Excuse me! This is not an inflammatory message. Neither this is an
inflammable bunch of words!
I hear a lot of talk on meter, rhythm, candassu and alankaram for a padyam.
I can not see anyone taking a strong stance on one issue. I see a lot of
gODamiida pilli va'Tam. For convenience sake every netter who favors
candassu talks differently from time to time. There is a tremendous
variation from one posting to the other from the keyboard of the same
person. These variations regarding candassu in a Telusaer's essay are
not consistent. Some times a Telusachandopoet says rhythm is important.
In the next essay the same Telusachandopoet says rhytm is important but
who cares for chandassu. Next time the same Telusachandopoet says "Don't
worry about rhythm and chandassu, just worry about alankaram." In the 4th
essay the same gentleman-chandopoet says "Ignore rhythm, chandassu,
alankaram. The only one the most important ingredient of a poem is the
"bha'vam." Where do these arguments stand? A lot of confusion has already
crept in on the Telusa from the chando advocates.
Why do poets write poems? Is it to read from a book or from a ta'Ta'ku?
Is the poem written to be rendered (sung)?
I assume (was told) that poets in the devonian periods used to compose
poems de novo (extempore) and used to sing them with a particular tune.
Did the poets of yesteryears take the tune (ra'gam) into consideration?
Are there particular musical rules (sangiita baddhaka'lau) for poems?
Do they sing chando poems in strict ra'ga's?
How important are ra'ga's? (Forget rhythm, meter, chandassu etc.)
Sri Ramanna Vishnubhotla gave me a tape of falicitation of Sri Piisapati.
In that tape, Sri Pisapati gave a lengthy speech. Sri Piisapati said "I
gave a performance for Sri Chellapilla Sastry. I had to break the words of
a poem and I altered the chandassu of that poem. Sri Sastry was upset and
asked me why did I alter the poem. Then I said "I like it that way.
It suits my ra'ga."
If poetry is for listening ultimately, the way the poem is rendered (sung)
is the most important aspect. The beauty of the poem, irrespective of
chandassu and alankaram and other iron-ladden concrete, is in the voice of
the person who sings that poem.
After all a poem is for listening. pura'NapaThanamma'ru!
bha'gavatapaThanamanna'ru! ra'ma'yaNapaThanamanna'ru! annii manushyulu
vinEmduku pa'DinavE kada'! nija'niki vEda'lu vra'Sa'ra'? lEka ceppa'ra'?
vEda'lu vinaTa'nika'? lEka caduvukODa'nika'? imtakii ii chandassuki
moolam vEdamE kada'? a' vEda'niki moolam? ma'Ta-pa'Ta.
The same way, modern poetry is not modern. In fact, rules of modern poetry
are older than the chandO poetry because modern poetry follows the strict
rules of natural language, natural expression, natural meter, natural
rhyme, and natural beauty. All the modern poets are much more superior to
the chandO poets and the modern poetry (the oldest poetry) is far superior
to the intermediary orthodox poetry.
Did you recall the sounds of horse riding? It has natural rhyme and meter.
It has natural beauty. Did you recall the sounds of waterfalls or flowing
rivers? They have natural meter and rhyme. Did you recall the sounds of
snoaring? They have natural meter and rhyme? Finally the heart beat with
in us has a natural rhythm and meter. Why can not the words we put in
as poem naturally be considered beautiful? Again I ask you - Is not the
child's cry naturally rhtymic with meter? Does the child look for chandO
meter to cry before starting crying? kavulu himabimduvulu
karagai niiruga' ma'ri paDi Sabdam cEyuTalO kala prakRuti SRtilayalanu
a'dha'ramga' cEsukoni padyaroopamga' varNimca'ru. a'yanaku prakRti
nErpalEda' kavitva racana?
A poem can be written in any style or no style, the beauty of the poem is
finally appreciated when it is decorated by the ra'ga and voice of the
person who renders it.
Talk about ra'ga's please. Talk about music. Poetry without music is
colorless, odourless, and tasteless!
pukkiTa pura'Nam
panilEka ka'lakshEpam
ceppina kavitvam
cevulaku samgiitam!
How many of the poets here on Telusa render the chando poems adhering
strictly to the orthodox tunes?
If anyone knows such art, please talk about it.
That will be more interesting. Then the other argument is why can not
any other free verse be sung with such tunes.
Just one question. Did Annamacharya compose songs based on Ragas or based
on chandassu? or Did he compose those kiirtana's out of
emotion/passion/dispassion? Is n't writing a poem/gEyam natural?
What is wrong with natural language as opposed to the controlled
vocabulary?
--pAlana
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pallepada'llO amdam - energy readily radiating with natural beauty.
gra'mdhika pada'la amdam - energy needed to create (artificial) vanity.
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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed above are not those of the CAS.
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