Dear Mrs Jayshree Saranathan,
Good expanation. Such basic lessons, I hope, will
make people understand more and make them evince more interest and eagenress in
learning aruLich cheyal.
Thanks a lot
dAsan
vanammalai padmanabhan
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 8:42
AM
Subject: [ramanuja] The poetry forms of
AruLi-ch-cheyal
SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.
--- In ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Sreekanth
<sreekanth_a@y...>
wrote: > > Dear bhagavathas
> > i also have some
specific doubts > 1. What is a "maDal" means > 2. what is
"Thandakam" in thirukkurunthANDakam and > thirunEdumthANDakam > 3.
similarly the meanings of the titles > "thiruvirutham"
"thiruvAsiriyam" > 4. What is "anthAthi" type prabandham means >
5. some prabandhams are named after the begining word, > like
"amalanAdipirAn", kaNNInuNchirutthAmpU etc, but > then what is the
speicality of "thiruvEzhukUTTirukkai" > 6. what are the specialities of
meters like > kalivirutham, venpa etc... > >
Sreekanth > > >
---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------
Respected
Swamin,
Though I don't hold any degree in Tamil literature and grammar,
due my interest in Tamil works, particularly poetry, I think I can to
some extent help you in getting some replies to your query.
First of all, lets look at the name, Divya Prabandam.
Prabandam
is a form of poetry which is of 96 different types.
Majority of
the verses in Aruli-ch-cheyal are some or other type of prabandham only.
Prabandam came to be used later than the earlier forms of poetry of
the sangam period, such as VeNbaa, Aasiriappa, Kali-p-paa and
Vanji- p-paa. The aim and message to be conveyed usually decide the kind of
poetry form that the poet chooses.
The earlier four forms of poetry
underwent modifications taking up other forms also, as per the requirement
and intuition of the poet. That is how we get to see kali-veNbaa,
Kochchga-k-kali-p-paa, Vanji viruttham, Aasiriya viruttham etc. But
all these are within established norms of grammar.
In course of
time the 96 prabandhams came to be handled by many poets of post-sangam
period, as they were able to convey specific ideas through them with a
greater reach. While the former forms were difficult to understand by
commoners, the prabandams are easy to understand.
Now about the
word `divya'. `Div' in Sanskrit means `to shine'. It is the root word for
deva and divya. The prabhandam is divyam, since it shines, glows, shows
the way by glowing and has Bhagavan in Divya desas as the Hero
(karu-p-poruL) of all the verses.
The divya desa derives its name from
`div'. This is understood by the way temples are established. There are 3
ways by which temples are established. (1) Bhagavan being present in a
place as swayambhu, (2) Bhagavan appearing in a place as prathyaksha to
bless some devotee and (3) Bhagavan coming to reside through consecration
by mantra, tantra or yantra.
One special feature of the divya desam
is that bhagavan has at some time in the past appeared as prathyaksha to
some devotee in all these kshetras. The bhagavan's glow has been enshrined
in those places as temples. Every divya desam has a history of Bhagavan's
leela shown to some devotee. Therefore they are divya kshetras.
The
entire body of verses dedicated to bahgavan in divya kshetras is Divya
prabhandam. These kshetrams are known as `aazhwargaL ugandu aLLittha
nilangaL.'
One can see a divine design in the way aazhwars'
avataras had been effected and the way they have sung the prabandhams.
The songs of the first 3 Mudal aazhwars are all in traditional forms
of poetry namely in VeNbaa. The aazhwars have started their verses in
the traditional way of lighting Thiru villakku as is done before starting
any worship or action. Vilakku means `edu vilanga-ch-chaigiradO adu
vilakku'. By lighting the lamp, the aazhwars have removed the darkness or
tamas.
The first verse of the Mudal Thiruvandaadhi, " vaiyam
thagaliya..' is about lighting the vilakku at the physical level with the
world as the lamp, the oceans as the ghee and the Sun as the light.
Modern science considers the entire world as a single cell, in that
whatever happens in one part of the land affects the other parts
too. The wind movements, monsoons, hurricanes are all only but a few
examples of global phenomenon. Poigaiyaar had considered the earth as one
unit even in those times itself and lit the lamp for the entire
human race.
The second Thiruvandhaadhi begins with lighting the
ViLakku at the mental level. (anbE thagaLiyaa).
With this,
the entire body of Bhagavan comes to be seen in the Third Thiruvandhaadhi
in Thiru-k-kandEn, pon mEni kanden..
Thereafter the other aazhwars
have taken up the task of revealing Bhagavan in various ways for the
benefit of mankind. And the poetry forms they have employed also shows how
wonderfully they have been able to convey their message in ways that can
not be easily ignored or forgotten. Almost all of them are in Prabhandam
form with suitable types of sound enjoyment (rhythm) that can be easily
memorized and remembered. Not to miss is the bhava and the emotion
conveyed by them by their choice of specific poetry forms.
Before
proceeding, lets us know some basic grammar to understand the
verses.
Each letter is known as `yezhutthu' in tamil. 2 letters
together are known as `asai'. The asai, coming singly or in two or in three
together is known as `sIr'. It is nothing but the `word'. It is this
term sIr that one often finds in the poetry type of the verses.
In
Prabandham we find iru sIr (2 words), aru-sIr (6 words), ezhu-sIr (7
words) or eN sIr (8 words) in each line.
Now about the poetry type. The
poetry type is mostly a blend of `Viruttham' and `kali'.
Viruttha-p-paa is known for its vOsai nayam (rhythm). So also kali
and aasiriya-p-paa. We often find the blend of Viruttham with kali
and aasiriyam in AruLi-ch-cheyal giving different sound effects.
The basis of this is in placing `mellina mei' suitably in between
2 vallinam (ka, cha, ta, tha, pa, ra). This combination can be made
in countless ways and a beautiful stress can be attained on the
otherwise soft mellinam. The Viruttha-p-paa gives plenty of these
combinations. Kali viruttham is even more effective in bringing out
the sound variation effectively.
To understand this, let us take
up 2 verses from SenniyOngu pasurams. (Periaazhwar Thirumozhi). This is
kali viruttham. The 3rd verse `emmanaa en kula deivamE' is full of such
placing of mellina mei in between 2 vallinams or others. The bhava effect
and sound effect in this is different from the very next verse "kadal
kadaindu amudam kondu" which is dominated by vallinams with much less of
mellina mei. While the former exudes pathos, the latter excels in
`seppudal' (utterance).
Now lets see the poetry types of starting from
Thiruppallaandu ( in the order as found in Mayilai Madahava dasan
edition).
(1) Thiruppallaandu. ? aru sIr
aasiriya viruttham.
You will find 6 words (sIr) of 4 lines (may be
split up in different publications) The aasiriyam ensures the
`agavalOsai' which is like calling someone or in the note of a
peacock.
(2) Periaazhwar Thirumozhi. A
variety of forms have been employed. The popular one being
Pillai-th-thamizh, about different stages in the life of a child (pillai).
>In kali viruttham, one can find 4 words of 4
lines
Ø In kali-th-thaazhisai
(seeda-k-kadal), there is addition of extra lines due to use of
thaazhisai. The effect is that of a `neer- ch-chuzhi' (swirl) in
thaazhisai as per grammar sutras
Ø
Likewise in other forms of kali viruttham, you can find differences
in the number of words per line.
Ø In aru
sIr aasiriya viruttham, 6 words per lines are used and in eN sIr aasiriya
viryttham, 8 words per line are used. The grammar type such as aasiriyam
depends on the other angas of Yaappu as per
grammar.
(3) Thiruppavai ? iyal
tharavu iNai kochchaga-k-kali-p-paa.
Tharavu is the first part of
kali-p-paa. There are many varieties by which the taravu is applied in a
poem. By the name of it, I guess that it is about the first two taravu
(taravu iNAi) blending naturally (iyal ? iyalbaaga). We find that the
first 2 taravus (words) of each line go together. Like
Maagazhi-thingaL Neeraada-p-pOduvIr Vongi-ulagu That is, the
words are blended in such a way that one of them conveys something
of the other, either as adjective or adverb. They are best interpreted as
one. This is understood from the way that the verses are paused at
the next or previous line while reciting. Such as, In the 3rd
verse, Vongi ulagu, we make a pause at seertha mulai pattri vaanga and not
at the end of 4th sIr, seertha mulai pattri. Because only then the next
verse `kudam ?niraikkum' completes the grammar `iyal taravu iNai.' It
should not be vaanga ?k-kudam which is not a double taravu as per the
grammar of Thituppavai. It should be `kudam-niraikkum'.
Some other
places where we recite the taravu (from previous line) together are
`nammaal pOttra' (not narayanan nammaal and then pOttra-p-parai
tharum) `pandoru naaL koottram' (not puniyanaal
pandorunaaL) `vulaginil thOttramaai' `matthinaal vOsai-p-paduttha' (we
should not stop at matthinaal along with the previous
line) `maadhavi-p-pandal mEl' `abhimaana
bhangamaai'
(4) Naachchiyaar
Thirumozhi ?
The now familiar types of poetry forms are found in
this composition. The basic form is kali viruttham with beautiful rhythmic
effect. The kOchchgam is also a kind of kali-p-paa which has some
blends in sIr. There is another prabhandam type blended here, which I
will quote while taking up Madal. The Thoodu vidudal (sending clouds
as messenger) is also a famous type of
prabandham
(5) Thiru-ch-chanda viruttham
?
There are not just 2 but 3 types of sound- based poetry forms blended
into one, the chandam, kali and viruttham. There is a beautiful blend
of all the three as per meanings of the verses. The chandam is based
on yedugai, the 2nd letter in the first word of every line. The
language itself is rhythmic in this combination. My favourites, `voonin
mEya' and `atthannagi' which I consider as the essence of all Vedanta are
more chandam based than the other two types. There is that forceful
declaration by using more of vallinam in the former and a `kuzhaivu' by
using more of mellina mei in the latter one (above
quoted) (6) Thirumaalai ? aru sIr aasiruya
viruttham. 6 words in each line with aasiriya?p-paa grammar and viruttham.
(7) Thiru-p-paLLiyezhuchchi ? eN sIr
aasiriya viruttham. 8 words in each line with aasiriyam and
viruttham.
(8) Amalanadhi piraan ?
Aasiriya-th-thurai. Usually thurai is the sub-set of the main one (like the
banks of the river forming the subset of the river. Thurai means bank
?like in aattru-th-thurai).
Here the main poetry form is
aasiriya-p-paa. The traditional form of it will have 4 words in all lines
except the penultimate line which will have one less. (that is, 3 words).
The minimum number of lines will be 5. Maximum any number.
In this
prabandham, the grammar is that of aasiriya-p-paa. All lines have 5 words
(since it is thurai) The penultimate line has lesser words than the other
lines. The last one `kondal vannan' is kali viruttham having 4 words in 4
lines.
(9) KaNNi nuN sirutthaambu ?
kali viruttham
(10)Peria Thirumozhi ? Various types of kali,
aasiriyam, viruttham with 6 or 7 or 8 words are
used.
One can
understand the types by the sIr used and its number.
>In `vaanavar thangaL'
, thurai of aasiriyam is used which can be determined by the
number of words in each line and the way they are
repeated. Ø In `VaNduNu naru malar' vanji
vbiruttham is used. As per Yaaparumkalam sutram, there are 4 lines of
sindhu-p-paa (another variety of prabandham) joined with viruttham of 4
words each line.
( 11) Thiru-k-kurum
thaandagam. Thaandagam is a type of prabandham and this one is a shorter
version (kurugiya) of it having 6 words of 4 lines. The speciality of this
type is that the lines look similar. The rhyme is distinct which can
be experienced while reciting. The paadu-pOruL (the Hero, in other
words) is always some God. In contrast the other prabandhams may have
any valiant person, a king or God as the theme of the
composition.
(12) Thiru nedum thaandagam.
Same as Thiru-k-kurum
thaandagam. Only that the words are more per line. It is 8. Usually
Thaadagam comes only in 6 or 8 sIr per line.
(13) Mudal Thiru
andhaadi.
Nerisai Venbaa with andhaadi adi.
This veNbaa type has
4 lines of 4 words in the first 3 lines and 3 lines in the last line. The
first words of the first two lines have similarity in rhyme (yedugai)
followed by the 4th sIr of the 2 nd line having the same yedugai which
blends with the 3rd line. There will be a ? in the 2 nd line showing the
split. The last 2 lines go together in yedugai. There are grammar rules to
determine how the last sIr of the poem must end.
This type is also
an andhaadhi, a prabandham type. The first 3 Thiruvandhaadis are a blend
of traditional veNbaa and prabandham (andaadhi)
Andaadhi is
that in which the andam of the previous verse, becomes the aadhi of the
next verse. That is, the last word of the previous verse becomes the first
word of the next verse.
(14) Irandaam Thiruvandaadhi
Same as
the previous one.
(15) Moondraam Thiruvandaadhi Same as previous
one.
(16) Naan mugan Thiruvandaadhi Same as previous
one.
(17) Thiru viruttham The type is kattalai kali-th-thurai The
viruttham ensures rhyme. But this is one of the difficult ones to compose
going by the grammar used. There are rules in using the other angas of
poetry such as thaLai and the kind of sIr (nEr 16 and nirai 17 ).The last
word also must be of specific sIr type. This comes under a category, Iyal
paa, meaning strictly adhering to traditional grammar form.
(18)
Thiru aasiriyam This is also an iyal paa, composed in a traditional type,
aasiriyappa with 4 words in all lines except the penultimate line where it
will be 3
(19) Peria Thiruvandaadhi. VeNbaa and andaadhi
together. Same as Mudalaazhwars' pasurams.
(20) Thiruvezhu
koottrirukkai.(Thiru yezhu koottru irukkai)
This is in aasiriyappa form
with a beautiful build ?up of verses. The words indicate a ThEr thattu
(temple car) in successive layers.
That is, it begins with words
meaning 1,2,1 1,2,3,2,1 1,2,3,4,3,2,1?? upto 7 (yezhu koottru
) The last layer will be 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. If my memory is
right, this pasuram has been depicted in Thirukkudandai Koil in the form
of a temple car.
(21) Siriya Thiru madal. I am too excited to write
about madal. I think Bhagavan too would have been excited to
listen to Thirumangai aazhwar sing this. A daring poetry
fittingly given by a daring person with whom bhagavan too enjoyed His
leela. It is perhaps to enjoy the madal that bhagavan chose none other
than our Kaliyan who was so vociferous in expressing his feelings and
emotions.
Madal is originally known as MadalEral or Madaloordal in
Tamil. Madal is the palm leaf and the dried twigs of the palm leaf (panai
maram). The scenario always involves a nayaka and a nayaki (thalaivan
and thalaivi). The two are in love and there are obstructions to
consummate their love into marriage. In another scenario, the nayaka
is in love, but the nayaki is not serious about his love. In any of
these circumstances, the nayaka takes the extreme step of
madaloordal.
In this, he paints the picture of his lady-love on a palm
leaf, makes a horse out of the dried palm leaves, takes the picture and
looks at it as though nothing else matters and sits on this madal
horse and moves around in that (oordal) like a mad person. He would not
care what people think about him, nor would he bother about the shabby
looks he has developed due to lack of care of his body. Such a person
would even roam like this with no clothes on. The sharp edges of the
palm leaf would hurt him. If by such hurt, his vital fluid is
released, people would think that his love is indeed supreme and see
to it that he marries his lady-love. If the obstacle to his love is
from the nayaki herself, she would relent. But instead, if blood seeps
out due to the scratches by palm leaf, people would not consider his as
true love.
There are instances when the nayaka would blackmail
the nayaki that he would mount the madal if she refuses him. If he mounts
the madal, every one in the town would come to know of the affair and the
tiff between them and it wont be a pleasant one for the nayaki. So she
would oblige.
A similar threat is sounded by Andal in the first
pasuram of Naachchyaar Thirumozhi when she takes refuge in Ananga devan.
This is an indirect warning to perumaaL that he must come
immediately to accept her.
Thirumangai aazhwar excels in flinging
such `ultimatums' to perumaL in his two madals. The entire composition is
fast-paced showing his aattraamai and anger that bhagavan has not
yet taken him with Him. If recited with bhava after knowing the meaning, I
am sure the madals are a great experience.
This is termed as siriya
Thirumadal going by its size. The entire composition is in single kali
veNbaa with no full stop in between!.
(22) Peria Thirumadal. This is
same as the previous one, only that it is lengthier than it. Usually
madals is mounted by the man. Women don't mount it. But aazhwar makes a
deviation from the established norms and takes up nayaki bhava in
madaloordal. "mannum vada neriyE vEndinOm" meaning that though this is not
in vogue in tamil culture, he has taken up the way of Northies.
(23)Thiruvaimozhi. All types discussed above have been handled by
aazhwar with most of them also of andaadhi type.
Even
madaloordal has been done by Nammaazhwar. In 2-1-4, (kadalum, malaiyum,
visumbum..) he expresses the nature of the one mounting the madal in
always moving around without sleep catching the `vudalam nOi'
The
vanji-th-thurai of `veedumin' (1-2) and `vodum puLLEri' (1-8) are another
special form of poem. In this there are 2 words of 4 lines which speak
about a specific notion. They are usually written in kuraLAdi, two lines
like kuraL.
Ramanuja Noottrandaadhi is in the difficult
kattaLai kali-th-thurai, like Thiru viruttham.
I think I have
covered all the prabandhams. The mistakes in this are entirely mine and I
may be pardoned and corrected for the same.
Regards, Jayasree
saranathan.
azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam
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