Manipur's contribution to Indian Culture : Manipuri Music
- Part 2 -

Laishram Birendrakumar Singh *

Pena - an indigenous musical instrument from Manipur :: Pix - Mayanglambam Mangangsana (Laihui)

WHAT IS PENA?

Pena is very old musical instrument of the Meities and it has been playing an important and prominent role in Meities cultural life from the time immemorial. It is a sacred musical instrument to the Meities like the 'Veene' of the ancient India. As we know, in Ramayana (400B.C.), the Veena played a prominent part in the music performances in Royal court and private chambers.

In the Mahabharata and Harivamsa we find different type of Veena, used by the kins, Brahmins, Yadavas and Samagas. In Manipur also, the Pena of Manipur takes important role in the Royal Court private chamber of the King since early days.

Pena is a bowing instrument under Tata vadya, according to the classification of Bharat's Natya Sastra, played on solo, group and accompaniment as well as in dance concert.

To this class of Pena, Bena of Goalpara in Assam, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar in North Bengal may be mentioned in their similarities in basic form. Dr. Asutosh Bhattacharya, an eminent folklorist of Bengal, has mentioned about 'Kusane gan' that is prevalent in rural areas of the District of Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar in North Bengal and the music 'Kusane' is led by a local stringed instrument known as 'Bena'. 'Bena' seems to be very primitive type of stringed instrument (Veena).

No other stringed instrument, foreign or indigenous has been able to replace it so far. Therefore, it is still very conservative so far as its performance is concerned (Asutosh Bhattacharya, 1978:167-78). Again in Assam the 'Bena' is found in the district of Goalpara, where the rural people conduct a performance 'Kusane gan' (Birendra Nath Datta 1977:68).

In Vedic period, the Kashyapi or kacchapi-Veena was mostly used to accompany the chorus songs, sung by the priest as well as by the wives and unmarried girls of the priests, engaged in the sacred sacrifices. It has been mentioned in some Brahmans that the priests and the Samagas or singers used to sing sama ganas, and sometimes the wives of the priests as well the girls used to play the Kacchapi-Veena and used to dance in unison, enriched the blazing fire of the alters and that time they used to clap the palms of their hands to keep the rhythm of the songs and dances (Prajnanda 1979-35).

Similarly, the Manipuris in their Laiharaoba festival appears to be originated from time immemorial used this Pena to accompany the chorus songs Augri and Khencho sung by the Maibas as well as the Maibees and women engaged in the sacred festival, during the chorus singing and dancing. The Aseiba ojas (Pena players) used to play 'Pena' enriching the festival and they used to clap the palms of their hands to keep the rhythm of the dance and songs. From the above, the three old musical instruments: Pena, Bena and Veena sound very much closed to each other so far as their performances and quality are concerned. A deep study and research works are still required.

Pena is a very old stringed folk musical instrument and it has been playing an important role, in Manipuri cultural life from time immemorial. In king's days, those 'Pena' musicians in the royal; court, they sing only the 'Lairon-isheis' (songs related to the dieties) and songs teaching with high philosophical ideas and very strictly unmistakable during the performance. Some of the important roles of 'Pena-ishei' in the cultural life of the Manipuri society are:

(1) In functional songs relating to adoration of the deities,

(2) In the royal functions of 'leimakol ningthoukol' (royal harem)

(3) In social functions of the then society in the pre-Hindu and post-Hindu period up to the reign of King Chandrakirti Singh

(4) In social entertainments after the reign of the king and till today.

From the above actions and interactions rendered by the Pena-music in the cultural life of the Manipuris, it seems that the standard of music and its style was very high. Thus, by the end of the 19th century A.D., part of the Pena musician of Manipur became secular type of Pena musician and some of them remained as ritualistic singers.

Since, Pena music became a secular type of music its ritualistic nature partially decreased and slowly the idea was more to express different human feeling with the help of the musical tunes. So the modern Pena musical aspects developed by the new Pena musician known as 'Phasak ojas' became so popular to the common listeners. However Manipuri Pena singer's both ritualistic and secular, have strong faith that the bow represents god (Lainingthou) and the resonator represents goddess (Lairembi).

So, before beginning of any music with Pena, the musician invokes god and goddess and begins with deep faith and reverence. Conception of Pena and its significance is taken very high by the Manipuris, they take as a manifestation of goddess at the time of creation. God has left this Pena unto man for use in veneration of Him. The bow held by the right hand manifestation of the Father the god and resonator at the chest held by the left hand in the manifestation of the Mother the goddess and the interaction of the two indicators the creation of man.

Regarding origin of music, in India, mythological interpretations also into being "The ancient Indians conceived the idea of twin gods, Siva and Parvati or Narayana and Lakshmi, i.e., Purusha and Prakriti, under the influence of Tantricism and Vaishnivism, and side by side philosophical ideas of music evolved from them" (Prajnananda1976-6). Likewise, origin of the Meities music also conceived the idea of the twin god Lainingthou and Lairembi, both from mythological interpretation and side by philosophical idea of music evolved from them

In one Pena song:
Aren khutlei nung on babu thada pam
ru ru laubi Khonjen lenna
handok-hanjinabagi ri-rei-ri-rei

Meaning:
Heart rendering bowing instrument in the chest
The Prime sound rendering ru ru
Bowing up and down ri-rei-ri-rei

Pandit Bhogeshwar expressed that, the sound 'ru' is the combination of 'r' and 'u' in which 'r' is the Laimaren (goddess) and 'u' is the Lainingthou (god). from this, the intuitive artists and musicologist will like to described further that there are two forms of melody types (raga), one is Sound - form (nada-maya or shabda-maya) and the other is Deity form (Devata-maya).

The idea of invoking the presiding deity or the spirit of the divinity by means of a dhyana formula, an evocative scheme of prayer for the contemplation, has led to the conception of the forms of ragas and raginis in dual aspects viz, as audible sound-forms and visible Image-form-nada maya-rupa and Devarta maya-rupa. On the other hand the word 'ru' of the Pena music swara, is equivalent to the 'Madhyama' of the Indian music. This sound forms very sacred to the Pena music. In any music invoking the presiding deities, the swara ru swara 'Madhyama' starts as prime swara.

Lastly, "According to Sangita-Ratnakara, the most elaborate work on music by Sarangadeva (1210-1247 A.D), music is of two types Marga (Sacred) and Desi (Secular).

Marga music is old and traditional, coming down from the gods. It aims at attending salvation. Whereas, Desi music is composed by mortal experts. It is secular in nature and aims at entertaining people (C.F. also Northern Indian Music vol-I., 1949, Alan Danielou, PP 38-39 for other interpretations of Marga and Desi music). It will be a misnomer to call the present-day classical Indian music Marga sangeet, for it is but a development of the musical therefore expounded by Matanga, one of the earliest authorities, in his famous work BRIHAD-DESI (the great compilation of Desi music)". S. Bhattacharya: Folk lore 1968-60).

From the above nature and characteristic of Marga sangeet why Pena music of Manipur should not be lifted to level of Marga Sangeet or to the level of the major traditional music.

However, Pena music has two natures one is ritualistic and other is secular type of music development only in the 19th century A.D. This secular type of music may be treated as Desi.

To be continued...