Our current National Anthem “Jana Gana Mana” is
sung throughout the country.
Did you know the following about our national anthem.
To begin with, India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka, was
written by Rabindranath Tagore in honour of King George V
and the Queen of England when they visited India in 1919.
To honour their visit Pandit Motilal Nehru had the five stanzas
included, which are in praise of the King and Queen.
(And most of us think it is in the
praise of our great motherland!!!)
In the original Bengali verses only those provinces that
were under British rule, i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat,
Maratha etc.were mentioned. None of the princely states
were recognized which are integral parts of India now Kashmir,
Rajasthan, Andhra, Mysore or Kerala.
Neither the Indian Ocean nor the Arabian
Sea was included, since they
were directly under Portuguese rule at that time.
The Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka implies that
King George V is the lord of the masses and Bharata
Bhagya Vidhata is “the bestower of good fortune”.
Following is a translation of the five stanzas that
glorify the King:
First stanza: (Indian) People wake up remembering your
good name and ask for your blessings and they sing your glories.
(Tava shubha name jaage; tava shubha aashish maage, gaaye tava jaya gaatha)
Second stanza: Around your throne people of all religions
come and give their love and anxiously wait to hear your kind words.
Third stanza: Praise to the King for being the
charioteer, for leading the ancient travelers beyond misery.
Fourth stanza: Drowned in the deep ignorance and
suffering, poverty-stricken, unconscious country? Waiting for
the wink of your eye and your mother’s (the Queen’s) true
protection.
Fifth stanza: In your compassionate plans, the sleeping
Bharat (India)will wake up. We bow down to your feet O’ Queen,
and glory to Rajeshwara (the King).
This whole poem does not indicate any love for the
Motherland but depicts a bleak picture. When you sing Jana Gana
Mana Adhinayaka, whom are you glorifying?
Certainly not the Motherland. Is it God?
The poem does not indicate that. It is time now
to understand the original purpose and the implication of this,
Rather than blindly sing as has been done the past fifty years.
Nehru chose the present national anthem as opposed to
Vande Mataram because he thought that it would be easier for the band
to play!!! It was an absurd reason but Today for that matter bands have
advanced and they can very well play any music. So they can as well play
Vande Mataram, which is a far better composition in praise of our
Dear Motherland - India .