The Father's Love for Siddhartha

Siddhartha's father loves him enough to release him, but the abandonment becomes a quiet wound mirrored by the river.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Joy in the Brilliant Son

Joy in the Brilliant Son Context The father's heart leaps with joy, seeing Siddhartha's thirst for knowledge and his destiny as a prince among Brahmans. Love He teaches him the scriptures and watches him grow in wisdom. Meaning His love is filled with hope and pride.

Anguish of the Night Vigil

Anguish of the Night Vigil Context His father checks the standing Siddhartha hour after hour, his heart filled with anger, unrest, anguish, and sadness. Mercy He finally asks if Siddhartha would rather die than obey and hears the terrible answer: he would die. Meaning The father's love is forced to confront the absolute otherness of his son.

Sorrowful Permission

Sorrowful Permission Context The father tells Siddhartha to go, to become a Samana, and to return to teach him if he finds bliss. Kiss He sends him to his mother but does not embrace him himself. Meaning His love expresses itself as a heartbreaking release.

Memory of the Lonely Father

Memory of the Lonely Father Context Siddhartha thinks of his father, who must have suffered the same pain of abandonment that he now feels. Guilt He realizes his father died without seeing his son again, alone and mourning. Meaning The memory turns Siddhartha's own wound into compassion for his father.

Recognition of the Same Fate

Recognition of the Same Fate Context Siddhartha sees his face in the river and recognizes his father's lonely, mourning expression. Union He accepts the repetition of fate and laughs with the river at the endless comedy of love and loss. Meaning The father's love is finally understood through Siddhartha's own fatherhood.

when Siddhartha is a child

from evening until the last hour of night

at daybreak

in Siddhartha's old age by the river

when the river shows him his father's face