Siddhartha

Siddhartha, a Brahman’s son, tall and handsome. He decides in his youth to seek enlightenment. As a result of this quest, he and his friend Govinda leave their comfortable homes and join a group of wandering ascetics, the Samanas. Later, they go to hear the Buddha. Although Siddhartha admires the man, he feels that the life of this monk is not what he is seeking, so he leaves. In his wanderings, he sees a beautiful courtesan and decides that he must know her. She sends him to a merchant to learn a trade. While she teaches him about love, the merchant teaches him about business. By the time he reaches the age of forty, he realizes that he has not found enlightenment. He wanders into the forest, where he meets a ferryman. He stays with him and finally achieves enlightenment by listening to the songs of the river.

Govinda

Govinda, a monk. A childhood friend of Siddhartha, he insists on accompanying him and joining a group of wandering ascetics. When he hears the Buddha speak, he decides that he must remain with this man, and the friends part. Much later, he encounters a wealthy man sleeping in the woods and stands guard over him until he awakes. It is only then that he discovers that it is his old friend Siddhartha. He is surprised at the changes he finds but makes no judgments. In old age, after the death of the Buddha, he hears of a ferryman who is considered a sage and a holy man, and he goes to see him. Again he finds that it is his old friend, who has since found enlightenment, but he does not understand the words Siddhartha uses to try to explain what has happened to him. It is only when Govinda kisses his forehead that he realizes that Siddhartha sees and partly understands.

Kamala

Kamala, a courtesan. An extraordinarily beautiful woman, she is wealthy and experienced. She teaches Siddhartha the ways of love, but she realizes that neither of them is capable of love as they are. After Siddhartha leaves, she discovers that she is pregnant. She closes her house and no longer receives visitors. Eventually, she turns her house over to the followers of the Buddha, and when she hears that he is dying, she takes her son and sets out to see him. On the journey, she is bitten by a snake while near the river, and Siddhartha and his friend find her. She dies in Siddhartha’s arms.

Vasudeva

Vasudeva, a ferryman. A poor old man, he has found enlightenment listening to the river. He takes Siddhartha in after Siddhartha leaves his wealth. Vasudeva becomes Siddhartha’s friend and adviser. Already an old man, during Siddhartha’s stay he begins to lose his strength and can no longer operate the ferry. After Kamala’s death, he counsels Siddhartha to allow his son to leave and live his own life. It is only after Siddhartha finally takes his advice that he reveals the river’s entire message to his friend. After he is sure that Siddhartha understands, he walks off into the woods to die.

Gotama

Gotama, the Buddha. He is a wise man living an ascetic life whose words and manner of living have a profound effect on those around him. From all over India, people flock to hear him; many remain as his followers. Siddhartha goes to hear him speak in the hope that he will find enlightenment. Although he recognizes the Buddha as a very holy man, he does not find the path he seeks.

In keeping with this novel of ideas, all the major characters in the novel, with the exception of the merchant Kamaswami, are spiritual seekers, each after his own fashion. Most important among them is the protagonist, Siddhartha. Siddhartha is a romantic in the sense that he rejects familial and institutional ties in order to discover truth through his own personal experience. He must make his own mistakes and learn from them, just as his son must do in his turn. Yet Siddhartha possesses a superior soul; his intrinsic purity inevitably reasserts itself, even though he is caught for many years in the false life of sensual pleasure. His personal qualities are less important, however, than the philosophical nature of his quest for enlightenment.

Govinda is always the loyal disciple, never the leader or trailblazer. He accepts a position subordinate to Siddhartha from the outset. Siddhartha is the one who will do great things, and Govinda wants no more than to be his servant and companion. It is Siddhartha’s decision to join the Samanas, and it is also his decision to leave them. It is appropriate that Govinda remains as a disciple of the Buddha; he is happier when he can follow a set of teachings along a prescribed path. By the end of his life, he has won the respect of the younger monks, but he still remains a seeker. Following the conventional path, he has not found peace, a fact which confirms Siddhartha’s earliest suspicions.

Even the courtesan Kamala has spiritual yearnings. She understands Siddhartha better than Govinda does, because, curiously, she is more like Siddhartha: She is unlike other people; like Siddhartha, she has a stillness inside her, a sanctuary to which she can retreat. Then, too, she realizes that he remains a Samana at heart. It is significant that Kamala becomes Siddhartha’s only close friend, and it comes as no surprise that many years later she goes on a pilgrimage to see the Buddha and that she finds peace when she spends the last moments of her life with Siddhartha.

Vasudeva is the teacher who does not teach. Everything about his being radiates serenity and calm, but he has no doctrine, only the wisdom of experience. Uneducated in the conventional sense, and in his own mind lacking eloquence, he inspires confidence through the quality of his silence; he is an excellent listener, and he does not judge. Others seek him out for counsel. The simple ferryman claims that it is the river, Hermann Hesse’s symbol of life itself, which has taught him everything. Vasudeva knows the unity of things and the perfection of the world, and Siddhartha comes to resemble him.

The central figure of the novel is Siddhartha, named after the historical Buddha (563-483 B.C.), whose given name was Siddhartha and whose family name was Gautama. The term "Buddha" originates from Sanskrit, meaning "the enlightened One." It is precisely this enlightenment that Hesse's protagonist seeks, though not entirely following the path of the historical Buddha.

The other key characters include Govinda, Siddhartha's childhood friend, confidant, and spiritual follower; Gautama Buddha himself; Kamala, who embodies sensuality and is the mother of Siddhartha's son; Kamaswami, a prosperous merchant; and Vasudeva, the ferryman with whom Siddhartha eventually resides. The significance of these characters lies not in their mere listing but in what they symbolize: Govinda represents Siddhartha's alter ego; the Buddha symbolizes the Eastern ideal; Siddhartha himself stands for the Western ideal; Kamala signifies the art of sensual love; Kamaswami, whose name means "master of the material world," represents material wealth; and Vasudeva, the saintly incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. These characters embody opposites that together form a Whole: ego/alter ego; East/West; spiritual love/earthly love; spirituality/materiality; god/man.

Buddha Gotama Buddha
Gotama Buddha is believed to have halted the cycle of rebirth. Prior to achieving enlightenment, he lived as an ascetic and later indulged in worldly pleasures. Siddhartha acknowledges Gotama's radiance, yet, despite his admiration, he remains uninterested in becoming his disciple. Siddhartha reminds the Buddha of his own journey to enlightenment, saying, "You have done so by your own seeking, in your own way, through thought, through meditation, through knowledge, through enlightenment. You have learned nothing through teachings, and so I think, O Illustrious One, that nobody finds salvation through teaching. To nobody, O Illustrious One, can you communicate in words and teachings what happened to you in the hour of your enlightenment." This notion forms the core theme of the novel: true self-realization can only be achieved by following one's unique path.

Gotama Buddha is a fictional portrayal of the historical figure Gotama Buddha (circa 563 B.C.-483 B.C.), who was born as Prince Siddhartha Gotama. "Gotama" is the clan name, while "Buddha," meaning "to know," is the title bestowed upon him by his followers.

Govinda
Govinda is Siddhartha's childhood friend and confidant, deeply admiring everything about him—his eyes, voice, walk, and grace. Govinda becomes Siddhartha's constant companion. However, like Siddhartha, Govinda must find his own path. Siddhartha supports Govinda's decision to follow Gotama Buddha, saying, "Often I have thought: will Govinda ever take a step without me, from his own conviction? Now, you are a man and have chosen your own path." The friends reconnect at significant moments in their lives. After Siddhartha attains eternal bliss, Govinda, moved by love and intuition, kisses his forehead. It is through this kiss, not Siddhartha's teachings, that Govinda finally experiences union with the universal, eternal essence.

Illustrious One
See Buddha Gotama Buddha

Kamala
Kamala, a renowned courtesan, is approached by Siddhartha to instruct him in her craft. She comprehends him more deeply than even Govinda does; they are reflections of each other. As Siddhartha remarks, "You are like me; you are different from other people. You are Kamala and no one else, and within you, there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat any time and be yourself, just as I can. Few people have that capacity and yet everyone could have it." When she accuses Siddhartha of still being a Samana because he truly loves no one, he agrees, noting, "I am like you. You cannot love either, otherwise, how could you practice love as an art? Perhaps people like us cannot love." Eventually, Kamala becomes intrigued by Gotama and prophetically sighs, "One day, perhaps soon, I will also become a follower of this Buddha. I will give him my pleasure garden and take refuge in his teachings." When Siddhartha departs, she is not surprised. She releases her caged bird and leaves her former lifestyle. After giving birth to Siddhartha's son, she embraces Gotama's teachings. Years later, upon hearing of the Buddha's impending death, she travels to see him. To appease her restless son, she rests near a river, the same river where Siddhartha has become a ferryman. Kamala is fatally bitten by a snake and finds peace as she dies, looking into Siddhartha's eyes.

Kamaswami
Kamaswami's name, meaning "master of the material world," aptly describes the wealthy merchant who employs Siddhartha. As he ages, Kamala suggests that Siddhartha could become his successor. For twenty years, Siddhartha masters this life but eventually falls into despair. Reflecting on his father, Govinda, and Gotama, he questions if he left them just to become a "kamaswami." Unlike Kamala, Kamaswami cannot fathom why Siddhartha would willingly leave his life of luxury.

Perfect One
See Buddha Gotama Buddha

Sakyamuni
See Buddha Gotama Buddha

Samanas
The Samanas are wandering ascetics who practice self-denial and meditation. They fast for days and sleep naked in forests, rejecting beauty, sensuality, and happiness as mere illusions. Their sole aim is to become void of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure, and sorrow, allowing the Self to die. They believe this will lead to experiencing peace and pure thought, awakening the innermost Being that transcends the Self. Siddhartha is drawn to their practices and, along with Govinda, spends three years traveling with the Samanas.

Siddhartha
Siddhartha is the gifted son of a Brahman, a member of Hinduism's highest caste. Although he is cherished by everyone, he cannot find inner peace and begins his personal quest. Leaving his pious father behind, he joins the Samanas. From them, he learns skills like thinking, waiting, and fasting. However, he eventually concludes that asceticism is merely a way to avoid real experience.

Siddhartha encounters Gotama the Buddha, who has attained a perfect state beyond the cycle of rebirth and the suffering of time. Nonetheless, Siddhartha realizes that no spiritual teaching or doctrine can give him what he seeks. He believes that teachers and scriptures provide only second-hand knowledge, not the direct experience from which true understanding arises. Thus, Siddhartha embarks on a life of pleasure with Kamala, who introduces him to carnal delights, and Kamaswami, who guides him in material pursuits.

Years later, Siddhartha feels empty and isolated. He realizes he has traded his quest for Nirvana for "Sansara," a world of illusion, spiritual death, and ultimate despair. Siddhartha understands that his spiritual malaise stems from his inability to love.

Siddhartha turns to Vasudeva, the quiet ferryman, and learns from the river. His years of bliss are disrupted by a final encounter with Kamala and the discovery of their son, whom she had borne without his knowledge. Siddhartha loves his son deeply and is heartbroken when the boy runs away. Again, Siddhartha listens to the river and hears the unity of voices and the word "Om," symbolizing perfection. From that moment, Siddhartha is in harmony with the flow of life, filled with empathy and compassion, and feels connected to the unity of all things.

Hesse names his protagonist after the Buddha's personal Sanskrit name, Siddhartha, meaning "he who is on the right path" or "he who has achieved his goal." Hesse does not aim to depict the Buddha's life but rather to outline his own hero's transformations. Both Siddharthas, Hesse's character and the religious figure, were exceptional children. Buddha left his wife and son to become an ascetic, just as Siddhartha leaves Kamala and his unborn son to pursue a contemplative life. Both spent time with ascetics studying yoga. Buddha meditated by a river for several years, and Siddhartha's final years are spent serving as a ferryman on a river. Buddha's revelations came to him under a fig tree, while Siddhartha's final realization occurs under a mango tree. Buddha had a visionary experience of all his past lives and the interconnectedness of all things, and Siddhartha's final vision also embraces the simultaneity and oneness of existence.

Siddhartha's Father
Siddhartha's father, a handsome Brahman who teaches and practices meditation and rituals by the river, takes great pride in his son's intelligence and insatiable thirst for knowledge. The author's own father, a clergyman, performed similar ritual ablutions, echoing the practices of Siddhartha’s father in Hesse's novel. Siddhartha's father envisions his son becoming a distinguished scholar—a revered priest and a leader among Brahmans. As a Brahman, he chooses not to control his son with harsh or angry words. However, when Siddhartha asks for permission to follow the ways of the Samana, he is deeply displeased.

Vasudeva
Vasudeva is another name for Krishna, the teacher of Arjuna, the main hero of the Bhagavad Gita, and a human incarnation of Vishnu, a Hindu deity. The name Vasudeva means "he in whom all things abide and who abides in all." Siddhartha first meets Vasudeva, the ferryman, after leaving Gotama and Govinda. When Siddhartha comments on the river's beauty, Vasudeva replies, "I love it above everything. I have often listened to it, gazed at it, and I have always learned something from it. One can learn much from a river." He foretells Siddhartha's return.

More than twenty years later, Siddhartha returns to the river contemplating suicide. The river revives his spirit, and he decides to stay close to it. Recalling the ferryman's love for the river, he asks to become Vasudeva's apprentice. Vasudeva tells him, "You will learn, but not from me. The river has taught me to listen; you will learn it too." Over time, Siddhartha's smile starts to mirror Vasudeva's—radiant, childlike, and full of joy. Travelers mistake them for brothers; sometimes, as they sit together listening to the river, they share the same thoughts.

When Siddhartha becomes troubled by his son's rebellion, Vasudeva advises him to listen to the river and reminds him that he once left his own father to start his journey. After the young boy runs away, Vasudeva takes Siddhartha to the river to hear the "great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word: Om—perfection." Seeing the serenity and wisdom in Siddhartha's eyes, Vasudeva realizes his time has come. "I have waited for this hour, my friend. Now that it has arrived, let me go. I have been Vasudeva, the ferryman, for a long time. Now it is over. Farewell hut, farewell river, farewell Siddhartha." Vasudeva then retreats to the forest, seeking unity with all things.

Young Siddhartha
Growing up wealthy and indulged by his mother, young Siddhartha meets his father for the first time shortly before his mother Kamala's passing. He scorns his father's devoutness and modest way of life, displaying arrogance and disrespect. Unable to embrace his father's unwavering love and patience, he chooses to run away. When Vasudeva advises Siddhartha that his son needs to find his own way, Siddhartha finds peace within himself.