celebrating Indian Independence Day ~ Mother & Motherland are superior to heaven......

Today is a Great Day ~ as we celebrate the 67th Independence Day of the Nation....

I have earlier posted of the Great Indian National flag and of the organization - Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha (KKGSS) which is the only one authorized to make the National flags in Khadi…..

Children at SYMA last year Independence Day celebrations Photo : Thirumazhisai Kannan

The concept of holding their homeland high is present in many ethnic groups and provides the National identity.  While many groups and Nations hail their native country as ‘fatherland’ or associate it primarily with paternal concepts in their native language {Albanians, Armenians, Czechs, Danes, Estonians, Germans, Icelanders, Irish and more…..} ~ to us it is Motherland, the Bhatar Mata, Mother India ~ the national personification as ‘Mother Goddess’ usually depicted as a beautiful woman clad in saffron sari holding a flag and accompanied by a Lion.  The image of Bhāratmātā formed with the Indian independence movement of the late 19th century. A play by Kiran Chandra Bannerjee,Bhārat Mātā, was first performed in 1873. Bankim Chandra Chatterji's 1882 novel Anandamath introduced the hymn "Vande Mātaram",which soon became the song of the emerging freedom movement in India. Bipin Chandra Pal insisted that elaborated its meaning in idealizing and idealist terms, along with Hindu philosophical traditions and devotional practices.  Abanindranath Tagore portrayed Bhārat Mātā as a four-armed Hindu goddess wearing saffron-colored robes, holding a book, sheaves of rice, a mala, and a white cloth.

இந்த உலகில் ‘சத்யம், தர்மம், அழகு, படிப்பு, வீரம், ஒழுக்கம் என்று எல்லா நல்ல குணங்கள் கொண்ட மனிதன் யாரேனும் உண்டா?’ என்று வால்மீகி முனிவர் கேட்க, நாரத பகவான் ‘உண்டு. அவர் தான் இக்ஷ்வாகு வம்சத்தில் வந்த தசரத குமாரர் ஸ்ரீராமர்’ என்று கூறி வால்மீகி முனிவருக்கு ராம சரித்திரத்தை சுருக்கமாக நூறு சுலோகங்களில் உபதேசித்தார். இது வால்மீகி ராமாயணத்தின் முதல் ஸர்கம்.

The great sage Valmiki wanted to know about that man – who is the epitome of all virtues ~ of Truth, Honesty, Beauty, Scholarliness, Valour and discipline ~  Omniscient Sage Narada replies that is is Maryadha purush Sri Rama Himself.   ~ and epic Ramayana was born…. The greatest Epic “Sri Ramayana” is a smriti [written from memory as seen and heard]..  The following phrase is a Sanskrit sloka uttered by Sri Rama Himself…

“Janani Janma-bhoomi-scha Swargadapi Gariyasi" ( जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी)   ~ it translates to mean “Mother and Motherland are superior to Heaven”.. This part of Valmiki Ramayana - Rama uttering this while addressing  Lakshmana  after their victory over (demon) king Ravana.

अपि स्वर्णमयी लङ्का न मे लक्ष्मण रोचते जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी

"Lakshmana, even this golden Lanka does not appeal to me, mother and motherland are greater than heaven."

~ and this appears in the emblem of Nepal.  The emblem of Nepal was changed during the reconciliation period following the Nepalese Civil War. On 30 December 2006, a new emblem was introduced. It contains the flag of Nepal, Mount Everest, green hills symbolising the hilly regions of Nepal and yellow colour symbolising the fertile Terai region, male and female hands joining to symbolise gender equality, and a garland of Rhododendron (the national flower). Atop this is a white silhouette in the shape of Nepal. At the base of the design a red scroll carries the national motto in Sanskrit: जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपी गरीयसी (jananī janmabhūmiśca svargādapi garīyasī), which translates as "The mother and the motherland are greater than heaven."

On this great day of our National Independence, let us dedicate ourselves to the service of the Nation, remember the patriotic deeds and sacrifices of so many, because of whom we are breathing free air….

Army Chief Bikram Singh and soldiers…

Jai Hind,

Jai Jawan

Love to My Mother Nation

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

15th Aug 2013.