Saturday, May 08, 2010

The Universal Mind: Rabindranath Tagore.

Call him the contemporary writer, the post Victorian mind or the leader of Bengal Renaissance. Rabindranath Tagore is worshipped by all but none.

A figure more than the human parameters, his mind had woven the most abstract thought to the fruitful idea. His verses being able to bring about the revolution in the human mind, making the pen mightier than the sword. He might not have been one of the Power Fighters for Indian Freedom, but he ensured the dignity of the Motherland be voiced across the world, into the abyss of the Universe. Thats why, he is termed as "বিশ্ব কবি" (The Poet of the Universe).

One of the most rarest picture of Rabindranath without his beard and moustache is provided herewith, thanks to the attention brought about by my friend, Sounak Ghosh Roy. Its just after the funeral of Tagore's father.


Born to a rich and eminent family in Bengal, Rabindranath was never a good pupil... he was a standard II drop-out, but his creations speaks something else..... (well I am not writting this blog for his history...it has some noble purpose to it)

The achievement galore:
* Awarded Noble Prize in Literature for his excessive creation of a collection of writings called গীতাঞ্জালি (Gitanjali), the first to an Indian and also to an Asian, in the year 1913.
* Awarded the Knighthood in 1918, but rejected it due to the Jalianwala Massacre. The British Crown never accepted the return of the Knighthood, but his soul mentioned to all the Indians to call him Rabindranath Tagore rather than Sir Rabindranath Tagore. A very rare picture during the Knighthood days is published herewith.
* Met with great minds like Albert Einstein during the World War.
* Mastered all forms of literary art starting from Poetry, Prose, Songs, Painting, Drama and Novels. He inculcated the cocoon of musical drama in Bengali, with a much refined form.
* He organized A Mass Rakhi Purnima to shoken his token of protest over the British East India company's decision to devide Bengal in East and West Bengal.
* He is the only person whose two songs are national anthem of two nations: Jana Gana Mana for India and Amar Sonar Bangla  for Bangladesh.


But now, there stands a grave danger of Rabindranath. Its not that hsi creations are being re-used, with different tunes and presentation to it, but the name of Rabindranath Tagore is being utilized to gain undue advantages, politicizing him. A few years back, I heard the famous recitor of Bengal, Bratati Di utter a poem entitled, রবীন্দ্রনাথ তুমি কার? (Who owns you Ranbindranath?) The way the few political parties are showing their hommage to the great soul  on his 150th birth anniversary on May 9th 2010, it comes up in my mind as to really, who owns Rabindranath Tagore?

The answer is no one.... he is Universal...owned and loved by all. After all, he is one of the least known creator who had written anything for all the moods and situations that a human can be in...

রবীন্দ্রনাথ -
আজ তোমায় জিগ্যাসা করতে ইচ্ছে করছে,
তুমি কি এই বাংলার স্বপ্ন দেখেছিলে?
রবীন্দ্রনাথ-
যে বাংলাইয় আছে সুধু মানুষ কে লুন্ঠন,
আছে শোষণ, বেদনা, আশ্রুজল।
রবীন্দ্রনাথ-
তমাকে কন হস্তে আমি দেব আঞ্জালী?
আজ ফুল গুলও অরা ছারেনি,
বানিয়েছে জংগ্লের ভয়ানক রাজা।
রবীন্দ্রনাথ-
তুমি পারোনা শে আগূনের পরশ দিতে?
দাও না কবি,
একটু শান্তির আম্রত, নিজের চরণ থেকে।
সোমনাথ পাল।
০৯.০৫.১০

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:48 pm

    I highly recommend reading Tagore's novel Gora.

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  2. Anonymous9:24 am

    Its a very raer photograph , I prefer if any body can publish more info on this photograph.

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  3. Supper man Rabindronath

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. I astonish to see that rabi thakur is often compared with shakespeare.shakespearean canon is comprised with drama and sonnets while rabi thakur left his hand on every jenre of literature.the zodiac of his fictional oeuvre is much more extensive.

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