Student Question
How does Muni in "A Horse and Two Goats" describe the end of the world?
Quick answer:
In "A Horse and Two Goats," Muni describes the end of the world as the time when the statue of the horse, representing an avatar of Vishnu, will transform into the living Redeemer. This event marks the end of Kali Yuga, a dark age. The Redeemer will judge humanity, saving the virtuous and trampling the evil. Muni attempts to convey this to an American visitor, but their communication is hindered by a language barrier.
In R. K. Narayan's story “A Horse and Two Goats,” the horse is a statue in the middle of Kritan, a tiny village in India. As a representation of the Redeemer (as an avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu), it is considered the village’s guardian, which protects them and will kill all their enemies. When the American visitor shows interest in the statue, Muni tries to explain its significance to him—a process that is hindered by the language barrier. When the end of the age of Kali Yuga, the dark time, comes, the statue will be revealed as the living Redeemer. Through its combined judgment and ferocity, the now-living horse will know which people are good and worth saving, and it will trample all the undeserving, evil people.
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