Bharat Ek Khoj - Discovery of India

Bharat Ek Khoj Discovery of India - this has become an ongoing passion for me. After watching an interview of Director Shyam Benegal on Doordarshan National TV, I researched and came across the following information. Take a moment to read it, and if you can try to get hold of the DVD of this TV serial. Now I am also motivated to read the original book Discovery of India, one book from my father's library.

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Bharat Ek Khoj (Hindi: भारत एक खोज Urdu: بھارت ایک کھوج English: Discovery of India) is a 53 episode television series based that dramatically unfolds the 5000 year history of India from its beginnings to the coming of independence in 1947. It is a series of explorations into the different periods of Indian history and was made in 1988 by the writer, director and producer Shyam Benegal. The serial is based on a book written by the historian and the first Prime Minister of independent India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, titled The Discovery of India. This was telecast on Doordarshan. The starcast included Om Puri and others. Pandit Nehru was portrayed by Roshan Seth.



The following is the lyrics of the track that is played at the beginning of each episode.

This first stanza is in Sanskrit (Rig Veda, Book 10, Hymn 129)

nāsadāsīn no sadāsīt tadānīṃ nāsīd rajo no vyomāparo yat |
kimāvarīvaḥ kuha kasya śarmannambhaḥ kimāsīd ghahanaṃ ghabhīram ||



Srishti se pehle sat nahin thaa, asat bhi nahin
Antariksh bhi nahin, aakaash bhee nahin thaa.
Chhipaa thaa kyaa, kahaan, kisne dhaka thaa?
Us pal to agam, atal jal bhi kahaan thaa.

Srishti kaa kaun hai kartaa?
Kartaa hai ya vikartaa?
Oonche aakash mein rahtaa.
Sadaaa adhyaksh banaa rahtaa.
Wohee sach much mein jaantaa..Yaa nahin bhi jaanataa
Hain kisi ko nahin pataa,
Nahin pataa,
Nahin hai pataa, nahin hai pataa.


Following is the lyrics of the track that is played at the end of each episode. Again, the first stanza is in sanskrit and it fades as the hindi song begins.


Voh tha hiranya garbh srishti se pehle vidyamaan.
Vohi to saare bhoot jaatee ka swami mahaan.
jo hai astitvamaana dharti aasmaan dhaaran kar.
Aise kis devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar?

Jis ke bal par tejomay hai ambar.
Prithvi hari bhari sthapit sthir.
Swarg aur sooraj bhi sthir.
Aise kis devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar?

Garbh mein apne agni dhaaran kar paida kar,
Vyapa tha jal idhar udhar neeche upar,
Jagaa chuke vo ka ekameva pran bankar,
Aise kis devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar?

Om ! Srishti nirmata swarg rachaiyta purvaj rakhsa kar.
Satya dharma palak atul jal niyamak raksha kar.
Phaili hain dishayen bahu jaisi uski sab mein sab par,
Aise hi devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar,
Aise hi devta ki upasana kare hum havi dekar.



[edit] Lyrics in Hindi
(First stanza is in sanskrit and fades away as the hindi lyrics start)



नासदासीन नो सदासीत तदानीं नासीद रजो नो वयोमापरो यत |
किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद गहनं गभीरम ||

सृष्टि से पहले सत नहीं था
असत भी नहीं
अंतरिक्ष भी नहीं


आकाश भी नहीं था
छिपा था क्या, कहाँ
किसने ढका था
उस पल तो
अगम अतल जल भी कहां था

सृष्टि का कौन है कर्ता?
कर्ता है या है विकर्ता?
ऊँचे आकाश में रहता
सदा अध्यक्ष बना रहता
वही सचमुच में जानता
या नहीं भी जानता
है किसी को नही पता
नही पता
नही है पता
नही है पता

वो था हिरण्य गर्भ सृष्टि से पहले विद्यमान
वही तो सारे भूत जाति का स्वामी महान
जो है अस्तित्वमान धरती आसमान धारण कर
ऐसे किस देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर

जिस के बल पर तेजोमय है अंबर
पृथ्वी हरी भरी स्थापित स्थिर
स्वर्ग और सूरज भी स्थिर
ऐसे किस देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर

गर्भ में अपने अग्नि धारण कर पैदा कर
व्यापा था जल इधर उधर नीचे ऊपर
जगा चुके व एकमेव प्राण बनकर
ऐसे किस देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर

ऊँ! सृष्टि निर्माता, स्वर्ग रचयिता पूर्वज रक्षा कर
सत्य धर्म पालक अतुल जल नियामक रक्षा कर
फैली हैं दिशायें बाहु जैसी उसकी सब में सब पर
ऐसे ही देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर
ऐसे ही देवता की उपासना करें हम हवि देकर



[edit] Translation
The lyrics are only in Hindi because the Sanskrit lyrics are sung again in Hindi


Note: The word Universe is used for hindi word Srishti but that is not an accurate translation because Srishti means everything including the Universe and the heavens and the entireity of existence i.e. all encompassing existence. Note that although it is easy to assume that there is a gender associated with the Entity being referred in the lyrics, actually the lyrics go to great length in keeping the language neutral.Therefore, the entity is referred using That and It throughout.




Truth/Good did not exist before the Universe came to be
Neither did Untruth/Evil
Neither did Space
Neither did the sky
What was hidden? Where?
Who had covered it?
At that moment
Unmoving, strong ocean was not there either



Who created the Universe
Is that a creator or destroyer?
Lives in the high skies
Always plays the part of the leader
That only knows the truth
Or maybe not
No one knows really
No one knows
No one knows really
No one knows really


That(he) was wise before being born to Hiranya
That is the lord of all consciousness
That has the presence bearing the land and the skies We should pray to a God like that with sacrifices


The skies are lit with Its strength
The earty prosperous, established, stationary
Heavens and Sun also stationary
We should pray to a God like that with sacrifices


Born with fire in its womb
There was ocean here and there and up and below
Woken as the first and only life
We should pray to a God like that with sacrifices


Om! (Incantation) Creator of the Universe and heavens, ancestor watch over us
Immense ocean, savior of truth and religion watch over us
The vastness of directions are stretched like Its arms in all and over all
We should keep praying to God like that by offering ghee
We should keep praying to God like that by offering ghee



List of Episodes

1. Bharat Mata Ki Jai
2. The Beginnings
3. The Vedic People and the Rigveda
4. Caste Formation
5. Mahabharatha Part 1
6. Mahabharatha Part 2

1. Republics and Kingdoms
2. Acceptance and Negation of Life
3. Chankya and Chandragupta Part 1
4. Chankya and Chandragupta Part 2
5. Ashoka Part 1
6. Ashoka Part 2
7. Sangam Period and Sillapadirakam Part 1
8. Sangam Period and Sillapadirakam Part 2
9. The Classical Age
10. Kalidasa Part 1
11. Kalidasa Part 2
12. Bhakti
13. Chola Empire Part 1
14. Chola Empire Part 2
15. Delhi Sultanate Part 1 (Arrival of Turk-Afgan)
16. Delhi Sultanate Part 2 (Prithvi Raj Raso)
17. Delhi Sultanate Part 2 (Padmavat)
18. Synthesis
19. Vijaynagar Empire
20. Fall of Vijaynagar
21. Akbar Part 1 (Deem-E-Ilahi)
22. Akbar Part 2
23. Golden India
24. Aurangzeb Part 1
25. Aurangzeb Part 2
26. Shivaji Part 1
27. Shivaji Part 2
28. Company Bahadur
29. Tipu Sultan
30. Bengal Renaissance and Raja Ram Mohan Roy
31. 1857 - Part 1
32. 1857 - Part 2
33. East India Company -Indigo Revolt
34. Mahatma Phule
35. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan