Bhattacharyya 1

Introduction

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize. He is

famous for having written in a variety of genres, such as poetry, drama, novel, novella,

short story, dance-drama and song. Some of Tagore’s poetry collections are Naivedya

[Offering] (1901), Kheyā [The Ferry] (1906), Gitanjali: Song-offerings (1912), The

Gardener (1913), Gitimalya [Wreath of Songs] (1914), Gitāli [Small Songs] (1915),

Balaka [The Flight of Cranes] (1916) and Fruit-Gathering (1916). Among his well

known plays are: a musical drama named Valmiki-pratibhā (1881), Acalāẏatan [The

Immovable] (1911), Chitrā (1914) which was a translation of the Bengali short play

Chitrāngadā (1892), Raja (1910) in Bengali which was transformed into The King of the

Dark Chamber (1914) in English, The Post Office (1914) was a translation of Tagore’s

Dākghar (1912), Rakta-karabi [Red Oleander] (1924) which was translated into English

as Red Oleanders (1925), Prakr̥tir Pratiśodh (1884) translated into English as Sannyasi

[The Ascetic] (1917), and Visarjan [The Sacrifice] (1890), the English translation of

which was published in 1917. Some of his famous novels are Gorā (1909) translated into

English with the same title in 1924, Ghare Bāire [The Home and the World] (1916),

Chokher Bāli [The Eyesore] (1903), Yogāyog [Crosscurrents] (1929). Some of his short

stories are “Kābuliwāllāh” [“The Fruitseller from Kabul”] (1892), “The Postmaster”

(1891), “Boṣtamī” [“The Devotee”] (1914), “Āpad” [“The Castaway”] (1895), “Kṣudita

pāṣāṇ” [“The Hungry Stones”] (1895). His novellas include Nastanir [The Broken Nest]

(1901).

There are a collection of essays which Tagore wrote like Śāntiniketan (1908-16),

Dharma (1909), Sādhanā: The Realization of Life (1913), Personality (1917), Thought

Relics (1921), Creative Unity (1922), The Religion of Man (1931), Mānuser Dharma

[Religion of Man, not to be confused with the collection of essays having the same title in
 Bhattacharyya 2

English] (1933) and Man (1937) [a compilation of lectures he delivered in Andhra

University]. Tagore’s essays are not too well-known compared to the other genres in

which he wrote, especially his philosophical essays written in Bengali—namely,

Śāntiniketan (1908-16) and Dharma (1909). The first is a collection of 152 lectures and

the second is a collection of 15 lectures. Though Dharma was published after the

commencement of the Śāntiniketan lectures, the essays were written much earlier except

for the essay “Duḥkha” written in 1314 [1908 ]. Sādhanā: The Realization of Life (1913)

reveals similar philosophical strain as in Śāntiniketan and Dharma.

Śāntiniketan is important for our study because the period in which the essays were

written and published made them important in the course of Tagore’s career and in

understanding of Tagore’s thought. Prior to these collections of essays, Tagore had

written essays earlier which had philosophical strains: on 11 September 1883 a collection

of his essays of this collection, “Vividha Prasanga” (“Miscellaneous Topics”) was

published. Out of several essays, the essay “Nature-Man” (“Prakr̥ti-Puruṣa”) reveals

Tagore’s philosophical interest even at an early stage of his writing career. Another

collection of short essays titled “Discussion” (“Alocana”) which reveals more of

Tagore’s philosophical views was published in 1887. To concentrate on the nature of

Tagore’s thought as he was delivering the Śāntiniketan talks, it is essential for us to

explore significant personal and professional events in his life.

There were several important personal and professional developments in Tagore’s life

from 1908 to 1916. 1908 was the year when Tagore started delivering his Śāntiniketan

talks. Though his talks ended in 1914, the year in which the last 4 sections of the

collection were published was in 1916. After Tagore’s return from abroad he got news on

19 November 1913 of having the honour of receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature. The
 Bhattacharyya 3

Nobel Prize was received by the British ambassador in Stockholm on behalf of Tagore on

10 December 1913.

Preceding the Śāntiniketan talks, towards the beginning of the Bengali new year of

1315 [1908] when Tagore arrived in Calcutta, he used to deliver regular lectures at the

Adi Brahmo Samaj Hall every Wednesday, neither of which were recorded nor printed.

Those lectures mainly dealt with the word-by-word explanation of the Upanishadic

slokas chanted during the prayers of the Brāhmo Samāj (Pal 6: 13-14). Apart from

providing Saṁkara’s interpretation of them, he also provided an alternative interpretation

of his own to those mantras. In a way they bore similarities to the Śāntiniketan talks.

However, Śāntiniketan talks were more than just word-by-word interpretation of

Upanishadic mantras, though he did interpret portions of some mantras in those talks. But

mere interpretation of mantra was not the sole essence of the Śāntiniketan talks.

Before Tagore started delivering the Śāntiniketan talks and eventually writing them

into essays, there had been several happy and sad occasions in the few years preceding

and during their conception. In 1901 Tagore founded the Brahmacarya Āśram, his

experimental school, at Śāntiniketan. It started with 5 students (Mukhopadhyay 193)

which also included his eldest son, Rathindranath Tagore. He kept the tapovana (forest

hermitage) of ancient India in mind when he established this school.

In 1901 two of Tagore’s daughters got married, but his happiness was short-lived due

to the death of his wife, Mrinalini Devi, in 1902 in Calcutta. Within a year of this death,

his second daughter, Renuka, died (1903) as well. January 1904 also marked the death of

Satish Roy, a brilliant teacher at Śāntiniketan, who was also a Tagore translator. In

January 1905 Maharsi Devendranath Tagore, Tagore’s father, also died. Due to the death

of his father, Tagore had to incur great financial difficulties to maintain his school for

lack of funds. Tagore’s youngest daughter got married in 1907 and his fifth child,
 Bhattacharyya 4

Samindranath, also died at a tender age in the same year. Sisirkumar Ghose in his

biography of Rabindranath Tagore regards Samindranath’s death to be the “crowning

tragedy” of Tagore’s life (Ghose17). Ghose remarked about the impact of this tragedy on

Tagore, “Those who think Tagore’s life was “untouched by the tempest” do not know

him.” (Ghose 17) He definitely did not let the “tempest” linger in his mind to destroy his

creative genius or his faith in the Supreme Reality. Tagore’s second son-in-law,

Satyendranath Bhattacharyya, caught fever while travelling, returned to Calcutta and

passed away on either 9 or 10 Kārtik 1315 [25 or 26 October 1908] (Pal 6: 32). Tagore

conveyed in his letter dated 30 Kārtik 1315 [15 November 1908] to Manoranjan

Bandyopadhyay that he was tired of the “sports of death” (own translation) (Pal 6: 32).

Yet again, there was another death, that of Shrishchandra, a long time friend of his.

Shrishchandra was afflicted with heart disease all of a sudden and died on 23 Kārtik 1315

[8 November 1908]. A well-wisher, the Maharaja of Tripura, Radhakishore Manikya, too

expired in a motor accident on 28 Phālgun 1315 [12 March 1909]. This death inspired

Tagore to deliver the Śāntiniketan lecture, “Mr̥tyu o Amr̥ta” (“Death and Immortality”)

on 4 Caitra 1315 [17 March 1909] where he reflected on his great sorrow on the loss of

his friend from a philosophical outlook (Pal 6:54). In 1910 Rathindranath’s marriage was

arranged with Pratima Devi,1 a child-widow at the time of her marriage. The death of

Sharojchandra Mazumder, nicknamed Bhola, occurred due to massive cardiac arrest at

the night of 10 Āṣāṛh 1317 [25 June 1911]. Sudhirranjan Das, a class mate of Mazumder,

wrote about what he saw: “Even today I have not forgotten the very image of sorrow and

compassion that appeared on the absorbed countenance of Gurudev [Rabindranath

Tagore].” (Pal 6: 159) The last meeting between Rajanikanta Sen, a famous poet and

composer of that period, and Tagore was a moving one. After the meeting, Tagore later

1
Devi was an honorary title bestowed upon women of those times.
 Bhattacharyya 5

wrote in his letter to Sen on 16 Āṣāṛh 1317 [30 June 1911] “I [he] had seen a luminous

manifestation of human atman [in Sen].” (Pal 6: 156) Sen was suffering from cancer and

died 3 months after that meeting on 28 Bhādra 1317 [13 September 1910]. The deaths of

his friends and relatives, and his own ailing health had moved him to the extent of

intensely seeking God within. According to Tagore biographer, Prasanta Kumar Pal,

these unhappy incidents neither left any mark of distress nor did they interrupt Tagore’s

writings during that period. But these pains gradually made him turn inwards,

introspective and devoted to God (Pal 6: 33). But critics like Ghose differ. Perhaps what

Pal meant was that Tagore never immersed himself in sorrow, rather he sought the

creative and philosophical insight which sorrow provided him in his life.

On receiving a complimentary copy of Thākurmār Jhuli (Grandmother’s Bag), Tagore

wrote a letter to its author, Dakshina Ranjan Mitra Majumdar, a celebrated children’s

writer, on 2 Kārtik 1315 [18 October 1908] to congratulate him and to inform him that he

had not fully recovered from the fever he had been suffering. This reveals Tagore’s

physical condition at that time. On 21 Kārtik 1315 [6 November 1908] Tagore writes to

Ajit Chakraborty telling him about his physical ailment, and his aspiration about the

Bolpur school he established. He writes:

My health has become very delicate and unfit—it gives me pain to even stand for

a while. I do not know whether I would be able to continue with my mental work in

this state of mind in full swing—I really do not know when this deteriorated body

will glow with health again. It is true that I have started the job…I do not have a

very long time left before me—it is only you all [that] have to run with the flag

rested upon your shoulder (My translation) (Pal 6: 33).

This clearly reveals Tagore’s failing health and his expectation from the handful of young

men in whom he had great deal of faith in entrusting his school to their care.
 Bhattacharyya 6

Tagore was supposed to embark on a voyage to England on 19 March 1912 but had to

move to his family estate at Shelaidah (now in Bangladesh) to take rest due to illness.

This marked an important phase in Tagore’s life. This was the time when Tagore decided

to translate some of his Bengali poems into English, a task which he considered less

labourious than working on something completely new. This exercise culminated into

what we know as the English Gitanjali: Song Offerings which fetched him the Nobel

Prize a year later in 1913.

Other significant publications of Rabindranath Tagore from 1908 to 1914

It is not that Tagore delivered only the Śāntiniketan talks during this period. I am

going to document other significant literary contributions of Tagore during this period.

This will help us to understand the vast corpus of his thought. Tagore delivered a lecture

titled “Dui Iccha” [“Two Wishes”] in the morning of 11 Māgh 1315 [24 January 1909] at

the Adi Brahmo Samaj. In this essay the essential tune of Gitanjali is revealed for the

first time. In 1316 [1909] in the month of Agrahāẏaṇ, Kshitimohan Sen made another

appeal to Tagore to have some Vedic mantras translated into Bengali for the students and

teachers of Śāntiniketan ashram. He translated a total of 11 mantras. The first mantra to

be translated was “Pitā nohasi” [“You are our father”] on 22 Agrahāẏ aṇ 1316 [8

December 1909]. This very mantra has also been included in Śāntiniketan essays as in

“The Bonds of the Mantra”. Christmas was observed for the first time in the temple at

Śāntiniketan on 10 Pauṣ 1317 [25 December 1910]. On this occasion Tagore delivered a

talk explaining the significance of Christ’s śādhana and message. The summary of this

talk was published as “Jiśu Carit” [“The Life of Jesus”].

 Bhattacharyya 7

Rabindranath Tagore wrote his famous play, Acalaẏatan [The Immovable] in 1912. He

published the story “Strir Patra” [“Wife’s Letter”] in the Śrābaṇ issue of “The Sabūj

Patra” in 1321 [1914]. It was a story on the emancipation of women and created a

great upsurge in several sections of the Bengali society.

Tagore’s Travel Abroad from 27 May 1912 to 27 September 1913:

Significant Publications and Activities

Tagore undertook several trips abroad, but I have included Tagore’s stay abroad only

during the period in which the Śāntiniketan essays are spread out, that is, from 1908 to

1914. Tagore travelled abroad from 14 Jaiṣṭha 1319 [27 May 1912] to 11 Āśvin 1320 [27

September 1913]. During this time Tagore travelled to both Europe and the U.S.A. While

in England, the beauty of Hamstead moved him to the extent of writing two poems in

Bengali on 9 and 11 Āṣāṛh 1320 [23 and 25 June 1913] and he translated them into

English and sent them to William Rothenstein. In the meantime Rothenstein was busy

preparing three copies of typed manuscript of Gitanjali and sent one each to W.B. Yeats,

Andrew Cecil Bradley (Professor of Poetry, Oxford University) and to the famous

monotheistic writer, Stopford Augustus Brooke.

Tagore had thought of going to the U.S.A. after English Gitanjali was published by

the middle of October 1912 but due to its delay in publication Tagore started for New

York on 3 Kārtik 1319 [19 October 1912] and reached there on 11 Kārtik 1319 [27

October 1912]. He wrote to Ajitkumar on 30 Āśvin 1319 [Wednesday, 16 October 1912]:

“I am no more able to confine myself to my own writing, to the discussion about

myself—my mind has become extremely eager again for mukti from the bondage of this

place.” (Own translation) (Pal 6: 341) He had actually gone to the U.S. for homeopathic
 Bhattacharyya 8

treatment for his piles though without much success (Pal 6: 345). It was most probably on

16 Kārtik 1319 [1 November 1912] that the India Society edition of Gitanjali was

published in London (Pal 6: 345-46).

Tagore was requested to speak on the Upanishads by a Unitarian clergyman, Albert R.

Vail. Though he was reluctant to deliver lectures, he later agreed. On 25 Kārtik 1319

[Sunday, 10 November 1912] Tagore read the essay “World Realisation” in the Unity

Club, Urbana, Illinois. This essay underwent numerous changes and was titled “The

Relation of the Individual to the Universe” and was published in Sādhanā: The

Realization of Life (1913). The second lecture was ‘Self-Realisation,’ delivered on 2

Agrahāyan 1319 [Sunday, 17 November 1912] in the same venue. This second lecture

too underwent changes and was published as “Soul Consciousness” in Sādhanā. The

other two lectures Tagore delivered here were “Realization of Brahma” 9 Agrahāẏ aṇ

1319 [Sunday, 24 November 1912] and “The Problem of Evil” on 16 Agrahāẏaṇ 1319

[Sunday, 1 December 1912]. Surprisingly the third lecture, “Realization of Brahma,” did

not find any place in Sādhanā. Tagore read his play, The Post Office, before an

appreciative audience on the night of 29 Agrahāyan 1319 [Saturday, 14 December,

1912]. During his period abroad [both in England and in the U.S.A.] he translated some

of his Bengali poems into English. The result was The Crescent Moon (published in the

last week of November 1913 along with Sādhanā), The Gardner (1913), Fruit-Gathering

(1916), Lover’s Gift and Crossing (1918). He delivered the lecture titled “The Problem of

Evil” at two places when he went to Chicago in January 1913. “The Problem of Self” and

“The Realisation of Beauty” were delivered at Harvard University on 7 and 9 April 1913

respectively. He left for New York on the night of 9 April and he started his voyage to

England from New York on 12 April 1913 by the ship, Olympic.

 Bhattacharyya 9

In England, Tagore delivered 6 lectures for the Quest Society. “Realisation in Love”

was his first lecture. Though “Realisation in Love,” supposed to be read a day earlier,

was read on 10 Jaiṣṭha 1320 [Saturday 24 May 1913] in the library at Manchester

College, Oxford. The second lecture Tagore delivered was “Soul Consciousness,” at

Caxton Hall in London on 12 Jaiṣṭ ha 1320 [Monday, 26 May 1913] in the evening (Pal

6: 405). The third lecture at Caxton Hall was “The Problem of Evil” on 19 Jaiṣṭha 1320

[Monday, 2 June 1913] (Pal 6: 407). The fourth lecture at Caxton Hall was “The Problem

of Self” on 26 Jaiṣṭha 1320 [Monday, 9 June 1913]. With “Realisation in Love” Tagore

marked the end of the lectures he was delivering at Caxton Hall on 3 Āṣāṛh 1320

[Tuesday, 17 June 1913]. On 5 Āṣāṛh 1320 [Friday, 19 June 1913] Tagore delivered his

fifth lecture, “Realization of Brahma,” at Kensington Town Hall in London. “Realisation

in Action” was read by Rabindranath Tagore on 7 Āṣāṛ h 1320 [Saturday, 21 June 1913]

at Notting Hill Gate for the Brāhmo Samāj of London. It was his sixth lecture in England.

Tagore renders his own views regarding Śāntiniketan

The following was what Rabindranath Tagore himself wrote to Rani Mahalanabish on 16

Māgh 1341 [30 January 1935] regarding Śāntiniketan essays:

Many a time it seems that my own song is the composition of someone else,

heard through me. The book Śāntiniketan exactly appears like that—it is as if its

words are beyond my sādhanā and capacity. The first part [volume] is just out—the

words that I can hear while going through the proof of the second part are not

mine, yet are mine. My mind is such that it has an innate ability of talking, it is for

that reason that my I, dwelling within my inner realm, makes me talk continuously

with this machine—so I may be praised only to that extent as is done to a well

made talking machine (My translation) (Pal 6: 38).

 Bhattacharyya 10

This is a proof in itself that Tagore was himself overwhelmed with the Śāntiniketan talks

that he delivered. These talks served as inspiration to his other creations, namely,

Sādhanā and Thought Relics.

Rabindranath Tagore was 47 years of age when he started delivering his Śāntiniketan

lectures. These lectures started quite informally with a handful of young men at

Śāntiniketan ashram among whom was Kshitimohan Sen, requesting Tagore to impart to

them the knowledge attained through his dawn-worship.

Kshitimohan Sen writes:

I used to see then every day at the last part of night at about 3-3.30 he used to

come under the open sky and sit in dhyana. We had prayed to him time and again

for a grain of his prasād2 of the wealth he had gained out of that dhyana. One day

he came to know that the next 16 Agrahāẏaṇ was a special day for me. When he

was thinking about what blessings he would bestow upon me on that occasion, I

begged him for a little of the prasād of that dawn-worship. This Brahmamuhūrta3

of dawn was his highly prized possession. This very period was earnestly his

spiritual moment. So when he was a little hesitant, many of us said the same

prayer to him. After a lot of careful considerations but with exceeding hesitation

he agreed [to this] for a few days (My translation) (Pal 6: 37).

During the last quarter of 1315 (15 Dec1908-15 April 1909) when Tagore was

delivering the Śāntiniketan lectures, it is not very clear as to what other activities he was

2
The remnant of the food (or articles) spiritually tasted or accepted by a deity when offered to it

(becomes prasād). Whatever is tasted or accepted by the deity becomes spiritually enhanced. It can also be

the remnant of food (or other things) tasted or partaken of by a revered person.

3
Four at dawn is considered Brahmamuhūrta. Among the Hindus this period is considered to be most

auspicious for spiritual practices such as dhyana, japa and the like.
 Bhattacharyya 11

engaged in as his letters of that time were not properly documented. Tagore gave much

thought to the school and he “not only considered the school as a place of learning, but

sādhanā of the manifestation of atman was also associated with it.” (Pal 6: 43) This same

idea was evident in the letter Tagore had written to his son-in-law, Nagendranath, on 6

Pauṣ 1315 [21 December 1908]. Again, in a letter to Ajitkumar Chakraborty on 24 Māgh

1315 [6 February 1909] he wrote that he considered the “Brahmacharyaashram as a stage

of sādhanā of the atman—in his writings and in actions he aspired to give an image to

this realization. He tried to elevate teachers and students to that level of realization.” (Pal

6: 51)

It was on 14 Caitra 1315 [27 March 1909], a significant day in the history of Tagore

translation [during the period in which Tagore was delivering the Śāntiniketan talks] that

the first translation of Tagore’s verse was done. The identity of the translator is lost to us.

It was actually the song, “Sārthak janam āmār janmechi ai deśe” translated into English

as “Blessed is my birth—for I was born in this land/ Blessed is my birth–for I have loved

thee.” This is the first published translation of a Tagore’s text.

Brief View of Tagore’s Thought

To understand the development of Tagore’s thought as reflected in Śāntiniketan

(Abode of Peace) it is essential to know the influences and personal experiences which

led to such philosophical and spiritual thoughts in Tagore. The pain and agony of losing

his close ones and his own failing health gradually made him explore his inner Self and

be inclined towards God. The mood of the Śāntiniketan essays and of the Songs of

Gītānjali became deeply embedded in his heart in this manner (Pal 6: 33).

Tagore’s philosophy is not what is termed as academic philosophy (Nath v) consisting

of theories and counter theories. His philosophy is that which provides an insight into the
 Bhattacharyya 12

reality around us. It has to be felt and in turn will bring joy to the individual. It is not to

be debated upon by academic theories. About Tagore, E. J. Thompson says, “in his

[Tagore’s] earlier phase as poet, he believed in two dogmas, the love and joy of the

Universe. He believed in these to the end.” (Thompson 81)There is a reflection of that in

Śāntiniketan as well. Naravane observes that “In Tagore philosophy, Love and Bliss are

almost interchangeable terms. His utterances about Bliss and Joy are reminiscent of the

Vaisnava stress on ‘Hlādini Sakti.’” (The Philosophy of Tagore 25) Without love there is

no bliss or joy because it is love which brings about the overwhelming feeling of joy or

bliss.

Tagore was influenced by the Upanishads, Vaiṣṇavism, Buddhism, the Gītā, Hafiz and

Sufism amongst others. In Śāntiniketan essays, Tagore mainly derives influence from the

Upanishads, though the reflection of Buddhism, Vaiṣṇavism, the Gītā and the Bible is

also evident in them. When one refers to the influence of the Upanishads on Tagore then

his upbringing should also be taken into account. The sloka of the Īśa Upanishad which

had inspired his father, formed the guiding principle of Tagore’s life.4 The environment

where he grew up was steeped in the Upanishadic tradition. As a child he used to chant

the Upanishadic mantras with his father, Maharṣi5 Devendranath Tagore. His family was

closely involved with the Brāhmo Samāj and later he himself delivered lectures and

composed prayer songs for the gatherings at the Samāj.

In Śāntiniketan essays Tagore has mostly elucidated the Upanishads. In his essay

“Om” he has explained the concept of Om as in the Chāndogya Upanishad. While

4
See Ray (2).
5
Here Maharṣi refers to Debendranath Tagore. The word “Maharsi” has been entered in the Concise

Oxford English Dictionary as “Maharishi,” a noun, meaning “a great Hindu sage or spiritual leader.” See

“Maharishi” in COD 11th ed.

 Bhattacharyya 13

interpreting the slokas, Rabindrananath gave his own views regarding them. As an

example, in the essay “This Shore—the Other Shore” (“E Pār-o-Pār”) Tagore refers to

“parama gatiḥ” (114) which is part of a sloka from Br̥hadāraṇ yaka Upanishad meaning

“supreme attainment” (4. 3. 32, 2004), to be interpreted as “supreme motion.”6 The word

“gatiḥ” means both “motion” and “result” or “outcome”. So, Tagore made use of the

pun. He interpreted Upanishadic words using the knowledge and experiences of the

truths as perceived in his own life. This gave immediate relevance to the truths he was

lecturing on. Benoy Gopal Ray reiterates this point in his book:

What is important in Rabindranath’s interpretation of the Upanisads or the

Vedanta is not philological or grammatical correctness but purity and simplicity of

his own realization. Sometimes we find that the poet himself discovered some

truths but he tried to link them up with those of the Upanisads. Again, we find that

while expounding a particular Upanisadic Śloka, he added to it some wisdom of

his own (4).

The example from one of the essays, “This Shore—the Other Shore,” is one such case.

The essays aim at the enrichment of the soul and are attempts on the journey of human

life to lead us from darkness to light.

The Aspect of Love in some other Tagorean Texts and Śāntiniketan

Love is a dominant theme in Tagore literature. If we just go through some of the

Tagorean texts randomly we will get a proof of this. Let us take Tagore’s novel Gora

(1909). In Gora, we see Anandamoyee’s love for her adopted son, Gora. While

describing his mother, Gora says: “Mother, you are my mother! The mother whom I have

been wandering about in search of was all the time sitting in my room at home. You have

6
See “This Shore--the Other Shore” p 114.
 Bhattacharyya 14

no caste, you make no distinctions, and have no hatred—you are only the image of our

welfare!” (Gora 407) This reveals how the finite love of a mother for her son reaches

infinite dimension. Regarding the character of Gora, Sisirkumar Ghose says, “He is not

immune from change and love. And it is Sucharita rather than Pareshbabu that helps to

bring about the change in Gora.” (Ghose73) This “change” is evident when Gora on

discovering his identity as an Irish is free from his bondage of caste and creed and asks

Sucharita, his “love,” to “take my [his] hand and lead me [him] to this guru of yours

[hers].” (Gora 407) So, it is “love” which gives him the joy to proceed towards the

infinite dimension.

Another instance of finite love leading to the Infinite can be seen in Tagore’s novella,

The Home and the World. Nikhil’s love for his wife, Bimalā, makes him feel “I[he]

should not try to fetter my [his] life’s companion with my [his] ideas, but play the joyous

pipes of my [his] love and say: ‘Do you love me? Then may you grow true to yourself in

the light of your love. Let my suggestions be suppressed, let God’s design, which is in

you, triumph, and my ideas retire abashed.’ ” (The Home and the World 272-73) It is

because of Nikhil’s love for Bimalā that he lets her venture outside of the space

demarcated for her by societal norms and it is this love which brings him joy.

In the play Chitrā, the character of Chitra says to Arjuna: “love springs up struggling

toward immortal life.” (Collected Poems and Plays 233) While Arjuna says to her: “I

grope for that ultimate you, that bare simplicity of truth.” (Collected Poems and Plays

233) Both Chitrā and Arjunā are seeking a love which is infinite through their finite love

for each other.

In the play, Sannyasi [The Ascetic], at the beginning of the play the Sannyāsi

considers himself “free”: “I am free. I have not this obstacle, this world round me. I live

in pure desolation.” (Collected Poems and Plays 605) The Ascetic is in negation of the
 Bhattacharyya 15

world around him and says to the girl, “What game of yours is this with me, little girl? I

am a Sanyasi, I have cut all my knots, I am free.” (Collected Poems and Plays 612) We

find the character of the Ascetic to be a stern person aloof from the world of feelings till

Raghu’s daughter, Vasanti, awakens filial feelings in him and ultimately he remarks: “Let

my vows of Sanyasi go. I break my staff and my alms-bowl. This stately ship, this world,

which is crossing the sea of time,--let it take me up again, let me join once more the

pilgrims…I am free. I am free from the bodiless chain of the Nay.7 I am free among

things and forms and purpose. The finite is the true infinite and love knows its

truth.”(Collected Poems and Plays 619). In the beginning the Ascetic renounced worldly

life and considered everything around him as māyā but it is his fatherly love which

helped him to realize that it is the finite which is the infinite and vice versa. It is love

which brings about the realization in him that “Only he is pure who has washed away the

world from his mind.” (Collected Poems and Plays 606) Hence, it is not physical

alienation from the world that he should strive for but to stay detached from the world

mentally. And this realization of freedom from the “chain of the Nay” gives him joy.

In Tagore’s story “Boṣtamī” [“The Devotee”] we again see the theme of love: the love

between two human beings—the devotee and the ascetic. The love between the two is

finite but it is nevertheless a means of uniting with the Infinite.

In Tagore’s story, “The Kābuliwāllāh” [“The Fruit seller from Kabul”],

Kābuliwāllāh’s love for the five year old girl, Mini, is filial in nature. Hence, the love of a

parent for his child is universal in nature, and this is another way in which the finite love

actually unites with the infinite. In Śāntiniketan, in the essay, “Detachment,” Tagore

explains this through Yājñavalkya’s words: “This means, not because you desire your son

that he becomes dear to you, but because you yearn for the atman alone that your son

7
“Nay” here stands for the concept of “neti neti” (“not this, not that”).
 Bhattacharyya 16

becomes dear to you.” (160) So, the son is the finite aspect of the infinite atman. Hence,

when we love our son and he “becomes dear to you [us]” it is the Supreme Reality to

whom we actually express our love as He is the infinite manifestation of the finite love.

Let us explore the aspect of love in Tagore’s poetry. In Gitanjali: Song Offerings,

Sonnet XXXIV, Tagore writes “Let only that little of my fetters be left whereby I am

bound with thy will, and thy purpose is carried out in my life—and that is the fetter of thy

love.” (20) This is a poem with bhakti strain. It is love which gives bliss. The lines of the

poem could be addressed to any mortal yet the poet addresses it to the divine. In poem

LV of Fruit-Gathering, a woman sat “at the feet of the corpse of her dead husband, gaily

dressed for a wedding.” (75) She wished for a boon from the great poet Tulsidas who

happened to be wandering about. To assert her claim to be with her husband in heaven

she said, “For heaven I do not long”. (75) She pleaded, “I want my husband.” (75)

Tulsidas granted her the boon and said, “Go back to your home, my child. Before the

month is over you will find your husband.” (75) This again reveals how the finiteness of

love transcends to the infinite. The “corpse of her dead husband” is a metaphor for the

Supreme Reality and it is not that she longs to be with her “husband” because she desires

“heaven” but because she cannot bear to be separated from him. Naravane says regarding

Tagore’s influence in poetry, “in Vaisnava poetry Tagore found a ‘transfiguration’ of

human into Divine love.” (25) But it can be said that this ‘transfiguration’ of love was not

simply restricted to Tagore’s poetry alone but percolated to other genres in which he

wrote as is revealed from the above mentioned examples. Another instance is the

character of Nandinī in Tagore’s play Red Oleander. Nandinī’s finite love for Ranjan

transcends the finite bond of love when she joyfully goes to embrace death as that would

bring about her union with Ranjan: “I’d been waiting because he’d come, and he came.

I’ll prepare for him to come again, he’ll come again.” (Lal 184) While describing the God
 Bhattacharyya 17

of Gitanjali Naravane says, “The God of ‘Gitanjali’ is emphatically this Upanishadic

God in whom power and punishment go side by side with love” (16)—the reconciliation

of “power and punishment” on one side and “love” on the other side—harmony of the

opposites, is something that we see in Śāntiniketan essays as well. In the essay “Law,”

Tagore says, “He who is the Progenitor, is Himself the Friend, again it is He who is the

Law-giver. Hence, whatever be the law, essentially there is no fear.” (130) The “Law-

giver” upholds the law with discipline and there are no exceptions as law is universal,

while the “Friend” is “in the realm of love within me” (131). So, “essentially there is no

fear” because “on one hand he [man] pays the dues of the king and on the other hand

arranges the basket of offerings for his Friend.” (132) In the essay, “The Unique,” Tagore

again harps on this fact when he says, “I try to abide by all Your rules and if I fail, I

accept Your punishment—but, in the form of “I,” I want to know You as my only One.

There You have made me free--because, without freedom love will not be fulfilled”

(126). We see a reconciliation of the opposites once again. The basis of this idea was

rooted in Śāntiniketan because Tagore started delivering Śāntiniketan lectures before he

started translating his Bengali poems into the English Gitanjali. We do not want to

discuss in details Tagore’s philosophy as it is beyond the scope of this dissertation, but

when we talk of Tagore’s approach to love, the philosophical trends that are reflected in

the Śāntiniketan essays need to be addressed.

“In Tagore philosophy, Love and Bliss are almost interchangeable terms. His

utterances about Bliss and Joy are reminiscent of the Vaisnava stress on ‘Hladini Sakti.’”

(Naravane 25). We observe numerous examples of that from Śāntiniketan. “Hlādinī

[Śakti], corresponding to Ānanda (Bliss), is the energy by which He [Supreme Reality]

enjoys His own innate Bliss and makes others enjoy the same.” (Svāmi Tapasyānanda

323) In the essay “Detachment,” Tagore says, “Then the joy that is felt, that joy itself is
 Bhattacharyya 18

love. That love does not bind; that love pulls us along. That love is pure and unopposed.

It is that very love which is mukti—the death of all attachments.” (163) Tagore gives all

importance to Bliss: “It is that Bliss which had rendered that infinite motion to the

universe.” (“This Shore--the Other Shore” 115) He also mentions joy as in “supreme joy”

(“This Shore--the Other Shore” 114). Here the “motion” is God’s action which gives Him

bliss: “The function of the Śaktis [Powers] of Kṛṣṇa [God] is to carry out His will and

contribute to His sportive manifestations, which form the expression of His essential

nature as Bliss.” (Svāmī Tapasyānanda 324) In “The Eternal Abode” Tagore says, “The

Supreme Atman is full of bliss in this individual atman. Enter and look at that place

where there is the never-ending union of that love. Only then would you realize within

the very depth of your heart what the bliss of Brahman is.” (151) It is due to bliss that He

carries on with His manifestation which is His action. Tagore’s humanism is an unusual

blend of humanism and divinity. He takes man (finite) and elevates him to divine

(Infinite) and vice versa.

The idea of love here is based on God sacrificing His divinity to be manifested as all

pervading humanity. In Purushasuktam we see the Supreme Being, Prajāpathi, sacrificing

Himself to create. There is a description of devas (gods), regarded as the pranas of

Prajāpathi, having “bound the Prajāpathi like a sacrificial animal, as it were,”8 to be

offered for sacrifice. In the essay “Three,” Tagore asserts: “To establish that goodness in

the world, all self-interests get completely defeated and we understand to what extent the

nature of true union is established upon pure self-sacrifice. When we understand that

completely, only then it becomes possible to attain all kinds of unobstructed union in love

with advaitam who is that Supreme Atman in the form of Oneness.” (135) Self-interests

“get completely defeated” only when there is love and when there is love, “pure self-

8
Purushasuktam 7.
 Bhattacharyya 19

sacrifice” is possible and only then is “unobstructed union” with the “Supreme Atman”

becomes possible. It is not only God who undergoes self-sacrifice to attain union with

man but it is also man who does the same. Though the finite and infinite are apparently

different yet they are essentially united. This brings us to Tagore’s leanings towards the

doctrine of Acintya-bhedābheda (Inconceivable Identity-in-difference).

The word “Acintya” is a Sanskrit word with combination of “a,” meaning “non,” and

“cintya” meaning “logical” or “conceivable” hence, “Acintya” means “alogical” or

“Inconceivable,” that is, beyond logic. The conjoined Sanskrit words “bhedābheda” is a

combination of “bheda” meaning “difference,” and “a” and “bheda” meaning “non” and

“difference.” Hence, it is referred to as “Identity-in-difference”. “Bengal school of

Vaisnavism propounds the doctrine of Inconceivable Identity-in-difference (Acintya-

bhedābhada). Śakti [power] is both identical and different from Śaktimat [Powerholder].

At the same time the element of identity makes the Supreme Reality Non-dual even in the

midst of difference. How these two contradictory features can co-exist is not attempted to

be explained logically. For this reason it is designated as Acintya—alogical or

incomprehensible by thought.” (Svāmī Tapasyānanda 315) That which is finite is

different from the Infinite, yet it is identical to the Infinite. In the essay “The Whole,”

Tagore beautifully explains this: “at first he [man] tends to see it [the whole] in parts,

after that he merges the parts into the whole. For this very reason, if he sees only the parts

and completely denies the whole, then he has to be seriously answerable for that mistake;

again, if he only aims at the whole and completely ignores the parts then that emptiness

becomes totally futile for him.” (137) Though apparently the “parts” [finite] and the

“whole” [infinite] appear different, they are inconceivably identical to each other. Let us

see another instance from Śāntiniketan, in “Night” Tagore says, “When we stay awake,

there is a sport between our power and Power. There is a union of our action with the
 Bhattacharyya 20

Universal Action of Viśvakarmā.” (120) This draws a parallel to Swami Vivekananda in

his speech “The Open Secret” where he says, “Take a grain of sand. Analyse it. We start

with the assumption that it is finite, and at last we find that it is not, it is infinite” (2: 397).

This concept finds further elaboration in Swami Vivekananda’s sermon to Madam Emma

Calve regarding the immortality of the soul. A drop of water had fallen into the ocean and

it mourned its loss of individuality. Swamiji explained what justification the ocean

offered to the drop of water: “When you join me, you join all your brothers and sisters,

the other drops of water of which I am made. You become the ocean itself. If you wish to

leave me, you have only to rise up on a sunbeam into the clouds. From there you can

descend again, little drop of water, a blessing and a benediction to the thirsty earth.” (Life

of Swami Vivekananda 1. 452). When the finite atman (the drop of water in Swamiji’s

sermon) becomes one with the Infinite Atman (the ocean in Swamiji’s sermon), it loses

its finiteness and whenever it wishes to be of service it can assume its finiteness. This

brings us to the concept of vijñāna.

We are not aware of Tagore ever having spiritual realization, but he did have good

deal of knowledge about spiritual literature. We do not see literature anywhere attributing

Sri Ramakrishna’s influence on Tagore but it might well be true that Tagore was well

aware of the prevalent views of Sri Sri Ramakrishna. Tagore had written a single poem

titled “Ramakrishna”.

Tagore’s concept of harmony (between oppositions) is similar to Sri Ramakrishna’s

unique concept of vijñāna. Tagore regards the positive and the negative, or oppositions

existing in harmonious existence or that the finite and the infinite existing together. When

Tagore wrote these essays Sri Sri Ramakrishna’s doctrine of vijñāna was already

prevalent.
 Bhattacharyya 21

Tagore’s dominant approach in terms of his thought in Śāntiniketan is that of a

vijñāni. To my knowledge no other research has actually attributed Sri Ramakrishna’s

concept of vijñāna to Tagore’s philosophy yet. Though Tagore was not a vijñāni in the

spiritual sense of the term as Sri Sri Ramakrishna was, he reflects certain strains of

thought to reveal this view in Śāntiniketan essays. Who is a vijñāni? Sri Sri Ramakrishna

very beautifully depicts this by differentiating between a jñāni and vijñāni while

explaining the concepts to the Pundit at Dakshineshwar, he said, “The vijnāni retains the

‘I of the devotee’, the ‘I of the jnāni’, in order to taste the Bliss of God and teach people.”

(Gospel 479) That is, after realizing Brahman or the Supreme Reality, the vijñāni realizes

that the world is a manifestation of that Supreme Reality but is enclosed in name (nāma)

and form (rūpa). In his essay, “Understanding Bhavamukha: Sri Ramakrishna’s Unique

State of Consciousness,” Swami Atmapriyananda expounds the function of a vijñāni:

“Under a Divine Command, he [the vijñani ] engages in liberating the bound souls out of

great compassion, out of unbounded love for all beings (sarva-bhuta-hite-rataah9).” (255-58)

Then, who is a jñāni? Sri Sri Ramakrishna says, “The jnāni reasons about the world

through the process of ‘Neti, neti’, ‘Not this not this’. Reasoning in this way, he at last

comes to the state of Bliss, and that is Brahman.” (Gospel 476) A jñāni renounces the

world of name and form and stays immersed in Brahman (sat-cit-ānanda). Since a vijñāni

sees the world as the manifestation of Brahman he does not see the world as unreal

(mithyā) as the jñāni does but considers it as the sport (līlā) of the Supreme Reality. In

“Ferry Me Across,” Tagore says, “Do not presume that they are saying, ‘We want to be

ferried away from this very work of ours.’ They want to stay amid their work and be

ferried across and that is why, as they sing, their work is not being neglected” (112). This

9
This is the concluding part of the sloka from The Bhagavadgītā, 12.4. This means “rejoicing in the

welfare of all creatures, they come to Me indeed (just like the others).”
 Bhattacharyya 22

is like the vijñāni. So, according to Sri Sri Ramakrishna the following are the steps to

reach the state of vijñāna “You realize the Nitya by negating the Līlā [state of a jñāni].

Then you affirm the Līlā, seeing in it the manifestation of the Nitya. One attains this state

after realizing Reality in both aspects: Personal and Impersonal.” (Gospel 477-78)

“Personal” aspect of “Reality” is with name and form. “Impersonal” aspect of “Reality”

is without name and form. This concept of vijñana can be traced to the Upanishads and

the Bhagavadgītā. There are several instances of it. One such instance is:

Pratibodhaviditam matamamr̥tatvam hi vindate;

Ātmanā vindate vīryaṁ vidyayā vindate’mr̥tam.10

There are other instances from the Upanishads where there are references to the vijñāni.

Another such instance is: “Ātmakrīḍ a ātmaratiḥ Kriyāvāneṣa brahmavidāṁ variṣṭhaḥ.”11

The person who has attained Brahman is blissful and on realizing that everything in the

universe is the sport of Brahman, he does not withdraw from the world like the jñāni, he

performs duties required of him and is thus considered to be among the greatest knowers

of Brahman. Tagore also explains this very sloka in his essay, “Prana,” “Those that are

the greatest among the knowers of Brahman, their sport is in the Supreme Atman, their

bliss is in the Supreme Atman, and they are active.” (142) In the Bhagavadgītā too there

are references to the vijñāni with terms such as: “atma-tr̥pta,” “ātma-santuṣṭa,” and other

such terms. The “Knowledge” which is derived from them all is that the Infinite plays

through the finite. In this regard we are reminded of another such example which Swami

Vivekananda offers in his essay, “The Open Secret.” He says, “Whoever thinks that I am

10
Kena Upanishad, 2.4. “Brahman is known when It is realized in every state of mind; for by such

Knowledge one attains Immortality. By Ātman one obtains strength; by Knowledge, Immortality.”
11
Muṇḍaka Upanishad, 3.1.4. “Ātmakrīḍa ātmaratiḥ” means “Revelling in the Self, delighting in the

Self, performing actions, he is the foremost among the knowers of Brahman.”

 Bhattacharyya 23

little makes a mistake, for the Self is all that exists. The sun exists because I declare it

does, the world exists because I declare it does. Without me they cannot remain, for I am

Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss Absolute — ever happy, ever pure, ever beautiful.” (2:

404) Since finite and infinite are one and same, this is possible. Tagore in his essay,

“Day” says, “I will realize the Atman everywhere--this is the only aspiration of the

atman.” (117) That is what a vijñāni does and that is also what staying in bhāvamukha

consists of practically. It is more evident in the next example. In the essay, “Beauty,”

Tagore remarks, “in the unusual realm of this “I” within our inner atman, there is going

and coming of that Blissful One and there is evidence of that throughout the universe.”

Hence when the self-realized atman remains in bhāvamukha he is not only merged in

God-consciousness but also sees everything as the creation of God.

Another important gift of Sri Sri Ramakrishna philosophy that we find is that of

Bhāvamukha. Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, explains that Sri

Sri Ramakrishna received divine instruction to remain in Bhāvamukha. Swami

Saradananda goes on to explain the command: “Do not remain in the Nirguna [devoid of

name and form, purely sat, cit and ananda aspects] by the complete mergence of the I-

ness [in Brahman], but live your life and do good to people, being in constant, complete

and immediate knowledge of the fact that you are none other than that ‘limitless I.’”

(Great Master 443) In the essay “Night,” Tagore remarks, “by being separated and

pervaded through various ways and means when that inner nature of ours, calmed by

upāsanā, will get engaged in self-realization amidst the variety and the many of the

world, then it will be able to devote itself to all work with solemnity and purity” (122).

Here “self-realization” takes place in spite of the fact that the realized person is “amidst

the variety and the many of the world”. So, the state of Bhāvamukha of a realized atman
 Bhattacharyya 24

is being partially merged with Brahman and also remaining in the world, being fully

aware that the world is a manifestation of Brahman.

There is fundamental difference between vijñāna and Acintya-bhedābheda. The

vijñāni has to pass the stage of the jñāni to know all is One, and whatever duality there is,

is the sport of Brahman while in Acintya-bhedābheda there is no such transformation in

realization from jñāni to vijñāni, but an understanding that it is Krsna’s [Supreme

Reality] Hlādinī Śakti which is manifesting the external realm. They do not acknowledge

māyā12 in the way the jñānis consider māyā. To the followers of Acintya-bhedābheda,

“maya” (it is considered the power of manifestation in Acintya-bhedābheda) is reality.

Yet, in Acintya--bhedābheda, advaita is not compromised as there is the concept of

“identity”. Swami Vivekananda in his speech “The Open Secret” says, “every grain of

sand, every thought, every soul, everything that exists, is infinite. Infinite is finite and

finite infinite.” (2: 399) Maitreyi’s prayer in “The prayer” reveals how the finite-infinite

divide can be overcome: “We find it [amrita] where there is love. Amid this love itself we

get a taste of the Infinite. It is love itself which puts the shadow of the Infinite within the

finite, transforms old into new and never accepts death. When we observe the trace of

love within the diverse matters of the world, we get to know the Supreme Being who is

beyond death.” (103)

Relevance of Śāntiniketan (Abode of Peace) for Translation

These short pieces not only throw a challenge to a translator but also show how

“instruction” can render excellent piece of literature as the Śāntiniketan essays have done.

Selections from the text, Śāntiniketan, were considered for translation because they are

12
It is māyā which makes one see Brahman as the phenomenal world, having name and form.
 Bhattacharyya 25

not only rich in their contents but also because Tagore had conveyed such great truth in

such a simple manner, easy for readers of all age groups, culture and race to comprehend.

And these essays reveal Tagore’s profound philosophical and spiritual insight and are

important for our study because the period in which the essays were written and

published made them important in the course of Tagore’s career and in the understanding

of Tagore’s thought. Today the globalized world is steeped in consumerism. In such a

case all aspects of one’s life are defined in terms of material gains and well-being,

ultimately leading to a sense of void resulting in destruction and chaos. It is only through

a sense of spiritual well-being that one can experience true fulfilment and bring about a

balance. It is only a strong foundation in spirituality which can withstand the deluge of

high-profile consumerism. It would be done not “by means of any set lessons about God

and His existence, but by allowing the souls to express themselves freely and

spontaneously.” (Radhakrishnan 208) Tagore’s essays help to strive towards this

fulfilment, this freedom. It is not that whatever he says is totally new but the manner in

which he says them, coloured with his own experience, makes it easier for the audience

or readers to understand. While going through the proof of the Śāntiniketan essays

Tagore writes to Rani Mahalanabish on 11 Māgh 1341 [25 January 1935]:

This time while going through the proof, all of it was thoroughly read. Its words

have reached my ears in a completely new way indeed. At one time when I went on

uttering these words among a few worshippers daily in the morning then I indeed

made myself hear them—if I had not said them then those words would not have

even been heard by me, they would have remained unmanifested in me (My

translation) (Pal 6: 38).

 Bhattacharyya 26

These lines reveal the extent to which these essays had overwhelmed him. The text is a

classic piece of literature with its highly philosophical and spiritual content which is still

relevant in a person’s life and work in the contemporary times.

These essays can be said to be the process of development in Rabindranath’s spiritual

path. The essays convey the message which makes us aware of our situations in life by

making us aware of our separation from our environment, the necessity of sorrow in our

lives, the need for sacrifice, the nature of liberation, the attainment of unity through love

and the fact that love and sacrifice go hand in hand, [among others]. These essays search

for and conceive of supreme philosophy of life which illuminates and shows a guided

path towards hope and stability in the midst of turmoil and conflict where man has lost

his purpose [to live]. The essays do not conform to any particular religion, rather they go

beyond that barrier and allow the audience or the readers to interpret the essential

message with respect to their own experiences. The essays are the psalms of life which

inspire us to enter into the threshold of peace and bliss. And it is as if Tagore acts as a

true guru and delivers guidance. As a result, we find profound solace, discover our

ultimate aim in life and arrive at the right path to attain it. Kshitimohan Sen who attended

those lectures of Śāntiniketan writes:

It was winter. It was the month of Agrahāẏaṇ. At the verandah of Śāntiniketan

temple a few of us used to gather at the close of the night at 4.30. He [Tagore] used

to be seated there much earlier than that. From 4.30 to 5 we used to obtain some

prasād of his just obtained Truth relating to inner significance and get up from

there. He used to sit on that seat much longer even after that. It went on like this

for sometime. Those who used to go, were highly benefited and satisfied….From

the year 1315, 17 Agrahāẏaṇ up to the year 1316, 7 Baiśākh the words he has

written about his spiritual moments have become immortal treasures in our
 Bhattacharyya 27

language (My translation) (Pal 6: 37).

The text with its contemporary approach reveals the essence and applicability of the

scriptural message mainly of the Upanishads. It provides guidance for day to day life.

When the translator translated the Bengali text, Śāntiniketan, into English she saw how

best she could deliver the spirit and the cultural appeal, and tried her utmost to transfer

the Source Language Text into the Target Language one in its totality.

There is a need to talk about the ancient literature in the contemporary era as it will

not only help man to develop himself to the level of perfection but would set him free, to

function not only within the constricting bonds of the microcosm but also realize that the

macrocosm and the microcosm are intimately linked, inseparable. It is only ignorance

which separates man from man. Here Tagore talks about the necessity to hear the inner

voice in spite of performing our worldly activities in order to “arise, awake.”

Title and Compilation

In a letter dated 24 Pauṣ 1321 [Friday, 8 January 1915] Tagore wrote to Ajitkumar

Chakraborty that he wanted Chakraborty to handle the responsibility of compiling and

publishing the said collection of essays. In another undated letter to Chakraborty, Tagore

suggests the probable titles to this collection of essays, they are “Sañcaẏ” or “Saṁgraha”

or “Āharaṇ,” each of which means “Collection.” Tagore also gave Chakraborty the

liberty to suggest any other title saying that he [Tagore] would not complain whether they

were good or bad. In that very letter Tagore also inquired of him if the number of essays

were sufficient to be published in two volumes, if not, they should be published in one

volume (Pal 7: 55). However, we still do not know who actually titled the said collection

of essays, but we know that it definitely had Tagore’s approval as the two volumes were

compiled in 1934-1935.
 Bhattacharyya 28

One reason for naming the talks Śāntiniketan might have been that the talks had

started at Śāntiniketan. Another crucial reason could be that Tagore was grooming a

select group of individuals to carry on with his legacy of Śāntiniketan. Whenever a

person delivers a talk, the intended audience is of primary concern. It is in keeping with

the audience that the speaker frames his speech. In this case Tagore was requested by the

young residents (mainly consisting of teachers) of Śāntiniketan to deliver talks which had

spiritual insight. Another reason for naming the talks Śāntiniketan is likely that Tagore

aspired for an ‘abode of peace’ and it is through these talks he tried to show that this was

possible.

Previous Translations

The first translator to translate selections of the Śāntiniketan essays (Abode of Peace)

was Rabindranath Tagore himself. Tagore was ill and was advised by his doctors to take

rest. It was during this period that he took upon himself to translate select passages from

his Bengali writings and that resulted in the book Thought Relics (1921). Śāntiniketan

essays were one of the texts he chose for this purpose. He did not translate the whole

book but select paragraphs or passages from the Bengali essays. He wrote to Edward

Thompson on 14 Māgh 1324 [27 January 1918] regarding his translation of the essays:

“…the doctors advise me to take rest. But doing nothing is not at all restful and therefore

I am thinking of translating paragraphs from my Shanti Niketan papers. They will help

me in diverting my thoughts into the inner world of truth with which they deal.” (Pal 7

312)

The second translation was done in 1996 and its first corrected reprint was in 1999.

The translation was carried out by two translators namely, Shitangshu Kumar

Chakraborty and Pradip Bhattacharya. It was not titled Śāntiniketan but Human Values:
 Bhattacharyya 29

The Tagorean Panorama. They chose this text as they believed that the text reveals “the

profound spiritual truths of India’s heritage in the simplest manner, there is perhaps no

better organised text than Shantiniketan.” (Chakraborty and Bhattacharya ix) Their

rationale for the selection of essays for translation was “primarily by the criteria of

conceptual relevance and practical utility of the selected pieces for practising managers

and administrators.” (Chakraborty and Bhattacharya ix) They have translated 107 essays

out of 152 essays.

The third translation was by Jyoti Prakash Datta (1939-1998). His rationale for

translating was “the absence of perceptive English translation of the majority of Tagore's

essays, discourses and letters.” (Note on the author, Parabaas). Prior to his demise he had

translated several of these Śāntiniketan addresses from Bengali into English out of which

only three were published in Parabaas, an online journal till date. The published essays

are: “Night,” “In the Morning” and “Three Storeys.”

Some discrepancies found in the earlier translations

Thought Relics

Let us examine some of the passages Tagore translated from Śāntiniketan. I have

included some of the passages Tagore had freely translated from their Bengali original.

Tagore’s selection of the essays and passages were randomly selected by him and there is

no document to prove otherwise. The table below contains some of Tagore’s translation

and mine from the Bengali original.

Thought Relics Śāntiniketan (Abode of Peace)

[My translation]
“Last night I dreamt that I was the “Lack”:
same boy that I had been before my
mother died. She sat in a room in a “I had a dream that I was still in the
garden house on the bank of the days of my childhood. Mother is
Ganges. I carelessly passed by sitting in a room at the garden house
 Bhattacharyya 30

without paying attention to her, when by the side of the Ganges. Mother is
all of a sudden it flashed through my there in every respect--but her
mind with an unutterable longing presence is not always uppermost in
that my mother was there. At once I my consciousness. So, without
stopped and went back to her and paying any attention to Mother, I
bowing low touched her feet with my walked past her room. On reaching
head. She held my hand, looked into the verandah, I do not know what
my face, and said: "You have come!" happened to me all of a sudden--a
thought dawned upon me that Mother
In this great world we carelessly pass is there! I immediately went to her
by the room where Mother sits. Her room, took the dust of her feet and
storeroom is open when we want our offered my pranām to her. She held
food, our bed is ready when we must my hand and said, “You have come!”
sleep. Only that touch and that voice
are wanting. We are moving about, At that moment the dream broke off.
but never coming close to the I continued to think, “I live in my
personal presence, to be held by the Mother’s house, I walk past her very
hand and greeted: "You have door ten times a day--I know without
come!"” (3) any doubt that she is there, but
household activities continue as if she
is not there. What harm is there in
that? She has not closed the door of
her storehouse, she continues to serve
food and even when I am asleep, her
fan continues to fan me. Only one
little thing is missing: she is not
holding my hand and saying, ‘You
have come!’” Food, drink, wealth,
people, everything is there, but where
is that voice and that touch? When
the mind becomes fully awakened,
and does not get the voice and touch
that it longs for, it only searches from
room to room, filled with goods, then
food and drink no longer appeal to
it.” (89)

“In our everyday world we live in poverty; “End of Festivity”:

our resources have to be husbanded with
care; our strength becomes exhausted, and “Many a time, we go bankrupt
we come to our God as beggars for our joy holding festivities. Much of our days
of life. On festival days, we display our are spent in paying off our debts.
wealth and say to Him that we are even as When a person of modest means tries
He is; and we are not afraid to spend. This to fulfil his desire to be a king for a
is the day when we bring to Him our own day, then there is no other option for
 Bhattacharyya 31

gift of joy. For we truly meet God, when him than to spend some days of his
we come to Him with our offerings and not life in a beggarly fashion.
with our wants.” (8)
So, the day following the festivity is
very glum to us. On that day
brightness of the sky is lost, on that
day our heart grows heavy with
fatigue.

But, there is no alternative. At least

once a year man ceases to be miserly
and tries to forge a relation of sharing
with that generous One. Through
wealth he wants to realize that God.”
(108-109)

Last night when the north wind was keen, “Dispersed Fair”:
like a sharp blade of steel, the stall-keepers
improvised some kind of shelter with twigs “Last night, people of the dispersed
and leaves. With all its flimsiness it was mela said, ‘It would certainly do us
the most important necessity for them, for good if we could secure some
the time. But this morning, before it is firewood and dry leaves.’ At that time
light, we hear them shouting for their it was as if they could not do without
bullocks and dragging out from underneath them. To build a small shelter in that
the trees their creaking carts. It is urgently wintry open field seemed to be the
important for them now to leave their most important need to be
shelter.” (22) accomplished in the world. There was
also a great effort to make an oven
somehow and to light a fire with dry
leaves, and try to cook whatever meal
one could manage to have. All other
worldly matters became trivial in
comparison to these needs and efforts.
Somehow these firewood and dry
leaves were procured. But, even before
the night is over, we hear, ‘Where are
the carts? Yoke the bullocks to them.’
We have to go, we have to go back to
the village now. This very necessity to
depart is now the urgent need. The
pressing necessities of the previous
night are left as waste today; what they
had said to be indispensable yesterday,
they are fretfully busy to desert that
today.” (106)
 Bhattacharyya 32

“ “I want” has its constant counterweight— “Dispersed Fair”:

“I do not want.” Otherwise the monster
necessity, with its immovable weight, “But, even then, of those immediate needs
would crush all existence. For the moment yet to be met, there comes the message
we may sigh at the fact that nothing through a doleful tune of Bhairavī which
remains for long, but we are saved from plays, ‘There is no need for it, there is no
permanent despair at the calamity that need for it.’” (107)
nothing moves at all. Things remain and
things move--between these two contrary “If this tune had not been present, if there
currents we have found our dwelling-place were no dispensable wants within the
and freedom.” (22) indispensable ones, could we then have
survived? If the want was truly
overwhelming, then who would have been
able to put up with its terrible pressure?
Just because the days and nights of extreme
dispensable wants have taken away the
burden of these extreme indispensable
wants that we are able to keep moving
around in spite of the strong gravitation of
wants. That is why just on seeing the light
of dawn, dumping the piled up burden
anywhere and anyhow, we are able to get
on the cart again. Saying, ‘nothing
remains’ we heave a deep sigh; likewise,
saying, ‘nothing moves’ we do not fall into
despair. It remains yet it does not, but in
between these two conditions we have got
space as well as refuge—we have also got a
house, light and air have not been lost as
well.” (108)

“The horse harnessed to a carriage is only a “Renunciation”:

part of it, the master is he who drives it
unattached. We are enjoined to work with The horse drives the cart being tied to it by
vigour and yet retain our detachment of the reigns, but can the horse say, ‘The
mind. For our deeds must express our carriage is mine’? Is there, in fact, any
freedom above all, otherwise we become significant difference between the wheels
like wheels revolving because compelled. of the carriage and the horse? The
There is a harmony between doing and not charioteer who by remaining free drives the
doing, between gaining and renouncing carriage, it is he who has the authority over
which we must attain.” (23) the carriage. (98)
 Bhattacharyya 33

“Coming to the theatre of life we foolishly “Obverse”:

sit with our back to the stage. We see the
gilded pillars and decorations, we watch “It seems on entering the theatre of human
the coming and going of the crowd; and life we sit turning our back like fools
when the light is put out at the end, we ask towards the direction in which the dramatic
ourselves in bewilderment, what is the performance is taking place. We see only
meaning of it all? If we paid attention to the columns, the cots and the crowd of the
the inner stage, we could witness the theatre. Later on when the lights have gone
eternal love drama of the soul and be off, the curtain has dropped, we cannot see
assured that it has pauses, but no end, and anything any more, there is deep
that the gorgeous world-preparations are darkness—then perhaps I ask myself,
not a magnificent delirium of things.” (31) ‘What did I come here to do, why did I pay
for the ticket at all, what is the meaning of
these columns and cots, why at all have so
many people gathered here?’ Everything is
a deception indeed, everything is, in fact, a
meaningless child’s play. Alas, no
information at all was available regarding
the acting of joy being performed on the
stage.” (172)

“Let the wick burn with indignation at the “At Dawn”:

want of light in the rest of the candle, but
the truth is that the wick represents the “When the upper portion of the candle has
whole candle in its illumination.” (32) been lighted, then that benefit is of the
entire candle. Even the lowest portion of
the candle has the capacity to burn—when
the time comes it too will burn, till then, it
will continue to support the burning of the
upper portion.” (123)

“In Nature we find the presence of law in “Beauty”:

truth, and the presence of joy in beauty. It
is urgently necessary for us to know truth, “That is why in the universal nature we see
but we are free to ignore the presence of the image of Truth in rules, and the image
joy. It is not safe for our life to forget that of bliss in beauty. So it is essential for us to
it becomes light in the morning; but we can know the form of Truth, we may do even
safely forget that morning is beautiful, and without knowing the form of bliss. It is
yet live.” (38) extremely necessary to know and to make
use of the fact that there is light at dawn
when the sun rises. But it does no harm to
any of our activities if we do not know this
much that dawn is beautiful, so very
peaceful.” (128 )
 Bhattacharyya 34

“The life of the seed within the fruit is “End”:

absolutely different from its life of growth
as a tree.” (43) “When a fruit ripens, its dignity lies in
departing from the branch. But if it thinks
that renouncing the branch is a sign of
poverty, then there is nothing more pitiful
than that fruit!” (215)

“Our greatest men have shown immense “At Dawn”:

respect for mankind in their expectations.
We come to believe in ourselves because “Great men of the human race have proved
of what is asked of us. Practical men base that we are in no way small or weak—their
their arrangements upon their estimates of attainments are, in fact, the attainments of
man's limitations. Therefore the great each one of us—the power of each of our
creations of history, the creations that have atman has been manifested in them.” (123)
their foundation upon the faith in the
infinite in man, have not their origin in the
common-sense of practical men.” (59)

“When Buddha said to men: "Spread thy “Commandment”:

thoughts of love beyond limits," when
Christ said: "Love thine enemies," their “Buddha has not told us to renounce
words transcended the average standard of worldly desires only, he has told us to
ideals belonging to the ordinary world. But propagate love.”(184)
they ever remind us that our true life is not
the life of the ordinary world, and we have
a fund of resources in us which is “Completeness”:
inexhaustible. It is not for us to despair,
because the highest hope for mankind has “Lord Jesus said, “Love even your enemy.”
been uttered by the great words of great He did not stop fearfully midway by
men.” (59) saying, “Forgive your enemy.” ” (186)
“The more we feel afraid of pain, the more “Sorrow”:
we build all kinds of hiding places in
which to hide ourselves from our own “Being afraid of sorrow and pain, we create
truth. Our wealth and honour are different kinds of veils to protect ourselves
barricades that keep us at arm's length from from sorrow. We only want to remain
the touch of our own true selves. Thus we hidden. What happens due to that? Due to
become more familiar with that which we that we deprive ourselves of coming in
have, than that which we are. Our perfect contact with Truth.
sufferings seek us out through our The rich and the luxurious, keep
protections; they take away our artificial themselves away from all discomfort, they
props and set us face to face with our only remain surrounded by comfort. What
naked loneliness.” (62) happens due to that? Due to that he makes
himself crippled; he ceases to have any
control over his limbs. All those powers
with which he was born in the world cannot
develop due to the lack of action—they
become withered and distorted. He lives in
 Bhattacharyya 35

an artificial world in a self-created

enclosure. An artificial world can never
provide our nature with all its normal
nourishment; so, in such a situation our
nature becomes like that of a home-made
doll, it does not attain perfection.” (94)

“This stripping bare of our deeper selves is “Sorrow”:

not only necessary for self-exploration and
the discovery of our innermost resources, “It is not that this cowardice gives rise only
but it is also needed for our purification. to frailty and weakness for luxury, it
For beneath our safe cover of prosperity destroys the purity of those people who by
and comfort, dirt and dead matter gather nature are oversensitive to sorrow and
every day waiting to be cleared by the rude protect themselves for fear of being hurt.
rubbing of pain.” (62) Under the veil they accumulate a lot of
filth. The more they want to conceal that
publicly for fear of people, the more that
becomes polluted and goes on to affect the
health. Those who can accept criticism,
injustice, sorrow and pain of the world
freely and unhesitatingly, not only do they
become strong but also become pure. In an
unveiled life, the full impact of the world
continues to wear away the extent of their
defilement.” (96)

“But truth is not afraid to be small, to come “End”:

to an end,--just as a poem, when it is
finished, is not really dead. Not because a “In fact, when a poem comes to an end,
poem is composed of endless lines but even that ending itself is a big part of the
because it carries an ideal of perfection. poem. This is because a good poem never
The pauses of truth has the cadence of the ends in a void. Even where it ends, it
infinite, its disappearances are the speaks; scope must be given to allow these
processional arches on its path of unspoken words to express themselves.”
immortality.” (108) (214)
 Bhattacharyya 36

If the above paragraphs of Tagore’s Thought Relics and their closely corresponding

translated sections from Śāntiniketan (Abode of Peace) be examined it would be observed

that Tagore at some point loosely translated the lines and paragraphs from the Bengali

version of Śāntiniketan and made alterations to them as he deemed suitable.

Chakraborty-Bhattacharya translation

In the first essay “Arise Awake” Tagore has used the Bengali word “kaladvani” which

means “murmur.”13 But in the Chakraborty-Bhattacharya translation they have translated

it as “pandemonium”. (Chakraborty and Bhattacharya 1) I have translated it as “murmur”

(“Arise Awake” 87) due to both literal and contextual appropriateness. When a person is

in the state of awakening whatever he sees and hears registers softly on him.

In the essay “This Shore--the Other Shore” (“E pār o pār”), “Asya means its” (114).

Tagore has used the Bengali word “ihār,” this word is third person singular number it

cannot be used as a demonstrative adjective with upper case “THIS” (the Chakraborty

and Bhattacharya 55) as the Chakraborty-Bhattacharya translation has done.

The essay which Tagore titled “Bimukhatā” has been titled “Apathy” in Chakraborty-

Bhattacharya translation. The first sentence is found to be an incomplete sentence: “That

Mighty Soul, World-Architect, who works, entering into mankind’s heart.” (Chakraborty

and Bhattacharya 163) In my translation of the same essay titled “The Obverse,” the first

sentence reads as follows: “That very Viśvakarmā, the great Atman who works by

dwelling in the hearts of the people, works in great secrecy indeed.” (“The Obverse” 171)

13
“Kaladvani,” Bānglā Vishwakosh. 1886-1911. Vol. 3. The word is a combination of two words “kalah”

and “dvani.” “Kalah” means “Asphuta madhurah dhvanirjasya,” that is, “inarticulate [soft] and pleasant

voice or sound.” “Kaladvani” refers to a person’s voice or sound which is soft and pleasant. Hence the

word “murmur” is appropriate in this context.

 Bhattacharyya 37

There are typographical errors in the translation like “I shall try not to the accept

anything…” (Chakraborty and Bhattacharya 181).

There is lack of parity in their providing meaning for each Sanskrit quotation.

The translation by Shitangshu Kumar Chakraborty and Pradip Bhattacharya does

not have references to scriptural quotations. The translation also does not provide

explanation to any culture-specific word or phrase. Perhaps they had assumed the

readers to be well-versed in vedic literature as they were translating for Indian

managers and administrators. Whenever there is a Sanskrit quotation, the

translation just gives the meaning after the transliteration of the quotation. But

even in this case, lack of parity has been observed like in case of the essay “The

Commandment,” the Sanskrit word “Aviḥ” has been completely substituted in the

translation as “Light” (Chakraborty and Bhattacharya 191) without any mention

of the Sanskrit word. A similar thing has been observed in the essay, “Year

Ending” (“Barṣaśeṣ”) the following quotation was not explained “yasya

chayamr̥taṁ yasya mr̥tyuḥ” only the Sanskrit quotation was provided

(Chakraborty and Bhattacharya 239). In my translation a footnote has been

provided regarding the same. In the essay “Philosopher’s Stone” this translation

offers no explanation to the quotation “śāntaṁ śivaṁ advaitam” (Chakraborty and

Bhattacharya 145). This translation has also not provided any glossary. In my

translation of the 50 essays I have provided extensive annotations in the form of

footnotes and glossary wherever necessary.

In the essay, “Night” they have translated the culture-specific “tanpura” as

“tambourine” (Chakraborty and Bhattacharya 63). In my translation I have kept the word

“tanpura” and did not have to provide any footnote as it is already included in COD 11th

Edition.
 Bhattacharyya 38

In the essay titled “Prayer,” the third paragraph from the last is missing in the

Chakraborty-Bhattacharya version of translation. It is not known as to why the translators

have omitted the paragraph from being translated. I have not deleted any paragraph or

sentence from the original text in my translation. Another such missing section is found

towards the end of the second paragraph of the essay, “The Third Floor” (“Tintalā”),

translated by the same translators in the same collection. In my translation, I have titled

the essay “Three Levels”. I have translated that section particularly omitted by the

Chakraborty-Bhattacharya translation as: “to take which kind of food is a sin, in which

direction the head has to be laid while sleeping” (“Three Levels” 153).

Jyoti Prakash Datta’s translation

This translation also leaves out footnote and glossary.

Sometimes we find that the translation has extra words added to it which Tagore did

not include in the Bengali original. In the essay “Tintalā” translated as “Three Storeys,” a

sentence in the third paragraph reveals one such instance: “When this limit is reached,

those things outside of us seem no more relevant to religion.” (Parabaas) I have

translated the title as “Three Levels” and this very sentence has been translated by me as

“Then we no longer consider the exterior as the sole entity.”(153) In the same paragraph

we see that the translator has left out a rural image which Tagore has used quite a number

of times in this collection of essays which I have translated as: “unceasing movement like

that of an ox yoked to a grinding mill” (“Three Levels” 153) and, Jyoti Prakash Datta has

translated it as “and our minds revolt against the trappings of daily existence”

(Parabaas).

The translation does not contain any transliteration of scriptural quotation instead all

such quotations have been translated into English. In the essay “Three Storeys,” the
 Bhattacharyya 39

Upanishadic quotation: “Tacchubhram jyotisām jyotih” was translated as “the Light of

lights” in Jyoti Prakash Datta’s translation. Though it is easy for readers to understand

but the readers are also missing out on the culture-specificity as the readers have no way

of knowing that it was an Upanishadic quotation. In my translation I have not only

retained the Sanskrit quotation by transliterating it but have also provided a footnote

regarding its meaning and reference.14 The words “rājasūya yajña” was also not included

in Jyoti Prakash Datta’s translation in the same essay, so the cultural implication was lost.

In fact, he left out a whole sentence which I have translated as “After performing the

rājasūya yajña, by defeating all the kings of mighty power outside, in the north, in the

south, in the east and in the west, we hoisted the victory flag at the pinnacle of the high

palace of the capital of our inside.” (“Three Levels” 154) I have followed the same

method employed for the Upanishadic quotation in inculcating these words. In the essay

“Prabhāte” translated as “In the Morning” by Jyoti Prakash Datta the words “bhūrbhubah

svah” have been omitted and in my translation of the same essay titled “At Dawn,” I have

retained the previous methods.

The Edition of Śāntiniketan Used for This Translation

The text used for this translation is the Visvabharati edition in two volumes. The first

nine parts of the collection of essays were included in the first volume while the

remaining eight parts, that is, from ten to seventeen were included in the second volume.

A Note on Śāntiniketan Essays

Śāntiniketan (Abode of Peace) (1908-1914) is a group of 152 essays consisting of 17

sections in two volumes. These essays were talks or lectures delivered by Tagore on

14
See my entry of the quotation on p 154 of this dissertation.
 Bhattacharyya 40

various occasions and are named after the place in which his ashram is situated. The first

13 parts were printed between 1315 BE and 1318 BE [1908-1912 CE] and the last four

parts (14-17) were published between 1322 BE and 1323 BE [1915-16 CE]. The specific

dates of publication of volumes 14 to 17 are not available. The first eight parts were

serialized lectures which were later written and were concluded within six months of

their commencement (Bengali: 17 Agrahāẏaṇ 1315 to 7 Baiśākh 1316). The other nine

sections of the collection were talks conferred on different occasions by Tagore. From

1909 to 1916 the essays were first published in seventeen individual volumes before

being compiled into two volumes in 1934-1935. The first of the two volumes contains the

initial 9 parts with 107 essays while the second volume contains the last eight parts with

the remaining 45 essays. All the 152 essays were delivered in a period between 1908 and

1914 (Pal 6: 37). Tagore was 55 years of age by the time all the 17 parts were published.

However it is important to note that not all the essays that Tagore delivered till

Māghotsav15 of 1321 BE were included in the collection. One such essay is

“Ātmasampad” (“Self-wealth”) delivered on 19 Paus 1321 [Sunday, 3 January 1915]

addressed to the students. It was published in the Caitra issue of “Tattvabodhinī” in the

same year. The reason for such omission is not known.

The first part of Śāntiniketan consisted of 11 essays delivered from 16 Agrahāẏaṇ

1315 [Tuesday, 1 December 1908] to 2 Paus 1315 [Thursday, 17 December 1908]. The

first part of Śāntiniketan was published on 11 Māgh 1315 [Sunday, 24 January 1909]

according to Bengal Library Catalogue. The publisher was Indian Publishing House at

Sukia Street. It consisted of “2 + 2 (Index) + 89” pages (Pal 6: 41).16

15
A festival celebrated by the Brāhmos in the month of Māgh.
16
This part consisted of 11 essays. 1000 copies were made, and priced at four annas each.
 Bhattacharyya 41

The first two lectures “Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata” (“Arise Awake”) and “Saṁsay” (“Doubt”)

were delivered at the Śāntiniketan temple but were written in Kolkata. This was

understood as Kshitimohan Sen mentioned in his letter that on his request Tagore started

those lectures on Kshitimohan’s birthday on 16 Agrahāẏaṇ 1315 at the Śāntiniketan

temple from four at dawn to 5 a.m. That the essays were written in Kolkata was evident

from the cashbook entry which mentioned the cost of conveyance from Howrah station to

the house at Jorasanko (Pal 6: 37). Tagore used a diary of 1908 as the manuscript of these

serialized lectures and started writing from the page dated ‘1 Jan 1908’ (Pal 6: 38). The

essay “Abhāb” (“Lack”) appeared without date in the Rabindra Rachanāvalī, but Kanai

Samanta edited the manuscript of the New Edition [Śrābaṇ 1391], confirmed the date

from Tagore’s manuscript and the essay was published with a date. Both the essays

“Abhāb” and “Ātmār Dr̥ṣti” (“Vision of the Atman”) were delivered at the Śāntiniketan

temple on 23 Agrahāẏaṇ 1315 [Tuesday 8 December 1908]. The rest of the lectures

which follow did not have such confusion with the dates as Tagore himself wrote the

dates at the end of each essay (Pal 6: 38). In the initial editions it was mentioned that the

lectures delivered by Tagore from 28 to 29 Agrahāẏaṇ 1315 were titled “Tyāger Phal”

(“The Fruit of Renunciation”), “Prem” (“Love”) and “Sāmañjasya” (“Harmony”) but in

the manuscript it was observed that these essays were titled as “Prem” on

28 Agrahāẏaṇ1315 [Sunday 13 December 1908] and “Birodher Sāmañjasya” (“The

Harmony of Conflicts”) on 29 Agrahāẏaṇ 1315 [Monday 14 December 1908]. Kanai

Samanta conjured that this confusion regarding the dates was probably caused during the

correction of proof by Tagore when he might not have checked the press copy and might

have changed the titles of the essays to bring about harmony among them. This guess is

quite logical. So, by following this logic, in the following edition it was possible to

provide the date of the lecture “Prem” (Pal 6: 41).

 Bhattacharyya 42

Lectures of the second part were delivered between 3 Pauṣ [Friday, 18 December

1908] to 12 Pauṣ 1315 [Sunday, 27 December 1908], starting with “Bikārśaṅkā” (“Fear

of Perversion”) on 3 Pauṣ 1315 [Friday 18 December 1908] and concluding with “E Pār-

o- Pār” “This Shore--the Other Shore” on 12 Pauṣ 1315 [Sunday, 27 December1908].

This second part was published on Wednesday, 11 Phālgun 1315 [24 February1909] and

consisted of 12 lectures.

12 lectures form the third part of Śāntiniketan and were delivered from 13 Pauṣ 1315

[Monday, 28 December 1908]. The first essay of this part began with “Din” (“Day”) 14

Pauṣ 1315 [Monday, 28 December 1908] and ended with “Prakr̥ti” (“Nature”) on 23 Paus

1315 [Friday, 8 January 1909]. In the earlier editions the lecture “Tin” (“Three”) was

referred to have been delivered on 21 Pauṣ 1315 but the essay was dated 22 Pauṣ 1315 in

the manuscript. This error was corrected in the 1391-edition (Pal 6: 43). This part was

published on 21 Phālgun 1315 [Friday, 5 March 1909].

Out of the 12 lectures of the fourth part of Śāntiniketan, “Viśvavyāpī” (“Pervading the

Universe”) and “Mr̥tyur prakāś” (“Manifestation of Death”) were delivered in Calcutta.

All the 12 talks were compiled between 25 Pauṣ 1315 [Saturday 9 January 1909] starting

with “Pāoẏā” (“Attainment”) and 6 Māgh 1315 [Tuesday 19 January 1909] ending with

“Mr̥tyur prakāś” (“Manifestation of Death”). The last essay of this part was published in

the Phālgun issue of “Tattvabodhinī” 1830 Śakābda17 (1908 CE) and printed in the fourth

part of Śāntiniketan. The fourth part was published on 28 Phālgun 1315 [Friday 12 March

1909].

The fifth part of Śāntiniketan consisted of eight essays. This part began with the essay

“Nabayuger Utsav” (“The Festivity of New Age”). Tagore read this essay at Maharṣi

17
Śakābda or Śaka era is counted from the reign of Kaṇiṣka I in 78 A.D.
 Bhattacharyya 43

Bhavan18, Śāntiniketan, at the evening worship on 11 Māgh 1315 [24 January 1909] and

was published in “Baṅgadarśan” 1315 Māgh and also in “Prabāsī” 1315 Phālgun. The

next seven lectures were delivered from 2 to 9 Phālgun 1315. He delivered “Bhābukatā o

Pabitratā” (“Thoughtfulness and Purity”) on 2 Phālgun 1315 [Sunday, 15 February 1909]

and “Pariṇ aẏ” (“Marriage”) on 9 Phālgun 1315 [Sunday, 21 February 1909]. The fifth

part was published on 2 Baiśākh 1316 [Thursday, 15 April 1909] and consisted of 75

pages.

The sixth part of Śāntiniketan was also published on the same day with the fifth, that

is, 2 Baiśākh 1316 [Thursday, 15 April 1909]. It was of 98 pages consisting of 14

lectures. The first lecture of this part is “Tintalā” (“Three Levels”) written on 10 Phālgun

and the last one was “Phal” (“Fruit”) on 20 Phālgun 1315 [Thursday, 4 March 1909]. The

essay “Niṣṭhā” (“Dedication”) which was published in the Baiśākh issue in 1316 of

“Bhāratī” was actually the combination of “Niṣṭhā” and “Niṣṭ hār kāj”

(“The Function of Dedication”) of the sixth part of Śāntiniketan essays. In this collection

the date given to these two essays was 17 Phālgun 1315 [Monday, 1 March 1909].

The seventh part of this collection of essays contained 14 lectures and was published

on 19 Jaiṣṭha 1316 [Wednesday 2 June 1909]. This part consisted of 98 pages and a

thousand copies were printed and priced at four annas each. After his return to

Śāntiniketan, Tagore resumed his lectures on 3 Caitra 1315 [Tuesday, 16 March 1909].

The first lecture of this part was “Satyake Dekhā” (“To See the Truth”). This part ended

with “Bhūmā” (“The Omnipresent”) on 14 Caitra 1315 [Saturday, 27 March 1909].

Tagore began to deliver the lectures of the eighth part of Śāntiniketan from 15 Caitra

[Sunday 28 March 1909] to 7 Baiśākh 1316 [Tuesday 20 April 1909]. This part began

with the essay “Om” and concluded with “Muktir Path” (“The Path of Mukti”). The essay

18
The word “bhavan” means a residence or mansion in Bengali.
 Bhattacharyya 44

“Pāoẏā o Nā-Pāoẏā” (“To Obtain and Not to Obtain”) and “Haoẏā” (“To Become”) were

combined as “Pāoẏā o Haoẏā” (“To Obtain and to Become”) and was published in

“Bhāratī” 1316 Jaiṣṭ ha issue. From “Om” to “Mukti” the lectures were inscribed in a

particular note book while “Muktir Path” was written in loose sheets and attached to the

note book to form the manuscript of the eighth part of Śāntiniketan. But while writing the

part, Tagore made a mistake and wrote seventh part which he later rectified as the eighth

(Pal 6: 56). This part was published on 1 Āṣāṛh 1316 [Tuesday, 15 June 1909]19. It

consisted of 145 pages. This part contains 20 essays.

In the evening of 31 Caitra 1315 [Tuesday, 13 April 1909] Tagore conducted worship

at the Śāntiniketan temple on the occasion of the end of the year. The speech he delivered

was named “Barṣaśeṣ ”. Tagore wrote “Mukti” and “Muktir Path” (“The Path of Mukti”)

on the same day he arrived at Calcutta on 7 Baiśākh [1909] as is evident from the

cashbook entry.

The serialized lectures that commenced on 16 Agrahāẏaṇ 1315 [Tuesday,

1 December 1908] came to a culmination after this. These lectures were compiled in the

initial eight parts of Śāntiniketan.

The essay “Tapovan” was read on 15 Agrahāẏaṇ 1316 at Overtoun Hall at 6 p.m.

(Pal 6: 113) and was published in “Prabāsī” 1316 Pauṣ . “Chutir Par” was published in the

Āśvin issue of “Tattvabodhinī” 1831 Śakābda (1910 CE). When the school at

Śāntiniketan resumed at the beginning of Āṣāṛ h 1909, Tagore welcomed the students and

teachers possibly with the speech “Chutir Par”. Ajitkumar Chakraborty had written an

essay in the Bhādra issue of “Prabāsī” based on “Tolstoy’s Last Message” (my

translation). Viewing the similarity between Ajitkumar Chakraborty’s essay and “Chutir

Par,” it might be conjured that Tagore had read that essay as there was a reflection of it in

19
It cost four annas. A thousand copies of it were printed.
 Bhattacharyya 45

“Chutir Par” (Pal 6: 79). “Bartamān Yūg” was published in the Agrahāẏaṇ issue of

“Tattvabodhinī” 1831 Śakābda (1910 CE). It is not known as to when this lecture was

delivered.

On 12 Māgh 1316 [Tuesday, 25 January 1910] the ninth part of Śāntiniketan was

published. The book consisted of 115 pages.20

The tenth part of the Śāntiniketan essays began with “Bhakta” (“Devotee”) on the

night of 7 Paus 1316 [Wednesday, 22 December 1909]. “Bhakta” was published in

“Suprabhāt” 1316 Māgh. This essay dealt with Maharṣi’s sadhana and about the ashram.

“Ciranabīnatā” (“Ever New”) was published in the Phālgun issue of “Tattvabodhinī”

1831 Śakābda (1910 CE) and also in “Bhāratī” Phālgun 1316. But before its publication

elsewhere it was already included and published in the tenth part. “Viśvabodh”

(“Perception of the Universe”) was published in “Prabāsī” 1316 Phālgun and also in the

Caitra issue of “Tattvabodhinī” 1831 Śakābda (1910 CE).

“Bhakta” was delivered on the night of the nineteenth annual celebration at

Śāntiniketan. “Ciranabīnatā” was delivered in the morning of 11 Māgh 1316 [Monday, 24

January 1910] at the third storey of the Ādi-Brāhmo Samāj which was full of people.

Both Tagore and Priyanath Shastri were seated on the dais at the right time. “Viśvabodh”

was delivered on the same day in the evening at the Maharṣi Bhavan (Introduction,

Śāntiniketan, 2: 515-516). The tenth part of Śāntiniketan was published on16 Māgh 1316

[Saturday, 29 January 1910]. It was of 107 pages.21

The eleventh part consisted of six essays. It begins with “Raser Dharma” (“The

Dharma of Essence”). Possibly this lecture was delivered at the Śāntiniketan temple,

without any date but was probably written on 16 Caitra 1316 [Wednesday 30 March

20
It was priced four annas per copy.
21
It cost four annas per copy.
 Bhattacharyya 46

1910]. It was printed in the Baiśākh issue in “Bhāratī” 1317 (Pal 6: 132). The essay titled

“Guhāhita” (“Being in a Cave”) was published in the 1317 Āṣāṛh issue of “Prabāsī” and

Bhādra issue of “Tattvabodhinī” 1832 Śakābda (1910 CE). “Janmotsav” [“Birth

Celebration”] was published in the Bhādra issue of “Bhāratī” 1317 (Pal 6: 151).

“Durlabh” (“Rare”) was published in the “Bhāratī” Āṣ āṛh 1317. On Tagore’s birthday his

lecture “Janmotsav” (“Birthday Celebration”) was delivered by him as a reply to the

welcome address made to him on 25 Baiśākh 1317 [Sunday, 8 May 1910]. The essay

“Śrābaṇsandhyā” (“An Evening in Śrāban”) was published in the Bhādra 1317 issue of

“Prabāsī”. This part concludes with the essay “Dvidhā” (“Hesitation”) published in

“Bhāratī” Āśvin 1317 [1910].

As per the Bengal Library Catalogue the eleventh part was published on 21 Āśvin

1317 [Saturday, 8 October 1910]. It consisted of 114 pages.22

The twelfth part of Śāntiniketan consisted of five essays. It began with “Pūrṇa”

(“Complete”) on 11 Śrābaṇ 1317 [Wednesday 27 July 1910] and was published in

“Prabāsī” 1317 Āśvin. Other essays from this part were “Mātr̥śrāddha”

(“The Śrāddha23 Ceremony of Mother”) on 27 Bhādra 1317 [Monday 12 September

1910] published in “Prabāsī” 1317 Kārtik, “Śeṣ” (“Ending”) published in “Mānasī”, 1317

Āśvin. “Sāmañjasya” (“Harmony”) was published in “Bhāratī” 1317 Māgh and Phālgun

issue of “Tattvabodhinī” 1832 Śakābda (1910 CE). The last essay of this part is “Jāgaraṇ”

(“Awakening”) published in “Prabāsī” Māgh 1317 and Phālgun issue of “Tattvabodhinī”

1832 Śakābda (1910 CE). The twelfth part of Śāntiniketan was published on 24 January

1911 [Tuesday 10 Māgh 1317] of 107 pages.

22
The eleventh part was priced four annas per copy.
23
Śrāddha ceremony is a Hindu rite held a few days after a person’s death to pay respect to him or her.

The number of days after which this ceremony would be held varies from caste to caste.
 Bhattacharyya 47

In “Pūrṇa”, the young friend referred to in the essay was Tagore’s biographer,

Prabhatkumar Mukhopadhyay, and it was on his birthday that Tagore delivered this talk.

Tagore conducted a special worship on 18 Bhādra 1317 [Saturday 3 September 1910] on

account of the third death anniversary of Mathurnath Nandi’s wife who was also the

mother of the ashram students Hitendra, Hirendra and Narendra Nandi. This lecture was

titled “Mātr̥śrāddha” (Pal 6: 173) The essay “Sāmañjasya” was delivered by Tagore on

Mukhopadhyay’s birthday at Śāntiniketan temple. At the Maharṣi Bhavan at Jorasanko he

delivered this lecture once again on the day of his father’s śrāddha anniversary [Friday, 6

Māgh 1317]. It was not clear whether he delivered this lecture in the afternoon or in the

evening. “Jāgaraṇ” was delivered in the evening of the annual celebration at Śāntiniketan

on 7 Pauṣ 1317 [Thursday 22 December 1910].

The thirteenth part of Śāntiniketan essays contained three essays namely, “Karma

Yog” (“Karma Yoga”), “Ātmabodh” (“Self-realization”) and “Brāhmosamājer

Sārthakatā” (“Significance of the Brāhmo Samāj”). “Karma Yog” featured in “Bhāratī”

1317 Phālgun and Caitra issue of “Tattvabodhinī” 1832 Śakābda (1910 CE). This essay

was actually read by Tagore on the occasion of the 81st Brāhmo Festival at the Adi

Brāhmo Samāj in Calcutta on 11 Māgh 1317 [25 January 1911]. After leaving out certain

portions of this essay, Surendranath Tagore translated it as “Realisation in Action” and

this translated version was read by Rabindranath Tagore on 21 June 1913 at Notting Hill

Gate for the Brāhmo samāj of London. “Ātmabodh” was printed in “Prabāsī” 1317

Phālgun, and Caitra issue of “Tattvabodhinī”. “Brāhmosamājer Sārthakatā” too was

published in the Baiśākh issue of both “Tattvabodhinī” 1832 Śakābda (1910 CE) and

“Prabāsī” 1318.

The essays “Karma Yog” was read in the morning and “Ātmabodh” was read in the

evening by Tagore on the occasion of the Māghotsav on 11 Māgh 1317 [Wednesday, 25

 Bhattacharyya 48

January 1911] (Introduction, Śāntiniketan, 2: 189, 191). Perhaps these essays were

written by Tagore at Shilaidaha. “Brāhmosamājer Sārthakatā” was a gist of the lecture

delivered at the Prayer Hall of the Sādhāraṇ Brāhmo Samāj (temple) at 6.30 p.m., in the

evening of 12 Māgh 1317 [Thursday 26 January 1911] (Pal 6: 192). This part24 was

published on 10 May 1912 [Wednesday, 27 Baiśākh 1318].

The fourteenth part of this collection of essays contained 9 essays. The part was

published in 1915. The following was written on its title-page in Bengali: “Śāntiniketan /

(fourteenth part) / Śrī Rabindranath Thākur25/ Brahmacharyasram/ Bolpur/ 1915/ Price

4 annas. [Next page:] Available at--/Indian Press,--Allahabad/ Indian Publishing House/

22 Cornwallis Street, Calcutta/Allahabad—from Indian Press/ Printed and Published by

Apurvakrishna Bose/ Number of Pages: 2+2+117” (Pal 7: 154). The year 1322 BE

(1915 CE) was a significant year in Tagore’s life as only one book of his was published

and that book happened to be the fourteenth part of Śāntiniketan essays (Pal 7: 153).

Since the book was printed in Allahabad, the date of publication was not documented in

the Bengal Library Catalogue (Pal 7: 154). The part began with “Sundar” (“Beautiful”)

on 15 Caitra 1317 and concluded with “Biśeṣatva o Viśva” (“The Particularity and the

Universe”). “Sundar” was published in “Bhāratī” 1318 Āsārh as well as in

“Tattvabodhinī” 1833 Śakābda (1911 CE) Āṣ āṛh. “Barṣaśeṣ” (“The End of the Year”)

was published in the Jaistha issue of both “Bhāratī” 1318 and “Tattvabodhinī” 1833

Śakābda (1911 CE). “Nababarṣa” (“New Year”) was brought out in the Jaiṣṭha issue of

“Tattvabodhinī” 1833 Śakābda (1911 CE) and also of “Prabāsī” 1318. “Baiśākhī Jharer

Sandhyā” (“An Evening of Northwester”) was published both in “Tattvabodhinī” 1833

Śakābda (1911 CE) and “Bhāratī” 1318 in the Śrāban issue. “Satyabodh” (“Realization of

24
Its price was 4 annas per copy and 1000 copies were made.
25
The surname “Tagore” is the anglicized version of “Thākur.”
 Bhattacharyya 49

Truth”), “Satya Haoẏā” (“To be True”), “Satyake Dekhā” (“To See the Truth”), “Śuci”

(“Cleanliness”) and “Biśeṣatva o Viśva” were essays without any date. These five

lectures were delivered on various occasions in 1318 by Tagore. The essays were

published in “Tattvabodhinī” and the year in which the last of these essays were

published was 1319 (Pal 6: 307). At the end of the text of “Śuci” the date provided was

“22 Caitra, Wednesday, 1317” (Śāntiniketan 2: 425), but in the Introduction of Kanai

Samanta it was understood that in Tagore’s manuscript date and “Wednesday” were

inscribed, the year was confirmed from the almanac (Introduction, Śāntiniketan, 2: 516 ).

“Satyabodh” was published on 1834 Śakābda (1912 CE) Bhādra, “Satya Haoẏā” on 1834

Śakābda (1912 CE) Pauṣ, “Satyake Dekhā” on 1834 Śakābda (1912 CE) Māgh, “Śuci” on

1834 Śakābda (1912 CE) Āśvin, “Biśeṣ atva o Viśva” on 1834 Śakābda (1912 CE)

Agrahāẏaṇ .

“Sundar” was a gist of the speech he delivered on 15 Caitra 1317 [Wednesday 29

March 1911]. In the morning of the new year (Friday, 14 April 1912) Tagore worshipped

at the Śāntiniketan temple. The essay “Nababarṣa” was the essence of the lecture he

delivered. When that essay was published in “Tattvabodhinī” it had the title “Antarer

Nababarṣa” (“The New Year Within”) (Pal 6: 215). Tagore delivered the talk “Baiśākhī

Jharer Sandhyā” in the evening of 6 Baiśākh 1318 [Wednesday 19 April 1911] at the

Śāntiniketan temple (Pal 6: 215). The essays “Satyabodh”, “Satya Haoẏā,” “Satyake

Dekhā”, “Śuci” were the gist of the talks delivered at the Śāntiniketan temple. The essay

“Biśeṣatva o Viśva” was also the gist of the lecture delivered at Śāntiniketan.

The fifteenth part of Śāntiniketan included three essays namely “Pitār Bodh”

(“Realization of the Father”), “Sr̥ṣtir Adhikār” (“The Claim of Creation”) and “Choto o

Baṛo” (“Small and Big”). All these essays were published in “Tattvabodhinī”. “Pitār

Bodh” was published in Phālgun 1833 Śakābda (1911 CE) while “Sr̥ṣtir Adhikār” and
 Bhattacharyya 50

“Choto o Baṛo” were published in Phālgun 1835 Śakābda (1913 CE). The last essay of

this part, “Choto o Baṛo”, was also published in both “Prabāsī” and “Bhāratī” in 1320

Phālgun.

“Pitār Bodh” was delivered in the morning of 11 Māgh 1318 [Thursday, 25 January

1912] at Māghotsav. “Sr̥ṣtir Adhikār” was the gist of the lecture delivered in the morning

of 11 Māgh 1320 at the Ādi Brāhmo Samāj temple and “Choto o Baṛo” was delivered in

the evening of the same day of Māghotsav at the Ādi Brāhmo Samāj.

The sixteenth part of Śāntiniketan consisted of five essays. This part began with the

essay “Saundaryer Sakaruṇatā” (“The Compassion of Beauty”), morning, 11 Māgh 1321

and ended with “Ekti Mantra” (“One Mantra”) 15 Māgh 1320 [Wednesday 28 January

1914]. All the essays were published in “Tattvabodhinī” and only “Ekti Mantra” was

simultaneously published in the “Prabāsī” 1320 Caitra as well. “Saundaryer Sakaruṇ atā”,

“Amr̥ter Putra” (“The Child of Amrita”), “Yātrīr Utsav” (“The Festivity of the

Traveller”), “Mādhuryer Parichaẏ” (“The Acquantance with Sweetness”) were all

published in 1836 Śakābda (1914 CE) Phālgun.

“Saundaryer Sakarunatā” and “Amr̥ter Putra” were delivered in the morning of

11 Māgh 1321. “Yātrīr Utsav” was delivered in the evening of 11 Māgh 1321.

“Mādhuryer Parichaẏ” was also delivered on 11 Māgh 1321 in the evening (Introduction,

Śāntiniketan, 2: 517). The orally delivered lecture in the temple of the Sādhāraṇ Brāhmo

Samāj in the evening of 15 Māgh 1320 resulted in the written version of “Ekti Mantra.”

Tagore was not too satisfied with the written version (Pal 6: 463).

“The seventeenth part of Śāntiniketan contained 11 essays starting with “Udbodhan”

(“Awakening”) 7 Pauṣ 1320 [Monday 22 December 1913] and concluded with

“Antaratara Śānti” (“Innermost Peace”) 7 Pauṣ 1321. All the 11 essays were published in

“Tattvabodhinī”. “Udbodhan,” “Muktir Dīkṣ ā” (“The Initiation of Mukti”), “Pratīkṣā”

 Bhattacharyya 51

(“Waiting”) and “Agrasar Haoẏār Āhvān” (“A Summons to Move Forward”) were

published in the Māgh issue of “Tattvabodhinī”1835 Śakābda (1913 CE), “Mā mā

Himsīḥ” (“Do Not Harm Me”) and “Pāper Mārjanā” [“Forgiveness of Sin”] in the issue

of 1836 Śakābda (1914 CE) Āśvin-Kārtik, “Sr̥ṣtir Kriya” (“The Work of Creation”) in the

issue of 1836 Śakābda (1914 CE) Agrahaẏāṇ, “Dīkṣār Din” (“The Day of the Initiation”),

“Āro” (“More”), “Ābirbhāb” (“Advent”) and “Antaratara Śānti” were published in the

Māgh issue 1836 Śakābda (1914 CE). “Udbodhan” and “Muktir Dīkṣā” were delivered

by Tagore in the morning at Śāntiniketan temple. “Pratīkṣā” was delivered in the evening

of the very same day. None of the three essays were written prior to Tagore’s lectures.

Ajitkumar Chakraborty happened to transcribe them at the time Tagore delivered those

lectures. The lectures were later corrected by Tagore and were printed in

“Tattvabodhinī”. After that these lectures were published in the seventeenth part of

Śāntiniketan with minute corrections. “Agrasar Haoẏār Āhvān” was an abridged version

of the discussion Tagore had at noon on 7 Pauṣ 1320 with the teachers and this was also

transcribed by Ajitkumar Chakraborty. In this discussion Tagore followed the message

given in Stopford Brooke’s Onward Cry (Pal 6: 458). “Dīksār Din” and “Āro” were

delivered in the morning while “Ābirbhāb” and “Antaratara Śānti” were delivered in the

evening. However, in volume two of the compilation of essays, “night” was stated after

the end of the essay “Antaratara Śānti.” “Antaratara Śānti” was based on Tagore’s song

“Tumi ye ceye ācho ākaś vare/ Niśidin animese dekheca more” written on 13 Caitra 1320

[Friday, 24 March 1914].

 Bhattacharyya 52

Selection of 50 essays

The 50 essays selected for translation contain the essential ideas of this collection.

Thematically all the 50 essays are linked together, one after another they journey towards

and reveal the means to arrive at the abode of peace, “Śāntiniketan.” There is also

something which is very unique about these 50 essays—that is in the nature of examples

Tagore has cited to reveal, to explain or to support what he has said. Tagore has used

examples from all walks of life--from the ordinary life as well as from the natural

science, from the Bible, from the Upanishads and the Gītā and from other sources to

explain great truths of life. This selection of 50 essays form a very practical guide as to

how to overcome adversities and to turn them all in favour of our success in life and to

make our existence on earth as meaningful as possible.

How the selection of 50 essays are linked

Each of the 50 essays follow a pattern. Tagore makes use of certain words or phrases

and keeps repeating them. Even those words fall under certain categories, for instance, he

uses economic terms (“wealth,” “save,” “need,” “want,” “poverty,” “lost,” “lack,”

“borrow”), Festival or Celebration or fair, time of the day (“day,” “night”), terms

consisting of spiritual discipline too. Sometimes he uses certain words in the essay which

he uses as the title of other essays (like “power,” lack” and “sin”).

If the collection of the selected essays is considered to be a sentence then each of these

essays functions like a part of speech. Each of these 50 essays is necessary in the

collection as it enhances the flow towards the goal, that is, a search for the “abode of

peace.”

The first essay of the collection, “Arise Awake,” seeks “peacefulness.” To attain peace

we have to “awaken the consciousness in the midst of the Infinite within” (87). The title
 Bhattacharyya 53

of the essay “Arise Awake” itself is considered “the awakening mantra.” (87) The word

“awake” has been repeated several times in this collection of the 50 translated essays.

Time of the day mentioned in this essay is “morning,” “night” and “evening.” Towards

the end of the essay the word “lack” is present. Subsequently the next essay of my

selection is titled “Lack”. Attaining God will put an end to the worldly restlessness and

will bring about peace.

In the next translated essay, “Lack,” there is a search to unite with God. The worldly

man is not even aware that he “lacks” God daily and does not know the consequences of

leaving God out from his daily life. In this essay Tagore talks about the mind being fully

“awakened” searching for that “voice and touch” (89) of the Mother. “Mother” is the

finite aspect of the Infinite God through which Tagore is trying to make one understand.

In another essay of this collection of translated essays, he regards God as a female. The

journey towards peace begins once one is receptive enough in seeking God. Here Tagore

has employed economic terms like the title itself which is “lack,” other terms are “loss,”

“quarter of a pice,” “wealth,” “wants,” “storehouse” to convey the essence of his message

in this essay. Time of the day mentioned in this essay: “dawn and dusk,” “day and night,”

are recurring images which we will keep coming across in the collection of 50 essays. So,

man has to awaken his consciousness to see that he lacks the touch of God in his daily

activities and should seek God and find Him.

It is not enough to seek God. We should also be aware about that which obstructs our

union with Him. In “Sin” it is revealed what happens when the finite (man) tries to unite

with the infinite (God). “Sin” is nothing but an obstacle towards man’s uniting with the

Infinite. When there is a pull between the finite “atman” and Infinite “Atman” to unite, it

is “sin” which comes in between them. The variation of the usage of the word “awake”

occurs in this essay as well: “when the atman awakens, it seeks the Atman within the
 Bhattacharyya 54

universe”(91). God is referred to as “Supreme Love” (91) in this essay. Time of day

again finds mention here as “dawn,” “night” and “daybreak”. The word “mukti” finds its

first mention in this essay of the collection of 50 translated essays, ‘beauty’ gets a

mention too. These are words which will recur in other translated essays of this selection

as well.

In “Sorrow,” Tagore talks of the acceptance of sorrow to come in touch with Truth or

else, “we deprive ourselves of coming in perfect contact with Truth.” (94) That’s the next

step after identifying that “sin” is an obstruction. There are economic terms in this essay

too just as in the essay “Lack,” like: “lack,” “allowance,” “dealings,” “accounts, ”

“purchase,” “paid” and “settle up accounts.” There is the use of legal words like “justice”

and “injustice.” Also, there are uses of terms like “happiness,” “beauty,” “prana”

“sorrow,” “power” and “renounce.” Sorrow is necessary to unite with Brahman and it is

positive because it unveils the Truth. Hence in order to unite with the infinite we have to

dispel sin and that is when we encounter sorrow.

The next essay is “Renunciation” and it tells us about the necessity of “renunciation.”

When we let “sorrow” wear itself out, it is then that we realize the necessity of

“renunciation.” It helps us to move forward because when we “let go” (97), we move

towards attainment. Time of the day referred to in this essay is “morning.” The words

“law,” “completeness” and “mukti” used in this essay later on become the titles of three

different essays respectively. The word “tune” is repeated in another essay titled “Bonds

of the mantra.” The words “demands,” “poverty,” “save” “sell” and “wealth” are

economic terms used in other essays of this collection of 50 essays. The word

“renunciation” is repeated many times in this essay as well as in other essays of this

collection of 50 essays. The word “blissful” is a variation of “bliss” and it occurs in

majority of the essays of this collection. There is the word “amrita” which is mentioned
 Bhattacharyya 55

here and it is used both in the literal and mythical sense in the next essay “Prayer”. The

word “renounce,” as Tagore uses it here, has a positive connotation. We encounter

“sorrow” because we have to renounce, or give up, “sin” is the obstacle towards our

union with God: “When we do work by being unattached to our work, only then do we

attain complete claim over work” (98-99). It is only when we give up the fruits of our

labour “by being unattached” that we actually attain God.

The essay, “The Prayer,” can be said to be an extension of the previous essay. Here

Maitreyī discards the finite [husband’s material possessions] for the infinite [immortality

which she regards as “love”], and she pines for “love” as she knows that is the only way

to reach Him. It is only through love that she, a finite being, can attain the infinite as she

says, “Amid this love itself we get a taste of the Infinite.” (103) Merging of the finite into

the infinite is achieved only through love. Words like “awakened,” “sin,” “beautiful,”

“endless,” “necessities,” “prayer,” “beauty,” “wealth,” “savings,” “save,” “love,” more,”

“lack,” “happy,” “amount,” “want,” “need,” “power” have also been included in this

essay. Towards the end of the collection Tagore writes an essay titled “More”. Some of

these words that Tagore uses are turned into essay titles like “Power,” “Sin,” “End,”

“Beauty” and “Prayer” in this translated collection of essays. We face “sorrow” when we

renounce all that which causes “sin” (obstructing man’s union with Brahman) but how do

we unite with the Infinite after renouncing all our attachments? It is through love that the

finite unites with the Infinite. Love is devoid of reason and self interest, it is alogical.

In the previous essay Tagore talked about love being instrumental in the union of the

finite and the Infinite. Here in “Dispersed Fair,” Tagore expounds one such Upanishadic

concept (of the finite and the infinite being linked through everyday examples). The main

theme of this essay is that the finite and the infinite are intrinsically linked. The first word

of the title is “bhāngā” which literally means “broken” (depicting finiteness) in Bengali.
 Bhattacharyya 56

This denotes fragmentation, it also means that something which was initially a complete

whole, infinite, is now manifested in its finite entity. In its English translation, the word

used is ‘dispersed,’ this is to convey the sense of the essay. The time of the day

mentioned in the essay is “day,” “night” and “dawn.” These serve as the titles of three

other essays of this collection. There are also the words “mela,” “needs,” “wants,” At

one moment these “wants” are extremely essential , in the very next moment they are

treated as ‘aborjonā’ (waste), ‘bojhā’ (load) and ‘bhār’ (burden). These convey the

finiteness of all “wants” and “necessities” and with that there is an aspiration of man to

go beyond them. Tagore makes use of several metaphors and formal elements to reveal

the finiteness of things around us, yet in the last paragraph Tagore clearly reminds us that

all dispensable “necessities” are contained in the “indispensable” ones. Hence, the finite

and the infinite are intrinsically linked and are united with themselves. There is necessity

of the finite because without the finite there would be no question of its union in love

with the infinite. It is by the means of the finite that we become one with the infinite. God

carries on with his sport of uniting with his bhakta.

In the essay “End of Festivity,” Tagore talks of the man who “saves a little everyday,”

(110) the finite trying to connect with the infinite. Here too Tagore uses “amrita” as in

“the pot of amrita held in Its [Dawn] hand.” (111) Economic terms and expressions have

also been used in this essay like “settling up our accounts,” “saves,” “debts,” “borrow,”

“wasted”. The word “renunciation” is used in this essay which happens to be the title of

a previous essay of this collection of 50 essays. Time of the day mentioned here is

“dawn”. The words “festivity,” “rejoice” and “joy” occurs several times in this essay.

Tagore tries to bring harmony between opposites, citing love as its uniting function here

is evident too: “At least once a year man ceases to be miserly and tries to forge a relation

of sharing with that generous One.” (109) Opposition between two terms “king” and
 Bhattacharyya 57

“beggar,” “rich” and “poor,” “miserly” and “generous,” “poverty” and “wealth,”

“invited” and “uninvited,” is seen in this essay. Here festivity is a metaphor for uniting

with God. The word “end” reveals the bankruptcy of spiritual wealth. On a daily basis if

we prepare ourselves to attain God then the festivity will not “end,” every day would be

festivity. This essay tells us how essential it is to prepare ourselves daily for attaining the

union between the finite and the infinite, so that when it is actually time for us to unite

with God, our love for Him should be awakened.

“Ferry Me Across” starts with “On that very day at dawn, when the mela had

dispersed….” (111) The first line itself has a link with the essay titled “At Dawn” as the

time of the day depicted is “dawn”. Here there are words like “renounces,” “ferry me

across,” “sea,” “shore,” “boatman,” “bondage,” “loss,” “fair,” “day and night,”

“completeness,” “O Sea of Bliss.” One does not “ferry across,” that is, attain God, by

renouncing his work, it is the individual’s work which helps him to attain God and be

ferried across: “Whenever he [man] is able to make his house as Your house, then it is by

being in his house itself that he is ferried across.” (112) One does not need to go

elsewhere to attain God, he attains Him by performing his daily tasks by realizing that

they are God’s work: “It is Your [God’s] work” (112). The essay answers the question:

‘How should we be ferried across by awakening our love for Him? It is by doing our

regular duties with love for Him, realizing that it is actually His work and not for our self-

interest.

In “This Shore—the Other Shore,” the phrase “ferry across” continues from the

previous essay and Tagore develops it in this essay. Here “ferry across” too has the same

meaning as in the previous essay. Tagore reflects that all beings are essentially

connected: “That egotism builds a wall from all sides to keep a distance between us in

spite of our being very close to each other” (113). This “egotism” is the finiteness, the
 Bhattacharyya 58

“sin,” which creates obstacles in our attaining the oneness with God. So, whenever we

are able to transcend this “sin” of finiteness through “renunciation,” by overcoming

“sorrow,” by regular practice and awakened love ,we are “ferried across” and we find

God to be with us and not somewhere else but is nearer to us than we think. Tagore

repeats words like “money,” “wealth,” “lose,” “joy,” “sea,” “shore,” “burden,” “power,”

“esah,” “distance,” “motion” and “Bliss.” The time of the day mentioned in this essay is

“night” and “morning”.

In “Day” we try to know the ways in which we can realize that God is not far but near.

This essay answers that question as to the consequences of being separated and united. In

my union with others I attain my union with the Supreme Reality. God pervades the

whole universe and so, wherever we are able to go beyond the finiteness of our atman

and go towards the many, we unite with God: “When we are only within ourselves we are

unconscious, when we move towards all, we are awakened. It is only then that we know

ourselves.” (116) It is when we are united with others that we actually attain God: “That

is why by being separated, by being insignificant, we wander about being futile in all

respects; that is why neither does our knowledge perfectly unite with knowledge, nor

heart with heart, nor effort with effort, to create an appropriate temple of man— by no

means is our atman able to assume its great form worthy of uniting with that Great Being,

Viśvakarmā.” (119-20). Staying within the narrow concerns of the atman is failure. So, it

is by overcoming the finiteness that we achieve oneness with God. Tagore uses words

like “power,” “lose,” “lack,” “dearth,” “poverty,” “joy,” “happiness,” “love,” “end,”

“renunciation,” “lost,” “amount,” and “steal” here. Tagore uses his theme of opposition

once again: “light and darkness,” “sleep and wakefulness,” “contraction and expansion,”

“once it ebbs, again it flows” in this essay. The words “awakened” and “whole” have

been repeated in this essay as well and the root of the word “awakened” serves as part of
 Bhattacharyya 59

a title in the collection (first essay) while the word “whole” serves as part of another title

of an essay too. Time of the day mentioned here is “morning” and “night”.

The essay, “Night” answers the question: ‘How do we achieve the harmony that

prevails in God’s universe in spite of the diverseness in our lives? It is by uniting with the

Supreme Atman that we attain harmony with everything: “we need to establish a perfect

harmony with the Supreme Atman for some time” (122) or else, we will find ourselves

separated from every other thing. By meditating upon the Supreme Atman we would be

able to “transform the realm of work of the world into the realm of joy.” (123) Tagore

uses his theme of opposition once again in this essay: “night and day” and “sleep and

awakening”. The words which have been used in previous essays are repeated once more

in this essay: “power,” “sleep,” “slumber,” “awake,” “ended,” “day,” “joy,” “peace,”

“love,” “beauty,” “beautiful,” “surrender,” “tune,” “wastes,” “accumulated,” “needs,”

“light” “pay for damages,” and “casting the net.” Time of the day mentioned is: “dawn,”

“night,” “day” and “morning”.

The essay, “At Dawn,” is a carryover of the idea in the essay, “Night.” It answers the

question: ‘What do we achieve by this union with the Supreme Atman?’ We would find

our true identity. We should see ourselves as being one with the Omnipresent or else, we

would think that we are “small” and “weak.” We should go beyond our finite selves and

unite with the Infinite: “may all distances between them [atman and Supreme Atman]

dissolve.” (123) If that is not so “we do not have true identity of our self.” (123) The

word “dawn” also explains the realization of our “identity” of being “completely

enclosed within the Supreme Atman” (123). The phrase “At Dawn” was mentioned in the

essay “Ferry Me Across.” The word “messenger” is mentioned here which is once again

used in the next essay of this collection, “The Unique.” Time of the day referred to is

“dawn” and “night”. There are also words like “power” and “rule”. The word “night”
 Bhattacharyya 60

occurs several times in this essay. And this essay, “At Dawn,” is a direct follow up of the

previous essay “Night” as it talks of the union of the finite with the infinite. Always one

should realize himself as being immersed in God.

In the essay “The Unique,” we question: ‘How is our identity different from those of

others?’ It is different in the way that it has a unique relation with God in spite of having

a general relationship with all: “In this very abode of “I” is Your ultimate sport indeed.”

(127) So, “of all my sorrows my supreme sorrow lies in being separated from You, that

is, the sorrow of pride; and, among all other joys, my supreme joy lies in my union with

You, that is, the bliss of divine love.” (126-27) This reveals that though we have unity

with God as with everything else, there is a place where our relation with God is one on

one. It reveals to us how we actually go beyond our finite selves by uniting with God.

There are repetitions of words like “saved,” “creation,” “unique,” “particular” and

“bliss”. Oppositions like “general” and “unique,” “sorrow and joy,” “separation and

union,” “immortality and death” are present.

In the essay, “Beauty,” there is the continuation of the idea as in “Unique.” It tells us

how the “unique” “I” is special and answers the question: ‘How do we transcend our

finiteness?’ It is by accepting God out of our “free will” that we can transcend finiteness,

because it is “in the unusual realm of this “I” within our inner atman, there is going and

coming of that Blissful One and there is evidence of that throughout the universe.” (129)

So, that which is linked with this “I” transcends the finiteness and becomes the Infinite. It

is in this “unique” “I” that we have to accept Him with love. The identity of the Infinite is

in the finite. Tagore mentions that God gives us a chance to decide and accept Him out

of love, only then can we see His love for us, as He says: “‘May there be joy between you

and me; accept me of your own accord.” (129) There are words like “dawn,” “beauty,”
 Bhattacharyya 61

“beautiful,” “joy,” “bliss,” “peaceful,” “love,” “sin,” “awaken,” “sorrow” being repeated

in this essay as well. Bliss is felt through love.

The idea that Tagore has presented in “Unique” continues in “Law” as well, that is,

the idea of the general and unique, two contradictions residing in one place, in the ‘I,’ but

he does not just stop at that idea, the idea progresses: “On the side in which I am equal to

brick, wood, tree and stone, in that general direction God’s all-pervading Law not in the

least allows me to be different from the ordinary. Again in that direction where I am

uniquely “I,” in no way does God’s unique bliss allow me to merge with all.” (132) We

see the finite always linked with the infinite when “each [finite] of us is united with the

whole” (131). When we transcend finiteness we discover that God could be a Friend or a

Law-giver. As Law-giver He treats us like every other thing as “particles of wood and

stone, sand and dust” (131) and we have to follow the law. But what seems more

emphatic in this essay is God’s manifestation as a Friend because “His manifestation as a

friend is certainly not within the realm of law—where else will that manifestation be if

not within me in the realm of love?” (131) This is because the “realm of law” is general,

but it is in “the realm of love” that I become “unique” and attain God. There are

repetitions of the words like “want,” “law,” “bliss”.

In the essay “Three” Tagore continues his idea of the general and unique from the

previous essay: “Towards nature there is rule and towards our atman there is bliss.” (133)

It asks the function of “nature” in seeking the Supreme Atman. Here “nature” is general

whereas atman is “unique.” But here in this essay he shows that the two are not

contradictions, following rules can also lead one to God: “When we understand that [true

union is established upon pure self-sacrifice] completely, only then it becomes possible to

attain all kinds of unobstructed union in love with advaitam who is that Supreme Atman

in the form of Oneness.” (135) In Tagore literature we have seen that love is the ultimate
 Bhattacharyya 62

thing. To Tagore, immortality is “love,” he did assert that in the essay, “Prayer” as well.

The three words “peace,” “bliss” and “love” are continuously repeated. Words like “rule”

and “end” are also repeated. Again we find the finite linked with the infinite here in:

“everyone [finite] has got eternal refuge in Him [Infinite].” (134) Actually “everyone”

here refers to each and every being that appears to be “different” from the Infinite and is

“identical” to it due to love. Here the finite, being a part of the infinite is reflected upon.

“The Whole” carries forward the idea of the previous essay and Tagore delves further

into the question of “part” and “whole.” Here Tagore asks the question: ‘Why is it

necessary to see in parts and then see from the point of wholeness?’ It is important to do

that as there is a distortion of truth if that is not done. He uses the example of the

spiritual and physical sides of man: “it is necessary to see these two [parts] as a perfectly

united form within complete wholeness.” (139) The words “awakened,” “beauty,”

“morning” are again repeated.

In the essay, “Power,” Tagore picks up the thread from “The Whole” when he says

“Whenever there is separation, there is suffering.” (140) So, when the “parts,” that is, a

part like “self-interest,” gets transformed into doing selfless action, it goes towards the

“many.” It gets liberated. Here “part” can be taken as “self-interest” and whole or infinite

is “Supreme Truth,” and there is only one way to achieve that, and it is through “action.”

It is “action” that liberates us from the finite and helps us to transcend from the finite to

the infinite. All actions are innate “Our power wants to get liberated within action—not

only for external necessities, but for internal revelation.” (141) This “internal revelation”

gives “bliss.” There are words which we find in other essays too being repeated here:

“law,” “sorrow,” “rules,” “law,” “renunciation,” “mukti,” “lack,” “completeness,”

“power,” “bliss” “day,” “night.”

 Bhattacharyya 63

In “Prana” we see a direct link with the essay, “Power.” In “Power” Tagore talks of

the necessity of unselfish “action” and combines it with “bliss”. In Prana there is the

manifestation of bliss and action that work in tandem: “In prana, both bliss and action

remain united together.” (143) Prana has been equated with Brahman here: “He [knower

of Brahman] takes Brahman, the manifestation of Prana of the universe, within his prana”

(143). So, it is the internalization of the infinite Prana into the prana of the devotee,

knower of Brahman. Bliss is within while action is without, and both of them are in

prana. The Prana is being manifested in the individual prana: “He who is manifested in

the whole universe in the form of Prana, that is, manifested simultaneously in the form of

bliss and action, it is that very Prana which the knower of Brahman manifests through his

own prana itself.” (145)

In “Place for Pilgrimage” too Tagore picks up the string from the essay, “Prana,”

about the need to delve within. So he says, “meditate upon He who is within!”(147) He

justifies the need to delve inside: “When I know that I am within the Supreme Atman and

that the Supreme Atman is within me, then when I see others I will surely be able to see

that he too is within the Supreme Atman and the Supreme Atman is within him” (147).

This essay aims at the transition from the outside to inside and ultimately achieves it.

There are repetitions of words like “need,” “end,” “loss,” “touchstone,” “fear,” “power,”

“happiness,” “uproar” and “sins” in this essay.

It is seen that after the transition from the outside to the inside, in “Observer,”

Tagore’s concern is to save the inside from the attacks of the outside and he mentions

ways in which we can keep our heart from the turmoil of the outside world. So see your

inner atman as an “observer,” the inner atman does not get involved but is beyond: “He

[our inner atman] indeed pervades the world, the body, the intellect, the heart, yet our

inner atman transcends this world, this body, this intellect and this heart. He [our inner
 Bhattacharyya 64

atman] is the Observer.” (149) There are repetitions of words like “peaceful,” “noise,”

“uproar,” “joys,” “sorrows,” “detached” “mukti” and “renouncing.”

What happens when you see the Supreme Brahman within yourself? You cease to

fear. In “The Eternal Abode” Tagore instructs us to look within to see the bliss of the

inner atman so that there would not be any fear. That which is outside is narrow and

finite, the atman which is inside is infinite: “see the atman in the inner abode, in the midst

of the eternal, in the midst of Brahman; only then will the entire power of pleasure and

grief go away. Why then is there any fear of harm, of criticism, of sickness, of death or of

anything else at all? The atman is ever triumphant. The atman is not a slave of any other

slave in the transient world, the atman is established in the infinite, in the immortality.

The bliss of Brahman is manifested in the atman.” (151) There are recurring words in this

essay which also appears in other essays of this collection of 50 essays: “bliss,”

“pleasure,” “sorrow,” and “love.”

“Three Levels” carries forward the idea of the previous essay. The essay, “Three

Levels,” has also similarity with another essay, “The Whole,” where it is mentioned that

seeing things in parts is important, only then can one understand the whole. Similarly,

here we see that Tagore gives the answer to the question: ‘What happens when one

delves deep into the ‘innermost cave’ within?’ The answer is “all the conflicts between

the inside and the outside become resolved. Then there is no victory but joy; no struggle

but sport; no separation but union; not I but all; neither outside nor inside, then it is

Brahman” (154). So, three levels are seen and all three have their purpose. The recurring

words: “awakened,” “surrendered,” “sufferings,” “sorrows,” “day,” “night,” “love,”

“power,” and “grief,” “wants,” “sorrow” and “happiness” are also present in the essay.

“Philosopher’s Stone” takes up the idea from the previous essay. This essay provides

answer to the question: “How do conflicts between the inside and the outside get
 Bhattacharyya 65

resolved? How is there a harmony between the two?” It is not by “renunciation” of our

daily activities that I will know the Supreme Being. Amidst our day-to-day activities we

meditate upon Him and we offer the fruit of our labour to Him: “at all times, in all

actions, I will let the upāsanā go on in the still court of that secret chamber within my

heart.” (157) No matter what duties we perform but “the upāsanā” continues “within my

heart.” Words such as “awakens,” “peace,” “dawn,” “morning,” “uproar,” “lose,” “saved,

“wants,” “rejoicing,” “renunciation” have been repeated in this essay too.

In the next translated essay, “Prayer,” Tagore carries forward the idea of the previous

essay as if by providing the answer to the question: ‘What is found in that heart after

allowing upāsanā to go on?’ We find “Truth” in that heart after allowing upāsanā to go

on. The words: “sinless,” “beauty” and “bliss” have been repeated in this essay.

“Detachment” answers the question ‘What is Truth?’ The answer to this is given in the

essay: “when we know the Truth then it is within that undivided Truth itself that we know

all the fragments.” (162) So, Truth is both finite and infinite. Here the finite, “fragments,”

leads to the infinite, “undivided Truth,” “whole.” Hence it is the “attachment” for the son

which leads us to God. There are words like “sins,” “joy,” “whole,” “beautiful,”

occurring again.

“Collectedness” also takes up the thread from the previous essay when it inquires:

‘How does one find Truth?’ Truth is found by pursuing single-minded sadhana. The

words “lack,” “power,” “happiness” and “awakened” are again repeated.

In “Dedication” it is as if the essay itself provides the answer to ‘What happens in the

path of sadhana?’ There are trials and tribulations in the path of sadhana but it is

Dedication which helps to undertake the journey successfully to the end: “in the dryness

and emptiness of the desert path, without taking any food, even without getting anything,
 Bhattacharyya 66

that which can drive us along is only Dedication” (167). The words “prana,” “unending”

are mentioned.

“The Function of Dedication” is a continuation of the thought as reflected in the

previous essay, “Dedication”. Function of Dedication is to see that we reach the desired

destination and not lose track: the Dedication which “overcomes hopelessness, the

Dedication which has the capacity to withstand shock, the Dedication indifferent to

external encouragement, the Dedication unmoved by criticism—at no cost, for no reason

should that Dedication renounce us.” (171) Some of the words which occur in other

essays also are: “energy,” “power,” “joy,” “love,” “awake,” “stop,” “peace,” “night,”

“beauty,” “sea,” “end, “lack” and “renounce.”

“The Obverse” talks about the right destination. What happens when we look at the

wrong direction? The destination which is reached through dedication is, in fact, “within”

and not outside: “For once, turn your gaze within; only then would you be able to

understand all the meanings.” (172) Words like “joy,” “power,” “night,” “day,”

“blissful,” “dawn” are again mentioned in this essay.

“To see the Truth” is to see the “essence” of everything we see around us and not see

them on the “surface.” To do that “Amidst the vast array of events, behold the One who

is the fundamental power of the universe, we direct our gaze inwards.” (176) So, one has

to meditate on the “One” within to understand the essence of everything. This essay is an

elaboration of the thought of the previous essay which reveals how we tend to look at the

wrong direction, neglecting the right one. There are repetitions of the words: “joy,”

“awake,” “end,” “awaken” and “bliss”.

In the previous essay Tagore talked of seeking the “essence” of every day events, in

the present essay, “Creation,” this idea is carried forward. What do we see when we look

within? We see the “Creator” engaged continuously in the process of creating our inner
 Bhattacharyya 67

realm, that is, preparing our realm of upāsanā, just as He is doing for the outer realm:

“He who is seated amidst this world and the other, is seated in this courtyard [at the seat

of upāsanā within].” (178) So, He is preparing us to be able to see the “manifestation” of

His “incessant bliss” (179).

The word “manifested” has been taken up by Tagore in “Loaded Boat” and he builds

up on it: “The little field of his [man’s] life is like an island surrounded by the

unmanifested from all directions, only that little has been manifested to him.” (179) So in

order to get “incessant bliss” (“Creation” 179) manifested man has to give up his ego.

The “fruit” of his labour (which may be termed as upāsanā ) is not “wasted”. Words such

as “ego,” “accounts,” “tax,” “saved” and “cost” finds mention in this essay.

So, after renouncing our “ego” we attain our nature in the essay, “Attainment of

Nature”. But, what is our nature? It is the same as that of the “Supreme Atman”. Our

atman “is not joyful in receiving, it is joyful in giving.” (181) This gives it bliss. The

following words once again occur in this essay: “creates,” “sorrow,” “awakens,”

“creation,” “renunciation,” “bliss,” “joy” and “love.”

In the essay, “Commandment,” Tagore talks of manifesting our atman. The ultimate

outcome of manifesting the atman is bliss, but how do we manifest the atman? We

manifest the atman by “propagation of this love.” (184) Lack of sin leads to the

propagation of love as the Supreme Atman is all-pervading, so also is the atman. There is

also a link between this essay and the essay, “The Prayer,” in reference to Maitreyī’s

prayer where she wants only “love”. The following words also occur in this essay:

“sorrow,” “love,” “bliss,” “renounce,” “sin” and “bondage.”

In the next translated essay, “Completeness,” Tagore takes up the idea of love from

the previous essay and builds on it. Love for all (finite beings) [both “neighbours” and

“enemy”] is necessary for the attainment of the “Omnipresent” (Infinite). And to love
 Bhattacharyya 68

one has to go beyond the obstruction of “pride, self-interest, anger and greed” (188).

Only then can one love all and be united with all. Union with all is the union with

Brahman. He who “aspires for the abode of Brahman has to attain this level of love”

(186). The words such as: “cost,” “love,” “completeness,” “pride,” “needs,”

“necessities,” “awaken,” “renunciation,” “desires,” “complete,” recur in this essay.

The essay, “Om,” elaborates on the idea of the essay, “completeness”. In “Om”

Tagore shows how the incomplete or fragments are all inclusive: “The One in whom

nothing has been excluded, within whom all the fragments have become a whole, all

contradictions have become resolved, it is only to Him that our atman wants to accept as

‘Yes’ with folded palms.” (190) This is “completeness,” this is Om. This essay also

repeats the words:“completeness,” “prana,” “peacefully” and “sin”.

“Supreme Obtainment” carries the idea of inclusiveness in the previous essay with a

different vein and deals with an understanding of how Brahman can be obtained. Just as

in “Om” Tagore talks of the inclusiveness of the fragments or the finite in the whole or

the infinite, here he talks about man’s longing for the Infinite which is present in the

finite. So, when the atman longs for obtaining God, it does not think He is another entry

in the inventory of things, but He is the “Infinite within finite, it [the atman] aspires to

realize that Infinite.” (194) Not only that, I have to understand that whatever I enjoy has

been bestowed upon me by God: “whatever there is in the universe He pervades them all,

it has to be known that whatever you have attained have been bestowed upon you by

Him.” (195) So, the infinite pervades the finite. The following words are again repeated:

“obtaining,” “wants,” “inventory,” “account,” “lost,” “ adding,” “ accumulating,”

“garbage,” “refuge” and “bliss.”

The first line of “Self-surrender” follows from the first and second sentences of the

previous essay, “Supreme Obtainment”. Tagore picks up the theme of obtaining

 Bhattacharyya 69

Brahman from the previous essay and develops the idea in this essay. Instead of trying to

obtain God we should surrender ourselves to Him by getting rid of the obstacles such as

the “ego,” only then would we realize “that I am within Him and there is no separation

anywhere.” (198) This again draws upon the all inclusiveness of “Om” when each entity

is actually within Brahman and everything we “enjoy [is] by his bestowal” (198) The

following words are repeated: “lacking,” “joy,” “love,” “happiness,” “sorrow,” “ego,”

“power” and “happiness”

The essay, “Self-confidence” asks the question: ‘Why do we try to ‘obtain’ God?’

Tagore says, “the reason that we seek the Supreme One is solely for the sake of our own

oneness.” (199) It is because our atman considers itself as one with the “Supreme One”

that it wants to stay united with It. As a single atman it is separated from the others and

eventually from the Supreme Atman but as the atman longs for completeness and oneness

it tries to unite with the others and thus “transform[s] this small one [atman] into the

greater One [Supreme Atman].” (199) The following words are repeated: “prana,”

“completeness,” “love,” “joy,” “power” and “bliss” in this essay.

What is the way in which we can find fulfilment in seeking God? How do I manifest

that I have a father? It is with the help of the mantra. In “The Bonds of the Mantra,”

Tagore asserts that the “mantra” is a means to attune ourselves to God. The following

words recur in this essay as well: “awaken,” “special [as in biśes],” “unique,” “attune,”

“tune,” “joy,” “sorrow” and “blissful.”

In “The End of the Year” Tagore conveys the fact that there is oneness and

continuation, there is only an apparent separation: “There is no separation between the

ending of the year today and the beginning of the year tomorrow--this ending enters into

that beginning with complete silence and great ease.” (204) In this essay the justification

of “end” or “death” is being made. It is death which lets go while life firmly tries to hold
 Bhattacharyya 70

on to everything. When the finiteness of life is revealed to us only then do we respect

death. The following words are repeated: “E[e]nding,” “end,” “beautiful,” “renunciation,”

“wants,” “miser,” “savings,” “piled up,” “tune,” “sin,” “sorrow,” “detachment,”

“accumulated,” “seashore,” “self-surrender,” “evening” and “peaceful”.

In “Mukti” Tagore again conveys how the finite reveals the Infinite: “Wherever we

see the Infinite within the finite, we see the Immortal, there itself lies our bliss.” (207) He

equates the Infinite with Truth: “This Infinite itself is the Truth; to see It is to see the

Truth.” (207) To see finite as Infinite, and to see the Infinite as Truth, is mukti. So, to see

the Infinite we do not have to renounce the world but to accept it as the manifestation of

God’s bliss. Here, habitual work is considered as finite, but it is through work that we

will attain mukti. In this essay too we have the repetition of the words “joy,” “morning,”

“bliss,” “love,” “awakens,” “power,” “completeness,” “detachment” and “renunciation”.

In “After the Holidays” Tagore picks up the idea of “habit” trying to make everything

mundane from the essay, “Mukti.” Whatever be the work, one has to see the “One”

beyond everything. Working for the sake of working or to achieve the fruit of one’s

labour is not joy in the true sense. A person sees the ultimate essence of work by going

beyond the work itself, in such a case even when there are obstacles in the path of

accomplishment of that task, the obstacles actually help him to come closer to God. That

which is beyond is God. In this essay too we have the repetition of the words “joy,”

“blissful,” “energy,” “power,” “peace,” “miser,” “lack,” “end,” “beautiful,” “evening,”

“pain” and “beauty.”

In “Mukti” Tagore talks of work as becoming a habit. So, in this essay, “End,” Tagore

reveals in the justification of stopping. He glorifies the “pause” as that which is also a

beginning. In this essay too we have the repetition of the words “renounce,” “end,”

“poverty,” “renouncing,” “saving,” “save,” “miserliness,” “end,” “poverty,” “wealth,”

 Bhattacharyya 71

“bankrupt,” “renunciation,” “renounce,” “renouncing,” “saving,” “beautiful,”

“miserliness” and “bestowing.”

In “Awakening,” there is again the concept of the “unique” and the “general” as in a

previous essay of this selection titled “The Unique”. Every day is festivity but as we do

not call upon God earnestly we do not see Him but if we do so earnestly even for a

moment we would certainly have fulfilment: “Let us awaken the power which is within

us. Even if we get its response for a moment then its fulfilment is for ever.” (218 )

Unique day of festivity is the day on which we see God. Though we can see Him daily,

we do not make the effort to do so. Here too the words “awakened,” “festivity,” “special

(“biśes”),” “uniqueness,” “joy,” “accumulated,” “lack,” “amounts,” “habit,” “lacking,”

“storehouse,” “waste,” “stock,” “tune” “loss,” “power,” “dawn” and “beauty,” are found

as in the other essays.

The previous essay deals with a “unique” day on which we will be able to see God.

Though it is “unique,” we have accumulated our spiritual wealth daily in order to make

the day “unique.” “The Day of Initiation” maintains this strain of thought and answers the

question, “How can we see Truth?” It is “only through joy that it is possible to see the

Truth, not through any other means. Through our extreme attachment we hold on to

everything externally. It is for this very reason that a day comes for us to see the inner

form of joy by getting rid of that attachment.” (219) So, the day of initiation is that day

when we see the “the Eternal Life within.” (219) Words like “festivity,” “love,”

“awakened,” “bliss,” “renounces,” “joy” and “sin” are repeated.

In the previous essay, “The Day of Initiation,” Tagore talked of the Supreme Will

pervading the universe and realization of God within. In “More” Tagore shows how an

ordinary man goes beyond his finite existence and becomes infinite by answering a great

summons: “See it as being pervaded by God—that abode of bliss will be revealed

 Bhattacharyya 72

everywhere.” Hence, Tagore reveals in the essay that external conditions no longer affect

us. Words like “more,” “festivity,” “riches,” “storehouse,” “power,” “joy,” “wealth,”

“sorrow,” “celebration,” “festival,” “dawn,” “amass,” “tune,” “endless,”

“commandment,” “business and trade,” “money” and “bliss” are repeated.

“Innermost Peace” is the last essay of the collection. Here too words and phrases like

“awaken,” “bliss,” “uproar,” “noisy,” “festivity,” “noise,” “peace,” “mela,” “tumult,”

“buying and selling,” “din and bustle” have been reiterated as in other essays. There is

the reference to the music of the ektārā in both the first and last essay of this collection.

In the first essay of the collection, “Arise Awake,” Tagore talks of the “murmur” of

activities and in the last essay he continuously talks of “uproar”. This shows that in the

first essay, awakening had started and in the last essay the finite being is totally awakened

to the fact that whatever be the external conditions, nothing will affect that seat of yoga

within. These 50 essays reveal the state of awakening of human consciousness in search

of an “abode of peace.”

Methodology Adopted in this Translation

Bengali Date System

The Bengali date system was retained in the translated essays. Conversion of

Bangābda or Bengali era to the Christian era:26

(i) From the second half of April to December: subtract 593 from AD to get

Bangābda.

(ii) From January to the first half of April: subtract 594 from AD to get

Bangābda.

26
See “Sāl” in Bangiya Sabdakosh.
 Bhattacharyya 73

The Bengali calendar has six seasons with two months corresponding to each of the

seasons.

Names of Bengali seasons Names of the corresponding Bengali months

Grīsma Baiśākh and Jaistha

(Summer)

Barsā Āsārh and Śrāban

(Monsoon)

Śarat Bhādra and Āśvin

(Autumn)

Hemanta Kārtik and Agrahāyan

(Pre-Winter)

Śīt Paus and Māgh

(Winter)

Basanta Phālgun and Caitra

(Spring)

Readership

The first step for a translator is to determine the target readership. By keeping the

target reader in mind, the translator was able to devise strategies for translating the

Bengali text into English. The translation of Śāntiniketan essays is aimed at both the

national (non-Bengali speaking) and the international target readership. For the Indian

readership certain culture-specific terms and quotations were retained. But for the non-

Indian and Indian diaspora (by birth) readers, footnotes and glossary were furnished.

Nowadays translation has become more of a target-centric exercise. Each and every

strategy used keeps the ‘Target Readers’ in mind. The two most important shifts in
 Bhattacharyya 74

theoretical developments in translation theory over the past two decades have been (1)

the shift from source-oriented theories to target-text-oriented theories and (2) the shift to

include cultural factors as well as linguistic elements in the translation training models.

Those advocating functionalist approaches have been pioneers in both areas

(Gentzler 70).

“When language and culture are both alien to target readers, innumerable hurdles need

to be crossed on the way before optimum communication through translation becomes

possible….But still, the gap in human experiences across cultures, is an in-built problem

in cross-cultural translation.” (Datta 120-121). In this regard there were certain hurdles

which were overcome while translating this text. The slokas from the Upanishads, the

Gītā and other scriptural texts, for instance, were retained and transliterated, and their

meanings and references were provided in the footnotes. This was to enable the target

readership to have the feel of the cultural authenticity and flavour of the Source Culture.

Thus, in the course of translation a dialogue between the two cultures take place in the

“Third Space” (Bhaba 38) to assist communication.

Linguistic Aspects

Regarding translation Susan Bassnett-McGuire says: “translation involves the

rendering of a Source Language (SL) text into the Target Language (TL) so as to ensure

that (1) the surface meaning of the two will be approximately similar and (2) the

structures of the SL will be preserved as closely as possible but not so closely that the TL

structures will be seriously distorted.” (2) Whenever a highly culture-specific text like

Śāntiniketan is being translated it is equipollence which is given priority over

equivalence.27 In fact, Sukanta Chaudhuri considers translation as the “the encounter of

27
See more input on “equivalence” from Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies.
 Bhattacharyya 75

two equipollent forces, the mutual reflection of light between two opaque objects that the

trained eye [the eye of the translator] alone can recognize and render, not the view

through a transparent lens.” (63) Here the equipollent forces are the two languages,

cultures, histories, civilizations trying to assimilate what they can from each other

through the activity of translation. The main thrust in translating this text is to keep it as

literal as possible and to conform to the basic rules of English grammar and syntax.

Nowhere has any sentence, line or phrase from the Source Text been rooted out of the

Translated Text. Basudeb Chakraborti says regarding Jibanananda Das’ self-translation of

his poem “Banalata Sen”: “there are certain lexical items in the SLT, which are

untranslatable, certain nuances of meaning that are impossible to translate.” (65) For

instance, Tagore employed the “chalitbhasha,” that is the “common” or “current”

language (Bose 109) in these essays, but in no way can that be conveyed in the English

translation. But in some cases of translating Śāntiniketan, when literal translation posed a

barrier to convey the spirit of the original, alternative steps were taken to reveal the

meaning of the Source Text. In “Detachment” (“Vairāgya”), letters from the Bengali

alphabet were provided by Tagore: ka (ক), kha (খ), ga (গ), and then two such letters were

combined to form a word as an illustration of a concept such as, “kara,” “khala.”28 But it

was not possible to do the same for the English translation. So, transliterations of the

same were provided in the Roman script instead of turning those letters into their

“supposedly” English equivalents.

The names of mythical Indian gods and goddess such as Laksmī,29 Rudra,30

Viśvakarmā31 were retained and annotations in the form of footnotes were provided and

28
See “Detachment” (“Vairāgya”) p 160.
29
Lakṣmī is the Hindu goddess of fortune and the consort of Viṣṇu.
30
Rudra is the Vedic god of the storms. See glossary.
 Bhattacharyya 76

the names were also included in the glossary. But where “Agni” (the name of a god)

meant fire and not the fire-god, the word fire was inserted in the translated text to make it

less cumbersome for the readers.

There are “words giving out multi-layered meanings in literary usages and contexts.”

(Datta 121) One such example would be the Bengali word “kāj”, literally it could mean

work, task or function. The translator would have to select the appropriate “equivalent”

keeping in mind the context in which the original word was put and then think out the

suitability of selecting an equivalent for it. Another such word was “Āro,” literally

translated as “more” but it could either be used as an adverb or as an adjective depending

on the context in which it would be placed. There are numerous such instances in the

translated text.

Syntax and Usage

Bengali and English syntaxes are no doubt different in their patterns. In Bengali the

basic syntactical pattern is ‘Subject-Object-Verb’ while in English it is ‘Subject-Verb-

Object.’

An instance of this could be:

Bengali [transliteration]: Āmi dābā kheli.

As per Bengali syntax--Subject Object Verb: I chess play.

As per English syntax—Subject Verb Object: I play chess.

The translator had to keep in mind the syntactic patterns of the SL and the TL without

which no syntactic transfer would take place between the two languages.

As the English usage does not necessarily follow the pattern of the Bengali one, a

change had to be incorporated in the translated version. For instance in the essay “More”

31
In the Hindu mythology Viśvakarmā is considered to be the “Divine Architect.” See glossary.
 Bhattacharyya 77

(“Āro,” 1. 3) instead of the literal translation of the Bengali phrase into English as

‘affection and love’, it has been changed to ‘love and affection’. There is another such

case in the essay “The Function of Dedication” (“Nisthār kāj”), where instead of writing

‘to myself and to everyone’ as was the syntax in the Bengali original, it was written as ‘to

everyone and to myself’ in the English translation.

Transliteration

It would be necessary to mention at the onset that the standard scheme of

transliteration with a slight variation was employed for the Romanization of Sanskrit, Pali

and Bengali alphabets throughout this dissertation. This was to ensure that the non-

Bengali or the international readership would be able to go through the text without much

constraint. Only the pronunciation of Sanskrit, Pali and Bengali transliteration

incorporated throughout this dissertation would be provided in the following list and not

the pronunciation of the entire transliteration pattern of Romanization of these languages.

The translator has refrained from rendering Sanskrit, Pali or Bengali source alphabets in

the following list so as not to confuse the readers unfamiliar with the three languages.

The aim of providing the following list and its annexure was not to make the reading

cumbersome but to facilitate a smooth reading of the translated essays and their

introduction. The underlined letters yield the pronunciation of the alphabet.

Pronunciation of transliterated Sanskrit, Pali and Bengali letters:

 Bhattacharyya 78

‘a’ (vowel) as ‘o’ in some ṇa’ (Cerebral) as ‘na’ in thunder

‘ā’ (vowel) as ‘a’ in car ‘ta’ (Dental) as ‘ta’ in French tarte

‘i’(vowel) as ‘i’ in fit ‘tha’(Dental) as ‘tha’ in thunder

‘ī’ (vowel) as ‘ee’ in feel ‘da’ (Dental) as ‘da’ in the French date

‘u’ (vowel) as ‘u’ in pull ‘dha’ (Dental) as ‘dha’ in redhead

‘ū’(vowel) as ‘ū’ in pool ‘na’ (Dental) as ‘na’ in not

‘r̥’ (vowel) as ‘ri’ in river ‘pa’ (Labial) as ‘pa’ in pin

‘e’ (vowel) as ‘e’ in red. ‘pha’ (Labial) as ‘pha’ in uphold

‘ai’ (vowel) as ‘ai’ in five ‘ba’ (Labial) as ‘ba’ in book

‘o’ (vowel) as ‘o’ in ode. ‘bha’ (Labial) as ‘bha’ in abhorrent

‘au’(vowel) as ‘ow’ in owl ‘ma’ (Labial) as ‘ma’ in month

‘ka’ (Guttural) as ‘ka’ in kite ‘ya’ (Semivowel) as ‘ya’ in yam

‘kha’ (Guttural) as ‘ckha’ in blackhead ‘ra’ (Semivowel) as ‘ra’ in rub

‘ga’ (Guttural) as ‘ga’ in God ‘la’ (Semivowel) as ‘la’ in limb

‘gha’ (Guttural) as ‘gha’ in log-house va’ (Semivowel) as ‘va’ in viper

‘na’(Guttural) as ‘ng’ in ring ‘śa’ (Palatal sibilant) as ‘śa’ in German ich

‘ca’ (Palatal) as ‘ca’ in chair ‘ṣa’ (Cerebral sibilant) as ‘sa’ in ship

‘cha’(Palatal) as ‘cha’ in much hate ‘sa’ (Dental sibilant) as ‘sa’ in sea

‘ja’ (Palatal) as ‘ja’ in judge ‘ha’ (Sonant aspirate) as ‘ha’ in his

‘jha’ (Palatal) as ‘jha’ in sledgehammer ‘ṁ’(Nasal consonant) as ‘m’ in French bon

‘ña’(Palatal) as ‘ña’ in enjoy ‘ḥ’ (Aspirated vowel) as short ‘h’ in ah!

‘ṭa’ (Cerebral) as ‘ta’ in talk

‘ṭha’ (Cerebral) as ‘tha’ as in anthem

‘ḍa’ (Cerebral) as ‘da’ in done

‘ḍha’ (Cerebral) as ‘dha’ in godhead

 Bhattacharyya 79

Notes and Exceptions to the Above List

In Bengali the pronunciation of the letter (য) “antahstha [lying within] ja” is

pronounced as ‘ja’ but is written as ‘ya’ while (য়) “antahstha [lying within] a (অ)” is

pronounced as ‘ya’ and is written as ‘ẏa’ where transliteration of Bengali words are

concerned. An example of the former would be ‘yātrā’32 in the last essay. It would also

be interesting to note that in Bengali there are two ‘ta’s, one (ত) is pronounced as in the

French‘t’ and the other, known as ‘broken ta’ (ৎ), is a shorter version of the French ‘t.’ It

is demarcated by underlining the ‘t’ in the transliterated words. Bengali also has (ড়) [as

the ‘ra’ with a dot below ‘da’] transliterated as ‘ṛa’ in ‘Baṛo’ and (ঢ়) [‘ra’ with a dot

below ‘ḍha’] transliterated as ‘ṛha’ in ‘Aṣaṛh.’ Both of them are cerebrals. There is also a

nasalized vowel that could be translated into English as the moon-dot (◌ঁ ), it is

transliterated as ‘n̐’ or ‘m̐’ as the case may be. The pronunciation of ‘jña’ in the cases of

both Sanskrit and Bengali is ‘gya’ not as in ‘gymnasium’ but as in ‘gynaecology.’ Instead

of Sanskrit and Pali ‘sa,’ Bengali dental sibilant (স) is pronounced as ‘sha’ as in ‘shake.’

Another important point to be noted is that in each of the transliterated Bengali words,

the last ‘a,’ pronounced as ‘o,’ is silent unless otherwise specified. This is because unlike

in Sanskrit, Bengali pronunciation does not include the last vowel ‘a.’ So, in the

transliteration of Bengali words here the last ‘a’ of a word is dropped unless it is present

in the Bengali word itself. However, in the Sanskrit words the ‘a’ was appropriately

retained. Bengali, Sanskrit and Pali do not have upper and lower cases as in English. But

32
It is an open-air folk dramatic musical performance, originally of rural origin. The closest urban

equivalence of this term in English would be the opera.

 Bhattacharyya 80

upper and lower cases are employed using the rules of English in the transliterations of

Bengali, Sanskrit and Pali words to facilitate reading.

Words which are included in the eleventh edition of the Concise Oxford English

Dictionary (will be referred to as COD), irrespective of whether their meanings are

compatible with the context here or not, are not provided with diacritical marks. Apart

from the aforesaid exceptions all the other letters that require diacritics are written

accordingly. In this dissertation, the names of Tagore’s contemporaries are not given

diacritical marks and are written in the way they were inscribed in Rabijibanī (in

Bengali). The same also applies for contemporary names which are not part of the

translated text. Except for Śāntiniketan to which diacritical marks have been added as it is

not only a location but also the said text for translation here, common spellings of other

places have been maintained. In the transliterated titles of the essays, Bengali manner of

writing compound words are retained as in ‘Barṣaśeṣ,’ ‘Nababarṣa’ and others.

Capitalization

Apart from proper nouns and words at the beginning of a sentence, the first letter of

words signifying the Infinite or Supreme Reality or Brahman and other such terms

synonymous with God have been capitalized. The first letters of words which have been

personified have also been capitalized.

Some Linguistic Nuances in Bengali

Many a time throughout the text we find Tagore using the suffix ‘-i’ [‘-ই’] to give

emphasis to a particular word. Though English does not require such frequent emphasis

but in keeping with the tone of the words of the source language text such words as

“only,” “alone,” “indeed,” “too,” “very,” “at all” are incorporated in the English

translation to convey the emphasis. Another case in the original was that of the suffix “o”
 Bhattacharyya 81

[‘-ও’], an adverb, used quite randomly unlike in English to mean “too,” “also,” “even.”

One more such instance is in the frequent application of the word “to” [“ ”] in the

Bengali text which is used both as an adverb and in case of interrogation in Bengali.

Sometimes it is employed in asking a question, making a request, as in “if, in case” and

sometimes it is placed at random in a speech without meaning anything in particular. All

these superfluities of Bengali Language have been incorporated in the translated version

to give the readers a feel of the original.

Some Bengali Pronouns

In English the positioning of the pronouns is in the following order, the third person

comes first, followed by the second person, lastly the first person. In order to conform to

the patterns of the grammar in English in the essay “Om” instead of the literal “I and

you,” “you and me” is written. A similar case was observed in “The Function of

Dedication” (“Niṣṭhār kāj”) where instead of the literal “to myself and to everyone,” “to

everyone and to myself” has been written to prevent the distortion of English grammar.

Bengali pronouns like “ini” (“he or she or this person”) is used for a person as a

mark of respect; “tini” which is (another version of “se,” meaning “he or she or that

person”) also used in reverence, “yini” (“who”) is also used to show respect. But in

contemporary English there is no such word to express that manner of respect. So, the

translator had no choice but to use the current English pronouns.

Prose Style

Tagore has employed long sentences in many instances and long sentences in this

collection are mostly retained in the English translation of Śāntiniketan as they would

convey the feel of the Source Text (ST) and reveal Tagore’s prose style in the Target
 Bhattacharyya 82

Text (TT). While discussing about Tagore’s prose style Buddhadeva Bose said, “no two

consecutive sentences begin or end in the same way, and closed and open sounds

caressingly alternate. And Tagore does all this intuitively, with an apparent ease which

baffles all….The syntax of the English Language clearly influenced him.” (112)

Though it is said that it is preferable to use shorter sentences in English than the

cumbersome compound or complex versions, the author had definitely had some sort of

intention in writing the sentences long. It was observed that a particular idea was very

carefully and beautifully interwoven in the sentence, by breaking that sentence into

smaller ones, the charm, the flow and the emphasis of the original would be lost.

Whenever there were major difficulties in translating a longer sentence into English, the

longer sentence was broken down into smaller ones without disrupting the unity of the

original, but such occasions were quite few. About Tagore’s prose style Bose again

observes, “…in Tagore the unit is the paragraph, and the link between the paragraphs and

the sentences of which they are composed, is provided not merely by grammar or logical

coherence, but by another element, less easy to define, which remains off stage as it were

and yet animates the whole.” (112) So, in the TT too Tagore’s paragraphing was retained.

Punctuation

The translated essays also mostly maintain the punctuations of the ST as rendered by

Tagore. In this regard Bose said, “…it was Tagore who showed how much Bengali can

gain in speed, strength and richness by adopting parentheses, inversions and several other

devices which are common in English and all other languages which have developed a

prose literature.” (112) The sentences of the original essays were liberal with the use of

“dash,” “exclamation,” “comma” and “semi-colon,” amongst others. It was evident from

the usage that Tagore followed the rules of English punctuation. Wherever need was felt
 Bhattacharyya 83

in the translation to alter the punctuation, necessary changes were made, but in most

cases the punctuation pattern of the ST was retained.

In the Target Text, single quotation marks were provided for those words, phrases and

sentences in which Tagore himself had used quotation marks in the Source Text. And to

other words, phrases and sentences which did not have quotation marks in the original

but were used in the form of direct speech, double quotation marks were provided for

them. This strategy has been maintained throughout the translated text.

Sound

As the Śāntiniketan essays were originally lectures and were primarily meant for the

audiences rather than for the readers, they have rich tonal quality when read aloud. It is

no doubt true that the Bengali original has a distinctive sound pattern which is bound to

be lost in translation in spite of great efforts on the part of the translator to retain it. But

an alternative method was worked upon where by the translated pieces were read out

aloud—great care was taken to make the essays sonorous. Every single word of this

translated version was placed in such a way that the essays not only retained the spirit of

the original but they also maintained a certain sound pattern which had the capacity to

appeal to the sensibility and ear of the listener. Also, if a reader wishes to read the

translations of these essays aloud, the words threaded together will not have a tongue-

twisting effect. And through Tagore’s punctuation pattern in the Source Text with little

variation, the translator has ensured that the orator pauses at the right moments and would

have chances to draw ample breaths as the reader reads it aloud. Buddhadeva Bose says,

“Tagore makes full use of the natural rhythm of spoken Bengali; neither stuffily nor

loosely colloquial, it is rather an idealized form of the living speech of his countrymen.

The very inflexions of our voice, ranging from assertion to the whispered word, from
 Bhattacharyya 84

dejection and doubt to passionate belief—all this is heard in the prose of Tagore” (112-

113).

Culture-specific Words and Italics

Culture-specific Indian words included in the COD, eleventh edition, in keeping with

their meaning as regards the context of the essays, have neither been italicized nor

underlined nor were they included in the glossary as they have already been entered into

English vocabulary, examples of some such words are: bhakti, dharma, dhyana, mantra,

mela, puja, rishi, sadhana, sloka, yoga, yogi.

Also, there are words which have been entered in COD, eleventh edition, but their

meanings as provided in the dictionary do not suffice for or are different from those

applicable in the context of these essays. In such cases the translator has provided their

meanings in the footnote and in the glossary by retaining the spelling of the appropriate

words as in COD. In both the above cases no diacritical marks were applied to the words.

Annotations and Glossary

As there are many culture-specific words, there is a need to maintain a glossary. It will

contain Source Language transliterated terms to which no appropriate equivalent were to

be found in the Target Language and also for those terms that are repeated often in the

course of translation of the essays. As it is not possible to annotate the words on every

occasion of their appearance in the essays, they will be explained in the glossary apart

from being explained in the footnotes on their first appearances both in the sections of

‘Introduction’ and of the translated text. Scriptural quotations will be annotated only on

their first appearance and will not be included in the glossary except in the case of single

words. In the mention of the Bengali months there is an exception to the rule as the
 Bhattacharyya 85

names of the months have been directly entered into the glossary. This is because the

names of the Bengali months have been mentioned quite frequently throughout the

‘Introduction’ as well as at the end of the translated texts.

Other Aspects

It is a conscious stance on part of the post-colonial translator to carry out the strategy of

foreignization (Hatim and Munday 339).33 It is the alienness generated due to

incompatible elements of the ST with the TT. There are several aspects which reflect the

post-colonial elements in writing. “One of the main features of imperial oppression is

control over language. The imperial education system installs a ‘standard’ version of the

metropolitan language as the norm, and marginalizes all ‘variants’ as impurities.”

(Ashcroft, Griffiths, and Tiffin 7) As the translation was kept as literal and as close as

possible to the original sentence by sentence, even word for word where possible, and

also punctuation by punctuation in majority of the cases, by that it has been possible to

portray certain inherent usages of the Bengali Language through English. So, this

particular translation of 50 essays maintains fidelity to their original as much as possible

in terms of form, meaning and essence. For example, a translated sentence of the essay

“Tarī Bojhāi” (“Loaded Boat”) was: “when water rises from all directions”, in ‘standard’

English one would have had to use “when level of water rises from all directions” but this

translation refrained from using such extra words to make the translated version a

‘standardized’ English one. The translated text was full of such instances. The expression

“touchstone in her mind” in “Prārthana” (“Prayer”) was not an expression commonly

33
Foreignization is “A translation which seeks to preserve ‘alien’ features of a ST in order to convey the

‘foreignness’ of the original.” (Hatim and Munday 339) See Translation: An Advanced Resource Book for

a better understanding.
 Bhattacharyya 86

observed in English but such an expression was commonly used in Bengali. In “Pār

Karo” (“Ferry Me Across”) there is another expression which is not common in English

as in the last paragraph “within the fair of our activities”. In some other expressions such

as, “Amid this love itself we get a taste of the Infinite” or “a taste of friendship” —we do

not make use of ‘taste’ in such a manner in English but the usage made here is different

to convey the feel of the Source Culture, the alienness in the translated version. Gayatri

Chakravorty Spivak asserts, “The history of the language, the history of the author’s

moment, the history of the language-in-and-as-translation, must figure in the weaving as

well.” (375) It is hoped that through the translation of the 50 essays of Śāntiniketan the

“intimacy” (Spivak 373) of the translator with the Source Text has been revealed in the

Target Text. “Translation is the most intimate act of reading. I surrender to the text when

I translate. (Spivak 370)”