I have often sung this shabad at weddings. When I do, I tell the couple that Kabir shows us three steps to marriage: first, dress yourself with good deeds; second, make a commitment with your body to remember what is good for the two who have now become one; and third, walk together in love, carried by grace. It is more than ritual — it is the union of body, mind, and soul in remembrance of the Divine.

On one of my business travels, I met a woman in love who was sitting beside me on a plane. She was radiant — joy spilled out of her in every word. She told me about her fiancé, her cheeks turning pink as she spoke. It was as though her entire being was singing. In her presence I understood the joy of this shabad more deeply, how love itself becomes the song of the bride.

In 2025, I sang this as the last shabad to one of my musicians who was nearing death. We spoke about hope, about how this was not an ending but a transition. Our work of oneness would continue beyond his body. In that moment, I felt the ache Guru Nanak must have felt saying goodbye to Mardana — a love that sings even as it lets go. (Updated 2025)

2011 Recording - Raag Asa

Vande Maataram - An ode to the motherland

In 1937, during the pursuit of India's independence from British colonial rule, a committee consisting of prominent figures like Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose, Acharya Deva, and Rabindranath Tagore recommended the adoption of certain portions of "Vande Mataram" as the national song. However, it was a deliberate choice not to select the entire song in order to honor the sentiments of non-Hindus. The gathering unanimously agreed that individuals should have the freedom to sing an alternative "unobjectionable song" during national gatherings if they found "Vande Mataram" objectionable for personal reasons.

The reasoning behind this decision, as expressed by the assembled leaders, including Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, was that while the first two stanzas of the song beautifully evoked the essence of the motherland without any objectionable content, the later stanzas contained references to the Hindu goddess Durga. This consideration aimed to ensure inclusivity and respect for the diverse religious and cultural beliefs of the Indian population.

Opposition to the song also came from the Muslim League and its leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Subsequently, with the backing of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian National Congress made the decision to adopt only the first two stanzas of "Vande Mataram" as the national song for public gatherings. This choice involved the exclusion of verses that contained references to goddesses like Durga and Lakshmi.

Rajendra Prasad, who was presiding the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950, made the following statement which was also adopted as the final decision on the issue:

... The composition consisting of the words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations in the words as the Government may authorise as occasion arises; and the song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it. (Applause). I hope this will satisfy the Members.

—Constituent Assembly of India, Vol. XII, 24-1-1950[47]