The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore
Author:Rabindranath Tagore
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ManyBooks.net
Chapter Seven
Sandip's Story
VIII
* * *
WE are men, we are kings, we must have our tribute. Ever since we have come upon the Earth we have been plundering her; and the more we claimed, the more she submitted. From primeval days have we men been plucking fruits, cutting down trees, digging up the soil, killing beast, bird and fish. From the bottom of the sea, from underneath the ground, from the very jaws of death, it has all been grabbing and grabbing and grabbing--no strong-box in Nature's store-room has been respected or left unrifled. The one delight of this Earth is to fulfil the claims of those who are men. She has been made fertile and beautiful and complete through her endless sacrifices to them. But for this, she would be lost in the wilderness, not knowing herself, the doors of her heart shut, her diamonds and pearls never seeing the light.
Likewise, by sheer force of our claims, we men have opened up all the latent possibilities of women. In the process of surrendering themselves to us, they have ever gained their true greatness. Because they had to bring all the diamonds of their happiness and the pearls of their sorrow into our royal treasury, they have found their true wealth. So for men to accept is truly to give: for women to give is truly to gain.
The demand I have just made from Bimala, however, is indeed a large one! At first I felt scruples; for is it not the habit of man's mind to be in purposeless conflict with itself? I thought I had imposed too hard a task. My first impulse was to call her back, and tell her I would rather not make her life wretched by dragging her into all these troubles. I forgot, for the moment, that it was the mission of man to be aggressive, to make woman's existence fruitful by stirring up disquiet in the depth of her passivity, to make the whole world blessed by churning up the immeasurable abyss of suffering! This is why man's hands are so strong, his grip so firm. Bimala had been longing with all her heart that I, Sandip, should demand of her some great sacrifice-- should call her to her death. How else could she be happy? Had she not waited all these weary years only for an opportunity to weep out her heart--so satiated was she with the monotony of her placid happiness? And therefore, at the very sight of me, her heart's horizon darkened with the rain clouds of her impending days of anguish. If I pity her and save her from her sorrows, what then was the purpose of my being born a man?
The real reason of my qualms is that my demand happens to be for money. That savours of beggary, for money is man's, not woman's. That is why I had to make it a big figure. A thousand or two would have the air of petty theft. Fifty thousand has all the expanse of romantic brigandage.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
In Control (The City Series) by Crystal Serowka(35465)
The Wolf Sea (The Oathsworn Series, Book 2) by Low Robert(34038)
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry(33473)
Crowbone (The Oathsworn Series, Book 5) by Low Robert(32509)
The Book of Dreams (Saxon Series) by Severin Tim(32387)
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Eve Chase(22482)
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh(20299)
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman(19222)
Shot Through The Heart (Supernature Book 1) by Edwin James(18031)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt(16999)
The Girl from the Opera House by Nancy Carson(15076)
Sad Girls by Lang Leav(13485)
American King (New Camelot #3) by Sierra Simone(13391)
Pimp by Iceberg Slim(13135)
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda(13000)
The Betrayed by Graham Heather(11841)
The Betrayed by David Hosp(11820)
4 3 2 1: A Novel by Paul Auster(11239)
Still Me by Jojo Moyes(10081)
![](/ebook_detail_files/space.gif)