SC’s Ayodhya ruling cites Wordsworth poem relating to faith
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, in its landmark ruling in the Ayodhya land dispute case, has also cited a poem written by famous English poet William Wordsworth related to faith.
The English Romantic poet was mentioned by one of the five judges on the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench, who offered a different perspective on the question of the birthplace of Lord Ram.
The judgement does not name the judge concerned, while his observation in question on the importance of Hindu faith has been included as an addendum.
The judge said that faith and belief foster and promote the spiritual life of the soul. According to him, the concept of Hinduism has been defined by great scholars and jurists.
He also pointed out that the core of all religions and faith is one, that is the quest for truth, the quest for knowing more about the soul and the quest to know more about the Supreme, who in one or other form is worshipped in all religions.
The order copy said: “Every religion, every faith reveres and sings the glory of God with whom we all want to relate. Wordsworth in his beautiful poem has also echoed the same thought.”
Thereafter, he cited from Wordsworth’s poem titled “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood”.
“Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s star
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From god who is our home.”
The Supreme Court, in its judgement in the Ayodhya matter, has taken into account the travelogues of Joseph Tiefenthaler and William Finch regarding the history of the disputed site.