her blood Their fear shapes their words Their fear also guides their actions They trust belief more than reason Prayers and Wishes The villagers say many lines that start with May They say May he sit still They pray for the scorpion to stop They think that will stop the poison They also say May the sins of your previous birth be burned away tonight This line shows deep trust in Karma They see pain as a part of fate They hope the pain will do some good Their prayers show how old belief rules their minds Karma and Fate The villagers trust many folk ideas They think pain is a part of past life They say the mother s pain will decrease the misfortunes of your next birth This line shows their trust in rebirth They also think her pain will reduce evil They say the sum of all evil will fall They think her body will be clean They say the poison will purify your flesh Such lines show how rural people link pain with fate Rural Life and Unity The poem shows a small poor village The house has mud-baked walls Rain hits the place for long hours Light comes from candles and lanterns This shows a simple life The villagers come at once They sit around the mother They show care They show respect But they use the wrong ideas They trust old ways They hold firm beliefs Their unity comes from the same culture Their life is shaped by such beliefs Contrast With Reason The father also tries to save his wife But he uses a different path He is a sceptic rationalist He tries powder mixture herb and hybrid He also burns the toe with paraffin The poet says I watched the flame feeding on my mother His acts show fear too But his way is not like the villagers way His acts show modern thought Their acts show old beliefs The poem shows a clear clash in one place The poem gives a rich picture of rural Indian life It shows how people think in danger Fear makes them trust signs and prayers They link pain with Karma They trust words more than skill Their ways come from their culture The father brings reason but he also feels fear The poem shows how superstition shapes a whole group and how it can guide and comfort people in hard times