of poisoning)

How many 'crores' of gods/goddesses were invoked during the treatment?

$33$ crore

What was the final outcome of the snake bite for Mrityunjay?

He died

How long did Bilasi survive after Mrityunjay's death?

She survived for seven days

How did Bilasi die?

Suicide by poisoning

What was Bilasi's final request to Nyara?

Never to practice snake charming again

What did the uncle claim after Mrityunjay and Bilasi's deaths?

He occupied the entire garden

What was the uncle's 'advertising' point regarding Mrityunjay's death?

That it was his punishment for eating rice from Bilasi's hand

In which magazine was 'Bilasi' first published?

'Bharati' magazine

In which year (Bengali and Gregorian) was 'Bilasi' published?

$1325$ BS and $1918$ AD

In which narrative voice is 'Bilasi' written?

First-person ('Uttampurush')

What does 'Boichi' mean?

A thorny small plant and its fruit

What does 'Ramvhar kandi' mean?

A cluster of bananas

What does 'Kanache' mean?

The backyard or space behind a house

What is 'Khejurmeti'?

The soft sweet part at the top of a date tree

What region does 'Siberia' cover?

One-third of the Asian continent in North Russia

What is the deepest lake in the world located in Siberia?

Lake Baikal

What is the famous port town in southern Yemen?

Aden