Meaning of Jana Gana Mana
Ketan
This is what I received from a friend some time back, and I have no idea
if it is correct, so please feel free to make additions and corrections.
I also have the meaning of just one verse of "Vande Mataram", and hence
am hesitant to post it. I would welcome it if someone could post the
translation/meanings of the entire song which from just one verse appears
to be far more moving--lyrics wise, IMHO.
Ketan
A Burman fan(atic)
OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM
===================
Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He,
Bharat Bhagya Vidhaata;
Punjab, Sind, Gujarat, Maratha,
Dravid, Utkal, Banga,
Vindhya, Himachal, Yamuna, Ganga,
Utkal Jaladhi Tarangaa.
Tava Shubha Naame Jaage,
Tava Shubha Ashish Maange,
Gaahe Tava Jaya Gatha;
Jana Gana Mangal Daayaka Jaya He,
Bharat Bhagya Vidhaata;
Jaya He, Jaya He, Jaya He,
Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya He!
JAI HIND ! JAI HIND ! JAI HIND !!!
THE MEANING OF OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM
==================================
Thou art the ruler of the minds
Of all people,
Thou Dispenser of India's destiny,
The name rouses the hearts
Of the Punjab, Sind, Gujrat and Maratha,
Dravid, Orissa and Bengal.
It echoes in the hills of the Vindyas
and Himalayas,
Mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges,
And is chanted by the waves of the Indian sea.
They pray for Thy blessing and sing Thy praise,
Thou Dispenser of India's destiny,
Victory, Victory, Victory to Thee!.
Surendra
In article , Ketan says...
I am not sure if you posted this in reply of something that I am mentioning
here. But if not then you should know that
"Tagore wrote those lines as the welcome song for some British Officer."
It was later used as our National Anthem.
- Surendra
[Bhool chook leni deni]
Arnab Gupta
U.V. Ravindra wrote:
>
> In article <5upt6g$d...@drn.zippo.com>, Surendra says...
> >
> >I am not sure if you posted this in reply of something that I am mentioning
> >here. But if not then you should know that
> >
> >"Tagore wrote those lines as the welcome song for some British Officer."
> >
> >It was later used as our National Anthem.
>
> As I have mentioned in my other post, the controversy was that this "British
> Officer" was King George V. The accusation was that Tagore wrote this song
> when he heard that King George was coming to India.
>
The following is taken from "The Myriad Minded Man" (Rabindranath's
biography by Andrew Robinson and Krishna Dutta).
"...The tangle around Tagore in Bengal was perfectly illustrated
by an incedent in December. `Jana Gana Mana' is today India's national
anthem, selected in the 1950s and composed by Tagore in late 1911.
Officially it was written for the meeting of the Indian National
Congress in Calcutta in December 1911, where it was sung for the
first time. Most probably it was really composed for the occasion
of George V's coronation at the Durbar held in Delhi in the same
month - but not sung at the Durbar because it was insufficiently
`loyal'. There the head of the Pathuriaghat Tagores held an umbrella
over King George; perhaps he and the Bengalis on the national
reception committee had hoped that Rabindranath could manage a song
in the same spirit as the umbrella. If so they were dissapointed.
The following year in London one of Tagore's Bengali friends explained
how the song came about to W. B. Yeats, who told Ezra Pound, who
then passed the story on to his father in the USA, calling it a
joke `worthy of Voltaire':
The national committee came to Mr. Tagore and asked him to
write something for the [Delhi Durbar]. And as you know Mr.
Tagore is very obliging. And all that afternoon he tried to
write a poem, and he could not. And that evening the poet
as usual retired to his meditation. And in the morning he
descended with a sheet of paper. He said `Here is the poem
I have written. It is addressed to the deity. But you may
give it to the national committee. Perhaps it will content
them.'
....."
Thanks,
Arnab.
Rabindranath Tagore
Ketan <ke...@iag.net> wrote:
> Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He,
> Bharat Bhagya Vidhaata;
> Punjab, Sind, Gujarat, Maratha,
> Dravid, Utkal, Banga,
> Vindhya, Himachal, Yamuna, Ganga,
> Utkal Jaladhi Tarangaa.
A couple of corrections : That should be Uchchhal; Utkal stands
for Orissa, which is correct in line 3.
Also, it is Taranga, not Tarangaa . I remember, half my class
actually used to sing Uchchhal Jaladhi Tirangaa !!
:-)
U.V. Ravindra
Rabindranath Tagore <tag...@heaven.com> wrote:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Now, who'd have thought that the Internet has made its way all the
way up there! :-)
And I'm all the more thankful that I'm
Ravindra.
Not Tagore.
=> Ketan <ke...@iag.net> wrote:
=> > Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He,
=> > Bharat Bhagya Vidhaata;
=> > Punjab, Sind, Gujarat, Maratha,
=> > Dravid, Utkal, Banga,
=> > Vindhya, Himachal, Yamuna, Ganga,
=> > Utkal Jaladhi Tarangaa.
=> ^^^^^ ^^^
=>
=> A couple of corrections : That should be Uchchhal; Utkal
stands
=> for Orissa, which is correct in line 3.
=>
=> Also, it is Taranga, not Tarangaa . I remember, half my class
=> actually used to sing Uchchhal Jaladhi Tirangaa !!
=>
=> :-)
Suhas Dutta
I wd tend to agree with this, because its so logical. and this is not
the fisrt time I am hearing someone say something like this.
is it not logical to say "bharata bhagya vidhata" to the british at that
time?
suhas
Arnab Gupta
Suhas Dutta <foxh...@geocities.com> wrote:
>I wd tend to agree with this, because its so logical. and this is not
>the fisrt time I am hearing someone say something like this.
>
Yes Mr. Know All....it's sooooo logical not to have read anything about
the original song yourself (let alone the original song itself!)and keep
relying on what some other uninformed bigots have to say about the same!
Why don't you do some homework before you jump in with these "logical"
analysis ? As a first step let me help you out with translation of
some relevant portion of the poem.
Third Stanza from the original poem (translated by Tagore himself):
Eternal Charioteer, thou drivest man's history
along the road rugged with rises and falls of Nations.
Amidst all tribulations and terror
thy trumpet sounds to hearten those that despair and droop
and guide all people in their paths of peril and pilgrimage.
ThouDispenser of India's destiny
Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.
***********************************************************************
Do apply some "logic" and realize that it is not possible to refer to
King George V as "eternal" and driver of man's history.
Also, if possible read up Rabindranath, his works around the time. That
was his "Nationalist" period (he changed much of his views on Nationalism
later, for that you have to do some additional reading...but for the
issue at hand only the works around that time will be sufficient).
Now consider the following:
1. Around 1912, Santiniketan, Rabindranath and his school were
under government suspicion for being anti-government.
2. A few years before this Rabindranath participated enthusiastically
in the Swadeshi Movement and Shivaji Utsav. He was a "fearless
champion of Aurobindo Ghose who had incurred the wrath of the British
govrnment.
3. The idea of a "God of India Herself" and an Eternal Charioteer who
is the Dispenser of India's destiny was nothing new in this particular
poem. The idea is very much there in Gora (go ahead and call it a novel
in praise of the Emperor), in Bharat Tirtha (a beautiful poem which goes
like "Hey mor chitto punyo tirthey jago re dheere/ Ei bharoter mohamanober
shagoro tirey") and in other songs (like "Deshe deshe Nandito hobey").
Does it still sound very "logical", Mr. Know All ? Okay, here's some
more:
(Quotes from Tagore's letters)
************************************************************************
Dated: 20.11.1937
A friend, influential in Government circles, had importuned me to compose
a song in the praise of the King. His request had amazed me, and the
amazement was mingled with anger. It was under the stress of this violent
reaction that I proclaimed in JanaganamanaAdhinayaka song, the victory of
that Dispenser of India's destiny who chariots eternally the travellers
through the ages along the paths rugged with the rise and fall of nations -
of Him who dwells within the heart of man and leads the multitudes. That
the Great Charioteer of Man's destiny in age after age could not by any
means be George the fifth or George the Sixth or any other George, even
my `loyal' friend realised; because, however powerful his loyalty to the
King, he was not wanting in intelligence.
Dated: 29.3.1939
I should only insult myself if I cared to answer those who consider me
capable of such unbound stupidity as to sing in praise of George the Fourth
or George the Fifth as the Eternal Charioteer leading the pilgrims on
their journey through countless ages of timeless history of mankind.
***********************************************************************
And here's the Official Report of the 28th Session of the Congress
***********************************************************************
The Proceedings commenced with a ptariotic song composed by Babu
Rabindranath Tagore. [After this are reports of messages recieved from
friends and the passing of the loyalty resolution moved from the chair]
After that a song of welcome to Their Imperial Majesties composed for the
occasion was sung by the choir.
***********************************************************************
According to newpaper reports, the days proceeding started with "Janaganamana".
So there you have, a patriotic song.
The only direct reference to Janaganamana, being in praise of the King has
been reported by "The Englishman" (guess the political leanings). The Statesman
report is not clear. Amrita Bazar refers to it as a song of benediction,
The Bengalee, once again, refers to it as a Patriotic song.
>is it not logical to say "bharata bhagya vidhata" to the british at that
>time?
>
>
Guess it for yourself. I think I have provided you with enough number of
clues.
Thanks,
Arnab.
..[deleted]..