An extraordinary novel of compassion and freedom, longlisted for the 2007 Man Asia Literary Prize. Pichaikuppan, a precocious child, grows up to be master of three Vedas, of ritual and severe penance, and a seeker of inner silence and Truth, like his forefathers. Triumphant in his efforts, and after many symbolic deaths, he becomes one with the ocean of silence. The Silent One, an embodiment of love, beyond power, passion and skill, forms the leitmotif around which the myriad stories in this novel are woven. He is born again and again in the seemingly anonymous people in these tales: Peasants toiling in the dust rebuild their village swept away by floods, and live forever in peace; wood carriers, carrying huge loads on their backs marked with whiplash, gain the succour of Maruthorammai, their tribal mother in her haven in the mountain forests; and a debauched king cries for help and is rescued from quicksand. Each narrative reaffirms the ageless bonds of father and son, mother and family, master and pupil, man and woman, and points to the same cherished yearning for inner quietude, for love and harmony with the world. Enfolding myth and canon, blurring generations, landscapes and places, this cyclical narrative, tinged with humour, becomes a parable for faith in our times.