The Summit Within (अंदर की चोटी)
Easy Summary:
The story is about Major H.P.S. Ahluwalia, who was part of the first successful Indian expedition to Mount Everest in 1965. Standing on Everest made him feel not just happiness, but also humility and a bit of sadness, as he wondered what could be next after achieving the ultimate goal. Climbing Everest changes a person, giving a lifelong sense of joy and gratitude.
People climb mountains for different reasons. Some say, “Because it is there,” but Ahluwalia also had a personal love for mountains since childhood. Mountains help him feel close to God. Everest, being the highest, is a tough challenge needing endurance, persistence, and willpower. The climb is hard, but reaching the top gives great happiness and a sense of victory.
Ahluwalia also talks about an “inner summit”—the summit of the mind. Everyone has this inner mountain, and climbing it helps understand oneself better. Mental challenges can be even tougher than Everest. Both physical and mental climbs change a person, teaching lessons about life and self. His Everest experience inspired him to face all challenges in life confidently.
सरल सारांश (Hindi Translation):
यह कहानी मेजर एच.पी.एस. अहलूवालिया के बारे में है, जो 1965 में माउंट एवेरेस्ट पर पहली सफल भारतीय अभियान का हिस्सा थे। एवेरेस्ट पर खड़ा होने पर उन्हें सिर्फ खुशी ही नहीं, बल्कि विनम्रता और थोड़ी उदासी भी महसूस हुई, क्योंकि उन्होंने सोचा कि “अंतिम लक्ष्य” पाने के बाद अगला चुनौती क्या होगी। एवेरेस्ट चढ़ाई व्यक्ति को बदल देती है और जीवनभर की खुशी और कृतज्ञता देती है।
लोग पहाड़ों पर अलग-अलग कारणों से चढ़ते हैं। कुछ कहते हैं, “क्योंकि यह वहां है,” लेकिन अहलूवालिया को बचपन से ही पहाड़ों का गहरा आकर्षण था। पहाड़ उन्हें भगवान के करीब महसूस कराते हैं। एवेरेस्ट, सबसे ऊँचा और शक्तिशाली होने के कारण, एक कठिन चुनौती है जिसमें धैर्य, स्थिरता और इच्छा शक्ति चाहिए। चढ़ाई कठिन है, लेकिन शिखर तक पहुँचने पर अत्यधिक खुशी और विजय का अहसास होता है।
अहलूवालिया “आंतरिक शिखर” के बारे में भी बात करते हैं—मन का शिखर। हर व्यक्ति के भीतर यह आंतरिक पहाड़ है, और इसे चढ़ना आत्म-ज्ञान प्राप्त करने में मदद करता है। मानसिक चुनौतियाँ कभी-कभी एवेरेस्ट से भी कठिन होती हैं। शारीरिक और मानसिक दोनों चढ़ाइयाँ व्यक्ति को बदल देती हैं और जीवन और स्वयं के बारे में सिखाती हैं। एवेरेस्ट का अनुभव उन्हें जीवन की चुनौतियों का साहसपूर्वक सामना करने की प्रेरणा देता है।
Surged (सर्ज्ड): Arose suddenly and intensely; तेजी से उठना/बढ़ना
Panorama (पैनोरामा): View of a wide area; विस्तृत दृश्य
Jubilant (ज्यूबिलेंट): Very happy because of success; अत्यंत प्रसन्न/विजयी
Tinge (टिन्ज): Trace/shade; हल्की झलक/छटा
Exhaustion (एग्जॉशन): Fatigue; tiredness; थकावट/थकान
Exhilarating (एग्जिलरेटिंग): Very exciting; अत्यधिक रोमांचक
Communion (कम्युनियन): State or feeling of close relationship; घनिष्ठ संबंध/एकता की भावना
Defied (डिफाइड): Frustrated; resisted; अवहेलना करना/चुनौती देना
Mystical (मिस्टिकल): Spiritual; रहस्यमय/आध्यात्मिक
Aloofness (अलूफनेस): The state of being distant or reserved; अलगाव/दूरी
Ruggedness (रग्डनेस): The quality of being strong and durable; ऊबड़-खाबड़पन/मज़बूती
Firm in (फर्म इन): Make yourself firm; स्वयं को स्थिर करना
Belays (बिलेज़): Fixes a rope; रस्सी बांधना/सुरक्षित करना
Ascent (असेंट): Climb; चढ़ाई
Obeisance (ओबीसेंस): Show your obedience or submission; श्रद्धापूर्वक नमन
Cairn (केयर्न): A heap of rocks and stones; पत्थरों का ढेर
Ordeals (ऑर्डियल्स): Painful experiences; कष्टदायक अनुभव
Resolutely (रेज़ोल्यूटली): With determination or firmness; दृढ़तापूर्वक/संकल्पपूर्वक
Formidable (फॉर्मिडेबल): Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable; दुर्जेय/प्रचंड
Comprehension Questions and Answers (प्रश्न-उत्तर):
Working with the text (Page 6)
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) What are the three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb?
Answer: The three qualities that played a major role in the author’s climb were endurance, persistence, and willpower.
(ii) Why is adventure, which is risky, also pleasurable?
Answer: Adventure, despite being risky, is pleasurable because it involves overcoming obstacles, pushing one’s limits, and experiencing the exhilaration of achieving something challenging. It brings a deep sense of joy and thankfulness.
(iii) What was it about Mount Everest that the author found irresistible?
Answer: The author found Mount Everest irresistible because it is the highest and the mightiest peak in the world, and it has defied many previous attempts. Its beauty, aloofness, might, and ruggedness make it a powerful challenge.
(iv) One does not do it (climb a high peak) for fame alone. What does one do it for, really?
Answer: One does not climb a high peak for fame alone. It is done for the deep sense of joy and thankfulness, the sense of fulfillment, the satisfaction of a deep urge to rise above one’s surroundings, and the eternal love for adventure. It also allows for communion with God and a spiritual experience.
(v) “He becomes conscious in a special manner of his own smallness in this large universe.” This awareness defines an emotion mentioned in the first paragraph. Which is the emotion?
Answer: This awareness defines the emotion of humility.
(vi) What were the “symbols of reverence” left by members of the team on Everest?
Answer: The symbols of reverence left by members of the team on Everest were:
The author left a picture of Guru Nanak.
Rawat left a picture of Goddess Durga.
Phu Dorji left a relic of the Buddha.
Edmund Hillary had buried a cross under a cairn.
(vii) What, according to the writer, did his experience as an Everester teach him?
Answer: According to the writer, his experience as an Everester provided him with the inspiration to face life’s ordeals resolutely. It taught him much about the world and about himself, changing him completely.
2. Write a sentence against each of the following statements. Your sentence should explain the statement. You can pick out sentences from the text and rewrite them. The first one has been done for you.
(i) The experience changes you completely.
Answer: One who has been to the mountains is never the same again.
(ii) Man takes delight in overcoming obstacles.
Answer: A climb to a summit means endurance, persistence, and willpower, and the joy comes from demonstrating these qualities to conquer difficulties.
(iii) Mountains are nature at its best.
Answer: Their beauty and majesty pose a great challenge, and they are seen as a means of communion with God.
(iv) The going was difficult but the after-effects were satisfying.
Answer: Despite the brutal struggle with rock and ice, reaching the summit brings exhilaration, a sense of victory, and immense happiness.
(v) The physical conquest of a mountain is really a spiritual experience.
Answer: The climb is not merely physical; it is emotional and spiritual, leading to a sense of fulfillment and connection to something higher.
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