It differs in language, vision and characterisation from Vijayan's earlier works such as Khasakkinte Itihasam and Dharmapuranam.

The central character Kunjunni is a journalist from Kerala, working in Delhi, going on an assignment to report the Bengal partition of 1971.

the range of teachers include his childhood friend Colonel Balakrishnan now Swami Nirmalanandan, Olga the Czech media person haunted by the aftermath of the war she had to endure, Haimavathi the girl whom he molested, Lalitha, the shorthand writer at his office, and many more characters from so diverse backgrounds.

On complaining about the restlessness in his life, Swami leaves him alone on the shores of the river where he finds the small insects living beneath grass fighting each other for their mere survival.

"Angaye vedanippikkathe enikk nadannu kudallo" (I won't be able to walk without hurting you)- this sentence that he speaks to the grass on which he steps shows the intensity of the knowledge he has acquired at this point.

The specific transfer is supposed to occur at the time when they witness a flock of storks flying above, reminding Kunjunni of the enlightenment experience of Paramhamsa.

The war reporting, too, teaches him many lessons, the most prominent teacher being the Muslim father who decides to bury the Hindu girl who died holding hands with his son.

He leaves his job and goes back home, giving away all his books but The Bhagavatam, maybe due to the realization that all these knowledge gave him nothing at all.

Another factor that shows the powerlessness of humans is the irony that Shivani's research was on blood cancer and her daughter died of the same disease.

Vijayan underwent a spiritual transformation after meeting the guru and this change also reflected in his writings, the best example being Gurusagaram.