chandassu-samgeetamu
The basic fundamental for any language is the set of letters, which by
themselvels don't have any meaning. ('A' and 'I' in English, and may be a
very few in other languages are the exceptions, but certainly not many.)
Also, this is the basic unit for the utterance or generating the
'sound'(phonetics) of the language. As people know very well, the
permutations and combinations of all those 'meaningless letters' would make
'meaningful words', and converge themselves into more sense filled
'sentences', with the aid of 'grammar' and grow into events describing
chapters, stories, books and 'literature' of that language. The astonishing
point about telugu language (may be Sanskrit also) is that the meter
framing 'chandassu' of its (classical) poetry is based on the 'utterance of
meaningless letter' as the basic unit. To my limited knowledge, this is in
sharp contrast to the 'syllable' oriented principle for meter in English
poetry. At this rate, I feel it takes a genius of the highest order to set
the rules for any meter of a poem, fundamentally based on a 'letter
utterance' phenomenon. (The person/s should have had the thorough and
entire knowledge of the language and its phonetics at as minimum a level as
'letter', which has no meaning at all, and also at a major level of
'sentence',a group of letters along with grammar making an unequivocal
sense). This was achieved by the distinction of 'laghuvu (oka maatra
uccharaNa)' and 'guruvu (renDu maatralu)' at the level of 'letters'. As
'telugu classical' poetry is set to definite sequences of 'gaNaas'(in jaati
vRttaas) taking 'letter' (sound) as the basis, they are bound to be
musically rythmic as nobody can go below that level to produce 'sound'. The
best of all the musical rythm could be seen, in the 'daDakams', where a
single 'gaNa'(single set of same 'sound value' letters) is almost
uninterruptedly repeated, which generates the ecstatic musical emotion to
suit devotional immersion.
In order to reduce the musicality and induce some more flexibility as well
as identity to 'literature' value, it is often felt that the evolution of
telugu poetry brought in the 'upajaati vRttamulu' (tETageeti, aaTaveladi,
seeSamu, kandamu) into existance. These are not based on the fixed 'gaNas'
but can be formed from a 'group of gaNaas' in a flexible way. In the sense,
any 'indra gaNa' can be introduced either with 4 maatraas (nala, bha, ra,
ta) or 5 maatraas (naga, sala). Similarly, there is an option for 3-maatra
'sUrya gaNa' (na |||, ha U|). Hence, the meter here is not strictly a
'letter' oriented but tends towards a syllable oriented, thereby the
'upjaati vRtaas' are less rythmic only when compared with 'jaata vRtaas'.
However, if one maintains, the same 4 or 5 maatraa gaNaas in a similar
fashion in each line, one can generate more musical rythm in them also.
(Indeed, my guess is that 'visvanatha' (satyanaaraayaNa) critisizing 'Sree
naatha's seesa padyamu has something to do with the maintanance of rythm
not necessary in there). Compared to them, the rythm maintained taking a
'syllable' or a 'word' or a 'phrase' or even a 'sentence' as the basis of
meter maintanance, makes it gradually less and less 'music oriented' to
render.
Coming to music, this is fundamentally sound based. There are 'svaraas
(sounds)' determined in the increasing and decreasing order (based on
pitches). A specific permutations and combinations of 'svaraas' can
generate 'raagaas'. Just like 'meaningless letter- combinations' make
'meaningful' words, the independently indiscrete 'svaraas' make
'meaningful raagaas' when combined together. One can make an 'aalaap'
without any supporting literature (letters) and can generate the pleasure
out of 'music' (mere sound). Of course, strictly speaking, all the
instrumental music is nothing more than that. As all combinations of
'letters' don't make 'meaningful words' in literature, all combinations of
'svaraas' also don't make 'raagaas' either in music. When there are no
letters in music, and it is purely sound based, why is this so? The reason
is the physical restrain. If one takes a 'vakra raaga', where the 'svaraas'
not necessarily appear in the exact increasing or decreasing order but can
occur 'in up and down' manner as one may wish, the rendering of them in
that sequence is an extremely taxing issue for the singer and one
experiences tremendous physical uncomfortability in doing so. There was an
article in 'Hindu' long ago, I myself read (i.e., not a second-hand
information) that the hindustaani raag 'deepak' is supposed to excite the
thyroid gland, which has profound effect on the body temperature (BMR-basal
metabolic rate). Also, there is a rumour that 'taansEn', the court singer
of Akbar was plotted to be killed by his rivals, by making him sing
'deepak' and hiding the susequent singer of 'mEgh malhar', which is the
anti for 'deepak'. (The same singer of 'deepak' will not be in a position
to sing another one. Anyway, 'deepak' is an extinct 'raaga' today).
So, apart from this 'svara'-combination oriented restrictions, there are
'raagaas' specified for the time of the day/night, mood etc. For eg.,
bhoopaalamu for early morning, cakravaakamu or Sivaranjani for sorrowful
feeling etc. As musical 'raaga' is sound based suiting the emotion, a
specific 'raaga' is more suitable for the 'meaningful content' of the poem
or a song. This application of 'raaga' is purely 'meaning' oriented but not
'sound' oriented. For eg., if a poet writes a 'campaka maala' about the
pitiable situation of a person, the same poem can be sung in 'cakravaaka'
or 'Sivaranjani' or for that matter in any other 'raaga'. However, that
content of the description being a pitiable one, the former two are more
suitable/appropriate. In order to make the poem suitable for the sounds
(svaraas) of the chosen 'raaga' while rendering, the poem at places can be
stretched as, telugu is the 'Italian of the East', i.e., all the words end
with owels, so that telugu language is much more suitable for musical
singing. For eg., To make 'nanu paalimpaga....' suitable for 'raaga and
taaLa' one can sing it like 'nanu paaaaaa.... limmmmm... paga' or one can
introduce a gamaka by stressing on 'nanuuuuuu... paaa limmm paga',
maintaining the same time with reference to 'taaLa' and adjusting
accordingly at other places of the line.
Also, regarding the 'raagaas' and their suitability, there are no stringent
rules as such. 'mukhaari raagam' is well known for 'bitter crying' but the
famous 'annamaachaarya kRti' 'brahma kaDigina paadam (devotional)' is in
'mukhaari'. Similarly, 'Sivaranjani' is well known for sorrowful moods, but
the late famous 'ghanTasaala' composed romantic 'vagala raaNivi neevE!
(bandipOTu)' song based on Sivaranjani.
Regarding the 'tune' setting and writing later: It is the only other means
of writing poems or lyrics'. (Best example, in the movie 'aakali raajyam'
'kannepillavani, kannulunnavani; ennenni vagalu ...). However, this is more
applicable for 'lyrics', which are at least syllable or word based
meter-oriented and less or the least applicable to a telugu candOpoem. As,
by the choice of the type of poem (vRtta) itself, the 'gaNas' at the level
of 'letters' are already set/determined and one can't deviate much from
them. However, based on the content of the poem, the poet may suggest a
specific 'raaga' to suit the situation/description, doesn't mean a writer
wrote a chndOpoem (jaatulu, upajaatulu) to suit a 'musical raaga'.
Of course, a 'vacana kavita' or a 'song', with a maatraa gaNa chandassu'
can always possibly be written in a 'first tune fixing manner'. In film
music, mostly the 'producers' ask for this as a step towards success. Of
course, invariably, all the 'vaaggEya kaarulu' go in this way, doesn't mean
the converse is true. Also some writers prefer to write first and the tune
to be fixed next and don't like to change the words to suit the tune even
later forcing the music director to find another tune. There were always
some tussles overheard regarding these incidents. On the contrary, I
remember daaSaradhi kRshNamaachaarya making a comment on the famous cine
music director, K.V. mahaadEvan that he (mahaadEvan) can compose music to
the News paper editorial also.
With regards,
Prabhakar Vissavajjhala