Chhanda / छंद Or Configuration of the Letters (Matra / मात्रा) & Jatipata
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PAPER 5 DANCE, POETS AND POETRY, RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY AND INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE MODULE 10 USE OF POETRY IN ODISSI The poems are wonders of literature, when sung tunefully, become appropriate medium to express in dance. The poems are sung tunefully & rhythmically. Incidentally the rhythmic structure of a taal/ताऱ depends on the chhanda / छंद or configuration of the letters (matra / मात्रा) & Jatipata. The meaning of the words (Sabdartha / श녍दाथथ), total connotation of the poem (Bhabartha / भावाथथ), rhythmic configuration of words (Jatipata / जाततऩात) & the matching of dhwani / ध्वतन (sound) with words which produce same type of sound (Anuprasa / अनुप्रास or alliteration) and the modulation of the voice (gamaka / गमक) make the poems – Song (Sangeet). Oriya poetry is a treasure of lyrical beauty, loaded with musical extravaganza, noteworthy imagination best suited to choreograph in Odissi dance. Odissi Dance owes to the poems for its expressional Dance-- Abhinaya. (Odissi) dance repertoire is segmented in to five items--- 1. Mangalacharan / मंगऱाचरण, 2. Bottu / बाट्टू or Sthayee Nritya / स्थायी ति配य, 3. Pallavi / ऩ쥍ऱवी, 4. Abhinaya / अभभनय & 5. Mokshya / मोक्ष्य). In the abhinaya one finds the use of songs. In 1 Mangalacharana & last item Mokshya Vandanas in praise of Gods / Godesses are only used. Odiya songs are the lyrical expression of rhythm – or CHHANDA / छंद. Without chhanda poems cannot be composed. This peculiar quality differentiates prose from poetry. Biswanath Kaviraj in his treatise Sahitya Darpana wrote – “Chhandobandhangpadangpadyam / छंदⴂबन्धान््ऩदं्ऩ饍यम”. Rhythm is the natural swing or alternation of some quantitative difference (stress, duration, Pitch, silence) that accompany all flow of meaningful sound. – Dictionary of world literary terms. – Ed-J .T. Shipley P.278 We see mention of word Chhand in Rig Veda. According to etymology the word Chhand is derived from – Chhand Dhatu which means to cover, to be delighted in, to please etc. Chhand is accepted as Vedanga - one of the six angas of Veda, also considered as the pada (feet) of Veda. (“Chhandah Padautu Vedasya”.) There are many treatises which elaborately dealt with the science of Chhand. (Chhand Sutra / छंद सूत्र – by Pingala / पऩंगऱ, Chhand Sastra / छंद शास्त्र —by Halayudh / हऱायुध, Chhand Manjari / छंद मंजरी- by Khemendra / कामᴂद्र, etc.) Oriya Bruta has been written by Narayan Purohit as evident from the gazette of Hunter as follows- Bruta Ratnakar, a treatise on versification written in a kind of verse called Chhanda, Orissa- William Hunter (1872). The commonly used Chhanda are divided in to two categories--- Matrika & Barnika / मात्रत्रक- वर्णथक. Again these are subdivided. 2 Matrika / मात्रत्रक - each letter of the vernacular alphabet is distinguished with certain number of matra. Accordingly all the vowels & consonants are measured with one matra. If the consonants are with Akarekar Chandra Binduanusar / आकरेकर चन्द्र त्रबदं अु नुसार, etc. then their valued are two matra. Again the letter before the Juktakhyara / जुक्ताख्यार will also be valued as two matra. During the composition of the poems care is taken to match the total matras of each line. Barnika Chhand is also known as Akshyara Bruta / अक्ष्यार ब्रुता-वतृ ा. Here the numbers of the letters the alphabets are taken in to consideration to match the lines. Chhanda can be Sama, Asama & Bisama / सम, असम, पवषम. If the motion of the song is in two letters then it is Sama, If three letters / matra then it is Asama and if it is combination of two & three letters then it is considered Bisama. Jati is another factor which accounts for the composition of poems. It is important that the sounds of the last word of the line match with the last word of the other line. It is called Pranta Milana / प्रान्त भमऱना. When the tongue takes voluntarily rest, then it is called Jati. “Jati Jrinhestha Bishram Sthanang Kavibhiruchyate Sa Bichhed Biramadeih Padarbachya Nichechhaya” - Chhandomanjari – Ganga Das 1- 18 “जाती ज्रिन्हेस्था पवश्राम स्थानांग कपवभभ셁楍यते सा पवछेद त्रबरमदेइह ऩदाबथ楍या तनचेछया” 3 According to the Jatipata The chhanda are named as – Yuktaakhyarika Chhanda / युक्ताख्याररका छंद , Chalana Pradhan Chhanda / चऱन प्रधान, Mukta Chhanda / मुक्त छंद, Amitrakhyara Chhanda / अभमत्रख्यारा छंद, Upadha Milana / उऩधा भमऱन, Ekantara Mitrakhyara / एकान्तर भमत्रख्यारा, etc. In Odisha the Chhanda / Chhaanda word has many connotations : As it was described it is the structure of the poem constructed with letters & words giving due privilege to the numbers of the letters & its matras also where to rest etc. It also refers to the whole composition of songs. Odiya poets have named their poems as Chhaandas. Example – JagamohanaChhaanda – Dinakrushna, Chhaanda Bhushana- Upendra Bhanja, Chhaanda Bharat- Keshab Pattanayak, etc. Chhaanda is also considered a typical style of Odissi Music. The taal pattern of the song is directly dependent on the Jatipata & configuration of words and letters. As a result there evolved many Chhanda Vrutas. In Odissi Music we find the use of Dhruba Padanga / ध्रुव ऩदांग, Raganga / रागांग, Bhavanga / भावांग & Natyanga / ना絍यन्ग. Dhruba Padanga / ध्रुबा ऩदान्ग songs restrict itself to the use of one raag & one taal. Elaborate description with devotional spirit Dhruba Padanga songs give due importance to Veera Rasa. The thematic aspect of these Prabandha is only in the praise of Gods & Godesses. It starts with Aalap / आऱाऩ in different laya. But Nibaddha Aalap & taan do not feature in 4 this type of Prabandha Geeta. It uses Nam Toma like auspicious words known as Tenaka / तेनक. Taals like Sariman, Kuduka, Matha, etc. are used. They are named as Malashree Geeta, Matha Geeta, Kuduka Geeta, etc. Raganga/रागांग: This is the most important item of Odissi Music. It is performed with one particular Raag and taal maintaining all the discipline this is sung in the order of Annibaddha Aalap / अज्रन्नबद्धा आऱाऩ , Prabandha / प्रबंध आऱाऩ, Nibadhha Aalap / तनबंध आऱाऩ , Pada Vinyas / ऩद पवन्यास, Swara Vinyas / स्वर पवन्यास, Taan / तान. Pallavi / ऩ쥍ऱवी also features in this items. It is two types Badya Pallavi & Swara Pallavi. When bols or Ukutas are sung rhythmically with various laya is called Badya Pallavi / ऩ饍य ऩ쥍ऱवी. When in the place of Bols or Ukutas Saptaswara are used it is called Swara Pallavi. Bhabanga / भाबंगा: In this kind of songs due importance is given to the Bhava & Rasa than raag & taal. It is performed in the traditional way & some times more than one raga is used according to the theme of the song. Natyanga / ना絍यान्ग: These kinds of songs are performed keeping the drama element in it. This is used in the gotipua dances. Taal’s variation are prominent feature as well it is always based on Shringar Rasa. Pada Vinyasa, Swara Vinyasa & Tana are also feature in this type of songs. 5 Taking in to account songs used for dances in Orissa are Geeta Govinda, Chhanda, Chautisha / चौततश, Champu / चंऩू, Janana / जनना, Sloka / श्ऱोक, Bhajan / भजन & Sabda / श녍द. Jayadeva’s Geeta Govinda written in Sanskrit is most favorite among dancers. It is considered as a Prabandha. Jayadev has himself written “Etangkaroti Jayadeva Kabih Prabandham / एतान्गकरोती जयदेव कपव: प्रबन्धं”. The Raga & taal are mentioned by the poet himself which helped greatly to maintain the purity of the style & tradition. These songs are sung by Devadasis (Mahari) of Jagannath Temple during Bada Singhara / बड़ा भसंघार (Bed time of Deities). There are Twelve (Sarga) divisions and twenty four songs. Some of them are in the praise of Lord Vishnu – “Pralaya Payodhi Jale / प्रऱय ऩयोधध जऱे” & “Srita Kamala Kucha Mandala / धश्रत कमऱ कू च मंडऱ” both repeats “Jaya Jagadisha Hare / जय जगदीश हरे” & “Jaya Jaya Deva Hare / जय जय देव हरे”. Some of the songs describe nature in Spring time Like Basantebasanti Kusuma Samahara / वसन्तेवसंती कु सुम समहार …. Lalita Labanga Lata / ऱभऱत ऱवंग ऱता (song -3). The story revolves around the divine love of Radha & Krishna. This is again blossomed with a sakhi as messenger. It seems Jayadeva was well versed in Dermatology as he has mentioned the Nayikas example: Bipralabdha th Barnana / पवप्रऱ녍ध व णथन sixteen song of 7 Chapter. Khandita Barnana Seventeen song, 8th Chapter, Kalahntarita Eighteen song 9th Chapter. The twenty fourth song, 12th chapter is known to be Swadhina Bhartika Nayika. These songs are dancers delight & used 6 for solo to portray Nayikas. The songs 1st& 2nd songs are performed as invocatory items, or as Vandana in Mangalacharana. As a whole the Geeta Govinda text is very popular as Dance Dramas- Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Composed it with dancers from Mumbai in 1975, subsequently at Kolkata in eighties and at Mukteswar festival- 1985 & latter at Festival of India at Russia. After the popularity of Jayadev next comes Kavi Samrat Upendra Bhanja / कपव सम्राट उऩेन्द्र भांजा, a popular mediaeval poets who was adept in Music, Drama also Alankara of Literature like Kaviraj Jayadev. Jayadeva’s popular lyrical drama – Geeta Govinda firmly established two facts that it could be sung and human sexual behaviour during youth – the ecstasy of union , the agony of separation is the most luxuriant topic for poetry. CHAMPU / चंऩू: Champu is a popular style of poetry writing in Sanskrit. It belongs to the Khanda Kavya / खंड काव्य Category of th poems. Biswanath Kaviraj has written in the 6 Chapter – “Khanda Kavyang Bhabet Kavya Saikdeshanusari Cha /खंड काव्यांग भवे त काव्य सैक्देश्नुसरी च” ( Sastha Parichhad / सस्था ऩररछंद). Which means the poem is written on a specific incident or work. In this the nature poems are partly exhibited. ‘Meghaduta’ of Kalidasa is a bright example of Khanda Kavya / खंड काव्य.