Resurgence

Jana Gana Mana Adhinayaka Jaya He, Bharata Bhagya Vidhata!

The opening line of our national anthem proclaims; “Thou art the ruler of the minds of all the people, the dispenser of the destiny of India.” A powerful first line that glorifies that bhagyavidhata of India, who would go on to lead the country to greatness. However, a slight inaccuracy would rear its ugly head. The composer of the song, Rabindranath Tagore, had not, at least at first glance, left any clue as to the identity of this bhagyavidhata.

Numerous instances throughout history have put on open display one core quality of the human race – the ability of the human race to concoct the most implausible theories where there is no set answer. Unfortunately, this situation would also fall victim to this human quality.

The only hindrance to the common masses was the fact that even they did not have the slightest clue as to who this bhagyavidhata was. Conveniently, the King of England, King George the Fifth, was visiting India. Free to speculate and spread rumors, the people were quick to react, and very soon, a rumor was floating around.

The Indian National Congress organized a ceremony to welcome the King to India. At the occasion, Tagore’s song was sung. It didn’t take long for people to connect two and two, and soon enough, rumors were spreading that this fated bhagyavidhata of India was none other than King George the Fifth.

Available knowledge of our history compels us to question this popular assumption, how could this divine “dispenser of India’s destiny”, who was meant to guide India into the light, be a colonial overlord?

The song's writer certainly felt the question posed was valid. Rabindranath Tagore was having absolutely none of it. Aghast by the speculations and rumors that had thoroughly desecrated the meaning of his composition, he was quick to debunk any claims under this umbrella. In a statement made to “a certain high official in Her Majesty’s service, who was also my friend”, he is quoted as saying; “I pronounced the victory in Jana Gana Mana of that Bhagya Vidhata of India who has from age after age held steadfast the reins of India’s chariot through rise and fall, through the straight path and the curved.

That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George.”

Even after this not-so-subtle message to the masses that their guess was wrong, the notion stuck. Everyone still believed that the song glorified the ruler of the colonizers, King George the Fifth. However, among the crowd, there were a few that realized the untruth of the rumor. Those few were back to asking themselves the very first question - who, then, was this bhagyavidhata?

At this point, one crucial fact must be taken into account. In 1911, Rabindranath Tagore wrote a five-stanza song in glorification of Bharat. When India’s founding fathers adopted the national anthem, they took only the first stanza of Tagore’s song and, as it would turn out, the answer to the widespread question on the identity of the bhagyavidhata of India would be present only a page length lower, in the third paragraph of this very same song.

The third paragraph of the song proclaims; "The way of life is somber 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!"

On closer inspection, we make several interesting observations. First, is the mention of an “eternal charioteer”, guiding the nation on the path of dharma through the ages. Next, although not noticeable in the English translation, the timeless expression "Yuge, Yuge” of the Bhagavad Gita fame, is used in the song. Finally, the song mentions chariots, conches, and various other iconographies all give us clues as to the identity of the real bhagyavidhata.

Born in a prison cell in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudev, his very existence was to rid our world of adharma. Enlightening all of civilization with the Bhagavad Gita, he is truly one who fits Tagore’s description of this being. All those familiar with this dark-complexioned Lord will see an uncanny resemblance to Krishna in the third stanza of the song.

An obvious question can be thrown at this assumption. How can a song containing religious iconography be adopted as the national anthem of a country which has a constitution classifying the country as secular?

It would seem Tagore followed a pattern of hiding the answers to all questions about the song in the song itself. Let’s take a closer look at the second paragraph of the song, which goes; "Your call is announced continuously, we heed Your gracious call The Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, 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!"

Everyone reading this can be excused for scratching their heads and wondering what Tagore was thinking when he wrote this song. How could one song contain both religious symbols and phrases speaking about religious accommodation?

Turns out that this idea was the very essence of Bharat. The concept that one can be rooted in their belief and practices and the concept that one can be accommodative of all faiths were never separate from each other. Instead, they were parallel concepts, coexisting side by side all across this land. The idea of religious pluralism was one underlying concept that constituted the core of this land throughout its history.

Rabindranath Tagore’s song brings out such a beautiful concept that was deep-rooted in our civilization, but how many of us knew about it? So many of us did not know that our national anthem was only a part of a much bigger composition, yet, when we delve into its meaning, such profound information is revealed. Numerous such treasures exist all across the pages of our existence. Whether it be Aryabhata’s mathematical masterpieces or Sushruta’s surgical genius, let’s all take a moment and explore the many, many secrets that are hidden all across our civilization’s history.