this movie be a metaphor for the life of a person seek spiritual liberation and meditating in retreat and and finally overcome his ego and unite his soul with god ( or his supreme self and atman ) . the old man be the ego . the girl be the soul . the ocean be the world . the boat be the physical body . the guest that come fishing be the thought . the bow be the consciousness . the young man be the supreme self and atman . the act of shoot the arrow from the bow be the act of meditation and an act where the consciousness be perfect and united and become an unstoppable power . the dual function of the bow a a weapon that have an overwhelming power yet it be also an instrument of art and beauty represent the two aspect of the consciousness cit and ananda and cit equal consciousness ( arrow ) and ananda equal beatitude ( music ) . the way the old man be protect the girl be the fight of the mind to keep the soul pure and intact . the visitor ( impure thought ) be attempt to spoil the purity of his soul while he be protect it with the bow ( his focus consciousness and or could be by a state of meditation and because in a meditation the mind become as focus a the arrow shot from a bow ) . the fortunetelling be a meditation where the soul be provide answer to mind . the answer first appear in the soul and in a state of meditation ( the shooting of the bow ) . then the soul ( the girl ) show the mind the answer . the moment when the girl be reject the old man hand at night be the moment when the ego be alone and separate from his soul and in a dark night of suffer that be necessary for it to understand his mistake . the old man attempt to stop the girl leave by sacrifice his life be the sacrifice of the ego that be necessary for the soul to become free . only after the ego completely sacrifice itself and can the soul become free to discover the supreme self and atman . the death of the old man be the death of the dual mind and ego . the girl orgasm be the ecstatic expansion of the soul and that mark the moment of supreme liberation . the arrow play the role of the consciousness that penetrate the soul and make it expand with infinite joy into a state of union with the supreme self represent here by the young boy who be hold the girl . the sinking of the boat represent the death of the physical body . the girl leave together with the boy represent the life after the supreme liberation and where the soul be together with the supreme self ( or with god ) .