Potpourri- Nat Pala Sankritan Music Of Manipur

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Nat Pala Sankritan Music Of Manipur
By Waikhom Damodar Singh
'Satya yaad dhiyate Vishnu tretayang yajate-makhei; Dwapure paric-harjayang kalau tatdha-hari-krianat'. — Shrimad Bhagavatam During Satyayuga by deep meditation, during Tretayuga by performing yajnas, during Dwapura-yuga by offering constant service, worshipping of the Lord of the Universe (Vishnu) was fruitful, but in the dark age of the kaliyuga it could be possible only by way of singing and hearing the 'Hari Sankritan'. It is the firm belief of the Vaishnavites that in the awesome era of Kaliyuga the Lord has come down in the form of 'Sankritana'. In the humble hearts of the ardent Manipuri Vaishnava devotees Lord Gouranga (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) is the joint-incarnate of Shrimati Radhika and Shri Krishna (Vishnu) who came down on this earth in the form of Sankritan to rescue the down-fallen human beings from being drowned into the deep ocean of miseries and pangs of the sinful world of the Kaliyuga. 'Krishnavarnang tvisha Krishnang; Sangopangastra-parsadam, Yajnei sankritane- prayeir yajanti hi sumedhasa'. - Shrimad Bhagavatam Shri Gouranga, internally the dark colored Krishna of the Braja Brindaban, and externally manifesting the golden color of Shrimati Radhika (Antare Kaala Bahire gora) is therefore the presiding deity of the Nat Sankritan - this is the very foundation of the Manipuri Nat Pala Sankritan music. The word 'Nat' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nata' and the phrase - 'Natati yasha Nata', meaning one who can sing and dance with a musical instrument exhibiting artistic expressions (Abhinay). Shiva Mahadeva and Lord Krishna have been the foremost amongst the beings possessing such an extraordinary faculty, who are therefore known as 'Nata Raja' and 'Nata Bara' respectively, and later on, Shri Gouranga Mahaprabhu as 'Nata Sekhara'. As regard the meaning of the word 'Pala', it denotes the mode of performance of the Sankritan - because of singing of the holy kritan is done in a circular formation or circlet both in standing and sitting postures with the leading singer, the Ishei Hanba and the two Mridanga players (Pung Yeibas) inside surrounded by other singers, the Manipuri Nat Sankritan singing is known as the 'Nat Pala Sankritana Music', and a participant of it is usually known as a Pala. Manipuri Nat Pala Sankritana singing is further characterized by the observation of various strict indigenous procedural regulations and other religious and customary codes. The main purpose of Shri Gouranga's appearance on the 'Marta bhumi' (earthly abode) as an incarnated deity has been for wide preaching of 'Hari Nama' through Sankritan, chanting of which would only cure the 'ills' of the minds of the people of the evils laden Kaliyuga, for, chanting of the Hari Nama produces Divine sound which easily subdues the turbulent mind and gives to it a sweet taste making it to come to a steady state. 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare', and 'Harera nama Harera Nama Hareranamei-ba-kevalam, kalau nasteya-va nasteyava nasteyava gatirnartha' - there is no way or means at all, at all to destroy the evils of the Kaliyuga except constantly chanting and hearing the sweet name of Shri Hari, the Supreme Lord. The incarnation of the Lord Shri Hari as Gouranga Mahaprabhu in the Kaliyuga for the above purpose had already been predicted in the following sacred Puranas - i) In Shrimad Bhagavad Puran in the 11th Skanda (canto) as has been mentioned above. ii) In Padma Puran as - 'Kalau prathama - sandhy-ayang Gourangohang-ma-hitale; Bhagirathitate ramet bhabishyami Sachi-suta'. iii) In Brahmajamle Uma-maheshwar sangbard as - 'Kalau prathama - sandh-yayang Harinam Pradaya-ka; Bhabishyati Nabadwi-ppe Sachirgarbhe Janar-dana, Jibanistarrnar-thaya nam bistarnayai cha; Jo hi Krishna chha Chaitanyo manasa-bhati sarbada'. iv) In Garuda Puran as - 'Sudha Goura sudhirgango gangatir samudbhava; Dayalu Kritan-prahi bhabishyami kalau yuge'. v) In Markendy puran as - 'Golokancho parityat-vawa lokanang karanat; Kalau Gourango rupeno Leela Labrirnya bigrha'. Further, the following fact also proves that Lord Vishnu incarnated Himself as Lord Gourango in the Kaliyuga. It is said that from AUM became Maha Vishnu (Krishna) in three forms - Karanadokshayi Vishnu, the causer of all the causes, Garbhodaksha-yi Vishnu, the creator and Khirodakshayi Vishnu, the Life Giver. From Gar-bhodakshyai Vishnu became the Mahakaal (Krishna) and from Mahakaal, Kaal (Krishna) - I am Time, Kalohashmi ... (Gita) into Satya Kaal, Treta Kaal, Dwapura Kaal and Kali Kaal which consists of 28 cycles each - in the 28th cycle of the Satya Kaal, Vishnu incarnated himself as Vaman (Aditi Garbhodakshayi Vishnu - Deita Dharak Krishna), in the 28th cycle of the Treta Kaal as Ram (Kaushilya Garbhodakshayi Vishnu - pratigya palak Krishna), in the 28th cycle of Dwapura kaal as Krishna (Devaki Garbhodakshayi Vishnu - Gitarbartaka Krishna) and in the 28th cycle as Bishambhar Avatar (Sachi Garbhodakshayi Vishnu - Hari nam Pracharaka Krishna). Thus, there has been not an iota of doubt in the humble minds of the Vaishnava devotees of Manipur that Shri Gouranga Mahaprabhu is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu (Krishna), the Supreme God who propounded the Holy cult of Hari Sankritan which gives aesthetic emission of bliss and peace to all the down-fallen human beings of this dark and most quarrelsome age, the Kaliyuga, and also one may say glory to the Vaishnava King, Rajashri Bhagyachandra, Chingthangkhomba - Jai Singh (Karta Maharaj of Manipur) of the 18th century who had been blessed with mystic vision of Shri Shri Govindajee (Krishna) in his divine Rasa Raj form and through whom (Bhagyachandra) had been handed down the holy cult of Sankritan in the form of Nat Sankritan. Another most peculiar but quite sublime feature in the performance of the Manipuri Nat Pala Sankritana Music is the way some of the elderly devotee - Bhavaks madly rush-in inside the Sankritana Mandal and prostrate themselves weeping before the leading singers (Ishei Hanba and Duhar, in particularly) and also the Mridanga players who are actually regarded as being none but Shri Bash (taking the place of Narada), Nityainanda prabhu and Avdaitya Prabhu (representing Shri Krishna and Gouranga, in turn Shrimati Radhika in the imitated Ras Leela performed by Lord Gouranga and his Bhaktas at Shridham Nabadwip) by way of expressing the climax of their sublime feelings duly aroused by the deep Prem-Rasa of the divine Radha-Krishna Leela in the process of the singings. This very humble, spontaneous and highly spiritual and devotional practice was very much in vogue earlier amongst the elderly section of the vaishnava society of Manipur till very recently but, unfortunately enough, it has become now a thing quite redundant, and in its place offering or presenting of money in a very extravagant way to the performers of the Sankritan by a stream of 'pseudo-devotees' has become a much fashionable and regular practice of the day causing actually some sort of unwanted interruptions to the solemn devotional proceeding throughout. In fact, the divine Krishna Leela of the Braja Brindaban was performed by the Lord not for any materialistic purpose but for the realization of all the beings of their inherent spiritual relationship that eternally exists in between them and the supreme being in terms of 'love' and it is for this very reason that Lord Krishna barred even His eternal consort, Shri Lakshmi Devi, the goddess of 'wealth' from accompanying Him and entering in the sacred place of Braja Brindaban as is highlighted in the most glaring portion of the Srimad Bhagavatam in the 10th canto and the 'Rash-panchadhay' chapter. Of course, Shri Lakshmi Devi accompanied her eternally inseparable Lord in the incarnated form as Shrimati Radhika, the eternal source from whom originates the divine love (prem) which cannot be acquired at all by wealth no matter how much it amounts to - rather abundant possession of it makes one easily forgetful of his or her true spiritual relationship with the supreme being. In fine, what may be said is that the performance of the Manipuri Nat Pala Sankritana music as is being carried out in its present form has totally lost its 'intrinsic purpose' of giving the spiritual and devotional values, and therefore, one cannot but truly wonder as to the serving of its purpose any longer as a 'must be done' (indispensable item for the devotional functions of the society.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)

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