Prabhat Samgiita – Songs 1701-1800: Translations by Abhidevananda Avadhuta: Prabhat Samgiita, #18

By Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar

Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (aka Shrii Shrii Anandamurti) is widely viewed as the preeminent spiritual master of the 20th Century. Among his many and varied achievements, he gave 5018 sublime songs, most of them in Bengali and all of them in the last eight years of his life. That collection of songs is known as Prabhat Samgiita (Songs of Prabhat). This book contains Abhidevananda's English translations of Songs 1701-1800 (second edition).

• Language: English
• Publisher: AmRevolution, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393154877

Book preview

Prabhat Samgiita

Songs 1701-1800

All melodies and original lyrics by Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar

English translations by Ac. Abhidevananda Avadhuta

A wonderful exposition of Baba's voluminous mystical work. With Abhidevananda's impeccable English and attention to both context and detail, these are far and away the best translations of Prabhat Samgiita ever done, bar none.  Ac. Bhaskarananda Avadhuta, author of Glimpses of a Mystery

Very fine translations of Prabhat Samgiita which are both accurate and poetic. Undoubtedly,

the best translations by far to date.  Ac. Gunamuktananda Avadhuta, P.R. Sarkar Institute

© 2020 Limited copyright in respect to translations only: Ac. Abhidevananda Avadhuta

© 1984-2020 Full copyright in respect to original lyrics and melodies: Ananda Marga Pracaraka Samgha on behalf of Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar

Graphic on cover by Tadeusz (Trilokesh) Majewski

Published by AmRevolution, Inc.

First Edition: 2020 September 20

Second Edition: 2020 December 26

Preface

Prabhat Samgiita is the collection of 5,018 songs composed by Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, also known as Shrii Shrii Anandamurti and affectionately addressed as Baba. As the translater of this book's songs feels privileged to have been and to still be a disciple of the songs' composer, all further references to him (other than in formal citations) will be simply as Baba.

The first song of Prabhat Samgiita was given on 1982 September 14. The last song was given on 1990 October 20 (less than 24 hours before Baba's physical departure). All of the 100 songs that appear in this book were given over a period of less than three weeks from 1984 August 18 to September 6. All of the songs in this book were given in Kolkata from Baba's Lake Gardens residence, known as Madhumálaiṋca (sweet flower garden).

Baba's songs cover a multitude of themes and genres. There are devotional songs, mystical songs, and revolutionary songs. There are folk songs, children's songs, women's songs, and ballads. There are wedding songs, birthday songs, and festival songs. Regardless of the theme or the way it is expressed, in every song there is a strong spiritual undercurrent, expressive of Baba's personal philosophy of Neohumanism.

Most of the song lyrics are in Bengali or a Bengali dialect.[n1] Nevertheless, the lyrics of over 40 songs are in other languages (including English, Samskrta, Hindi, Urdu, Magahi, Maithili, and Angika).

The melodies of Prabhat Samgiita represent most, if not all, of the major and even minor classical and folk styles of India. However, these Indian musical styles are often blended, occasionally for the first time, with musical styles from different parts of the world and different historical eras.[1][2] In addition, Prabhat Samgiita introduces many melodies that are original to Baba.

As Baba rarely gave titles to his songs, the songs are generally referenced by their first line. In other words, the first line of each song is usually treated as the song's title. On the rare occasions when the first line of more than one song is the same or similar to the first line of one or more other songs, the songs may be distinguished by the song number or the second line of the song. In this book, wherever identification of a song on the basis of the first line alone might be ambiguous, that song is distinguished by adding the second line of the song, customarily separated from the first line by a comma.

All of the material in this book (and more) will eventually be available free of charge on Sarkarverse. There may even be some corrections and updates there. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to support Sarkarverse and its affiliated projects, primarily PROUT Films.

Notes

Bengali is the sixth most-spoken language in the world. Its script is the sixth most-common script. The Roman script notation for Bengali used in this book was developed by Baba himself. For details on the notation, see Roman Bengali transliteration.

References

Sarkar, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan (1993) Acarya Vijayananda Avadhuta, ed. Prabhat Samgiita Volume 1 Kolkata: Ananda Marga Publications

ISBN81-7252-041-7

Sarkar, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan (1994) Acarya Vijayananda Avadhuta, ed. Prabhat Samgiita Volume 1 (in Bengali) (2nd ed.) Kolkata: Ananda Marga Publications ISBN81-7252-082-4

Introduction

There have been several translations of Prabhat Samgiita over the past 35 years since Baba gave his first composition. None, however, have been as

well-considered or as well-researched as these translations by Ac. Abhidevananda Avadhuta (Dada).

Prabhat Samgiita is a treasure trove of subtle devotional nuances that can only be deeply experienced and absorbed in the listening devotee's heart.

Such profound and intimate spiritual bháva can never be translated into any language as it lies beyond the world of words in an eternal sphere of cosmic inspiration. In Song 1745, Baba beautifully describes this realm.

The songs of Prabhat Samgiita are Baba's gift to humanity. They express all our most noble spiritual feelings as human beings, feelings in relation to our own minds as well as to all the expressed world – plants, animals, humans, human society, and the natural environment. Yet they are coming from one who was ensconsed in the realm of eternal, cosmic bháva. As such, these songs are Baba's multi-faceted expressions from the stance of mohan vijiṋána into the jewels of nandan vijiṋána. They help stir the latent feelings of spiritual ecstasy and spiritual mission in the devotee's heart.

It is no easy task to translate into English these jewels from the original Bengali, Bengali dialect, Urdu, or other language in which Baba chose to compose them. None of the other translations to date have been as painstakingly true to the literal and spiritual meaning as those by Ac. Abhidevananda. And so this book is an incredible labor of love. In it, Dada has achieved a sublime result. For those of us who are not familiar enough with the original language of these Prabhat Samgiita songs, Dada's translations offer an invaluable tool with which we may go deep into our own personal experience of the bháva of Baba's divine compositions.

Avadhutika Ananda Gaorii Acarya

Contents

1701      Andhar sagar pare se eseche

1702      Niilakashe balaka bhase

1703      Tomar katha bheve bheve, din je cale jay

1704      Ei ashoka tarura tale

1705      Tumi esechile rupe ucchale

1706      Sabar apan sabar priya

1707      Jadi tare na bhalo basi

1708      Tomari madhura hasi

1709      Kane kane kaye jao

1710      Tomake bhalobesechi ami

1711      Sei durjog bhara tamasii nishiithe

1712      Kajal kalo ankhir taray

1713      Amanishar tamisra cire

1714      Tomare ceye tomari gan geye

1715      Tomake kache peye

1716      Arjita vidya bhule gechi

1717      Tomar svarup, bujhe otha day

1718      Ganer jagate bhese calecho

1719      Shiuli jhara prate

1720      Tomar katha pare mane

1721      Maner gahane dake ke

1722      Puspita tumi madhuvane

1723      Ghor timire ruddha ghare

1724      Chande chande madhuranande

1725      Tomare shata namaskar

1726      Aj sakale chande tale

1727      Alor sarita beye

1728      Tandra nave ankhite

1729      Phuler saji niye ke

1730      Alo jhara bhore dhara dile more

1731      Oi ucchala priitisagare

1732      Akash aji aloy bhara

1733      Ami tomar tare sab karibo priya

1734      Nayane eso gopane

1735      Tumi sundar varaniiya

1736      Kon prabhate tomar sathe

1737      Tumi nandana amiya makha

1738      Calar pather klanti amar

1739      Tomar tare ashru jhare

1740      Bedaradii tumi jadi

1741      Priyatama anirvacaniiya

1742      Tumi amay bhule theko na

1743      Masiikrsna tamasate

1744      Kuyasha katiye dile

1745      Ganer jagat ashes

1746      Ami tomay bhalabasi

1747      Ei puspita bakula tale

1748      Dur akasher devata tumi

1749      Akash dake megher phanke

1750      Ksanik tomar parash lagi

1751      Mane mane saungopane

1752      Amar maner madhura ksane

1753      Tomar e bhalabasa ashru mesha

1754      Ashar aloke ele bhasar atiit tumi

1755      Aloker utsare aloker utsare

1756      Ami tomar pathei cali go

1757      Sandhyabelay sandhyatara

1758      Eso bhuvane gane gane

1759      Alok esechilo

1760      Palashe agun jvele

1761      Bhalo besechi tare bare bare

1762      Sammukhe chile arale lukole

1763      Malay vatase oi cand bhase

1764      Kalapacur bhrngamukur

1765      Priitir ketane ke go ele mane

1766      Phulavane ami tomay ceyechi

1767      Tumi himagiri tuhine dhaka

1768      Kabe tumi asbe priyatama

1769      Ekii prahelika ekii kuhelika

1770      Kena bhalabaso amare

1771      Sudurer ahvane

1772      Aruner alo dhele diye gelo