Today on the death anniversary of Nobel laureate, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861-7 August 1941), we remember this great soul, who has inspired generations of people through his writings, poetry and thoughts.
Tagore touched and adored almost all spheres of life and literature including poetry, story, drama, novel, music, philosophy and even painting. Rabindra Sangeet is based on Tagore songs with a distinctive rendition.
The Bard of Bengal, Tagore was much ahead of his time. He exhorted people to return from materialism to the ways of peace and brotherhood.
He established Shantiniketan University, where classes are held under the tree instead of classroom. Here maximum freedom of activity and healthy community life are provided to students. Tagore's quote in this connection is simply unforgettable -
"It's very simple to be happy, but it's very difficult to be simple."
Shantiniketan
His works were loved not only in India but across the world. His much-acclaimed work 'Gitanjali' was first published in 1910 and later translated and published into English in 1912,
'Gitanjali' won him the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verses. It is a collection of 157 songs that focus on all pervading presence of God everywhere. Tagore was the first non-European to ever win a Nobel Prize!
His compositions "Jana Gana Mana" and "Aamar Shonar Bangla" have been recognised as national anthems by India and Bangladesh respectively, and Srilankan national anthem, "Sri Lanka Matha" was also inspired by his work.
He has penned many timeless poems that continue to resonate his creative charm and are equally relevant today. These poems reflect different moods, but as he said, "You cannot cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.." we need to savour some of them. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
So here are my two most favourite poems of Tagore-
source: TOI
Paper Boats
Day by day I float my paper boats one by one down the running
stream.
In big black letters I write my name on them and the name of
the village where I live.
I hope that someone in some strange land will find them and
know who I am.
I load my little boats with shiuli flower from our garden, and
hope that these blooms of the dawn will be carried safely to land
in the night.
I launch my paper boats and look up into the sky and see the
little clouds setting thee white bulging sails.
I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down
the air to race with my boats!
When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my
paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.
The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading ins
their baskets full of dreams.
source: TOI
Where The Mind Is Without Fear
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Tagore in younger days
--Kaushal Kishore
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