It is perhaps a law of Nature that we all salute to the rising sun and not the setting sun. Similarly, when we get sudden success, fame, recognition or riches, people rush to us irrespective of the fact whether it is well-deserved or not. Many times, even those people hang around us, who have no liking for us. At times, this may annoy us but there is no point in getting annoyed and the whole process should be accepted with equanimity, more so when such an achievement is well-deserved. While it is easy to say so, it may be difficult to follow in actual life. An incident of Rabindra Nath Tagore’s life may be of help in appreciating this point and consequently, in following.
When Tagore was conferred the Nobel Prize in literature for his work ‘Gitanjali’ in the year 1913, it came as a big surprise to the literary circle of Kolkata. Obviously, it was so for Tagore also, as often is the case with such recognition. But the case of Tagore was somewhat different. He was never given
the due recognition at home and his contemporaries in the literary circle never thought very highly of him. One reason for this could be their silent jealousy of Tagore on various counts. He also knew this but remained aloof as long as it didn’t affect him. The news of the Nobel Prize to Tagore intensified this jealousy even more. Tagore had shifted to Shantiniketan by that time, near Bolpur. A big group of the literary circle of Kolkata, therefore, decided to proceed to Shantiniketan to honour Tagore and the same was communicated to him. Tagore knew that most of the people who were coming to honour him had no great regard for him and were coming only because he had been conferred the Nobel Prize. So he was not very happy about it and shared his feelings with some close friends of his at Shantiniketan. His words were that the delegation was coming not to honour him but to honour his honour. The friends also knew the fact and understood Tagore’s dilemma. However, one of his friends advised him to remain as gracious as he had always been and receive the delegation. Tagore conceded to this advice and the event was conducted gracefully. Perhaps, Tagore would have done so on his own accord also.
The message of this small narrative is that one should take ‘success’ and ‘failure’ with equanimity. If one does not feel much elated in the former, the latter also will not have an adverse effect. Tagore experienced several tragedies in life but he remained equally calm in those periods. That is why, in due course, he not only won the true respect of his colleagues but of the whole world. But this does not happen in one day and one has to strive for it all through the life.
Rakesh Mittal IAS
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