THE SPIRITUAL MOTIFS OF SUBMISSION AND SUPPLICATION IN : TAGORE’S SEARCH FOR PEACE

1Mohammad Tajuddin & 2. Muhammad Safiur Rahman, Assistant Professors, Department of English Language and Literature, International Islamic University Chittagong, Bangladesh

Abstract The collection of poems in Gitanjali extensively highlights Tagore‟s sense of spirituality and piety in both subjective and objective levels. ‟s Gitanjali is an outstanding work which brought him international fame and Nobel Prize in literature in 1913. In both personal and historical context the poems create and develop extraordinary motifs of submission and supplication throughout the book with Tagore‟s belief in a supreme God, Who, according to the poet, can bestow peace and mercy on him and the world. This paper argues that Tagore actually searches for internal and external peace during the troubled period of his life and the contemporary world through his supplication and submission to almighty God, and God‟s presence and remembrance in his life becomes source of peace and pleasures. Tagore supplicates and submits to God in every possible way to acquire peace, and he finds peace through His presence in every sphere of his life. Though Tagore‟s poetic narration seems to have been influenced by pantheism of Hinduism and partly by its incarnation concept, his surrender or submission to God in Gitanjali essentially reflects the oneness of God which brings Tagore closer not only to the Islamic monotheism but also to other Semitic religions such as Christianity and Judaism. The objective of the paper is to discuss the issues of submission and supplication of the poet to God. This paper analyses the text of the poems, along with the life of the poet and the contemporary issues, and aims at showing in a new perspective how Tagore searches for peace through his submission and supplication to one God in Gitanjali.

Keywords: Gitanjali, submission, supplication, devotion to God, love, peace

Introduction: Tagore‘s Gitanjali is a spiritual quest divine he merges his individual self with the for the divine, for the supreme power or almighty universal. He finds God in human beings. In God- the all guiding force in nature and human life. subjective levels the poet‘s supplication to God with The poet‘s search for the infinite and all powerful a very endearing language and tone produces a deep ever present God in the finite things: nature, human sense of compassion and understanding between the beings, days and nights, and seasons of the year, in poet and God. It is love of the poet which provokes the temple, in the river, and the mountains and at his him to supplicate and submit himself to God to door steps. Thus the search becomes romantic and acquire peace, and here love is reciprocal between the idealistic at the same time. Also, his search for the poet and God. The poet is overwhelmed with almighty God is very down to earth when the poet pleasure for God‘s presence in his life in time of his deals human affairs in the poems in a very objective happiness and sorrow, and everywhere. The spiritual manner. He can realize God through exceeding the fervor of Tagore is immense in presenting God in limitations of his own soul and self, through his every sphere of his life, and he presents God universal sense of humanity and love for all human sometimes as a father, an appeaser and as friend as if beings as well as all creatures. To understand the God were caressing him all the time. Sometimes, he

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behaves as a mystic as if he mingled with the divine. The poet‘ search for God is meant for peace, for the That through total submission of one‘s self and will fulfillment, unity and meanings of life and death. to the will of one almighty God one can acquire God‘s presence around the nature and around his peace is the true teaching of Islam, the most existence provides him peace, as if the poet were monotheistic religion of all in the world. Islam never alone in the terrible and harsh world. So the believes in one loving God Who is kind and merciful poet submits and supplicates to ever present God who and He keeps account of every affair of human lives. is not far from him and he, therefore, finds peace Christianity like Judaism truly believes in one God through his submission and supplication. The poet except for the confusing Christian concept of so submits to an all powerful, all pervading God with called trinity, which does not really exist in the bible. full devotion and supplicates Him for things that the Islam believes that not only the Earth but also the poet does not possess, and praises Him for not having whole Universe is surrounded by Him and His throne some things at His will and asks Him for things he is is placed over the universe and His power permeates unable to understand, explain, feel or cannot attain as everything in the earth and the whole universe. a finite and weak human being. Sometimes, Tagore‘s Unlike pantheism (everything is God) Islam as a pure poems in Gitanjali take the form of prayer and monotheistic religion emphasizes the oneness of God prostration to God and highlight the extreme humility strongly. All created things belong to Him. In other with full submission, just as the Muslims prostrate words, everything is not God but everything belongs with humility in their five times prayers and to God. So all created things are the signs of one supplicate God. Tagore, as a Hindu, seemingly uncreated God. Therefore, Islam believes that human presents a pantheistic view of God in his narration of beings can understand by their capability the Gitanjali. Though pantheism means the presence of existence of God by observing His signs in the earth God in everything or everything is God, Tagore, and the universe such as the light and darkness, the while addressing God in poems of Gitanjali, seems to seasons and their changes etc. Amazed at the be addressing one God and supplicating Him alone surprising creation of God and His infinite capacity with full submission. The idea of pantheism as revealed in the vast universe, human beings as finite everything is God, virtually contradicts even with the creature are logically supposed to surrender to His idea of the oneness of God as mentioned in the Hindu infinite power and Him, to worship Him alone to religious scripture. Tagore must have been partly acquire peace here in the world and the hereafter. influenced by such confusing ideas of Hinduism as Islam, which comes from the root word silm which ―incarnation‖, ―pantheism‖ and ―samskara‖. means peace. It also means ―surrender‖ or However, Tagore‘s involvement with Brohmma ―submission‖. So, Islam basically means ―peace‖ Somaj established by the laudable Hindu religious acquired (by somebody) by submitting one‘s will to reformer, Ram Mohon Roy (1774), is significant the will of almighty God. (Naik, 2015). in the sense that Tagore finally speaks of one God and is against idol worship like other learned Hindus. Indirectly, like the teachings of Islam, Tagore in his Brhamo Somaj speaks for one God and against idol Gitanjal expresses the full submission to one worship. Tagore in his many speeches refers to the almighty God, and supplicates Him in many ways to teachings of the Upanishads, scriptures of Hinduism, acquire peace and talks about peace accordingly. and talks about one God in Gitanjali accordingly. So What Tagore says, in his spiritual and philosophical the supplication and submission motifs of Gitanjali lecture, Sadhana- the Realization of Life delivered at seem to be compatible with or conforming to the Harvard University in 1913, is noteworthy as to Islamic teachings of monotheism (oneness of God) to achieving immense pleasure (peace) through some extent and vice versa and compatible also with submission of one‘s self to God (Hossain, 2002, p. the true teachings of other Semitic religions such as 4). Tagore says, Christianity and the Judaism which also teach ―Man's abiding happiness is not in getting basically monotheism. anything but in giving himself up to what is

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greater than himself, to ideas which are humanity as it was during Tagore‘s time. But the larger than his individual life, the idea of his message of Tagore‘s Gitanjali for peace has not been country, of humanity, of God. They make it lost yet. In Gitanjali, Tagore, with endearing poetic easier for him to part with all that he has, not language, presents before humanity the need of expecting his life. His existence is miserable supplication and self submission to God to achieve and sordid till he finds some great idea peace, which is a basic teaching of every religion which can truly claim his all, which can based on the scriptures, especially Islam. He seeks release him from all attachment to his and gets peace through self submission and suggests belongings. Buddha and Jesus, and all our these for all humanity. In this regard, Tagore‘s great prophets, represent such great ideas. Gitanjali becomes a search for the infinite divine They hold before us opportunities for spirit and peace through which the poet wants to surrendering our all. When they bring forth convey a message of peace, unity and brotherhood to their divine alms-bowl we feel we cannot the world. The objective of the paper is, therefore, to help giving, and we find that in giving is our analyze the motifs of submission and supplication in truest joy and liberation, for it is uniting Gitanjali in a new perspective to present the issues to ourselves to that extent with the infinite‖. humanity. The objective is also to show how the poet (Tagore, Sadhana, p. 84). searches for peace and achieves it to a greater extent, Regarding surrendering ―all belongings‖ to a through the submission and supplication to God. supreme power for peace as Tagore mentioned, what could be more striking than the saying of the Koran, Methodology: which was revealed to the prophet Mohammad (S)? To achieve the objective this paper analyses the text The Koran says: of the poems of Gitanjali based on the life of the poet and facts of the contemporary issue. Numerous Say: ―Truly my prayer and my service of numbers of articles and books, as both primary and sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for secondary sources, written on Tagore and Gitanjali Allah (the almighty God), the Cherisher of have been analyzed. A historical analysis, along with the worlds: No partner hath He: this I am textual analyses, has been applied in the research to commanded and I am the first of those who present and clarify the issues or subjects mentioned submit to His will (Sura, Anam: verse: 162- in the topic. 63). Literature Review: Swedish poet Verner von Whether or not Tagore studied Islam and the message Heidenstam, who made crucial decision for awarding of its last prophet Mohammad(s) is little known. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) Noble prize for Tagore mentioned only the names of Jesus and Gitanjali, said about poems of Gitanjali: ―I have not Buddha in Sadhana: The Realization of Life. It is met their (poems of Gitanjali) like in poetic unknown why Tagore did not mention the name of literature. The hours they gave me were special, as if the Mohammad in his speech though Mohammad is I had been allowed to drink from a fresh and clear considered to be the most successful man and the spring. The loving and the intense religious sense ―most influential personality‖ (Hart, 1992, pp.3-8) in permeates all thoughts and feelings, the purity of human history whose message was Islam (peace) and heart, and the noble and unaffected elevation of the the message of the oneness of God to Whom human style---all amount to a total impression of deep and beings are supposed to surrender for peace here in the rare spiritual beauty‖(Hossain, 2002, p. 186). RK world and hereafter. Srivarshini (2015) writes in a review of Gitanjali,―Gitanjali reflects on the interrelationships Objective: Peace is now an ardent craving of among the poet/speaker, the deity, and the world. He, humanity in the present world of wars, racial hatred sometimes, seems to be resisting traditional religion and political turmoil. But peace is far away from and prophetically looking towards a new spirituality.‖

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About the first song or poem from Bengali Gitanjali সকল অেংকার হে আমার Sanat Kumer Saha says, ―The allegation of devotion ডুবাও হচারের জরল। and submission, which in many cases ignore the poetic imagination, may perhaps be pertinent in the The English translation of the full poem is given case of the curtain- raiser in the Bengali Gitanjali( let bellow: my head bend/ To the dust/ Beneath your feet) and that too if the poem is interpreted only Bring down my head literally‖(Ahemed, Dubey & Sikri, P.284).On the To the dust of your feet other hand, Nihar Ranjan Ray, another celebrated Drown all my pride authority on Rabindranath, says about Gitanjali- in tears. poems that Gitanjali is a book of poems concerning a very intimate relationship between a human being When I try to glorify myself and his God (Ahemed, Dubey & Sikri, p. 282). All I do

Is insult my true self, Discussion: Mostly, the verses in Gitanjali are Encompassing myself beautiful prayers written after a gut-wrenchingly Over and over again painful period in Rabindranath Tagore‘s life, during In greater shame. which he lost his father, wife, daughter and a son in quick succession. His unfathomable pain and Drown all my pride unshaken devotion to God are captured in the moving In tears. poetic verses of Gitanjali, which Tagore dedicated as May I never proclaim ―‖ or ―offerings of songs‖. During his My own merits in my work. deeply troubled period of sorrows Tagore tried to overcome his sorrow through building a bond with May your will God. Nihar Ranjan Ray‘s comment on Gitanjali Be fulfilled in my life. above virtually supports what Dr. Mohammad

Sohidullah says about Gitanjali. In a book called I beg for your ultimate peace Islam Prosongo (about Islam) Sohidulla says that Your divine grace in my soul. ―Tagore actually searches for Islam‖ (Sohidullah,

2011, pp.67-68) in Gitanjali for peace, calmness and Shelter me, the serenity of mind. According to Abdul Mannan Standing on the petals Sayed, in his earlier works such as ,and Of my heart –lotus. Dakghor Tagore searches for his formless God Drown all pride in tears. through the different symbols. But, in Gitanjali,

Sayed says, ―Tagore directly surrendered to God‖ The complete book, Gitanjali, in Bengali comprises (Sayed, 2001, P. 46). He also says, Tagore is trying of total 157 poems. Out of 157 only 103 poems to achieve courage and assurance through his self translated by Tagore himself in English were surrender or submission to God. It is also an attempt submitted to noble committee. Irish poet W. B. Yeats of Tagore to reach the inner world of happiness from read the English prose translation of poems and the inner world of sorrow (Sayed, 2001, p.46). helped Tagore choose good translated poems in Dr.Mohammad Sohidullah quotes the following first English. Though the poem above is excluded from four lines of the first poem of Bangla Gitanjali in the translation of 103 poems, there are many similar Islam Prosongo (About Islam), P.68: poems regarding the issue of human pride and its

consequences. Human pride is a strong deterrent to আমার মাথা নত করর দাও হে হতামার God consciousness and a larger global consciousness চরণধুলার তরল । of humanity. Pride creates different social evils in society in different ways that disrupts peace. Pride is

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revealed in the forms of caste, racial superiority, Those who behave arrogantly on the earth in color or in the form of the so called rich class or the defiance of right—them will I turn away from My poor class. It is a sin not only in Islam but also in signs, they will not believe in them; and if they see other religions. In Christianity pride is considered as the way of right conduct, they will not adopt it as the one of the seven deadliest sins. It is pride which Way but if they see the way of error, that is the Way prevents human beings from surrendering his self to they will adopt. For they have rejected our Signs, and God. Satan disobeyed God out of his pride and failed to take warning from them (A’raf: 7:146). therefore was cursed by God and was forced to leave the garden of paradise. In Marlowe‘s Dr. Faustus Dr. As the Koranic verse indicates that arrogance or pride Faustus sacrificed his virtue for pride and faced the is bar to finding the truth, and pride just leads one to terrible consequences. So, Tagore asks almighty God the path of error. The prophet Mohammad(s) says, ―If to help him in fulfilling His will in every action of his a man has an atom of pride, he will never enter life. Tagore begs for ―eternal peace‖ and ―divine paradise‖. Tagore yearns for truth in many of his grace‖ in his soul which are not attainable without books, such as Sadhana: The Realization of Life, sacrificing pride. Self glorification of the poet (―when Manusher Dharma () and I try to glorify myself‖…) does not provide him with Dharma (Religion). God is ultimate truth, God is real peace but insult. Real peace is found in full Ananda(pleasure). As Tagore mentioned above for humility in shedding tears for the love of God. achieving peace and happiness one must give up American poet Whitman in his poem ―Song of one‘s self to a supreme power which is above him. Myself‖ presents a spiritual journey of soul in which But human pride works as a bar to one‘s will of he finds peace and happiness through dissolving the submission to the supreme power of God. So Tagore pride of his human self and soul. Whitman writes in asks in his poem to get rid of pride. an extreme tone of humility: How can an individual be happy without the truth, I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the without knowing the source of truth that is God? runaway sun, God, who is Ananda(pleasure), reflects this pleasure I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in in his creation. And Man is the best creation of God. lacy jags. So, according to Tagore, God is best realized in man, then in other things. But pride is the bar to knowing I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the divine within man. In his book called Manusher the grass I love, Dharma (―The religion of Man‖) published in 1933, If you want me again look for me under Tagore emphasizes similarly the ―emancipation of your boot-soles. (Section: 52. Lines: 7-10) pride to reach to one‘s soul to find God, the source of ultimate peace and truth (Tagore, 2011, p.52). In Tagore says in Sadhana: The Realization of Life, reference to the ( bards), who call God as ―Pride of self interferes with the proper function of moner manush(man of Heart), Tagore says this the soul which is to realize itself by perfecting its moner manush (meaning God) can only be union with the world and the world's God.”(P. 21). apprehended by a soul free from pride. Tagore also quoted Jesus Christ: ―When Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the In many other poems of Gitanjali the issue of pride earth," he meant this.”(P. 21). Pride is also regarded appears in different ways, along with Tagore‘s by Islamic faith as the heinous sin like associating supplication and self submission to God. In song 53 partner with almighty God. The Muslims are advised of Gitanjali Tagore supplicates God to destroy his to remain very humble during their prayers and in pride and his stone- heart devoid of love. He asks their everyday life. The Koran says, God to soften his heart. Few lines are as follows:

Bring me down,

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O bring me down to your feet. 2013, p. 54). Not only that his religious outlook on Soften my heart, God and humanity in relation to humanity‘s attitude In tears. to God and his views on religious rituals are very ……….. much based on the Upanishadic ideals and other My pride has brought all progress scriptures of Hinduism. In October 1912, Bertrand To a stop. Russell published an essay in the Hibbert Journal Cast down my proud throne titled as ―The essence of Religion‖ in which Russell Into the dust; argues that ―the essence of religion…lies in Smash it up. subordination of the finite part of our life to the infinite part.‖(Ahemed, Dubey & Sikri, 2013, P.64) The poet does not find any meaning of his pride. He Tagore studied the essay and wrote to Russell that he says, ―In this useless life/ what is there for me to take found similarity between its viewpoint and the pride in?‖ God is everything for the poet, without Upanishad. Him he finds no peace in the midst of wealth: ―Without you/ I am empty/ though my room be full‖. Tagore also extensively quotes from the Upanishads In song 148 Tagore prays to God to accept him and Vedas in his spiritual books as some mentioned through his, at least one, full reverence (salutation) above. Tagore also emphasized the teaching of for Him. We strongly feel poet‘s eagerness to bow Buddhism and sometimes quoted Jesus Christ. down to God: Tagore thought of ―Buddhism as an offshoot of Upanisadic Hinduism‖ (2013, P. 45). What is In one deep reverence, Lord, important and interesting to note is that Tagore, in his In one deep reverence religious books, never mentioned the religion of Let my whole body bow low Islam and its prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and Here in your universe. Mohammad‘s teaching of one God! In Gitanjali Tagore addresses, throughout all poems, only one In song 125 Tagore remembers his position as a poet God. But the way he addresses God also presents and his honor among the people. But he sacrifices his Tagore as a pantheistic as well as a mystic and pride in front of God as a poet. He sings the glory of humanist (2013, p. 55). Pantheism (everything is God with simple verse without many ornaments in God or God‘s presence in everything) contradicts fear that these exaggeration may turn to be a bar to with the idea of one God in Islam and even true establishing bond between the poet and his Lord as Hinduism in the sense that pantheism distorts the much ornaments reflect pride: concept of one supreme God as single unified entity Who is all powerful and all knowing and has power This song has left out over all things, but not necessarily present in All flourishes and ornaments, everything. When pantheism emphasizes the It no longer tries to impress You presence of the divine or God in every finite thing, it With its proud appearance. paves the way for the idol worship or different created things or creatures of God such as monkey, Tagore is not proud of his position as a poet: snake or the moon, the sun or statue or image etc. When idol worship is prohibited by Brahma Samaj as O Great Poet, well as Hindu scriptures, most of the Hindus yet My pride as a poet worship Idols. Pantheistic belief really creates a Does not impress You. problem as to whom one should worship: the created I long to cling to your feet. things in which God permeates or God Himself? In this regard Islamic monotheism is very clear and free Tagore‘s ―philosophical outlook is based on the from all confusion unlike Hindu idol worship or Upanishadic idealism‖(Ahemed, Dubey & Sikri, Christian concept of the trinity. The Muslims only

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believe in one God and in the prophethood of the Salam (greetings, Say, ―peace be on you‖) among Mohammad (peace be upon him) as the final each other." To spread peace is the duty of every messenger sent down to humanity in line with the Muslim, or at least for the person who claims to have other messengers sent before him with the same belief in one God. The prophetic Hadith (saying) message of one God: Adam, Noha, David, Solomon, indicates this truth. Moses and Jesus (pbuh). In Hinduism, according to Veda‘s teaching, is believed sending Rishi (similar to By the worship of many Gods and goddesses one the concept of prophet) by almighty God (Brahma) cannot find or enjoy true spiritual peace. So, in spite for the benefit of humanity. The distortion of Hindu of such confusing ideas of Hinduism and Tagore‘s religion against the teaching of Vedas regarding occasional pantheistic approach in Gitanjali, Tagore, sending of Rishi (like prophet) is in the belief of God however, retains the concept of one God in his tone incarnated. According to the incarnation theory God and language while addressing God as ―Lord, ―Oh, himself comes down to the earth in human form to God‖ ―You‖ and so on in Gitanjali poems. Tagore is destroy the evils. Islam does not believe in such a not found to mention Gods or Goddess or a number confusing theory. The teaching of Vedas regarding of deities in Gitanjali. Tagore‘s supplication and Rishi sent to humanity has some similarities to the submission sound the presence of one God in his teaching of Islam regarding prophet hood. (Naik, poems. This tendency brings Tagore close to the 2015). One poem of Tagore, ―Prashna‖ (The Islamic monotheism to a greater extent. Thus, Question) reflects his belief in Rishi(Prophet) in virtually Tagore supplicates to one God in Gitanjali which Tagore appeals to the Indians for solidarity poems and seeks peace by praising and addressing and restraint in the background of political turmoil one God and glorifying Him alone in various ways. and violence, after the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi by Therefore, it may be said, his occasional pantheistic the British. Few lines of the poem are as follows: approach in his poems is just a poetic approach or craft, but Tagore believes in one God wholeheartedly God, you have sent messengers, life after and supplicates Him only to find peace. life, To this callous earth; Being in contact with the Brahma Samaj, Tagore They have said ‗Forgive all sins,‘ they have must have been influenced by its teaching of one God told us ‗Love- and its opposition to idol worship. Tagore was in the From your heart all malice remove.‘ habit of delivering sermons and acting as a minister They are the venerable men, worthy of in the Samaj, the religious reform movement reverence, but we in which Tagore‘s father also played the role of In the dark days reject them with ritual prophet and leader. Tagore‘s Bengali sermons were futility. later published under the title Dharma (religion) in 1909 and Shantineketon (1909-1916). The time of the This poem also reflects Tagore‘s strong humanism in publications of these two books, which reflect parallel to his strong conviction on God, Tagore‘s religious ideas, was very close to the time prophet(rishi) or religion, which demands good of publishing Gitanjali in 1910. Brahma Samaj, with conduct and emphasizes humanity and mercy above which Tagore has connection, believes in such all things. Violence is rejected for peace. Cruelty and principles as given below: repression are criticized by the poet the same in Gitanjali. Regarding the value of love prophet ―Loving Him and doing His will, I shall Mohammad (S) said: "By the One in Whose Hand is worship the One, Absolute Parabrahma, the my soul! You will not enter Paradise until you Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, who is the believe, and you will not believe until you love one Giver of all good in this world and the next, another. Shall I inform you about a matter which if who is All - knowing, All -pervading, you do it, and then you will love one another? Spread Formless and Beneficent.

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I shall not adore any created thing, thinking with Jesus‘ being a begotten son of God or a God it to be Parabrahma. incarnated rather than Jesus‘ being a prophet of Unless prevented by sickness or trouble, I almighty God. But Jesus Christ himself says in the shall daily, in loving reverence, hold bible explicitly, ―My father is greater than I (John: communion of spirit with Parabrahma. 14:28), My father is greater than all (John: 10:29), I shall endeavor to perform good deeds. and Son of Israel listen to this, our Lord, our God is I shall endeavor to abstain from sinful deeds. one God‖ (Mark: 12:29). So, when Tagore took the If I should ever, through delusion, be led English translation of Gitanjali to England and met into sin, I shall desist there from with W. B. Yeats, Yeats read the manuscript of English sincere repentance. Gitanjali in prose translation, was overwhelmed by I shall give something, out of my income, the devotional poems celebrating one God, and he every year to the Brahmo Samaj, to promote made the following comments: the Brahmo faith. O God, grant me strength to live in If the civilization of Bengal remains accordance with the sacred principles of this unbroken, if that common mind which—as religion. one divines—runs through all, is not, as with God, the One alone, the Absolute, us, broken into a dozen minds that know Ekamevaditiyam‖ nothing of each other, something even of what is most subtle in these verses will have Tagore used in one of the chapters of his book, come, in a few generations, to the beggar on Dharma, and ends the chapter with the dictum: the road… Ekamevaditiyam, the important part of the Brahma sutra, which basically is derived from Chondoyga A whole people, a whole civilization, Upanishad chapter no.6, section.2 verse no.1. It immeasurably strange to us, seems to have means, He (God) is one, the one alone and the been taken into this imagination; yet we are absolute. (Tagore, 2014, p. 57). not moved because of its strangeness, but because we have met our own image… If Tagore‘s religious philosophy were not based on (Hossain, 2002, p.166) one God, and if it were based on the concepts of many Gods, goddesses and deities and idol worship, As W. B. Yeats says, ―but we have met our image‖ in certainly the poems of Gitanjali would lose their the verses of Tagore, it (―but we have met our appeal to the world just like a mythological scum of image‖) indicates the natural tendency of human soul Indian culture. The idea of one God and its impact is that inclines to bow down or submit to almighty God, immense. It binds all humanity together regardless of the divine, for peace. W. B. Yeats actually felt the caste, creed, races and colors based on global unity and the harmony of the message of Gitanjali brotherhood of humanity, which is essential for the which was possible for the concept of one God. peace and prosperity of all humanity. Just like the ―Tagore‘s western admirers saw the humane spirit of actual teaching of the Bible, the Koran declares Christianity, venerated in theory but ignored in strongly, „If there were, in the heavens and the earth, practice, reflected back at them from Gitanjali in a other Gods besides Allah, there would have ruin in pure form‖(Hossain, 2002, p.169). To note the fact both! But glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne: that already the concept of one God in the western (High is He) above what they attribute to Him” society had been damaged not only for the wrong (Surah Ambia: 22). The actual teaching of the Bible teaching of the Christian church but also for the so equally presents the oneness of God, unlike the many confusing scientific theories such as distorted teaching of the contemporary Christian Darwinism its so-called evolution theory or other church, which taught the Christian people the wrong wrong philosophical ideas. The absence of faith in teaching, such as confusing idea of Trinity, along God, the rise of narrow destructive nationalism in the

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western society in the 19th and the 20th centuries were confusing god or Gods or goddesses of the predominant facts. Nietzsche (1844-1900), the mythology of Mahabharat, where gods fight among German atheist philosopher, became famous for his themselves, like the gods of pagan Greek mythology. saying, ―God is dead‖ and ―We have killed him So, Tagore in one poem of Gitanjali, submits to one (God)‖ (Lavine, 1989, P. 324) which truly present supreme God through his extreme supplication and the contemporary spiritual vacuum of the westerners. submission for true peace: T. S. Eliot‘s The Waste Land can be a good example of the contemporary spiritual barrenness. So when I‘ll throw myself down the Eastern knowledge of Tagore merged in divinity At the foot of Your throne, and spirituality, which is superior to the Western empirical and rational knowledge merged in I‘ll be gray with dust, materialism, devoid of heart and soul, reached them In the dust at your feet. they were fascinated. The serene message of piety of Gitanjali and its spirituality are possible only through Why do You keep me away from You the image of one almighty God whom Tagore By heaping honors and fame on me? supplicates and submits his will, in no other way is possible. In relation to the moral and spiritual Do not forget me like this forever, vacuum of the western civilization and the Drag me ruthlessly to Your feet acceptance of Gitanjali in such a civilization, Rafiq ……………………………. ullah Khan says, Tagore believes that, possibly a man can forget his Until the First World War (1914-17) Lord easily when he is surrounded by admirers, by Tagore‘s wholehearted poetic attempt had worldly fame and name. So the poet asks God to drag been an attempt to unify both the objective him to Him by His own kindness, just as a father and the subjective ideas and notions. In the drags his own child unto his lap. He desires to look at background of western materialism, the face of God with love, and he wants nothing from machinery, moral decay, anarchy and Him like other people who love to get some favors emptiness, Tagore‘s spiritual and calm from God: poems and songs of Gitanjali worked as an inspiration for the new consciousness in life So many come running to You (Khan, 2007, pp. 15-16). For your favor; I‘ll ask for nothing Tagore‘s songs and poems of Gitanjali partly filled in I‘ll just stay looking. the spiritual vacuum of the westerners with his bringing the appearance of one Almighty and loving By supplicating God one sincerely remembers Him God Who had been so far either forgotten by the and one finds peace in heart. Before supplication to westerners (as Nietzsche says, ―we have Killed any one or any power one acknowledges the Him‖) or whose image had been distorted by the authority of the power one supplicates. This is the trinity concept or by the intercession of Jesus Christ in between God and Jesus Christ himself. Who true nature of a believer in God, also logical. The should the Christian worship or supplicate: God or piety and God consciousness of a man, especially the the Jesus Christ? consciousness of one God Who is one and only creator of the whole universe, produce a greater Human heart can find true peace or happiness (as spiritual awareness in the mind of an individual. The Tagore mentioned earlier) through full submission to prophet Mohammad(s) says, ―The supplication is the a true one God as has been revealed in the scriptures essence of worship.‖ mentioned above, not by submission to a false and

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So, actually in supplication one remembers God just By Ezra Pound‘s use of the word ―commonsense‖ for as one remembers God in worship. 20th century the poems of Gitanjali he not only refers to Tagore‘s American modern poet, Ezra Pound, who found in calm voice and language but also Tagore‘s natural the poems of Gitanjali, an expression of self submission and supplication to one God instead commonsense, said that the ―Poetic piety‖(Hossain, of many Gods or Goddesses. 2002, p. 167) of the Gitanjali poems is equal to that of Dante. In the holy Koran is also mentioned the benefit of remembering God in prayer and supplication, “Those Piety or God consciousness not only provides human who believe, and whose hearts finds satisfaction being with inspiration and awareness but also a sense (serenity) in the remembrance of Allah: for without of responsibility towards humanity as a whole doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find creating love in the mind for the mankind. Belief in satisfaction (Chapter-13: 28). In respect of achieving one God binds all mankind together in peace and peace through the remembrance of, submission and brotherhood. Islamic concept of universal supplication to, almighty God, or as an example of brotherhood is based on the belief of one God. This the spiritual impact of Tagore‘s Gitanjali on western concept of universal peace is mentioned in the Koran. mind, the comment of Paul Nash, friend of Allah (SWT) describes the Islamic concept of Rothenstein, who really first introduced Tagore to W. Universal Brotherhood: “O mankind! We (God) B. Yeats and other English artists and writers, is created you from a single (pair) of a male and a enough: female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise And so they delight me: for every where I each other). Verily the most honored of you in the am glad to find my confused thoughts and sight of God is (he who is) the most Righteous of you. feelings expressed so clearly and so And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted beautifully that I have sometimes laughed (with all things)” (Surah Hujurat, Chapter No. 49, for joy, sometimes felt tears come… As to and Verse No. 13).God consciousness of an style, beauty of language, craft of any kind I individual is deeply connected with his virtues and am not bothered by it. I would read Gitanjali righteousness. According to the Koranic verse as I would read the Bible for comfort and mentioned above the criteria for superiority of a man strength. (Hossain, 2002, P.167). in terms of caste, color, creed and races is completely rejected. Only the righteousness, connected with The western admirers of Gitanjali were basically God-consciousness, makes a man superior to another fascinated by Tagore‘s internal message of peace man. So, in this way God-consciousness leads one or carried through humble spiritual submission of the encourages one to virtuous activities, which can poet‘s self to the self of a loving, all powerful God, ensure peace among human beings. In this respect, the Lord of the worlds. Tagore‘s God-consciousness is very significant towards achieving peace by being dutiful and Peace of an individual through awareness of his own respectful to other human being. Perhaps, for this self is materialized by his humane interactions with reason Tagore has been influenced by the non- other men (and things) based on love and mutual violent, humanistic teachings of Buddha. Tagore‘s sympathy, sharing for and with all mankind who are supplication, submission and worship of one God in also creation of one God. The individual awareness the poems of Gitanjali are signs of God- finds a larger meaning of life and peace only through consciousness, which clarifies poet‘s duty to other its realization of its relationship with other creation human being. So, God and Human beings in the and the universe, which is created by one God in poems of Gitanjali are symbiotic. diversity with a purpose. Therefore, Tagore in his book, The Religion of Man quotes Chandidas, the famous saint poet, who said: ―The truth of man is the

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highest truth; there is no other truth than the truth of my sisters and lovers‖ and the ―keelson (foundation) man‖ ( Ahemed, Dubey &.Sikri p. 29). Humanity is of the creation is love‖. This realization of the the God in Man. That is, man can find peace through humanity and human equality gives him peace relating his self with other selves of men based on (―Swiftly arose and spread around me the peace…‖). love for the humanity. Our individual awareness of In this regard we also can remember the moral of love and sympathy is extended to a greater and larger Coleridge‘s ―The Rime of the Ancient Mariner‖, awareness only through individual‘s humane actions which propounds the lesson of love for all creatures: that relate to other human beings. We love our wife, children, our relatives and neighbors or the poor and He prayeth best, who loveth best other human beings because we realize the inherent All things both great and small; nature within us that needs to be cultivated and this For the dear God who loveth us, ―inherent nature” ( Ahemed, Dubey, Sikri, p. 38) is He made and loveth all. Part VII humanity, and merged in every personality connected with love. Thus through the individual awareness of Tagore thinks about individual‘s peace and he self comes to us a universal awareness and sense of ―interprets Buddha‘s message of release from brotherhood and love for all human beings, who are suffering as a merging of the individual with the related with that individual self based on a greater universal‖ (Ahemed, Dubey, Sikri, p.45). In the concept of universal humanity, which exists only passage taken from Sadhana Tagore says about because of God‘s love. This realization is what Buddha: Tagore calls Dharma (religion). American humanist and mystic poet, Walt Whitman, presents the picture When Buddha meditated upon the way of of such spirituality of universal brotherhood very releasing mankind from the grip of misery beautifully in his notable poem ―Song of Myself‖: he came to this truth: that when man attains his highest end by merging the individual in Swiftly arose and spread around me the the universal, he becomes free from the peace and knowledge that pass all the thralldom of pain. (Ahemed, Dubey, Sikri: argument of the earth, p. 45) And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own, Tagore in relation to Buddha‘s spiritual teaching And I know that the spirit of God is the stresses a ―universal love for all creatures‖ (Ahemed, brother of my own, Dubey& Sikri, 2013, P. 45) in his poetic fold. And that all the men ever born are also my However, the most significant way of realizing the brothers, and the women my sisters and divine is by developing a perception of unity with lovers, other human beings through love, which is all And that a kelson of the creation is love, conquering. Tagore, therefore, develops the spiritual And limitless are leaves stiff or drooping in motifs of submission and supplication in the Gitanjali the fields, relating his self to other human beings and other And brown ants in the little wells beneath things in the nature or the universe. In one poem of them, the Gitanjali he expresses his gratefulness to God, he And mossy scabs of the worm fence, heap‘d writes: stones, elder, mullein and poke-weed. O how many unknown things (Section: 5) You made known to me, In how many places Whitman understands, through spiritual experience of You found room for me his self and soul, the truth (knowledge) that ―all the Who was distant friend men ever born are also my brothers, and the women You brought near

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The stranger no hopes and the Lord is there with them to love and You made my brother. Gitanjali: 3 take care of them. He tries to awaken those people who have pride of wealth and standard to correct Like Whitman and Nazrul, Tagore finds God within them to share the love and be humane to the needy him as a human being, within his self and soul. The people and let everyone live in peace and harmony. beautiful body and its mysterious interior make God So the poet writes: very close to him as God remains close to other human beings elsewhere: Here is thy footstool and there rest thy feet where live the Alas, people and possessions Poorest, and lowliest, and lost. Encompass me, When I try to bow to thee, my obeisance Yet know well: cannot reach down to My soul wants you, the depth where thy feet rest among You are within me the poorest, and lowliest, and lost. Oh indweller; Pride can never approach to where thou Spouse of my soul, Gitanjali:29 walkest in the clothes of the humble among the poorest, and lowliest, and lost. In another poem he writes: My heart can never find its way to where Oh my God, thou keepest You have filled my body and soul company with the companionless With your gifts; among the poorest, Now what nectar of mine the lowliest, and the lost. Do you want to drink? (Gitanjali- X) ………………….. The beauty of your creation Tagore presents before the Indian poor and down Is painted in my interior trodden a ray of hope in the midst of despair and As a colorful voice. uncertainty by his devotion to God whom he Your love, O lord, believes. This is poet‘s humanism with his realistic Intermingling with it, religious thought. So Tagore‘s Gitanjali reflects Has awakened all my songs. clearly a humanistic spirituality. In his book, Dharma, Tagore writes, ―We have no You see Yourself, in some delightful way, communication, heart to heart, with water, land, sky Portrayed within me, because you have and the planets, and we have no relations with them portrayed within me, Gitanjali:101 in terms of our good deeds. We can only find close to us (our heart) human beings, whom we can know Tagore remembers the poor and the destitute, the completely in our knowledge, love and works. So, the oppressed and the down trodden with his complete realization of God, the divine, is possible, remembrance of almighty God in his Gitnjali. Tagore only within man and by men.‖(Dharma, P.53). writes about people‘s indifference to the poor and Tagore‘s spirituality in Gitanjali, therefore, is not reminds them of its consequence. We often see the without Man and the universe where Man lives with poet encouraging and motivating the masses who are other human beings: rich or poor, black or white and the downtrodden in the contemporary society and high or low. poor. The poet informs us that the Lord is so great that the Heaven is his Thorne and the Earth is his Peace, internal or external, is disrupted by human Footstool. He says that the Lord walks in the midst of injustice and oppression throughout the world. It is the poorest the lowest and the lost people who have because of the lack of God-fearing persons. Men who

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do not believe in God lack love for God and for other narrow domestic walls; human beings. According to Tagore, freedom from Where words come out from the depth of all the oppressions of the world would enable truth; everyone to live a life full of contentment. This Where tireless striving stretches its arms freedom leads to a total whole that is Infinite, which towards perfection; is the consolidation of the best in the finites. This Where the clear stream of reason perfect freedom is the key that leads Man from the has not lost its way into the state of finiteness to identify with the Infinite. The dreary desert sand of dead habit; poet says: Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening Obstinate are the trammels, but my heart thought and action – aches when I try to Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let break them. my country awake. Freedom is all I want, but to hope for it I feel ashamed. (Gitanjali-XXXV) I am certain that priceless wealth is in thee, Just as the Muslims practice practically the universal and that thou art brotherhood in the gathering of Haj pilgrimage in my best friend, but I have not the heart to Mecca; and they circumambulate the Kaba declaring sweep away the the oneness of God, Tagore thinks of India as a place tinsel that fills my room of pilgrimage the same way. Tagore imagines of The shroud that covers me is a shroud of India as a great place of humanity with a sense of dust and death; I hate universal brotherhood and he thinks of India as a it, yet hug it in love. place of absorbing all types of people even in the My debts are large, my failures great, my midst of Indian racial problems, caste system, shame secret and communal and deep political rift between the Hindus heavy; yet when I come to ask for my good, and the Muslims. India becomes a place of I quake in fear lest pilgrimage in the words of Tagore. It is possible to my prayer be granted. gather all humanity in a place like India, only through a greater awareness of humanity, along with a belief (Gitanjali- XXVIII,) in one God, Who reflects Him within all human beings, Tagore writes: Peace is absent from the land where irrationality and superstition rule over reason, falsehood dominates Come then, Aryan, come, non – over the truth, ignorance supersedes the knowledge; Aryan, cowardice fills the heart and mind of people with Come, Hindu, Come Muslim, weakness. So, the poet supplicates God and prays to Come, come today, You Him, with freedom, to give all positive virtues to Englishman, India and the world as a whole by replacing all the Come oh Christian, negative qualities of human kind. Human bondage Come O Brahmin, and slavery, physically and mentally, are bar to Purify your mind human happiness. The poet writes: And grasp the hands of all; Come, all you downtrodden, Where the mind is without fear and the head Through aside the burden of is held high; disgrace Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up In nature, in the game of light and shade, in the rainy into fragments by season: Ashar and Shrabon; in the lighting and the

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thunderbolt of the sky, in day and night, in the Gitanjali. Tagore‘s last poem, which he dictated and moonlight night, in the road or in the temple, like a someone wrote before his death, proves that Tagore stranger, the poet feels the presence of God and talks at the end of his life fully surrendered to God. The to Him and questions Him with compassion and love. language of the poem is heart-breaking in which the The poet complaints to God against His being so poet actually bargains with God with a very clear slippery in His appearance and disappearance like a compassionate language for peace saying that the shadow behind him. He, God, is formless. But world has been designed as trap and deceptions by Tagore says he feels His presence everywhere. This God, and the paths to Him were not easy to select for is slightly Tagore‘s pantheistic approach in dealing the poet. But the poet has been, in spite of his with the spirituality of his poems. Sometimes, Tagore external deceitful behavior, very humble within his expresses his satisfaction with God‘s attitude to him; soul for God. At least for this humbleness of his God‘s game of hide and seek with the poet. The poet heart; and as a person, who tried his best to tolerate has, sometimes, no complaints and he is satisfied and overcome the deceptions of the world to find the with his life and death question. ―Oh death, Oh my way to God sincerely within all types of difficulties, perfection/ come, come‖ Tagore writes. Almost, in he deserves the guarantee for peace from God. Few every type of poem in Gitanjali, Tagore maintains translated lines of the poem, quoted by Abdul extreme note of humility in attitude and calmness in Mannan Sayed in his book, Rabindranath, (p.70), are language to develop the motifs of submission and given below: supplication to create peace in his own mind and the mind of readers. Some examples of these kinds are You have filled up the paths of your creation given below: With varied deceptions, Oh, contriver/ deceiver! I.…. ………………….. Look at me Though deceitful I am outwardly, Mercifully and kindly. Inside humble within my soul, Monsoon rains pour down in torrents On the dense forest branches, I, who, have tolerated the deceptions in The night sleeps on silence, Lulled into laziness by the torrential rain. Deserve eternal guarantee for peace in your Gitanjali:86 hand.

II. On the moonlight night Conclusion: Though it is not possible to discuss, in a My soul awakens. short essay like this, the whole issue of submission Will there be room for me and supplication motifs of Tagore‘s Gitanjali, which Today at Your side‖ consist of virtually 157 poems, a significant attempt ……….. has been made here to focus on the subjects. It can be III. Alone I went out asserted that Tagore has developed the spiritual To keep my tryst with You. motifs of submission and supplication to God in Ah, who walks behind Gitanjali poems in such a way that as if God were Every step of me with him all the time even in his dream in sleep, not In silent darkness? only in the day and night when he is awake. The ……………… GitanjalI: 103 constant interactions of the poet with God in his subjective and objective levels create a sense of ―Tagore was strongly against idol worship of humility within him. He realizes God‘s presence in Hinduism,‖ (Sayed, 2001, P. 117)‖ and, therefore, his life and the life of other human beings in terms of was a strong believer in one God. So Tagore has love and sympathy. He supplicates and submits to a developed the motifs of his poem accordingly in loving and compassionate God Who is understood

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well in the greater existence of mankind in the world. WORKS CITED: So Tagore‘s piety and spirituality are not separated (1). Naik, Dr. Zakir. (2015). Similarities between from mankind that has been created by the same God. Hinduism and Islam, A video speech, Available on: By submitting to one loving and compassionate God, www. Youtube.com. and by asking His help during his time of sorrow and (2). Hossain, Md. Asif. (edit.). (2002). Rabindranath delight Tagore not only achieves peace for him but Tagore, World Book Distribution centre, Dhaka. also spreads a message of peace for humanity. (3). Tagore, Rabindranath. (1915). SHADHANA: The Tagore‘s message for peace in Gitanjali poems thus realization of Life, The Macmillan Company, New is deeply connected with the belief in the existence of York, and Available on: www. Spritual.bee.com. one God Who created all human beings, who are (4). Hurt, Michael. (1992). The 100, A ranking of the supposed to live peacefully in the world with love, most influential Persons in history, Citadel brotherhood, and justice. Tagore was greatly shocked Publishing, USA. at the outbreak of the First World War and the plight (5). Srivarshini, RK. (2015). Book Review on of human beings during the war. He cried out, ―Oh Gitanjali, Rabindranath Tagore, available on: God, save humanity, save us‖ in his writings and http://kvkaraikudi.tn.nic.in/documents/reviewsgeetha speech equally. Tagore‘s message of Gitanjali, is njali.pdf. therefore, a message of peace for humanity which can (6). Ahemed, Dubey & Sikri. (edit.). (2013). be achieved only through the submission and Cotemporarising Tagore and the World, the supplication to God in personal and universal levels University press, Dhaka. by all human beings. (7). Shohidullah,Dr. Mohammad.(2011). Islam Prasanga(essays on Islam), Mowla Brothers, Dhaka. NOTES: (8). Sayed, Abdul Mannan. (2001). Robindranath( (i) For English translation of Gitanjali poems two analysis of Robindra literature), ABOSAR, Dhaka. books have been selected: (9). Whitman, Walt. (2015). ―Song of Myself‖, Tagore, R. Gitanjali . (2000). New Delhi: Macmillan Available on/retrieved from: www. poetry India Limited & Tagore, R. Gitanjali, (2008), foundation.com. (Trans.) by Brother James, the University Press, (10). Tagore, Rabindranath. (2011). Manusher second impression, Dhaka, Dharma (The religion of Men), Bivas Publications, (ii) Tagore, R. (2010). Gitanjali (Bengali), Bissha Dhaka. Sahiyatta Bhavan, Dhaka. (11). Tagore,Rabindranath.(2014), (iii) Hadith (sayings of the holy Prophet Dhorma(Religion), Book Club Publication, Dhaka. Mohammad(S), retrieved from: www. Sunnah.com (12). Lavine,T.Z. (1989). From Socrates to Sartre, (iv). Translation of the verses of the Koran is taken the Philosophic Quest, Bantam Book, New York. from, The Holy Qur‟aan, English translation by (13) Khan, Rafiq Ullah. (2007). Rabindra Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Farid Book Depot (pvt.) Ltd. Bishayak(About Rabindranat), Shahiyatta Bilash, New Delhi, India, revised edition, 2000. Dhaka. (v) ―Creed of the Brahmo Dharma‖ available: http://www.thebrahmosamaj.net/liturgy/creed.html (vi) The holy Bible, available on: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bible?lang=eng (vii).The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (text of 1834) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173253

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