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Q.Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option : Column I (Characters of Mahabharata) 1. Duryodhana 2. Gandhari 3. Kunti 4. Ghatotkacha Column II (Role)

(i) Son of Hidimba
(ii) Eldest son of Dhritrashtra
(iii) Mother of Pandavas
(iv) Mother of Duryodhana Options : (A) 1-(iv), 2-(iii), 3-(ii), 4-(i) (B) 1-(ii), 2-(i), 3-(iv), 4-(iii) (C) 1-(ii), 2-(i), 3-(iii), 4-(iv) (D) 1-(ii), 2-(iv), 3-(iii), 4-(i)
CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2024MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
✓ Free question

This question tests your knowledge of the key family relationships in the Mahabharata — matching each character to their correct role as given in the NCERT textbook.

The Mahabharata is not just a story of a war; it is a vast epic built around the tangled web of family ties, loyalties, and rivalries. The NCERT textbook introduces these characters in the context of the epic's central conflict — the struggle for the throne of Hastinapura between two branches of the same family: the Kauravas and the Pandavas. To answer this matching question correctly, you need to recall who is whose parent or child.

Let us go through each character in Column I and see which role in Column II fits them.

1. Duryodhana — He is the eldest son of Dhritrashtra and Gandhari. Dhritrashtra was the blind king of Hastinapura, and his hundred sons (the Kauravas) were led by Duryodhana. So Duryodhana's role is "Eldest son of Dhritrashtra". That matches with (ii).

2. Gandhari — She was the wife of Dhritrashtra and the mother of the hundred Kauravas, including Duryodhana. Her role is therefore "Mother of Duryodhana". That matches with (iv).

3. Kunti — She was the wife of Pandu (the younger brother of Dhritrashtra) and the mother of the five Pandavas: Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva. Her role is "Mother of Pandavas". That matches with (iii).

4. Ghatotkacha — He is the son of Bhima (one of the Pandavas) and the demoness Hidimba. The NCERT textbook mentions that Bhima married Hidimba, and their son was Ghatotkacha, who later fought bravely in the Kurukshetra war. So Ghatotkacha's role is "Son of Hidimba". That matches with (i).

Note

A common confusion is mixing up Gandhari and Kunti. Remember: Gandhari is the mother of the Kauravas (Duryodhana and his brothers), while Kunti is the mother of the Pandavas. They are sisters-in-law, not the same person.

Now, putting the matches together:

1 → (ii), 2 → (iv), 3 → (iii), 4 → (i).

Looking at the options given:

(A) 1-(iv), 2-(iii), 3-(ii), 4-(i) — wrong

(B) 1-(ii), 2-(i), 3-(iv), 4-(iii) — wrong

(C) 1-(ii), 2-(i), 3-(iii), 4-(iv) — wrong

(D) 1-(ii), 2-(iv), 3-(iii), 4-(i) — correct

Important

The NCERT textbook explicitly states that Duryodhana was the eldest son of Dhritrashtra, Gandhari was the mother of Duryodhana, Kunti was the mother of the Pandavas, and Ghatotkacha was the son of Bhima and Hidimba. No other combination is accurate.

✓Final answer

The correct option is (D): 1-(ii), 2-(iv), 3-(iii), 4-(i).

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