Vande Mataram




So part of my upcoming things to do is to learn India's two national songs, Rabindranath Tagore's national anthem, Bhārata bhāgya vidhātā. Like with most national anthems people only know the first verse. Rabindra's song has six verses. Same thing for Bankim Chandra bande mātaram.

I have finally applied for Indian citizenship and so it seems to me that I should do this. In actual fact, I get tears in my eyes when I listen to these two songs. The patriotism in these videos with the waving flage and armies standing in the snow somewhere on the Pakistan border and all the rest of it don't mean all that much to me, nevertheless,I identify with India and feel I belong here. So I will stand for the national anthem and learn them both. As national anthems go, I like them much better than the militaristic jingoistic stuff that most (European) countries have. Once I have learned I will make a video.

Bankim's song appears to be a mixture of Sanskrit and Bengali. There are a lot of great videos of good singers having at it, but I am looking for something a bit simpler. This one is pretty cool with AR rahman's arrangements all over it. Learn from the children (1) and (2). Here are a couple for teaching schoolchildren. I think this one is the best as a learning material,

বন্দে মাতরম্
সুজলাং সুফলাং মলয়জশীতলাং শস্যশ্যামলাং মাতরম্৷৷

শুভ্র-জ্যোৎস্না-পুলকিত-যামিনীম্
ফুল্লকুসুমিত-দ্রুমদলশোভিনীম্
সুহাসিনীং সুমধুরভাষিণীম্
সুখদাং বরদাং মাতরম্৷৷

সপ্তকোটিকণ্ঠকলকলনিনাদকরালে,
দ্বিসপ্তকোটীভুজৈর্ধৃতখর-করবালে,
অবলা কেন মা এত বলে৷৷
বহুবলধারিণীং নমামি তারিণীং
রিপুদলবারিণীং মাতরম্৷৷

তুমি বিদ্যা তুমি ধর্ম্ম তুমি হৃদি তুমি মর্ম্ম
ত্বং হি প্রাণাঃ শরীরে৷৷
বাহুতে তুমি মা শক্তি, হৃদয়ে তুমি মা ভক্তি
তোমারই প্রতিমা গড়ি মন্দিরে মন্দিরে॥
ত্বং হি দুর্গা দশপ্রহরণধারিণী
কমলা কমল-দলবিহারিণী
বাণী বিদ্যাদায়িনী নমামি ত্বাং
নমামি কমলাম্ অমলাং অতুলাম্
সুজলাং সুফলাম্ মাতরম্॥

বন্দে মাতরম্ শ্যামলাং সরলাম্ সুস্মিতাং ভূষিতাম্
ধরণীং ভরণীম্ মাতরম্॥

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