He it is, the innermost one, who awakens my being (Song 72) by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem, Summary & Analysis)

 

He it is, the innermost one, who awakens my being (Song 72) by Rabindranath Tagore (Poem, Summary & Analysis) 

He it is, the innermost one, who awakens my being with his deep hidden touches.

He it is who puts his enchantment upon these eyes and joyfully plays on the chords of my heart in varied cadence of pleasure and pain.

He it is who weaves the web of this maya in evanescent hues of gold and silver, blue and green, and lets peep out through the folds his feet, at whose touch I forget myself.

Days come and ages pass, and it is ever he who moves my heart in many a name, in many a guise, in many a rapture of joy and of sorrow.

He it is, the innermost one, who awakens my being with his deep hidden touches.

 

Summary

The poet talks about a spiritual experience. Tagore celebrates how God lives within each person. God is the driving force inside us. Man looks for Him, but God is already inside, awakening the poet’s soul with His mysterious but kind presence. He fills our eyes with wonder and touches our feelings. God creates the beautiful and short-lived illusions we see, in colors of gold, silver, blue, and green. God is the true being, and man is like His shadow. Even though man is a part of God, he forgets this truth. Because of God's illusion, called maya, man searches for God, worships Him in many ways, but forgets that God is within. Everything man does, enjoys, or suffers is because of God's will. It is God who brings both joy and sorrow to man.

 

Critical Analysis

In the Gita, Krishna talks about maya (illusion). He says, "The Lord lives in the hearts of all beings, Arjuna, and with His power of illusion, makes everyone move like a pot spinning on a potter’s wheel."

This means God is in our hearts and controls all our actions. Wise people (Rishis) feel this and believe that God, in a form the size of a thumb, stays in the center of the body. He is the Lord of the past and the future. Because of His maya, people forget the truth and search for Him in different names and forms.

"He it is who weaves the web of this maya in evanescent hues of gold and silver, blue and green, and lets peep out through the folds his feet, at whose touch I forget myself."

Tagore shows that humans and God are one. Now, he understands God, and this understanding comes through God's guidance. God made humans from Himself and created maya (illusions) to make them forget who they really are. Because of this, people feel lost in life. Those who sometimes see beyond the illusions still search for God, not knowing that God is already within them. God's web of illusions makes people lose their way, and in their search for Him, they get caught up in different kinds of worship, idol worship, or chanting, without realizing the truth.