Saturday, October 08, 2005

TAGORE - The many myriad-minded man

Like a beacon shining from the East, the late poet/philosopher Rabindranath Tagore continues to influence countless citizens of the world decades after his death.

There's something about Tagore that has always fascinated me. I don't know what drew me to Tagore. I guess it must have been during my teenage years. I happened to come across a picture of this man who likes like he has just come down from the mountain after a stirring conversation with God. His appearance is one of a man who has seen and experienced much.

In his eyes, I saw the wisdom of the ages. In later years, I discovered the wonder and mysteries of his Nobel Prize winning poem, Gitanjali. Upon reading the poem of epic proportions, I discovered to my delight that it lived up to expectations after hearing and reading about the lavish praise heaped on it by Tagore's contemporaries.

Personally, I feel Gitanjali would be better appreciated in its native language, Bengali. If the reader or fan of Tagore is familiar with Bengali. Very often, excellent works are seen digested in its original medium. For example, War and Peace (Russian) by Tolstoy.

There's an excellent book on Tagore entitled Tagore - The Myriad Minded Man. It is one of the better books available on Tagore's life.

Tagore has also written a series of books on love. The depth of his understanding on this much loved universal subject must be read to be appreciated in full.

Rabindranath Tagore is a rare gem on India's crown. Such a person comes every hundred years or so. India is privileged to have Tagore as one of its illustrious sons. His name and fame live on decades after his demise.

Fortunately for all of us who admire his works, his legacy remains intact in the form of books and other writings.


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