The Pilgrim Kamanita · Chapter
XVI: Ready for Action explained
Kamanita, having spotted Angulimala in disguise near his home, prepares for an attack.
What happens
Kamanita, having spotted Angulimala in disguise near his home, prepares for an attack. He seeks help from the Minister of State, who dismisses his fears, claiming Angulimala is dead. Undeterred, Kamanita arms his household, enlists mercenaries, and sends his wives and children to safety, despite their hysterical protests.
Themes in this chapter
Illusion and Reality
The Minister dismisses Kamanita's sighting of Angulimala as a delusion, contrasting Kamanita's perceived reality with official disbelief.
Renunciation and Worldliness
Kamanita's worldly concerns for his property and family drive his actions, while the Minister's moralizing reflects a detached, renunciant perspective.
Characters to notice
- Kamanita
Takes decisive action to defend his home from Angulimala, organizing defenses and sending his family away.
- Angulimala
Sighted by Kamanita in disguise near his home, believed to be planning an attack that night.
- Vasitthi
Implied among Kamanita's wives; she and the other wife argue hysterically when ordered to leave.
- Satagira
Mentioned by the Minister as having reported Angulimala's death.
Key passages
“Half-swooning, I sat down upon a bench. My brain, however, began to work again at once. Angulimala had been there, of that there could be no doubt; and the reason for his coming was only too clear to me.”
Kamanita, though stunned, quickly realizes Angulimala's presence and his murderous intent.
Highlights Kamanita's immediate recognition of danger and his mental recovery.
“The Minister heard me in silence, and with an unfathomable smile on his fate. Then he said— 'My good Kamanita; I do not know whether thou hast already indulged in an early and very heavy draught, or art still suffering from the effects of one of thy famous nightly banquets...'”
The Minister dismisses Kamanita's report with sarcasm, attributing it to drunkenness or nightmares.
Shows the Minister's skepticism and condescension toward Kamanita.
“I explained to them that, if I abandoned my post, our house would become a prey to flames and plundering hands, and my son would lose the chief part of his inheritance, while, on the other hand, there was still a possibility of rescuing it, if we held out bravely...”
Kamanita tells his wives he must stay to protect their home and son's inheritance, hoping to repel the attack.
Reveals Kamanita's pragmatic and protective motives.