A brief about the Vādyă-pŗădīpă of Yadupătī
Dilip Changkakoty
An
old manuscript itself illustrates the heritage. It is very rare to discover a
musical manuscript. From this angle, the Vādyă-prădipă of Yadupătī is itself
a valuable heritage for Assamese culture. The original manuscript is now
preserved in the Latugram Sattra near Jorhat City
of Assam, India. In the later part of fifty decades of the past century, this
manuscript was handed over to the famous Assamese scholar Dr Moheswar Neog and Lakhiminath
Das by then the Latugram Sattradhikar Shri Shri Mitradeva
Mahanta for transcription to the modern script. Later, this
transcript was included as an appendix of the research work on the Assamese
music Rhythm in the Vaishnavite music of Assam. This was published in
the year of 1962. The author Yadupătī utilized a rare and high-level mystical
musical language in the inscription the Vādyă-pŗădīpă.
The
original manuscript was written in the Agar-bark leaf. The same is incomplete
mode. It was from leaf 2 to 35 only. The first and last leaf appears black and is not possible to read in any way. Every leaf is 318 mm x 70 mm in size and
consists of eight lines.
Author Yadupătī :
Yadupătī was a devotee
of Lord Rāmă.
He said – Śŗī rāmăr dāśă tānă dāśă Yadupătī …. 47 .. That is, His
maestro was the devotee follower of Lord Rāmă and he was
the follower of his maestro.
The verse no 65 describes
that Yadupătī was
a follower of Gurukul tradition. On the other hand, Gūtămīyă-tăntră, Hări-Smŗiti-Sudhākără and Sănăt-kumār-tăntră are
mentioned as a reference in the Vādyă-pŗădīpă. These sacred books are practised in the
ritual of the Vaishnavite tradition. That the Gūtămīyă-tăntră, which is practised in
the Vaishnava Cult, is referred to many times in the Vādyă-pŗădīpă indicates
that Yadupătī had
vast command over this particular tāntric literature.
Yadupătī was a believer of Nāma-dharma,
hence he quoted in verse no 188 “Kăli yugē Rāmă nāmă binē găti nāi” means in the era
of Kăli the
chanting of Lord Rāmă’s name is the ultimate prayer.
Aficionada of maestro:
There are no ways
without the preceptor or maestro. Sacred books also glorify the maestro. The
maestro is the ultimate truth and he is the representative of God. One who
influences his maestro can influence the deities also. In the Vaishnavite
tradition, the rank of maestros is as follows – Guru (maestro) > Părăm-Guru > Părātpără Guru > Părămēşţi Guru.
In verse no 68 of
the Vādyă-pŗădīpă, Yadupătī declares
the maestro tradition as Guru>Sage Gūtăm>Sage Nārădă>Lord Brăhmā>Lord Kŗşṇă.
Musicologist Yadupătī :
Yadupătī was a musicologist.
The skill of operating various rare musical provisions is his significant
feature.
The first chapter (Prăthăm swărāgătă
ădhyāyă) of Săṅgītă rătnākără describes that
“music is the amalgamation of song, instrument and dance (Section 1, verse 2)
and the păñcămă-tālădhyāya (5th rhythm
chapter, verse no 38-39) described that the bell metal cymbal used in the Mārgă Saṃgīt (Classical
Music) of that period.
Yadupătī describes “Śaṃgītă lakhana āre kahiba
prakati / Gāyaka bāyaka nrityakartā konthi tālă / Mridanga sahite
poncho śaṃgītăhi bhālă …. 18” That means the music is the
amalgamation of singer, instrumentalist, Mridăngă (a
percussion instrument), dancer and small bell metal cymbal.
The
above music system was the Mārgiyă or classical music practised in the
period of Śāraṅgadevă (1210-1247AD).
If it is so, then the main hypothesis of the Săttrīyā Music is Mārgiyă or
classical one. The designation of the Săttrīyā Music could not be national or Drupădī one. Bhāratnŗtyăm, Kăthākăli, Muhiniăttăm, Kuchipodi, Oddisi and
others are recognized as national or Drupădī,
but the Săttrīyā is
beyond that. The Săttrīyā form of music system is the real
representative of the Mārgiyă Śaṃgītă of the Thirteenth century. Săttrīyā music transcends even the Drupădī music.
Musical tradition of Yadupătī:
There
are three musical streams in Indian Music – Vaidic, Shaiva and Hunmantiya or Vaishnava.
The Săttrīyā Music
is Vaishanavite Music.
Lord Vishnu is
the deity of the Vaishnavite cults. In general, the Hunmāntiya or Vaishnava stream
of music believes that Lord Hanumānă learnt in the tradition of Sage Atri >
Sage Kapilă >
Sage Bhŗigu and
from Lord Hanumānă it
chronologically came down as Lord Hanumānă
> Aṅgadă
> Kinnareśhă
> Kuśhikă > Guņă > Sarasvatī
> Bali > Yakṣhă > Dakṣhă
> Vyālă
> Samudră
>
Śhaśhi > Bhāṣhkară > Śhauri
> Gopipati
> Sharanatha > Śhrīnāthă
> Śhrīvatsă
> Hori
1 > Hori 2 > Horiśhchandră
>
Nāradă II > Bŗihaddeśhī > Gāndharvărājă >
Nāradă III > Kālidāsă.
But,
Yadupătī said
that his tradition as - Lord Kŗşṇă >Lord Brăhmā> Sage Nārădă >
Sage Gūtăm.
There
were probably three Nārădă in the Vaishanavite Music. First one, the author
of the Nārădīyă
Śhikṣhă, the second one, the author of the Saṅgītă Makarandă and the third one, the author of the Chatvārimśhach’hată Rāgănirūpaņam.[1]
On
the other hand, the Nārădă referred to by Yadupătī was
the Nārădă described
in the Gūtămīyă-tăntră.
It
is believed that the sacred books of tăntră are rectified
as per age, tradition, local culture, environment and others. If it is, then
the period of the Gūtămīyă-tăntră could not justify properly. Hence, the period
of the Nārădă described
by Yadupătī could
not imagine with apposite justification.
Numerologist
Yadupătī:
Numerology
is a tough subject. From the ancient period, numerology is practised in Indian
Music. Skill in mathematics is the basis of music. Yadupătī was
a scholar both in Mathematics and astrology. In the conception of the Vādyă-pŗădīpă, Yadupătī applied
Laghu, Guru, Veda, Yogma, Ashini,
Ullash,
Chandra,
Hasva,
Chitra,
Dirgha, Muni etc
ancient numerological terms. Introduction of the theory of the Kălāpurănă and
the Tālăpurănă are
two special features of Yadupătī’s work. He described that the derivation
of Tālă (Rhythm)
is Kălā and the derivation of Kălā is Ghātă. This Ghātă operates as per the stanza of the
song.
In
practice, the Kălāpurănă and the Tālăpurănă are
the mathematical permutations and combination theory. The composition of Ghātă is
based on this theory. The starting and ending mātrā of a Ghātă in
a particular Tālă (Rhythm) can be identified by this theory.
Talented singers and percussionists also have vast practical knowledge of this
theory. But, the singers of the present day do not have sufficient expertise in
this theory; hence, often we have observed that in the playing of a Ghātă they
left to sing the song. For them, the conversion of the theory described in
the Vādyă-pŗădīpă will
be the resource of these singers. Our ignorance has destroyed the Mārgiyă (classic)
features of the Săttrīyā Music; therefore, this form of music is
recognized only as a Classical or national heritage, not as an old &
rare living cultural heritage of the nation.
There
is a sacred text in Indian astrology called Śărodăyă or Śăruddhāră.
This sacred text was used by Ashutananda Doloi, the great astrologer of the Ahom Dynasty
in the famous Śărāī war of Assam. Yadupătī used
this sacred text in the music and describe it as “Bhedăitu Śăruddhāră….”
(Verse no 152). Even, he also applied some terms usually practised by
astrologers, viz, Aśhinī, Angri, Veda, Bāņă etc.
Rādhā in Yadupătī’s work:
It is believed there is no
existence of the Goddess Rādhā in Assamese Neo-vaishnavite culture. One
who transmits the existence of the Lord Kŗşṇă at Gōlōkă, they believe that the Goddess Rādhā’s existence is the same. As per Rādhā- tăntră, the Goddess Rādhā resides
in Gōlōkă, not in Găkulă.
Yadupătī illustrated in the
verse no 13 to 14 in the Vādyă-pŗădīpă that when Sage Nārădă was
bathing at Chăndră Lake
with the help of Śămukhă,
he met the couple Rādhā- Kŗiśhnă. He obtained the secret wisdom of the
Music through the vision of the couple Rādhā- Kŗşṇă.
Reference
text used by Yadupătī:
Eastern
culture is vast difference from Aryabatta,
a western region of Āryăvăttă and the Deccan region.
Sacred texts like Gūtămīyă-tăntră, Hari-Smiriti-Sudhakara, Śanat-kumār-tăntră, Gaņdharba-Sāstră and others
are vastly practised in the eastern region of India. Yadupătī gathered
various references from these sacred texts and inscribed them in the Vādyă-pŗădīpă.
·
Gūtămīyă-tăntră :
This sacred text of the tăntră is acknowledged
as the logical Philosophy. Here, the prayer (pujā) of the worship Vishnu and
his dignity is explained by the discussion of two sages Gūtăm
and Nārădă.
Yadupătī said “Gūtămīyătăntrăē
uktă huyāce niścayă
/ ekōņpăņcāśă tālă bhēdă
kori jătă
/ Nārădē kăhiā āche
pūrbbē
Gūtămātă..20..” that is, there are forty-nine
numbers of rhythm illustrated by sage Nārădă in the Gautămiyă-tăntŗă.
Out of these forty-nine rhythms, Yadupătī
elevated twenty-six of them and rationalize them in his work. Yadupătī quoted “kăhikēhō ādyē şăḍrbiṃśă tālăbhēdă..21.. păļībākyă
śuni jitu hăvăyă śăņtuşă”:
that means first, let me describe the forty-nine rhythms, you are satisfied
like a flying word.
·
Hari-Smiŗiti-Sudhāṅkura:
The preserved sacred text is an incomplete one. This text was
written by the famous smŗiti scholar Raghunandan Bhattacharyya of the fifteenth century. The present
manuscript of this sacred text was copied by Bhishnudutt Dwij in 1844 AD. In this text, the supremacy of the Bhakti philosophy was established by
practising of Nāma-kirtan and drudgery of Śrī- Hari.
Yadupătī referred the story of Nārădă –Śămukhă-Rādhā- Kŗşṇă from this text to launch the Musical
theory. He described in verse no 19 “kărā
yădi itu kăthā mănăt śṃśyă / Hări-smiŗiti-sudhākărē
uktă huyācē”; that means, if this makes you doubt, read
about it in Hări-smiŗiti-sudhākă.
The Hindu religion is based on five believed paths – Śiva, Śākta, Gănăpătyă, Soură and Vaishņava. As per system of practice, Nigam or Veda for the
sensible performer and Āgăm or tăntră for the
simple & general practitioner is recommended. There are four categories of
the Vaishņava-
tăntră: Vaikhānăkh, Pāņcărātră, Pratişthaśar and Vigñānlălită.
Again, it is mentioned that “Girijāvrņitaṃ nigămaṃ girīśăprătipāditaṃ tăntrăyāgăm kăthăyănti”; that is, nigăma was described by the Goddess Pārvăti and the āgăm was published by the Lord Śivă. Śănăt-kumār-saṃhitā, Basiśtha-saṃhitā, Śănăk-saṃhitā, Śănăndă-saṃhitā and Śuk-saṃhitā are the
five saṃhitā followed as “ŚămyācārTăntră” as stated by practice.
On the other hand, Gautămiyă-tăntră is endorsed as the logical philosophy. Tāntric scholars identified Krămdīpikā of Kashmir, Rādhā-tăntră, Gautămiyă-tăntră and Kŗiśnăyāmāl-tăntră
as the basic sacred text for religious practice.
·
Śanat-kumār-tăntră:
This
sacred text is a tăntră, but in general it is
accepted as a well-known literature. This text ascertained as ācār-tăntră. The theory of Tālă purănă rescued by Yadupătī
from this text to incorporated in his work Vādyă-pŗădīpă.
Yadupătī described “Śănăkumāriyā tăntrē huyācē
bēkăt / Tālăr
purăņē kălā kăhăyă
śāśbăt..63..”;
that is, It is described in the Śănăkumāriyā
tăntră that mortification of rhythm is called kălā by the scholars.
The Tālă-purti or Tālăpurănă is the mathematical combination of the
measuring unit of the rhythm (Tālă). By
this theory, multiple forms of a single rhythm can be derived. Moreover,
various verses can be observed from these multiple patterns of a single rhythm.
·
Găņdhărbă-Sāstră:
This sacred text is well known amongst musicians as Găņdhărbă-veda. This is a sub-Veda. Actually, the Găņdhărbă-veda was derived from the Atharba-veda.
Hence, Yadupătī said “Gāņdhărbbăr
śāstrē āk niŗupi ācăy .. 43 .. şărhăbiṃśă tālă cihņa koilā bhinē bhinē
/ Gāyănăr guŗhā nāhi jyān binē…” that
is, this is mentioned in the sacred text Gāņdhărbbă śāstră, each & every forms of twenty-six rhythm described in details and the perfect singing
will be depended upon the knowledge of these.
Yadupătī
explained the character of the practitioner:
The mindset
of performers is always in the feminine state. They believe that there is only
a single male called Părămbrăhmă, the supreme God.
The verse
no 13 explains that when the sage Nārădă went to learn the mystery of the music, he had a bath at the Căndră Lake and dressed
himself akin to a female one.
That is why, the sage Nārădă said in his sacred text Paņcham-Śāră-Saṃhita – “Saṃgitādhrită
chittăbŗiti tănunā băśhyā bhăbătyāgnā..2-2..” that is, the music subject is the most
favourable desire of female one, by which, their body and mind can be influenced.
It is
mentioned that, Music (Săṃgītă) is Ăpărāgătă
Vidyā.
Because this Vidyā (subject) has
practical utilization; it provides worldly happiness and also demonstrates the
path of salvation beyond the profane stage.
According to the well-known scholar Hazari
Prasad Dwivedi, women are Śăkti
and men are Śivă. Where
the idea of self-sacrifice prevails, women are there. Where the desire to satisfy others by melting oneself to pieces in the
others of pain and pleasures is strong, there is womanhood (Nārī-tăttvă). According to the scripture, it is called the
theory of Śăkti (energy). Women are
the form of prohibition. They don’t
come to enjoy, they come to share. This
is the principle of nature. Therefore,
the seekers are followers of womanhood.
Gāņdhŗbă, Kinnăr
or Hizirās (third gender) are experts
in music. Traditionally, they are followers of the Hunmāntiya or Vaishnavite Music. One who holds the Gau (which means ray, the ray of knowledge, wisdom) is called Gāņdhŗbă. The ray of the sun is held by the
moon. Hence, Moon is also called Gāņdhŗbă.
This music of Gāņdhŗbă is the music
of Ray. The music of creation, ray, Brăhmă
is the Gāņdhŗbă music. Therefore, the Gāņdhŗbă music is also called the music of Heaven.
Śāraṅgadevă said in his work Saṃgită-rătnākără (5th rhythm chapter) –
Gāņdhŗbămāŗgăkuśălah
kāṣytālădhruhpărah ..38..
Gātuah
śăhāyah kăŗtăbyah pŗmādāvinibŗttăye…..
The music practices by the Kinnărs are also the Vaishnava. Equally,
Rămbhā, Menăkā, Urbăśhī and
other Ăpśarā (Angle) of the Heaven
are practiced the Vaishnava music.
Maestro
Yadupătī:
Yadupătī was the Śăṃgitāchāŗyyă, that is, the maestro of
the music. As per Indian philosophy, there are six merit experts for a
qualified maestro. They are Gñyāņă, Vigñyāņă, Kărăņă,
Băchăņă, Prăyogăśiddhi and Niṣpādănă.
Knowledge of the sacred texts is Gñyāņă or wisdom and the practice of Gñyāņă is Vigñyāņă. Expression of the subject with the help of
hand gestures or oral is called Kărăņă;
on the other hand, deep understanding of the sacred text is Băchăņă. Use of resources as per the
space & time is called Prăyogăśiddhi;
lastly, advice to the discipline according to his mental ability is called Niṣpādănă.
Yadupătī had vast knowledge of the sacred
texts of the music and others. Similarly, he had practical knowledge and the
ability to perform by hand gestures and orally. In general, a simple musician has
these talents.
Yadupătī was a
Sanskrit scholar. One Sanskrit verse composed by him in his work Vādyă-pŗădīpă –
Etădboi
kăthitaṃ mēruah śikhărē brăhṃăņā purā
Nārădāyņgăyātăyă Kautokācchŗutumicchătă
He had studied in details lots of
various sacred texts, viz, Gūtămīyă-tăntră, Hari-Smiriti-Sudhakara, Śanat-kumār-tăntră, Gaņdharba-Sāstră and others;
it point out that he had a winner of various sacred texts. While Yadupătī describes how can play Ghātă from various māttrā (Metre) of a particular
rhythm (Tālă) and it shows he had the
merit of the Prăyogăśiddhi. From the Yadupătī’s Gurukul tradition
the Vādyă-pŗădīpă pointed towards his merit of the Niṣpādănă.
Age of Yadupătī:
In 1962,
well-known veteran scholar Dr Moheswar Neog
mentioned in the work Rhythm in the Vaishnava Music of Assam
- “the script seems to be as old as two hundred years”. That is, as per Dr Neog
the age of the original Manuscript is about 260 years old and Yadupătī was a person of seventeenth
century.
Rhythm expert Yadupătī:
Yadupătī said that there are forty-nine numbers of rhythms in
the Gūtămīyă-tăntră, and
he illustrated twenty-six of them in his work. These twenty-six rhythms are - Vipañcha, Şaţpañcha, Āryati, Pratimāṭh, Daśtalā, Rūpăkă, Ekatālī (Kharmān), Ekatālī (Chandrikā), Ekatālī (Daśwārī), Viṣama, Virāj, Domānī, Āthtalā, Dvāj, Bārviṣama, Dharñchok, Viyati, Samatā, Bitālri, Yati, Māţhayati, Guñjala, Rūpaka-Guñjala, Thājtāla, Chuţikalā and Kharatāla.
In the Vādyă-pŗădīpă, the above twenty-six rhythms are demonstrated with
details of the symphony. Not only these, Ghātă, the various ornaments of
composition used in a particular rhythm with the starting and ending meter were
also shown in detail.
The form of Yadupătī’s Rūpăkă Tālă:
Yadupătī said - Rupăkăr kăhō
cihṇ sunā măhāsăy .. 26 ..Prăti yugmă sēşē lăghu thākăy yāhāt / Tāhār nām
vēdătă prăļātă…; that
is, if there is one beat and one empty beat after each beat, it is called Rūpăkă Tālă in the scripture. Its classical form is Drută-Lăghu.
In the Saṃgită-rătnākăr, Sāraṃgădēvă names it Yătilăgnă. This is the
definition of Rūpăkă Tālă in Govindă-Saṃgită-Lilā-Bilāś and Saṃgită-dāmudără.
It is an ancient rhythm. It is used
all over India. There are three numbers Rūpăkă Tālă in the Auniati Sattra. These are used as per
the style of songs. There are no special compositions of each of the forms of
these rhythms. The Rūpăkă Tālă used in Kamalabari, Chamuguri, Shravani and
Borpeta Sattras has been preserved in scientific script.
The rhythmic form of Vyah and Suknanni
Ojapali are also the same. Even in Bengoli
Sankirtan, Bhāratnŗtyăm, Kăthākăli, Muhiniăttăm, Kuchipodi, Oddisi, Manipuri and
others except for Hindustani music, the form of the Rūpăkă Tālă is the same.
Ghātă of Rūpăkă Tālă:
This is how
the relationship between Ghātă and Tālă is described in the Vādyă-prădipă
of Yadupătī.
Mugā
sēhi pătră khāi Āmărăli mugā pāi
Tākē
bhuñji duyō băddhă jāi
Mugātēsē
sut pāi Āmăpōkē
kisō nāi
Jānā
itō kăthā sēiprāi…. 52 ..
That is the Mugā (Velvet) insect climb King-ex-hook (Macilus gamble) trees
& feeds on leaves and mango insect (larvae) nest in mango and litchi trees.
They both tie the knot. However, golden velvet yarn is obtained from velvet (Mugā). You get nothing from the mango
insect. Therefore, if you strike the Kălā-purăṇ
principle according to the rhythm, you will get invaluable resources like
Velvet (Mugā) yarn.
What is Ghātă? A Ghātă is a
composition in which the words (bōls)
Dhēi, Dhin, Dhindāōñ, Deōidāōñ, Dhēnitā, Didhinā etc are
used in the last revolution of the first or second stanza of a song in
accordance with the scripture. The Ghātă is played according to the verse
of the song.
After singing one verse, the Ghātă is played to move on to the next
verse. In fact, the word Ghātă means
wound, hit, knock etc.
How
is the Rūpăkă Tālă’s Ghātă composed in the Vādyă-prădip?
Rupăkăt
yēn hăyē sunā bŗddhă thir.
Yugmă
mădhyē mārē dāōh titi khētā hăvē
Cāri
yugmă ăntē ēcāpăr drută răvē.. 195 ..
Yugmăntē
lăghur ādyē dāōh dāōh yitō kăvē
Cāri
yugmă ăntē drutē yugmătēsē părē .
Lăghur
ăntăt khētā dhăgi dāōh hăy
Turyă
yugmă ăntē lăghu ăntē lăghu drută yugmē hăy.. 196 ..
According to verse number 195, it has
a composition with the words (Bols) dāōh
titi khētā in the middle. This formula contains the Ghātă of the Kamalabari Sattra. For
example: -
Again, as per verse number 196,
the words (Bols) dāōh dāōh should be
preceded by the words (Bols) khētā
dhăgi dāōh in the middle. According to this source, the drummer played Ghātă in the Auniati Sattra. For
example: -
Thus, from verses 238 to 243, there are
thirteen Ghātă in Rūpăkă Tālă. Apart from the Rūpăkă Tālă, the formulas for playing the Ghātă of the remaining twenty-five Tālăs are also described in detail in
the Vādyă-prădipă. The Ghātăs can be played correctly if the singer holds the rhythm
firmly to play these according to the formula. There is no doubt that the
contribution of the Vādyă-prădipă to the Sattriya dance is immense.
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