UPAGUPTA - Poem

By Rabindranath Tagore

SUMMARY

        “Upagupta” is a poem written by Rabindranath Tagore, one of the greatest poets of India. He received Nobel Prize for his anthology of poems “Geetanjali”.  In this poem, Rabindranath Tagore tries to present the impermanence of sensual pleasures. He depicts how physical and mental attachment to material pleasures becomes the root cause of our sorrow. Many other philosophical truths also are presented in this beautiful poem.

        The poem deals with the life incidents in the life of a dancing girl and her meeting with an ascetic (sanyasi) called Upagupta. The poem presents two moments in the life of the dancing girl. In the rainy season, one evening a dancing girl was returning from royal court. She saw Upagupta, an ascetic sleeping in the dust by the city wall of Mathura. He slept in the dust because he was a saint and he hated comfort, luxury and wealth. The dancing girl was attracted by the austerely handsome face of Upagupta. So she requested him to come to her house to sleep comfortably. But he declined her invitation. He promised her that he would visit her house at an appropriate time. He tells her: “go on your way!”. She is too young to renounce material and physical pleasures. Her way was to enjoy herself. But he was a saint and renounced all worldly pleasures. His way was to lead a simple and spiritual life.

        In the spring season the branches of the trees were full of flowers. The town was silent and there was no passerby because most of the citizens left for the woods to attend the festival of flowers. The dancing girl was suffering from a deadly disease and she was driven away from the town. She had severe sores on her body. They were very painful and the disease was contagious. She lay in the shadow of the city wall suffering. She should be looked after by someone. She was in dire need of an attendant. At that time, the ascetic, Upagupta had come to serve her. He sat by the side of the suffering woman. He took her head on his knees, watered her lips, applied some balm to her sores and showed great care towards her. The dancing girl asked who the merciful one was. He was Upagupta. He said that it was the right time for him to visit her because the duty of an ascetic was to render service to humanity. A great transformation occurs in her life.

        Thus, the poem highlights the futility of materialistic pleasures and physical attraction. The true meaning of life lies in serving others who are in need.

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References used: Internet resources and English Praxis textbooks by APSCHE

Noojilla Srinivas, Ph: 7981862200; email: noojillasrinivas@gmail.com 

Lecturer in English

Govt. Degree College, Alamuru, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema Dist., Andhra Pradesh