Synopsis of Hermann Hesse’s World Famous Novel “Siddhartha”.

By Narayan Giri

On July 2, 1877, Hermann Hesse was born into a staunchly religious family in the Black Forest of calw, Germany. Harman’s mother was the daughter of a Christian missionary and father John Hesse was himself a staunch religious missionary. Harmann was a scholar of many languages, while in India he prepared a grammar and dictionary of Malayalam. Despite this, his grandfather, mother and father considered only their religion as paramount. He did not have a good attitude towards other religions. He was a staunch follower of Lutheranism. Therefore, he wanted the child Harmann to become a pastor and missionary. But Harmann wanted to be a writer, so he ran away from the seminary (religious monastery). The harsh discipline of home and seminary took its toll on him as a child. All his writings are autobiographical. In every novel he has mentioned his experiences.

He studied a lot. He read many books in different languages from his grandfather’s library. In 1946 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Nobel Committee declared, “His powerful writing exemplifies traditional human ideals and a constant development in courage and insight, as well as the qualities of a high style.” His style is always admirable, precise in rebellion and enthusiastic in quiet philosophical reflection.

His famous novel ‘Siddhartha’ was published in 1922. This novel has inspired and influenced many generations – readers, writers and thinkers. Set in an Indian backdrop, the novel’s protagonist, Siddhartha, son of a Brahmin, renounces comforts and engages in spiritual pursuits. He abandons the religious practices of his lineage, meets Gautama Buddha but does not take refuge in him. Indulges in the world, does business, gambles, begets sons. But he doesn’t live anywhere. The names used in this novel are very interesting. There is a boatman who takes Siddhartha to the other side, his name is Vasudeva. He tells Siddharth to listen to the river and learn from it. Vasudeva is also a name of Krishna. Siddhartha is the name of Gautama Buddha himself. His childhood friend’s name is Govinda, which is Krishna’s name. Here the religion of the East, the antiquity of the ages, the individualism of the West are mixed. Siddharth is searching for the real meaning of life. Knowledge is gained from the river. The river teaches him that the flow is continuous, moving, and also eternal.

Hermann Hesse, who won the Nobel Prize, wrote the novel ‘Siddharth’ a hundred years ago. Its impact is deep and many. This is why it influenced an entire generation at the same time. It is still able to show the way today. Hermann Hesse wrote many stories (‘Stories of Five Decades’ ‘The Fairy Tales of Hermann Hesse’) and novels (‘Damien’, ‘Siddharth’, ‘Stephenwolf’, ‘Narcissus and Goldmund’, ‘The Glass Bead Game’) Or wrote ‘Magister Ludi’.’Narcissus and Goldmund’ is his most famous novel and a very beautiful movie has also been made of it.

The essence of the novel

Siddhartha was the son of a Brahmin. He was a bright and sharp minded boy. He was very fond of nature, so he stayed out of the house most of the time. He enjoyed going to the forest, mountains and associating with saints. It sounded good. Like Siddhartha, Govinda was also the son of a Brahmin and he had a deep friendship with Siddhartha. Both practiced meditation and yoga together. Siddhartha was completely devoted to his exercitation and meditation. His father, who loved him very much, was proud of his promising son and always dreamed of his golden future. Siddhartha had a strong desire to acquire knowledge, he wanted to learn more about it. Seeing his perseverance, his father began to see him as a great saint and priest. In fact, that brilliant Brahmin son was different and unique from the common man.

Siddharth was liked and loved by all. Like his father, his mother was also proud of Siddhartha. Siddhartha, beloved by his siblings, was the star of everyone’s eyes. His friend Govinda was very fond of him. Everyone who knew Siddhartha believed that one day he would become a great saint.Everyone loved Siddharth, wanted him so much, but despite that, Siddharth was not happy. He respected everyone’s feelings, tried to keep everyone happy and he was so lucky that people loved him so much, he was also well aware that people kept their eyes on him.  In the company of saints he used to listen to the words of knowledge but despite all this Siddhartha felt an incompleteness in his life, he felt that his soul was thirsty for birth after birth.

After that Siddhartha gradually became distant from everyone. Innumerable questions used to arise in his mind, his inquisitive mind was always entangled in the circle of questions. He knew about knowledge but there was no peace in his heart. After that Siddhartha gradually became distant from everyone. Innumerable questions used to arise in his mind, his inquisitive mind was always entangled in the circle of questions. He knew about knowledge but there was no peace in his heart.

His mind kept asking him, “Is the offering to God worthwhile? What is the soul and where does it live? If the soul is not flesh and bones, what is its true form? ” The more he thinks, the more confused he becomes. His questions puzzled him so much that he lost all his peace during the day and sleep at night. Then one day Siddhartha told his friend Govinda that they should both sit under a tree and meditate. His eyes were closed and he was deep in meditation. He was as still and calm as a statue. Siddhartha’s mind began to see images of those ascetics, who renounce worldliness and take sanyas. He thought that only those who endure severe hardships and do severe austerities attain moksha. Will become an ascetic. Siddhartha went to his father’s room and told him that he wanted to take sanyasa and lead an ascetic life. He believed that his father would not deny this but his father did not answer him for a long time. Siddharth’s words broke his heart, he was very happy with him. He believed that Siddharth would follow the path he told him and make his name shine but He was talking about becoming a monk. He was thinking of something else for his son’s future. He left Siddhartha alone in the room and went to sleep but the Brahmin did not sleep all night. He saw Siddhartha still standing in his room. He didn’t budge an inch from his place. The Brahmin got up five or six times during the night to look at him but Siddhartha didn’t move. The whole night passed like this. Finally when morning came, Siddhartha’s father knelt before his insistence. .He with a very heavy heart ordered his son to take sanyasa.

After meeting his mother for the last time, Siddhartha left the house forever. As he was leaving the house, when Govinda also came to accompany him, a smile appeared on his face. Soon Siddhartha and Govinda found a group of ascetics and they both started walking with them. Living in the company of ascetics, they also got used to living austere lives. They learned to live on minimal means. They wore little clothes and often went hungry. For Siddhartha, the meaning of life had changed.

When he saw people going to work, his heart was filled with bitterness. He thought, ‘What is the joy in living an ordinary life? Aren’t these people pretending to be happy? Many questions still arose in his mind, which he was eager to answer. Siddhartha learned to live like an ascetic. Govinda was still with him like a shadow. During this period Siddhartha subjected himself to many physical hardships, such as he learned to endure pain, hunger and thirst and he also realized that suffering is an important part of our life, so we should never be afraid of suffering. Now he could sit in meditation for hours without being disturbed. He wanted to control his five senses through meditation. Because it was the only way for him to move forward. He wanted to give up his ego and gain knowledge. When Siddhartha and Govinda went to beg for alms, both discussed many things. Siddhartha told Govinda that even by sitting in the company of sannyas, he did not attain true knowledge. Siddhartha stayed with the ascetics for a few more days but could not see the possibility of salvation.

His frustration grew day by day, although his friend Govinda did not feel the same way. He told Siddhartha all the teachings and knowledge they had learned so far. Siddharth shook his head sadly. But what he had learned was not enough. He believed that there was still much to learn. They stayed with the ascetics for about three years.

Then one day the news of Buddha’s arrival spread in the city. Gautama Buddha, also known as the Buddha, rose above all the pleasures and sorrows of the world. He gained knowledge through his experiences and traveled from place to place with his disciples to share this knowledge with the world.The Buddha’s face had an amazing peace, it was so strong that every person who came to him would be blessed. Govinda was anxious to see the Buddha but had no desire to meet Siddhartha. The discourse of knowledge and philosophy had become boring. What is the use of listening to the empty words of knowledge when his mind cannot find peace even after leaving home. But seeing his friend’s enthusiasm, he also decided to go with Govinda. Both of them decided to leave the company of Sannyas and now go to Gautama Buddha’s shelter.

The whole city was celebrating the arrival of Gautama Buddha. Many people were eager to catch a glimpse and see him, and there were many who wanted to learn from him. Govinda and Siddhartha asked people for directions and reached Jetavan. They found that Gautama Buddha was sitting with his disciples in the garden of Jetavan. Like them, thousands of people came to see Gautama Buddha. Apart from this, the devotees of Gautama Buddha, saints and travelers also participated in the crowd.

Gautama Buddha, like his disciples, was dressed in ocher, but despite that, Siddhartha recognized him. His face had a wonderful glow. His expression was very calm. Seeing him was a feeling of completeness and purity. As the Buddha began to preach, the people were mesmerized and listened to him in silence as if the Buddha had cast some spell on them by reciting the mantras. The Buddha explained to them the definition of suffering and also explained how one can attain salvation by being freed from worldly bonds through one’s knowledge. He also taught his devotees the four main principles of Buddhism and the Ashtanga path. The crowd of people present in the garden were receiving the Buddha’s teachings very calmly. They learned a lot from Buddha’s teachings. As Gautama Buddha finished his sermon, Govinda looked at Siddhartha. He announced that he would follow the path shown by Gautama Buddha to attain salvation, but Siddhartha did not want to accept that path. Govinda tried hard to persuade him, he asked his friend to consider his decision, did not the teachings of the Buddha inspire him?

Siddhartha said that he liked Buddha’s teachings but was not influenced by them, so he went to various pilgrimage sites and did penance to attain salvation. And, after many years together, the two friends finally parted ways. Siddhartha was confident in his tune. He wanted to attain salvation through his own experience instead of following the path shown by others. Yes, it is true that Siddhartha learned a lot from the teachings of Gautama Buddha, but he did not have much faith in the teachings. He wanted to move forward on the path of liberation on his own. After the departure of Gautama Buddha and Govinda, Siddhartha thought for a long time. He was wondering what to do next. He was still depressed.

Even the teachings of the Buddha could not remove the turmoil in his mind. After all, what did he want from life? What was he looking for? Siddhartha remained engrossed in his thoughts for a long time and when he was ready to leave, suddenly he got an answer to his questions. He was looking for himself. While trying to gain knowledge from others, he himself got lost somewhere. For so many years he was trying to learn from others while he could learn more from himself, he was his own teacher and his own disciple. And at that moment Siddhartha attained that or true knowledge, in search of which he had been wandering for many years. Siddhartha was now looking at the world from a new perspective. He was lost in his thoughts again. Day after day passed like this. He would carefully observe everything around him and be amazed. He was amazed at how great and vast nature is.

Siddharth considered himself lucky to be going through all these experiences. Now he was living in a hut with a boatman on the bank of a river in the middle of the forest. One day he said to the boatman, “Brother, will you take me across the river?” But I have nothing to give you. Then the boatman said, “I will take you across the river, you need not worry. Look at this river, its water flows continuously, everything comes back and I am sure you too will come back one day like the river.Now Siddhartha walked and walked and reached a city. There he met a beautiful girl named Kamala. Siddhartha was mesmerized by her beauty. Kamala was a symbol of beauty and grandeur. Siddharth had never loved anyone. He knew nothing about love, so he requested Kamala to tell him everything about love. Impressed by the courage and honesty of young Siddhartha, Kamala accepts his words.

However, Siddhartha’s life was no longer that of an ascetic. Now he began to live in the house of Kamaswami, a rich merchant and enjoy all the comforts of life. Gradually Siddharth also earned a lot of money. Now he started wearing expensive clothes and jewelry. He managed Kamaswami’s business and used to meet Kamala. He gave many expensive gifts to Kamala. Kamala had taught him to love. This process continued for many years. Siddhartha was living a luxurious life. He was no longer worried about anything. But one night suddenly he remembered everything, who he was and for what purpose he had left home. He started remembering his past life. Immersed in expensive clothes, jewelry and luxury, he had stopped thinking about himself. He felt as if he was slowly moving towards death. When he thought, when will he get rid of his hunger for salvation? Tired of worldly life, he sat under a mango tree and started thinking about his life. His hair was turning white, he realized. He had just wasted the precious time of his life. As he sat he remembered Govinda, remembered Gautama Buddha and then a smile came on his face.

In the middle of the night, Siddhartha left his home, the city and started a new journey. After his departure Kamala tried hard to find him, but she also knew that Siddhartha was born to attain salvation, so he could never remain attached to worldly pleasures. With a very heavy heart, Kamala closed the door of his house to other people. After Siddharth left, she did not want to meet anyone.

Siddhartha again returned to the same forest, where he had found the boatman. He was still as young and beautiful as ever. But Siddhartha was old. He was very ashamed of himself for wasting so much precious time of his life in indulgences. Drowned in the ocean of despair. He looked down at the clear water of the river feeling extremely depressed and sad. The desire to drown in the water and die began to rise in his mind. What is the benefit of living like this? He hated his life. He was just about to put his feet forward to jump into the water, then a voice came from within him, which stopped him from killing himself. It was his inner voice, which said only one word but that was enough for Siddhartha. A new passion came in him again. The cloud of sadness and worry in his mind disappeared.

His mind was now as clear as water. One word came out from inside him “ॐ”. This was the word he chanted while meditating in his home. ॐ means ‘that which is perfect’. Siddhartha’s soul cursed him. What a fool he was, who was about to commit suicide. Thinking this he fell into a deep sleep and when his eyes opened, there was a new world in front of him, his thinking was now changed, so he was seeing the world changing too.

Siddhartha was constantly chanting Om. The pronunciation of OM was giving peace to his mind. Standing on the bank of the river, today he is reciting self-reflection after many years. He was old but his mind was as innocent and clear as a child. He lost himself somewhere. After so many years of meditation, all that he had learned sitting with the ascetics was forgotten. Siddhartha no longer had any desire left in his heart, nor was he a slave to his senses. He was no longer afraid of greed-infatuation-love. He had suffered much, suffered much, wandered everywhere but was no more. Now his sorrow was over. Om was chanted on his lips and his heart was pure. Siddharth’s lips now had an innocent and cute smile like a child’s.

Everything was going against him. Siddharth was rapidly falling downwards but instead of crying he was laughing at his condition. He looked at the river, the river was also flowing down. After going down from the mountains to the plains, the river divided into many other rivers and brought water to the people living in the city. But the river was not depressed as it flowed down, but flowed with a carefree movement. Siddhartha smiled seeing the river. He felt a well of happiness welling up inside him. Had he fallen in love with Kamala and earned money with Kamaswami, he would probably never have experienced this joy.

If he had not experienced sorrow, he would not have been able to experience happiness. The river was now his true friend, on whose banks he could meditate. Even the knowledge of great scholars could not satisfy him. His mind could not find peace even in the company of ascetics. For so many years he had been searching for himself and he himself was unaware of this fact. He never understood that the door to salvation opens from within himself.

It had been more than twenty years. One day Siddhartha met the boatman again. The ferryman, whose name was Vasudeva, barely recognized him. Siddhartha narrated his incident to him. Both of them hugged like old estranged friends. Then Siddhartha also told Vasudeva about the incident where he was about to commit suicide on the bank of the river. Vasudev shook his head thinking something. He had already understood the story of Siddhartha’s life. The river speaks only to him whose life is precious to him and the river chose Siddhartha. Thus once again Siddhartha lived in his hut with the boatman. During this time he also learned to sail.

When Siddhartha was free from work, he used to sit on the banks of the river to listen to its sound. He used to talk to the river with open heart and listen to her with equal attention. Siddhartha learned from the river that life is the name of continuous progress. Like a river, the current of life moves forward and the past never comes back. River is everywhere. The river meets the sea and the sea turns into clouds and rain again on the mountains. Today the river is flowing. It doesn’t care about yesterday or tomorrow. It only knows today. Siddhartha took this lesson of the river into his life. His life was like a river. He remembered his childhood, then the old Siddhartha after becoming an ascetic in his youth, he was not a different Siddhartha as they thought, different forms of the same person and all these people had become different desires. For him, yesterday or tomorrow doesn’t matter, only today matters.

After being away from Kamala for many years, Siddharth meets her again. Seeing Kamala’s condition, his heart was filled with sorrow. Kamala was dying before her eyes, but before she died she wanted to see Gautama Buddha one last time and listen to his teachings. Buddha was living the last days of his life. Kamala, a great devotee of Buddha, took her and Siddhartha’s son to visit Buddha. Her eleven-year-old son, whom she named after Siddhartha himself, grew up in luxury and pampering from childhood. Servants always stood by him to look after and serve him, he could not understand why his mother would take him on such a difficult journey. During the journey, Kamala was bitten by a snake near the river. The poison started spreading rapidly in his body.

Vasudeva, the boatman, heard Kamala’s anguished screams, then he came running and picked up Kamala and carried her to his hut, and then Siddhartha and Kamala met each other for the last time. In a painful voice Kamala told her that she and Siddharth also had a son. It was a very emotional moment for both of them. And Kamala went away from him forever. Little Siddhartha started living with his father. But Siddhartha did not love his son. He tried his best to be a good father but failed. For him, domestic troubles were no less than a prison. But in the end even his son could not live with him. A few years later, when he grew up, he moved to the city and the two never met again. Siddhartha had experienced only misery in his life so far. His chest was heaving with pain, but he could still hear the sound of the river.

Then one day suddenly he realized what he wanted from life. Siddhartha understood the goal of his life and his soul became restless to achieve this goal. His goal was to unite his soul with God. He knew that our soul is a part of this universe. When the whole world was his own, then what is the sorrow? Vasudeva and Siddhartha became best friends after living together for many years. Both participated in each other’s joys and sorrows. Siddhartha would share all his experiences with him and Vasudeva would smile and listen silently, that was enough for Siddhartha. He could not have found a better friend than Vasudeva to share his experiences with. Both used to listen to the sound of the river together. The river used to talk to them.

Even Siddhartha’s face could be seen in the clear water of the river. The images of Siddhartha’s near and dear ones, whom he loved, all appeared in the water of the river, but disappeared as soon as they appeared. Their faces were like melting in the flowing water of the river. Even the sound of the river seemed to have changed. There was sweetness and happiness in his voice. The image of the river and the noise of the water merged into one and finally a clear “ॐ” sound was heard. Siddhartha had achieved his life’s goal, he finally attained salvation. He let everything flow through him like a river. The river flows in every situation, the name of moving forward is life. A river never stops because it is a part of unity. No sorrow, no trouble can block his way. Continuous flow is its identity.

After Siddhartha left the city, Kamala donated her garden to Gautama Buddha and his disciples. It was at this time that Govinda decided to go to the forest. He had heard of a wise boatman living in the forest. Govinda had a great desire to listen to his sermons. Finally Govinda and Siddhartha meet each other after many years. Happiness was visible from the old and wrinkled faces of both of them. Govinda requested his beloved friend to preach wisdom. Siddhartha said, ‘Wandering in search of knowledge is a very difficult task. To achieve that, one becomes so self-centered that one does not see other things that can lead one to one’s destination. Govinda did not understand anything. He still had many questions in his mind. So he asked Siddhartha how he attained enlightenment. But Siddharth refused to tell him. This was what he finally learned after all these years. Anyone can be taught but man gains knowledge from his own experience and the knowledge of others is never useful to others. Siddhartha learned to live the life of an ascetic while living in the world. He experienced all these in his life. Which made him enlightened and he realized that salvation should be sought within and not outside.