Einstein and Rabi-Tagore: A tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his 148th birth anniversary (Baishakh 25)

Excerpts from Rasoul Sorkhabi’s historical notes – ‘Einstein and Indian minds: Tagore, Gandhi and Nehru’. (Edited and published by P. Balaram, Current Science Association, Bangalore. Printed at Lotus Printers, Bangalore.)

In reading Albert Einstein’s biographies, I noticed that he had connections withthree great Indian minds of the early twentieth century: Rabindranath Tagore(1861–1941), Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) and Jawaharlal Nehru(1889–1964).

Of course, Einstein as well as these three Indian leaders were famous in their lifetimes, so these connections should not come as a surprise. But my interest in this topic grew as I wondered what drew these great minds together. Einstein was not the type of person to be attracted to the exotic East for shallow sentimental reasons. This article chronicles Einstein’s connections with these three men, and shows how Einstein saw some of his ideas and ideals in the Indian mind embodied, to varying degrees, in Tagore, Gandhi and Nehru. Of all Einstein’s biographers, Abraham Pais has paid more attention to his Indian connections.

While, in writing this historical essay, I have benefited from Pais’ research, I have also added information and ideas using other sources. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Einstein’s death. This article is offered as homage to these four intellectual giants, and as a way of remembering some aspects of their lives and thoughts. However, the importance of this topic goes beyond this annual occasion because the first half of the twentieth century, during which these gentlemen lived, was devastated by two world wars, and as we are in the early years of a new century and as the world is still immersed in prejudice and violence, these great minds are quite relevant to our times and to our generation.

Einstein and ‘Rabbi’ Tagore

Einstein (born in 1879) was eighteen years younger than Tagore. Tagore won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1913; Einstein won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1922.
Einstein used to refer to Rabindranath Tagore as Rabbi Tagore. The first time they met each other was in Germany shortly before World War I. In 1912, Tagore visited Europe. His reminiscences of meeting with Einstein were published much later.

Tagore remarked: Einstein has often been called a lonely man. Insofar as the realm of the mathematical vision helps to liberate the mind from the crowded trivialities of daily, I suppose he is a lonely man. He is what might be called a transcendental materialism, which reaches the frontier of metaphysics, where there can be utter detachment from the entangling world of self. To me both science and art are expressions of our spiritual nature, above our biological necessities and possessed of an ultimate value . . . . Einstein is an excellent interrogator. We talked long and earnestly about my ‘religion of man’. He punctuated my thoughts with terse remarks of his own, and by his questions I could measure the trend of his own thinking.

During their discussion, an important difference of opinion between Tagore and Einstein revolved over whether there was truth in the world independent from human
mind.

Tagore argues that ‘the truth of the Universe is human truth . . . when our universe is in harmony with man, the eternal, we know it as truth, we feel it as beauty.’ Einstein replies: ‘I agree with regard to this conception of Beauty, but not with regard to Truth.’ Tagore insists that ‘truth is realized through man’. Einstein illustrates his point of view: ‘For instance, if nobody is in this house, yet that table remains where it is.’ To which Tagore replies: ‘Yes, it remains outside of the individual mind but not the universal mind. The table which I perceive is perceptible only by the same kind of consciousness which I possess.’ In his article, Tagore summarizes their discussion:‘I could see that Einstein held fast to the extra-human aspect of truth. But it is evident to me that, in human reason, facts assume a unity of truth which is only possible to a human mind.’ Einstein continued to believe in extrahuman existence of truth and even coined the term ‘objective reality’ to highlight his belief. The relation of truth to human mind seems to have occupied Einstein for decades. Pais remembers that in 1950 while accompanying Einstein on a walk from Princeton University to his home, Einstein ‘suddenly stopped, turned to me, and asked me if I really believed that the moon exists only if I look at it.’

The discussion between Einstein and Tagore is closely related to the ‘anthropic principle’ later developed in physics and cosmology even though it has escaped the attention of many authors.

In 1929, Tagore sent a postcard (dated 22 December) to Einstein from India: ‘My salutation is to him who knows me imperfect and loves me. My best wishes.’ It is not clear what the occasion was for sending this postcard; it may have been for new year’s greetings.

The second Einstein–Tagore meeting took place on 14 July 1930 at Einstein’s summer house in Caputh near Berlin. This dialogue was written down by a friend
who was present, and has been published both in India and in the USA. Most of their talks were about music. Einstein was not apparently happy with the second dialogue and wished that it had not been published.

On 30 September 1930, Romain Rolland wrote to Einstein asking him for a contribution to a book to be presented to Tagore on the occasion of his 70th birthday the following May. Einstein replied on 10 October 1930: I shall be glad to sign your beautiful text and to add a brief contribution. My conversation with Tagore was rather unsuccessful because of difficulties in communication and should, of course, never have been published. In my contribution, I should like to give expression to my conviction that men who enjoy the reputation of great intellectual achievement have an obligation to lend moral support to the principle of unconditional refusal of war service. Interestingly, two days after this letter, a manifesto was released by Einstein, Tagore and Rolland, appealing against conscription and the military training of youth.

The Golden Book of Tagore came out in 1931, and its preface was signed by Einstein, Gandhi and Rolland. Einstein’s contribution to the book reads: You are aware of the struggle of creatures that spring forth out of need and dark desires. You seek salvation in quiet contemplation and in the workings of beauty. Nursing these you have served mankind by a long, fruitful life, spreading a mild spirit, as has been proclaimed by the wise men of your people.

In May 1931, Tagore sent a postcard, written in Bengali and English, to Einstein thanking him for his tribute: ‘The same sun is newly born in new lands, in a ring of endless dawns.’

The third (and probably the last)Einstein–Tagore meeting took place on 14 December 1930 during Einstein’s one week visit to New York. No record of this meeting was ever published. We have the following telegram sent by Einstein aboard ship to Tagore: ‘I congratulate you from my heart with your meeting. May it be given to Tagore also on this occasion to work successfully in the service of his ideal to bringing nations together.’

In 1932, when Tagore was visiting Tehran, an Iranian mathematician asked his opinion about Einstein. This is what Tagore said: In addition to his reputation in mathematics and science, he is a good and kind man who has withdrawn himself from the world and its superficialities. He is devoted to humanity and peace. He is a sincere supporter of peace and has pledged his life to this cause. In his speeches in America he has expounded the harm of war and the benefits of peace. He is indeed a great man. He is in no way fanatic about race, and looks upon all peoples as equal. Einstein is the greatest thinker of this age.

More about Rabindranath Tagore-
http://sos-arsenic.net/lovingbengal/poems.html#1
http://search.nobelprize.org/search/nobel/?q=rabindranath+tagore&i=en
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabindranath_Tagore
http://banglapost.blogspot.com/