Remembering Rabindranath
You could put down my interest in Tagore to my curiosity about the word kabi. As a young girl from class two I came across a picture of the great bard and one of his poems on the first page of my Bangla textbook. The poem went as follows:
Tumi dhanyo dhanyo hey,
Amar e pran tomar daan
Nadi giri bon saras shobhan
Tomar bishal bipul bhuban
Korechho amar nayan lobhan
Tumi dhanyo dhanyo.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Since those days the kabi was always with me: in my imagination I saw his profile engraved by the autumn clouds that floated above a seemingly infinite expanse of a paddy field that surrounded our tiny school. Or I spied him writing poetry seated among the cotton clouds. He seemed to be writing with a pen crafted out of a bird's feather.
At a later stage I came across his patriotic poem, which began with the lines:
Banglar mati Banglar jol
Banglar bayu Banglar fol
Punno houk punno houk
This heartfelt prayer resounded in my mind and helped me to build a strong, nationalistic persona. My patriotism was put to the test, first with the anti-British movement and later in the Language Movement in 1952.
It was my fortune to get hold of a brand new copy of Tagore's Chayanika. This selection contained almost all the poems that are collected in Sanchaita. The precious Chayanika was a school prize belonging to my elder sister. She brought the book home and did not take it back when she left for school at the end of the holidays. Along with Chayanika, she brought Katha O Kahini and Akash Pradeep. I began reading and memorising the poems and was totally mesmerised by the lyrical beauty of the work.
In the course of time I memorised most of the poems of Chayanika, beginning with Maranre tuhu mamo shyamo shoman to Pratham diner Surya proshno korechhilo and Rupnaraner kulay jege uthilam. Now with the onslaught of time I cannot recite some of the lines correctly. However, these poems made a deep impact on me.
Likewise, I was greatly moved by Katha O Kahini. The poems Debotar grash, Pujarini, Abhishar, Bisharjan, Karna Kunti Sangbad and other immortal works fascinate me to this day. Even now I recite these by myself or in company. The poem Pujarini was performed in our school when I was in class four. The actors performed the actions silently in coordination with a reciter's voice. The subject of the poem was the injustice perpetrated by Ajatasatru, the brother of Ashoka the Great, against Buddha's preaching and Buddhists. This literary work gives the reader a glimpse of the Pali era.
I can never forget the day when Tagore left this world. It was the 22nd Shrabon of 1941. It was a rainy day and the tears of his devotees shed like the rain. We got the sad news of his demise when our school was in session. The school authorities declared the school closed and mourners crowded the streets. At that time women were not to be found in street processions. However, we the grieved students of the only girls' school, joined a procession on the town streets. To this day I feel the void left by the bard's demise.
Tagore's lasting appeal lies in his wealth of expression, poetic imagery and philosophical messages.
The works are like a tapestry that he wove with carefully chosen words. It is almost as if he sought to evoke joy and give an everlasting insight into human character through his works. Geetanjali, in particular, captures the aspect of devotion and surrender to the Divine. This work earned him a Nobel Prize.
I began this short tribute to the bard with my early exposure to Tagore. As I grew up I continued my literary pursuits. I leafed through his poems, short stories, novels, plays, philosophical essays, science treaties, children's literature, songs and comics. I never failed to be amazed by his versatility, creativity and depth.
Besides his great works, Tagore also made a name for himself in the field of education. His two institutions, Shantiniketan and Sriniketan remain unparalleled even today. The same holds true for his short stories, poetry and other immortal literary works.