Trimurti and DashAvatars

17 Grade 10 Religious Education (HRE) questions on Trimurti and DashAvatars, with worked marking schemes. 17 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   According to Hindu belief, which statement about Kalki, the tenth of the Dashavatars, is correct?

   A. He has already come as a prince of Ayodhya

   B. He taught the Bhagavad Gita at Kurukshetra

   C. He is to appear at the end of Kali Yuga

   D. He is the creator who sits on a lotus

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   3 marks

   Outline three lessons that leaders in Kenya today can learn from the life of Parashurama. (3 marks)

   (3 marks)

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3. Question 3

   6 marks

   The HRE club in your school, which is near a busy section of the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, is planning a road-safety campaign. Using a lesson from the life of each of three different Dashavatars, explain how each lesson can guide the campaign. (6 marks)

   (6 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Any three different avatars, 2 marks each (1 for a correct lesson from the avatar's life, 1 for applying it to road safety) (6 marks): - Rama (Maryada Purushottam, keeping within limits): learners and road users should obey traffic rules, keep to speed limits and use zebra crossings and footbridges. - Matsya (warned Manu before the flood): the campaign should give early warnings, e.g. posters, talks on dangerous crossings, reflective clothing for learners walking at dusk. - Krishna (sheltered the people under Mount Govardhan): the club should protect the vulnerable, e.g. a school crossing patrol for younger pupils, guiding the elderly across the road. - Varaha (rescued the earth from danger): learners should be ready to help accident victims safely, e.g. calling 999 or 112 and learning basic first aid. - Narasimha (protected the innocent Prahlad): the club should speak up for the safety of innocent road users, e.g. asking for bumps or signs near the school. - Parashurama (opposed those who abused power): learners can report reckless driving or unroadworthy vehicles to the authorities (e.g. NTSA, police). - Vamana (humility before power): drivers and riders should be humble and patient, not overtaking dangerously or showing off on the road. - Kurma (steady support at Samudra Manthan): patience and steadiness, e.g. waiting calmly for traffic to clear rather than rushing across. - Buddha (compassion and non-violence): respect for life means never endangering others, e.g. no drunk driving, no overloading. Credit any other relevant avatar lesson that is correctly applied.

4. Question 4

   4 marks

   Explain two reasons why, according to Hindu teaching, Paramatma manifests on earth in the form of avatars. (4 marks)

   (4 marks)

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5. Question 5

   1 mark

   The student council of a school in Machakos is running a campaign that urges learners to respect school rules, keep to set times and follow the guidance of their elders. Which avatar's title best models a life lived within rules and proper limits?

   A. Rama, called Maryada Purushottam

   B. Kalki, shown riding on a white horse

   C. Narasimha, who appeared at twilight

   D. Parashurama, who carried a mighty axe

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   3 marks

   Outline three teachings associated with the Buddha, as one of the Dashavatars, that can promote spiritual growth among young people. (3 marks)

   (3 marks)

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7. Question 7

   6 marks

   (a) Outline the story of Narasimha and Prahlad. (4 marks)

   (b) Explain one lesson that a Grade 10 learner who is under pressure from friends to give up their values can draw from Prahlad's example. (2 marks)

   (6 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) Any four of the following, 1 mark each (4 marks): - Hiranyakashipu, a demon king, received a boon (from Brahma) that he could not be killed by man or animal, indoors or outdoors, by day or by night, on the ground or in the sky, or by any weapon. - Proud of the boon, he declared himself god and demanded that everyone worship him. - His son Prahlad remained a devoted worshipper of Vishnu and refused to worship his father. - Hiranyakashipu tried to kill Prahlad many times, e.g. throwing him from a cliff, trampling by elephants, poisonous snakes, and burning him in the lap of Holika (whose burning is remembered at Holi), but Prahlad survived each time. - Hiranyakashipu asked whether Vishnu was in a pillar and struck it. - Vishnu burst out of the pillar as Narasimha, half man and half lion. - At twilight, on the threshold of the palace, Narasimha placed Hiranyakashipu on his lap and killed him with his claws, so that none of the conditions of the boon was broken. - Narasimha then blessed Prahlad, who became a righteous ruler. (b) Any one well-explained lesson, 2 marks (1 for the lesson, 1 for applying it to the learner's situation): - Stand firm in one's faith and values even when those close to you oppose them, e.g. refusing to join friends in drug abuse or cheating. - Courage comes from trust in Paramatma, so a learner need not fear rejection for doing right. - Wrongdoing and pride eventually fail, so short-term pressure from peers should not lead one to abandon what is right. - Respectfully refusing what is wrong is possible without hatred; Prahlad did not hate his father.

8. Question 8

   1 mark

   During the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), Mount Mandara, which served as the churning rod, began to sink into the waters. In which form did Vishnu appear to hold the mountain up on his back?

   A. Varaha

   B. Vamana

   C. Kurma

   D. Matsya

   (1 mark)

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9. Question 9

   4 marks

   (a) Describe how the Matsya avatar saved life during the great flood. (2 marks)

   (b) Explain how a lesson from the Matsya avatar can help communities living along the Tana River prepare for floods. (2 marks)

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   (a) Any two of the following, 1 mark each (2 marks): - Vishnu appeared as a small fish (Matsya) in the water that King Manu (Satyavrata) took from a river during his prayers, and Manu protected it as it grew. - Matsya warned Manu that a great flood (pralaya) would soon destroy the world. - He told Manu to build a large boat and to take the seven sages (saptarishis), seeds of plants and pairs of animals on board. - When the flood came, Manu tied the boat to Matsya's horn (using the serpent Vasuki as a rope) and Matsya pulled it to safety. - Matsya also recovered the Vedas that had been stolen by the demon Hayagriva, preserving sacred knowledge. (b) Any one lesson, well explained, 2 marks (1 for the lesson, 1 for its application): - Heed early warnings: just as Manu acted on Matsya's warning, residents should act on weather warnings from the Kenya Meteorological Department and county disaster offices. - Prepare in advance: as Manu built the boat before the flood, families can store food and water, keep documents safe and plan evacuation routes before the rains. - Protect life and livelihoods: as seeds and animals were saved, farmers can move livestock and seed to higher ground. - Care for the vulnerable: as Manu protected the small fish, communities should help children, the elderly and people with disabilities to safety first.

10. Question 10

    1 mark

    When Vamana asked King Bali for land measured by three of his steps, Bali agreed even though his guru Shukracharya warned him. Vamana then grew and covered the earth and the heavens in two strides, and Bali offered his own head for the third. Which lesson does this story teach most directly?

    A. Rulers should never welcome strangers who ask for gifts

    B. Physical strength is the surest way to overcome evil

    C. Humility and keeping one's promise are greater than power

    D. Wealth should be kept safely rather than given away freely

    (1 mark)

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11. Question 11

    1 mark

    Learners are dramatising the story in which the demon Hiranyaksha dragged the earth (Bhudevi) to the bottom of the cosmic ocean. Which avatar should they cast as the rescuer who lifted the earth back up on his tusks?

    A. Matsya

    B. Narasimha

    C. Kurma

    D. Varaha

    (1 mark)

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12. Question 12

    3 marks

    State the cosmic function of each of the three deities that make up the Trimurti. (3 marks)

    (3 marks)

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13. Question 13

    4 marks

    Explain two ways in which belief in the manifestation of Paramatma influences the daily life of a Hindu. (4 marks)

    (4 marks)

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14. Question 14

    6 marks

    (a) State two events from the early life of Krishna. (2 marks)

    (b) Explain two teachings of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita that promote spiritual growth. (4 marks)

    (6 marks)

    Marking scheme

    (a) Any two of the following, 1 mark each (2 marks): - He was born in a prison in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva, who had been jailed by the tyrant Kamsa. - Vasudeva carried the newborn across the Yamuna River to Gokul. - He was raised by the cowherd couple Nanda and Yashoda. - As a child he overcame demons sent by Kamsa, e.g. Putana. - He subdued the serpent Kaliya, who had poisoned the Yamuna. - He lifted Mount Govardhan to shelter the people of Vrindavan from Indra's storms. - He returned to Mathura and killed Kamsa, freeing his parents. (b) Any two of the following, 2 marks each (1 for the teaching, 1 for how it promotes spiritual growth) (4 marks): - Perform your duty without attachment to its results (nishkama karma, BG 2:47); this frees one from greed and anxiety. - The soul (atman) is eternal and does not die when the body dies (BG 2:20); this removes fear and focuses one on the spiritual self. - Devotion (bhakti) and surrender to Paramatma (BG 9:22; 18:66) brings peace and the assurance of divine care. - Remain balanced in pleasure and pain, success and failure (BG 2:14, 2:48); this builds inner stability. - Control the mind and senses through discipline and meditation (BG chapter 6); this leads to self-mastery. - See Paramatma in all beings and treat everyone equally (BG 6:29); this leads to compassion and humility. - Knowledge (jnana) removes ignorance and leads towards liberation (moksha).

15. Question 15

    1 mark

    In Hindu images, Brahma is usually shown with four heads facing the four directions. Which other feature of his image points to his link with sacred knowledge and the ordering of creation?

    A. The four Vedas held in his hands

    B. A trident and a damaru drum

    C. A conch shell and a Sudarshana discus

    D. A bow with a quiver of arrows

    (1 mark)

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16. Question 16

    4 marks

    (a) Outline two steps your class would take to collect resources from parents and well-wishers for a home for the elderly in your community. (2 marks)

    (b) Explain how one event from the life of a Dashavatar inspires such sharing with the needy. (2 marks)

    (4 marks)

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17. Question 17

    5 marks

    (a) Describe the events that led to Rama's fourteen-year exile from Ayodhya. (2 marks)

    (b) Outline three qualities shown by Rama that a learner can practise at home and in school. (3 marks)

    (5 marks)

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