As Bengal celebrates the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore during Rabindra Jayanti, it is perhaps the most appropriate moment to revisit an aspect of the poet’s thoughts that is often ignored, selectively quoted, or deliberately distorted in contemporary discourse — his deep reverence for India’s civilisational ethos rooted in the Ramayana, Dharma, and the cultural consciousness of Bharat.
In recent years, particularly after the construction of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a section of intellectuals has attempted to portray Shri Ram as a “political symbol” rather than a timeless civilisational ideal. Some even go to the extent of claiming that Ram is somehow alien to Bengal’s cultural identity. Ironically, many who make such assertions frequently invoke Rabindranath Tagore’s name to legitimise their arguments. Yet, a sincere reading of Tagore’s own writings completely dismantles this manufactured narrative.
Rabindranath was not merely a poet; he was one of the deepest interpreters of Indian civilisation. His universalism did not emerge from rejecting India’s traditions, but from embracing the spiritual and cultural foundations of Bharat. And among those foundations, the Ramayana occupied a place of extraordinary importance.
In his celebrated essay “Bharatvarser Itihaser Dhara” (“The Course of Indian History”), Tagore presented Shri Ram not as a sectarian figure, but as the embodiment of moral leadership, inclusivity, and civilisational unity. He wrote that India never forgot Ram because he was “the friend of the Chandala, the deity of the monkeys, and the ally of Vibhishana.” According to Tagore, Ram’s greatness did not lie merely in defeating enemies but in transforming them through Dharma, compassion, and friendship.
This interpretation is significant in today’s atmosphere where Hindutva is often caricatured by critics as exclusionary or intolerant. Tagore’s understanding of Ram stood for precisely the opposite. For him, Ram symbolised the ability of Indian civilisation to unite diverse communities under a shared moral and spiritual vision. He saw Ram as the builder of bridges — both literal and civilisational.
Tagore further argued that Ram did not expand his influence through brute conquest. Rather, he spread ethical values and spiritual ideals that shaped India’s cultural evolution for centuries. The poet believed that the devotional traditions flourishing across southern India later emerged from seeds planted by the ideals associated with Ram. Such reflections reveal how deeply Tagore regarded the ‘Ramayana’ as a living force in Bharatiya history.
Perhaps one of the most important observations made by Tagore appears in the introduction to Ramayani Katha written by Dinesh Chandra Sen. There, Tagore famously wrote that the ‘Ramayana’ and the ‘Mahabharata’ were not merely epics but the “eternal history” of Bharat. Political histories change with time, but these epics, he argued, contained the permanent ideals, aspirations, and spiritual struggles of Bhartiya civilisation.
This statement alone is enough to challenge the modern tendency of reducing the ‘Ramayana’ to “mythology” disconnected from India’s cultural reality. For Tagore, the ‘Ramayana’ represented the living memory of Bharat. It shaped the ethical imagination of generations — from village households to royal courts.
Those who attempt to separate Bengali identity from the ‘Ramayana’ tradition must confront another uncomfortable truth: Tagore repeatedly acknowledged how deeply Bengal itself was nourished by Ramayana culture. In the preface to Saral Krittibas, he noted that almost every Bengali family once grew up reading or listening to the ‘Krittivasi Ramayana’. He warned that if Bengali children stopped reading it, it would indicate a grave cultural decline.
That warning appears remarkably relevant today. In an age where sections of society openly mock Ram or dismiss the civilisational traditions of Bharat as outdated, Tagore’s concerns seem prophetic. The erosion of cultural memory often begins with the rejection of foundational texts and symbols.
Tagore’s admiration for Ram was not confined to historical or literary analysis alone. He also saw in Ram the highest ideals of human character. In ‘Sahityer Pathe’ , he described Ram as “the man of our minds” — not simply a historical figure, but the embodiment of virtues accumulated through centuries of collective moral aspiration. Ram represented truthfulness, restraint, courage, humility, sacrifice, and righteousness.
Similarly, Tagore regarded the relationship between Ram and Sita as one of the noblest examples of ideal companionship and moral discipline. In his essay ‘Gramya Sahitya’, he praised the ‘Ramayana’ for presenting elevated ideals of marital devotion, brotherhood, loyalty, duty, and compassion. According to him, very few literary traditions in the world could provide such profound moral education capable of shaping human civilisation.
Even Tagore’s political imagination reflected the influence of Ram. In India, the phrase “Ram Rajya” continues to symbolise just governance, ethical leadership, and welfare-oriented rule. Tagore himself praised Ram as the ideal ruler whose strength was balanced by humility and moral responsibility. In his poetic work ‘Katha O Kahini’ , he portrayed Ram as the king who bore suffering with dignity while remaining steadfast in Dharma.
Equally noteworthy is Tagore’s philosophical contrast between Ram and Ravana in Raktakarabi. He wrote, “Ram is peace and harmony; Ravana is noise and unrest.” Through this symbolic comparison, Tagore captured the deeper essence of Indian civilisation — the victory of restraint over arrogance, harmony over chaos, and Dharma over unchecked power.
Unfortunately, modern political debates often attempt to appropriate Tagore selectively while ignoring these unmistakable aspects of his thought. His criticism of narrow fanaticism is repeatedly highlighted, but his profound reverence for India’s spiritual and cultural heritage is conveniently forgotten. Tagore was never alienated from the Hindu civilisational identity of Bharat. On the contrary, his universalism was rooted in it.
Rabindra Jayanti should therefore not become merely an occasion for cultural performances and ceremonial tributes. It should also be a moment of intellectual honesty. To truly honour Rabindranath Tagore is to engage sincerely with his writings, rather than filtering them through contemporary ideological lenses.
Tagore’s words make one thing abundantly clear: the ‘Ramayana’ was not foreign to Bengal, nor was Shri Ram alien to Bengali consciousness. Ram lived within Bengal’s songs, literature, ethics, folklore, and collective memory. And one of Bengal’s greatest sons acknowledged this truth repeatedly through his essays, poems, plays, and letters.
At a time when attempts are being made to detach India’s younger generations from their civilisational roots, revisiting Tagore’s thoughts becomes more important than ever. His writings remind us that cultural confidence and universal humanism are not opposites. One can embrace modernity without severing oneself from civilisational identity.
On this Rabindra Jayanti, perhaps the most fitting tribute to Gurudev is not merely to sing his songs, but also to remember the India he believed in — an India whose spiritual heartbeat echoed through the ‘Ramayana’ , whose moral imagination was shaped by Dharma, and whose civilisational continuity found expression in the timeless ideals of Shri Ram.
