4,000th Bengali Song
Karo Alokito Karo Chira
by Sri Chinmoy
Lyrics:
Karo alokito karo chira
Alokito antar
Tomar sebai tanmoy
karo Amai nirantar
Published in Alo Divine Mother
Sri Chinmoy plays the harmonium and sings during his Peace Concert at the University of Toronto in Canada.
13,000th Bengali Song
Shakpura Shakpura Purba Shakpura Gram
Lyrics:
Shakpura Shakpura purba Shakpura gram
Amar janma dham dham dham
Chatrala Chatrala Chatrala Chatragram
Preranar eshanar nayana abhiram
Amar mata Bangadesh Bangadesh Bangadesh
Sneher banyar nai je shesh nai je shesh shesh
Bharat matar paye thami thami thami
Sethai mama antarajyami
Published in Jatra Amar Shesh Habe Aj
Commenting on his achievement, Sri Chinmoy says:
“My 13,000 heart-flower-songs in Bengali, my Mother tongue, I am offering to all the soulful singers of the world, born and yet unborn.”
“My gratitude-heart I am prayerfully offering to the Vision-Eye, Compassion-Heart and Protection-Feet of my Absolute Lord Beloved Supreme.”
Published in Anahata Nada, Volune 41, Mid-April–Mid-August 2006
When I Completed My 13,000th Bengali Song
by Sri Chinmoy
on 16 July 2006, at Aspiration-Ground in Jamaica, New York
I am ending with a last “cock-and-bull” story. If you do not believe that I am telling the truth, I do not lose anything.
My father comes to see me once in a blue moon. My father comes only if there is something very serious and very important to deal with. For my mother to visit is everyday business — sometimes she comes more than once in a day.
On this occasion, when I completed my 13,000th Bengali song, my father came first from our family. My father blessed me with his palm. Then he said to me in Bengali, “They say that history repeats itself, Madal. But your 13,000 Bengali songs will not be repeated by anybody.” That was my father’s affectionate comment, that nobody else would write 13,000 songs.
Then my mother blessed me. So many souls came, with flowers, heavenly flowers, to bless me and to congratulate me! They all came one by one. Among my sisters, Ahana was first. The second was Lily. Then came Arpita, third. How happy and how proud she was at my achievement! All of them were extremely happy and proud.
My mentor, Bhumananda, and others are so happy in Heaven! They say that this achievement is something that is going to last, not only in earth-history, but also in Heaven-history. They were all extolling me to the skies.
My brother Mantu also came, then Chitta and Hriday came. With such joy Hriday came, absolutely full of affection, appreciating my achievement. Chitta said to me, “Today you are the happiest, and I am the proudest! I taught you how to write poems. Today I am the proudest person and you are the happiest person.”
My observation is that undoubtedly I have achieved quite a few striking things in different fields, but I became the happiest person when I completed 13,000 Bengali songs on the Japanese train. And my mind became lighter than the lightest! What a heavy burden was gone from my mind when I reached my goal! My mind became the lightest and my heart became the happiest. Again, my brother Chitta became the proudest.
Published in The Path of My Inner Pilot
Notes:
1. On 12 July 2006, Sri Chinmoy composes his Shakpura song during an evening function with his students at the Kamakura Park Hotel in Kamakura, Japan. Though he had not yet completed 13,000 Bengali songs, he reserved the 13,000th spot for this song because of the special significance of ‘Shakpura’ — the small, East Bengal village in which he was born.
On 13 July 2006, Sri Chinmoy travelled to Hiroshima to give a Peace Concert and returned to Kamakura on the Shinkansen bullet train the same day. Between Kyoto and Kamakura, at 8:32 p.m., he declared he had reached the goal of 13,000.
2. On 1 September 2007, Sri Chinmoy dedicated his 13,000th Bengali song to the legendary Rusian singer and composer Purushottama Boris Grebenshikov and his wife Bhuvaneshwari.