Synonyms
More meanings
Tip: select a single word for meaning & synonyms.
Select multiple words normally to copy text.
The Swami and Mother-Worship: WBCHSE Class 11 English
Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, extra MCQs, PDF for Sister Nivedita’s The Swami and Mother-Worship: WBCHSE Class 11 English Literature textbook A Realm of English (B) Selection, which is part of the Semester I syllabus for students studying under WBBSE (West Bengal Board-Uccha Madhyamik). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
If you notice any errors in the notes, please mention them in the comments
Summary
Sister Nivedita writes about Swami Vivekananda’s spiritual life. She saw two sides to him. One side was a great thinker who believed in Brahman, the one, formless God. The other side was his deep love for the Divine Mother. In India, the word “Mother” was always on his lips. He thought of Her all the time. He felt that everything that happened to him, good or bad, came from Her. He taught that even Her curse was a blessing, meaning that difficult things from Her are also for our good.
The Swami taught people to worship the Mother in all her forms, even the scary ones. He spoke of Kali, who holds a sword. He said people should not be afraid of pain or terror, but see the Mother in them too. He did not like it when people prayed to God only to ask for things, as if they were in a shop. He believed God is present in everything, including difficult things like earthquakes and volcanoes.
The Swami shared a personal story. He said that for six years, he fought against accepting the Mother. But his teacher, Sri Ramakrishna, guided him. After facing great troubles in his life, he finally accepted Her. He then felt that the Mother guided his every action.
Sister Nivedita learned that for the Swami, believing in the formless Brahman and the personal Mother were not opposite ideas. She explains that worshipping the Mother is like reading a “book of experience.” This means that by living through all of life’s joys and sorrows, a person learns many lessons. At the end of this journey, they can reach the final truth of Brahman. They understand that their whole life was a path to this great knowledge, almost like a dream.
Textbook MCQ solutions
1. What is the Swami’s attitude towards Mother worship, according to Sister Nivedita?
a) He advocates for the worship of all deities equally
b) He emphasises the importance of Mother worship in spiritual life
c) He considers it a primitive form of religious expression
d) He discourages devotees from practicing Mother worship
Answer: b) He emphasises the importance of Mother worship in spiritual life
2. How does Mother worship play the role in Hinduism, as mentioned in the text?
a) It is an outdated tradition that the modern Hindus no longer follow.
b) It’s a superstitious practice rooted in ancient mythology
c) It’s a means of seeking material blessings and prosperity
d) It serves a bridge between the individual Soul and the individual Spirit
Answer: d) It serves a bridge between the individual Soul and the individual Spirit
Additional MCQs
1. At what age did Swami Vivekananda reportedly develop the power to enter Samadhi?
A. Eight years old
B. Twelve years old
C. Sixteen years old
D. Twenty years old
Answer: A. Eight years old
2. Which socio-religious movement did Swami Vivekananda formally join in his youth?
A. Arya Samaj
B. Theosophical Society
C. Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
D. Ramakrishna Mission
Answer: C. Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
3. What were considered the sole scriptural authority for Swami Vivekananda’s teachings in England and America?
A. The Puranas
B. The Bhagavad Gita
C. The Ramayana
D. The Vedas and Upanishads
Answer: D. The Vedas and Upanishads
4. What was Swami Vivekananda’s instruction regarding prayer to the Mother?
A. To pray with humility and submission
B. To avoid prayer and focus on philosophy
C. To be assertive and not cringe
D. To use specific, ancient chants only
Answer: C. To be assertive and not cringe
5. In a description of the Mother, what is said to be in her left hand?
A. A lotus flower
B. A conch shell
C. The sword
D. A book of scriptures
Answer: C. The sword
6. What did Swami Vivekananda advocate for worshipping, in addition to that which brings pleasure and joy?
A. Wealth and prosperity
B. The Terror for its own sake
C. Ancestral spirits
D. Philosophical abstraction only
Answer: B. The Terror for its own sake
7. What term did Swami Vivekananda use to describe worship that is devoted only to a kind, consoling Divinity?
A. Idolatry
B. Shop-keeping
C. Superstition
D. True devotion
Answer: B. Shop-keeping
8. Who did Swami Vivekananda say dedicated him to the Mother?
A. His own mother
B. A guru from the Himalayas
C. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
D. He was self-dedicated from birth
Answer: C. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
9. For how long did Swami Vivekananda say he fought against accepting the Mother?
A. Two years
B. Four years
C. Six years
D. Ten years
Answer: C. Six years
10. What did Swami Vivekananda reveal about the specific reason for his final acceptance of the Mother?
A. It was a vision during meditation
B. It was a direct command from his guru
C. It was a secret that would die with him
D. It was the result of philosophical study
Answer: C. It was a secret that would die with him
11. Which spiritual leader was mentioned as an example of someone who sought a worthy disciple to pass on his power before dying?
A. Buddha
B. Mahavira
C. Guru Nanak
D. Kabir
Answer: C. Guru Nanak
12. How did Swami Vivekananda reconcile the existence of both Brahman (the One) and the many gods?
A. By stating that the gods are mere illusions
B. By describing it as a “Unity in complexity”
C. By prioritizing Brahman over the gods
D. By claiming they belong to different philosophies
Answer: B. By describing it as a “Unity in complexity”
13. According to Swami Vivekananda, what is the nature of the gods seen by devotees (bhaktas)?
A. They are merely symbols of abstract concepts
B. They are forms that the devotees have actually seen
C. They are figures from mythological stories only
D. They are lesser beings than enlightened humans
Answer: B. They are forms that the devotees have actually seen
14. What is the ultimate realization about life that is mentioned at the end of the spiritual journey?
A. That life is a continuous struggle
B. That life is a gift from the gods
C. That all of life was but a dream
D. That life’s purpose is to serve others
Answer: C. That all of life was but a dream
15. What specific instruction was given regarding the conduct of all attendees at a lecture at the Kalighat temple?
A. To bring offerings of flowers
B. To remain silent throughout the lecture
C. To wear traditional Indian attire
D. To remove their shoes and sit on the floor
Answer: D. To remove their shoes and sit on the floor
16. According to Sri Ramakrishna’s frequent insistence, what was Swami Vivekananda born as?
A. A Karma Yogi
B. A Bhakta
C. A Brahmajnani
D. A Raja Yogi
Answer: C. A Brahmajnani
17. What realization about religions was sparked by a discussion of a death-scene?
A. That all religions are fundamentally the same
B. That some religions are superior to others
C. That religions are like different languages
D. That religion is the cause of conflict
Answer: C. That religions are like different languages
18. What was Swami Vivekananda’s direct reply to objections about animal sacrifice in the temple?
A. He argued it was a necessary tradition
B. He condemned it as a barbaric practice
C. “Why not a little blood, to complete the picture?”
D. He explained its symbolic meaning in detail
Answer: C. “Why not a little blood, to complete the picture?”
19. Which of the following statements about the Swami’s early spiritual life is NOT true?
A. He had the ability to enter Samadhi when he was only eight years old.
B. He was considered a born Brahmajnani by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
C. He was a devout worshipper of the Mother from his early childhood.
D. He became a formal member of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.
Answer: C. He was a devout worshipper of the Mother from his early childhood.
20. Which of the following statements does NOT align with the Swami’s perception of the Mother?
A. He saw Her as having one hand raised in blessing and the other holding a sword.
B. He believed that one should only approach Her as the ‘Merciful’ and avoid her terrible aspects.
C. He stated that even “Her curse is blessing!”.
D. He encouraged the worship of the “Terrible” for its own sake.
Answer: B. He believed that one should only approach Her as the ‘Merciful’ and avoid her terrible aspects.
21. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a core part of the Swami’s teachings?
A. In India, he constantly spoke of the Mother.
B. His primary system of doctrine was the Advaita philosophy.
C. The realisation of Brahman was his only imperative.
D. He actively preached the worship of Mother Kali in England and America.
Answer: D. He actively preached the worship of Mother Kali in England and America.
22. Which of the following statements about the Swami’s views on religious practices is NOT accurate?
A. He believed that God manifests through evil as well as through good.
B. He had a whole-hearted contempt for what he regarded as squeamishness.
C. He tolerated blood-offerings made to the “demons who attend on Kali”.
D. He insisted that all visitors, including foreigners, remove their shoes at the Kalighat temple.
Answer: C. He tolerated blood-offerings made to the “demons who attend on Kali”.
23. Which of the following statements about the Swami’s personal journey with Mother worship is NOT true?
A. He stated that he fought for six years against accepting the Mother.
B. He believed that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had dedicated him to Her.
C. He quickly and easily accepted the Mother due to his immense love for his master.
D. He kept the specific reason for his final acceptance a secret.
Answer: C. He quickly and easily accepted the Mother due to his immense love for his master.
24. Which of the following statements regarding Sister Nivedita’s experience is NOT correct?
A. She came to the realisation that religions are like different languages.
B. The Swami forcefully imposed his own conceptions of Mother worship on her.
C. She was made responsible for ensuring temple rules were followed by foreign visitors.
D. She set herself to learn about Kali worship to better understand the Indian consciousness.
Answer: B. The Swami forcefully imposed his own conceptions of Mother worship on her.
25. Which of these philosophical points is NOT reflected in the Swami’s thoughts?
A. He believed that gods are not merely symbols but are forms seen by devotees.
B. He taught that Brahman and the Mother were separate truths that could never be reconciled.
C. He used the idea of “Unity in complexity” to explain the existence of both Brahman and the gods.
D. He believed there was a great Power that thinks of Herself as feminine, called Kali.
Answer: B. He taught that Brahman and the Mother were separate truths that could never be reconciled.
26. Which of the following pieces of advice was NOT given by the Swami to his disciples?
A. To be firm and demanding, not cringing, when praying to the Mother.
B. To express their own spiritual realisations in their own unique way.
C. To ensure that the sanctity of a place of worship is upheld by all visitors.
D. To seek only pleasure and sweetness from God and avoid the path of pain.
Answer: D. To seek only pleasure and sweetness from God and avoid the path of pain.
27. When praying to the Mother, one should avoid any form of ________ to Her.
A. devotion
B. cringing
C. rebellion
D. questioning
Answer: B. cringing
28. Worship that is devoted only to a kind, consoling Divinity, without a heart for God in terror or disaster, is described as merely ________.
A. ‘shop-keeping’
B. ‘idolatrous’
C. ‘devil-worship’
D. ‘brain-sick’
Answer: A. ‘shop-keeping’
29. The Swami revealed that his personal struggle and fight against accepting the Mother lasted for ________ years.
A. two
B. eight
C. six
D. ten
Answer: C. six
30. Before fully accepting his master’s greatness, the Swami admitted he once thought him a ________, always seeing visions.
A. Brahmajnani
B. great Teacher
C. brain-sick baby
D. Guardian Angel
Answer: C. brain-sick baby
31. The Swami confessed that a great misfortune in his life was an opportunity the Mother used to make a ________ of him.
A. disciple
B. slave
C. preacher
D. philosopher
Answer: B. slave
32. The impersonal God, when seen through the mists of ________, is personal.
A. devotion
B. ignorance
C. knowledge
D. sense
Answer: D. sense
33. The final realisation described is that each person will know, when their hour comes, that all of life was but as a ________.
A. struggle
B. lesson
C. dream
D. pilgrimage
Answer: C. dream
34. The Mother is often described with her right hand raised in blessing and her left hand holding the ________.
A. flower
B. scripture
C. sword
D. child
Answer: C. sword
35. The Swami advocated for the worship of the ________ for Its own sake, challenging the idea that pleasure is the only motive for worship.
A. Merciful
B. Beautiful
C. Terror
D. Abstract
Answer: C. Terror
36. A sudden realisation that came to Sister Nivedita was that religions were only ________, and one must speak to a person in their own.
A. doctrines
B. philosophies
C. languages
D. rituals
Answer: C. languages
37. (I) The Swami was a Brahmajnani, whose only imperative was the realisation of the formless Brahman.
(II) In India, the word “Mother” was forever on his lips, and he was constantly preoccupied with Her.
A. I is the cause for II.
B. II is an example of I.
C. I is a contradiction of II.
D. I is independent of II.
Answer: C. I is a contradiction of II.
38. (I) The Swami had a whole-hearted contempt for what he regarded as squeamishness.
(II) He was dismissive when the author expressed difficulties about animal sacrifice.
A. I is the cause for II.
B. I is a contradiction of II.
C. II is the cause for I.
D. I is independent of II.
Answer: A. I is the cause for II.
39. (I) The author made a conscious effort to enter into Kali worship.
(II) She began to comprehend the Swami’s life and thought more deeply.
A. I is independent of II.
B. II is the cause of I.
C. I is a contradiction of II.
D. I is the cause for II.
Answer: D. I is the cause for II.
40. (I) The Swami instructed that all visitors to a certain lecture must remove their shoes and sit on the floor.
(II) He believed one must stand for the dignity and sacredness of one’s own place of worship.
A. I is an example of II.
B. I is in contradiction of II.
C. II is the cause for I.
D. I is independent of II.
Answer: C. II is the cause for I.
41. (I) The Swami exclaimed, “Fools! they put a garland of flowers round Thy neck, and then start back in terror, and call Thee ‘the Merciful’!”
(II) He was against any watering-down of the great conception of the Divine as Terrible.
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. I is an example of II.
C. I is independent of II.
D. II is the cause of I.
Answer: B. I is an example of II.
42. Statement 1: The Swami believed in Brahman, the formless One.
Statement 2: The Swami also believed in the gods, stating “They are the forms that the bhaktas have seen!”
A. Both the statements are true.
B. Both the statements are false.
C. Statement 1 is true, and Statement 2 is false.
D. Statement 1 is false, and Statement 2 is true.
Answer: A. Both the statements are true.
43. (I) The Swami finally accepted Mother Kali.
(II) He experienced great misfortunes which he believed She used to make him Her slave.
A. I is the result of II.
B. I is an example of II.
C. I is independent of II.
D. I is in contradiction of II.
Answer: A. I is the result of II.
44. (I) The author came to the realisation that religions were only different languages.
(II) The Swami’s face lighted up at this thought, and he affirmed it enthusiastically.
A. I is the cause for II.
B. I is an example of II.
C. I is independent of II.
D. I is a contradiction of II.
Answer: A. I is the cause for II.
45. (I) The Swami held the belief that God manifests through evil and terror as well as through good and joy.
(II) He would often say, “Let us worship the Terror for Its own sake.”
A. II is an illustration of I.
B. I is the result of II.
C. I is in contradiction of II.
D. I is independent of II.
Answer: A. II is an illustration of I.
46. (I) The Swami was described as a born Brahmajnani, inclined towards abstract philosophy.
(II) While abroad, he preached only the realisation of Brahman, based on the Vedas and Upanishads.
A. I is a contradiction of II.
B. II is an example of I.
C. I is independent of II.
D. II is the cause of I.
Answer: B. II is an example of I.
Well