Research compiles 58 ‘neglected’ Punjabi texts

Patiala, October 30

Research has been done at Punjabi University about “Aarti’, one of the various religious poetic forms prevalent in the field of Punjabi literature. This research has been done at the Department of Punjabi by Rajan under the leadership of Supervisor Buta Singh Brar. In this dissertation, the researcher has also compiled 58 neglected Punjabi “Aarti” texts, apart from the analysis of 11 universally accepted “Aartis”.

Collected from various sources, these texts include one Aarti of Jagrata, 29 Aartis of Sanjhi Mai, four Aartis of the Ravidasiya community, 23 “Aartis” of the Nihang Singh community, and one “Aarta” of the Udasi community.

Brar said “Aarti” is the most popular form of poetry in Indian folk life. The poets during the Middle Ages made it the medium of their poetic expression, and as a result, it became a home in people’s minds. He said “Aarti” has always been associated with deities, but all the other forms are generally overlooked. Thus, this research has been done to fill the gaps that exist in the knowledge of this poetic form.

He added “Aarti” is a traditional form of Punjabi poetry of religious nature. Its development has been a journey from being a ritual to becoming poetry. In terms of it being a ritual, its seeds lie in the “Agni” in the “Yagna Anushthana”, which is performed in the Sanatan Dharma. This eventually transforms into “Jyoti” during worship.

He said that in the research, the Punjabi forms of “Aarta” and “Aarti” have been talked about as well. According to their general concept, “Aarta” is considered to be a longer creation compared to “Aarti”, but the researcher has gone one step beyond this. He said that “Aarta” means a distressed person who is in a state of despair when his worldly needs are not met and who appears to bow before the divine power.

Rajan, the researcher, based his research on the folk and religious literature of Punjab, Nath-Jogi literature, Gurmati literature, and modern Punjabi literature. He added that for the research, he divided Punjabi “Aarti” into “Nirguna” and “Sarguna” categories. The “Sarguna Punjabi Aarti” is associated with the “Vaishnava”, “Shaiva”, and “Shakta” schools of the Indian religion. The aim of both categories is to attain harmony with the divine, but the path they choose to get there is different. Vice Chancellor Arvind congratulated the researcher and his supervisor.