Answers to all "Questions, activities and projects", true-or-false and class activities of Chapter 7, India's Cultural Roots (NCERT Class 6 Social Science, Exploring Society: India and Beyond, 2026-27): the Vedas and Upanishads, Nachiketa, Buddhism, Jainism, folk and tribal traditions. All 15 questions are answered, with the key answer highlighted.
If you were Nachiketa, what questions would you like to ask Yama? Write them down in 100–150 words.
Solution
If I were Nachiketa, I would ask Yama:
What happens to a person after death: does something in us continue to live?
What is the ātman (the self), and is it different from the body and the mind?
Why do people suffer, and how can one be free from sorrow and fear?
Which is better: the pleasant path that gives quick happiness, or the good path that may be difficult?
How can I know what is right when people give me different advice?
What is the purpose of human life?
Is it possible to be happy and peaceful even when we lose things we love?
Like Nachiketa, I would not accept riches or long life as a gift instead of answers, because true knowledge about life and the self is more valuable than any wealth.
Questions about what happens after death, the nature of the self (ātman), why we suffer and how to be free of fear, choosing the good over the pleasant, and the purpose of life.
Explain a few central ideas of Buddhism. Briefly comment upon them.
Solution
Suffering has causes: the Buddha taught that ignorance (avidyā) and attachment (craving for things, people and pleasures) are the roots of human suffering, and that suffering can be ended by removing them.
Ahiṃsā (non-hurting): one should not harm any living being, in thought, word or deed.
Inner discipline and self-control: purity comes from good conduct and a disciplined mind, not from rituals ("conquering oneself is greater than conquering a thousand men").
The middle path: avoid both a life of too much luxury and one of extreme hardship.
Compassion and kindness towards all.
Comment: these ideas are practical and still valuable today. Reducing greed and anger, being kind, and controlling our own behaviour help us live peacefully with others, whatever our beliefs.
Ignorance and attachment cause suffering; ahiṃsā (non-hurting); inner discipline and self-control rather than rituals; the middle path; compassion. They remain practical guides for a peaceful life.
Discuss in class the quotation of the Buddha which begins with "Not by water is one made pure, though many people may bathe here [in sacred rivers]" to make sure its meaning has been understood by all.
Solution
The full saying: "Not by water is one made pure, though many people may bathe here. But one is pure in whom truth and dharma reside. Conquering oneself is greater than conquering a thousand men on the battlefield a thousand times."
Meaning:
Bathing in a holy river may clean the body, but it cannot make a person good. True purity is inside: being truthful and living by dharma (right conduct).
The greatest victory is not over enemies in war but over oneself: over anger, greed, jealousy and other bad habits. That is much harder, and much more valuable, than winning battles.
So the Buddha asks us to value inner character more than outward rituals.
Real purity comes from truth and right conduct, not from bathing in rivers; and controlling one's own mind and desires is a greater victory than winning a thousand battles.
Explain a few central ideas of Jainism. Briefly comment upon them.
Solution
Jainism was taught by a line of 24 tīrthaṅkaras, the last being Mahāvīra. Its central ideas:
Ahiṃsā: strict non-violence towards all living beings, even the smallest insects. (Jain monks sweep the path before walking and cover their mouths so as not to harm tiny creatures.)
Anekāntavāda ("not just one"): reality has many sides, and no single viewpoint holds the whole truth, so we should respect others' views.
Aparigraha (non-possession): do not be attached to possessions; take only what you need.
Truthfulness, not stealing, and self-control.
Comment: these ideas teach respect for all life, tolerance for other opinions, and simple living. They are very relevant today: anekāntavāda helps avoid conflicts, and aparigraha helps protect the environment from over-consumption.
Ahiṃsā (non-violence to all life), anekāntavāda (many-sided truth, respect for other views), aparigraha (non-possession), truth and self-control; they teach respect for life, tolerance and simple living.
Consider and discuss in class André Béteille's thought: "The thousands of castes and tribes on the Indian subcontinent have influenced each other in their religious beliefs and practices since the beginning of history and before. That the tribal religions have been influenced by Hinduism is widely accepted, but it is equally true that Hinduism, not only in its formative phase but throughout its evolution, has been influenced by tribal religions."
Solution
Béteille says that the influence between tribal religions and Hinduism has been two-way, from the earliest times until today:
Tribal communities took up some Hindu gods, festivals and stories.
Equally, Hinduism absorbed many tribal deities and practices: for example, Jagannath of Puri has tribal roots, the god Khandoba in central India rose from a local deity, and the worship of nature (sacred groves, trees, hills, rivers and animals) is shared by both.
So Indian religious traditions grew by mixing and borrowing across communities rather than in isolation. This is one reason for India's "unity in diversity". We should therefore respect tribal traditions as an important source of Indian culture, not as something lower or separate.
He means that tribal religions and Hinduism have always influenced each other in both directions (e.g. Jagannath, Khandoba, nature worship), so Indian culture grew through mutual exchange and tribal traditions deserve respect.
Make a list of popular gods and goddesses in your region and the festivals they are associated with.
Solution
Example (Uttar Pradesh and nearby; make your own list for your region):
God / Goddess
Festival
Rama
Ram Navami, Dussehra, Diwali
Krishna
Janmashtami, Holi (in Braj)
Durga
Navratri, Durga Puja
Lakshmi and Ganesha
Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi
Shiva
Maha Shivaratri, Sawan Mondays
Surya (Sun) and Chhathi Maiya
Chhath Puja
Saraswati
Vasant Panchami
(Other regions: Ayyappa – Makaravilakku in Kerala; Jagannath – Rath Yatra in Odisha; Murugan – Thaipusam in Tamil Nadu; Bihu in Assam; Pongal in Tamil Nadu.)
Make a table for your region, e.g. Rama (Dussehra, Diwali), Krishna (Janmashtami), Durga (Navratri), Shiva (Maha Shivaratri), Surya (Chhath).
Tribal belief systems are limited to belief in spirits and minor deities.
Solution
False. Many tribes worship a supreme deity (e.g. Singbonga of the Munda and Santhal; Donyi-Polo, the Sun and Moon, in Arunachal Pradesh) and have rich ideas about nature, ancestors and the world.
Stage a small play with Yama, god of death, surrounded by several Nachiketas asking him questions about life.
Solution
Short script outline:
Scene 1: Nachiketa's father angrily gives him to Yama. Nachiketa waits three days at Yama's door without food.
Scene 2: Yama returns and offers three boons. Several "Nachiketas" come forward; each refuses wealth, kingdoms and long life and asks a question: "What happens after death?", "What is the self?", "How do we overcome fear and sorrow?", "Which path should we choose, the pleasant or the good?"
Scene 3: Yama, pleased, answers that the self (ātman) is not born and does not die, that the wise choose the good over the pleasant, and that self-control and knowledge bring peace.
Ending: all Nachiketas thank Yama and say together: "Knowledge is the greatest gift."
Assign roles, write simple dialogues, and use a few props (a crown for Yama, a staff).
A short play: Yama offers riches, but the Nachiketas ask about death, the self, fear and the good path; Yama answers and praises their wisdom.
