Patna appears in Devdas’s final journey as a place of possible medical help that he refuses. As the train nears the city, he regains consciousness after a fever-induced coma, fears he will not see his mother, and turns down Dharmadas’s suggestion that they get off and consult a doctor.

Setting and Journey

The train is passing Varanasi when Devdas becomes comatose with fever. He comes to as it approaches Patna, making the city a brief point of return to consciousness during a journey marked by worsening illness. His first concern is that he may be too late to see his mother.

The Proposed Stop

Seeing Devdas’s condition, Dharmadas urges him to get off at Patna and see a doctor. The proposal offers a chance to interrupt the journey for treatment, but Devdas rejects it and says they should simply go home. Patna thus marks a choice to continue despite his fever, rather than a place where he receives care.

Narrative Significance

Patna’s importance lies in this short exchange: Devdas awakens, recognizes the urgency of seeing his mother, yet refuses the immediate intervention available to him. The decision anticipates the journey’s final leg, in which illness and the desire to reach home govern his actions.