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Virtues are the result of repeated actions, as habits lay the foundation of moral excellence. Right from the beginning of their lives, children are taught good habits by their parents and teachers. Magnanimity, helpfulness and sacrifice are great virtues which need to be well cultivated in human beings. Trees give shade for the benefit of others, while they themselves stand enduring the scorching heat of the sun. They selflessly bear the fruit which is consumed by birds, animals and human beings. Rivers travel hundreds of kilometers, irrigating the land and providing water for all living beings. Flowers spread their scent to make the environment pleasant. Nature teaches us to tolerate pain for the sake of service to others. Henna yields its reddish hue when ground into a paste. Sugarcane yields sweet juice when it is pressed. Flowers get pierced through with a needle to embellish us with garlands.

The character of virtuous men and women is also like the above things and elements of Nature. What is the use of this perishable and mortal frame if it is not used for the benefit of others? To live our life only for ourselves is to live like cats and dogs. People who are noble at heart do not abandon human virtues even if they have to lose their lives. A Sanskrit couplet says "Whether men praise them or no, whether they get riches or no, whether they live long or soon die, the virtuous will never waver from the path of righteousness."

In the passage, what is meant by "mortal frame"?

Solution

✅ Correct Option: 4

Option 1 -> Nature is eternal and not mortal, and the passage uses nature as examples to teach lessons, not as something we possess.

Option 2 -> Animals are mentioned separately in the passage and the context refers to something humans possess ("this" frame).

Option 3 -> Land is neither perishable nor mortal in the way described, and doesn't fit the context of the sentence.

Option 4 -> The phrase "perishable and mortal frame" refers to our physical body that will eventually die, and the passage questions its purpose if not used to serve others.


Hence, Option 4: Human body -> "Mortal frame" is a literary/poetic expression for the human physical body that is subject to death. The passage emphasizes that this temporary body should be used selflessly for others' benefit, just as nature's elements serve humanity despite enduring hardships -> correct

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