KARNATAKA: How much do we know about Mysore state anthem that inspired our national anthem Jana Gana Mana... ?

Jana Gana Mana, India’s national anthem, in highly Sanskritised Bengali, is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by the Nobel poet Rabindranath Tagore

It was first sung in the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress on December 27, 1911.

Courtesy: Samyuktha Harshitha 

Jana Gana Mana was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the Indian national anthem on January 24, 1950 and December 27, 2011 marked the completion of 100 years of Jana Gana Mana since it was sung for the first time.

Let's know what is the link: 

• However, what many do not know is that the inspiration for Tagore to pen Jana Gana Mana was the erstwhile anthem of the Mysore State, “Kayou Shri Gowri”.. 

• Though every princely state in India had its own flag and anthem, it was the Mysore anthem that touched Tagore and inspired him. Unlike the anthem of other states, “Kayou Shri Gowri…” was hummable, easy to understand and it was penned by a well-known writer of the times. 

• The Mysore anthem was more an invocation to the Goddess rather than glorifying any individual. 

• This is where "Kayou Shri Gowri" differed with the "Gaekwadi" of Baroda, "Ya rab Humare Badhsh Ko" of Hyderabad, "God save the Maharaja" of Jammu and Kashmir, "Jai Jai Maharaja" of Nawanagar and "Jai Bhavani" of Kolpahur. 

More about Mysore State Anthem: 

• The origin of the Mysore anthem is interesting. When the British handed back the reigns of administration to the Wodeyars in 1881 by the act of Rendition, they also restored the Kingdom to Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar. To commemorate this occasion, Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar asked Basavappa Shastry, the court poet of Mysore, to compose a state anthem. 

About Basavappa Shastry: 

• Basavappa Shastry (1843-1891) was a native of Mysore and he is today better known as Kannada Nataka Pitamaha. 

• Basavappa Shastry was just 18 when he joined the Mysore court and he served in various capacities as the Rajaguru, Asthana Vidwamsa and Rajapurohit. He also published a compilation on Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar called "Krishnarajabhyudaya". 

• He wrote 28 books and they included eleven translations, twelve works in Sanskrit and five in Kannada. 

• He composed “Kayou Shri Gowri” in Sanskrit, written in Kannada script. In the course of time, the anthem or song became extremely popular with the Mysoreans and even outsiders. 

More about Kayou Shri Gowri & how it inspired Tagore: 

• The song is an invocation to Gowri or Chamundeswari, the reigning deity of Mysore and the Wodeyars. When Muslims and non-Hindus sang the anthem, they were allowed to substitute Gowri with the word 'Devaru' meaning 'God' as a prayer made to the Great God and Father of Mankind. 

• The anthem soon became a favourite of Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar. He had it set to tune with the help of Maharaja’s Band Master, Bartels and Veene Seshanna (Vainika Sikhamani Seshanna). 

• Very soon, it was sung everyday by thousands of school children and by others to herald the arrival and departures of the Maharaja at all public functions. 

• In 1919, the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University, Sir Albion Banerjee, invited Rabindranath Tagore to visit Mysore. When Tagore was in Bangalore on January 12, 1919 to deliver a lecture on “The message of Forests”, the then Diwan Sir. M. Kantharaj Urs and other attended the function. 

• When the Mysore Anthem was sung, Tagore was impressed. He had already heard of the anthem several years before and realized that the lyrics are based on Raga-Dheerashankarābharanam. This raga is known as Bilawal in the Hindustani and the Western equivalent is the C major scale, Ionian mode. 

• This raga is one of the most popular scales across the world though it is known by different names in different musical styles. Tagore based the Jana Gana Mana on the same Raga and also on the same scale. 

• Sadly, the Mysore anthem is today almost forgotten but its influence on the national anthem cannot be taken away. Even today, many Mysoreans recall with fondness the anthem as it reminds them of their school days. The anthem today is more an eulogy of noatalgia. 

Lyrics of the Mysore State Anthem in Kannada: 

ಕಾಯೌ ಶ್ರೀ ಗೌರಿ ಕರುಣಾಲಹರಿ
ತೊಯಜಾಕ್ಷಿ ಶಂಕರೀಶ್ವರಿ

೧. ವೈಮಾನಿಕ ಭಾಮಾರ್ಚಿತ ಕೊಮಲಕರ ಪಾದೇ
ಶ್ರೀಮಾನ್ವಿತ ಭೂಮಾಸ್ಪದೆ ಕಾಮಿತ ಫಲದೇ

೨. ಶುಂಬಾದಿಮ ದಾಮ್ಬೋನಿಧಿ ಕುಮ್ಬಜ ನಿಭ ದೇವಿ
ಜಮ್ಭಾಹಿತ ಸಂಭಾವಿತೆ ಶಾಂಭವಿ ಶುಭವೀ

೩. ಶ್ರೀ ಜಯಚಾಮುಂಡಿಕೆ ಶ್ರೀ ಜಯಚಾಮೆಂದ್ರ
ನಾಮಾಂಕಿತ ಭೂಮೀಂದ್ರ ಲಲಾಮನ ಮುದದೆ"

Lyrics in English: 

Kayou Shri Gowri, Karuna lahari, Thoya Jakshi, Shankareeshwari

1. Vaimanika Bhamarchitha Komalakara Padhe
Shreemanvitha Bhoomaspade Kamitha Phaladhe

2. Shumbadima Dhambhonidhi kumbaja nibha devi
Jambhahitha Sambhavithe Shambhavi shubhavee

3. Sri jaya jamundike Sri Jayachamendra
Namankitha Bhomeendra Lalamana Mudade

Meaning:

Great Gowri, thou lotus eyed Goddess benign, Pour forth on our Raja thy blessings divine. Thou lady celestial, of the loveliest grace, Upholding all being -unbounded as space.

As Indra to the demons - Agasthya to the sea- Thou makest all powers of evil to flee. All good that men seek is by thy hand outpoured, The consort co-equal of Sambhu, thy Lord. O Chamundi, dark visaged lady divine, Watch over Thy namesake of chamendra’s line.

Note: 

1. During the lifetime of Late H.H. Maharaja Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV {1895 (Regency of His mother)-1902-1940}, the third stanza was modified as under:

ಶ್ಯಾಮಾಲಿಕೆ ಚಾಮುಂಡಿಕೆ ಸೊಮಕುಲಜ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ನಾಮಾಂಕಿತ ಭೂಮೀಂದ್ರ ಲಾಮನ ಮುದದೇ

(in English: Shyamalike Chamundike Somakulaja Krishna Namamkita Bhumindra Lalamana Mudade)

2. During the rule of the last King, Late HH, Sri. Jaya Chama Raja Wadiyar (1940-1950), the last charana was further modified and was set to music in Raga: shaMkarAbharaNa in trishrajAti Eka tALa, by the famous maestro Late Vainika Praveena V. Venkatagriyappa

ಶ್ರೀ ಜಯಚಾಮುಂಡಿಕೆ ಶ್ರೀ ಜಯಚಾಮೇಂದ್ರ ನಾಮಾಂಕಿತ ಭುಮೀಂದ್ರ ಲಲಾಮನ ಮುದದೆ |೩|

(in English: Sri jaya jamundike Sri Jayachamendra Namankitha Bhomeendra Lalamana Mudade)

_________________________________________________________________________

Below are the videos of Mysore State Anthem in slow & fast versions: 

(a) Slow version: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ty2ufaRJGU&feature=youtu.be

(b) Fast version: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqpcS-l1M20&feature=youtu.be


Mysore Palace Light & Sound Show: 

If you have visited Mysore & witnessed the awesome Mysore palace light & sound show, you get to hear the first two lines of "Kayou Shri Gowri" at the end of the show.. below I have attached the video of Mysore palace light & sound show (the last few seconds of the show). Enjoy the video & spread the beauty of Mysore /Karnataka..

ಜೈ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿ (Jai Chaamundeshwari) 

ಜೈ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ (Jai Karnataka)