The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

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Ananthakrishna
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The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by Ananthakrishna »

I have noticed that in almost all compositions in the Karnataka Sangita genre, Dwiteeyakshara prasa is always followed. There might be small poetic licenses with exactly how it is employed, but most if not all composers use it in one way or another.

1) Is this just a beautifying poetic device that seeks to enhance the poetic and lyrical value of a composition? If yes then can any other form of prasa, say Prathamakshara prasa or Tritiyakshara prasa work just as well?

2) Is it a strict unbreakable rule written in manuscripts or anywhere else that dwiteeyakshara prasa is a prerequisite for a good composition?

Also as some of you might be aware, I am an amateur composer of some krithis. I don't claim to be a composer of any great degree, but I have shared my compositions with a select few friends and acquaintances who I knew would give me honest feedback about where I can improve upon them. All the friends who were just lay rasikas and liked the melody and sahityam for what it is liked my compositions a fair bit, and provided criticism about some other aspects, but only those "literate" as far as the grammar of our musical system goes had much to say about the lack and absence of dwiteeyakshara prasa in my amateur creations. Consequently, in subsequent compositions I have used some form of Dwiteeyakshara prasa or the other. But I could not forget that it was only the ones hitherto aware of the d-prasa convention who looked specifically for it and found it to be necessary. The lay listener seemed to enjoy the melody and the lyrics only, and the presence or absence of d-prasa made no difference in how he perceived the composition.

So I guess my question is how relevant is d-prasa as a means of analyzing the aesthetic value of a composition?


d-prasa refers to dwiteeyakshara prasa
Last edited by Ananthakrishna on 19 Apr 2021, 17:16, edited 1 time in total.

ramakriya
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by ramakriya »

DvitIyAkshara prAsa ( or just prAsa, always means dvitIyAkshara only) is a feature of poetry in South Indian languages, and is taken into musical compositions as well - which south Indian vAggeyakAras have employed when the sAhitya is in Samskrta as well.

shankarank
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by shankarank »

You may want to peruse this kriti which talks about some standards on some features of a composition ( and follows them too! :D ) :

http://thyagaraja-vaibhavam.blogspot.co ... danga.html

yati - which seems to broadly embed something about prosody as well - some people directly mentioned edugai (in tamizh) which is dvitIyakshara prAsa.

SrI diskhitar makes use of antyAkshara prAsa as well.

Dr Pantula Rama ( for me a first time hearing - I am not any researcher of old treatises) , talks about yati maitri (rhythmic formation or metrical similarity) along with prAsa maitri in her book.

yati maitri is there even in gIta gOvindam in the metrical sense - for e.g praLayapayOdhi jalE - the corresponding lines between verses exhibit same yati - i.e. 1st line of 1st verse vs. the 1st line of second verse , 2nd with 2nd etc.

Ananthakrishna
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by Ananthakrishna »

ramakriya wrote: 19 Apr 2021, 07:28 DvitIyAkshara prAsa ( or just prAsa, always means dvitIyAkshara only) is a feature of poetry in South Indian languages, and is taken into musical compositions as well - which south Indian vAggeyakAras have employed when the sAhitya is in Samskrta as well.
Thanks for this definition! Now, this feature of poetry, is it necessary to have it in a poem or composition? Is it a prerequisite for a poetic form or merely a beautifying attribute?

Ananthakrishna
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by Ananthakrishna »

Also in Telugu literature we have the concept of Padyam as being different from Kavitvam. A padyam follows the rules of chandassu and prosody strictly, while works belonging to the kavitvam genre need not follow them strictly, and in some cases not at all also!

So compositions in the Karnataka sangitam genre, do they have to be padams or can they be kavitvams also?

RSR
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by RSR »

My pet theme is that a Musical composition is about tune and beats.
And not about the words - poetic or prosaic. Nor about the theme.
The best way to judge a musical composition is to listen to it when played in an instrument like VeeNa. and through pure notations only.
Most often , we tend to confuse literary grammar and refinement with musical value.
There are hundreds of Thyagaraja Swami's kruthis, where the ragam and theme only matter. They are outpourings and not crafted.
MD kruthis are said to be great combination of both literary and music excellence.
This is not to say that the literary excellence is not needed. but never at the cost of 'musical' excellence. Primacy is given to Music.
For people who know Thamizh, the best illustration is Smt. MS rendering of Marimutha Pillai's song. ( I am not sure if the music was retuned ) Yadhukula Kambothi ragam
'Kaalaith thookki Nindraadum Dheyvame'
https://sites.google.com/site/homage2ms ... -nindradum
( the song in thamizh lyrics given there).
Is not such a concern that of the reakm of literature rather than music?
Unless one knows the language of the composition, it is rather difficult to appreciate the literary excellence.

I think, Sanskrit being common to the entire country, may be a good medium to create NEW compositions. for widest possible reach even among the International community of CM admirers.
It can be argued however that the 'sound' itself can be rhyming. …...Possible.as while reciting Sanskrit slokams.

ramakriya
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by ramakriya »

Ananthakrishna wrote: 19 Apr 2021, 10:51
ramakriya wrote: 19 Apr 2021, 07:28 DvitIyAkshara prAsa ( or just prAsa, always means dvitIyAkshara only) is a feature of poetry in South Indian languages, and is taken into musical compositions as well - which south Indian vAggeyakAras have employed when the sAhitya is in Samskrta as well.
Thanks for this definition! Now, this feature of poetry, is it necessary to have it in a poem or composition? Is it a prerequisite for a poetic form or merely a beautifying attribute?
You are right about "padya" and "kavya" - Even prose is considered as kAvya and hence does not necessarily have to have a meter ( chandas).

That being said, although most compositions follow the dvitIyAkshara prAsa, it does not mean they are also following prosodic rules. They are not falling into any of the poorva-prasiddha chandndas forms. We have proof to indicate some of the earlier forms such as prabandhas did confirm to chandas, but I do not see such a conformance among padas and kritis.

However it does add a beauty to the composition just becaus it is an age old practice, and even in folk songs carried on for generations, we can see the prAsa being kept.

Other forms of prAsa such as antyaprAsa, anuprAsa are also seen in kritis. Many of Tyagaraja's compositions are filled with anuprAsa ( same letter,or conjunct repeating conspicously is called anuprAsa).

-Ramakriya

shankarank
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by shankarank »

In the first and second line of pallavi
The first letter being of same variety ( same sort of short or long vowel) or same consonant optionally conjunct with any vowel , ( pratmAkshara prAsa or mOnai) seems optional but mostly followed by Sri tyAgarAja and SrI dIkshitar

Example: valli nAyaka nI by HarikEsanallUr Muthiah Bhagavatar ( second line begins as manasAraka).

SrI SyAma Sastri seems to follow pratamAkshara or dvitIyAkshara interchangeably.

Saroja dala nEtri - sada nammina .
Sankari Samkuru - SAmbhavi
kaRUNA nidhi ilalalO - kanna talli

Otherwise : brOvavamma - devi tALa
dEvi bRova - nA veTalu
dEvi mIna nEtri - rAvE
Last edited by shankarank on 20 Apr 2021, 20:30, edited 1 time in total.

ramakriya
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by ramakriya »

shankarank wrote: 20 Apr 2021, 07:31 In the first and second line of pallavi
The first letter being of same variety ( same sort of short or long vowel) or same consonant optionally conjunct with any vowel , ( pratmAkshara prAsa or mOnai) seems optional but mostly followed by Sri tyAgarAja and SrI dIkshitar

Example: valli nAyaka nI by HarikEsanallUr Muthiah Bhagavatar ( second line begins as manasAraka).

SrI SyAma Sastri seems to follow pratamAkshara or dvitIyAkshara interchangeably.

Saroja dala nEtri - sada nammina .
Sankari Samkuru - SAmbhavi
kaRUNA nidhi ilalalO - kanna talli

Otherwise : bRovavamma - devi tAlA
dEvi bRova - nA veTalu
dEvi mIna nEtri - rAvE
In all these kritis there is prAsa ( dvitIyAkshara ) only. The first letter you are mentioning can be taken as anuprasa, but if it does not repeat often then it does not really give the effect of anuprAsa

The prAsa is actually between the following pairs of lines , seen as below
sarOjadalanEtrI himagiri putri
parAku sEyaga

dEvI brOva samayamidE
nAvetalu dIrchi karunichave

shankari shankuru
sankaTa hAriNI

etc

rshankar
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by rshankar »

Ramakriya,
In the rules, how important is it to maintain the vowel sound (dIrgha or hRsva) that precedes the dvitIyAkshara?

As in Sri Vasudevachar's khamAs composition, for example.
brOvEvArevarurA...
O caturAnanA....
nI caritamu....

sItApatE....
vAtAtmajArcita....
Aturamuga...
pAtaka...

The Lost Melodies
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by The Lost Melodies »

The text 'muhana prAsAntyaprAsa vyavasta' can be consulted for better clarity on this subject.

ramakriya
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Re: The importance of Dwiteeyakshara prasa in a composition

Post by ramakriya »

rshankar wrote: 22 Apr 2021, 04:23 Ramakriya,
In the rules, how important is it to maintain the vowel sound (dIrgha or hRsva) that precedes the dvitIyAkshara?

As in Sri Vasudevachar's khamAs composition, for example.
brOvEvArevarurA...
O caturAnanA....
nI caritamu....

sItApatE....
vAtAtmajArcita....
Aturamuga...
pAtaka...
Usually keepting the *same* type is prefered. Based on the what letters occur 6 types of prAsa are defined as below:

1) simha prAsa: The vowel preceeding the prAsa akShara is short
2) gaja prAsa: The vowel preceeding the prAsa akShara is long
3) vrshabha prAsa: Anuswara precedes the prAsa akShara
4) aja prAsa: visargra precedes the prAsa akShara
5) haya prAsa: The prAsa akshara is a sajAtIya conjunct
6) sharabha prAsa: The prAsa akshara is a vijAtIya conjunct

-Ramakriya

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