Prose
4. The Religion Of The Forest ( Rabindranath Tagore )
1. Annotate Any Two of the following in about 100 words each. [2×4=8Marks]
a) The ideal of perfection preached by the forest-dwellers of ancient India runs through the heart of our classical literature and still dominates our minds.
b) The view of this world that India has taken is summed up in one compound Sanskrit word, Sacchindananda.
c) Nature stands on her own right, providing that she has her great function, to impart the peace of the eternal to human emotions.
d) These poems contain the voice of warming against the gorgeous unreality of that age, which like a Himalayan avalanche, was slowly gliding down to an abyss of catastrophe.
3. Answer Any Two of the following questions in about 100 words each. [2×4=8 Marks]
a) To make the spirit of the religion of the forest clear to readers, Tagore presents some sets of contrasts. Explain them.
b) This aspect of truth cannot be ignored; it has to be known and mastered. What is that aspect of truth, according to Tagore?
c)The hermitage shines out in all our ancient literature, as the place where the chasm between man and the rest of creation has been bridged. Explain this statement of Tagore.
d) Explain how the old simplicity of Hindu life had broken up in Kalidasa’s time.
Introduction: These lines are taken from the thought-provoking essay “The Religion Of The Forest” written by Rabindranath Tagore.
About the author: Rabindranath Tagore a polymath is fondly remembered as Gurudev and VishwaKavi. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his Gitanjali. As a poet, dramatist, novelist, story writer, artist, educationist, social, dramatist, novelist, story writer, artist, educationist, social, political, and religious thinker, and philosopher, Tagore remains immoral.
Content: The essay “The Religion Of The Forest” is an extract from his original English composition “Creative Unity”. The essay looks like a research paper.
Explanation: Ancient India provided serene surroundings to her wife sages in her lush green forest. They preached the idol of perfection to the world the essence of that teaching is so Universal and long-lasting that it dominates our mind even today.
Indians were mostly forest dwellers. They picked up from nature the principle of peaceful coexistence. North men and on the other hand, were mainly sea forces and their motto was confrontation and subjugation. Tagore explains, objectively, both the merits and demerits of each side, still, he guides the readers to choose well. When the world seen as alien to us, then its mechanical aspect becomes prominent in our minds. The machine also has its place in the world. Europe has done so and has reaped a rich harvest.
The view of ancient Indians about our life and universe is well summed up in the term ‘Sacchi Danada’ it tells that reality has three phases. The first phase is ‘Sat’ which states the fact that things exist and the fact that relates us to all things through the relationship of common existence.
The second phase is ‘chit’ which states that we know and this relates to all things through knowledge.
In Kalidas’s Shakuntala, the hermitage overshadowed the magnificence of the king’s Palace. While describing the Hermitage in “Kadambari” Bana tells us one could hear the groves, the verses, repeated by the parrots and the wildfowl enjoying their food. One could also see the Ducks coming up from the lake, the dear caressing the young hermit boys. All these things tell us that the hermitage was the place where the wide differences of the feeling of man and the rest of the creation has been bridged.
For Tagore, our relationship with the forest and nature is a relationship that allows us to experience our humanity. Realism is the value of this concept and living as per that ideal promotes peace and prosperity.
In Kalidas’s time, the kings became self-seeking epicureans. It is evident from Kalidas’s poem one should find enjoyment through renunciation, not through the greed of possession, future would be glorious when there would be the calm of self-control, purity, and renunciation in the atmosphere.
Conclusion: The essay serves as an example of both an expository and argumentative essay for learners to emulate.
(OR)
Introduction: These lines are taken from the thought-provoking essay The Religion of the Forest written by Rabindranath Tagore
About the author: Rabindranath Tagore is fondly remembered as Gurudev and VishwaKavi. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his Gitanjali.
Content: The essay The Religion Of the Forest is an extract from his original English composition Creative Unity. The essay looks like a research paper.
Explanation: Tagore seeks to present the ideal of perfection as explained by the ancient Indian forest-dwellers. Ancient India provided calm surroundings to her wise sages in her green forests. They preached the ideal of perfection to the world. The view of ancient Indian about a life and universe is well summed up in the term. “Sacdhidanada”.The first phase is “Sat” which states the things that exist. The second phase is “Chit” which states that we know and this relates to all, things through knowledge. The third phase is “Ananda” which is the fact that we enjoy and this unites as with all things through love.All through the Kalidas’s poem there, runs the idea that the future would be glorious when there would be calm of self-control.
Conclusion: Thus living in harmony with nature is the religion of the
forest.
