MANTHAN (मंथन)

Experimented a little further with छन्द (Meter) this time – here’s my first poem in अनुष्टुप छन्द ! Hope you like it.

भेट माझी तुझी होता । झाली सांज मनोहर ।
हात हातांत घेऊन । भासे जीवन सुंदर ॥
संपे विरह जन्मांचा । फुटे मनांत अंकुर ।
भेट माझी तुझी होता । झाली सांज मनोहर ॥ १ ॥

प्रकटली नभातुन । एक सुंदर तारका ।
तेज स्वर्गीय लावण्य । जणु मोहक मेनका ॥
तुझ्या रूपात यौवन । वासंती जणु मोहर ।
भेट माझी तुझी होता । झाली सांज मनोहर ॥ २ ॥

दिसले हृदयात जे । पहिले प्रतिबिंब तू ।
स्फुरले जीवनात जे । पहिले प्रेमकाव्य तू ॥
गीत रंगे मिलापाचे । कर्णमधुर सुस्वर ।
भेट माझी तुझी होता । झाली सांज मनोहर ॥ ३ ॥

शीतल सहवास हा । जसे शारद चांदणे ।
झालरीत नक्षत्रांच्या । जसे आकाश देखणे ॥
स्पर्श कोमल रेशमी । अमृताचा निरंतर ।
भेट माझी तुझी होता । झाली सांज मनोहर ॥ ४ ॥

स्वप्न जरी अपूर्ण हे । रोज मनात रेखिले ।
प्रत्यक्षात न गुंतले । ऋणानुबंध आपुले ॥
वृंदावनी हरी-राधा । तैसा निर्मळ शृंगार ।
स्मरून ते क्षण प्रिये । होते सांज मनोहर ॥ ५ ॥

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You can also sing this poem in the same melody as the Marathi Film Song “फिटे अंधाराचे जाळे, झाले मोकळे आकाश”.

The film song is not strictly in अनुष्टुप छन्द as per the definition below, but it has a similar syllable count (8+8) – so, the poem can be overlay-ed !

While there are slight variations of the definition itself across different languages, I decided to pick one that I studied.

For those who are interested…these are the basic rules..

पञ्चमं लघु सर्वत्र सप्तमं द्विचतुर्थयोः।
गुरुषष्टञ्च पादानां चतुर्णां स्यादनुष्टुभि॥

In summary –

• There are 4 quarters (पाद) , each with 8 syllables, totaling 16+16 = 32 syllables
• In every पाद, the 5th Syllable is always लघु (short) and the 6th Syllable is always गुरू (Long)
• The 7th Syllable in 2nd and 4th पाद is always लघु (short)

And for those who want to venture further to understand what लघु (short) & गुरू (Long) are :

सानुस्वारो विसर्गान्तः दीर्घो युक्तपरश्च यः ।
वापादान्ते त्वसौ ग्वक्रौ ज्ञेयोन्यो मातृको लृजुः ॥

Again, limiting to Marathi

• All syllables with an अनुस्वार, विसर्ग and दीर्घ (आ ई ऊ ए ऐ ओ औ ) are all considered गुरू (Long)
• All others will be deemed लघु (short), with a few exceptions
  • The syllable BEFORE a संयुक्तवर्णः is treated as गुरू (Long), even if it is not दीर्घ. E.g. सु is लघु (short) by definition . But in the word सुस्वर – सु is immediately preceding a joint syllable स्व – hence the सु in सुस्वर is deemed to be गुरू (Long). And स्व itself still remains to be लघु (short) because of the अ-कार
  • The last syllable in every पाद is deemed to be गुरू (Long)

If you made it this far – then let me tell you, there is one defect (intentional) in the poem to match the अपूर्णता …if you can spot it !