Born on 7th April 1920 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India into an orthodox, well-off Brahmin family, Rabindra Shankar Chowdery's father, ShyÆm Shankar, was employed as a diwan (minister) by the Maharajah of Jhalawar. By the age of 13, Ravi Shankar was going along on every tour of his brother Uday Shankar's Compagnie de Danse et Musique Hindoue (Company of Hindu Dance and Music). At the All-Bengali Music Conference in December 1934, he met the multi-instrumentalist Allauddin Khan. Precisely when Allauddin Khan was born is uncertain. People hazard dates in the 1860s around 1862, but in later years he himself gave his age haphazardly. He would transform many musicians' lives, but he had an incalculable effect on Ali Akbar (his son), Annapurna Devi (his daughter), and Shankar himself. Allauddin Khan joined Uday's troupe as its principal soloist around 1935-1936.
In 1938, Shankar gave up a potential career as a dancer and went to study with Allauddin Khan in Maihar. In 1939, he began giving public recitals and came out of training at the end of 1944. Until 1948, he based himself in Bombay and gave programs all over India. He toured and wrote for films and ballet. Around this time he began his recording career with a small session for HMV (India). Work for All India Radio followed; as music director from February 1949 to January 1956 in New Delhi. Concurrently, his international star was on the rise. In 1954, he performed in the Soviet Union. In 1956, he played his debut solo concerts in Western Europe and the U.S. Within a decade he would be the most famous Indian musician on the planet. Within two decades he would become probably the most famous Indian alive. His English-language autobiography, My Music, My Life (1969), is still one of the best general introductions to Hindustani music.
Shankar is not one-dimensional. Apart from pursuing a career as a classical performer, he has also experimented outside this field. For this reason he has attracted criticism from purists. Some of this, especially during the Beatles era, undoubtedly had an element of jealousy to it; some was certainly warranted, because Shankar did take many chances. In fact, that was one of the things that kept his music exciting. To use a cricketing image - baseball would be wholly inappropriate - Shankar's batting average has remained high throughout a long and illustrious career.
He is the father of both Grammy award winning singer Norah Jones, and Anoushka Shankar, also a noted sitarist.
On 6 December 2012, Shankar was admitted to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, San Diego, California after complaining of breathing difficulties. He died on 11 December 2012 at around 16:30 PST, at a hospital near his home in Encinitas, California. The Ravi Shankar Foundation issued a statement that read Shankar had suffered from upper-respiratory and heart issues over the past year and underwent heart-valve replacement surgery on 6 December 2012.
Prabhujee
Ravi Shankar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maname aana baso.
Tuma bina laage soonaa
Khaali ghatame prema bharo.
Tantra mantra poojaa nahi jaanu
Mai to kevala tumako hi maanu.
Sare jaga me dhundaa tumako
Aba to aakara baahan dharo
The lyrics of the song Prabhujee by Ravi Shankar are in Sanskrit and are a plea for mercy and divine guidance. The singer is requesting the divine presence to come and reside within their heart, as they feel empty and lonely without it. The lyrics express the singer's belief in the power and love of the divine and their unwavering faith that only the divine can provide true happiness and fulfillment in life.
The singer admits that they do not know much about the rituals and practices of Tantra and Mantra, but they have complete faith in the divine and consider the divine as the only true power to worship. The lyrics also communicate the singer's intense desire to find the divine, who they have been searching for everywhere in the world. The singer is now praying with open arms to embrace the divine presence and to fill their heart with divine love.
Line by Line Meaning
Prabhujee dayaa karo
Oh Master, have mercy upon me
Maname aana baso.
Reside within my heart
Tuma bina laage soonaa
Without you, everything feels empty
Khaali ghatame prema bharo.
Fill the empty vessel of my heart with your love
Tantra mantra poojaa nahi jaanu
I do not know the rituals and ceremonies
Mai to kevala tumako hi maanu.
I believe only in you
Sare jaga me dhundaa tumako
I have searched for you in all the world
Aba to aakara baahan dharo
Now come and take me in your loving embrace
Writer(s): Ravi Shankar Copyright: Music Sales Corporation, St. Rose Music Publishing Co., Anourag Music Publishing
Contributed by Taylor P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@WharfRat44
Translation
Divine being, have mercy on me.
Come, reside in my heart.
Without you, I feel an emptiness.
Fill up my hollow entity with love.
I don't know the rituals, chants, and prayers.
I just know that I believe in you.
Searched the whole world for you.
Now, please come, take my hand and lead me.
@radharamanadas
PRABHUJEE DAYAA KARO / MANAME ANA BASO
Señor amado, ten compasión. Ven, reside en mi corazón.
TUMA BINA LAAGE SUNA / KHALI GHATAME PREMA BHARO
Sin ti me siento vacío. Llena el hueco de mi ser con amor.
TANTRA MANTRA POOJA NAHI JAANU
No conozco tus rituales, tu mantra o tu adoración,
MAI TO KEVALA TUMAKO HI MAANU
solo sé que creo en ti.
SARE JAGAME DUNDAA TUMAKO
He recorrido el mundo entero en tu búsqueda
ABA TO AAKARA BAADHAN DHARO / PRABHUJEE
ahora por favor, ven, toma mi mano y guíame.
@francishargreaves2475
I was born, and raised ? a ROMAN CATHOLIC ? ..whatever that means,
It means THAT was the start of my life path...I took many a fork in that road..then ? realised THAT was not my chosen road.
I'm from Liverpool. Like George. Im 60 years old now. I was also raised on The Beatles.
Where I am now ?
Travelled the world, done it all, had success, failed....yet never stopped laughing. I still laugh at most things.
George ? was everybody's 'last Beatle you got into'
When I did ? I never looked back.
This album ? saved me ...from being normal. Made me understand the future ? is NOT tomorrow....it is when we depart this material earth.
I have made my peace....with myself.
I hope one day to blow in the same breeze as Ravi and George...knowing.
Hare Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama x
THANK YOU RAVI - THANK YOU GEORGE
blessed x
xx one love xx
@ananthramaswamy522
This song brings tears to your eyes and melts your heart.
@timurthe1523
and not only in India . Perfect religion you have
@johnappleseed8369
One of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, period
@promilasewpaul316
The Mirror 8and0
@LeviKalevi
Bartokk <<3
@haneefs666
true said.
@francishargreaves2475
absolutely 100% correct x Peace and Love x xx one love xx
@lukeolivieri5733
Divine being, have mercy on me. Come, reside in my heart.
Without you, I feel an emptiness. Fill up my hollow entity with love.
I don't know the rituals, chants, and prayers. I just know that I believe in you.
I searched the whole world for you. Now, please come, take my hand and lead me.
@adrianasalazar7156
i can't explain how I feel when I listen to this song. i nearly cry everytime. <3
@rogerbell2
It is very, very moving