ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>V&#256R</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="VR"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279V&#256R, a verse form in Punjabi popular in folklore as well as in refined poetry. In the old bardic tradition of the Punjab, <i>v&#257r</i> meant the poem itself with its typical theme as also the form in which it was cast. The earliest <i>v&#257rs</i> were ballads of battles and dynastic feuds, of issues of honour fought at the point of the sword and of romantic love. The Gur&#363s employed this form for spiritual themes. The <i>v&#257r</i> in Punjabi has since acquired a predominantly Sikh character, though the content subsequently changed from spiritual to heroic. The <i>v&#257rs</i> of Sikh martyrs and heroes enjoy much vogue and are sung with fervour at Sikh gatherings.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The secular <i>v&#257rs</i> were sung by the bards before village audiences, panegyrizing the gallantry of folk heroes and warriors. <i>V&#257rs</i> were also sung to the warriors before they marched into the field of battle. A common practice was for the family bard to sing <i>v&#257rs</i> standing at the portal of a tribal or local chief, recounting the brave deeds of his ancestors. Most chiefs maintained hereditary bards whose one function was to compose and sing verse concerning the history of the family.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sikh scripture, the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, contains twenty-two <i>v&#257rs</i> dealing with spiritual and ethical themes. They sing praises of the Lord Almighty and adjure man to endeavour to live a life of love and devotion. Of the <i>v&#257rs</i> in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, three are by Gur&#363 N&#257nak, four by Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s, eight by Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s and six by Gur&#363 Arjan. One <i>v&#257r</i> is by the bards, Satt&#257 and Balva&#7751&#7693, attached to the Gur&#363s. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh composed a <i>v&#257r</i> depicting the battles of goddess Cha&#7751&#7693&#299 against the demons. This mythological story was chosen by him to infuse among the Sikhs martial ardour. The <i>v&#257r</i> is called <i>V&#257r Sr&#299 Bhagaut&#299 J&#299 K&#299</i>, popularly known as <i>Cha&#7751&#7693&#299 d&#299 V&#257r</i>, and is included in the <i>Dasam Granth</i>. Next to scriptural <i>v&#257rs</i> is a collection of forty <i>v&#257rs</i> by Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s, a Sikh much revered in Sikh piety. His <i>v&#257rs</i> occupy a place of honour in the religious literature of the Sikhs. A <i>v&#257r</i> commonly cited is attributed to another Sikh poet with the same name (Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s II, or Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s Si&#7749gh).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Gur&#363s from the time of Gur&#363 Arjan onwards had Bha&#7789&#7789s and bards in attendance on them. After Satt&#257 and Balva&#7751&#7693, whose <i>v&#257r</i> was given scriptural status by Gur&#363 Arjan, we come across bards Abdulah and Natth Mall who sang <i>v&#257rs</i> in the time of Gur&#363 Hargobind. They are believed to have written 72 <i>v&#257rs</i>, though only a few fragments of these are still extant. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh had living with him a large number of poets and bards, prominent among them being M&#299r Mushk&#299 and M&#299r Chhab&#299l&#257 who recited <i>v&#257rs</i> at the afternoon <i>d&#299v&#257ns</i>. They are said to have composed eight <i>v&#257rs</i> on the battles of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh which were in popular circulation, especially during Sikh times, but none of which is now available. Short <i>v&#257rs</i> also called <i>pau&#7771&#299s</i> written by Bha&#7789&#7789s, mainly about Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh, the martyr, and some members of his family, have come down to modern day.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib we come across title of nine <i>v&#257rs</i> which must have been popular in different regions. These are mentioned ---indirectly ---by Gur&#363 Arjan while adding directions with regard to the style in which some of the scriptural <i>v&#257rs</i> are to be sung. The <i>v&#257rs</i> mentioned as models in this behalf are : <i>V&#257r Malak Mur&#299d tath&#257 Chandraha&#7771&#257 Soh&#299&#257, R&#257i Kam&#257ld&#299 Maujd&#299 k&#299 V&#257r, &#7788u&#7751&#7693e Asr&#257je K&#299 V&#257r, Sikandar Bir&#257him k&#299 V&#257r, Lall&#257 Bahil&#299m&#257 k&#299 V&#257r, V&#257r Jodhe V&#299&#7771&#257&#299 P&#363rba&#7751&#299 K&#299, V&#257r R&#257i Mahime Hasne K&#299, R&#257&#7751e Kail&#257s ate M&#257ldeo k&#299 V&#257r</i>, and <i>M&#363se k&#299 V&#257r</i>. One stanza each of these <i>v&#257rs</i> was quoted as a specimen by Pa&#7751&#7693it T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh Narotam (1822-91) in his <i>Gurmat Nir&#7751aya S&#257gar</i>. The same stanzas have been quoted by some later writers as well, but fuller versions of none of these <i>v&#257rs</i> are known to exist.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Structurally, a <i>v&#257r</i> consists of a number of stanzas, called <i>pau&#7771&#299s</i>. The number of <i>pau&#7771&#299s</i> as well as of lines to a <i>pau&#7771&#299</i> varies from <i>v&#257r</i> to <i>v&#257r</i>, though the lines in a <i>pau&#7771&#299</i> must have a common rhyme. The <i>pau&#7771&#299</i> has also been identified with a kind of poetic metre : Bh&#257&#299 K&#257hn Si&#7749gh of N&#257bh&#257 gives 30 different specimens of <i>pau&#7771&#299 chhand</i>, varying in scale from 20 to 32 <i>m&#257tr&#257s</i> or prosodic syllables. The word '<i>pau&#7771&#299</i>' has also been used as another name for a <i>v&#257r</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The <i>v&#257rs</i> in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, with the exception of <i>Basant k&#299 V&#257r</i> and <i>R&#257mkal&#299 k&#299 V&#257r</i> by Satt&#257 and Balva&#7751&#7693, have <i>&#347lokas</i> added to their <i>pau&#7771&#299s</i> by Gur&#363 Arjan at the time of the compilation of the Scripture. These &#347lokas, which precede the <i>pau&#7771&#299s</i>, vary in number and sometimes also in authorship.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>&#346abad&#257rth Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib</i>. Amritsar, 1959<BR> <li class="C1"> Ashok, S.S., <i>Pr&#257ch&#299n V&#257r&#257&#7749 te Ja&#7749gn&#257me</i>. Amritsar, 1 983<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Dharam Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>