...Khana was a smart and intelligent girl who did not spend her time playing games like the other
children. In a short period, she acquired a complete knowledge of astronomy! Her adoptive father
admired her diligence and taught her all that he knew in the subject...In the village where Khana
lived, a brahmin boy, Mihira by name, was also being brought up by another family...
Though we know nothing regarding the parentage of Khana, we know a little about the family roots
of Mihira. He was the son of Varaha, an astronomer royal and one of the nine great scholars in the
court of the famous emperor Vikramaditya. Varaha was the author of many great treatises on
astronomy. When a son, Mihira, was born to him, he drew up the horoscope of the child calculating
the positions of the different planets following the mathematical rules for them. Due to an
unrecognized error that crept into his calculations, Varaha thought that the child?s life span would
be only ten years, though in reality it was a hundred years...He visualized the misery and sadness he
would suffer at the loss of his dear child after bringing him up affectionately for ten years, and he
preferred to abandon the child straightaway. Accordingly, the child was laid in a box and put into a
flowing river. A family of tribal people found him, adopted him, and trained him to be a master in
their learning.
After their marriage, Khana and Mihira wanted to rejoin their elite Aryan community...Their
protectors conceded the request, and chose a tribal woman as a guide to accompany Khana and
Mihira, so that they could safely cross over into the Aryan territory...An opportunity to test their
(astrology) skills occurred just when the party was nearing its destination. A cow was about to
deliver its calf. With a view to testing the ability of the new scholars, the guide wanted them to
predict whether the calf to be born in a short time would be brown or white in color. Mihira made a
quick calculation and declared that the calf would be white. But in a few minutes the cow delivered a
brown calf...
...King Vikramaditya was camping in the village next to a forest, along with his party of hunters.
Mihira met the king holding court, and exhibited his skill and scholarship. Vikramaditya was pleased,
and appointed him scholar to his royal court. The hunting party returned to the capital. The king sent
word to Varaha and entrusted to him the young couple, who were to be his guests of honor...Varaha
accepted the pleasant duty, and in a short time found out that the child he had abandoned years ago
had come back to him as a grown young man along with his scholarly wife.
One day, King Vikrama became curious to know the number of stars in the sky, and posed the
question to Varaha: ?Count the stars in the sky and let me know their number.? Varaha realized that
he was facing an insurmountable problem, and though he attempted to refer to books he had, he
could not obtain the information. Counting the stars in the sky was plainly not possible! He
consulted Mihira...His skill and intuitive ability too were of no use in finding a solution...On learning
of the problem, (Khana) immediately set to work. She worked for a little while and gave them the
result of her calculations along with the basis of the formula she used. They felt relieved and with
confidence went back to the royal court...The courtiers assembled there also praised the excellence
of Khana?s scholarship. Vikramaditya announced that she, a scholar of such magnitude, would adorn
his royal court forthwith as the tenth jewel, along with the nine scholars who were called the
navaratna of his court...
The royal orders created a panic in Varaha. He felt women should live a secluded, sheltered life in
their homes. Making their presence felt in public only degraded them. But if his daughter-in- law was
not taken to the court, he would have to face the fury of the king...He ordered his son to cut Khana?s
tongue off.
Answer any one of the following:
(A) Imagine you are a journalist in the court of King Vikrama, and the king has commissioned
you to write a report for the royal newspaper about the appointment of Khana to the royal
court. In your 350-500 word report, please outline the reasons for the appointment, and
remark upon the fact that the appointment is unusual because Khana is a woman. Your
report should show your awareness of the facts about Khana and the society in which she
lived.
(B). Rewrite Khana and Mihira?s story from Mihira?s perspective in about 350-500 words.