SENIOR INTERMEDIATE

English Prose
Annotations

The Religion of the Forest

(Lesson No 9)
By Rabindranath Tagore

1 The ideal of perfection preached by the forest-dwellers of

ancient India runs through the heart of our classical literature
and still dominates our mind.
Introduction: These lines are extracted from Rabindranath
Tagore’s inspiring essay ‘The Religion of the Forest.’ He is a
well known name in the field of literature. In this lesson he
ventilates (make public) his views on the religion of forest
which highlights the relationship of man and nature. Tagore’s
love for nature was profound (deep). For him the wide-open
skies, spaciousness, and calmness of the countryside
represented freedom.
Context & Meaning: The peace of the forest preached by our
sages has helped the intellectual evolution of man. They
advocated the supreme flawlessness (exactness) to the world
by being a integral (essential) part of the nature’s serene (calm)
surroundings.
Tagore puts forward his view on the relationship of an
individual being with that of the forest and nature. The forests
are sources of life and they are the storehouse of biodiversity
(healthy environment). The biodiversity of the forest teaches us
lessons of democracy, of leaving space for others while drawing
sustenance (nutrition) from the common web of life. The
culture of the forest has fuelled (stimulates) culture of Indian
society which in turn dominates (governs) our minds even
today.
General Relevance: From the relation of man and Nature, it can
be understood that the experience of the world is not isolated
(cut-off) from the experience of Nature. Along with its beauty
and appeal, Nature’s meaning and purpose is equally important
and both are indispensable (inseparable) elements.
2 The view of the world which India has taken is summed up
in one compound Sanskrit word Sacchidananda.
Introduction: These lines are extracted from Rabindranath
Tagore’s inspiring essay ‘The Religion of the Forest.’ He is a
well known name in the field of literature. In this lesson he
ventilates his views on the religion of forest which highlights
the relationship of man and nature. Tagore’s love for nature
was profound. For him the wide-open skies, spaciousness, and
calmness of the countryside represented freedom.
Context & Meaning: The view of the world is explained
through the Sanskrit word 'Sachchidananda' which states that
certainty has three phases. The first one is 'Sat' which
ventilates the truth that things exist and relates us through the
relationship of common existence. The second phase is 'Chit'
which states that we know and this relates to all things through
knowledge. The third and the final stage is 'Ananda' which is
the fact that we enjoy and this unites us with all things through
love.
General Relevance: The poet Tagore throws light on the global
view that our consciousness of the world becomes perfect
when it realizes all things as spiritually one with it.
3 Nature stands on her own right, proving that she has her
great function, to impart the peace of the eternal to human
emotions
Introduction: These lines are extracted from Rabindranath
Tagore’s inspiring essay ‘The Religion of the Forest.’ He is a
well known name in the field of literature. In this lesson he
ventilates his views on the religion of forest which highlights
the relationship of man and nature. Tagore’s love for nature
was profound. For him the wide-open skies, spaciousness, and
calmness of the countryside represented freedom.
Context & Meaning: Tagore says that the forest instills in us
the values of cooperation and compassion. Our relationship
with the forest and Nature permits us to experience our
humanity. In all our Sanskrit dramas, Nature stands out on her
own, proving that she has the tremendous duty to convey the
eternal tranquilly to human emotions,
General Relevance: Tagore outlines the role of nature in
binding Man to itself and creating a unending relationship
there by fostering peace and harmony.
4 These poems contain the voice of warnings against the
gorgeous unreality of that age, which, like a Himalayan
avalanche, was slowly gliding down to an abyss of
catastrophe.
Introduction: These lines are extracted from Rabindranath
Tagore’s inspiring essay ‘The Religion of the Forest.’ He is a
well known name in the field of literature. In this lesson he
ventilates his views on the religion of forest which highlights
the relationship of man and nature. Tagore’s love for nature
was profound. For him the wide-open skies, spaciousness, and
calmness of the countryside represented freedom..
Context & Meaning: The writer Tagore states that in Kalidas’s
time the kings were given to the extravagance of self-
enjoyment like good food and drink because of which these
features went against the idea of the sacred serenity of the
forest. The poems of Kalidasa contain the voice of warnings
against the striking unreality of the age. The poet longed for
the purity and simplicity of India's past age of spiritual striving.
Tagore presents the idea that the future would be glowed
gloriously only when there would be in the atmosphere the
calm of self-control, purity and renunciation.
General Relevance: The poet Tagore uses Kalidas as his mouth
piece to convey the dazzling glory of India prior to rulers who
ruled over it and its gradual fall after these self-seeking upstarts
took over.

Short Answers
1 To make the spirit of the religion of the forest clear to the
readers, Tagore presents some sets of contrasts
Ans: Rabindranath Tagore is a well known name in the field of
literature. His poems, novels short stories, critical essays and
other writings have vastly enriched the cultural environment of
India. Tagore’s love for nature is very vividly projected in the
essay.
According to Tagore, the learned of early India were essentially
forest inhabitants. They proposed, carried out and lectured
extensively about peace, tranquillity and co-existence when
compared to the Europeans who had a liking for confrontation.
Other differences include Indian spiritualism as opposed to
Western materialism, ancient view and modern outlook,
oriental and Western points of view and the place of nature in
the Indian and Western literature.
2 The aspect of truth cannot be ignored: It has to be known
and mastered. What is the aspect of truth, according to
Tagore? Explain them.
Ans: Rabindranath Tagore is a well known name in the field of
literature. His poems, novels short stories, critical essays and
other writings have vastly enriched the cultural environment of
India. Tagore’s love for nature is very vividly projected in the
essay.
Tagore states that the first and foremost aspect of truth is that
humankind identify themselves as one with universal life.
3 The hermitage shines out in all our ancient literature, as the
place where the chasm between man and the rest of creation
has been bridged. Explain this statement of Tagore.
Ans: : Rabindranath Tagore is a well known name in the field
of literature. His poems, novels short stories, critical essays and
other writings have vastly enriched the cultural environment of
India. Tagore’s love for nature is very vividly projected in the
essay.
Tagore is of the opinion that sages in ancient India were
basically forest dwellers and the hermitage was the centre for
excellence. The lush greenery that essentially enveloped the
hermitage entered our lives and taught us countless lessons.
They educated us on the value of peaceful coexistence This is
amply radiated in our classical literature with numerous
illustrations. It is the hermitage that bridged the gap between
man and the rest of the creation. Thus the noble service of the
hermits finds ample appreciation in our ancient literature.
Tagore quotes evidences from Kalidasa, Bana, Shudraka and
others.

4 Explain how the old simplicity of Hindu life had broken up in

Kalidasa’s time.
Ans: Rabindranath Tagore is a well known name in the field of
literature. His poems, novels short stories, critical essays and
other writings have vastly enriched the cultural environment of
India. Tagore’s love for nature is very vividly projected in the
essay.
Ans: During the time of the great Kalidasa, India appeared to
have reached the height of civilization standing out in luxury,
literature and arts. The poems of Kalidasa hold that the very
magnificence of wealth and enjoyment was dwindling.
The simplicity of Hindu life was literally fragmented. The Hindu
kings were unmindful of their responsibilities and had taken to
vices and plundering. India was constantly distressed by the
Kings which ultimately resulted in nosedive of the ideals which
were so fondly instituted by the rules of those times.