NIOS Class 12 for English Three Questions
🌿 Introduction
Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian writer, is admired worldwide for his moral and philosophical stories. His works focus on truth, simplicity, and human values. The story “Three Questions” is one such masterpiece that teaches us the essence of wise living. It begins with a king who believes that if he can get answers to three important questions, he will never fail in anything he does. The three questions were: What is the right time to begin a task? Who are the most important people to work with? And what is the most important thing to do? Though the king receives many answers from learned men, none of them satisfy him. Finally, through an encounter with a hermit and a wounded enemy, the king realizes that the present moment is the most important time, the people around us are the most important persons, and doing good to others is the most important work.
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प्रसिद्ध रूसी लेखक लियो टॉल्स्टॉय का साहित्य मानवीय मूल्यों और नैतिक शिक्षा के लिए विश्वभर में प्रसिद्ध है। उनकी रचनाएँ यह सिखाती हैं कि सच्चा ज्ञान केवल पुस्तकों या विद्वानों से नहीं मिलता, बल्कि जीवन के अनुभवों और सद्गुणों से प्राप्त होता है। “तीन प्रश्न” कहानी इसी उद्देश्य को सामने लाती है। इसमें एक राजा यह सोचता है कि यदि उसे तीन प्रश्नों के उत्तर मिल जाएँ तो वह जीवन और शासन में कभी असफल नहीं होगा। उसके प्रश्न थे— सही समय क्या है, सबसे महत्वपूर्ण व्यक्ति कौन है और सबसे आवश्यक काम कौन-सा है। बुद्धिमान लोगों से उत्तर पाने पर भी राजा संतुष्ट नहीं होता और अंततः एक साधु से मिलकर वह सच्चाई समझता है। यह कहानी हमें सिखाती है कि वर्तमान क्षण ही सबसे महत्वपूर्ण है, हमारे आसपास के लोग सबसे आवश्यक हैं और उनके लिए भलाई करना ही सबसे श्रेष्ठ कार्य है।
NIOS Class 12 for English Three Questions
📖 Summary of “Three Questions” (with Integrated Q&A)
Once, a thought occurred in the mind of a king. He believed that if he always knew the right time to begin every action, who were the most important people to be with, and what was the most important thing to do, he would never fail in anything. Thus, he wanted the answers to three important questions:
1. What is the right time to begin a task?
2. Who are the most important people to work with?
3. What is the most important thing to do?
The king invited wise men to answer his questions. For the first question, some suggested making a timetable, some advised to act according to circumstances, while others recommended consulting magicians. For the second question, answers included councillors, priests, doctors, or soldiers. For the third question, some said science, some said skill in warfare, and some said acts of worship. But the king was not happy or satisfied with any of these answers. Therefore, he finally decided to consult a wise hermit known for his simplicity and wisdom.
The king disguised himself as a common man, because the hermit received only ordinary people, not kings. When the king reached the hermit’s hut, he found the hermit digging the ground. The king asked his three questions, but the hermit did not answer. Instead, the king began to dig the ground in his place. The hermit accepted his help silently, showing neither surprise nor annoyance. The king then offered to dig the beds completely for him as he was tired.
Suddenly, a bearded man, wounded and bleeding, came running out of the forest. The king and hermit together washed his wound, bound it, and cared for him until he recovered. After this tiring work, the king himself lay down on the threshold of the hut and soon fell asleep out of exhaustion.
When he awoke, the bearded man thanked the king sincerely. He confessed that he was once the king’s enemy and had come to kill him. But the king’s soldiers had wounded him, and if the king had not saved his life, he would have died. He asked forgiveness and promised to serve the king forever. Thus, the enmity ended, and friendship grew out of this encounter in the woods.
Later, the king once again asked the hermit for the answers to his three questions. The hermit finally replied:
- The most important time is “now”‘, because it is the only moment we truly possess.
- The most important people are those who are with us at the present moment, because we may never see them again.
- The most important action is to do good for the people around us, because that is the true purpose of life.
Hearing this, the king was deeply satisfied with the hermit’s wisdom and realized that the answers were simple yet profound. He now understood that living in the present, valuing people near us, and doing good deeds is the true key to a meaningful and successful life.
NIOS Class 12 for English Three Questions
📖 Summary in Hindi
एक बार एक राजा के मन में यह विचार आया कि यदि वह तीन प्रश्नों के उत्तर जान ले, तो अपने हर कार्य में सफल होगा। उसने सोचा कि –
- सही समय कौन-सा है जब कार्य प्रारम्भ करना चाहिए?
- सबसे आवश्यक व्यक्ति कौन है, जिसके साथ रहना चाहिए?
- और सबसे आवश्यक काम कौन-सा है जिसे करना चाहिए?
राजा यह जानना चाहता था क्योंकि उसे विश्वास था कि यदि इन प्रश्नों के उत्तर मिल जाएँ तो वह कभी असफल नहीं होगा।
उसने बुद्धिमान लोगों को बुलाया। पहले प्रश्न के उत्तर में किसी ने कहा कि समय का लेखा-जोखा रखना चाहिए, किसी ने कहा परिस्थितियों के अनुसार काम करना चाहिए और किसी ने कहा कि जादूगरों से सलाह लेनी चाहिए। दूसरे प्रश्न के लिए किसी ने कहा मंत्री, किसी ने कहा पुरोहित, किसी ने चिकित्सक और किसी ने सैनिक। तीसरे प्रश्न के उत्तर में किसी ने कहा विज्ञान, किसी ने युद्धकला और किसी ने धार्मिक उपासना। लेकिन राजा इन उत्तरों से खुश और संतुष्ट नहीं हुआ।
अंततः उसने निश्चय किया कि वह एक साधु से परामर्श करेगा, जो अपनी सरलता और बुद्धिमत्ता के लिए प्रसिद्ध था । राजा ने साधारण वेश धारण किया क्योंकि साधु केवल साधारण लोगों से ही मिलता था, राजाओं से नहीं ।
वहाँ पहुँचने पर उसने देखा कि साधु क्यारियों की खुदाई कर रहा था। राजा ने अपने प्रश्न पूछे लेकिन साधु ने कोई उत्तर नहीं दिया। तब राजा ने खुद फावड़ा उठाया और खुदाई करने लगा । साधु चुपचाप उसकी मदद स्वीकार करता रहा । राजा ने यहाँ तक कहा कि यदि साधु थक गया है तो सारी क्यारी वह खुद ही खोद देगा ।
इसी समय एक दाढ़ी वाला व्यक्ति रक्त से लथपथ भागता हुआ आया । राजा और साधु ने मिलकर उसका घाव धोया, बाँधा और उसकी देखभाल की । कड़ी मेहनत के बाद राजा थककर साधु की झोपड़ी की चौखट पर लेट गया और सो गया।
जब वह जागा तो दाढ़ी वाले व्यक्ति ने उसका आभार प्रकट किया। उसने बताया कि वह राजा का शत्रु था और उसे मारने आया था, परन्तु राजा के सैनिकों ने उसे घायल कर दिया। यदि राजा ने उसकी सेवा न की होती तो वह मर जाता। इसलिए उसने क्षमा माँगी और जीवनभर उसकी सेवा करने की प्रतिज्ञा की । इस प्रकार जंगल की इस घटना से शत्रुता मित्रता में बदल गई ।
बाद में राजा ने फिर से अपने प्रश्नों के उत्तर माँगे। साधु ने कहा :
- सबसे आवश्यक समय है “अभी”, क्योंकि वर्तमान ही हमारे पास है।
- सबसे आवश्यक व्यक्ति है वह जो इस समय हमारे साथ है , क्योंकि शायद हमें उससे फिर मिलने का अवसर न मिले।
- सबसे आवश्यक कार्य है अपने आसपास के लोगों के लिए भलाई करना, क्योंकि यही जीवन का उद्देश्य है।
साधु के उत्तर सुनकर राजा बहुत संतुष्ट हुआ और उसने समझ लिया कि सच्ची सफलता वर्तमान में जीने, आसपास के लोगों को महत्व देने और उनके लिए भलाई करने में है।
Questions
- What did occur in the mind of the king?
- Why did he want to know the answers?
- What was the first question?
- What was the second question?
- What was the third question?
- What were the answers the king got for the first question?
- What were the answers the king got for the second question?
- What were the answers the king got for the Third question?
- Was the king happy and satisfied with the answers?
- What did he finally decide to do?
- Why did the king disguise himself?
- What was the hermit doing?
- What did the king do when he went there?
- How did the hermit react?
- What did the king offer to the hermit?
- Who was the bearded man?
- What did the king and hermit do to him?
- Why did the king fall asleep on the threshold?
- Why did the bearded man thank the king and also what did he say?
- What was the outcome of this encounter in the woods?
- When the king asked for the answer, what was the hermit’s reply?
- What was his answer to the first question?
- What was his answer for the second question?
- What was his answer for the third question?
- Was the king satisfied with the hermit’s answers?
