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Introduction
(Sidebar)
Author: Gita Mehta Cover Artist: Unknown Country: India Language: English Genre: Short-Story Fiction Publisher: Vintage Books (US) Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto (Canada Publication Year: 1993 Media Type: Print (paperback) Pages: 291 pp ISBN: 0-679-75247-1
Contents 1Background 2 Plot 3 Characters
3.1 Main Characters
3.1.1 Narrator
3.1.2 Chagla
3.1.3 Tariq Mia
3.2 Secondary Characters
3.2.1 Ashok
3.2.2 Master Mohan
3.2.3 Master Mohan’s Wife
3.2.4 Imrat
3.2.5 Nitan Bose
3.2.6 Rima
3.2.7 The Courtesan
3.2.8 The Courtesan's Daughter
3.2.9 Rahul Singh
3.2.10 The Musician
3.2.11 The Daughter
3.2.12 The Other Student
3.2.13 Professor Shankar
3.2.14 Uma
4 Summary
4.1 The Narrator
4.2 The Monk
4.3 The Teacher
4.4 The Executive
4.5 The Courtesan
4.6 The Musician
4.7 The Minstrel
4.8 The Song of the Narmada
5 Themes
5.1 Teacher
5.2 Courtesan
5.3 Overall theme of the narmada
5.4 Human heart
5.5 Musician
5.6 Monk
5.7 Minstrel
5.8 Executive
6 Style
6.1 Style
6.2 Narrator
6.3 Vignette Use
7 Reception
Background
The Narmada River is considered one of the holiest rivers in India by those who are native to the area. Hindus believe that the river came from the body of one of their gods, Shiva who is the god of death, destruction, and disease. [9] There are around 400 billion sacred places lined along the river, such as temples. [10] The name ‘Narmada’ can be broken down in Sanskrit and translated. ‘Narma’ means pleasure, and ‘da’ means to give. [8] In A River Sutra, the Narmada is the connecting force between the different people that the narrator meets, and their stories. Each story either deals with the Narmada as it is today, how it once was before, or how it has affected the people who are around it. Due to the religious aspect of the river’s story, most of the book is focused around different religious groups of people, such as the Muslims, Jains, and Hindus.[5] There are three religions that are represented throughout this novel. the first religion is Islam. Islam is monotheistic religion that worships to the god Allah. It was founded in the year 622CE in Mecca by Muhammad. It is the second largest religion practiced in the world. They worship from the Koran and they worship in a Mosque. One’s purpose in life is to follow the five pillars and devote their life to the God Allah. (Fast Facts on Islam) The second religion that is brought up in this novel is the religion Jainism. Jainism is polytheistic and was founded in the year 550BC. It was founded by Mahavira. People who practice this religion worship from the teachings of Mahavira in various collections. Monks are the “leaders” of this religion and are the people practitioners look to for guidance. One’s role in life is to reach a great goodness but never perfection. One’s soul is eternal and will reincarnate until it has reached liberation. One can not reach liberation until they are in human form. (Fast Facts on Jainism) The third and final religion is Hinduism. It was founded in 1500BC, it is not known for sure it could have been discovered earlier. There was no one founder of this religion. It is the third largest practiced religion in the world. People who practiceread from the vedas, sutras, and Bhagavad Gita. They look to a Guru or Sage for guidance and they worship from a temple or a home shrine. It is a pantheistic religion but has polytheistic elements. Ones goal is to reach liberation through reincarnation. They devote their life to Dharma (Fast Facts on Hinduism).
About the Author
Gita Mehta was born in 1944 in Delhi, India. Her first name means ‘song’ and she lived with her mother and brother for most her childhood. When she was three weeks old her father, who was an Indian Independence activist, was arrested. Her mother spent four years following after him and carting along Gita and her brother. [7] For the majority of her adulthood, she has spent her time split between New York and New Delhi. [7] A River Sutra is the third book she wrote, published in 1993. In previous books, Mehta focused on the relationship between India and the western world, while in A River Sutra, she narrowed in on the diversity across India. [6] Gita Mehta’s comment about how far her book has gone is, “I wrote A River Sutra privately; I didn't tell anyone I was doing it, and I genuinely didn't think it would get published outside of India. It astonishes me that that's the one [of my books] people have responded to most." [6]
Plot
A River Sutra is compiled of many short stories shared by one narrator, and each story has a powerful theme of either love or suffering. Although the narrator is the story-teller, the stories are not his; they belong to the many people that he has met on the banks of the Narmada River in recent years. The narrator tells us that his wife has passed away and he was journeying towards a Government rest house that was built on the Narmada River. The Narmada has the reputation for being one of the holiest rivers in India and is where the Narrator travels to; an important place throughout the novel. He retreats there often and loves to sit on the terrace the other guests and watch the pilgrims walk from the temples to the holy river's edge.[10] The narrator begins the book with talks about his love for his religion and his fear of snakes. He once met a man who was traveling to Mahadeo, making the Narmada pilgrimage and at the end of the journey he will become a Jain monk. The man explains to the narrator the beliefs and customs of Jainism which include, shaving their heads to avoid human vanity and wearing masks to avoid killing innocent insects by inhalation. The soon-to-be-monk decides to sit down next to the narrator and explains his story. The first story the narrator shares is about a man who made the decision to become a monk, so as not to follow in his rich father’s footsteps.[10] After this encounter, the narrator and Tariq Mia, one of his good friends, were having their regular game of chess when Tariq Mia offered to tell the narrator a story. The story that follows is about a music teacher named Master Mohan, who takes in a little blind boy named Imrat when his sister mentions how this is the only way she may support him. Sadly Imrat is killed by a music producer due to the jealousy of the boy’s wonderful voice.[10] After the narrator hears this story of the music teacher, he returns to tend to the hostel he is responsible for and the arrival of Nitin Bose. Nitin Bose is an executive from a Tea Estate, who is supposed to be studying at the Narmada River. On the day of his arrest, the police then contact the narrator about having arrested Nitin Bose after seeing him standing on a cliff looking down into the Narmada pondering killing himself because his insanity is taking over. Nitin claims he is a woman named Rima, and that he is possessed by said Rima, a goddess. They decide that it is best if Nitin spends some time in prison, and there he makes a proposal, either he needs to visit the shrine, or he will kill himself. He believes the shrine would cure his possession. During this, the narrator took his journal, to learn the truth of his past. The truth comes out that he wanted to regain his sanity after being involved with a married woman named Rima, whom he fell in love with at the tea plantation he was working on.[10] After his uncovering of Nitin Bose, the narrator is found by Mr. Chagla who tells the narrator about an old lady he found walking on the road; he invites her to stay a couple nights until the storm passes. When the old lady comes inside and meets the narrator she tells him that she is only staying the night. The old lady proceeds to explain she will be gone in the morning to get her daughter and will be back the next day to get her stuff. This leads to the lady telling the narrator about her daughter and her life as a Courtesan. At the end of the lady’s story, her daughter was kidnapped by the most wanted bandit in the Vindhyas, Rahul Sugh. The daughter is then brought to the narrator’s government-run hostel where she tells the narrator about how Rahul Sugh had helped her by protecting her through the kidnapping. Soon after, the mother and daughter courtesans meet again and go out to the Narmada, where the daughter drowns.[10] The following day, the narrator tells about going into Mahadeo and into the bazaars overlooking the river. The narrator begins to tell a story about a woman who was looking at glass paintings of gods. A child pushed the woman from behind and the glass painting shattered onto the ground. Seeing the woman on the ground, the narrator stoops down to help her pick up the broken fragments. Looking down on the broken pieces the woman sees a painting of a woman’s torso; it was the Goddess Shiva. The woman explained that she was on a musical pilgrimage that was part of her musical education. Her father was the finest veena player in the world, who has only shared his knowledge twice. She refuses to share the name of who the other person was. She told the narrator that it wouldn’t make sense unless he knew about her father. The story that follows is about the ugly woman who fell in love with a man that vowed to marry her in exchange for music lessons by her father. Her father frees him of his promise and he marries someone else, leaving the ugly woman devastated.[10] Returning to tend to his hostel, the narrator hears Tariq Mia singing the song of the Narmada. Curious about where Tariq Mia heard that and what it was about, Tariq Mia tells a story to the narrator of when he first heard this song. Tariq Mia’s story speaks of when he was roaming the hillside, he heard voices coming from a cave beneath a waterfall. An ascetic, known as the Naga Baba, and a child, known as Uma, were singing the song of the Narmada. He confronted the two, frightening the child then proceeding to sit with the ascetic until the child returned. The final story is about how the ascetic and the child came into contact with one another.[10] Following the conversation with Tariq Mia and the story he brings, the Narrator is confronted with the unexpected arrival of archaeologist, Professor Shankar. As Professor Shankar’s arrival begins a change in the average lifestyle of the narrator, who asks Mr. Chagla to send for a minstrel for him. Not expecting a minstrel to arrive, a beautiful young lady minstrel arrives and serenades him with a familiar song about the Narmada, a song that reminds the narrator of why he worships the Narmada so much. Professor Shankar then makes a surprise appearance greeting the Minstrel by the name Uma who responds by calling him the Naga Baba. Caught off guard by this, the narrator is aghast with Professor Shankar who has no resemblance to what a Naga Baba or ascetic looks like. The Professor tells him of how a man has to live many lives before that man has fulfilled it’s life and leaves it at that, leaving the narrator with his thoughts that lead him right back to the everflowing Narmada River, a symbol of change and time for the narrator’s Hindu religion. Every person in the stories has taken on new lives, but are still the same people with their same experiences mirroring the ways of the Narmada (Mehta).[10]
Main Characters
The Narrator: The Narrator (no name given) tells the story of A River Sutra. The people he meets throughout the story narrate the sub-stories that occur throughout the book. He runs an inn located by the Narmada River with his assistant, Mr. Chagla.
Mr. Chagla (Hindu): Mr. Chagla (no first name given) is the Narrator’s assistant at the Narmada rest house. He gives information about the local culture to the Narrator and he serves as the connection with the nearby town for the rest house by riding his bicycle there. He also introduces the Courtesan to the Narrator.
Tariq Mia (Muslim): A pious Islamic scholar and Imam in a mosque who is a strong believer in Sufism. He helps the Narrator along his quest for realisation by explaining the role of passions and their place in the heart. He tells the Narrator several stories, including the Musicians story and the Tale of Naga Baba.
Ashok: Ashok, a Jain monk, gave up his billionaire life style. The Jains follows Mahavira teachings. He begs as a part of his religion. He has cut off all ties with his family and has traveled to the Narmada to proclaim his faith.
Master Mohan- Master Mohan is the main character of the Chapter Four: The Teacher’s Story. He works to make money for his family as a music teacher. He is kind person and is known for performing random acts of kindness that help others. When Master Mohan sees Imrat singing, he is amazed. When Imrat’s sister and caretaker says she cannot afford to look after him at the moment, she asks Master Mohan to help, and he agrees. He gives Imrat music lessons and lets him live in his house and feeds him.
Master Mohan’s wife: Master Mohan’s wife is unkind. She blames Master Mohan for her poor lifestyle, and has raised their kids to despise their father. She tries to control Master Mohan and is very selfish. Master Mohan’s wife does not want her husband to help Imrat, and eventually leads to his death.
Imrat- Imrat appears in Chapter Four: The Teacher’s Story. He is a young boy who is blind and poor He is looked after by his sister. Imrat has an amazing singing voice and he takes lessons from Master Mohan. While practicing in the park, people take notice of his talent. He soon gets a record deal and it seems that he will find his way out of poverty, until a rich sahib decides he wants to hear Imrat sing, and when he hears him, he becomes jealous and slits the boy’s throat.
Nitin Bose: A young executive who works in a tea company in Calcutta. He works on a tea plantation, and one night while he slept a young women by the name of Rima arrives. Nitin falls in love with her, until he realizes she is the wife of a coolie, which he does not like. Rima puts him under a spell and Nitin then has to go to the Narmada River and make a mud image of the goddess under a tree.
Rima: She is the goddess of love who performs magic of the serpent goddess mansa. Wife of a coolie, which Nitin Bose is disgusted about. Rima puts Nitin under a spell.
The Courtesan The courtesan comes from an ancient state in India, called Shahbag. In this beautiful and affluent area, she was once a member of the Nawab’s house of courtesan’s, a group of very rich and highly educated and highly praised women. After Shahbag was hit with a wave of industrialization, her respected position crumbled, leading to many problems for her and her daughter. She is deeply troubled by the fact that her daughter was kidnapped from her and strives to retrieve her.
The Courtesan’s Daughter Raised during the industrialization of Shahbag, the courtesan’s daughter was the pride of her mother and the rest of remaining haveli. She grew up beautiful and graceful, exceeding all expectations. Knowing the dangers of the outside world, her mother kept her well hidden and almost mysterious to protect her.
Rahul Singh A wanted murderous thief who is feared by everyone including the police. He and his gang are stationed deep in a jungle, venturing out regularly to gather provisions.
The Musician The musician is considered by his family to be a genius in music. He has only accepted two students in his entire lifetime, his daughter and another boy. He plays the veena, a stringed instrument used in Hindu music. He cares for his family, but is distant and focused on his music. The musician bases his music on the five ragas, or the five pillars of music, born from the god Shiva.
The Daughter The daughter of the musician remains nameless throughout the story. She is considered ugly and unpleasing to the eye. At the age of six, her father begins teaching her the sitar and the veena. The daughter is self-conscious of her ugliness and longs for someone to look past her ugliness and love her. She must cure herself in the waters of the Narmada because her attachment to a boy who rejected her in marriage has not passed.
The Other Student: The Other Student (no name given) appears in The Musician’s Story. In exchange for the musical teachings of ugly daughter’s father, the Other Student agrees to marry the ugly daughter. After his lessons are over, he does not go through with the deal, and marries a different girl.
Professor Shankar- The most knowledgeable on the Narmada River. He is skeptical about the mythology behind the river and the holy purpose that Naga Baba portrays. He does not believe in the gods and goddesses, only in other mens’ stories.
Uma: Uma is the child that Naga Baba saves from a brothel. After she was rescued, Naga Baba names her Uma, which means “peace in the night.”
Story summary
Narrator’s story
Chapter one is an introduction into the narrator’s life. The narrator is now a modified version of a vanaprasthi, or one who has retired to the forest to reflect.[11] He lives along Narmada River and helps run a government-owned rest house.[12] He came into this job after his wife had passed away, although his friends advised that he continue on a career path to a higher office than what he had held previously.[11] He discusses the river’s holiness and its legends as he describes the house that is situated on a hill of the Vindhya Range.[13] He goes on to describe the rest house in great detail and introduces his clerk, Mr. Chagla.[11] Mr. Chagla travels great distances every day to work at the rest house as he does not live there.[11] The narrator describes how he usually starts his day,on his terrace, overlooking the peaceful river.[11] He gives instructions to his staff and goes for a morning walk; he describes the sights and the people he passes.[11] He soon encounters a Jain monk and they strike a conversation.[14] The Jain monk begins to tell of his renunciation.[15]
The Monk’s Story
After meeting the Jain monk, the narrator inquires about the monk’s choice to renounce from the world.[16] Chapter two is told from the monk’s point of view is about the renunciation ceremony produced by his father, and the choice he made to become a monk. The chapter begins with the symbolic and important statement from the monk, “I have loved just one thing in my life”. [10] This sets up a theme present in the rest of the book; exploring the human heart and its capacity to love.[10] The monk goes on to explain to the narrator his transition from a wealthy, successful lifestyle to one that is no longer full of material possessions.[10] The monk describes the extravagant ceremony put on by his father celebrating the life he was leaving and his renunciation, though his family did not support his decision as they could not understand why someone would give up the world.[10] The reader learns about the life that the monk chose to leave and gains insight to his inner thought process throughout the ceremony.[10]
The Teacher’s Story
The Teacher’s Story is a story about a music teacher, Master Mohan, and is yet another story that brings the narrator closer to understanding the secrets and capacity of the heart.[10] Master Mohan lives a life of broken dreams and disappointment.[10] His wife provides no love or support but rather degrades him and his passion for music. His children don’t show any love towards him either. However, after attending a performance of the Quawwali singers, he comes across a young, blind boy, named Imrat. He has the gift of an angelic voice.[10] It is through this boy that Master Mohan finds a haven- an outlet for compassion and care.[10] Master Mohan agrees to look after the boy while his sister is away working.[10] He takes Imrat to sing around town and his voice quickly becomes well known , and soon the boy sparks the interest of a man wanting to give Irmat a record deal.[10] The boy has the opportunity to make lots of money, but Master Mohan does not seek the fortune or fame the boy can bring, however his greedy wife does.[10] She takes the boy to a sahib, or a wealthy man who offered 5 thousand rupees for Imrat to sing privately to him in his home. Master Mohan previously had refused to take Imrat to him due to the fact that he did not want to strain Imrat’s vocal chords and he also did not trust the man.[10] When his wife takes Imrat to the man, his singing greatly impresses the man.[10] But while Imrat is singing the man proceeds to slit Imrat’s throat out of jealousy and Imrat dies.[10] The Sahib believes that if not everyone can have this gift of an angelic voice, than no one should be able to have it.[10] Master Mohan is devastated and believes it is his fault Imrat died, so he commits suicide by throwing himself in front of a train on his way home one day.[10]
The Executive’s story
The chapter begins with Nitin Bose working as an executive for Calcutta’s oldest tea company. He and some of his co-workers who live in Calcutta were talking about the people who work on the tea estate.[10] They talk about how the lifestyle of the people who live on the tea estate is too carefree and senseless bad because they drink alcohol, have affairs with women, and gamble.[10] Nitin begins to want that lifestyle though. He then takes a job on the tea estate. Nitin brings with him a large trunk full of books that his grandfather had given him. In his time at the estate he spends most of his free time reading. He is then offered to be a director of the tea company by a board member, he turns this position down. The board member then tells Nitin in essence that his life is pathetic, this angers Nitin. He finds himself full of anger after this comment, he tries to find tranquility in his work and books, but it does not work. Nitin lives the lifestyle that his coworkers had described earlier. He then starts a relationship with a woman named Rima who tells about legends and myths and sings tribal songs to him only at night. Nitin is then commanded by his boss in a telegram to return to Calcutta to study innovations. Rima is saddened by this and told that she needs to go back to her husband who is a coolie. When he returns to the city Nitin enjoys it after he forgets about Rima, Nitin is once again invited to become a director which this time he accept. He then has to return to the tea garden to help organize business for his successor. Nitin no longer desired Rima, but he felt bad about her poverty so he gives money to the head bearer to give to Rima. Rima did not try to see Nitin Bose even though he knew she was there because he could hear the tribal songs that she had used to sing. Then, at night, when he was staying in his room he went outside looking for Rima only to be taken to his bed by a guard since Nitin was walking in the jungle during an eclipse. The guard told Nitin that a man can go fatally ill or mad during an eclips.[22] The guard said that a priest tried to talk to him, but he seemed like a madman.[22] The priest then later explains to Nitin that he is possessed and that his memory had been affected.[22] Nitin refused to believe the priest and then later sent for a doctor every day.[22] He then began drinking whiskey and became even more mad, until he finally decided to see the priest again.[22] The chapter ends with the priest telling Nitin Bose that the only way he can be cured is by going to the Narmada River.[22]
The Courtesan’s Story
In the Courtesan’s story, an old woman comes to stay at the Narrator’s house during the monsoon season. At first the narrator is reluctant to have her stay during this time, but she explains that she is on her way to a specific part of the Narmada River where she believes she will find her daughter who was kidnapped. The woman tells the story of her daughter’s life, how once her daughter was born she had decided to protect her daughter from the dangers of the outside world instead of subjecting her to the courtesan business that her family had long been involved in. Once the daughter grew older and her mature beauty emerged, she made appearances at parties and festivities to sing and dance for the wealthy. One day during one of her appearances, a man by the name of Rahul Singh, who had a notorious and dangerous reputation as a thief and convict, discovered the daughter and kidnapped her. The daughter has been gone for many years, but the mother believes that her life will resume as it once was as soon as she is reunited with her daughter on the Narmada River. Shortly after hearing this, the Narrator comes across the daughter, who happens to be in the jungle surrounding his house. [10] She tells the Narrator of how Rahul had forced her to stay with him for many years, traveling across the lands while he pillaged the nearby villages, and how Rahul had become completely obsessed with her.[26] She explains how she slowly started to develop feelings for him as well and eventually fell in love with him. Rahul later dies and the daughter becomes overwhelmed with grief, and this is when she comes to the Narmada where she is reunited with her mother. At the end of the chapter the daughter disappears into the Narmada River and her mother feels that her goal was accomplished, leaving the Narrator perplexed.[10] This chapter connects with the theme of love present in this book and shows how love can change upon a person’s experiences. The mother’s maternal love and affection for her daughter is shown through her protection of her daughter from the world while she was growing up. Even though the mother wants to be reconnected with her daughter because she loves her, her love shifts and she realizes that if she loves her daughter, she has to let her go. The daughter, who has never experienced the dangers of the outside world, also experiences a shift in love upon her experiences. She is initially resentful and hateful towards her captor, Rahul Singh, but towards the end, she falls in love with him. This chapter shows that one’s perspective can change and that their love changes with it. It also shows the limitations of love and how just because you love someone doesn’t mean you can always protect them.[24]
The Musician’s Story The Musician’s Story is told by the ugly woman that the narrator had met on the street in the previous chapter. She explains that she is the daughter of a musical genius who had never taught a single person what he knew. She tells of how one day, her father decides that he will teach her how to play beautiful music, starting with the veena and then moving on to the more advanced sitar, that would allow her to comprehend the world around her. Her father tells her that to teach her the raga, the Indian musical scale, she would have to marry the gods of music and the marriage would be sealed by the god Shiva.[10] She agrees to do so. She is making progress in her studies when she discovers a stranger pleading to her father, asking to be his student as well. The father agrees to teach the stranger so long as he agrees to marry his daughter. The stranger is instantly shocked by the girl’s ugly complexion but agrees to the musician’s terms regardless. While studying and playing together, the stranger and the girl form a bond. The beauty they create through their symphonious playing is unparalleled. The lack of beauty present in the girl’s physical appearance seems to be compensated for through her musical talent. After proving their ability to play in the way their teacher wants them to, the teacher releases the stranger from their former agreement. The girl thinks they will still become married, but the stranger ends up marrying another woman and they never see each other again. The ugly daughter then tells the Narrator that she has come to the Narmada River to get over the betrayal of the stranger and regain her ability to create beautiful music.[25]
This story ties in with the constant theme of suffering throughout the book. The woman has to transcend her discontent with her own image and apply her struggle and emotion to her music. She knows that she has to overcome this discontent to be completely devoted to music and she was almost able to until she was faced with another let down in her life that reminded her of her own image. When the other student of her father left her with the hopes of becoming married, she found out that the boy had married someone else. This event diminished all the progress she had made, so she journeys to the Narmada river to redeem that progress. Like all of the other characters introduced in this book, she looks for a cure from the river, something that will allow her to move past her struggles and face what she is meant to do. This story shows how the Narmada river is believed to provide spiritual awakening/reformation to those who meditate on its banks.[24]
The Minstrel’s Story
In the story of The Naga Baba, the narrator talks with Tariq Mia after his encounter with the musician’s daughter. Tariq Mia begins singing a song about the Narmada. The narrator asks where he learned the song and Tariq Mia talks about his early days of a being a priest.[10]
While meditating in the banks of the Narmada, Tariq Mia hears two voices harmonizing. He follows the sound until it brings him to a waterfall. He rushes through the water to find a naked ascetic (the Naga Baba) and a small child singing. The Naga Baba begins to tell of the night he found the young girl. He had been fasting for nine nights to commemorate the God Shiva, and on the ninth Night of Shiva, the Naga Baba breaks his fast and sets out to find the unclean and undesirable so that he may bless them. Finally, he goes to a brothel where he sees a very young girl being abused by an older man. He instructs the brothel owner to give him the child, though the brothel owner is hesitant, telling of how the girl was only a ‘nuisance’ for which she paid too much for. The Naga Baba does not care and leaves with her. They travel a very far distance to make sure that she is safe from the brothel, as the young girl told of how she was sold into the brothel by her father at a young age.[27] They end their journey after crossing the Narmada River, where the Naga Baba performs a ritual to release the child completely to the Narmada, saying she will forever be a child of the river. He then gave the child a new name: Uma, meaning, “Peace in the Night”.[10]
This story relates to finding beauty and love throughout the book. While the young girl lived a terrible life in the brothel, her owner showed no love or compassion for her, though she had done nothing wrong. Her owner saw no value in her except to please the clients. Then, when the Naga Baba meets the girl for the first time, he sees past all of the terrible things she has encountered, and instead views her as the young, innocent girl she really is. He immediately shows love by insisting on taking her away from the brothel. At first the girl is hesitant about trusting the Naga Baba as he takes her on the journey to the Narmada, but sees how trustworthy and caring he really is when he blesses her as a child of the Narmada.[10]
The Song of the Narmada
The Song of the Narmada opens with Tariq Mia telling the narrator that he continued to see Uma and the Naga Baba until the Naga Baba left to achieve higher enlightenment. The Narrator offers to find Uma again but Tariq Mia denies him saying, “Such people are like water flowing water through our lives… We learn something from the encounter, then they are gone” (Mehta, 259).[10]
The Narrator then returns to his bungalow to find a large group of archaeologists moving in equipment, led by a Professor V. V. Shankar, who is conducting a nearby dig on the banks of the Narmada River. The Narrator learns that the Professor is a very prominent archaeologist who dropped off the map, but then returned three years prior. The bungalow is taken over by the project, and the Narrator and the Professor discuss the Narmada River and their differing views on its holiness. The Narrator requests that if any of the professor’s team were to see river minstrels that they send them to the bungalow, as the Narrator has always hoped to hear one perform. A week later, a young minstrel is sent by one of the team members, but does not say what her name is. She proceeds to perform the actual Song of the Narmada. The sun sets while she is playing, and the Narrator, seeing her face cast in shadows, realizes she seems ageless.[28]
As she finishes her song, Professor Shankar, the archeologist, appears. The minstrel’s face immediately brightens as soon as she sees him and she goes to kiss his feet. Unknowingly, the Narrator goes forward to give the minstrel money for her performance, but the Professor interrupts him by asking the minstrel, “Are you well, Uma?” [10]. The Narrator is immediately shocked, as he realizes that Professor Shankar is actually the Naga Baba and the Minstrel is Uma, from Tariq Mia’s story. The Narrator questions the Professor, as he cannot believe that this man, an archaeologist, was once ever an Ascetic seeking enlightenment. The Narrator knows that Nagas must renunciate the world to focus on their rituals, and therefore doesn’t understand how the Naga Baba could have re-entered the previous world again. Professor Shankar answers by explaining that, “I have no great truths to share...Don’t you know the soul must travel through eighty-four thousand births in order to become a man? Only then can I reenter the world.” (Mehta, 281). As the Narrator is trying to understand the situation and the meaning of his words, the Professor and Uma walk down the path and leave. Finally, the book ends with the Narrator intently wondering, for the first time, what he would do if he ever left the bungalow, and entered back into the world.[24]
This final chapter is significant because it shows how the Narrator has learned from each of the experiences of people he met on the Narmada River. The encounters with all of these people (the vignettes of the book), all include themes of love, beauty, loss, and longing. The Narrator, who ironically is never even given a name, has never quite experienced any of the things in these stories. The Narrator tells Tariq Mia, “I suppose all this emotion alarms me...Broken engagements, unrequited love, that poor musician. It all strikes me as somehow undignified.” (Mehta, 228). Tariq Mia responds by saying how sorry he was for the Narrator, for he lives a life listening to the misfortunes of others without having experienced any of the emotions himself. It is in this the story ends with the Narrator wondering what his life would be like if he did experience these things, connecting the entire purpose of the book.[10]
Themes
The Teacher’s Story
This story focuses on a music teacher and his student.The teacher loses his ability to sing and falls in love with the young boy’s voice and wants to nurture his talent. Throughout the story the teacher coaches the boy and helps him to sing better.There are two major themes present in this story; greed and love. In the book the teacher loves his student like a son, despite the fact that the teacher’s family refuses to accept the young boy. You see the connection of love though their interactions and through the narration of how the teacher feels towards music. The teacher continues to help the young boy out of love despite the cruel treatment from his family. Greed is also a major theme because when the teacher brings the student to sing for the Sahib and he hears the student’s voice he wants it for his own. The Sahib decides that no one’s voice should be that beautiful, and kills the student by slitting his throat. Throughout the whole story there are many references to the themes of love and greed, and it is apparent that they play significant roles in the book.
The Courtesan’s Story
This chapter focuses on a mother’s story. When the mother was younger she was a courtesan that worked for Nawab, who was the ruler of a small Indian state called Shahbag. He kept many courtesans, however there was one who had a beautiful singing voice. A man called Rahul Singh kidnaps her, and becomes obsessed with her. The mother was a courtesan and her beautiful talented daughter was the one who was kidnapped. As the daughter becomes accustomed to lifes as a hostage, she falls in love with Rahul Singh. The main themes present in this story are family love and loss. Family love is a theme infer a strong connection between the mother and the daughter. Throughout the story there is a very apparent connection between the two, and you can see how close they are. Loss also plays a large role. The mother feels the loss of her child, and has to deal with the devastation of losing the person she loves most in the world. The daughter has to deal with the strong emotions of losing her mother when she is kidnapped but also the pain of losing her kidnapper, whom she fell in love with.
Overall Theme of the Narmada River
The theme of the Narmada River is important throughout all of the stories composed in A River Sutra.The river is promised to bring love and good fortune to everything that touches and surrounds it. Every story in the book is either placed in a setting close to the river, or involves the actual river itself. Ironically, the majority of these stories are sad. Overall, the book is focused on the river as a great religious symbol, and many people look to it for guidance and believe that it can solve their problems. The river plays a huge role in every story, and people go to the river to find enlightenment and to give purpose to their lives. In one of the stories, the Minstrel teaches a young girl he rescued from a brothel the ways of the river and helps her overcome the issues of her past. The girl who falls in love with her captor commits suicide after he dies by jumping in the river and drowning. She is seen as a dripping wet ghost for the rest of the story to symbolize the impact the river had on her life. After hearing about her daughter's death, the girl’s mother goes to the river to find closure. Lastly, the tea executive goes mad with desire over the woman he does not know named Rima who comes to him each night. When he becomes possessed and goes mad, the priest tells him to go to the shrine that overlooks the Narmada, for that is the place where he can be cured. Overall, the Narmada River is a huge overarching theme, which is apparent in every story in the book.
The Human Heart
Throughout the book a River Sutra there is a recurring theme of the human heart. In almost chapter there is some sort of character relating to the human heart and how each character is trying achieve their personal desires. Every character goes on this journey to find clarity and enlightenment in their life. They are trying to find out what life means to them and why they are living on Earth.They are all searching to searching for a way to do what their hearts are telling them to do. Unfortunately no character really finds this, although some come very close. One character is a musician who raises a blind boy to become a very passionate singer. The musician becomes very close to this boy and treats him as his own son. Later on in the story, the blind boy is murdered and the musicians’ heart is crushed, for the boy he loved as a son is dead. Another example is the Jain Monk. In the first chapter he stated, “I have loved one thing in my life” and this is the human heart. He gives up everything he has to become a monk and begins his journey by leading a completely different life than he did before. Another example where this theme comes into play is the girl who learns to play music from her father. Later in the story, she is betrayed by a man she falls in love with. This crushes her, even though she came close to doing what she was meant for.
The Musician’s Story
In the musician’s story there is one major theme. This theme is the influence of music. There are various examples of this throughout the story. First off the character in this story is a young girl who is rather ugly. The girl’s father is a musical genius and wants to free his daughter of her appearance by introducing her to the world of music. Through this, she will learn to appreciate true love and beauty. As she is learning about her new musical life a young boy comes to her house to ask her father if he would teach him everything he knows about music. The father agrees to this under one condition, the young boy will have to marry his daughter if he teaches him about music. The boy agrees soon the the two learn all about music and play wonderfully together. After the boy learns all about music from the father, the father frees the boy and he marries another girl. The daughter is devastated and promises that she will never play music again. Music affected the daughter dramatically. It not only gave her a lifestyle, it also made her realize true beauty and feel better about herself. Also the only reason the boy wanted to marry the girl was because he wanted to learn about music by the father. Music influenced the father, the daughter, and the boy in many different ways.
The Monk’s Story
In the monks story there is a recurring theme of sacrifice. From the very beginning you learn that the narrator is giving up everything in order to become a monk. He is giving up his family, lifestyle, and basically everything a normal human being does. He is basically giving up his life and starting a new one. In this story his father throws him a huge party in attempt to try and show his son everything he is giving up. He knows that if his son goes into the lifestyle of a monk, he is giving up being a son to him and saying goodbye to his family. As well as narrator is giving up so much so is his father. His father is sacrificing his relationship with his son since he is becoming a monk. Even after his father attempts the narrator decides that he must go on with his wanting to become a monk and leaves everything he has learnt and everything he knows behind him.
The Minstrel’s story
In this chapter, the healing power of the Narmada River is clear. It cleanses the girl of her past and sets her on a new life as a daughter of the river. The girl is taken from a brothel by the minstrel and he teaches her the ways of the river as she grows up. This helps to cleanse the girl of her questionable past and helps her grow into a well-rounded human being. Compassion is also evident in this story. The minstrel rescues the girl from the brothel and gives her a new life. He understands the hardships she has endured and wants to give her something that will give her life meaning. This is the love and understanding of the river. This connection between various religious or spiritual beings and the river clarifies the significance of the river in any spiritual journey.
The Executive’s story
Nitin explains that he came from a wealthy family and got his position through connections. He talks about how Calcutta was being crushed in poverty caused by the partition of India fifty years ago, the war in Bangladesh twenty years ago and natural disasters, which drove people to the cities. He and his colleagues were separated from this by their wealth and lives of luxury.He, his colleagues, and other wealthy boys from the tea estates, spent their time drinking, having affairs with women whose names they never learned, and betting on anything that they could bet on. Eventually he was offered a choice of going to an executive training course or managing a tea estate; he chose to go to the tea estate because of the experiences he had had with the tea estate boys and the partying life they led. His friends thought he was crazy to make this choice because the tea estate was so rural and he was accustomed to the social life of the big city. His tea estate did so well for two years in a row that the Chairman sent a member of the board, Nitin's friend Ashok, to ask Nitin to return to Calcutta for a promotion to director of a company. Ashok does not believe that Nitin has given up alcohol and women and thinks there must be something wrong with Nitin since he does not want to return to Calcutta. Ashok returns to Calcutta without Nitin but his comments regarding Nitin's lack of sexual activity for two years had disturbed Nitin's tranquility and made it difficult for him to return to his peaceful life. He discovered that he was lonely and the books no longer helped him escape, so he began to drink.One night a woman unexpectedly comes to his bed; he does not turn her away. It was so surreal that if he had not seen her bite marks on his skin in the morning, he would not have believed she existed. She returns every night but only after he is asleep and he wonders why he cannot stay awake to wait for her; eventually he decides that he cannot stay awake because he has been enchanted. She tells him her name is Rima but he does not look for her during the day because he is afraid to break the enchantment. They continue as lovers for over a year and this relationship brings Nitin's sense of peace back to him. This peace is broken by the Chairman's command that he return to Calcutta. He tells Rima of this order to return and she is broken-hearted. She tells him that she will return to her husband. Nitin is deeply upset over the revelation that she is married. This breaks the spell he had been under and Rima becomes ugly to him. He goes to Calcutta as ordered and quickly falls back into his old life of drinking, partying with his colleagues, and sleeping with many women. He accepts the directorship offered by the Chairman but has to returns to the tea estate to organize things for his successor. Rima does not come to him but she sings to him from the garden; he ignores it for several nights before he feels too guilty to continue ignoring her and goes into the garden to find her. She runs into the jungle and he follows her until she stops and performs some strange action with two halves of a coconut. He falls and is not able to get up. She runs off, saying that he will never leave her now.The head bearer finishes writing the story in Nitin's diary by explaining that Nitin should not have run into the jungle during an eclipse because it makes men crazy. They take Nitin to a priest who says that Nitin has been possessed. Nitin does not believe the priest and sends for a doctor. Nitin then goes crazy. This shows the theme of desire because of Nitins sexual relationship with Rima. Nitin first desires drinking and partying but when Rima comes into his life he does not want the partying anymore and only desires Rima. When he loses Rima he goes right back to his old ways. This chapter clearly shows how desire is a large theme in this book.
Style of Writing
The book, A River Sutra, uses individual stories to portray one underlying story. The vignettes flow from encounter with different people according to sequence of events. The main story is about an unnamed narrator who runs an inn along the banks of the Narmada River. The narrator encounters people along the river. Most of whom come to river for enlightenment. Each story shares common themes of love, friendship, and desire. Also each story plays a part of the narrator’s self-enlightenment. The first story tells of a monk who “only loved one thing in life.”[10] This lesson compels the narrator to discover that the monk loved only one thing; the capacity in which a human heart is able to love. The last story ties together of the idea of rebirth, when the girl, is cleansed from the hardships of her former life and reincarnated. This story marks the last part of the narrator’s journey of enlightenment. The stories are interconnected because of the common themes they share and each story builds on the other, pushing the narrator’s thoughts.
How does the author use vignettes to tell a story?
Gita Mehta, the author of A River Sutra, has written a few other books. Unlike the others, A River Sutra explores different cultures in India. These different cultures are shown through the short stories, or vignettes. Within these short stories, Mehta talks about “Hindu and Jain ascetics, courtesans and minstrels, diamond merchants and tea executives, Muslim clerics and music teachers, tribal folk beliefs and the anthropologists who study them.”[29] The author uses “sutras” to tie the stories together. A sutra is a thread or a string. “The term ‘sutra’ also refers to an Indian literary form, therefore the novel presents individual stories that each demonstrate a ‘sutra’, or message. Every time the narrator tries to tease out the meaning of one story he encounters another pilgrim or lost soul with another story to tell.”[29] The two things we see within all of these vignettes is the Narmada River, which is the holiest river in India, and the theme of love. Gita Mehta uses parallels in the different characters stories as sutras. Some of these parallels are longing, religion and love. The author uses these similarities to tie the stories together to make a story that is both compelling and intriguing
How does the author use the narrator to tell the story?
The author, Gita Mehta, uses the narrator to incorporate a series of vignettes in order to tell a story. The narrator, a former bureaucrat, chose to leave his government job to live in a remote rest house situated above the Narmada River. The book takes place over a short period of time, describing the experiences of the eccentric people he encounters. Through the narrator’s travels, readers learn from a firsthand perspective the many cultures of India. The author uses the narrator to connect the Narmada River as a sutra to each story. The narrator is consistently present in each chapter, introducing new characters to the reader. Each vignette builds on the last, allowing the readers to grasp a better understanding of the book as a whole.
Reception
Gita Mehta’s A River Sutra has been noted by prestigious newspapers. The Washington Post claims the book “evokes the Indian landscape so sharply that we can practically smell the night-blooming jasmine...the sense that things are richer and more meaningful than they seem, that life is both clear and mysterious, that the beauty and the horror of this world is irreducible and inexplicable.” [30] The Miami Herald highly compliments Mehta’s writing, “Mehta writes magnificently...[A River Sutra is] full of heart-stopping moments and surprises, a mesmerizing novel by a writer of prodigious gifts.”[31] GoodReads book reviews gave The River Sutra by Gita Mehta a 3.84 out of five stars rating. (based on 885 individual ratings) The majority of four star voters called the book suspenseful and inspiring.That the many stories grouped together to tell the story of the protagonist really ties the book together nicely. Adding a new spin to short story telling, a non linear approach [32]. Barnes and Noble gave the novel four out of five stars, commenting on it saying that it was “a sequence of intriguing, tragic stories”.[33] It was spoken highly of by Publishers Weekly. They said, “This deft and delightful novel depicts the life and culture on the banks the Indian river Narmada.”[34] Another great review the book received was from amazon.com the book received a four out of five stars. Also the Vanity Fair reading tour said "Conveys a world that is spiritual, foreign, and entirely accessible." Good reads.com said it was “filled with imaginative lushness while being entirely accessible”.[35] A River Sutra also received consistent positive feedback from most readers, ranking and average four out of five stars on Good Reads.[32]
Although A River Sutra has received many positive reviews, there are negative reviews as well. Word Press says “The language is lush and sometimes a little too descriptive, and the book is sometimes a little too obvious in linking the stories back to the river and its religious significance.” There is too much mysticism and sacred wisdom in Indian books that is said to be irritating.[34]
Gita Mehta took a different direction with her writing in A River Sutra. In her other books, Karma Cola and Raj, Mehta mainly focused on the interactions between India and the West. In A River Sutra, Gita Mehta focuses on India. Critics have positively responded to the book. They praise the simplicity of the storytelling style and the complex themes the book presents. Critics also note that Gita Mehta has shown Western readers a world they have not perceived or appreciated. The novel is said to have a different style of writing. Gita Mehta uses a technique different from the typical linear structure of a story. Many book critics have enjoyed this style and praises Gita Mehta. Los Angeles Times says that the structure is deliberately Indian and an interesting read. The newspaper claims, “Instead of the taut, linear narrative of a Western Novel, A River Sutra (literally a thread) moves like a spinning wheel.” This structure is said to have helped readers understand the ideas of Indian philosophy. Likewise, Vish Mangalapalli enjoyed A River Sutra and describes the book as a refreshing read. Mangalapalli writes “Mehta has a very effortless and engaging narrative style and never gets didactic when it comes to explaining intricate concepts of the thoughts in Indian philosophy.” Mangalapalli also praises Gita Mehta for managing a very interesting portrait of India and how the novel captures its uniqueness. [36][37]
Overall, A River Sutra received many praises and some criticism. Gita Mehta uses a unique style of writing that captures most readers and helps tie all of the vignette s together said by numerous sources. This style of writing also helps the reader with intricate Indian philosophy and main ideas or concepts. However, some are opposed to the style of writing and the choices Gita Mehta used when writing her novel.
References
[edit]1. “Gita Mehta Biography-Criticism.” University of Minnesota. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/mehta_gita.php>.
2. “A River Sutra.” Good Reads. Good Reads, n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129136.A_River_Sutra>.
3. “A River Sutra.” Internet Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://archive.org/details/riversutra00meht>.
4. “A River Sutra Themes.” Book Rags. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-riversutra/themes.html>.
5. "A River Sutra - Gita Mehta." Skool.ie. Intel Corporation, 2008. Web. 9 Jan.
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11. ^Mehta, Gita. A River Sutra. New York: Vintage International, 1993. Print.
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31. Miami Herald [Miami, Florida] 1993. Print.
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37. Mangalapalli, Vish. "A River Sutra - Gita Mehta - A Book Review." Word Press.
Works Referenced
Mehta, Gita. A River Sutra. New York: Vintage, 1993. Print.
External Links
“Gita Mehta Biography-Criticism.” University of Minnesota. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/mehta_gita.php>.
“A River Sutra.” Good Reads. Good Reads, n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129136.A_River_Sutra>.
“A River Sutra.” Internet Archive. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://archive.org/details/riversutra00meht>.
“A River Sutra Themes.” Book Rags. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-riversutra/themes.html>.
“A River Sutra - Gita Mehta.” Skool Interactive Learning. Intel, n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/examcentre_sc.asp?id=2608>.
"A River Sutra - Gita Mehta." Skool.ie. Intel Corporation, 2008. Web. 9 Jan.
2013. <http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/examcentre_sc.asp?id=2608>.
"An interview with Gita Mehta." Random House. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013.
<http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/0697/mehta/interview.html>.
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<http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/fastfacts.htm>.
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<http://people.virginia.edu/~pm9k/59/tales/sl.html>.
"Jainism." Jainism Symbols. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://nh1101.blogspot.com>.
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