Significance of Kumar the Elephant

Kumar the elephant is Mempi's temple elephant. Near the middle of the story, Kumar becomes ill, and Nataraj is asked to assist the elephant. Directed by a mahout, Kumar walks to Malgudi, where he receives treatment and is cured. Later in the novel, Vasu intends to kill Kumar in order to profit from the dead animal. Vasu dies before he completes this task. Kumar represents the sacred. Although Vasu is above the law, he is not above the sacred. It can be argued that his attempt to kill the sacred elephant is the act that leads to his demise.