The historical Gautama Buddha is said to have found enlightenment on the bank of the Lilajan River in India, and the importance of the river in Hesse’s Siddhartha parallels this. The river is a powerful symbol in the book and is almost a character in itself, with a whole chapter named for it. The river is personified, given active abilities and senses: “The river looked at him with a thousand eyes—green, white, crystal, sky-blue” (79). It is able to speak and express emotions in response to humans: “The river laughed.”(102). The river is in tune with Siddhartha and his state of mind. Siddhartha returns to the river at various times during his quest, drawn back to it by his happy memory of his first time there. The river becomes part of his path, and in the second part of the book it accompanies him continuously, as he recognizes its importance in his life: “May my present path, my new life, start from there!”(79).

Siddhartha returns to the river when he seeks solace and peace, It restores him and accompanies him in his awakenings, so it represents shelter and calm. The river’s most powerful role is as a teacher and, along with Vasudeva’s guidance, Siddhartha is able to learn a great deal from it, eventually reaching a complete understanding of the world.