Epigraphia Indica Vol 33

SR No.: 032587
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: D C Sircar
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1959
Total Pages: 514
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 29 MB

Page 417

300 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[VOL. XXXIII The donor of our record was a member of the Bäļiga family that was among those that fled from Goa and after various vicissitudes at last settled at Baộtvāla and had a temple constructed there. A celebrated member of this family is the late Bāb Bāļiga, in whose memory a peepal tree was planted and a high stone platform was built for its protection. Our inscription is engraved on one of the stones fixed into this platform. In the present inscription, Bantvāla, described as the abode of the guru, is referred to as Vațapura.
The main interest in the record lies in the fact that it contains & song in praise of the guru. The song is, as the record itself mentions, in the Kāpi-rāga and ata-tāļa (ashta-tāla). Kāpi is a dedya (imported) rāga, borrowed from Hindustani music and assimilated into the Karnataka system. It is a bhashānga-janya-rāga belonging to the Kharaharapriya mēļa, omitting ga and dha in the ascent, with curvature about dha in the descent, and employing Kakali nishāda as an accidental in the ascent. It bears & general structural resemblance with its North Indian namesake and is in wide usage in South India, especially since the advent of the Trinity of Karnataka music, viz. Tyägarāja, Dikshitar and Sama Sastri. Ata-tāla is one of the seven suļādi talas of ancient origin popular in Karņātaka, especially in the devotional songs of the Haridāsas.
The song in our record consists of a pallavi, an anupallavi and two charanas, and is in the literary style of the Haridāsas. The pallavi and anupallavi are of equal length, each consisting of two lines of eleven and thirteen syllables respectively. Each of the two charaṇas is of approximately the same size and consists of four lines. Inasmuch as the anupallavi of the present composition is of the same size as the pallavi, the general rule in musical composition that the anupallavi should be twice the length (i.e. twice the number of lines of the same size as in the pallavi) is not observed. It may, however, be noted that it is one of the numerous exceptions where this rule is not followed. The composition conforms, in any case, to the rule so far as the charana is concerned as it is twice in length of the anupallavi. The two charanas are also in general agreement with the compositional style of the Haridāsas in the simple, almost prosaic, form of the language, the subject matter, the length of each line and the mention of the author in the last line of the last charaya.
The metre of the composition cannot be classified under måtrā-gana or ansa-gana. The accent and caesura are nowhere uniform. At best, it is an approximate Anāvartans-vritta and as such suits melodic rendering. The approximately uniform syllabic quantity in the lines of the verse is an advantage to the composition which is nibaddha (i.e., set to time) in view of the possibility of equitable syllabic distribution over the tāla cycle. The syllabic quantity in the lines is suited to the atta-tāla cycle of fourteen mätras, as there would be the minimum crowding or gap. Moreover there is abundance of the metrical units tribrach, dactyl and anapaest in the composition. The absence of complex consonantal combinations is a feature of the song. Despite all these, the composition lacks force of expression and elegance.
The literary theme of the song is consistent with Mādhva philosophy which places considerable importance on the status of the guru and marks out a gradation of the jivas in the cosmic world in which the guru-traya head the list. The theme of the song is suitable since Bhuvanēndra-tirtha was probably the guru of the author.
The song may be translated freely as follows:
Pallavi : There is no god greater than the Preceptor. Emancipation cannot be obtained without [the guidance of] a good Preceptor.
* We are indebted to the manager of the Kasi matha for giving us information about the Gauda-Karnevatn community and the Kasi maha and some other details.