Govinda Character Analysis in Siddhartha

is Siddhartha’s childhood friend, who grows up admiring Siddhartha’s high calling and wants to follow him on his journey, which he believes will lead to sainthood. Govinda’s own path seems to always follow in the footsteps of others. When he leaves Siddhartha’s shadow, it is to start following Gautama instead. He always wears an expression of seeking, and even when he is an old man, he seeks knowledge from Siddhartha the ferryman.

Govinda Quotes in Siddhartha

The Siddhartha quotes below are all either spoken by Govinda or refer to Govinda. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The Path to Spiritual Enlightenment Theme Icon

“I do not desire to walk on water,” said Siddhartha. “Let old samanas content themselves with such tricks.”

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 23

Explanation and Analysis:

“He is like Govinda,” he thought, smiling. “All the people I meet on my path are like Govinda. All are thankful, although they themselves have the right to be thanked. All are subservient, all want to be friends, like to obey, think little. People are children.”

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 46-47

Explanation and Analysis:

“I have found a thought, Govinda, that you will again take as a joke or as folly, but it is my best thought. This is it: The opposite of every truth is just as true!”

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 124

Explanation and Analysis:

He no longer saw his friend Siddhartha’s face; instead he saw other faces, many, a long row, a streaming river of faces, hundreds, thousands, which all came and faded and yet seemed all to be there at once, which kept changing and being renewed, and yet which all were Siddhartha.

Related Characters: ,

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 130

Explanation and Analysis:

Govinda Character Timeline in Siddhartha

The timeline below shows where the character Govinda appears in Siddhartha. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction Theme Icon

...riverside home, the son of a Brahmin, and lives a spiritual life with his friend Govinda, performing holy offerings and conversing with the sages, the wise men, learning their philosophies. Siddhartha... (full context)

But Siddhartha’s most loyal love comes from Govinda, who admires all of his qualities and his high calling in life. Govinda knows that... (full context)

Siddhartha meditates with Govinda and recites a verse about the soul being an arrow and the ‘om’ a bow.... (full context)

Govinda, realizing that this is the moment when Siddhartha’s path will separate from his, worriedly asks... (full context)

...bids farewell to his mother and leaves the town. He is pleased when his shadow, Govinda, catches up with him, devoted enough to follow him into his new life as a... (full context)

That evening, Siddhartha and Govinda approach the samanas and are accepted to join them. They give away their clothes and... (full context)

Siddhartha asks Govinda, who has been living this painful samana life along with him, whether he thinks they... (full context)

...They don’t seem to be getting any closer to their goal. Siddhartha, slightly mockingly, tells Govinda that he has decided to leave the samana path, because he doesn’t trust that learning... (full context)

Govinda doesn’t understand how Siddhartha could say such things. It terrifies him to doubt everything he... (full context)

After three years leading the samana life, a rumor reaches Siddhartha and Govinda of a Sublime teacher, called Gautama, the Buddha, who had also wandered through the land... (full context)

...But the rumors are colored equally with doubt. Siddhartha distrusts the idea of teaching, but Govinda wishes more than anything to hear the Sublime One speak. Siddhartha expresses his surprise at... (full context)

Siddhartha tells the eldest samana that he and Govinda plan to leave and the samana is furious. Govinda is embarrassed to have upset their... (full context)

...and his disciples are worshipped. He is given a grove called Jetavana. When Siddhartha and Govinda arrive in the town, they ask their host where to find the Buddha and she... (full context)

Excited, Govinda wants to hear more but Siddhartha pushes them on to the grove, which they soon... (full context)

...to beg. This is where Siddhartha first sees the Buddha and points him out to Govinda. He looks much the same as the other monks but they both know instinctively that... (full context)

Siddhartha and Govinda plan not to eat anything that day. They observe the Buddha taking a tiny morsel... (full context)

After the teaching, like many others, Govinda asks to be accepted into the Buddha’s fellowship. He is accepted and goes to Siddhartha... (full context)

That night, Govinda continues to question Siddhartha about the fault he sees in the teaching. Siddhartha reassures him... (full context)

As he leaves the Buddha and Govinda, Siddhartha feels that he is leaving his old life. He muses deeply in this feeling,... (full context)

...along the way in a ferryman’s hut by the river and has a dream about Govinda. In the dream, Govinda is in the ascetic’s yellow robe and is sad that Siddhartha... (full context)

...love from Kamala, and her friendship warms him. She seems more akin to him than Govinda. Siddhartha one day tries to explain this kinship to Kamala. He tells her that she... (full context)

...he made was with Kamala. He reflected on the feeling he’d had after he left Govinda with the monks, of delight at realizing his own voice, and it seemed like a... (full context)

...die within him. He sits contemplating in the grove, and considers how he has left Govinda and Gautama in order to own things like this grove and sees that it was... (full context)

...At first, he thinks the man is a stranger but then he recognizes him as Govinda. Govinda has aged, like Siddhartha has, but still wears the expression of devotion that he... (full context)

Siddhartha thanks Govinda and, as they part, calls him by his name. Siddhartha explains how he knows him... (full context)

Siddhartha reminds Govinda that the world is ephemeral. Outward identities are passed through as one passes the stages... (full context)

One day, Govinda is resting in the pleasure grove with the other monks and hears the rumor of... (full context)

Govinda asks Siddhartha for a word of advice. Siddhartha doesn’t know what he can say to... (full context)

In the morning, Govinda wishes to know one last thing before he goes, whether Siddhartha has any teaching, any... (full context)

Siddhartha comes to his best thought. He tells Govinda that “the opposite of every truth is just as true.” Only one-sided truths can be... (full context)

...a flower. He does not love words. He suggests that it is words that keep Govinda from finding peace, that Nirvana is only the word Nivarna, nothing else. Govinda claims it... (full context)

Siddhartha tells Govinda that he has come to see love as the most important thing now. Govinda reminds... (full context)

Govinda thanks Siddhartha for his thoughts. He doesn’t understand but wishes him well. To himself, Govinda... (full context)

Govinda wishes for one word that he can understand, to take with him when they part... (full context)

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Govinda Character Analysis

Govinda Quotes in Siddhartha

Govinda Character Timeline in Siddhartha

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