Read the following lines and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option :
I felt myself dwarfed standing next to the majestic Emperor Asoka. Asoka led two lives, one as a ruthless conqueror and the other as a compassionate ruler. The man I stood beside was the one who had just returned from conquest. But victory had been obtained at a heavy cost: the battle of Kalinga claimed the lives of at least 300,000 people and an equal number were wounded. I saw everyone looking at Asoka who fell on his knees and removed his armour and crown. His face was pale, reflecting the death surrounding him. He looked at the sky. He saw the bright cool moon shining and God's grace pouring down on mother earth. And he looked down at the horror he had created, making blood flow everywhere. In that moment of beauty and horror - the silver moonlight and the suffering and pain on the ground, when Nature itself seemed to speak out against what he had wrought, Ahimsa Dharma was born. Emperor Asoka embraced God's command to propagate love for human beings through this doctrine.
How did the changes in Ashoka manifest themselves ?
(A) rejoices at the horrors of the war
(B) realises the futility of war
(C) realises beauty of nature is in a stark contrast to bloodshed
(D) through the birth of Ahimsa
(E) realises nature is mocking
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (B), (C), (D) Only
(A) rejoices at the horrors of the war — False.
- Contradicted: Asoka fell on his knees and his face was pale.
- He was shaken, not rejoicing.
(B) realises the futility of war — True.
- He looked down at "the horror he had created".
- The victory had cost hundreds of thousands of lives, and he turned away from conquest.
(C) realises beauty of nature is in a stark contrast to bloodshed — True.
- The passage speaks of "that moment of beauty and horror": the silver moonlight above and the suffering on the ground.
(D) through the birth of Ahimsa — True.
- In that moment "Ahimsa Dharma was born", and Asoka spread love for human beings through it.
(E) realises nature is mocking — False.
- Misread: nature "seemed to speak out against" what he had done.
- It condemned his deed, it did not mock him.