Today is the punyatithi of one of the most visionary, brilliant and brave men to have ever been born in Bharat – Swatantraveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Honestly, there is no way that I can put down in words how great Savarkar is – a man decades ahead of his times with vision, genius, strength, fortitude, patriotism, nationalism – all at a superlative level.
So I do no better than to borrow other people’s words. I share with you a few videos of things people have said about him and a couple of poems written by him and, all of which are an absolute must-watch / must-read to realise how great he was!
Now before we get to the videos, here’s two small yet critical anecdotes.
Question: When Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s books were banned by the British, do you know who used to publish and circulate his banned books?
Ans: Bhagat Singh. 👍🏻
One of the reasons we have so many copies of almost all of Savarkar’s books still around in India despite the British trying to find & destroy all of them is because Bhagat Singh, the HRA (later on the HSRA) and his underground movement kept printing and re-printing all of his books to distribute them to people, especially Savarkar’s seminal work on the 1857 uprising, which he called ‘The First War of Indian Independence’.
Question: When Savarkar was in jail and so was his brother, who would help out their families to ensure that they had enough money and resources to live a dignified life?
Ans: Madam Bhikaja Cama.
She was greatly inspired by Savarkar and his vision when they were in London together at the same time in the early 1900s. She was also one of the secret funders of his movement.
Now, let’s get to all the things that many greats & other learned people have spoken about VD Savarkar…
1. Here are 2 of India’s greatest sons talking about him – Pu La Deshpande & Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The second video is from another occasion where Pu La is talking about Veer Savarkar at an event commemorating his punyatithi.
2. Here’s 2 videos of Sharad Ponkshe’s hard-hitting speechs about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar!
3. A couple of videos from the recent past. While Vikram Sampath has written a seminal work of a double volume of Savarkar’s biography and had done tens of interviews & discussions around those, these two videos in particular interested me greatly because in one he breaks down in complete detail Savarkar as one of India’s earliest freedom revolutionaries… And in the other, he does a detailed deep-dive into his social contributions as well…
4. And finally, borrowing Savarkar’s own words to showcase his genius…
Here are a couple of Savarkar’s poems:
सागरा प्राण तळमळला – O Ocean, my hear aches
ने मजसी ने परत मातृभूमीला सागरा प्राण तळमळला
English – dear ocean, please take me back to my motherland, my hear aches
भूमातेच्या चरणतला तुज धूता मी नित्य पाहिला होता
मज वदलासी अन्य देशि चल जाऊ सृष्टिची विविधता पाहू
English – I had always seen you wash the feet of my motherland. You said to me let us go away to foreign lands and experience different worlds.
तैं जननीहृद् विरहशंकितहि झाले परि तुवां वचन तिज दिधले
मार्गज्ञ स्वये मीच पृष्ठि वाहीन त्वरित या परत आणीन
English – my motherland’s heart was full of misgivings then but you gave your assurance. You promised her that you yourself would carry me there and bring me back before long.
विश्वसलो या तव वचनी मी जगद्नुभवयोगे बनुनी मी
तव अधिक शक्ती उद्धरणी मी येईन त्वरे कथुनि सोडिले तिजला ॥
सागरा प्राण तळमळला
English – I relied on your promise, (and said to my mother), I will gain worldly experience and use it to strengthen your cause [I often say this today – Abhijit]. I left my mother, saying I will be back shortly, now my heart aches for her.
शुक पंजरि वा हरिण शिरावा पाशी ही फसगत झाली तैशी
भूविरह कसा सतत साहु या पुढती दशदिशा तमोमय होती
English – Like a parrot caught in a cage or a deer that enters a trap, this is your trickery. How can I endure this separation from motherland any longer, when all ten directions are filled with gloom of darkness.
गुणसुमने मी वेचियली या भावे की तिने सुगंधा घ्यावे
English – I collected these flowers of achievements with the intent that she (motherland) would benefit from their fragrance.
जरि उद्धरणी व्यय न तिच्या हो साचा हा व्यर्थ भार विद्येचा
English -love this line. What good is this futile burden of education, if it is not used for the betterment of my motherland?
ती आम्रवृक्षवत्सलता रे नवकुसुमयुता त्या सुलता रे
तो बाल गुलाबहि आता रे फुलबाग मला हाय पारखा झाला ॥
सागरा प्राण तळमळला
English – That love like shade giving mango tree, the delicate new flower and a young rose in our garden of my motherland have become distant
नभि नक्षत्रे बहुत एक परि प्यारा मज भरतभूमिचा तारा
प्रासाद इथे भव्य परी मज भारी आईची झोपडी प्यारी
English – there are many constellations in the sky, but the star of Bharatbhumi is my favorite.There are spacious palaces in England, but I love my mother’s hut.
तिजवीण नको राज्य मज प्रिया साचा वनवास तिच्या जरि वनिचा
English – Without her, I desire not even a kingdom, prefer exile in motherland
भुलविणे व्यर्थ हे आता रे बहु जिवलग गमते चित्ता रे
तुज सरित्पते जी सरिता रे त्वदविरहाची शपथ घालितो तुजला ॥
सागरा प्राण तळमळला
English – Your deception is futile now, this what my heart feels, otherwise I wish estrangement from the rivers that unite with you.
या फेनमिषें हससि निर्दया कैसा का वचन भंगिसी ऐसा
त्वत्स्वामित्वा सांप्रत जी मिरवीते भिनि का आंग्लभूमीते
English – how merciless is your laughter with this white foam? Why do you break your promise this way? Are you afraid of this land of England that has subdued and mastered you at present?
मन्मातेला अबला म्हणुनि फसवीसी मज विवासनाते देशी
English – Do you deceive my mother giving me false promises? Do you think she is defenceless?
तरि आंग्लभूमी भयभीता रे अबला न माझि ही माता रे
कथिल हे अगस्तिस आता रे जो आचमनी एक क्षणी तुज प्याला ॥
सागरा प्राण तळमळला
English – You, the one who is in awe of England, my mother is not so helpless! Sage “Agasti” will tell you that. Who swallowed you in a moment.
O ocean – my heart aches.
Here you can see the ENTIRE Mangeshkar family performing Saagara Praan Talamalala.
And
जयोस्तुते! Jayostute! – A fantastic poem written by Veer Savarkar, while still in the Cellular Jail in Andaman.
जयोस्तुते जयोस्तुते
श्रीमहन्मंगले शिवास्पदे शुभदे
स्वतंत्रते भगवतिIत्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे II धृII
राष्ट्राचे चैतन्य मूर्त तूं नीतिसंपदांची
स्वतंत्रते भगवति I श्रीमती राज्ञी तू त्यांची
परवशतेच्या नभांत तूंची आकाशी होशी
स्वतंत्रते भगवती I चांदणी चमचम लखलखशी II
गालावरच्या कुसुमी किंवा कुसुमांच्या गाली
स्वतंत्रते भगवती I तूच जी विलसतसे लाली
तूं सूर्याचे तेज उदधिचे गांभीर्यहि तूंची
स्वतंत्रते भगवतीIअन्यथा ग्रहण नष्ट तेंची II
मोक्ष मुक्ति ही तुझीच रूपें तुलाच वेदांती
स्वतंत्रते भगवतीIयोगिजन परब्रह्म वदती
जे जे उत्तम उदात्त उन्नत महन्मधुर तेंतें
स्वतंत्रते भगवतीI सर्व तव सहचारी होते II
हे अधम रक्त रंजिते I सुजन-पुजिते ! श्रीस्वतंत्रते
तुजसाठिं मरण तें जनन
तुजविण जनन ते मरण
तुज सकल चराचर शरण
भरतभूमीला दृढालिंगना कधिं देशिल वरदे
स्वतंत्रते भगवतीIत्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे II
हिमालयाच्या हिमसौधाचा लोभ शंकराला
क्रिडा येथे करण्याचा कां तुला वीट आला?
होय आरसा अप्सरांनासरसे करण्याला
सुधाधवल जान्हवीस्त्रोत तो कां गे त्वां त्यजिला? II
स्वतंत्रतेIह्या सुवर्णभूमीत कमती काय तुला?
कोहिनूरचे पुष्प रोज घे ताजें वेणीला
ही सकल-श्री-संयुता I आमची माताभारती असतां
कां तुवां ढकलुनी दिधली
पूर्वीची ममता सरली
परक्यांची दासी झाली
जीव तळमळे, कांतूं त्यजिले उत्तर ह्याचें दे
स्वतंत्रते भगवती त्वामहं यशोयुतां वंदे IIधृ II
English Translation
Victory to you, O Auspicious One,
O Holy Abode, Eternal Delight!
O Goddess of Freedom, Victorious One, we salute you!
Epitome of our National Soul, Goddess of Freedom O,
Of Virtue and Prosperity supreme Queen you are, lo!
O Goddess of Freedom, you are a star shining
In this darkness of slavery, alone in the sky gleaming!
O Goddess of Freedom, you are the blush that prospers,
On flowers as soft as cheeks, on cheeks as soft as flowers!
You are the depth of the ocean, the radiance of the sun,
O Goddess of Freedom, without you their worth is none!
You are moksh-liberation and by the Yogis esteemed
Hailed you’re, O Goddess, as the Soul Supreme,
O Goddess of Freedom, all your companions are elite
Noble, magnificent, and oh so very sweet!
Soaked in the villain’s blood—you are!
Worshipped by noble men—you are!
Life is to die for You,
Death is to live without You,
All creation surrenders unto you!
O Giver of Boons, clasp our motherland to your bosom, do!
O Goddess of Freedom, Victorious One, we salute you!
E’en Shankar covets our mighty Himalayas of terraced snow,
Oh why does it not please you to sport here anymo’?
Her brilliant waters an Apsara’s mirror verily make
Why oh why, the bountiful Ganges you did forsake?
O Freedom! What did you lack in this GoldenLand?
Each day find a fresh Kohinoor bloom for your strands!
Here she is the Bounteous One, our very own motherland,
So why, oh why did you push her away?
Why did your Motherly love of old wither away?
Over her strangers now hold sway!
Anguished is my soul!
Why, oh why, did you abandon her so, answer me, I pray!
O Goddess of Freedom, O Triumphant One,
We salute you!!!