| Tagore, (Maharshi) Debendranath
(1817-1905) preacher of Brahmo faith and philosopher, was born on
15 May 1817 at the Tagore family of Jorasako in calcutta.
Prince dwarkanath
tagore was his father and Digambari Devi was his mother. Nobel
Laureate rabindranath
tagore was his son.
Debendranath studied at home from 1823 to 1825. In 1827 he got
admitted to Anglo-Hindu College, which had been established by
Raja rammohun
roy. After studying there for some time he began looking
after his father's property and business as well as cultivating
philosophy and religion. The death of his grandmother in 1938
brought about a psychological change in him. He became attracted
to religion and began studying mahabharata,
upanisads,
eastern and western philosophies and many other subjects. He soon
lost interest in worldly affairs and started to seek God.
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Debendranath Tagore |
He set up 'Tattaranjani Sabha' in 1839 to facilitate
discussions on different philosophies; this was later renamed as tattvabodhini
sabha. At this time he published a Bangla translation of Kathopanisad
(1840).
In 1842 Debendranath took charge of the Tattvabodhini
Sabha and Brahma Samaj. The next year tattvabodhini
patrika appeared with his financial support and
under the editorship of akshay
kumar datta. The journal started publishing the Upanisads alongwith
Debendranath's Bangla translation. It was at his initiative that the vedas
started being read at open meetings.
In 1844 Debendranath introduced the forms of Brahmo worship
and from 1845 the Brahmo Samaj began using them. Long years of exercise
with the scriptures convinced him that it was not possible to base the
Brahmo religion only on the Upanisads. So in 1848 he started serialising
the Bangla translation of Rg Veda in the Tattvabodhini Patrika.
This was published as Brahmadharma in 1869. Debendranath's
other book, Atmatattvavidya, was published in 1850. In 1853
he was made secretary of the Tattvabodhini Sabha and in 1859 he established
a Brahmo school.
Debendranath stopped Hindu puja ceremonies and introduced 'Magh festival', 'Nababarsa', 'Diksa Din' and similar festivals. In 1867 he bought a vast tract of land called Bhubandanga in Birbhum district of west bengal and set up a hermitage in it. This hermitage is famous now as santiniketan. He was also a founder of the bethune society of the Hindu Charitable Institution.
Debendranath was involved in active politics for some
time. He was made secretary of the british
indian association when it was set up on 31 October 1851. He
made relentless efforts to remit for the poor village people the chowkidari
tax and sent to the British parliament a representation demanding autonomy
for India. Debendranath was enthusiastic about remarriage of Hindu widows
but opposed child marriage and polygamy. He made a significant contribution
in spreading education in his country. In 1867 radhakanta
deb called him a 'protector of the national religion' and the
Brahmo Samaj gave him the title of 'Maharshi' for having preventing Indian
youths from coming under the influence of christianity.
He died in Calcutta on 19 January 1905. [Pradip Kumar Roy]
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