Watchman of the Lake Summary

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Introduction

R.K. Narayan is a well-known Indian writer who has written a series of books creating characters and situations that revolve around a fictitious town Malgudi. He is one of the three most prominent writers of early Indian literature in English. He showcased Indian Literature in English to the rest of the world. R.K. Narayan is regarded as one of India’s greatest English novelists. “Watchman of the Lake” is a dramatized version of his story, “The Watchman”.

Synopsis

“Watchman of the  Lake” is a beautiful dramatic adaptation of R.K. Narayan’s story which narrates the legend about a great rustic Mara’s sacrifice made for the conservation of a lake for the sake of the lives that depended on it for their survival. This play also highlights the invaluable gift of folk wisdom to humanity.

Theme

Scene 1

The play is set in a village near BabaBudan Hills in Karnataka. Mara, the protagonist and an innocent rustic presents himself before the village headman and his workmen who are mending the road for the King’s arrival. Mara wants to tell the King about the tank. The headman calls him a fool and orders his man Bhima to carry him to the cellar.

Scene 2

The King arrives. Mara jumps down from a tree. He tells the King that he wishes to share with him some important message regarding a dream he had. He informs the King that the place where he now stood was a sacred spot. There once Hanuman descended on this place looking for Sanjeevini when Lakshmana was wounded in the battlefield at Lanka. He found it on the crest of the mountain. Then he flew back to Lanka with it. On smelling it Lakshmana returned to his life. On the mountain where Sanjeevini grew, a stream arose, came down the mountain and now flows down as river Veda.

Speaking about his dream Mara says that the Goddess appeared in his dream as he lay in his hut. She stood before him, her tresses flying in the wind; there were stars in the coronet; a ruby, and her garment was of gold woven with lightning. He fell at her feet. She said that the river Veda was her plaything. She wished to keep her pet sheltered in the cool glades of the mountain during summer thus leaving the people and soil dry. She told Mara that it was her command that he should tell his King to build a tank and not let Veda leave the village.

Scene 3

A tank is built and Mara is on a strict watch. He catches hold of a man with the fishing rod and a basket with some fish. He warns him of serious consequences if he is found again. He says that the place is sacred and belongs to the Goddess. It is her command that no creature around there should be killed. Towards the end of the scene Mara notices thick clouds at the mountain top followed by heavy rain.

Scene 4

Mara is at the King’s palace at night. He is frantic. He tells the King that the lake is about to burst owing to the torrential rain. He narrates to the King what he had seen at the lake. The Goddess appeared before him, her tresses were wild, her eyes gleamed with a strange light; she carried a sword in her hand, she said that she would now destroy the tank and Veda was her plaything. Mara tried to request her not to do that. But the Goddess was persistent. Later, he prostrated before her and begged her to permit him to inform the King about this. She should wait for him until he returned. She granted him the permission. Mara now suggests the King to avoid the catastrophe by making his return impossible by cutting his head off and placing his son as the next watchman of the lake and then his son’s son to be the successor.

Scene 5

Ganga, Mara’s son is seen with his son at the shrine built for his father. He explains to his son the significance of the shrines and the story behind it. He also reminds him that the duties of watching the lake pass on from Ganga to his son and the following generations.

Conclusion

The story has rich elements of folklore. It also gives a strong message to the readers that conserving our precious natural resources is very important for the sustenance of life. Mara, an innocent villager performs his duties honestly. During the course of second time he had the Goddess in his dream, he acts immediately to salvage the tank from bursting its seams. He never hesitates to sacrifice his life in order to protect the lake. R.K. Narayan highlights the ethical values attached to the beliefs and customs of our folk ancestors.

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