What is the meaning of life?
The content explores the philosophical reflections on life through the lens of the sacred Ganga River in Varanasi. The meaning of life is explored as it begins with a dawn scene at the Dasaswamedh Ghat, where devotees engage in rituals. The narrative personifies the Ganga, illustrating its journey from youth to maturity while drawing parallels to human life stages. The old man’s contemplation on the river leads to deeper insights about life’s cyclical nature, the concept of the immortal soul (Atma), and the significance of karma. Ultimately, it emphasises that while individual lives may end, life itself continues, suggesting that good deeds and compassion are vital for meaningful existence.
The setting sun tells us about continuity. What seems to be an end is a reason for a new start.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- The article reflects on life through the sacred Ganga River in Varanasi, drawing parallels between the river’s journey and human life stages.
- It emphasizes the cyclical nature of life, the immortal soul (Atma), and the importance of good karma.
- As the river matures, it mirrors human development and the inevitability of death, reinforcing that life continues beyond individual existence.
- The narrative suggests that meaningful living involves compassion and good deeds, contrasting with mere sensual pleasures.
- Ultimately, it portrays life as a journey of growth, learning, and survival, intertwining philosophical thoughts on mortality and the essence of being.
Before daybreak
It was still dark, the time before daybreak. Since early morning the activities had started. People were taking a holy dip in the river Ganga at the “Ghat” and looking at the horizon offering their prayers. Tintinnabulation from temples around was dreanching the whole ambience with religious fervour. It was the famous “Dasaswamedh Ghat” of the pious city Varanasi.
Sunrise
Soon after daybreak, the sun had come up over the horizon. The big heliacal ball looked pretty hanging up in the horizon. Its crimson reflection was simmering in the holy waves of the river Ganga, adding glamour to the surroundings that reverberated with feeble bell sounds from around and mantra recitals of devotees. People, after taking a holy dip in the Gangaji, would go to the holy temple of “Baba Vishwanath” to worship and offer their prayers and oblations.
Holi Ganga
Starting from Gaumukh in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, the river Ganga travels around 2525 kilometres to merge with the sea at Gangasagar in Bengal (India). Starting as a rivulet, Ganga appears as a playful, carefree and squealing baby girl. The stream coming out of the Goumukh glacier, it is known as the Bhagirathi. Merging with various other rivers, it finally becomes the Ganga at Devprayag, where it meets Mandakini. By the time the river becomes a young girl, pretty, eager to learn, full of vigour and enthusiasm. From Haridwar, it enters the plains and starts becoming mature and deep, flowing slowly as if trying to experience the meaning of life and things as they come and making it more serious, laden with experience.
Pensive senectitude
More than a thousand kilometres away from Gangotri, a place of origin of the river Ganga, a lone person is staring at the river, sitting on a stone platform on the “Ganga Ghat” at Varanasi. Despite senescence, the man in his eighties was physically and mentally fit. Deeply submerged in his thoughts he was watching flocks of birds hovering over the river and occasionally diving Gangetic Dolphins. Oblivious of the motley crowd of people and devotees, he pensively watched the river, the sun and the birds, thinking about the meaning of life. He was amused to see the river, which reached the holy city travelling so much of distance, and still going ahead to meet the sea.
Nature personifies
While looking at the river and the morning sun, it appeared to him as if a beautiful woman with a rounded vermillion mark on her forehead was smilingly watching him. The speaking eyes of the woman seem to be trying to say something. It appears that Nature was displaying her motherly figure. The ripples of the rivers were making a sound but it was unheard because of the collective sound produced by the people. The numerous appearing and dying ripples reminded about the numerous fleeting wishes that are born and die in people’s hearts.
Life is like a stream
He was thinking and soliloquising. Life is like a flowing river. It has a span. Like the river Ganga, which is measured in meters, the life of an individual is measured in time. It can be a few hours, as in some insects like butterflies or several years, sometimes a century or even more, like a tortoise. Like the river, it emerged, grew from a baby to a youth, then took a downward trend, became old and ultimately perishes. He saw a boat with pilgrims slowly cross his field of vision. The pilgrims were happily singing devotional songs and clapping. Unconsciously, he kept following the boat till it went outside his field of vision.
Manikarnika Ghat
He got up from the platform and started peregrination. Gradually walking along the “Ghats”, he crossed several of them. Ultimately, he reached a “Ghat” which is considered pious to many believers. It was the famous Manikarnika Ghat – a burning ghat where cremation of a person liberates them from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. He was spellbound to see the several funeral pyres. He became a little more pensive. Different people draped in white shrouds were brought here for their last rites. The people who left the world for a heavenly abode, leaving their bodies behind. Was this the meaning of life? He was soliloquising. The melancholic relatives, friends and relatives expressed their grief to the family members and consoled them. It was like the river meets its final destination, merging with the sea.
Wish for eternity
Life has always been elusive and endearing for every organism. From tiny animals to large ones, from saplings to a tree, everyone has an ardent desire to live. Humans are intellectually at the apex. Their well-developed brain and cognitive power stash them as a most intelligent organisms who can express their desires. Long life has been their prime concern. They even wanted immortality as a general principle. It is why the story of Elixir came into existence. The alchemists of the early times used to perform secretive experiments to evolve a formula for the Elixir of Life or philosopher’s stone. Naturally, it is imperative to reach a culmination. A cycle moves ad nauseam so long as it is supplied with the necessary elementary things, but for life, it is impossible. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Life is linear or cyclical
Whether life is eternal or linear has always been a point of philosophical discourse. For believers, it is cyclical, but for others it is a linear process that doesn’t recur. Viewing life in totality, it is clear that life is an eternal process, though at the individual level it ends when the individual passes away. The death of an individual doesn’t constitute the end of life as a whole. It can be seen in a newborn.
Start of one end for the other
The vagitus of a newborn, especially in humans, brings happiness and joy. It is welcoming of life. At the same time, a dotage might be leaving the world. Therefore, birth and death or for short, life is the start of one and the end for the other. People come and go, but life never ends. Even the concept of annihilation in the Indian thought process doesn’t mean complete wiping of life. A few people remain to grow and proliferate. The story of the Arc of Noha also communicates the same thought process. The meaning of life seems to be much more than people think.
“Atma”: the soul
To give continuity to life, ancient sages visualise “Atma”, the soul. The soul is immortal and indestructible. No weapon can harm it, no fire can burn it. In the Gita, Lord Krishna says that the soul is a consciousness, it is abstract and indestructible. It is transferred from body to body, like discarding old clothes and putting on new ones. It explains the permanency of life, which is transient in an individual’s life.
“Karma”
The concept of “Atma” helps explain many tricky questions, including the suffering and hardship one is facing in their life. Many people lament on hardship and curse their past “Karma”. It is a fitting thing to console oneself and encourage them to do good Karma for a better next life. It also buttresses the idea of the cyclical nature of life.
Survival of the fittest
Life is a journey where the individual learns, grows and matures as they progress and move forward in their life. It is true of an animal’s life as well. A baby learns a lot while growing. In animals, life is not a bed of roses. The cubs, fawns, calves, and chicks all learn by themselves, facing the harshness of life, and sometimes they perish while growing. This is the way Nature teaches. It is the harsh fact of “Survival of the Fittest.” Parents of fallen chicks often do not care for them, and they die of starvation. Life teaches some very harsh lessons.
Human life
It is often said that human life is the sum of the accumulated good deeds in one’s past life. The meaning of life is to live and let live. It goes without saying that the undercurrent is for good deeds. Life is not merely a sensual enjoyment. It is more than that. Senses do play an important role, but becoming a slave of sensual pleasure leads to an unethical and immoral practice and debauchery. Mutual cooperation, sympathy, empathy, and helping the needy are a few things that lead to becoming good human beings. Considering the inescapable transient nature of life, merely sensual pleasure, mendacity, haughtiness and fake disposition are nothing but fruitless. To have a decent life, humbleness, not cowardice and courage, not timidity, are the main ingredients.
Helping humans and saving humanity are the linchpins of a good life and good human beings.
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Kamal Kishore Srivastava
A retired government officer turned writer and photographer, Kamal Kishore Srivastava is a regular blogger and essayist who explores life’s deeper meanings through immersive reflections on nature, impermanence, and happiness. On his blog Nature’s Narrative, he blends philosophical storytelling with practical insights. Writing 1,200–1,500 words or more regularly, Kamal is committed to refining his craft, expanding his audience, and building a sustainable space where thought and feeling intersect.
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