Volume 11, Issue – 1, March 2026

Revival of Vaiṣṇavism in Rabindranath Tagore’s Lyrics

Abstract: Rabindranath Tagore’s literary evolution denotes a juncture in Indian thought. His spiritual and philosophical maturity reflected in his lyrics. This paper attempts to examine a revival of Vaiṣṇavism through Tagore’s works. The paper gives special importance to his lyrics, tracing their trajectory from padāvalī poetry of medieval sentiments in Bhanusingha Thakurer Padabali to the universalized faith of Gitanjali and the foundational principles of his Religion of Man. Placing Tagore’s work within the context of nineteenth-century Bengal, this study explores how Tagore reanimated the core tenets of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism making it relevant and universal in appeal. The paper also looks forward to Tagore’s engagement with the Baul heritage, his development of the Jīvan Devatā concept, and his modernization of kīrtana (devotional chanting and singing) influenced by the musical scholarship of the 18 th century. The results reveal that Tagore brought Vaiṣṇava humanism back to life as a method for every class of people to be spiritually free and socially acceptable.

Keywords: Vaiṣṇavism, Gītāñjali, Baul Mysticism, Religious Humanism, Rabindra Sangeet

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