A Song Of Praise

I am thankful to my dear friend ‘Rameshwari kaul’ who praised my writing skills and insisted me to start writing blogs so can the viewers can be benefited. She said if no one is going to read your blogs..no worry my friend I’ll surly read it.
So that’s why I am here with my next blog. It is not only for Rameshwari but it’s for all of you. Please read and do write your comments

Being an Indian if anyone doesn’t know Hindi is a shameful thing and so as the thing even if we don’t understand what actually our national anthem means. I am also one of the culprit as I spent 22/23 years in this nation singing "jana-gana-mana.." without knowing its actual meaning. But I am sure I am not the only one who did this but many of us do the same, as we are weak at our own national language "Hindi" and age old traditional language "Sanskrit". The way we were treated our national language is disgraceful and that’s the reason that we are not aware of the meaning of our national anthem…….

The national anthem of India, Jana-gana-mana, was composed by the great poet Rabindranath Tagore and was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on January 24th 1950. But is it really a very great piece of writing by such a great poet?

At the very outset I would like to ask every Indians that what does the word national anthem means. Isn’t it that means a sacred song praising and declaring loyalty to a nation? If yes, then is our national anthem "jana-gana-mana…" a song praising about India?
I don’t know what you all are thinking right now but I surly feel it’s no more related to the praising of our nation. I observed our national anthem more deeply and found that the words are not really praising India, its praising someone else.
Let’s observe national anthem more carefully and try to get meaning out of it.

"Jana-gana-mana-adhinaayaka, jaya he
Bhaarata-bhagya-vidhaataa
Punjab-Sindhu-Gujarata-Marathaa
Draavida-Utkala -Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Gangaa
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga
Tava shubha naame jaage
Tava shubha ashisha maange
Gaaye tab jaya gaatha
Jana-gana-mangala-daayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhataa
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he
Jaya jaya, jaya, jaya he!! "

Did you get some meaning out of this?
Only some of you might have got its actual sayings as it is a complex hindi composition.
Ok..ok.. ok.. no worry I’ll discuss Tagore's English rendering of the stanza. But before that I want to make you clear with the meaning of some English words, it would be helping you to understand the stanza.
Thou: refers to you, the person being addressed or written to.
Art: the skill or ability to do something well, the ability to achieve things by deceitful or cunning methods, talent, knack.
Dispenser: somebody or something that distributes something.
Thy: Your (belonging or relating to you, the second person singular possessive corresponding to "thou").
Echoes: the repetition of a sound caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface.
Rouses: wake, shake somebody out of apathy, cause emotion.
Mingles: mix gently or gradually.
Chanted: a phrase or slogan repeatedly and rhythmically spoken, often with a simple singsong intonation.
Thee : You, a form of "thou" used as the object of a verb or preposition to mean "you").

Here is English rendering of the stanza (Indian national anthem) -
"Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat and Maratha, of the Dravidian and Orissa and Bengal it echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, Mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny victory, victory, victory, victory to thee."

Now in more simple words…
You "the distributor of India's destiny", have the ability to rules the mind of all people. Your name shaken the heart of Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, South India, Orissa and Bengal. Your name echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas. Mix gently in the music of jamuna and Ganga and is repeatedly and rhythmically spoken by the wave of Indian Sea. They pray for your blessings and sing your praise. The saving of all people waits in your hand, you "the distributor of India's destiny" victory, victory, victory, victory to you."

Here we can make out/witness that these praising lines are actually for someone who was regarded as the dispenser (distributor) of India’s destiny. So it’s quite clear now that these very nicely composed praising lines is not praising India at all. It seems like that it was composed in the honor of British East India Company.
My dear friends at last I would like to say that, it’s really not necessary if our father and forefather have committed the mistake we must also stick to it. India is our motherland and we must adore her with a sacred song praising and declaring loyalty to her only.
We can make a big difference and bring out the change, the only thing we need is that we must initiate collectively.
Vande mataram!