AN EVALUATION OF MYSTICISM IN RABINDRANATH TAGORE’S GITANJALI (1910)

Abstract

Mysticism is “a constellation of distinctive practices, discourses, texts, institutions, traditions, and experiences aimed at human transformation, variously defined in different traditions”. Mysticism categorically lacks an authority and anything and everything that is related to God is put under the term mysticism. An analysis of words and ideas reveals that it is the love for “nature” and “God” that made Tagore enters the realm of mysticism. However, his mystical experiences are quite different from those of the experiences of enlightened saints of India. Saints’ mysticism is a result of the union achieved through deep meditation, but in Tagore’s case it is only love and desire for the union. As a result of this, his Gitanjali can be considered as “Nature Mysticism” rather than Soul or God Mysticism only which enlightened saints and poets like Kalidasa or Auribindo can achieve.