rabindranath tagore was a man who did all welfare for indian people. He was not in politics but still was a very good Friend of mahatma gandhi. He was warded a noble prize in 1913 for his book "GITANJALI". Being a writer he had written many of his books in Bengali. But afer the success of Gitanjali he started writing as well as translating in different languages like english, hindi etc.He was a big music lover.he had a large role in art.He had brought out nice spiritual concepts.
TAGORE'S EDUCATIONAL IDEAS
Rabindranath Tagore's role in the innovation of educational ideas has been eclipsed by his fame as a poet. He was a pioneer in the field of education. For the last forty years of his life he was content to be a schoolmaster in humble rural surroundings, even when he had achieved fame such as no Indian had known before. He was one of the first, in India, to think out for himself and put in practice principles of education which have now become commonplace of educational theory, if not yet of practice.
Today we all know that what the child imbibes at home and in school is far more important than what he studies at college, that the teaching is more easily and naturally communicated through the child's mother-tongue than through an alien medium, that learning through activity is more real than through the written word, that wholesome education consists in training of all the senses along with the mind instead of cramming the brain with memorized knowledge, that culture is something much more than academic knowledge. But few of Rabindranath's countrymen took notice of him when he made his first experiments in education in 1901 with less than half a dozen pupils. A poet's whim, thought most of them. Even today few of his countrymen understand the significance of these principles in their national life. The schoolmaster is still the most neglected member of our community, despite the fact that Rabindranath attached more merit to what he taught to children in his school than to the Hibbert lectures he delivered before the distinguished audience at Oxfoard.
Mahatma Gandhi adopted the scheme of teaching through crafts many years after Rabindranath had worked it out at Santiniketan. In fact the Mahatma imported his first teachers for his basic School from Santiniketan.
If Rabindranath had done nothing else, what he did at Santiniketan and Sriniketan would be sufficient to rank him as one of the India's greatest nation-builders.
With the years, Rabindranath had won the world and the world in turn had won him. He sought his home everywhere in the world and would bring the world to his home. And so the little school for children at Santiniketan became a world university, Visva-Bharati, a centre for Indian Culture, a seminary for Eastern Studies and a meeting-place of the East and West. The poet selected for its motto an ancient Sanskrit verse, Yatra visvam bhavatieka nidam, which means, "Where the whole world meets in a single nest."
"Visva-Bharati", he declared, " represents India where she has her wealth of mind which is for all. Visva-Bharati acknowledges India's obligation to offer to others the hospitality of her best culture and India's right to accept from others their best."
In 1940 a year before he died, he put a letter in Gandhi's hand,
"Visva-Bharati is like a vessel which is carrying the cargo of my life's best treasure , and I hope it may claim special care from my countrymen for its preservation."
RABINDRANATH TAGORE
Greatest writer in modern Indian literature, Bengali poet, novelist, educator, and an early advocate of Independence for India. Tagaore won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Two years later he was awarded the knighthood, but he surrendered it in 1919 as a protest against the Massacre of Amritsar, where British troops killed some 400 Indian demonstrators. Tagore's influence over Gandhi and the founders of modern India was enormous, but his reputation in the West as a mystic has perhaps mislead his Western readers to ignore his role as a reformer and critic of colonialism.
The Poet's Letter to Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy
Your Excellency,The enormity of the measures taken by the Government in the Punjab for quelling some local disturbances has, with a rude shock, revealed to our minds the helplessness of our position as British subjects in India. The disproportionate severity of the punishments inflicted upon the unfortunate people and the methods of carrying them out, we are convinced, are without parallel in the history of civilised governments, barring some conspicuous exceptions, recent and remote. Considering that such treatment has been meted out to a population, disarmed and resourceless, by a power which has the most terribly efficient organisation for destruction of human lives, we must strongly assert that it can claim no political expediency, far less moral justification. The accounts of the insults and sufferings by our brothers in Punjab have trickled through the gagged silence, reaching every corner of India, and the universal agony of indignation roused in the hearts of our people has been ignored by our rulers- possibly congratulating themselves for imparting what they imagine as salutary lessons. This callousness has been praised by most of the Anglo-Indian papers, which have in some cases gone to the brutal length of making fun of our sufferings, without receiving the least check from the same authority, relentlessly careful in something every cry of pain of judgment from the organs representing the sufferers. Knowing that our appeals have been in vain and that the passion of vengeance is building the noble vision of statesmanship in out Government, which could so easily afford to be magnanimous, as befitting its physical strength and normal tradition, the very least that I can do for my country is to take all consequences upon myself in giving voice to the protest of the millions of my countrymen, surprised into a dumb anguish of terror. The time has come when badges of honour make our shame glaring in the incongruous context of humiliation, and I for my part, wish to stand, shorn, of all special distinctions, by the side of those of my countrymen who, for their so called insignificance , are liable to suffer degradation not fit for human beings. And these are the reasons which have compelled me to ask Your Excellency, with due reference and regret, to relieve me of my title of knighthood, which I had the honour to accept from His Majesty the King at the hands of your predecessor, for whose nobleness of heart I still entertain great admiration. Yours faithfully,RABINDRANATH TAGORECalcutta,6, Dwarakanath Tagore Lane,May 30, 1919
TAGORES WORKS
1878
: a story in verse)
1880
: a story in verse)
1881
Balmiki : a musical drama)
Europe)
1882
a collection of lyrics)
1883
market : a novel)
lyrics)
of essays)
1884
: a drama in verse)
written after Vaishnava poets under the pen name of 'Bhanu Singha')
poems)
of poems)
1885
of songs)
1886
a collection of poems)
1887
1888
1889
drama in verse)
1890
1891
Europe Jatrir Diary (Diary of a traveller to Europe)
1892
1893
incorporating Valmiki Pratibha)
1894
collection of pems)
previously published and Curse at Farewell)
1895
rhymes)
1896
1897
Baikuntha : a comedy)
1899
and epigrams)
1900
stories)
long poems)
1901
: text book)
1903
1904
this was later issued separately as Prajapatir Nirbandha)
1905
1906
and lectures)
1907
: a collection of essays)
of essays)
of essays)
of essays)
1908
of political essays)
sociological essays)
1909
religious songs)
before in Charitrapuja)
1910
a drama)
1911
1912
1914
of poems)
1915
use of students)
1916
: a novel)
1917
1918
in verse)
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1925
1926
drama)
Nirbandha)
1927
: a musical drama)
1928
galad)
1929
1930
book)
1931
1932
1933
: a drama)
1934
1935
poems)
1936
1937
physical astronomy)
1938
language)
1939
1940
1941
: an essay)
Three 'stolen' items from Tagore museum found
Three items, which were listed as stolen from Ravindra Bhawan museum, have been found inside the museum building, Visva-Bharati Vice-chancellor Sujit Basu said on Sunday.
In late March this year, the Nobel medallion of Rabindranath Tagore and many other items were stolen from the museum. The CBI is investigating the theft.
The authorities listed 50 items as stolen but later two of them, the citation given to Tagore by the Nobel committee and an ivory product were found from the Uttaryan complex housing the museum.
The burglary was detected at 10.15 am on March 25 when the exhibition hall of the museum opened after a holiday the day before.
The stolen articles included the Nobel Prize medal made of gold, memorablia, paintings, Tagore's wife Mrinalini Devi's Baluchari sari, two gold bangles, father Maharshi Debendranath's gold ring and the poet's own gold pocket watch, besides other personal effects.
Fusing poetry with spirituality
Tagore's engagement with the cosmic beloved
From divine joy we descend, into divine joy we ultimately dissolve and in between, the beautiful journey that we call life is enveloped in the ecstasy of divine love for the personified Absolute. Realisation of this mystic vision beyond any bookish philosophy made Rabindranath Tagore experience the vastness of the Omnipresent manifested in the colourful and rhythmic feast of sight and symphony.
To Tagore, the Infinite appeared as his cosmic beloved who made it possible for him to receive His endless gifts. Hence Tagore muses, “Thus it is that thy joy in me is so full. Thus it is that thou hast come down to me. O thou lord of all heavens where would be thy love if I were not? Thou hast taken me as thy partner of all this wealth. In my heart is the endless play of thy delight”.
“Deliverance? Where is the deliverance to be found? Our master himself has joyfully taken upon himself the bonds of creation; he is bound with us all for ever”. His delight is to wait and watch at the wayside. inhaling the fragrance of His eternal promise and sweet presence. He felt the embrace of freedom in a thousand bonds of delight and hence did not want deliverance through renunciation.
This world-affirming pantheism , however, is not oblivious of the awareness of infinitude: “Where spreads the infinite sky for the soul to take her flight in” and where reigns the stainless white radiance — no day or night, no form or colour, and not even a single word.
Realisation of the dualism of the non-dual Being made him sing, “Thou art the sky and thou art the nest as well... in the nest it is thy love that encloses the soul with colours and sounds and odours”. This unification of the nondual with the mystic dual is the hallmark of Tagore’s poetic experience, “I dive down into the ocean of forms hoping to gain the perfect pearl of formlessness” . The Being of the Upanishads is translated into a myriad manifestations.
The pilgrimage from finite forms to the infinite formless is a painful process but the poet enjoys the same as it perfects him through purification and brings him closer to the cosmic beloved in attunement and facilitates surrender. That is why he says, “... Strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart.... Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles. And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love”.
The sordid reality of life takes its own toll and as such his occasional deviation from the divine path gives birth to pangs: “That I want thee, only thee — let my heart repeat without end” . He knows, heart of hearts that all worldly desires are false and empty to the core. Hence to maintain the eternal attunement with the Infinite he has to rise above the gravitational pull of finitude.
Tagore’s divine romance found a profound elevation in the firm assertion, “In this playhouse of infinite forms I have had my play and here I have caught sight of him that is formless”. Tagore’s relationship with the Cosmic Divine was intimate and informal. Which is why he used the lower case when making references to the Infinite or God. His romantic mysticism inspired the fusion of poetry and spirituality.
Today is Tagore’s birth anniversary.
tagores prize stolen
Thieves apparently broke in at Rabindra Bhavan, which houses a museum where the Nobel Prize was on display. Besides that, there were numerous original documents which were also stolen.
The robbers broke open the glass case and escaped with the items. A lock of a glass case where the documents and the prize were secured were found broken.
They made away with several artefacts belonging to Tagore, including some gold medallions and rare paintings, police said.
"The stolen artefacts might also contain the Nobel Prize citation or the plaque," an official of Kolkata Police said.
Staff at Visvabharati University in Shantiniketan discovered the theft this morning.
University vice chancellor Sujit Basu is closeted with senior police officials over the robbery.
Forensic experts are already on the job. One of the main entrances to the university, Uttarayan Gate, has been shut.
"The police have cordoned off the entire area. They are not allowing in even the Viswa Bharati staff," the spokesman said, confirming that the plaque stolen was the original one.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said that a CID team had been rushed to Viswa Bharati to conduct the investigation.
works of tagore
- KABIKAHINI, 1878 - A Poet's Tale
- SADHYA SANGEET, 1882 - Evening Songs
- PRABHAT SANGEET, 1883 - Morning Songs
- BAU-THAKURANIR HAT, 1883
- RAJASHI, 1887
- RAJA O RANI, 1889 - The King and the Queen / Devouring Love
- VISARGAN, 1890 - Sacrifice
- MANASI, 1890
- IUROPE-JATRIR DIARI, 1891, 1893
- VALMIKI PRATIBHA, 1893
- SONAR TARI, 1894 - The Golden Boat
- KHANIKA, 1900 - Moments
- KATHA, 1900
- KALPANA, 1900
- NAIVEDYA, 1901
- NASHTANIR, 1901 - The Broken Nest
- SHARAN, 1902
- BINODINI, 1902
- CHOCHER BALI, 1903 - Eyesore
- NAUKADUBI, 1905 - Haaksirikko
- KHEYA, 1906
- NAUKADUBI, 1906 - The Wreck
- GORA, 1907-09 - suom.
- SARADOTSAVA, 1908 - Autumn Festival
- GALPAGUCCHA, 1912 - A Bunch of Stories
- CHINNAPATRA, 1912
- VIDAY-ABHISAP, 1912 - The Curse at Farewell
- GITANJALI, 1912 - Song Offerings (new translation in 2000 by Joen Winter, publ. Anvil Press) - Uhrilauluja
- JIBAN SMRTI, 1912 - My Reminiscenes - Elämäni muistoja , trans. by J. Hollo
- DAKGHAR, 1912 - Post Office
- The Crescent Moon, 1913
- Glimpses of Bengal Life, 1913
- The Hungry Stones and Other Stories, 1913
- CHITRA, 1914 - transl.
- GHITIMALAYA, 1914
- The King of the Dark Chamber, 1914
- The Post Office, 1914
- Sadhana, 1914
- GHARE-BAIRE, 1916 - The Home and the World - Koti ja maailma
- BALAK, 1916 - A Flight of Swans
- CHATURANGA, 1916 - transl.
- Fruit Gathering, 1916
- The Hungry Stones, 1916
- Stray Birds, 1916
- PERSONALITY, 1917 - Persoonallisuus
- The Cycle of Spring, 1917
- Sacrifice, and Other Plays, 1917
- My Reminiscene, 1917
- Nationalism, 1917
- Mashi and Other Stories, 1918
- Stories from Tagore, 1918
- PALATAKA, 1918
- JAPAN-JATRI, 1919 - A Visit to Japan
- Greater India, 1921
- The Fugitive, 1921
- Creative Unity, 1921
- LIPIKA, 1922
- MUKTADHARA, 1922 - trans.
- Poems, 1923
- Gora, 1924
- Letters from Abroad, 1924
- Red Oleander, 1924
- GRIHAPRABESH, 1925
- Broken Ties and Other Stories, 1925
- Rabindranath Tagore: Twenty-Two Poems, 1925
- RAKTA-KARABI, 1925 - Red Oleanders
- SADHANA, 1926 - suom.
- NATIR PUJA, 1926 - transl.
- Letters to a Friend, 1928
- SESHER KAVITA, 1929 - Farewell, My Friend
- MAHUA, 1929 - The Herald of Spring
- JATRI, 1929
- YAGAYOG, 1929
- The Religion of Man, 1930
- The Child, 1931
- RASHIAR CHITHI, 1931 - Letters from Russia
- PATRAPUT, 1932
- PUNASCHA, 1932
- Mahatmahi and the Depressed Humanity, 1932
- The Golden Boat, 1932
- Sheaves, Poems and Songs, 1932
- DUI BON, 1933 - Two Sisters
- CHANDALIKA, 1933 - transl.
- MALANCHA, 1934 - The Garden
- CHAR ADHYAYA, 1934 - Four Chapters
- BITHIKA, 1935
- SHESH SAPTAK, 1935
- PATRAPUT, 1936
- SYAMALI, 1936 - trans.
- Collected Poems and Plays, 1936
- KHAPCHARA, 1937
- SEMJUTI, 1938
- PRANTIK, 1938
- PRAHASINI, 1939
- PATHER SANCAY, 1939
- AKASPRADIP, 1939
- SYAMA, 1939
- NABAJATAK, 1940
- SHANAI, 1940
- CHELEBELA, 1940 - My Boyhood Days
- ROGSHAJYAY, 1940
- AROGYA, 1941
- JANMADINE, 1941
- GALPASALPA, 1941
- Last Poems, 1941
- The Parrots Training, 1944
- Rolland and Tagore, 1945
- Three Plays, 1950
- Crisis in Civilization, 1950
- Sheaves, 1951
- More Stories from Tagore, 1951
- A Tagore's Testament, 1955
- Our Universe, 1958
- The Runaway and Other Stories, 1959
- Wings of Death, 1960
- GITABITAN, 1960
- A Tagore Reader, 1961 (ed. by Amiya Chakravarty)
- Towards Universal Man, 1961
- On Art and Aesthetics, 1961
- BICITRA, 1961
- GALPAGUCCHA, 1960-62 (4 vols.)
- Boundless Sky, 1964
- The Housewarming, 1964
- RABINDRA-RACANABALI, 1964-1966 (27 vols.)
- Patraput, 1969
- Imperfect Encounter, 1972
- Later Poems, 1974
- The Housewarming, 1977
- Rabindranath Tagore: Selected Poems, 1985
- Rabindranath Tagore: Selected Short Stories, 1991 (trans. by William Radice)
Salutation
In one salutation to thee, my God,
let all my senses spread out and touch this world at thy feet.
Like a rain-cloud of July
hung low with its burden of unshed showers
let all my mind bend down at thy door in one salutation to thee.
Let all my songs gather together their diverse strains into a single current
and flow to a sea of silence in one salutation to thee.
Like a flock of homesick cranes flying night and day
back to their mountain nests
let all my life take its voyage to its eternal home
in one salutation to thee.
Sit Smiling
I boasted among men that I had known you.
They see your pictures in all works of mine.
They come and ask me, `Who is he?'
I know not how to answer them. I say, `Indeed, I cannot tell.'
They blame me and they go away in scorn.
And you sit there smiling.
I put my tales of you into lasting songs.
The secret gushes out from my heart.
They come and ask me, `Tell me all your meanings.'
I know not how to answer them.
I say, `Ah, who knows what they mean!'
They smile and go away in utter scorn.
And you sit there smiling.
Ocean of Forms
I dive down into the depth of the ocean of forms,
hoping to gain the perfect pearl of the formless.
No more sailing from harbor to harbor with this my weather-beaten boat.
The days are long passed when my sport was to be tossed on waves.
And now I am eager to die into the deathless.
Into the audience hall by the fathomless abyss
where swells up the music of toneless strings
I shall take this harp of my life.
I shall tune it to the notes of forever,
and when it has sobbed out its last utterance,
lay down my silent harp at the feet of the silent.
Still Heart
When I give up the helm
I know that the time has come for thee to take it.
What there is to do will be instantly done.
Vain is this struggle.
Then take away your hands
and silently put up with your defeat, my heart,
and think it your good fortune to sit perfectly still
where you are placed.
These my lamps are blown out at every little puff of wind,
and trying to light them I forget all else again and again.
But I shall be wise this time and wait in the dark,
spreading my mat on the floor;
and whenever it is thy pleasure, my lord,
come silently and take thy seat here.
Parting Words
When I go from hence
let this be my parting word,
that what I have seen is unsurpassable.
I have tasted of the hidden honey of this lotus
that expands on the ocean of light,
and thus am I blessed
---let this be my parting word.
In this playhouse of infinite forms
I have had my play
and here have I caught sight of him that is formless.
My whole body and my limbs
have thrilled with his touch who is beyond touch;
and if the end comes here, let it come
---let this be my parting word.
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