Vande mataram
Rarely has a composition given rise to such a diverse range of debates or has been subjected to such a close scrutiny as India's National Song Vande Mataram.
Glorified by many as the last word in patriotic manifestation, the song was composed by Bankim Chandra in an inspired moment and was set to tune and sung by nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
It has been translated into all major Indian languages and set to music by Rabindranath Tagore and recently by A R Rahman.
Know your Vande Mataram. Given below are the lyrics:
Vande maataram, vande maataram,
sujalam suphalam malayaja sheetalam
shasyashyamalam maataram - vande mataram
Shubhra jyotsna pulakitayaaminim,
phulla kusumita drumadalashobhinim
suhaasinim sumadhurabhaashhinim
sukhadaam varadaam maataram - vande mataram
sapta koti kantha kalakalaninaada karale
nisapta koti bhujaidhruta karakarvalea
balakeno maa eto bale bahubaladhaarinim
namaami tarinim ripudalavarinim maataram- vande maataram
tvam hi durga dashapraharanadhaarini
kamala kamaladala vihaarini vaani vidyaadaayini,
namaami tvam namaami kamalam amalam
atulamsujalam suphalam maataram
shyamalam saralam susmitam bhooshhitam
dharinim bharanim maataram, vande maataram
Comments
तुमि विद्या तुमि धर्म, तुमि ह्रदि तुमि मर्म
त्वं हि प्राणाः शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति,
हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति,
तोमारै प्रतिमा गडि मन्दिरे-मन्दिरे ॥
Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nerves the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.
While the later stanzas of Vande Mataram are "Goddess Durga"ic (and hence strategically omitted when Congress adopted the National Song), the ones sung by children in schools all over India is definitely patriotic and non-religious, enough to tingle the core of any Indian.
Incidentally, Bharathiyar has written a similar composition. This was popularized by M.S. and many other classical singers. It will be astonishing to see how much of the Anand Math Vande Mataram he has adapted in his composition in Tamil.