Doubts and Debates on ‘Pakshi Sanghar’ Garhwali Poetry by Jaydev Bahuguna

Critical History of Garhwali Poetry –Part 1

                  Garhwali Poetry from 1750-1846

                    Bhishma Kukreti

                       Garhwali Poetry before Nineteenth Century

              

                    The modern Garhwali literature historian Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna states that the first record of modern Garhwali poetry is the poetry – Pakshi Sanghar or Killing of Birds.

         Garhwali literature historian and critics as Bhishma Kukreti and Dr. Jagdamba Prasad Kotnala referred the references of Abodh Bandhu that as far as record is concerned; Paksi Sanghar might be the first modern Garhwali poem.  The poem is said to be created by Jaydev Bahuguna the court astrologer of Garhwali king Pradip Shah. By that calculation the said poem is said to be created before 1750 only.  Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna states that the poem was also published in newsletters around 1932. The poem is as under -

रंच जूड़्या पंच जूड़्या जुड़ि गै घिमसाण जी

कवि -जयदेव बहुगुणा (1750 के आस पास )

 रंच जूड़्या पंच जूड़्या जुड़ि गै घिमसाण जी,ट्यंट्या बोदs गरुड़ राजाs ब्योमा मिन भी जाण। 

सुरडु सिपह्या पैटो , मुसड़ो मुसद्दी जी,

घिंड्यूड़ो पदान पैटो , कुखड़ी पंदेरी जी। 

घुघती मंगळेर  पैटी, भरदुलो बामण जी,

कागा जी ,ढोलेर पैटा , सेंटुली दमय्यो जी

गाड बासो गाडमाला , डांड बासो सिकरा जी ,

उऴळू काणू बोद मेरी डांडि कैकि लिकारा जी  

  However, there is debate over the above poem that it was created in 1750.

          Dr. Kotnala (2011) argues that if the poem was created before 1750, it should be called First Modern Garhwali poetry by Abodh Bandhu. However, Abodh Bahuguna did not mention this great poem as First modern Garhwali poem. Dr. Kotnala states that the language is also new in the poem.  It clearly shows that Dr. Kotnala raises the doubt over the said poem as the poem of 1750 and created by Jaydev Bahuguna.

  This author had long telephonic cal with Dr. Jagdamba Prasad Kotnala on 30/8/2013 (8.51PM) about his doubt on ‘Pakshi Sanghar’ created by Jaydev Bahuguna and before 1750AD.

            The argument of Dr. Kotnala was for the latest language of the poem. The inscriptions of this period are of old type of Garhwali.

          When this author reminded Dr. Kotnala that there are names of birds and it was possible that names of birds would be same in 1750 as today. Dr. Kotnala agreed upon that birds name in Garhwali would have been same in 1750 and today too.

             This author brought the subject of verbs in the said verse. Both agreed that there was not much difference.

              Dr Kotnala also disclosed that the said verse was very much sung by people as folk song in Badalpur , Salan  (South Garhwal) and north Garhwal as well. This phenomenon of poem being sung folk song suggests that there might have been slight changes in verbs by people along with time.

                Though, nobody is certain that in 1750AD, verbs as बोदs, जाण, पैटो, पैटी,बासो were not in use in Garhwali language.

        There is another probability that while editing by editors, collectors of newsletters, books (as Chakardhar Bahuguna of Mochhang) also do some changes as per their region’s dialects. This had happened in many folk songs as stated by Dr. Nand Kishor Hatwal.

       The only doubt about poem is about newer version of verses. The inscription of copper Deepchandra given to Shiv Datt Joshi of Kumaon is in Kumaoni. The verbs of these inscriptions are Chalo Uthayo, Ayo,maro pado, kayam karo ,layo, ladai bhai etc. This inscription of this age also suggests that there was no vast change in verbs of 1760 and 1900 in Kumaoni. It would be true for Garhwali language too.

           There was less changes in verbs of 1750 and 1900 AD is also seen in the poem of Gumani Pant (1780-1846). Gumani pant was court poet of king Sudrshan Shah of Garhwal. His speciality was to create poem in Sanskrit but his last part of Sholka would be either in Garhali, Kumauni or Nepali. The following tow verses are in Sanskrit and last part of Shloka being in Garhwali.

                गुमानी पन्त का काव्य

१- उत्तम ढम्क पाद्न्ति , मध्यमम च टुरा टूरी

निष्षदम फस्क पाद्न्ति , कछड़ि माँ च थुकाथुकी। 

२- बर्धुलोक बीरस्य लंकेश्वरस्य , प्रसुर्मे घनादस्य मयस्य

रते देवरे हन्त मंदोदरी सा , ह्वई रांड नारी गई लाज सारी

The verses of poems of Gumani Pant also proof that there was less changes between Garhwali verbs of eighth century and early twentieth century.

 The above discussion concludes that the verse ‘Pakshi  Sanghar ‘ is of eighteenth century.

References-

Abodh Bandhu Bahuguna, 1981, Shailvani, Himalya Kala Sangam, Jankapuri, Delhi, pages 10-13

Bhishma Kukreti, 2013 , Garhwali Kavita  Puran, Angwal, Samay Sakshya

Dr. Jagdamba Prasad Kotnala, 2011, Garhwali Kavya ka Udbhava : Vikash evam Vaishisthya, page-65

Dr. Shiv Prasad Dabral, Uttrakhand ka Itihas, Virgatha Pres, Dugdda, UK, page 375 for Kumauni inscription of Deep Chand Joshi.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti 31/8/2013

Notes on Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of Uttarakhand region; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of Central Himalayan region; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of region; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of Himalayan region; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of North Indian region; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of Indian subcontinent region; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of SAARC Countries; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of South Asia; Debates and Doubts on initial Stage Garhwali Poetry of Oriental region;