VIDEO: Did You Know There Are 4 More Stanzas to Jana Gana Mana? And They’re Even More Beautiful!

This video features the complete and original Bengali lyrics of Rabindranath Tagore’s five stanza hymn, a part of which is used as the national anthem of India. Showcased from a different angle, it takes us through a journey of India’s independence struggle, while portraying other very important issues. The anthem has been sung in some beautiful voices. Listen and be mesmerised by the melodious song, a part of which is so well known to all of us.

We sing it in approximately 52 seconds – our national anthem, the melodious “Jana Gana Mana”. But did you know that the lines which we grew up singing in schools, on Independence Day, Republic Day, and every occasion celebrating the country, is just one stanza of the original, which actually consists of five stanzas?

Oh! You who guide the people through torturous path,
Victory be to You, dispenser of the destiny of India!
Victory, victory, victory to You!

Composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, these are some of the lines in the original hymn which was written in 1911 in highly Sanskritised Bengali.

Photo Credit: Eugene Kim/Flickr

It was translated into Hindi-Urdu by Captain Abid Ali, an officer in the Indian National Army. And Tagore himself translated it into English.

On Dec. 28, 1911, it was sung for the first time at the Kolkata session of the Indian National Congress. And it was on Jan. 24, 1950, that the Hindi version of the lyrics was adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the national anthem of India.

This video, directed by filmmaker Srijit Mukherji and produced by Shree Venkatesh Films, features the original Bengali version.

Titled Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata, the song begins with the second stanza and then moves on to the first, to create a very beautiful effect.

The song is a part of Mukherji’s upcoming Bengali film, Rajkahini.

Apart from a chance to listen to the complete song in the way it was originally written, the video also portrays, through mesmerising voices and scenes from the movie, the days of the freedom struggle, the difficulties faced during the India-Pakistan division, the women who fought for their rights, and much more.

Listen to the soulful song here:

This is the official English version of the national anthem:

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India’s destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Odisha and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganges and is
chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee.

And this is the English translation of all five stanzas:

Oh! the ruler of the minds of people, Victory be to You,
Dispenser of the destiny of India!
Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Dravid (South India), Orissa, and Bengal,
The Vindhya, the Himalayas, the Yamuna, the Ganges,
And the oceans with foaming waves all around.
Wake up listening to Your auspicious name,
Ask for Your auspicious blessings,
And sing to Your glorious victory.
Oh! You who impart well being to the people,
Victory be to You, dispenser of the destiny of India!
Victory, victory, victory to You!

Your call is announced continuously,
We heed Your gracious call
The Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsees,
Muslims, and Christians,
The East and the West come together,
To the side of Your throne
And weave the garland of love.
Oh! You who bring in the unity of the people!
Victory be to You, dispenser of the destiny of India!
Victory, victory, victory to You!

The way of life is sombre as it moves through ups and downs,
But we, the pilgrims, have followed it through ages.
Oh! Eternal Charioteer, the wheels of your chariot
Echo day and night in the path
In the midst of fierce revolution,
Your conch shell sounds.
You save us from fear and misery.
Oh! You who guide the people through torturous path,
Victory be to You, dispenser of the destiny of India!
Victory, victory, victory to You!

During the bleakest of nights,
When the whole country was sick and in swoon
Wakeful remained Your incessant blessings,
Through Your lowered but winkless eyes
Through nightmares and fears,
You protected us on Your lap,
Oh Loving Mother!
Oh! You who have removed the misery of the people,
Victory be to You, dispenser of the destiny of India!
Victory, victory, victory to You!

The night is over, and the Sun has risen
over the hills of the eastern horizon.
The birds are singing, and a gentle auspicious breeze
Is pouring the elixir of new life.
By the halo of Your compassion,
India that was asleep is now waking
On your feet we now lay our heads
Oh! Victory, victory, victory to you, the Supreme King,
Victory be to You, dispenser of the destiny of India!
Victory, victory, victory to You!

Featured Image Credit: Sean Ellis/Flickr

This video was originally published here.

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