Toward a Spiritual Renaissance: Indian Spirituality and the Global Vision of Peace in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/11/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 6 (2026)

Article No.

086

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-U7X7FK4X

Received

31 Oct 2026

Views

31

Downloads

13

Abstract

This paper deals with the messages of world peace conveyed through the Indian spirituality in T. S. Eliot's masterpiece poem “The Waste land”, published hundred years ago after first World War and Spanish flu pandemic in 1922. This paper aims to explore utility of the poem at present context and necessity of Indian spiritual thoughts for global peace and solidarity. The Waste Land not only as a record of cultural crisis but as a poetic reflection on spiritual renewal and universal peace, achieved by combining Eastern wisdom with Western literary style. T.S. Eliot was a representative poet of early 20th century English poetry. He learnt Sanskrit and Pali languages and had read the Bhagavad-Gita. He imbibed the main teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita that influenced his mind and poetry. His interests in the Upanisads of Indian philosophy is reflected in his epoch making poem “The Waste Land”. The paper highlights Eliot’s intentional use of Sanskrit terms—especially the Upanishadic trio Datta (give), Dayadhvam (sympathize), and Damyata (control)—as moral commands that can address modern humanity’s ethical challenges. In terms of method, the paper uses a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, mixing literary modernism with Eastern metaphysics and peace studies. It claims that Eliot’s engagement with Indian ideas foreshadows current discussions on cross-cultural ethics and global humanism.

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