Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, the gigantic multitalented personalities in every sense were the two remarkable scavengers of Indian society under British Rule. Their life-long activities are sufficient to put them in the list of the most elite personalities of all-time. They were the wayfarers of two different destinations, around the same time, and born in the same part of the world. Both of them, at every step, was immensely inspired by the lessons of ancient Indian philosophies, apart from being the great admirers and commentators of the Upanishads.

Were they able to meet the same harmony? Have they influenced each other? Did they also appreciate each other’s ideology? These are very big questions, whose answers are very interesting and important to be searched for. Both of their virtues, moralities, and teachings on life repeatedly pronounced the same words- to win over the fears of death, eradicating superstitions, making people literate, spreading science and rationality, amalgamating actions and knowledge, gaining independence, and finding independence of the individual souls. 

The base of their rational thinking was deeply rooted in spirituality and the socio-historical philosophies. If the approach to the welfare of the motherland is considered, no huge disparity can be found between the two. Both of them believed in reform, not relief! Furthermore if the two articles “Historical Evolution of India” and “Bharatvarsher Itihaser dhara (the flow of the history of India)”, the former one by the monk and the latter one by the great poet, is compared, one can easily find the interesting and surprising similarities between their styles of evaluation and analysis.

As a true artist to deal with the path towards enjoying the real breath of life, Rabindranath was apathetic towards renouncing the world. On the other hand, the visualization that the true personality of Swamiji will be more acceptable to the broader aspect of society with much ease is just a notion of insanity. The philosophical aspects and disciplines and teachings on every-day life of this cyclonic Hindu monk’s saffron appearance are unable to affect the mindset of the mass people of Bengal. However, he managed to obtain tremendous respect and Godly status, with sincere and splendor offerings in the form of worship, from the house of most of the inhabitants of this region because of people of Bengal was mostly interested in the aesthetic pleasure that evokes the feelings and emotions in their daily existence.

Swamiji never asked us to give up all the dreams and delights of life and accept the saffron loincloth of the Sannyasi. He never declared any commandment to indulge our brain in the complex theories of Vedanta. Remember the quote, “Playing football takes us nearer to heaven rather than reading Bhagavad Gita”. Rather, he repeatedly invoked the inner youth to come out and take part in the daily aspects of their life, through Karmayoga or the path of selfless actions. And exactly, this is where he assimilates with kaviguru Tagore. Albeit, the image of Tagore has managed to get along the barriers of his Shantiniketan, Swamiji on the other hand, got encompassed mostly under the adoration of his followers and people of the shrines, monasteries, and missionaries.

It is mentioned by Romain Rolland, the French dramatist, and art historian, that when Okakura Kakuzō, the Japanese scholar and a great contributor towards the development of arts in Japan, came to visit Swamiji, on the bank of the Ganges, Vivekananda asked him to meet Tagore. He explained that everything is ejected from his side, only Rabindranath can be found in the spirit of willingness to enjoy the essence of life. Again, Okakura was actually sent to Vivekananda by Rabindranath himself. “If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. There is in him, everything positive, nothing negative’' – that is what Rabindranath informed to Okakura, as he came to the poet to understand the quiddity of the Great India.

It was due to the interest of Tagore that the book of Swamiji, “The East and the West” was included in the academic syllabus of Viswabharati. Besides, Swamiji used to visit the poet’s father, Devendranath Tagore, before and after accepting Sannyasi life, just as an admirer and follower.

Both of them were born in the same cultural arena, Tagore in 1861, and Swamiji in 1863, just in a gap of two years, as India dived in the darkness of subservience and superstitions. Being the same classmate of Dwipendranath, the son of Dwijendranath, the elder brother of Rabindranath, Narendranath was a known face to the Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the abode of Tagore family. In 1881, for the marriage ceremony of the daughter of Rajnarayan Basu, Rabindranath composed a song. This was sung in chorus, where Narendranath also took part. Getting impressed with the handsome, smart, vigorous and full-spirited young man’s augmented eyes and mellifluent voice,  Rabindranath was pleased enough to teach him three of his songs. Narendranath also earned popularity as a singer of Tagore’s songs. Moreover, in his book “Sangeet-Kalpataru”, he also collected some songs of Rabindranath.

Can you imagine, if both of them were meant to be the people of two different poles, then why there are such mentions from the Gitanjali of Tagore:

“Satek Shatabdi Dhore Shire Asanman Bhar/ Manusher Narayanyane tobuo koro na Nomoskar” (Carrying the burden of disrespect from centuries/ The God within the human soul is not saluted).

The term “Manusher Narayan” or the God of human beings! It is absolutely what Swamiji has also expressed. Again the lines,

“Tini gechen jethae maati venge korche chasha chas… Karmoyoge tar sathe ek hoe ghormo poruk jhore” (He has moved to the place where the farmer is plowing by making scratches on the land… Let the sweat of them drop together through Karmayoga).

Doesn’t it remind us of the neo-Vedantic teachings of Swamiji? The search of God through Karmayoga or the path of action!

However, it is a sad reality that the name Bhanusingha (pseudo-name of the poet) is much more popular and featured in the cultural mindset of Bengal, whereas the identity- Bibidishananda, failed to achieve the same percolation in the broader cultural and thinking aspects of society. Yes, Bibidishananda was the immediate name that Narendranath have used, after entering his Sannyasi Life, which later on changed into the most popular identity- Swami Vivekananda!

The two of them dedicated their whole life in bridging the gap between heaven and the people of the earth. After the demise of Swamiji, it is exactly what Rabindranath’s appreciation for Swamiji was:

“Some time ago Vivekananda said that there was the power of Brahman in every man, that Narayana (God) wanted to have our service through the poor. This is what I call the real gospel. This gospel showed of infinite from man's tiny egocentric self beyond the limits of all selfishness. This was no sermon relating to a particular ritual, nor was it a narrow injunction to be imposed upon one's external life. This naturally contained in its protest against untouchability— not because that would make for political freedom, but because that would do away with the humiliation of man— a curse which in fact puts to shame the self of us all. Vivekananda's gospel marked the awakening of man in his fullness and that is why it inspired our youth to the diverse course of liberation through work and sacrifice.”

(The above writings of the poet, in his own hand

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In 1913, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore received the most prestigious Nobel Prize award for Literature- and Swamiji left us about ten years back from that date. If he was there, the scenario could have been different. May be this time Swamiji would have come forward to felicitate Gurudev. May be this time, we would have seen that our modest Swamiji is glad enough to chant his favourite RabindraSangeet-

“Maha Singhasone bose sunecho he biswapito/ Tomari rochito chonde mohan biswero gito” (Do you hear O Lord of the world, sitting on the great throne/ It is the rhythm you composed, that makes the great song for the world”.

One of them saw the light of life and world through compassion towards Jiva or living beings, while the other one inclined towards the search of new God from every extract of humanity. If there is any breach found here, this is our essential and immediate duty of the nation to unite that diversion. And, this can only be carried out in our own way, through following the great epitomes that they have set for us in their respected disciplines.  

References, inspirations and courtesies:

1. কবি ও সন্ন্যাসী  by Devjani Mazumdar http://rabinandan.blogspot.com/2012/04/blog-post_29.html

2. রবীন্দ্রনাথ আর বিবেকানন্দ by Satrajit Goswami https://kothatobolarjonyei.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-post_19.html

3.  Swami Vivekananda: A Historical Review By Dr. R. C. Majumdar

4. রবীন্দ্রনাথ ও বিবেকানন্দ by P.K. Barua  https://www.somewhereinblog.net/blog/pkbarua/30188942

Picture Credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/abhishekadhikary/3946190723