Rabindranaath Thakoor (Tagore) - A Genius of the East :)

Posts : 62 Join date : 2011-04-24

I cannot say I know him better than you, because you are from his native land. But having read his works, a few short stories, I have discovered myself to be his fan

He seem to be a man with a thoughtful mind. He asks many questions, and what amazes me is that he asks them at a time when some countries in Europe would dare not ask them. But interestingly, none of them are immoral or misleading, none are asked to harm the roots of a healthy and prosperous civilization which should flourish and spread wider, stronger and fragrant.

I read his "Postmaster" and "Kabuliwala", also a few other stories. All translated in English (ofcourse, as you know I can understand Hindi only when spoken slowly, and also I can speak some, but I cannot read ). But I am fortunate to find a very good version of translation of his book .

You all can add more, and show respect to this literary genius, who excelled in poetry, songs and philosophical thesis ... as well as took a responsible form of a national and international figure.

He was probably the first person outside Europe and Americas to get the Noble Prize. I think, the Noble prize was actually INTERNATIONALIZED through holding his hands. As far as I know, before him, the Noble Prize was a regional recognition ... but its stature increased when it got the name of Rabindranath attached to it. So I would dare to go a step further and say that the Noble prize benefited more from Rabindranath, and Rabindranath did from it. ... I am not trying to lean on his favor with this statement, I only thought about it with complete impartiality, and then this is a thought which came to me.

Add your thoughts, you certainly will have more than I ever can ... and if I made any mistake, do correct me

By the way, a good news for Poles, and also a discovery for me of his fans in Poland: http://www.pravasitoday.com/polish-anthology-of-rabindranath-tagore-released

Please check the link if you like

Posts : 93 Join date : 2011-04-18

PZ thanks. i like reading his poems/. they just take me on a spiritual journey. i simply get lost. study

here's a song that i really like

With one salute, O Lord From Songs of Tagore translated by Mohit Chakrabarti cheers

Ekti namaskare prabhu, ekti namaskare Sakal deha lutiye paduk tomar e samsare.
Ghana srabanmegher mata raser bhare namro nata Ekti namaskare prabhu, ekti namaskare Samasta man padiya thak taba bhabandare
Nana surer akul dhara miliye diye atmahara Ekti namaskare prabhu, ekti namaskare Samasta gan samapta hok nirab parabare
Hansa yeman manasyatri temni sara dibasratri Ekti namaskare prabhu, ekti namaskare Samasta pran ude caluk mahamaran-pare

With one salute, Lord, with one salute
Let the whole body prostrate in this world of thine Benign and bent down with the burden of juice like the
dense cloud of sravan
With one salute Lord, with one salute
Let the whole mind remain awaiting at the door of
thy residence Being lost within the self through unison of flooded
streams of diverse tunes
With one salute, Lord, with one salute
Let all songs end in the silent sea All day and night like a swan travelling in the mind
With one salute. Lord, with one salute
Let the whole heart travel aflying over the sea of great death.

enjoy.

Posts : 577 Join date : 2011-03-24

He seem to be a man with a thoughtful mind.

Indeed . Whenever i read and re read his books .............[ i have real ALL by now and i read him ..........at least one book of him at least once a year }, the depth of his thinking astounds me .

No one cud read a WOMAN"s mind as well as Rabindranath . See his women characters and the complexities of their mind ..............See how he captured it .I read so many books in my life but not a single author matched upto him while depicting a woman's thought process .

Or the flight of a CHILD"S mind . No one cud capture it like Tagore . See the children in his books .

Have u read Gora ? or THE WRECK ? I read them in my sixth grade . But I read them even now ...........as each passing year gives me some extra maturity to read Tagore .

Like Caspie said ..........his poems stir something spiritual in u . They touch ur soul .

His prose touches ur heart . I enjoy it even MORE . I learn from it .

There was a spiritual base to the entire Tagore family ............they were musicians , artists and literateurs of the Bengali renaissance ........So many brothers , all geniuses in their own right . All publishing literary magazines from home , directing plays and singing ...............holding art meetings and councils in their sprawling home . What an atmosphere he was brought up in ..........Subhanallah .

Debendranath Tagore ,,,,,,his father , was an icon in his own right and a yogi kind of person , who tried and taught to get in touch with the spirit .

Tagore credits his brothers and their wives and the atmosphere in their house for making him a writer .

I love his short stories but I loved his novels the best . Choker Bali was my personal favorite . I cannot get Vinodini or Bihari out of my system .

Tagore's profound relationship with his Boudi ....his sister in law , influenced his writings . She was his best friend in that house . When she committed sucide as she heard rumors that her husband had an affair with another woman ............Tagore was deeply shocked . She had come to meet him and share something with him before doing it and he was deeply immersed in his writing and had told her LATER .

She went and killed herself . There was no LATER .

He blamed himself . He felt if he had talked , that wud have been averted .

His writings show a tragic Boudi most of the time . See the character of Kadambari who commits sucide .

See the Devar Bhabhi understanding relationships in his stories . The fun and the youthful banter , the understanding .

He is my FAVORITE . Wish I cud write like him .

But I also firmly feel that Sarat Chandra Chatterrjee too desrved the Nobel Prize . Tagore's influential and rich background helped him to get the international exposure and contacts too . Sarat Babu was every inch deserving too . Thats LUCK for u .

Posts : 62 Join date : 2011-04-24

Such a grizzly tale of his sister in law I didn't know ...

Thanks for informing. Did you see the link? His posture with long beard is very nice ... thoughtful.

I don't know about Sarat.