Chhand

Chhand is an ancient concept from the Vedic period. sanskrit literature developed on the lines of Chhand which gave it rhythm and musicality.

When letters in words are pronounced or divided in definite time it is called as Chhand. 

Sound has two elements – swar and kaal. The Swar element is explored through sangeet and kavya and the kaal element through Taal and chhand. Hence both sangeet and kavya have an in-depth relation with Taal and chhand.  While speaking, the rhythm is irregular and in sangeet the Laya and Taal are regular. Just as how sangeet is dependent and expressed using Taal, kavya is expressed using chhand. 

Bharat has said that in music the word or shabd encompasses the swar and the chhand encompasses the time element. There is no word without chhand and there is no chhand without word. The element of time is essential to words or sounds as sound exists in time. We understand time only when we understand sound or when its divided in time.

When poetry is composed in chhand, then it is said to become immortal. Hence all the ancient text, shlokas and mantras are composed in various chhands. Vidhwan Pingal is said to have established the chhand shastra.

Chhandheeno na shabdosti na chchhandashshabdarjitam

Kavya or poetry gains its discipline from chhand. 

Laya is used to measure time in definite divisions and chhand is used to give shape and form to the division. Words like raamlala, ramaalala, raamlaal have the same length but different stress on consonants and vowels and hence they sound different.

Chhand is associated with sound and words as it is inherent quality. The interplay of vowels and consonants can give rise to different chhands.

Chhand in poetry is made from laghu and Guru units. In other words when laghu-guru or krasva-deerga units are employed to make special rhythms then it is called chhand. Laghu is one akshar kaal and Guru is two akshar kaal and words with more than two akshar kaal were not used. Hence chhand is associated with Laya which is used in meaningful and meaningless compositions. The words laghu-guru or krasva-deerga have a slight difference even though they are used interchangeably. The first pair is used in taal and chhand shastra and the second in grammer of language. The words krasva-deerga are associated with vowels such as a e u. since words use both consonants and vowels and the type of vowel which thereby determines the chhand. When it is associated with a krasva vowel, it is called 'Laghu akshar’ and when it is associated with a deerga vowel, it is called 'guru akshar’. But sometimes the krasva vowel also becomes deerga when it is followed by a compound consonant, visarga or anusvara. Like-'M' in Mattakokila, 'H' in Patahh, and 'V' in Vanshi.

Laghu-guru of Chhand is generally equivalent to Krasva-Deerga Matra but Laghu-Guru in Taal Shastra is not equivalent to Krasva-Deerga Matra or Laghu-Guru. In ancient history, the period of Laghu was considered to be the pronunciation-time of 5 Hrswakshar and the period of Guru was considered to be the pronunciation-time of 10 Hrswakshar.

Chhand used in kaavya and sangeet have a difference. Every verse has an inherent chhand due to the usage of suitable words. But in music, the vowels take prominence and hence chhand changes when the same word is sung. When a Kavita is read out there is a different and natural flow of words according to the speed and word used. When the same words are sung in a composition, the original chhand is lost and now it assumes the form of the Taal in which it is sung.

Chhand as in Taal and laya help in increasing the rasanubhuthi in the listener.

There are two forms of chhand

1. Maatrik Chhand

2. Varnik Chhand

That which is determined by matra is maatrik chhand such as chaupayi, doha, harigeetika, rela, chhappya, kundaliyan. In this chhand, the matras are increased or decreased. Here the order of laghu-guru is not fixed.

Maatrik Gan

1. Sa Re Sa,… Trimatrik

2. Sa Re Ga Re,…. Chaturmatrik

3. Sa Re Ga Re Sa,…. Panchamatrik

4. Sa Re Ga Ma Ga Re,…. Shatmatrik

5. Sa Re Ga Sa Re Ga Ma, …. Saptamatrik

That which is determined by varna is varnik chhand such as maalika, mandakrant, thotak, dhanaakshari, savaiyaa. In this chhand, various varnas are created with multiple arrangements of Laghu and Guru. The arrangement of laghu and guru in a chhand is fixed. 

In poetry chhand are based on ganas. There are 8 such ganas which consist of three matras. The various permutations of laghu or Guru form 8 ganas (2x2x2).

The names are – Yagan, Magan, Nagan, Bhagan, Jagan, Ragan, Sagan, Tagan.

Gana Symbol Alankar

Yagan | S S S R- G-

Magan S S S S- R- S-

 Nagan | | | S R G

Bhagan S | | S- RG

Jagan | S | S R- G

Ragan S | S S- R G-

Sagan | | S SR G-

Tagan S S | S- R- G

Chhand and Taal

Just as Chhand is the basis of kaavya, taal is the basis of sangeet. But there is a difference between chhand and taal even though both are based on time. Chhand is inherent in words and verses and therefore kaavya cannot be created without chhand. Taal on the other hand is independent and is used to measure time of the kaavya being sung. Any poetry can be recited without a taal or sung in a taal. When it is sung there in an inherent musical chhand which the taal supports. A same composition can be sung in teen Taal, jhap Taal, ektaal but accordingly some words are shortened and some extended. Hence based on the Taal, the chhand also varies. 

In margi and deshi taals of ancient times, the arrangement of laghu and guru was fixed as in the chachaputa Gu Gu La Plu totalling 8 matras. In the current day Taals, the matras are all equal time. It is differentiated by no of matras and vibhags. In modern Day taals, even though there are many taals with same matras and same or different vibhags, it cannot be used interchangeably. While Teen Taal is used in all layas, tilwada is suitable only for vilambit.

Before the dhrupad, prabhand was sung which were chhand badh. 

Thotak, dandak, jhampat, simhapad, gaatha, aarya were prabhandas and sung in the chhandas of similar name. Various prabhandas were sung in different chhandas. 

The text geeta-govind is one such masterpiece which is valued for its music and poetry. It uses a variety of chhands.

The dhrupad gayan took over prabhandas as the latter was extremely long in stanza and placed high importance on the clarity of swar and words in the stanza and with changing tastes of people from words to swar. This way, dhrupad entered the royal courts due to its concise, simple, and composed in various taals with high musicality 

Dhrupad was sung in the dhanaakshri chhand. The 31-31 aksharas of dhanaakshari chhand in 4 charans became the 4 divisions of dhrupad – sthayi, antara, sanchari, abhogi. The khandas used 8-8-8-7 aksharas in the four divisions. 

Dhrupad is sung in the chaartaal of 12 matras and hence to bring the dhanaakshari metre in this Taal, some traction was required. Similarly, the same can be sung in jhaptaal or sool Taal. There are compositions which cannot be sung in a different Taal as the aksharas are tightly fixed in the position in the taals. 

In bada khayal, which is sung in vilambit Laya, the pada and its chhand tend to lose meaning to the raga-alaap as one cannot experience it.