Premchand, born Dhannapati Rai near Benares in the village of Lamahi in 1880, wrote in Urdu as Nawab Rai and in Hindi as Premchand. In private dealings and correspondence, he was always known as Dhannapati Rai. His first story published in Urdu was banned by the British government. To make a living, he worked as a schoolmaster, inspector, manager, and also edited prominent newspapers and magazines such as Hans and Madhuri. He spent some time in the film city of Bombay (Mumbai) but did not find peace there. Although many of his works have been adapted into memorable films.

Premchand captured the helpless sufferings of ordinary people so vividly that during his lifetime he was called the king of stories and the king of novels. He completely transformed the landscape of Hindi short story writing. By making the downtrodden the protagonists in his works, he gave them a place in literature that life and the world had denied them.

He passed away on 8 October 1936. All the stories he wrote are compiled in eight volumes under the title Mansarovar. His major novels are Godan, Gaban, Premashram, Sevasadan, Nirmala, Karambhoomi, Rangbhoomi, Kayakalp, Pratinidhi, and Mangalsutra (unfinished).

Text Entry

Since you are still small, don’t involve yourself in this work. Hearing this, many times a child’s heart longs, “If only we were older, then no one would scold us like this.” But you cannot afford to be careless, because growing up does not bring the right to do anything you want. Often, even the elder brother in the house is prevented from taking part in activities that other carefree boys of the same age do. You know why, because those boys are not older than anyone else in their own home.

In this text too, there is a big brother saheb, who is, in a way, older, but there is also a younger brother in the house. Because he is only a few years older, people expect a lot from him. Because of his age, he too wants to do everything he does to be a good example for his younger brother. In order to maintain this ideal situation, the big brother saheb’s childhood is ruined.

Big Brother Saheb

My big brother saheb was five years older than me, but only three classes ahead. He had also started studying at the same age that I did, but in matters of importance like discipline, he did not like to work too quickly. They wanted to lay the foundation of this building very strongly, so that a palace could be built on it. They took two years to do a year’s work. Sometimes it took even three years. If the foundation was not strong, how could the house become solid?

I was small, he was big. I was nine years old, he was fourteen. He had the full and innate right to scold and supervise me, and my obedience lay in obeying his orders as law.

He was naturally studious. He always sat with a book open, and perhaps to give his mind some rest, he would make pictures of birds, dogs, and cats on the margins of his books or copy the same name, word, or sentence twenty or thirty times. Sometimes he would copy a beautiful letter repeatedly. Sometimes he would create words that had no meaning or coherence. Once, I saw on his copy this note: Special, Aminah, Brothers, By all means, Brothers. Radheshyam, Shriyut Radheshyam, One hour—after that, a man’s face appeared. I made great efforts to find any meaning in this puzzle, but failed. And I didn’t have the courage to ask him. He was in class nine, I was in class five. Understanding his creations was a small mouthful for me.

My grandfather did not seem to like to read at all. It was a mountain to sit with a book for even an hour. As soon as he got the chance, he would leave the hostel and come to the playground, sometimes throwing sticks, sometimes flying paper butterflies, and if he found a friend, then what to ask? Sometimes they climbed onto the four walls and jumped down. Sometimes they sat on the gate, enjoying the movement of motor cars from front to back, but as soon as they entered the room, they saw the terrible form of big brother saheb and their breath caught in their throats. His first question was always, “Where were you?” This question was always asked in the same voice, and my only answer was silence. I don’t know why the words “I was playing outside” did not come out of my mouth. My silence said that I accepted my guilt, and there was no cure for big brother saheb other than accepting my greeting with affection and anger.

“If you study English like this, you will study all your life and not even learn a single letter. Studying English is not a game that anyone can play and learn. Here, eyes are pecked out day and night, and blood is shed, then somewhere knowledge comes. And what knowledge is it, yes, it comes to say. Even big scholars cannot write pure English, let alone speak it. And I say, how thick you are, that you cannot even learn a lesson by looking at me. How much effort I make, you can see with your own eyes, if you cannot see it, then it is your eyes’ fault, it is your intelligence’s fault. Such a fuss and noise are there, have you ever seen me? Cricket and hockey matches happen every day. I am not allowed to watch. I always keep reading. And on that too, I fall behind by one or two classes, and still you expect that by wasting time in playing and running, you will pass? It seems to me that only two or three years are needed, will you remain stuck in the same class all your life? If you want to waste your life like this, then better go home and play gulle-danda for fun. Why waste your father’s hard-earned money?”

Hearing this scolding, I started crying. What answer could there be? I had committed the crime, who could share the scolding? Big brother saheb was skilled in the art of advice. He would say such things, shoot such sharp words like arrows, that my guts would fall apart and my courage would break. In this way, unable to find the strength to study by breaking one’s spirit, I would fall into despair and think for a while, “Why not go home? Why ruin my life by involving myself in work that is not my business.” I was content to be foolish, but too much effort made me dizzy, and after a few hours, the clouds of despair would break, and I would resolve to study hard from then on. I would make a quick timetable. How does one start a work without first making a plan or blueprint? The timetable would completely remove the item of play and sports. It was to wake up at six in the morning, wash my face and hands, have breakfast, and start studying. From six to eight, English; from eight to nine, mathematics; from nine to eleven, history; then lunch and school. After returning from school at three-thirty, half an hour of rest, from four to five, geography; from five to six, grammar; half an hour to stroll in front of the hostel; from six-thirty to seven, English composition; then dinner and from eight to nine, translation; from nine to ten, Hindi; from ten to eleven, various subjects, then rest.

But making a timetable is one thing, and following it is another. The next day, the timetable would be neglected from the very beginning. The beautiful greenness of the playground, the gentle sway of the breeze, the running and jumping of the football, the footsteps of the soldiers, the speed of the volleyball, would irresistibly pull me along, and as soon as I went there, I forgot everything. That timetable was a dangerous one, that book that pecked out one’s eyes, that made one forget everything, and gave big brother saheb the chance to advise and scold me. I would run away from his shadow, try to stay away from his eyes, and when I entered the room, I would walk in such a way that he did not notice me. His eyes would turn towards me, and my breath would catch. There would always be a bare sword hanging on my head. Still, as a man is bound by love and illusion even between life and death, I could not refuse to play and run away from sports by eating criticism and scolding.

The annual examination came. Big brother saheb failed, and I passed and became first in the class. There was only a two-year gap between me and him. Grandfather came, and big brother saheb greeted him with folded hands, “Where did your great suffering go? Look, I also played for fun and became first in the class.” But he was so sad and gloomy that I felt sorry for him, and the thought of stinging his wounds with salt felt shameful. Yes, now I felt some pride and self-respect. The terror of big brother saheb was no longer over me. I started participating in sports with freedom. My heart was strong. If they scolded me again, I would clearly say, “You have passed the exam by shedding your blood. I became first in the class by playing and running.” Even though I did not have the courage to say this with words, it was clear from my expression that the terror of big brother saheb was not over me. They understood it—their natural intelligence was very sharp, and one day when I returned home exactly at lunchtime after spending the whole night playing gulle-danda, big brother saheb seemed to have drawn his sword and said, looking at me, “This year you passed the exam and became first in the class, so your brain has become good, brother, but pride has not diminished, what is your cleverness? You must have read about Ravana in history. What lesson did you learn from his character? Or did you just read it? It is not enough to just pass the exam, the real thing is the development of intelligence. Whatever you read, understand its meaning. Ravana was the master of the world. Such kings are called Chakravartin. Today, the rule of the English has greatly expanded, but they cannot be called Chakravartin. Many nations in the world do not accept the supremacy of the English; they are completely independent. Ravana was a Chakravartin king; all the rulers of the world used to bow to him. Even big gods used to be his slaves. Even the gods of fire and water were his servants, but what happened to him in the end? Arrogance erased his name and fame, and no one saved him even as a simple potter. A man and his bad deeds, whatever he desires to do, but do not be arrogant, otherwise you will be rejected by both the rich and the poor. The fate of the devil is also worth reading. He had this arrogance that there was no true devotee greater than him in the world. In the end, he was thrown into hell from heaven. Shahrum also once became arrogant. He died begging alms. You have just passed one class and your head is already spinning, but then you have already read ahead. Understand that you have not passed by your own hard work, you are as good as blind. But a blind man can only put a millet seed in his hand once, not repeatedly. Sometimes, even in playing gulle-danda, a blind man gets hurt. No successful player gets hurt like that. A successful player is one whose mark is never left empty.

Don’t go away after failing. If you come to my class, sweat will come on your forehead, and when you have to chew on iron and tamarind seeds and study the history of England, it will be difficult. The names of the kings are not easy to remember. Eight or nine Henries have passed. Who was which Henry, which rebellion happened in whose time, do you think it is easy to remember? Henry VII and Henry VIII are written, and all the numbers are lost. Perfect. You will not find any number, sir. There have been Jameses in classes, Williams in classes, and Charleses in corners. Your mind starts spinning. A storm breaks out. In these ignorant people, even the names are not attached. Two, three, four, five names followed the same name. When they ask me, I can tell them ten lakh names.

And the tamarind seeds, oh God, help me. Instead of ab, jee, they wrote a, jee, b, and all the numbers were cut off. No one among these merciless examiners asks what the difference is between ab, jee and a, jee, b, and why they waste the blood of students for meaningless things. Whether dal-bhat-roti is eaten or bhat-dal-roti, what is put in it, but what do these examiners care? They only see what is written in the book. They want the boys to recite letter by letter. And this recitation is called education. And what is the benefit of reading these senseless things? On this line, if they fall long, then the foundation must be made long. Ask, what is the use of this? It may not double, it may become four times, or it may remain half, but if you want to pass the exam, then all this nonsense must be remembered.

I was told, “Write an essay on ‘Time Management’ that is less than four pages. Now open the copy in front of you, take the pen in your hand, and write your name. Who does not know that time management is a very good thing? It brings discipline in a person’s life, people start having affection for him, and his business prospers, but how can one write four pages on this small thing? Whatever can be said in one sentence, why must it be written in four pages? I call this an atrocity. This is not the management of time, but its misuse, that some things are blown up unnecessarily. We want a person to say whatever he has to say quickly and move on with his work. But no, you will have to color four pages, no matter how you write, and the pages will also be full-scale. This is not an injustice on students, then what is? It is a wrong thing that it is said, write it in summary. Write a summary essay on time management that is less than four pages. Okay. In summary, it may be four pages, or it may be a hundred or two hundred pages. Write quickly or slowly. Is this a strange thing, or is it not? A child can also understand such things, but these teachers do not have such sense. They claim that they are teachers. If Lalaji comes to my class, then all these stupid things will be thrown away, and then the feeling of flour and dal will be understood. If you pass first in this class, you will not put your feet on the ground. So listen to my advice. Even if a hundred people fail, I am bigger than you, and I have more experience in the world than you. Whatever I say, tie the noose, do not regret it. The school time was near, and I don’t know when this lesson series will end. Lunch today tasted tasteless to me. When I am being scorned for passing, then after failing, it may even take my life. Big brother saheb had painted a terrible picture of his own class, and it terrified me. Apart from school, I did not run away home, that is my enthusiasm, but despite so much scorn, my interest in books remained. I never let go of any chance to play sports. I studied too, but very little. Just enough that my daily tasks are completed and I do not become a failure in the class. The confidence that had developed in me over myself was lost again, and I started living like a thief.

Then the annual examination came, and by some coincidence, I passed again, and big brother saheb failed again. I did not work very hard, but somehow I became first in the class. It seemed strange to me. Big brother saheb had made the utmost effort. Every word of the course was chewed, from ten at night to four in the morning, from early morning to nine to eleven before school. His face had lost its glow, but poor thing, he failed. I felt sorry for him. When the result was announced, he started crying, and I too started crying. Half of my joy of passing near me was gone. If I had failed too, then big brother saheb would not have been so sad, but who can stop the rules!

Now there was only a one-class gap left between me and big brother saheb. A cunning feeling arose in my mind that if they failed one more year, then I would become equal to them, and then how could they scold me, but I forcefully suppressed this thought in my heart. After all, they scolded me only for my own benefit. It is unpleasant for me at this moment, but perhaps it is the effect of their advice that I pass near them with such good marks.

Now big brother saheb had become very soft. Even when they got many chances to scold me, they controlled themselves. Perhaps they themselves started understanding that they did not have the right to scold me anymore, or if they did, it was very little. My own sense of freedom also increased. I started taking undue advantage of their tolerance. I developed a feeling that I would pass anyway, whether I studied or not, my destiny is strong, so the little bit of studying that I used to do out of fear of big brother saheb, that too stopped. I developed a new liking for flying kites, and now my whole time was spent in flying kites, but I still behaved respectfully with big brother saheb and flew kites while avoiding his gaze. Matters such as making maanja, tying kande, preparing for kite tournaments, etc. were all solved secretly. I did not want big brother saheb to think that his respect and dignity had decreased in my eyes.

One evening, without any reason, I ran to catch a kite flying away from the hostel. My eyes were towards the sky, and my mind was towards that sky traveler, who was slowly moving towards the fall, as if some soul was leaving heaven to accept new customs in a detached mind, and the whole army of boys ran to welcome them with bamboo sticks.

No one knew about their coming and going. Everyone seemed to be flying in the sky along with that kite, where everything is flat, there are no motor cars, no tram, no cars.

Suddenly, I had a confrontation with big brother saheb, who perhaps was returning from the market. They caught me there and said in a fierce tone, “Do you not feel ashamed to run after cheap kites with these market boys? You should also have some sense that you are not in a low class anymore, but have come to the eighth class, and are only one class below me. After all, a man should have some sense of his position.”

Once upon a time, people used to become naib tahsildar after passing the eighth class. I know many middlemen who are now deputy magistrates or superintendents. Many leaders and editors of newspapers from the eighth class are here. Big scholars work under their control, and you, coming from that eighth class, run after market boys for cheap kites. I feel sad about your low mentality. You are ignorant, there is no doubt about it, but that ignorance of yours destroys our self-respect. You think in your heart that I am only one class below big brother saheb, and now they have no right to say anything to me, but it is your mistake. I am five years older than you, and even if you come to my class today and the condition of the examiners is the same, then undoubtedly next year you will become my equal, and perhaps a year later you will surpass me, but the five-year gap between you and me, what can you do, even God cannot erase it. I am five years older than you and will always be. I have more experience of the world and life than you, and you cannot match it, even if you become M.A., D.Phil., and D.Lit. Knowledge does not come by reading books, it comes by seeing the world. Our mother and father did not pass the fifth or sixth class, but whether they read all the knowledge of the world or not, our mother and father always have the right to teach and reform us. Not only because they are our birth-givers, but because they have more experience of the world than us and will always have it. Whether they know what kind of government system is in America, or how many marriages Henry VIII had, and how many stars are in the sky, if they do not know these things, but there are thousands of such things, the knowledge of which our mother and father have more than you and me. God forbid, if I fall ill today, then your hands and feet will bloom. Apart from calling father on the telephone, nothing will occur to you, but if you were in father’s place, then you would not call anyone for help, nor would you get worried, nor would you become a bad name. First, you would recognize your own death and try to cure it, and if you were unsuccessful in it, then you would call a doctor. Illness is a good thing after all. We do not even know how the expenses of a month are met for a month. Whatever father sends, we spend it twenty or twenty-five times, and then the money is finished. The breakfast stops, the washerman and barber start stealing our mouths, but whatever we spend today and you spend, half of it father has spent his whole life with dignity and goodness and looked after a joint family of nine people. Look at your headmaster saheb. Whether he is M.A. or not, and whether these M.A.s are from Oxford or not. They get one thousand rupees; but who controls their house? The old mother of the headmaster saheb. The degree of headmaster saheb has become useless here. Earlier, they themselves used to control the house. The expenses did not fall short. They used to be in debt. Since their mother ji has taken the management in her hands, as if Lakshmi has come in the house, then for sure, brother saheb, pull this out of your heart that you have come near me and are now independent. If you do not accept it, then I can also use this (showing a slap) against you. I know, your words are like poison to you…

Seeing this new tactic of theirs, I was stunned. Today I really felt my own smallness, and a feeling of respect arose in my mind towards big brother saheb. I said with stern eyes, “No way.” Whatever they say is completely true, and they have the right to say it.

Big brother saheb hugged me and said, “I do not stop you from flying kites. My grandfather too likes to fly kites; but what can I do, if I go myself and become independent, then how will I protect you? This duty is also on my head.”

By chance, at that very moment, a torn kite passed over us. Its string had caught on something. A group of boys ran after it from behind. Big brother saheb is also tall. He jumped and caught its string and ran towards the hostel without any hesitation. I was running behind.

Question Practice

Oral

Give the answers to the following questions in one or two sentences-

1. What were the interests of the story’s hero?

2. What was the first question that the big brother saheb always asked the small brother?

3. What change occurred in the behavior of the small brother after passing the second time?

4. How much older was the big brother saheb than the small brother, and which class were they studying in?

5. What did the big brother saheb do to give his mind some rest?

Written

(क) Write the answers to the following questions (25-30 words)-

1. What did the small brother think while making his study timetable, and why was he unable to follow it?

2. What was the reaction of the big brother saheb when the small brother reached him after playing gulle-danda one day?

3. Why did the big brother saheb have to suppress his desires in his heart?

4. What advice did the big brother saheb give to the small brother, and why?

5. What benefit did the small brother take from the soft behavior of the big brother saheb?

(ख) Write the answers to the following questions (50-60 words)-

1. If the scolding of the big brother did not happen, then would the small brother become first in the class? Express your opinion.$ \qquad $

2. In this text, the author has made a satire on which aspects of general education? Do you agree with their views?

3. According to the big brother saheb, how does one understand life?

4. Why did a feeling of respect arise in the mind of the small brother towards the big brother saheb?

5. Describe the natural qualities of the big brother?

6. According to the big brother saheb, why is life experience more important than bookish knowledge?

7. From which parts of the text does it become clear that-

(क) The small brother respects his big brother saheb.

(ख) The big brother saheb has a good experience of life.

(ग) There is a child inside the big brother saheb.

(घ) The big brother saheb wants the good of the small brother.

(ग) Clarify the meaning of the following-

1. It is not enough to just pass the exam, the real thing is the development of intelligence.

2. Still, as a man is bound by love and illusion even between life and death, I could not refuse to play and run away from sports by eating criticism and scolding.

3. If the foundation is not strong, how can the house become solid?

4. My eyes were towards the sky, and my mind was towards that sky traveler, who was slowly moving towards the fall, as if some soul was leaving heaven to accept new customs in a detached mind.

Language Study

1. Write two synonyms for each of the following words-

Advice, Anger, Freedom, King, Enthusiasm

2. Premchand’s language is very simple and full of proverbs. That is why his stories are interesting and impressive. In this story, you will see that each paragraph contains the use of two or three proverbs. For example, look at these sentences and read them carefully-

• My grandfather did not seem to like to read at all. It was a mountain to sit with a book for even an hour. It was a mountain.

• Big brother saheb was skilled in the art of advice. He would say such things, shoot such sharp words like arrows, that my guts would fall apart and my courage would break. Such things would come to mind. Sharp words like arrows. My guts would fall apart.

• That timetable was a dangerous one, that book that pecked out one’s eyes, that made one forget everything, and gave big brother saheb the chance to advise and scold me. dangerous. Eyes pecked out.

Use the following proverbs in sentences-

A bare sword hanging on the head, To come with folded hands, To put a millet seed in a blind man’s hand, To chew on iron and tamarind seeds, To sweat on the forehead, Arera-gaira natthu khaira.

3. Based on the given examples, separate and write the following words into Tatsam, Tadbhav, Desi, and Aagat words.

Tatsam $\quad \quad \quad $ Tadbhav $\quad \quad \quad $ Desi $\quad \quad \quad $ Aagat (English and Urdu / Arabic-Persian)

Inborn $\quad \quad \quad $ Eye $\quad \quad \quad $ Dal-bhat $\quad \quad \quad $ Position, Fajehate

Discipline, Hurry, Solid, Margin, Effort, Class, Letter, Sentence, Proverb-bullet, Dangerous, Eye-pecked, Horseflies, Supremacy, Page, Fair-play, Example, Special, Scheme, Criticism, Morning, Scholar, Skilled, Big brother saheb, Neglect, Timetable

4. Verbs are mainly of two types-sakarmak and akarmak.

Sakarmak verb- A verb used in a sentence in which the object is expected is called a sakarmak verb;

For example- Sheila ate an apple.

Mohan is drinking water.

Akarmak verb- A verb used in a sentence in which the object is not expected is called an akarmak verb;

For example- Sheila is laughing.

The child is crying.

Which verb is used in the following sentences-sakarmak or akarmak? Write-

(क) They caught me there. ___________________

(ख) Then a thief-like life started to end. ___________________

(ग) The fate of the devil is also worth reading. ___________________

(घ) Hearing this scolding, I started crying. ___________________

(ङ) Write an essay on time management. ___________________

(च) I was running behind. ___________________

5. Make words by adding the suffix ‘ik’-

Thought, History, World, Day, Policy, Practice, Right

Competency Extension

1. Premchand’s stories are compiled in eight parts of Mansarovar. Read and narrate the stories in the class. Also, present some stories.

2. Let’s discuss the topic of education is recitation, not knowledge, in the class.

3. Let’s organize a debate in the class on whether studies and sports can go hand in hand.

4. Is passing the exam the only basis of competency? Let’s discuss this topic in the class.

Project Work

1. In the story, it is said that life experience is more important than bookish knowledge. Talk to your parents, elder brothers and sisters, or other elders / big members and find out what gave them a better way of life-intelligence or old experience or bookish reading?

2. Your younger sister / brother lives in a hostel. Write a letter to them about their studies and writing.

Word Meaning and Notes