Make Me a Sheep, O God by Laxmi Prasad Devkota | Summary

Make Me a Sheep, O God

Laxmi Prasad Devkota

Summary

The poem Make Me a Sheep, O God by Laxmi Prasad Devkota is a satirical piece in which the poet expresses his deep dissatisfaction with human life. He feels tired of the endless struggles, worries, responsibilities, and burdens of being human. The pomp, pride, and false show of society bring him no peace. Instead, he longs for a simple, carefree existence.

The poet criticizes human artificiality and pretensions. People labour hard for wealth, luxury, and status. Everything turns meaningless before death. Artificial food, perfumes, and sophisticated pleasures only corrupt the natural taste of life. Human knowledge too often becomes false pride and a source of suffering rather than wisdom.

In contrast, the poet glorifies the life of a sheep. A sheep lives freely in nature, feeding on green grass without worry or artificiality. It does not struggle with conscience, responsibilities, or destructive desires. Its bleating is pure and natural, unlike the false songs and hollow laughter of human beings. The poet sees innocence and truth in such a simple existence.

The poet wishes to be free from false knowledge, spiritual pride, and destructive imagination. He does not want to be trapped in civilization’s deception. Instead, he seeks a life of natural simplicity, paternal love, and peace. He wants to be a sheep to live simply, freely, and in harmony with nature.

1. Why does the speaker request God to make him a sheep?

The speaker requests God to make him a sheep because he is exhausted by human worries, responsibilities, and the burdens of knowledge. He longs for a simple, carefree life without the pressure of social expectations or ambition. Being a sheep would allow him to live naturally, peacefully, and enjoy life without complications.

2. What are the three kinds of worries that the speaker may fall into?

The three kinds of worries the speaker may fall into are the desire to rise higher, the burden of bearing responsibility, and the troubles of thinking or knowing too much. These worries make life heavy and restless for him. He wishes to escape them by living a simple, carefree life like a sheep.

3. Why are the tears and cries of us useless?

The tears and cries of humans are useless because they cannot change the hardships and struggles of life. Complaining or showing sorrow does not bring real relief or solutions. The speaker believes that only a simple, natural life, like that of a sheep, can bring peace and freedom from suffering.

4. How is the sheep a true hermit?

The sheep is a true hermit because it lives a simple and natural life, free from false knowledge and artificial desires. It eats only green grass and praises God in its own natural way without pride or pretension. Its peaceful and innocent life reflects the qualities of a real hermit.

5. How does the speaker satire to the washing of Brahmin?

The speaker satirizes the washing of Brahmin by calling it a way of living on dirty water while pretending to cleanse others’ sins. He criticizes this act as false, meaningless, and hypocritical in the name of religion. He shows that such practices exploit people instead of giving them true purity.