Essay Questions

What is the relationship between Narmada River and Shiva?

The narrator discloses, “Through their endurance the pilgrims hope to generate the heat, the tapas, that links men to the energy of the universe, as the Narmada River is thought to link mankind to the energy of Shiva.” Accordingly, the ‘ Narmada Pilgrimage’ is an endeavor to venerate Shiva who in return pledges the pilgrims’ connection to the universe. The river is a sheer embodiment of Shiva.

How does the Monk’s father expose the underside of Corporate Social Responsibility?

The father intimates that he conscientiously endorses the standard of ‘nonviolence’ in all his commercial endeavors. The monk narrates, “ Growing up I came to realize my father’s dignity rested on his widely acknowledged genius as a merchant and his private adherence to the principle of nonviolence, which led him to distribute much of the company’s profits in charitable trusts…Before I joined the university I spent a year traveling around the world with my father acquiring an understanding of the diamond trade. During that year my attitude toward him changed. I was shocked to see he was unmoved by the conditions under which the diamonds were mined, or the distressing poverty of the miners.” The monk’s bombshell recognition shocks him because it sanctions that his father is concerned about not being ferocious towards insects, but is not conscious of the welfare of the miners who sponsor the worth of his diamond trade. Evidently, the father exploits corporate social responsibility, which is embodied in the charities, to certify the mistreatment of the miners. The monk determines that his father’s insensitive philanthropy is a guise to conceal his negligent performances. The cold-heartedness intrinsic in the diamond trade buoys up the monk’s resolve to renounce the all-inclusive world.