सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
शस्यश्यामलां मातरम् .
शुभ्र-ज्योत्स्नाम् पुलकितयामिनीम्
फुल्लकुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम् .
सुखदां वरदां मातरम् ॥

सप्तकोटि कण्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले
द्विसप्त कोटि भुजैर्ध्रत खरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबल धारिणीम् नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीम् मातरम् ॥

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 ॥

त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदल विहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलां अमलां अतुलाम्
सुजलां सुफलां मातरम् ॥

श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां भूषिताम्
धरणीं भरणीं मातरम् ॥

Mother, I salute thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Green fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.
Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.
Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When swords flash out in seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Thou who saves, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foe drove
Back from plain and sea
And shook herself free.
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.
Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair
In thy soul, with jewelled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Loveliest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
Mother great and free!

translated by Sri Aurobindo

By Sanjay Mulye

Vande Mataram is well known as the National Song of our country. In this
song, the two words ‘Vande Mataram’ have achieved major importance. These are the only words that many freedom fighters remembered while being sentenced to rigorous punishments in Court or being hanged to death.

Muslim organisations have objected to this song. They opine that it is against the ‘Shariyat’.

In this country, whether something is right or wrong is determined on the
basis of the Indian Constitution. Yet Muslims are demanding total elimination
of ‘Vande Mataram’ on the basis of the ‘Shariyat’ law. Let us learn about
the history of ‘Vande Mataram’ in the context of the Muslim opposition to it.

The greatness of the motherland is the essence of Hindu culture. Every
ruler, right from Lord Rama to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has had a deep sense of belonging for the Motherland. After the killing of Raavana, when Lord Rama was presented with a proposal to stay back in Lanka, His very famous reply was, “Janani Janmabhumishcha Swargaadapi Gariyasi” Lord Rama says,
“My mother and motherland are dearer to me than heaven (let alone Lanka)”.

There is no reason for the song ‘Vande Mataram’ to smell of a specific
religion. Which beloved son will not hold this land, which is sujala, sufala and
sashya shamala, in high regard? Who will not salute the motherland who is
prosperous, meritorious and bestower of riches? It the implied meaning of this
song is contemplated upon, the heart gets filled with pride for this land
named “Bharat”.

The national Mahamantra Bankimchandra wrote the song ‘Vande Mataram’ on 7th November, 1875. This lunar day was Kartik Shukla Navami! This song had been published in the novel ‘Anandmath’ by Bankimchandra. The vocabulary used in this song is influenced by Sanskrit.


The said book contains information about
the violent revolt of Sanyasis against injustice inflicted by Muslims and
the British in Bengal in the year 1772.
In the year 1905, Lord Curzon declared the division of Bengal. Whole of
Bengal revolted furiously in order to revoke this division. The two words ‘Vande
Mataram’ encompassed the whole of Bengal. It was these words themselves that
made the English rage with anger. Curzon’s chela, i.e. the Governor of Bengal
had imposed a legal ban on uttering the words ‘Vande Mataram’. This ban
resulted in ‘Vande Mataram’ getting nationwide importance. It became a National
Mahamantra.


‘Vande Mataram’ became the favorite word of the freedom fighters. On 6th
August 1906, a daily newspaper was brought out in the name ‘Vande Mataram’.
Any program related to the freedom struggle would be concluded only after
saying ‘Vande Mataram’. The National Flag decided upon by Sister Nivedita at the
Kolkata Congress and the one hoisted by Madam Cama at the International
Communist Conference held in Germany had the words ‘Vande Mataram’ boldly
encrypted on it in the Devanagari script. The sessions of the All India Congress
would start with the song ‘Vande Mataram’.

Utterance of the words ‘Vande Mataram’ gave freedom fighters and the common
public the strength to withstand lathi blows on their heads and whiplashes
on their open bodies. In 1905, the 21st session of the Congress was held at
Varanasi (Benaras). During this session, the famed Bengali poetess and singer
Sarladevi Chaudhurani sang the entire ‘Vande Mataram’. Nowadays, we just sing
the first stanza of ‘Vande Mataram’. Many among the new generation do not
even know how big it is!

Censoring of ‘Vande Mataram’

In the year 1937, during the meeting of the Congress Working Committee in
Kolkata, it was decided to cut short this National Song, with the sole motive
of appeasing Muslims. Thus began the era of misfortune of this song! The
Muslims were not satisfied even then. They wanted to eliminate this song
completely. On 17th March, 1938, the Chairman of the Muslim League, Barrister Jinnah
raised objection to reciting the first stanza of ‘Vande Mataram’ also.

Appeasement of Muslims by the Congress

In 1940, Rules and Regulations framed for the Congress members restricted
them from using the adage ‘Vande Mataram’. When Muslims objected to the usage
of ‘Vande Mataram’ in the working of the Constitutional Conference, they
were granted permission to sing an Urdu song written by Bashir Ahmed. Likewise,
they were also permitted to recite some stanzas from the Koran.
In 1937 in many regions of India, Congress Ministry came to power in
authority. Some may have thought that now 'Now good days will come for 'Vande
Mataram', but it also proved false. In the process of Muslim appeasement there was
strict prohibition of singing of 'Vande Mataram' on All India Radio. The
famous singer Master Krushnrao gave a big fight for this. He did not sing on All
India Radio for many years in the pretext of ‘If there is no 'Vande Mataram'
on radio, then there is no song of mine’. In March 1947 on account of
Respected Krushnrao's efforts, the ban on 'Vande Mataram' was removed.

The first Public song by Ravindranath Tagore

The great poet Ravindranath Tagore publicly sang this song 'Vande Mataram'
in Calcutta in 1896. He devised his own tune for this. The 'Kaafi' tune framed
by Pt.Vishnu Digamber Palusker gained wide publicity. The song is song in
other tunes besides the 'Kaafi' tune. The song was first publicly sung in
'Kaafi' tune in Lahore through the mouth of dynamic; illustrious Pt. Palusker. The
present one to be broadcasted from All India Radio is in 'Sarang' tune.
Nehru's obstacle for 'Vande Mataram' becoming National song


The reason given by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for 'Vande Mataram' not to
become the National song was that it would not be able to rhyme it with the band,
but Respected Krushnrao Fulmbrikar proved this wrong in a scientific manner.
The efforts of Krushnrao Fulmbrikar were so enormous that he earned the title
of 'Vande Mataram Krushnrao'. Shri. Amarendra Gadgil has written a book
named 'Historical story of Vande Mataram'. In this book it is mentioned he says ’
There was no reason for the actual discussion of what should be the National
song in Free India, but due to the weakness in 1937 that the Congress
despised 'Vande Mataram' of Congress, with the same weakness further Pt. Nehru
removed this patriotic song from the place of National song. In 1937 when Congress
Ministry became the part of regional administration, the relation that
Congress means government has been set in this country. Pt. Nehru after managing
all the facets of democracy, till the end carried his rule uninterruptedly
like an independent Emperor. (Kruschov has given him the title of 'Democratic
Dictator'!). As a result the situation that 'whatever Congress says is the law
and what Pt. Nehru says is Congress' continued even after Nehru's rule. The
national sin of deprivation of the ‘Vande Mataram' as National song from its
lawful place has been committed because of these two, means this song only in
the silly pretext of music became the victim of politics and Nehru ideology.

There is strong enough evidence to believe that Nehru had pre decided about
not allowing this song as the National song. Finally on 24th January 1950,
that is two days before declaration of India's Republic, the Constitution
Committee put its seal on 'Jana Gana Mana' as the National song. Though the
precedence of sacrifice of the national interest for the sake of politics, for one's self esteem and selfish party motives started by Congress and Pt. Nehru is still continuing today, it does not mean that it is acceptable to the whole country or the further generations. It is very mandatory for those who have affection for this history, especially the young ones of the new generations as their national duty to rethink about 'Vande Mataram'. Although the Constitution has taken away the place of 'Vande Mataram', it is not impossible to restore it.

Dear Hindustani people, go on saluting, it makes no difference. Recently India has elected such a Vice President that he says he does not and will not sing Vande Mataram .Even then Congress President Sonia Gandhi says that his victory is victory of secularist person. Many God save the mother land from the clutches of these people who have no respect for those how died in freedom fight giving slogans of Vande Mataram. We don't know to what extent we Indians would act against the freedom of our India.