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Tansen learnt music from Swami Haridas for eleven years.When Akbar heard him singing,he was impressed so asked him to join his court.

Tansen,as a child had learnt to imitate the calls of birds and animals.One day Tansen saw Swami and his disciples resting in the forest .He hid behind a tree and roared like a tiger and managed to frighten his disciples.Swami Haridas was impressed by his skill, so said that Tansen was 'talented'.

(i) Tansen was unhappy because he knew that the heat given off by singing the Raga Deepak would burn him to ashes. He then had an idea to save himself. If someone sang the Raga Megh at the same time, it would bring rain.So he decided to teach his daughter, Saraswati, and her friend, Rupvati . They practiced day and night for two weeks. Tansen told them that they must wait till the lamps started burning, and only then start singing.To do his preparations ,he asked Akbar to give him some time. 

(ii) Yes, his plan worked. On the appointed day, as Tansen began to sing Raga Deepak ,the air became warm and the people in the audience were bathed in perspiration. The leaves on the trees dried up and fell on the ground, birds fell dead, and the water in the rivers began to boil. Soon the flames shot up and lighted the lamps .Just then ,Saraswati and Rupvati began to sing Raga Megh. The sky clouded over and the rain came down and saved Tansen.

Tansen agreed to sing Raga Deepak because he could not disobey the king who was convinced that he was a great singer and could sing anything and he also wanted to prove his ability.

Some of the other courtiers were jealous of Tansen because Akbar was fond of him and often gave him gifts. They felt bad of his popularity and decided to ruin him anyhow.

When Tansen sang the Deepak Raga with great fervour, his body burst into flames and burnt like a pyre.

1. Akbar was fond of music. True 

2. Malhar is the Song of Fire. False 

3. Akbar rewarded Tansen for his singing. True 

4. Tansen did not come back to normal. False

                                  Tansen 

Tansen was a singer in Akbar’s court. One day, he sang the Deepak Raga so well that Akbar was enraptured. He wished to meet the teacher at whose feet Tansen had learnt to sing so magically. However, the teacher lived in a remote cave in the Himalayas. He shunned wealth and disdained to sing to earthly kings. Akbar donned the clothes of a slave and went with Tansen to meet him. On their request, Ostad sang the Malkous Raga. It was so enchanting that Akbar felt as if he had been transported to Heaven. Soon after this, Ostad vanished. Akbar asked Tansen whether he could sing the same musical composition that Ostad had sung. Tansen replied that he could not, for he, Tansen, sang to earthly kings, while his Ostad sang to God.

The poet wishes to convey that one can reach great heights in one’s field if one becomes unworldly and devotes one’s talents to someone or something higher than mere human beings.

Akbar would call upon Tansen to sing for him at any time during the day or night. At times, he would just walk into Tansen’s house to hear him practice and gave him many presents too. These reasons tell us that Akbar was fond of Tansen.

Tansen told Akbar that his teacher stayed in a remote cave in the Himalayas, far away from the unworthy crowds, scorning worldly wealth. He did not think it worthy to sing to kings, and hence Tansen suggested that it would be better for Akbar to meet him as a poor slave.

He(Tansen) came back to normal again when a maiden sang Malhar, the song of cold water, and put out the fire.

Ostad had vanished before Akbar could come out of his trance.

Tansen’s singing did not produce the same effect as that by Ostad because Tansen sang to Akbar – a human being – while Ostad sang to God.