Tansen and Disguised Akbar Visit Swami Haridas. c. 1760. National Museum, New Delhi. Acc. No. 48.14/61
Thursday April 16, 2020
In this session we will learn about the musical genre of dhrupad (ध्रुपद). Dhrupad was a ‘courtly’ genre, meaning that it developed primarily at Rajput and Mughal royal courts in the early modern period (though it was also practiced and performed at places other than royal courts).
In dhrupad it is the melody that generally predominates rather than the lyrics; nevertheless classical Hindi poetry provides the textual material with which singers construct and improvise intricate and beautiful melodies within a raga framework. These very brief lyrics–often consisting of only a single verse–provide a good opportunity for us to practice reading and understanding early Hindi (often called Brajbhasha, Hindavi, or simply bhāṣā).
Specifically we will read two lyrics attributed to Amir Khusrau and Miyan Tansen respectively and listen to a recording of them being performed by Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Zia Fariduddin Dagar, two of the most talented exponents of dhrupad in the twentieth century, in 1968. We will also read a lyric by Raskhan and listen to a recording of it being performed by Mohinuddin Dagar and Aminuddin Dagar, another of two of the twentieth century’s most gifted dhrupad singers, in 1965. (The family relationships between these singers can be seen in the family tree on Bengt Berger’s website.)
I have included below and instructional video to help you read and understand these lyrical poems.
I have also included below a documentary film simply titled Dhrupad, commissioned by the Films Division of the Indian government and directed by Mani Kaul in 1982. It covers some of the history of the genre and the family history of the Dagars, in addition to recording some beautiful music and visuals.
Vocabulary शब्दावली :
| ध्रुपद | चौताल |
| धमार | सदरा |
| स्थायी | अन्तरा |
| सञ्चारी | अभोग |
| आलाप | बंदिश |
| लौकिक | अलौकिक |
| प्रशस्ति | भक्ति |
| ध्वनि | सवैया |
Listen सुनें :
Please listen to the entire recording made by Bengt Berger of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Zia Fariduddin Dagar performing for H.H. Laxman Singh Bahadur, the Maharaja of Dungarpur, in Bombay in 1968. Using the recording and the accompanying album notes, pay attention to the manner in which the performance proceeds. Are the compositions short? Long? What happens in between and during the singing? What is the relationship between the lyrics and the music?
Pay special attention to the following two compositions:
- अरे पिय आज अपने सो खेलु बना बना होरी (Airey Piya Aaj Apaney So Khelu Bana Bana Hori): Rag Suha – Dhammar (sung three times in distinct manners).
- शुभ महुरत शुभ घड़ी दीन (Shubh Mahurata Shubh Ghadi Deen): Rag Suha – Jhaptal.
Listen also to the recording made by Alain Danielou of Mohinuddin and Aminuddin Dagar in 1965. Using the recording and the accompanying album notes, pay attention to the manner in which the singers ‘build’ the composition. How do they begin? How do they develop the composition? What are the different parts of the composition/performance? How do the text and music relate to one another?
Read पढ़ें :
Use Rupert Snell’s The Hindi Classical Tradition and R.S. McGregor’s Hindi-English Dictionary as well as the other online resources for the course to help you read and understand the following three compositions:
अरे पिय आज अपने सो खेलु बना बना होरी
- This verse is said to be in the style of Amir Khusrau, though until today scholars have not been able to identify any verses in early Hindi that are verifiably his compositions.
- The words of the verse are being spoken by a nayikā (नायिका) to her beloved.
शुभ महुरत शुभ घड़ी दीन
बैठो तखत आज देहली पति नर रे
खांड ब्रह्मांड हीरा लाल नग मोती
मोतियाँ को छत्र सीस धरों हैं
- As you will hear one of the Dagar brothers explain on the recording, this composition is attributed to Miyan Tansen, a singer-writer-scholar and one of the “Nine Gems” at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
- These verses are in the mode of praśasti (प्रशस्ति), a type of praise poetry dedicated to a ruler or patron.
मानुष हौं तो वही रसखानि बसौं ब्रज गोकुल गाँव के ग्वारन ।।
जो पशु हौं तौ कहा बस मेरो चरौं नित नंद की धेनु मँझारन ।।
- The poet Raskhan (1548-1628) is said to have been a Muslim devotee of the god Krishna. The hagiographical work दो सौ बावन वैष्णवन की वार्ता claims that he was a disciple of Vitthalnath, the second leader of the Pushtimarg religious community.
- This verse is composed in savaiyā (सवैया) meter, the meter for which Raskhan is best known. These are only two verses of a longer poem.
Also read the short sections on dhrupad in Ashok Ranade’s Hindustani Music and Bonnie Wade’s Music in India. The latter includes a musical transcription of the verse by Raskhan as sung by Mohinuddin and Aminuddin Dagar!
Watch देखें :
Dhrupad: an Introduction Featuring the Poetry of Tansen and Raskhan
Dhrupad (Mani Kaul, 1982)
A few scenes from the film Dhrupad have been given subtitles in a separate video: