Chapter 2
The Magical Conch
Questions and Answers
1. Q: Who was Panditji and what was his family situation?
Answer: Panditji was a humble villager who lived in poverty with his wife and four children. To make ends meet, he begged from house to house, while his wife worked long hours repairing neighbors’ clothes. Even with their efforts, they often struggled to provide enough food for their family.
2. Q: How much food could Panditji earn through begging?
Answer: Regardless of how many hours he spent begging, Panditji could only collect Sawa Ser of food each day, which was far too little to adequately feed his family.
3. Q: What suggestion did Panditji’s wife give him to improve their situation?
Answer: Panditji’s wife advised him to travel to another place in search of work, believing that he might earn more there and provide better for their family.
4. Q: What did Panditji’s wife provide him for the journey?
Answer: For his journey, Panditji’s wife packed some sattu and salt, ensuring he had enough food to eat while traveling to the new place.
5. Q: What obstacle did Panditji face while traveling to the new place?
Answer:While on his way, Panditji came across a vast sea that blocked his path, making it seem impossible for him to continue on foot.
6. Q: What was Panditji’s initial idea to cross the sea?
Answer: Panditji came up with the idea of throwing small earthen pieces, or dhelas, into the sea, hoping that by doing so he could gradually fill it and create a path to cross.
7. Q: What happened when Panditji threw dhelas into the sea?
Answer: When Panditji had thrown around 50–60 dhelas into the sea, the sea god emerged holding a conch and addressed him directly.
8. Q: What instructions did the sea god give Panditji regarding the conch?
Answer: The sea god instructed Panditji to carry the conch home, purify his courtyard with cowdung, place the conch on a wooden seat, and request whatever he needed. He cautioned him not to use it while traveling, as it might not work properly outside his home.
9. Q: How did Panditji attempt to spend the night on his way back?
Answer: When night fell, Panditji looked for a place to rest and reached the home of a Haluai, politely requesting to stay overnight and assuring them he would leave in the morning.
10. Q: How did the Haluai respond to Panditji’s request for shelter?
Answer: At first, the Haluai denied Panditji’s request, but after he explained that he only needed a place to sleep and did not require food, she agreed to let him stay for the night.
11. Q: What did Panditji ask from the conch during the night at Haluai’s house?
Answer: During the night at the Haluai’s house, Panditji requested the conch to give him Halua-puri so he could have something to eat before going to sleep.
12. Q: How did the conch respond to Panditji’s request at the Haluai’s house?
Answer: The conch immediately fulfilled Panditji’s request, providing Halua-puri. He ate the meal and then carefully put the conch back in his bag before sleeping.
13. Q: What did the Haluai couple observe while Panditji was sleeping?
Answer:While Panditji slept, the Haluai couple noticed that he possessed a magical conch capable of producing food instantly, and they plotted to take it for themselves.
14. Q: What did the Haluai couple do with the conch?
Answer:The Haluai couple stealthily removed Panditji’s conch from his bag and substituted it with their own, hoping to use its magic for their own advantage.
15. Q: What happened when Panditji reached home and tried to use the conch?
Answer: When Panditji reached home and placed the conch on the pirha, he asked for food, but it failed to work. Realizing it was not his magical conch, he grew angry and frustrated.
16. Q: How did Panditji react to the loss of his magical conch?
Answer:Upset over losing his magical conch, Panditji returned to the sea and began throwing dhelas once more, seeking the sea god to tell him what had happened.
17. Q: What did the sea god do after hearing Panditji’s problem?
Answer: After listening to Panditji’s story, the sea god provided him with a new conch and advised him to go back to the Haluai’s house and stay there overnight once more.
18. Q: How did Panditji behave during his second night at the Haluai’s house?
Answer: On his second night at the Haluai’s house, Panditji adhered to the sea god’s guidance, stayed politely, and conducted himself with the same respect and humility as before.
19. Q: How did the Haluai couple treat Panditji the second time?
Answer: The second time, the Haluai couple received Panditji with warmth, served him tasty food, and even massaged him, showing him kindness and respect.
20. Q: What happened when the Haluai couple touched the second conch?
Answer: As soon as the Haluai couple touched the second conch, harmful insects started biting them, inflicting great pain.
21. Q: How did Panditji respond when he noticed the insects attacking the Haluai couple?
Answer: Panditji warned the Haluai couple that the insects would keep biting them unless they returned his original magical conch.
22. Q: What did the Haluai couple do after realizing the effect of the conch?
Answer:Realizing the consequences, the Haluai couple quickly gave Panditji back his original magical conch, acknowledging its power and their wrongdoing.
23. Q: How did Panditji use the conch after retrieving it?
Answer: After getting the conch back, Panditji set it on the pirha in his home, and from that point onward, he could request anything he needed to provide for his family.
24. Q: How did the Pandit family’s life change after obtaining the conch?
Answer: Once they had the magical conch, the Pandit family’s life transformed completely—they could have anything they needed, and they lived in comfort and happiness.
25. Q: What moral can be derived from the story regarding honesty and greed?
Answer: The story conveys that greed and deceit, like the Haluai couple displayed, bring pain and trouble, whereas honesty, patience, and integrity, as demonstrated by Panditji, are ultimately rewarded.
26. Q: What lesson does the story give about persistence in the face of obstacles?
Answer: The story shows that persistent effort and inventive solutions, like Panditji’s attempt to cross the sea, can help overcome even the most difficult obstacles.
27. Q: How did Panditji show humility during his journey?
Answer: During his journey, Panditji displayed humility by courteously asking for a place to stay and not insisting on meals or favors, respecting others despite his difficult circumstances.
28. Q: How did the magical conch function, and what were its rules?
Answer: The magical conch granted whatever Panditji requested, but it had strict rules: it had to be placed on the pirha at home after the courtyard was purified, and using it elsewhere could lead to failure or trickery.
29. Q: How does the sea god symbolize divine help in the story?
Answer: In the story, the sea god symbolizes divine assistance, showing that perseverance, honesty, and respectful behavior are recognized and rewarded with help that can change one’s life for the better.
30. Q: How did Panditji’s initial approach to the Haluai’s house differ from his later experience?
Answer: Initially, the Haluai denied Panditji shelter and attempted to take his conch, but on his second visit, they treated him kindly and respectfully, illustrating that goodwill and proper conduct lead to better outcomes.
31. Q: What role does the family’s preparation (cleaning and sanctifying) play in the story?
Answer: The act of cleaning and sanctifying the courtyard with cowdung before using the conch signifies maintaining purity and being properly prepared to receive the conch’s blessings.
32. Q: How does the story emphasize the importance of following instructions carefully?
Answer:The story highlights that careful adherence to instructions brings success, as shown by Panditji, while ignoring rules or misusing resources, like the Haluai couple did, results in trouble.
33. Q: What does the story suggest about the relationship between hard work and luck?
Answer: The tale suggests that hard work matters, but luck and divine assistance—like the gift of the magical conch—can significantly alter a person’s fortune.
34. Q: How did Panditji’s family benefit from his wisdom and honesty?
Answer:Because of Panditji’s wisdom, honesty, and patience, he retained the magical conch, which enabled him to care for his family and secure their comfort and happiness.
35. Q: How does the story reflect the culture and lifestyle of the village?
Answer: The story portrays village life, showing how people lived modestly, relied on daily labor, supported one another, and upheld spiritual customs, such as purifying the courtyard with cowdung.
36. Q: How did the magical conch test the character of those who encountered it?
Answer: The magical conch acted as a test of character, rewarding Panditji’s responsible use while punishing the Haluai couple’s greed, thereby illustrating the value of virtue and integrity.
37. Q: Why did Panditji need two encounters with the Haluai couple to retrieve his conch?
Answer: Panditji’s first visit to the Haluai couple failed because they stole his conch, teaching him patience and caution. On the second visit, by following the sea god’s guidance, he recovered the conch, and the couple faced consequences for their greed.
38. Q: How does the story show the rewards of patience and perseverance?
Answer: The story demonstrates that patience and perseverance are rewarded, as Panditji’s calm endurance, careful problem-solving, and steadfast effort led him to obtain the magical conch and ensure his family’s happiness.
39. Q: What role does divine or magical intervention play in changing human fortunes in the story?
Answer: Divine or magical intervention, illustrated by the sea god giving Panditji the magical conch, shows that unexpected aid can transform a person’s life when they are virtuous and deserving.
40. Q: Summarize the central theme of the story.
Answer: The story’s main message is that virtues like honesty, patience, humility, and perseverance, along with respect for divine or magical guidance, bring success and happiness, whereas greed and dishonesty result in trouble and suffering.
Answer by Mrinmoee
