Desis Employed in Padmavijays Samaraditya Kevali Ras

Author(s): Rajhansvijay
Publisher: ZZ_Anusandhan

Page 2

In his composition he employed the Desi - a folksong mode of singing. The mode of singing being familiar to the people will ring in their ears and only words would have to be substituted. It may be noted that, on account of this feasibility in the Jaina literature of those times, a vast body of literature of this type has proliferated.
When we take into consideration the fact that this work has been written by a person who has relinquished the world since childhood and yet possessed a deep knowledge of the Desis and folksongs and even of classical music, we are astonished.
As stated above, the poet of this Ras has utilised in all 199 Dhal, a mode of singing. The poet has not repeated a single desi excepting two or three Dhals. viz.
à chhe, läl, ekaviśāni
copaini
(1)
(ii)
(iii)
desi employed twice
18
"
"
thrice.
Some of these desis consist of the Vedic, folk-songs and even Jaina desis. Language wise there are Gujarati, Rajasthani, Vraj and other Hindi languages desis.
Since fifteenth century, Ras form has been quite popular in old Gujarati literature. The Rās form used to be cast into a Dhal. At the beginning of such a Dhal, there would be an indication as to the mode of singing according to the prevalent desi. Though composed in the same metre of matramela, it could be sung in different desis. At times metre and classical rag also would be indicated.
Let us illustrate :
copai
truṭak'
dhamāl
godi
Ir
(copai metre) (troṭaka metre)
(räg)
(räg)