Vande Mataram (वंदेमातरम) : The Hymn That Became a Revolution in India Unveiling the history, the meaning, and the complete original lyrics of India's National Song.
Every Indian knows the feeling. The drums roll, the melody rises, and two words—Vande Mataram— instantly send a shiver down the spine.
This isn’t just a song; it is the biography of a nation’s spirit. But how much do we truly know about the full, original six verses that fueled the freedom struggle?
Below, we explore the fascinating story behind the anthem, the context of its creation, and present the complete, original six-stanza lyrics in Hindi and English.
📜 The Story: Ink That Turned to Fire Who wrote it and why?
The song was penned by the literary giant Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (Chatterjee). While it is famously associated with his 1882 novel Anandamath, Bankim actually wrote the first two stanzas much earlier, around 1875. The Situation and Purpose At the time, British rule was tightening its grip, and the concept of "The Motherland" was abstract to the masses. Bankim’s vision was to give this abstract concept a physical, spiritual form. He visualized the land of India not just as soil and geography, but as the Mother Goddess (Shakti) herself. In the novel Anandamath, the song is sung by a Sannyasi (monk) named Bhavananda. The novel is set against the backdrop of the Sannyasi Rebellion and the Bengal Famine, urging her children to wake up and recognize her power. The song served as a powerful emotional and spiritual rallying cry, becoming the most popular war cry of the independence movement. Freedom fighters routinely marched to the gallows with these words on their lips.
🎶 The Complete Six Stanzas of Vande Mataram
The original hymn is a beautiful blend of Sanskrit and Bengali, with the first two verses being pure Sanskrit. Here are the full lyrics, stanza by stanza.
Stanza I & II: The National Song (The Beauty of the Mother)
(These two stanzas are the ones officially adopted as the National Song.)
ूल दे वनिागरी (Original Script):
वंदे मातरम् । सुजलां सुफलां लयज शीतिलां सस्य श्या लां ातिर ् ॥ वंदे ॥ शुभ्रज्योत्स्निा पुल कतिया निीं पुल्लकुसु ति द्रु दल शो निीं सुहिा सनिीं सु धुर ा षिणीं सुखदां वरदां ातिर ् ॥ वंदे ॥
English Translation:
I bow to thee, Mother. Richly-watered, richly-fruited, cool with the winds of the south, Dark with the crops of the harvests, the Mother! Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight, Her land beautifully clothed with flowering trees and foliage, Sweet of laughter, sweet of speech, The Mother, giver of bliss, giver of boons!
Stanza III: The Power (Shakti) This stanza asserts the Mother’s physical power and defiance.
ूल दे वनिागरी (Original Script):
को को कंठ कलकल ननादकराले को को भुजैर् धृत कर करवाले अबला केनो मा एतो बले बहुबल धा रणीं नमा म ता रणीं रपुदलवा रणीं मातरम् ॥ वंदे ॥
English Translation:
Terrible with the resounding cries of crores of throats, And with sharp swords held in crores of hands. Who says, Mother, that you are weak? Holder of immense strength, I bow to her who saves, To her who drives away the armies of the enemy, the Mother!
Stanza IV: The Spiritual Core
The most philosophical verse, identifying the nation with fundamental spiritual and ethical values.
मूल दे वनागरी (Original Script):
तिु वद्या तिु ध र्म तिु हृ द तिु र्म त्वं हि प्राणाः शरीरे बाहुतिे तिु ा श ति हृदये तिु ा ति तिो ारई प्र ति ा ग ड ं दरे ं दरे ॥ वंदे ॥
English Translation:
You are knowledge, You are righteousness (Dharma), You are the heart, You are the essence. You are the life breath in our bodies. In our arms, You are the strength, Mother; in our hearts, You are the devotion. It is your image that we build in temple after temple.
Stanza V & VI: The Divine Form & Homage
The final verses associate the Motherland with the Hindu divine feminine forms.
मूल दे वनागरी (Original Script):
त्वं हि दुगार्म दश प्रहिरण धा रणी क ला क लदल वहिा रणी वाणी वद्यादा यनिी नि ा त्वां नि ा क लां अ लां अतिुलां सुजलां सुफलां ातिर ् ॥ वंदे ॥ श्या लां सरलां सु स् तिां ू षितिां धरणीं रणीं ातिर ् ॥ वंदे ॥
English Translation:
You are indeed the Goddess Durga, holding ten weapons. You are Kamala (Lakshmi), moving among the lotus petals. You are Vani (Saraswati), the giver of knowledge. I bow to you. I bow to Kamala, the spotless, the peerless, the richly-watered, the richly-fruited Mother ! I bow to the dark-complexioned (green with crops), the simple one, the smiling one, the adorned one, The sustainer of the earth, the nourisher, the Mother!
⚖️ The Edit: Nehru and the National Song While the complete hymn is a cherished piece of literary and historical heritage, only the first two stanzas were adopted as the official National Song on January 24, 1950, given equal status to the National Anthem.
The Reason for the Abbreviation In 1937, a committee including Jawaharlal Nehru reviewed the song. They recognized the hymn's universal appeal but noted that the later stanzas explicitly equated the Motherland with Hindu deities like Durga and Lakshmi. To ensure the song could be sung without reservation by all communities in India, the first two verses—which celebrate the beauty of the geography (water, fruit, moonlight)—were chosen for official use, creating a balance between national heritage and secular unity.
Conclusion: The Eternal Shakti of Bharat
Vande Mataram is more than a song; it is a mantra given to us by a Rishi (Bankim Chandra) in the guise of a writer.
For our Hindu brothers and sisters, this song holds a profound spiritual truth. It is a reminder that in our culture, we do not look at the earth as dead matter or mere geography. We see the land as Shakti—the
Divine Mother. When we bow to the soil, we are not just respecting the physical land; we are bowing to the same primordial energy that resides in our temples.
This song calls upon us to recognize the divinity within our own nation. It reminds us that patriotism is not just a civic duty, but a form of Bhakti (devotion). Let us carry this flame of devotion in our hearts, protecting the culture, the dignity, and the unity of this great land. May the blessings of the Motherland strengthen your resolve and inspire endless acts of kindness and service.
Vande Mataram!
Author-
SHEEVUM GOEL