NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter The Sermon at Benares

This worksheet is designed for Class 10 students studying English and is based on the NCERT Chapter The Sermon at Benares from the First Flight textbook. This chapter tells the story of Kisa Gotami and how Gautama Buddha helped her understand the universal truth about life and death. It teaches students that death is common to all and that excessive grief cannot change reality. The chapter plays an important role in developing emotional understanding, compassion, acceptance, and thoughtful reflection. This worksheet provides complete and accurate NCERT Solutions that strictly follow the chapter content and NCERT guidelines, making it useful for students, parents, and teachers.

Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes

The chapter presents the story of Kisa Gotami, who loses her child and goes from house to house seeking medicine. Through Buddha’s guidance, she realises that no family is free from death. The main theme of the lesson is acceptance of life’s reality and overcoming selfish grief through understanding.

The worksheet also includes vocabulary exercises, language transformation tasks, sentence restructuring, speaking discussions, writing activities, and a poem-based analysis section. Some sections are discussion-based and student-generated, encouraging students to reflect on grief, love, individuality, and emotional growth.

What this NCERT chapter covers?

• Understanding the theme of life, death, and acceptance  
• Learning meanings of important vocabulary words  
• Rephrasing old expressions into modern language  
• Breaking complex sentences into simple sentences  
• Developing speaking skills through group discussion  
• Writing structured paragraphs connected to lesson themes  
• Reflecting on emotional strength and compassion  

How to use these NCERT solutions?

Students should first read NCERT Chapter The Sermon at Benares carefully and attempt all questions in this worksheet independently. After completing the exercises, they can refer to these NCERT Solutions to check accuracy.

Parents and teachers can use these solutions to guide students during revision. The answers follow the exact NCERT order and structure, which helps students understand how to frame responses correctly and prepare effectively for assessments.

Student tips & learning tricks

While answering text-based questions, students should clearly connect their answers to Kisa Gotami’s experience and the Buddha’s teaching. Avoid writing unrelated opinions. Focus on the lesson’s central idea of acceptance and understanding.

In language exercises, carefully rephrase expressions without changing their meaning. In writing tasks, organise ideas into clear paragraphs and connect them to themes such as compassion, patience, and emotional growth.

Why NCERT solutions are important?

NCERT Solutions ensure that students learn strictly according to the prescribed syllabus. They help build strong conceptual understanding and improve answer presentation.

Practising Class 10 English NCERT Solutions for The Sermon at Benares strengthens confidence, clarity of expression, and readiness for school and board examinations.

Complete answer key – NCERT solutions

Before You Read

Discuss in groups what a sermon is.

1.  
(i) A sermon is a religious or moral talk that gives spiritual guidance or teaches values.  

(ii) Yes, it is different from a lecture or a talk. A lecture usually gives information on a subject, while a sermon focuses on moral or religious teachings.  

(iii) Yes, the word can also be used in a negative or humorous way. For example, when someone gives a long scolding or moral advice, people may jokingly call it a “sermon.”

Use a dictionary or ask for your teacher’s help as you discuss the following questions in groups.

1.  
a. afflicted with – affected by suffering  
b. be composed – be calm and peaceful  
c. desolation – deep sorrow or emptiness  
d. lamentation – expression of grief  
e. procure – obtain or get  
f. be subject to – be affected by  

2. The Sermon on the Mount was delivered by Jesus Christ. The sermon at Benares was delivered by Gautama Buddha.

3. Kisa Gotami goes from house to house asking for medicine for her dead child. She does not get it because her child is already dead and cannot be cured.

Thinking about the Text

1. The second time, she asks for a handful of mustard-seed from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend. She does not get it because there is no house where no one has died.

2. Kisa Gotami understands that death is common to all and that everyone experiences loss. Yes, this is what the Buddha wanted her to understand.

3. She understood it the second time because she experienced the truth herself by visiting every house. The Buddha changed her understanding by making her realise that death is universal.

4. Selfishness means thinking only about one’s own feelings without considering others. Kisa Gotami calls herself selfish because she was focused only on her personal sorrow. Later, she understood that everyone experiences loss. Her grief was natural, but the Buddha helped her see the wider truth of human suffering.

Thinking About Language

Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase them in more current language, based on how you understand them.

1. give thee medicine for thy child → give you medicine for your child  

2. Kisa repaired to the Buddha → Kisa went to the Buddha  

3. there was no house but someone had died in it → There was no house where someone had not died in the family  

4. Pray tell me → Please tell me  

5. Mark! → Notice! / Observe!  

6. kinsmen → relatives  

Break up the sentence into three simple sentences.

1. There is no way by which those who have been born can avoid dying.  

2. After reaching old age, there is death.  

3. Such is the nature of living beings.

Speaking

Discuss in groups whether the Buddha’s ideas about grief are still meaningful today. Compare them with the two modern texts. Consider whether his teaching about accepting death and overcoming selfish grief still applies.

1. Suggested Sample Answer:

Yes, the Buddha’s ideas continue to hold meaning for us even today. In his sermon, he teaches that death is universal and that grieving excessively will not bring back the dead. He encourages acceptance and understanding of life’s reality.

The modern texts also explain that grief is natural and can be expressed in different ways such as sadness, anger, guilt, or loneliness. They suggest supporting one another and focusing on caring actions.

Both the Buddha’s teaching and the modern views emphasise acceptance and inner strength. The Buddha uses a story to help Kisa Gotami realise the truth herself, while the modern texts provide psychological explanations. Therefore, his ideas are still meaningful, although today we also use counselling and emotional support to cope with grief.

2. Rhythm Comparison:

The single sentence using semicolons has a better and more powerful rhythm when read aloud. It sounds more formal and continuous, which suits the serious tone of the Buddha’s sermon. The three simple sentences are clearer but less flowing and less impactful than the original sentence.

Writing

Students are expected to write about three well-developed paragraphs on any ONE topic. The answer should be clear, organised, and connected to ideas from the lesson such as patience, compassion, acceptance, understanding, and emotional growth. Personal examples may be included.

1. Suggested Sample Answer: Topic 1  

Teaching someone to understand a new or difficult idea  

Teaching someone a new or difficult idea requires patience and empathy. Not everyone understands things in the same way or at the same speed. A good teacher first tries to understand the learner’s confusion and then explains the idea step by step. In the lesson, the Buddha did not directly tell Kisa Gotami that death is universal. Instead, he allowed her to discover the truth herself. This made her understanding deeper and more meaningful.

When we teach, we should avoid making others feel ashamed of their doubts. Encouragement and calm explanation help build confidence. Using simple examples from daily life can make complex ideas easier to understand. Sometimes, practical experience teaches better than long explanations.

True teaching is not just about giving information. It is about guiding someone to realise the truth on their own. When understanding comes from within, it becomes lasting and powerful.

2. Suggested Sample Answer: Topic 2  

Helping each other to get over difficult times  

Difficult times are a part of life. People experience grief, failure, and disappointment at different stages. During such moments, emotional support from others becomes very important. In the story, the Buddha helped Kisa Gotami overcome her grief by guiding her towards acceptance. His method shows that understanding and compassion can heal deep sorrow.

Helping others does not always mean solving their problems. Sometimes it means listening carefully and standing beside them. Modern views on grief also explain that people react differently — some may feel anger, sadness, or loneliness. Being patient and supportive helps them regain strength.

When people support each other, sorrow becomes lighter. Shared care builds strong relationships and emotional resilience. By helping one another, we create a sense of unity and hope even in the most painful times.

3. Suggested Sample Answer: Topic 3  

Thinking about oneself as unique, or as one among billions of others  

Every person is unique in thoughts, feelings, and experiences. At the same time, we are also part of a larger human community. The lesson teaches that suffering and death are common to all human beings. Kisa Gotami first believed her sorrow was unique, but later realised that everyone faces loss.

Understanding that we are one among billions helps us develop humility and compassion. It reminds us that others also struggle with similar problems. This awareness reduces selfishness and increases empathy towards others.

However, being part of humanity does not take away our individuality. Each person has special talents and dreams. The balance lies in valuing ourselves while also recognising that we share common human experiences. This understanding helps us grow emotionally and socially.

In This Lesson What You Can Do

1. Read and memorise the extract from Tagore. Practise clear and correct recitation.  

2. Read and discuss the extract from “Joy and Sorrow” and reflect on the connection between joy and sorrow.

Thinking about the Poem

1. The young man refers to the girl’s yellow hair as “great honey-coloured ramparts at your ear.” He says young men are thrown into despair because they are attracted by her beautiful hair and may not love her for herself alone.

2. Her hair is yellow. She says she can dye it brown, black, or carrot. She would want to do so to see if young men would love her for herself and not for her yellow hair.

3. Student-generated activity. Students should mention qualities such as design, durability, brand, features, appearance, or usefulness when discussing desirable objects.

4. Student-generated activity. Students should discuss whether love is based on qualities or on the person as a whole.

5. Student-generated activity. Students should reflect on whether a person can be separated from their appearance and behaviour, and how relationships change over time.

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