Padhams

Padhams are scholarly compositions. The word, "Padha" was used to describe any "devotional song" in the olden days, but in recent times it is used to describe a particular type of musical form which belongs to dance repertoire. Though the padham belongs to the world of dance music, it is often sung in concerts (usually towards the end) because of its excellent musical quality. The sangītham(musicality) and Sāhithyam(lyrics) of the Padham are heavy. This form was perfected in the 17th Century by Kṣhethragna who is aptly called Father of the modern Padham.

The Padham has three sections: Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charaṇam, it is usually sung in a slower tempo. It may have three or more Charaṇams which are usually sung in the same tune, though they are textually different. The text deals with the concept of the "lover and beloved".

Padham brings out the relationship of Nāyaka-Nāyaki (hero and heroine) as well as thōzhi (close friend) explaining the joy, sorrow, and other feelings of love. They indirectly refer to god, since the Nāyaka is said to represent the “Paramāthma” (Great Soul, God), the Nāyikā(heroine) represents the Jīvāthma (human soul, man), and the thōzhi represents the guru (teacher), so the words of each is thought to help the audience reach mōkṣha (heaven).

In dance, Padhams give more importance to the Abhinaya part than footwork. But, unless the dancer inwardly feels the emotions, she cannot perform the Padham well. Each line of the song can be interpreted in many different ways. Karnātic music has hundreds of Padhams composed by poets and musicians and many of these have been rendered in dance. In Thelugu, padhams often have Lord Kriṣhṇa as the Nāyaka, while Tamil Padhams often have Lord Subramaṇya (Murugan) as their Nāyaka.

The first padhams in Sanskrit were composed by Vāsudheva Kavi who adorned the court of King Sarfoji of Tanjore. In the present days lyrics in Marāṭhi, Kannada and other languages are used for performing padham. However, in the olden days it was limited to Thelugu and Tamil only. And then there is the variety known as Kshethragna padham, which every artiste considers to be quite a challenge to execute. The verses of Kshethragna are set to slow rhythm but the emotions that are expressed in them are a bit too complex and a real challenge for the artiste to bring them out through sthāyi bhāva. If an artiste can perform to the verses of Kshethragna he or she can be considered to have mastered the art a great deal.

Most of the padhams are woven around God. Since the main theme of padham is the expression of feelings of the Nāyaki - estranged or otherwise - it can safely be concluded that the rasa would always be Śhrungāra and the God on whom the verse is written would always be in the male form.

Rāga: Sahānā
Thāḷa: Chāpu
Composer: Kṣhethragnya
Meanings - Word by word, Meanings – Overall, Alignment, Diacriticals & consequent spelling changes, Language & grammar editing, if any and necessary, of existing meaning: Team Ambalam

Pallavi:
Chūḍare adhi naḍacé hoyalu sudathi séyu jāḍalu

Anupallavi:
Ᾱdadhi kulakānthā atthinṭi kūḍalu ala gōpāluni viḍidhiki veḍale

Charaṇam1:
koṇḍantha kāpuramé rānu pōnu kōmaļiki andhalamé dhaṇḍu-
bajāriki magaḍutakkuva émō thalavrāthalevariki thappimpa vashamé

Charaṇam2:
paiṭa kongu jārinanu theliyaka bhayamentayu léka
sāṭivāru navvudhurani enchaga thōchadaṭe gayyāḷi balujūṭṭi

Charaṇam3:
attha māma bhāva marudhulanu thiṭṭi apakīrthi koḍigaṭṭi
guṭṭugānu muvvagōpālu chébaṭṭi kūḍinadhé idhi maniṣhā mākā

Meaning:

Pallavi:
Chūḍare adhinaḍaché hoyalu sudathi séyu jāḍalu

Chūḍare - see;
Adhi- that woman;
naḍaché- the walk;
hoyalu- charm;
sudati – lady;
séyu –does;
jāḍalu – style;

Look at the style of her gait and the shadows that dangle behind her.

Anupallavi:
Ᾱdadhi kulakānthā atthinṭi kūḍalu alagōpāluni viḍidhiki veḍale

Adadhi- that woman;
Kulakānthā- an honorable wife;
atthinṭi- of mother-in-law's house
kūḍalu-to join;
ala-that;
gōpāluni –of gōpāla;
viḍidhiki - to the place where he stays;
veḍale- went;

A woman, a housewife, living under the care of the “in-laws” has set out
towards Gōpāla s rest-house.

Charaṇam1:
koṇḍantha kāpuramé rānu pōnu kōmalikandhalamé dhaṇḍu-
bajāriki magaḍutakkuva émō thalavrāthalevariki thappimpa vashamé

koṇḍantha - mighty;
kāpuramé – household;
rānu pōnu- coming and going;
kōmaliki - to the maiden;
andhalamé - only a palanquin;
dhaṇḍu-bajāriki- to the merry - making woman;
magaḍu- husband;
thakkuva- of lesser value;
émō- perhaps;
thalavrāthalu- writing on the forehead (to mean destiny);
evariki - for whom;
thappimpa- to escape;
vashamé- who has the ability?

A home of respectability and high commitments, a palanquin to
move hither and thither, is not her husband unworthy of this cheap public woman?
Oh, who can change one’s destiny?

Charaṇam 2:
paiṭa kongu jārinanu theliyaka bhayamentayu léka
sāṭivāru navvudhurani enchaka tōchadaṭe gayyāḷi balujūṭ ṭi

paiṭa kongu- the large border of the saree;
jārinanu - even upon slipping;
theliyaka- without knowing;
bhayamu- fear;
entayu- whatsoever;
léka- without;
sāṭivāru- peers;
navvudhurani- that they will laugh;
enchaga - to think;
thōchadaṭe – doesn't she realize?;
gayyāḷi- a mean woman;
balujūṭṭi- very powerful;

Unaware of the upper cloth slipping down, having the least amount of fear
not caring for people around laughing, goes about there, the termagant coquette

Charaṇam 3:
attha māma bhāva marudhulanu thiṭṭi apakīrthi koḍigaṭṭi
guṭṭugānu muvvagōpālu chébaṭṭi kūḍinadhé idhi maniṣhā mākā

attha- mother-in-law;
māma - father-in-law;
bhāva- husband’s elder brother;
marudhulanu – having destined them to;
thiṭṭi- abuse;
apakīrthiki- to tarnished reputation;
oḍigaṭṭi- having destined them to;
guṭṭugānu- secretly;
muvvagōpālu -Kriṣhṇa;
chébaṭṭi - having taken his company;
kūḍinadhé- romanced him;
idhi- this woman;
maniṣhā- is she a human?;
mākā - is she a tree?;

Abusing everyone among the “in-laws” and having subjected them to insults
joins Lord Muvvagopāla as if bound by a bond, is she a woman or a wooden log?