Navodayan Prayer: Hum Nav Yug Ki Nayi…

Suddenly all old times are coming to my mind… Do you remember the morning prayer you used to sing during your school days? I still do… Suddenly felt like listening to that song once again…

Our school, Jawahar Navodaya Vidhyalaya is run by Govt of India's HRD Ministry, has nationwide presence, with almost one school per district. Before we proceed, look at the detailed description of the logo of JNV (I was under the impression that the two black heads represented one's father and mother...) More info at Navodaya.net

Below is the lyrics of the song, “Hum Nava Yug Gi…” song we used to sing daily at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. My rough English translation is included between the paragraphs for the benefit of all.

Hum navyug ki nayi bhaarti… nayi aarti
Hum swarajya ki richa naval bharat ki navlaya hon
Nav suryodaya nav chandrodaya, humi navoday hon

(We represent the new India, the new wave of India, We're the brand new lyrics of freedom...new sun rise and new moon rise, we’re the new rise… )

Rang jaati pad bhaid rahit hum sab ka ek bhagwaan ho
Santaan hain dharti maan ki hum dharti pooja sthaan ho
Pooja ke khil rahe kamal dal hum bhav jal mein ho
Sarvoday ke nav basant ke humi navoday ho

(We do not differentiate based on colour,cast, status… We’re all children of Mother earth and earth is a holy place. We’re the petals of lotus that blossomed after prayers… We pray for well being of everyone, we’re Navodayans…)

Maanva hai hum halchal hum, prakriti ke pavan vesh mein
Khilen falen hum mein sanskriti is apne bharat desh ki
Hum himgiri hum nadia hum sagar ki lahre ho
Jeevan ki mangalmati ke hami navoday ho

(We’re alive and kicking as a pure form of nature, let the culture of this country nurture in us, let us be the mountains, rivers and the waves at the sea, let there by well being for all, we’re Navodayans)

Hari duudhiya kranti shanti ke shram ke bandanvaar ho
Bhagirath hum dharti maa ke suuram pehredaar ho
Sat shiv sunder ki pehchan banaye jug mein hum
Antriksh ke yaan gyan ke hami navoday ho

(Let there be more green revolution and white (milk) revolution, we’ll work harder for mother earth and protect her. We’ll spread the message of Satyam Shivam and Sundaram to the world and to the space… We’re Navodayans…)

Hum navyug ki nayi bharti… nayi aarti
Hum swarajya ki richa naval bharat ki navlaya hon
Nav suryodaya nav chandrodaya, humi navoday hon
Hami navoday ho hami navoday ho hami navoday ho !!

Never seriously cared for its meaning or significance of our prayer those days, but now if I look back I have to appreciate the meaning, insight and passion behind this song. The song was written by a Panjabi born educationist Suresh Chandra Vatsyayan. When I was searching for more about him, most of the links referred to the fact that he died in 2008 of cardiac arrest… Sad. R.I.P Suresh Chandra and thanks for the wonderful poem above.

I searched for a proper video or mp3, but there was none. This video has proper instrumental of the same and this video has first few lines with vocals… Some of us should take care to do proper documentation of the same…

Thanks to Deepak Kumar for helping with meaning of Richa Naval...

Watch video below
, thanks http://www.myjnv.com/
Related: Memories of Madhya Pradesh *