3.

Before Tagore got the Nobel Prize in 1913, one particular poem of his, a very nice poem, was criticised so ruthlessly, ruthlessly, in a magazine. Each and every line of the poem was mercilessly criticised. Three weeks later, Tagore got the Nobel Prize for Literature. Then immediately the same writer absolutely extolled Tagore to the skies for that particular poem. It was the same magazine, the same writer, the same poem! Look at how people can change their coat! This incident is famous. Only three weeks prior to his Nobel Prize, Tagore received such wild criticism. Then, in three weeks, the story changed. The writer found such significant things in the poem. Life is like that.¹⁸

Some of the elder writers of those days made fun of Tagore and criticised him before he got the Nobel Prize. As a poet, he was not recognised at all in Bengal, not to speak of India. His unbearable critics used to say, “Oh, he comes of a very high family, a distinguished family. That is why he is getting credit for his poems.” Tagore’s father was so great and his elder brothers were all very great in various fields. The Tagore family was India’s greatest family. That is why those critics used to say that Tagore was not a good writer.

Then, after Tagore received the Nobel Prize, his worst critics came to Santiniketan to honour him. They came by train, a deputation of about thirty or forty of them, those who had not been in favour of his writings. Tagore was a little bit annoyed. He said, “Just a few days ago, you were my worst critics. Now you have come to honour me. I do not need your honour.” Those ‘well-wishers’ were therefore unable to hold a function to honour Tagore, and they left. Tagore was upset and they were also upset that they had come all the way and Tagore had not received them well. A few weeks later, Tagore personally went to them and asked for forgiveness. Then they forgave him.¹⁹

From:Sri Chinmoy,Rabindranath Tagore: the moon of Bengal’s Heart, Agni Press, 2011
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/rtm