ely and totally devoted, but we see that this is not necessarily true when put in the proper context.The battle between Vasu and Nataraj, which makes up the storyline of the book, is structured like a myth. Even before we meet Vasu, we feel his impact by the silence that he causes amongst the regulars of Nataraj's printing shop . His first act is to violate the sanctity of Nataraj's back room, a symbol for the inner sanctum of the temple. Vasu's body is characterized by his bull-neck and hammer-fist, characteristics which make him seem more like a beast than a man, and his "black halo" which immediately tells us that he is an evil figure.In Vasu's account of his life, he describes how he crippled his mentor, showing an utter lack of gratitude for the man who taught him and provided for him. In very little time, Vasu has shown disdain for almost everything that Nataraj holds dear: the caste system; the path of non-violence; respect for one's elders; the sanctity of the family and of chastity; and the sanctity of life itself. He even shows that he is not above killing something that is part of Nataraj's family when he kills Nataraj's cat. The only thing left for him to insult is Nataraj's devotion to the gods. Vasu does so when he kills a tiger, a symbol of Shiva, and a Garuda (eagle), said to be the messenger of Vishnu.When Vasu plans to kill the temple elephant, it amounts to a direct attempt on the life of a god. Kumar is a sacred being associated with the temple, and represents the God Ganesha. Vasu is no longer just a killer of animals who disturbs the existence of Nataraj, but a true Rakshasa (demon) who threatens to destroy Nataraj's way of life. As many demons have before, Vasu threatens to destroy an entire world, in this case the world of Nataraj. Nataraj later reflects that "The man-eater had destroyed my name, my friendships, and my world," . Vasu forces Nataraj to take action against him, which he does (as have ma...
