The Book A River Sutra - Essay Example

A young executive who worked at a tea company lives a wasteful life until he meets a young woman called Rima and falls in love with her. The woman puts a spell on him, and he becomes insane. He goes to the river, makes a mud image of a goddess, and regains his sanity. In summary, the river offered love and life to all the people. The other theme the author reveals in the book is misery. The people who visit the river experience suffering and seek happiness. The monk, despite being wealthy, is not satisfied with his life. He had lived a poor life, and he sought something more from life. Mohan is taunted and sneered at by his wife for being poor. He takes a young boy, Imran, who sings beautifully, but the wife sells the young boy to a master for five thousand rupees. The master slits the boy’s throat, and Mohan commits suicide afterwards; his life has been full of suffering.

The people have different beliefs regarding the river. The people who pay for pilgrimage believe the river is one of the holiest in India. However, it is a paradox that the river means ‘whore’. The archaeologists who conduct a dig in the river wonder about the immortality of the river and make fun that the people believe that it is sacred. Therefore religion is a complementary theme in the book. People from various religious backgrounds, such as Muslims, Hindus and Jain monks, pay pilgrimages to the river. The stories reveal that man must undergo suffering to attain the perfection of power from the river. This is portrayed when the archaeological professor Shankar realizes he is the Naga Baba that rescued Umi from a brothel as an ascetic and immersed her in the river for cleansing.

In conclusion, the stories in the book link love, forgiveness and happiness to each individual’s belief. Regardless of their different religious beliefs, the river brings them together. The Hindu, Muslim and Jain religions are independent yet interdependent religions. The sacredness of the river is because of the people who visit it and what they hope will change their lives. The river unifies the people as they seek different things from the river. The book provides insight and the complexity of Indian culture.