Themes and message

Superstition and ignorance

The theme of the short story “The Mark of Vishnu” by Khushwant Singh is superstition and ignorance.

The main character, Gunga Ram, is both superstitious and ignorant. He believes that by leaving a saucer full of milk for the snake to drink, he is protecting the household from snake bites. He ignores information which does not fit with his world view, for instance, the boys telling him that snakes do not drink milk. 

The “mark of Vishnu” mentioned in the title refers to the V-shaped mark smeared by Gunga Ram on his forehead with sandalwood paste every morning “to honour the deity” (p. 1, ll. 26-28). It is an expression of Gunga Ram’s religious beliefs. At the end of the story, it is shown that his beliefs go against his ins...

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