A homage to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore as flashed on the f.b. on May 16,2011

Bishwa Nath Singh


Here is a stanza on Purity though originally composed in Bangla in Gitanjali by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in 1912 who was awarded the 1913 Nobel Prize for Literature whose English version is reproduced below to have glimpse of it and understand its deep meaning that holds good even today. He was born on May 7, 1861 at Calcutta in... India in most affluent family as son of Debendranath Tagore and died on August 7,1941 in his ancestral home in Calcutta, the house where he was born. He was an accredited Bengali poet, writer, composer, and painter. He had published several books of poetry, including Manasi, in his twenties. His later religious poetry was introduced to the West in Gitanjali (1912). Through his intense international travel and lecturing, he had introduced aspects of Indian culture to the West and vice versa..

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(Photo of Gurudev Ravindranath Tagore)
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Bishwa Nath Singh::

‎"Life of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body pure, knowing

that thy living touch is upon all my limbs.

I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts, knowing

that thou art that truth which has kindled the light of reason in... my mind.

I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart and keep my

love in flower, knowing that thou hast thy seat in the inmost shrine of my heart.

And it shall be my endeavor to reveal thee in my actions, knowing it

is thy power gives me strength to act."

This Stanza on Purity as published in Gitanjali is worth remembering. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore spoke ardently in favour of Indian independence; as a protest against the Massacre of Amritsar, he repudiated the knighthood he had received in 1915. He founded an experimental school in Bengal where he sought to blend Eastern and Western philosophies; it became Vishva-Bharati University (1921). He gave all his money from Nobel Prize and royalty money from his books to this University. Went to Bombay and from there to Poona. Visited and lectured at Mysore, Bangalore,Coimbatore, Trivandam, Cochin and Colombo. Got invitation from China and visited Sanghai, Peiking. Visited Japan again in this tour. Went to South America. Met Argentine poet Madam Victoria Ocampo at Buenos Ayres. The poet gave her a name ,Vijaya and wrote Purabi - a collection of poems dedicated to her. On the return journey visited Italy and lectured in Milan, Venice, Florence. Mahatma Gandhi visited Santiniketan in poet's birthday. In 1926 visited Dacca, Moimonsingha, Comilla (all now in Bangladesh). Visited Europe again and this time went to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Czechslovakia, Huungary, Bulgaria, Rumania, Greece and Egypt. In 1927 went to Malayasia, Java, Thailand. In 1929 Canada. In 1930 Russia. In 1932 Iran, Iraq. And in 1934 to SriLanka.In 1940 Oxford University arranged a special ceremony in Santiniketan to honor the poet with Doctorate Of Literature. He had passed away on August 7, 1941 in his ancestral home in Calcutta, the house where he was born. Let us join to pauy our humble tribute to Him!

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Anil Kumar:
Mera shat shat Naman .....

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f.b.
May 16,2011