About the poet Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), who contributed immensely to giving modern India a place on the world literary scene, was a multifaceted personality. He was a poet, a dramatist, a short-story writer, an educationist, and a novelist. He was also a philosopher and a nation builder. He wrote primarily in Bengali but translated a number of his own works into English and in the process, he wrote them afresh.

About the poem :

In this poem, the poet talks about an incident in an ascetic Upagupta's life. Upagupta is seduced by a girl but he turns her down as he is not drawn to sensual pleasures. He meets her again and agrees to meet with her when the need arises. The poem uses subtle and beautiful images and moves seamlessly from the first stanza to the second; this poem is a fine example of Tagore's lyricism.

Summary

Rabindranath Tagore, the greatest India's modern poets, was born in an ancient Bengali family in 1861. He was a novelist and essayist and dramatist. He was also a philosopher and nation builder. He was awarded the Noble prize in 1913 for his collection of poems, "Gitanjali' He was the founder of the educational institution known as Vishwa Bharti at Shantiniketan.

The present poem 'Upagupta' is a masterpiece of his religious poetry. In this poem, the poet talks about an incident in an ascetic upagupta's life. Upagupta is a disciple of Buddha. He was a true Bud dhist monk. The poem begins with upagupta's sleeping on the ground in the city of Mathura. It was the night when all the city lamps were off. It was cloudy august night and the stars in the sky were hidden in the

darkness. On that dark cloudy night, a dancing girl was passed that way. The dancing girl carried a lamp in her hand her feet were tinkling and touched the ascetic. He woke up startled; and saw the light in the lamp of the woman's hand. She was a dancing girl who wore precious Jewels that sparkled too much. Then she lowered her lamp and saw the young face of the 'ascetic' and she came to know that the ascetic was 'Upagupta'. The dancing girl begged to be forgiven for her fault. She was attracted by his physical charms and she invited him to come with her to her house because the place where he was laying was not fit for him. But he refused her and advised her to go to her house. He promised her that he would meet her at the proper time. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning in the clouds and it began to raining. The dancing girl was frightened to hear the noise of storm and She went away from there.After many years, it was the festival of flowers in the spring season. The branches of the trees were full of blossom. The music of the spring was being heard everywhere. The people had gone to the woods to the festival of flowers. The night was lit with the full moon. The streets of the town were lonely, all the citizens had gone to the woods to celebrate the festival. But Upagupta was walking in the lonely street, and the love-sick koel bird who were singing out their complaints from the mango trees. The ascetic passed through the city gates and stood at the base of the city wall where there lay a woman struck with the black pestilence.

Upagupta saw her and identify that she was the same dancing girl who had once invited the ascetic to her house. She was afflicted with a terrible disease, her whole body was covered with wounds. She had been forced to leave the town for the disease could not spread there by her touch.

Upagupta shows sympathy for her and gives her service and help. He sat by her side, took her head on his knees, offered water to her thirsty dry lips, and finally applied medicine to her wounds. She felt very well. The woman asked to the kind ascetic who he was. Upaguta told her that he had kept his word and said that, it was the right time that he had come to her which she demanded in the past. She was so proud of her youth that she couldn't see his spiritual beauty. But in the second meeting she finds it.

Short Questions

Where was Upagupta sleeping and what woke him up ?

Ans: The poem 'Upagupta' is written by Rabindranath Tagore. Upagupta is an ascetic, a disciple of Gautam Buddha. The poet talks about an incident in Upagupta's life. He was sleeping on the ground of the city of Mathura. It was a cloudy August night and the stars were hidden in the darkness. Upagupta was sleeping under the tree on the ground of the city of Mathura. A dancing girl was passed from way who carried a lamp in her hand. She wore a precious jewels that sparkled too much. Her feet were tinkling and touched the ascetic and he woke up startled.

What did the young woman say?

Ans: Upagupta a disciple of Buddha was sleeping on the ground of the city of Mathura. It was the cloudy August night. A dancing girl who is a young beautiful woman passed that way, she wore precious jewels and she carried a lamp in her hand. Her feet were tinkling and touched the ascetic. He woke up startled and saw the young woman carried a lamp in her hand. In the light of the lamp, the woman saw an austerely beautiful ascetic who is lying there on the ground. She was attracted by his physical charm and she invited him to come with her to her house she says that 'the place where he was laying was not fit for him."

Why does the young woman tremble?

Ans: The young beautiful dancing girl saw an ascetic 'Upagupta', who is lying on the street of the city of Mathura. She was attracted by the physical charm of the austerity of beautiful Upagupta. She invited him to come with her to her house because the place where he was lying is not fit for him. But the young ascetic refused her and told her to go from there. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning in the clouds and it began to rain, the storm growled from the corner of the sky and the woman trembled in fear of some unknown danger.

What happens one year later?

Ans: Upagupta is a disciple of Buddha, who is lying on the street of the city of Mathura, where a young beautiful dancing girl tries to seduce him by asking him to come to her house; but Upagupta refused her. One year later, it was the season of flowers when all the people in the city went to the wood to celebrate the festival of flowers.

Upagupta alone walking on the street of Mathura and passed through the city gates where he saw a woman is lying on the street. The woman was struck with the black pestilence, her whole body was covered with wounds. A woman had been forced to leave the town for the disease could not spread there by her touch. Upagupta identifies her and gives her service and help. He applied medicine to her wounds and cure her from the terrible disease.

Essay-Type Question

Q:- Write a critical appreciation of the poem 'Upagupta'.

Ans: The poem 'Upagupta' is written by Rabindranath Tagore. The poem, 'Upagupta' is a masterpiece of his religious poetry. In this poem, the poet talks about an ascetic upagupta's life, who is the disciple of Lord Buddha. Upagupta is sleeping on the ground in the city of Mathura. It was a cloudy August night, the stars were hidden in the darkness. In that dark cloudy night, a dancing girl was Passed that way, who carried a lamp in her hand, her feet were tinkling with the anklets and touched the ascetic's breast who is sleeping under a tree.

He woke up startled and saw the beautiful young dancing girl who wore precious Jewels that sparkled too much. She is wearing the pale blue mantle. The dancing girl lowered her lamp and saw the austerly beautiful face of young ascetic 'Upagupta.' She humbly request to come to her house graciously because in her view the dusty ground is not a fit-bed for him. But he refused her and advised her to go from there. The young ascetic says,

"Woman, go on your own way; when the time is ripe I will come to you." He promised her that he would meet her at proper time. Suddenly there was a flash of lighting in the cloulds and it began to rain the dacing girl become frightened and she left from there hurriedly.

A year passed, in the month of April in the spring season. It was the festival of flowers and all the peoples had gone to the woods to celebrate the festival of flowers. The night was lit with the full moon. The streets of the town was lonely, but Upagupta was walking in the lonely street. He passed through the city gates & stood at the base of the city wall. He saw a woman is lying there who had struck with black pestilence. Her whole body is covered with wounds. She has been driven from the city out of the fear of the contagious disease.

Upagupta felt sorry for the unfortunate woman. He takes her head on his knees and nourishes her. He offered some water to her thirsty dry lips and applied medicine to her wounds. The woman becomes conscious and makes an enquiry as who he is? Upagupta reminds her of his promise and says, "The time, at last, has come to visit you, and I am here."

In the first meeting of the dancing girl with Upagupta, we saw she was so proud of her youth that she couldn't see his spiritual beauty. But, in the second meeting, she finds it. In the first part, we see her glorious figure while in the second she is seen in a very miserable & unfortunate condition.

Reference to Context

"It was a dancing girl,

starred with jewels,

Wearing a pale blue mantle,

drunk with the wine of her youth"

Reference -

The above lines are taken from the poem, 'Upagupta', written by Rabindranath Tagore. The poet talks about an incident in an ascetic Upagupta's life.

Context:-

The poem begins with the Upagupta's lying on the street of the city of Mathura. Upagupta is an ascetic and the disciple of Buddha, lying in the night of murky August. All the stars were hidden by the murky sky of August, all the lamps were all out, doors were all shut and Upagupta is lying to sleep on the ground of Mathura.

In such a situation someone's feet were touched to his breast and he woke up startled and saw a light in the woman's hand. She was a dancing girl, who wears many jewels. Her beauty was enhanced by the ornaments that she wore. She also wearing a pale blue mantle and she was in the pride of her own beauty and youth. Conclusion:- The above lines express the charm and beauty of the dancing girl who tries to seduced Upagupta. The young ascetic answered, "woman, go on your way; When the time is ripe I will come to you"

Reference :

The above lines are taken from the poem, Upagupta', written by Rabindranath Tagore. The poet express how once Upagupta is seduced by a dancing girl but he turns her down as he is not caught in her charm.

Context:-

Upagupta is the disciple of Lord Buddha was lying asleep in the street of the city of Mathura, in the dark night of the murky August. Suddenly he woke up by someone's touching to his breast and he saw the beautiful young dancing girl is standing in front of him. She is extremely beautiful.

And her beauty is enhanced by the jewels which she wore. She wore many ornaments which sparkled too much. She lowered her lamp to see his face and she come to know that the man is austerely beautiful young ascetic Upagupta. She is begging him and inviting him to come to her house because the place where he is lying is not fit for him. She was attracted by his physical charm so she try to seduce him but the young ascetic turn her down and denied her invitation with a promise that he will come to her when the time comes.

Conclusion:-

From the above lines we understand the young ascetics' honesty and goodness, Upagupta is a real disciple of Lord Buddha, so he turns down the dancing girl from seducing himself from the girl.

3) Struck with black pestilence, her body

Spotted with sores of small-pox,

She had been hurriedly removed from the town

To avoid her poisonous contagion.

Reference :

The above is taken from the poem, 'Upagupta', written by Rabindranath Tagore. The poem describes the incident in the life of Upagupta when he encounters the dancing girl.

Context:

In the first meeting of Upagupta and the dancing girl, the young girl invites Upagupta to come to her house but Upagupta denies her. He give promise to her when time will comes he come to her. After a year when it was the spring season, the trees were full of blossom, and joyous notes is seen everywhere. The peoples of the city had gone to the woods to celebrate the festival of flowers. In such a condition, we find Upagupta wandering lonely on the street of the city. He passed through the city gates and he saw a woman is lying in the shade of the mango trees who is in a very miserable condition. She struck with black pestilence and her whole body is covered with sores of small-pox. She had been forced to leave the town for the disease could not spread there by her touch. Upagupta identifies her and shows sympathy for her and is ready to give her service and help and finally he apply for the medicine to her wounds to treat her.

Conclusion :

The above-quoted lines shows the miserable condition of the dancing girl who once feel proud on her young beauty and did not see the spiritual beauty of the young ascetic, which she finds in the second meeting.