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saidevo
14 September 2006, 05:40 AM
Read in original, Bharati's songs of jnana, create a sense of awe. His songs of bhakti bring tears to eyes. His songs of patriotism bring a sense of pride, courage and gratitude. Packed with firepower, these patriotic songs made a mole a firebrand.

The most distintuishing feature of all his poems, most of which were set by Bharati himself to tune in traditional ragas and popular tunes, is that they used simple words and phrases, and worked their magic with the masses and the pundits.

I do not pretend to be a translator of his poems into English. My presentations here are meant to share the lofty feelings of joy, happiness, awe, pride and gratitude that even an occasional reader of his poems gets. My only regret is that the readers of Bharati's poems in English or any other language for that matter, would always miss some of the spirit of the original.

1. Salutations to the Land
(Endhaiyum thayum...)

My father, mother were happy together
and lived here in this land. -- Its
forefathers for thousand years lived
and died here in this land. -- From their
minds grew a thousand thoughts
and fructified in this land. -- Won't I
keep this in mind and hail my motherland? -- Won't I
sing 'vande mataram, vande mataram' and praise my motherland? (1)

They gave their lives to foster us
and bless us in this land. -- Our
foremothers all lived as children, lisped
and learned about this land. -- As girls they grew
and played in moonlight, all here in this land. -- With
golden frames they played in the waters of this holy land. -- Won't I
sing 'vande mataram, vande mataram' and praise my motherland? (2)

As married women they made their homes and
raised the Dharma of this land. -- Their
golden babies they suckled and reared them in this land. -- People
grew in culture and raised their temples in this land. -- Later
they died and left their ashes scattered in this land. -- Won't I
sing 'vande mataram, vande mataram' and praise my motherland? (3)

2. Vande Mataram

Say 'vande mataram' and
praise our motherland!

We won't divide with castes and faiths. -- A mere
janma in this land if people get,
be they vaidhikas or other castes,
all are one and the same here. (1)

There are thousands of castes here. -- Still
would they justify a foreign invasion?
We all are born in a single mother's womb. -- Among
us we may fight, but aren't we brothers all? (3)

United we have our lives. -- From us
if unity departs, we all will fall.
This truth must be realized. -- When
this jnanam comes, what else would we want? (4)

Whatever the status we get,
we make it common to all.
Live all the thirty crores of us. -- Or
die all the thirty crores of us. (5)

3. Bharat, our Country

Bharat, out country,
is the best in the world.

In Jnanam, in Dhyanam on the Param, -- in high
dignity of pride and self-respect, in Anna Dhanam,
in Ganam, and in nectar-filled
Kavita excels -- Bharat, our country, is the best in the world. (1)

In valor, in might of armies, -- in heart
with compassion wet, in help and service,
in identifying the Essence and codifying it
in Shastras excels -- Bharat, our country... (2)

In charity, in strength of mind, -- in coolness
of heart, in sharpness of brain,
in feelings of poets who never
drift from Truth excels -- Bharat, our country... (5)

In Yajnas, in acumen of Tapas, -- in many
paths of Yogas, in many Bogas,
In blessings from the hearts and homes
of Bhakti excels -- Bharat, our country... (6)

More to come...

saidevo
19 September 2006, 09:21 PM
From Shakuntala Bharati's book Bharati - My Father:

Pudhuvai (the Tamil name for Pondicherry) was famous for clay dolls made in a village called Kuyavar Palayam (the potter's quarters). Bharati and his friends VOC Iyer and Srinivasachariar visited the place with their families, to have a look at the process of making clay dolls. Enchanted by a pair of white bulls that reminded him of their upright manner, fearless eyes and strength of body, Bharati praised the potter and said, "this man, with a hard built body and eyes shinging with goodness, is a king who has sculptured in clay what I have been toiling to bring out in words."

Bharati and his friends enquired if the potter could make a doll and a big clay sculpture of Bharata Mata. The potter said, "Swami, if you give me a picture, I shall do a nice job and also capture the shine of your blessed face in the sculpture." They discussed about a Bengal portrait of Bharata Mata that VOC Iyer had with him. In that picture, Bharata Mata was portrayed as a poor woman of India with no jewels, wearing only a sari and a blouse, but the sculptor was hesitant to make such a statue.

Iyer said, "Why think about? Today our Bharata Mata is a slave to videshis, losing all her wealth and suffering from poverty. Therefore this picture is a good model for a sculpture."

Hearing this, Bharati got very angry: "mhoom! Let it be sarva bhUshanam. Bharata Mata has absolutely no scarcity of anything. What did the videshis carry away? After all a few of the scattered things. Did they take the Ganga and the Kaveri rolling them up under their arms? Or did they carry away the Himalayas on their heads? Did they carry away anything of this land's fertility, minerals, poetry or art? Nothing is lost. Bharata Mata is always our Queen. So make a statue of her adorned with all jewels, without missing anything of wealth in her person." Awe-struck by these words, his friends consented to Bharati's wish, and had the statue and doll were made accordingly.

Bharati's Bharata Mata is inseparable from Parashakti or Kali or Durga or any other Goddess, who authored and ruled everything that glorified this ancient land.

I have presented below, two of his poems on Bharata Mata, trying to capture the spirit beyond the maya of translated words.

04. Bharata Mata

Whose bow was that which caused in ancient days
the end of Lanka's rakshaas? -- It was
our mata bhayankari Bharata Devi,
the Arya Rani's bow. 1

Whose bow was that which was raised
to cut Indrajit into two? -- It was
our mantra deivatam Bharata Rani,
the vajravi's own bow. 2

'One is Param, we Its children,
this world is a well of pleasures' -- The hand
that wrote this in different vedas
is our Bharata Nayaki's holy hand. 3

Whose shoulders of stone were that which bore
Kandivam and vanquished the world? -- They were
hers, who rules and fosters us,
the Arya Rani's shoulders. 6

Whose hands were that which gave away
the ear kundalams even at time of death? -- They were
hers, admired by poets in nectar words,
our Bharata Rani's hand. 7

Whose mouth was that which preached the Gita
In the middle of the battlefield? -- It was
hers, whose words destroyed the enemies,
the Bharata Devi's mouth. 8

Sivam is Love, all sufferings of world,
will clear with Love -- These words
that ruled the world before,
the Buddha's words were our mother's words. 10

05. Our Mother

All that happened in ancient days,
all sages who knew -- Know not
the age of our mother, for such
is her eternal nature. 1

None can compute her age and what
our mother is. -- Still,
in this world, she's every young,
and lives as young as ever. 2

She has thirty crore faces,
and a strong soul. -- She
speaks in eighteen tongues,
yet has a singular mind. 3

She has vedas in her tongue,
and a shining sword in her hands.
She blesses those who reach her,
but has shoulders to raze the bad. 4

She conducts her Dharma,
with her sixty crores of hands.
She vanquishes her enemies
and makes them bite the dust. 5

She is the Bhumi in patience,
and has a holy heart.
But to those who seek to harm her,
She is like the goddess Durga. 6

The renounced with their locks of hair,
she joins palms and worships them.
The One who rules the seven worlds
with a chakra, she also worships him. 7

Unmatched in yoga, she knows
that the Truth is One.
Unmatched in boga, she has
countless heaps of gold. 8

She blesses kings who rule by Dharma,
and grants them all their boons.
If they be adharmic, she swallows them,
and enacts her dance of joy. 9

The snow-growing Himachalan given
mighty daughter is she.
His might may wither and fade,
but she will be ever famed. 10

More to come...