The Nobel Prize has drawn global attention to a rare, handwritten letter exchanged between Nobel laureates Rabindranath Tagore and Bertrand Russell more than a century ago.
The letter, dated 13 October, 1912, captures a meeting of Eastern philosophy and Western thought. Tagore wrote to Russell after reading his article The Essence of Religion, published in the Hibbert Journal.
In his correspondence, Tagore explained how Russell’s ideas resonated with a verse from the Upanishads, the ancient Sanskrit texts central to Hindu philosophical traditions.
He included the original Sanskrit verse alongside an English translation and reflections on how transcending the limited self can help people overcome fear.
The two intellectuals had met earlier in 1912, when Tagore visited England, laying the foundation for a cross-cultural philosophical connection.
The letter is preserved in the Bertrand Russell Archives at McMaster University Library in Canada.
The Nobel Prize shared the historic document on its official social media platforms, highlighting its enduring intellectual significance.
Tagore became the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Russell received the same honour in 1950, 37 years later.
