Vande Mataram!

Vande Mataram to all my fellow countrymen! A very happy 64th Independence day to you!

Following is the poem called "Vande Mataram" written by eminent freedom fighter Bamkin Chandra Chattopadhyay. The poem is purely in Hindi, and has been taken from Wikisource. I knew that this song is the national song of our nation, but what I didn't know was that only the first two stanzas of this poem form our national song - there's much to this poem. Thought of sharing that here.

वन्दे मातरम्

रचयिता: बंकिमचन्द्र चट्टोपाध्याय
यह गीत हिन्दी चलचित्र आनन्दमठ में सम्मिलित किया गया है।

वन्दे मातरम्
सुजलाम् सुफलाम् मलयजशीतलाम्
शस्य श्यामलाम् मातरम्
शुभ्र ज्योत्स्ना पुलकित यामिनीम्
फुल्ल कुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्
सुहासिनीम् सुमधुर भाषिणीम्
सुखदाम् वरदाम् मातरम्
वन्दे मातरम्

(उपरोक्त अंश को भारत का राष्ट्रीय गीत के रूप में लिया गया है।)

सप्त कोटि कण्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले
निसप्त कोटि भुजैर्ध्रुत खरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबल धारिणीम् नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीम् मातरम्
वन्दे मातरम्

तुमि विद्या तुमि धर्म,तुमि हृदि तुमि मर्म
त्वम् हि प्राणाः शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति
हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति
तोमारै प्रतिमा गडि मंदिरे मंदिरे
वन्दे मातरम्

त्वम् हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदल विहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलाम् अमलाम् अतुलाम्
सुजलाम् सुफलाम् मातरम्
वन्दे मातरम्

श्यामलाम् सरलाम् सुस्मिताम् भूषिताम्
धरणीम् भरणीम् मातरम्
वन्दे मातरम्

If you would like a translation, it can be found here in Wikisource.

A sample of the Indian National Song (the first two stanzas of the above poem) has been hosted by the Indian Government on their site: http://india.gov.in/myindia/code_readmore.php There you can listen to the Indian National Song as it was meant to be. As a kid, I remember watching and listening to this tune on TV. A really long time ago.

Do cherish the greatness that this nation has to offer, and I sincerely hope that someday, we will be able to shed the walls within our country and let peace and prosperity take over.

Jai Hind!