The Global Journal of English Studies I I ISSN : 2395 4795
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The Global Journal of English Studies I September 2016 I Volume II, Issue III ISSN : 2395 4795 The Global Journal of English Studies I September 2016 I Vol. II, Issue III I ISSN : 2395 4795 Gujarati Folk Literature: A Melodious Facet of Philosophy and Spirituality Pooja Prafulbhai Vithani Research Scholar Department of English School of Languages and Literature Gujarat University Ahmedabad, Gujarat, INDIA. Abstract The oldest literature of any civilization is folk literature which is a common emotional and ideological creation of people. Traditions, rituals and customs are found in this structure. It is the truest reflection of the society. The folk literature is mainly created by indigenous people of rural areas and so the folk literature is colloquial. However, the official periods of the emergence of Gujarati language is equally applied to folk literature. It is the fact that folk literature of Kāthiyāwād has been receiving the earnest attention. A part of “common heritages” is found in folk literature of different regions of India as Sanskrit is the parent language of these regional languages (Jhaveri 357-8). Among many subjects, spirituality and philosophy have occupied a vital position in folk literature and it is always knitted with religions in India. These kinds of sensations are mostly found in verses and we find, in Gujarat, such forms as Garbā, Garbi, Chhand, Pad, Bhajan, Duhā, Sākhi, Ākhyān and so on. These verses are not fully philosophical or spiritual but it is woven with moral values, socio-domestic guidelines, and such supernatural elements as Gods and Goddesses like Rādhā, Krishna, Rāma, Sitā, Shiva, Ganesh, Meladimātā (considered as an inauspicious Goddess), Ambā (known and addressed by various names), and so on. These works frequently combine lyrics with music and dance. Rhetoric, music, dance, spirituality and philosophy are not artificially taught or learnt but these are highly natural expressions and it comes out of experience and churning of the soul. Keywords: Gujarati, Folk, Spirituality, Philosophy, Verse The Global Journal of English Studies I September 2016 I Volume II, Issue III ISSN : 2395 4795 Introduction The oldest literature of any civilization is folk literature which is a common emotional and ideological creation of people which is simply defined as “of the people, by the people and for the people” by many folklorists (Jaymall Parmar 87). According to Oxford English Dictionary, “folk is related to or shares some attributes of a group based on kinship, tribe, race, religion, profession, environment, etc.” In English, William John Thoms coined the term “folklore” in 1846 which simply meant “the lore of the people”. This term replaced what was earlier understood as “popular literature” or “popular antiquities” (Lalita Handoo 8). Similarly in Guajarati, Ranjitram Vavabhai Maheta coined the term “lok” (lok) which replaced the term “deshaj” (dexj) in 1905 (Meghani, Loksāhitya ane Chāraṇi Sāhitya 71 ). Here Zaverchand Meghani sees the possibility of the root of the term “lok” in the term “folk”. In this context, Khodidas Parmar rejects the application of the term “folk” by stating that the term “folk” is employed for uncivilized people and the producers of oral literature might be uneducated but not be savage (6). Later, in Maghani’s view, the oral tradition was neglected and taken as kitsch most of the time by the purists. On the other hand, Alan Dundes suggests the folklorists to be far from “the folk in monolithic terms as a relatively homogeneous group of peasants living in a symbiotic relationship with an urban centre” (8). He adds that the term “lok” is used in Saurāshtra or Kāthiyāwād province of Gujarat for the castes of farmers and literature of oral tradition is not of these limited numbers of castes (7). Lalita Handoo also takes the view that “folk” conceived as the unscientific, informal, and rural based and primitive (3). However, she computes that the Indian notion of “lok” (folk) is followed in a broader conception of “universe” or any “division of it”, “the inhabitants of the world”, “mankind”, “worldly affairs”, and “common practices” in context of Sanskrit (10-11). Jawaharlal Handoo supports this notion, “the point is that there is no known human society which does not possess folklore” (8). Alan Dundes opens the criteria of the definition of the term “folklore”: Folklore, as a discipline, will never be adequately defined unless or until all the various genres or forms of folklore are rigorously described. Attempts to define by means of criteria external to the materials of folklore are doomed to failure... Perhaps the most common external criterion used to define folklore is the way in which folklore is transmitted. Folklorists are wont to say that folklore is or is in ‘oral tradition’. Yet many forms of folklore are not transmitted orally at all. (22) According to Ved Prakash Vatuk, at this point Richard M. Dorson indicates, “the term ‘tradition’ is more important than ‘oral’, he essentially defines folklore as oral tradition texts” (22). Moreover, Jhaveri calls it “traditional learning” (355). Jawaharlal Handoo uses William R. Bascom’s term “verbal art” in order to describe oral tradition of folk literature which are “spoken, sung, and voiced forms of traditional utterance” (9). Generally oral tradition and folk literature are treated as one by Jawaharlal Handoo and The Global Journal of English Studies I September 2016 I Volume II, Issue III ISSN : 2395 4795 other folklorists (13). But then in Indian context, whatever, is considered today as Indian literature, was once an oral tradition. It was bought in the written form later and now it is dissimilar from folk literature in India. The folk literature is mainly created by people of rural areas who were away from education and so folk literature is colloquial. It is also argued that all oral traditions are not folk literature and folklore is not totally captured in oral tradition; and this can be also applied to the non-verbal folklore. Alan Dundes takes a prevalent view, “nonverbal folklore such as gestures, games and folkdances cannot be said to be truly in oral tradition” (22). The term “nonverbal folklore” can also include tone, pronunciations, symbolism, and minor dialectal characteristics and differences. In this context, Hasu Yajnik says that folk literature and tribal literature are disparate essentially (Guajarati 90). Not only the creators of folk literature but also the time of creation and changes in the original creations are not known. Even the possibilities of modification in the original creation are high as everyone, who consume, modifies according to his or her own treasure of emotions, culture and tradition. It is also notable that Sanskrit is the mother language of regional languages of India. This is why the factors in folk literatures of regions of India are discovered similar. Moreover, Indian culture and folk literature resemble and share, for example in Indian and Greek mythology (Umeshkumar Yajnik), with many cultures, languages, traditions, and customs of other provinces of the world (Jhaveri 357-8). In respect of this, Lalita Handoo produces her thought: The proponent of the polygenesis theory advocated the multiple origin of folklore, based on the principle of psychic unit of mankind, and the uniform and similar evolutionary process from savagery to civilization stage of mankind. This proposition implies that folklore originated and flourished in the savage, barbaric or less civilized societies and ceases or dies in more advanced societies. (8) For ethnic communities, folk literature is higher in grade than the main stream literature. Folk literature is a tool which was used as an only medium of demonstration of sentiments of indigenous people who were away from education and also used as a medium of amusement while toiling. The main stream literature cannot be a true picture of society by portraying brains and experiences of selected writers only; it can be just a reflection. But folk literature is a mirror of time and place which captured without any bias or prejudice. Hasu Yajnik is of the opinion that creation of folk literature of any nation is linked with cycle of season and life (Guajarati 1: 16). Rajesh Dabhi talks of six Indian seasons as six beauties, i.e. varshā, sharad, hemant, shishir, vasant, and grishma. In India and Gujarat, festivals are not only based on the cycle of seasons and life but also on traditions, customs, supernatural beliefs, the moon, phases of the moon, the incidents of gods’ and goddesses’ life, etc. Jawaharlal Handoo (13) and Hasu Yajnik (Guajarati 1: 16-17) analyze that folk poetry or oral poetry is connected extremely with ritual and rites, i.e. the sixteen saṁskāras, commonly found in almost all parts of India. The Global Journal of English Studies I September 2016 I Volume II, Issue III ISSN : 2395 4795 Jawaharlal Handoo compares, “and in both the cases the West does not offer that variety and richness in the area of performing folk arts as does India or Asia (90-91)”. “The Dravidian cultures of southern India seem very rich in the genres of folk dance and drama,” in his view, “than the Indo-Aryans of northern parts of the country; who seem to have thrived in narrative forms” (8). The geographical position of Gujarat has enriched it with a harmonious compound of all art forms. Diversity of performing arts and literary genres has created a rainbow of vitality in Gujarat. Jawaharlal Handoo also denotes that oral poetry or folk poetry is the predominant sub-division of folk literature. Folk poetry is not only the production of mourning and celebration of festivals but also of day-to-day chores of females, hard works of males and plays (Jhaveri 356). Thus these verses are treated like a beloved child of the family in the society.