Rabindra Jayanti falls on May 7, marking the birth anniversary of one of India’s greatest literary figures, Rabindranath Tagore. Musician, philosopher, poet, and artist, Rabindranath Tagore defined Indian literature and music. He is referred to as the ‘Bard of Bengal’, one of the many sobriquets in honour of his achievements.
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Revered as ‘Kabiguru,’ he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for Gitanjali, becoming the first Asian to win the award.
His list of achievements and contributions goes on, from authoring thousands of songs and novels to composing the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. He also demonstrated his spirit of freedom and resilience during the colonial era by renouncing his knighthood in 1919 in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
On this occasion, let’s celebrate Rabindra Jayanti with one of his poems from Gitanjali and learn from his profound teachings.
What did Rabindranath Tagore say?
From the collection of Nobel-winning poems, Gitanjali comprises 103 pieces, each offering a deep dive into his philosophical thoughts, drawing at the intersection of art, politics, music and spirituality:
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.
Why is it significant?
This poem in Chapter 35 was written during British rule, along with the others, so Tagore was envisioning a free nation where people could exercise their right to think and speak without fear. But its significance goes beyond political freedom. It also speaks to inner strength, the courage to face one’s own fears, doubts and prejudices conditioned by society. For someone to be truly fearless and vocal, the first stance for freedom must be for yourself, breaking free from the shackles and overcoming all the internal barriers of self-doubt and fear of judgment. When the mind is ‘without fear,’ one has confidence to think with clarity.
Kabiguru also expressed that thoughts must come from the depths of truth, indicating how imperative it is to be truthful and honest with yourself. The first instance of integrity has to begin from within. As the poet ends the piece with a prayer, ‘let my country awake,’ it also portrays freedom from both personal and collective lenses, that the first spark of freedom needs to ignite in the mind, which then spreads to the nation.
