I only started reading Tagore recently. If that seems surprising, then yes I read him in school (I mentioned this earlier in one of my writings before) as he was taught in almost all the grades. But can you discover the true significance of a literary figure from textbooks you are forced to study? Unless you’re one of those deviant kids, chances are you can’t.

I think of myself fortunate that I didn’t read his major works in school or college because I wouldn’t be able to get the true significance of them. For example, which novel of Tagore is the most popular one do you think? The Last Poem (Shesher Kobita) for sure. But reading Quartet (Choturanga) had a punchier impact on me and I believe it should be, objectively, a better read. But Quartet isn’t that popular and to be honest, I’m not that surprised.

Quartet is a philosophical novel. It revolves around four people of four different ideologies and they are constantly leaving impressions on each other, their ideological differences clashing and changing as a result. It’s all about conflicts. Of ideas, worldviews, norms, and life.

While Sreebilas is one of those four characters and narrator of the story, his friend, another of the four, Sachis had the most colorful life of the bunch.

Sachis is first influenced by his uncle, Jyathamoshai, another one of the four. Jyathamoshai is an idealist, an atheist. He’s a reformer and didn’t pay much heed to teachings of hinduism or any of its radical ideas. Sachis’s friend Sreebilas also got into the fold. Together they tried to stand against the society’s injustice against a woman.

After the death of Jyathamoshai, Sachis vanished. A period of time went by and turned out, Sachis turned to mysticism. He was following a guru around like a leashed dog, doing his bidding. Has he then abandoned all of the secular teachings? Sreebilas was furious knowing this. He ran after Sachis and… he himself turned to mysticism.

There, they found themselves among the presence of an illustrious and incomprehensible widow, Damini. Damini is also a companion to the guru. She doesn’t care much about mysticism though, she ’s only there because she had no place else to go.

While Jyathamoshai represents idealism, Sachis is the philosopher. The guru is a voice for spiritualism, Sreebilas is the force of passion and Damini is the realist.

It is important to understand that Tagore is not really favoring any school of philosophy over another. He also does not endorse radical hinduism, which was a common thing among then literary bengali figures. He plays with these ideas and makes the characters move along, like chess pieces. The characters often engaged in verbal battles regarding their ideas and it’s not always clear who came out on top but the exchanges are great to read. As a secular person, I felt a bit of a tingling sensation, something like uneasiness when Sachis left the path of humanism, idealism and turned to spiritualism but soon it became clear the author did not have any agenda there to boast his views through the novel. In fact, we cannot know what he thinks from the novel at least. To the end, he does not answer the question of superiority and I think that worked out pretty well. It would lead to needless controversies and wouldn’t serve the novel at all, if not hindering its message further.

So what was the message? I don’t know. That is, I don’t know what it is objectively. The takeaway from it will be different for everyone. As for me, I do see the reasons Sachis pointed out for turning to spiritualism (whether I accept them is entirely a different debate). I also see Damini’s reasons for craving for a normal life, and Sreebilas’ journey of self-exploration. But I will mostly relate to Jyathamoshai. A weak, lumbering Jyathamoshai — that is.

I will read Quartet again. Perhaps in 30 or 40 years (If I live that long). I will be an old man then and I want to recheck how my changed worldview of a future self will affect my understanding of the book.