I Salute You, O My Mother!

LYRICS

Jana-Gana-Mana-Adhinayaka, Jaya He
Bharata-Bhagya-Vidhata
Punjab-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha-
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Ucchhala-Jaladhi Taranga
Tava Subha Name Jage
Tava Subha Ashisha Mage
Gahe Tava Jaya Gatha.
Jana-Gana-Mangala Dayaka, Jaya He
Bharata-Bhagya-Vidhata,
Jaya He, Jaya He, Jaya He,
Jaya Jaya Jaya, Jaya He


ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny. The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha,of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal; it echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The salvation of all people is in thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.

BACKGROUND

India's various ethnic and cultural groups are honoured in the national anthem, and the melody is very reminiscent of Indian music as well. The words and music were written by Rabindranath Tagore, the same composer of the words and music of the national anthem of Bangladesh.

Originally written in honour of the the Universal Spirit that guides India (God), and to be performed at the occassion of a visit by King George V, it was adopted as the national anthem two days before the republic was declared in 1950. At the time of adoption, another "national song" "Vande Mataram" was popular with the people and many government leaders, but the fact that Vandemataram personfied India as a Goddess was offensive to the monothestic Muslim population led to Janaganamana's adoption as the national anthem.

THE FLAG

The significance of the colours and the chakra in the National Flag was amply described by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the Constituent Assembly which unanimously adopted the National Flag. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan explained—“Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation of disinterestedness. Our leaders must be in different to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends. The Ashoka Wheel in the center of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.”


Jai Hind!