Maratha Life From Bardic Lit 18c - Rao

SIDE-LIGHT ON THE MARATHA LIFE FROM THE BARDIC (शाहिरी) LITERATURE OF THE 18th
CENTURY
Author(s): Vasanta Dinanath Rao
Source: Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 3 (1939), pp. 1194-1212
Published by: Indian History Congress
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44252466
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22
SIDE-LIGHT ON THE MARATHA LIFE

FROM THE BARDIC ( LITERA-
TURE OF THE 18th CENTURY
Mr. Vasanta Dinanath Rao, M.A., LL.B.

Ramnarairt Ruia College , Bombay
The Marathi bardic poetry, consisting mainly of the

historical ballads (Powadas) and the love songs ( Lavanis ),
composed by the wandering sect of Maharastrian bards
known by the name of Gondhali 1 during the 17th and 18th
centuries, covers a vast province of the Marathi literature,
little explored and deplorably neglected by the students and
critics of the Marathi literature. This bardic school of
literature took its rise in the latter half of the 17th century,
with the rise of the spirit of patriotism among the Marathas,2
and it flourished in the 1 8th century during the period which
witnessed the zenith of the glory and prosperity of the
Maratha Empire. Its rise was contemporaneous with that of
another great school of Marathi poetry, essentially different in
spirit and form. The famous Marathi poets, Waman Pandit
and Moropant, were amongst others the exponents of this
other school of poetry, while Parsharama, Prabhakar, Ram
Joshi, Honaji Bal, Anant Fandi, Saganbhau were the chief
poets belonging to the bardic school. The poetry of Waman
Pandit's school is devotional, didactic and often philosophical
in nature and aims at preaching an ideology of moral and
spiritual development of the human mind and soul ; on the
1 ' Acworth - Ballads of the Marathas (1894),
SIDE-UGHT ON THE MARATHA LIFE 1195
other hand the function of the bardic poetry, as conceived

by the bards ( Shahirs ), was to stir the patriotic sentiment of
the people and to yield a sensuous pleasure. This radical
difference between the two schools regarding the function of
poetry has led to a divergence in topics and subject-matter
chosen for their poetry as well as in the mode and form of
their expression. The bards have chosen the subjects of
their ballads and lays mostly from the current historical
events of the time and occurrences from everyday life and
ordinary human passions and sentiments. The selection of
the familiar and ordinary subjects for the bardic poems
imparts a rare realistic liveliness to these bardic poems and
songs and in them we find a reflection of the social life of the
time. My aim in writing this paper is to take a brief review
of this bardic literature of Maharashtra as throwing light on
the life of the Marathas of the 18th century. In doing this I
propose to confine myself to the two main branches of this
literature, viz., the powadas (or the historical ballads) and the
lavartis (or the love songs), although a large number of other
types of poetical compositions forms part of this bardic
literature. It would also be impossible to take a detailed
survey of these two branches of bardic poetry within the
limited compass of this paper and I have to confine myself to
a broad review of these poems as throwing light on the
Maratha society of the 18th century.
The various forms of bardic literature, varying though in
form and subject-matter, have got a common background,
and this is the glorification of the national achievements,
customs and sentiments. The chief sentiments which find
expression in these bardic poems and songs are patriotism
and sensuous passion. The powadas usually give expression
to the former while the latter finds expression in lavanis.
This does not mean that other sentiments did not find place
in these ballads or lays. But the predominance of these two
sentiments in this poetry is noteworthy and can be explained
11% INDIAN HISTORY CONGRESS
to be the inevitable result of the peculiar social an

conditions prevailing at the time, which gave bir
favoured the growth of this literature.
Of these two forms of bardic poetry powada w
earlier growth. The povoadas were composed by G
who officiated as priests at certain religious function
by the name *TÎSRÏ (Gondhal)
Amba-bhavani. On these occasions of w

to be sung by the Gondhalis after the
before the congregation of devotees. U
the 17th century, the subject-matter of t
religious and mythological. But a great
had swept over the Maratha country in
1 7th century giving an impetus to the
arms for the deliverance of their moth
struggle for national independence lau
Shivaji was closely associated with the c
(Amba-Bhavani) worship ; the godd
came to be looked upon as the martial
and boon were sought to ensure succ
struggle. Consequently, the religiou
songs sung at the Gondhal functions g
ballads ( powadas ), as more fitting to
change took place sometime in the
century and one of the earliest powada
on the subject of the destruction and
Muhammedan Sar dar Afzul Khan b
The powada is entitled (powada of
the killing of Afzulkhan) composed by the Shah
(Ajnandas) sometime in the year 1659. This
the earliest of the known powadas .
These historical powadas , however imperfec
and rhythm, possess a singular beauty of their
lies mainly in the unartificial expression of th
sentiment and patriotic fervour of the people
SIDE-LIGHT ON THE MARATHA LIFE 1197
as found in them. They depict faithfully and simply the

political events and conditions in Maharashtra during the
17th and 18th centuries and in them a student of the history
of the time will find a mine of information, more accurate
and reliable than that derived from any other sources of the
Maratha history. The composers of these ballads usually
possessed a first hand and often personal knowledge of the
incidents narrated and described by them and these com-
positions can be taken to be authentic records of the his-
torical incidents narrated therein. Almost all the important
episodes from the Maratha history have been commemorated
by the shahirs in their powadas, e.g., the destruction of
Afzulkhan by Shivaji, the siege of Sinhagad and death of
Tanaji, the siege of Bassein, the battle of Panipat, the assassi-
nation of Narayanrao Peshwa, the battle of Kharda. All these
momentous events in the Maratha history have been narrated
in various powadas by different bards, in a graphic and
powerful manner, in their true historical settings and without
infidelity to facts. They give us, besides an authentic
report of the historical events, a vivid idea about the civil
and military life of the Marathas of the 1 8th century their
military organization and equipment, the mode of their
warf Me and their military strategy, etc. They tell us how
the whole nation of the Marathas was knit together by a
common bond of national unity, forgetting all the
differences of caste, creeds, sects, etc. The people had,
no doubt, all the failings of human nature ; but their one
great quality, which makes us forget their weaknesses and
pardon their occasional follies, is their intense patriotic
sense and burning desire to free their homeland from the
clutches of the Muhammadan despots and end their tyranny
and religious oppression. We find a reflection of this
sentiment of the Marathas everywhere in these powadas.
The second branch of the bardic poetry comprising
the love lyrics and didactic poems known by the name
1198 INDIAN HISTORY CONGRESS
lavarti s , was of a later growth. This type of bardi

was very popular and in great demand during the
half of the 18th century. Most of the important po
have produced this type of poetry flourished dur
period. It is not at all difficult to see why this
poetry should have flourished during this particula
if we study the historical events and the social and
conditions in Maharashtra at the time. The second
the 18th century in Maharashtra, was the period of th
of glory of the Maratha Empire, excepting for a few
incidents which gave a set-back to the Maratha gl
prosperity, and these songs were the natural resul
popular demand for poetry to please and entertain
section of the population imbibed with a desire for
pleasures and enjoyments typical of those tim
foundations of the Maratha Empire were firmly ro
a new and unprecedented era of prosperity had se
a result of achievement of national liberty and end of
oppression. The military struggles and campaig
by no means over ; but with the consolidation
Maratha Empire, the Marathas had developed their
strength to such a degree of efficiency that th
invariably the victors on the battle-field. The M
soldiers, who had to spend the major portion of t
outside home far away from their motherland, in
of opportunities to use their swords in the servic
motherland and returned home after a long and wear
of absence to rest their swords and enjoy the warmth
hearth, cherished quite naturally an eager desire t
themselves as best as they could, during the compa
short period of rest. The amusements and recr
indulged in by them were bound to be of a light
They could not be expected to have recourse to
studies of religion or philosophy or to any other seri
of relaxation, after having spent months abroad
going all sorts of toils and hardships and in constant dange

to their lives and bodies, in service of their motherland.
Naturally enough, the Maratha soldiers, whenever they
returned home from their weary campaigns, sought pleasure
in lighter types of entertainments, the chief and most
popular of which was the Tamasha - a concert at which
light songs known by the name lavanis were sung accom-
panied by dancing. The subject-matter of these lavanis
was usually the descriptions of amourous intrigues or erotic
passions and sentiments, although philosophical teachings
have sometimes formed the subject-matter of these lavanis.
The narrations and descriptions contained in these lavanis
were very often quite sensuous and voluptuous, but the spirit
behind these is truly the spirit of the time. The average
Maratha of the time could little understand and appreciate
the higher literature that was available to him at that time
in the shape of the philosophical, devotional and narrative
poetry of the poets of the school of Moropant and others ;
nor could he find in them a gratification of the passions
uppermost in his heart. He was a true soldier, but at the
same time a simple man, with ordinary, humdrum tastes
and likings and what could please him was something from
everyday life. The lavanis, narrating or describing the
episodes of common life and ordinary human passions and
emotions suited his taste and understanding admirably and
hence the popularity and rapid growth of this class of
literature during the period. The bards or shahirs, who
used to compose and siñg powadas formerly, began to
compose lavanis and sing these themselves or supply them
to the bands of singers who sang at the Tamashas.
Still another cause of the popularity of this type of songs
was to be found in the growth of a taste for an easy
luxurious life with the stability and prosperity of the Maratha
kingdom. The long contact with the Muhammadans could
not fail to create in the Marathas a liking for leading
a luxurious life for which the former were well known. The
simple Maratha soldier of the early days leading a very
simple life at home had vanished in the period of prosperity
of the Maratha Empire. An increasing desire for comfort
and luxuries, both bodily and mental, was to be found in
the soldiers of this time. With the establishment of a
national empire in Maharashtra and the growth of a sense
of security from foreign invasion and oppression, the wealth
of the nation increased considerably and the people were
in a position to lead a more comfortable and luxurious life
than before. Amusements and recreations came to be
sought by the Maratha soldiers during their leisure time at
home and these lavanis, which afforded them a sensuous
pleasure, quite legitimately sought after the dangers and
hardships of the camp life, became popular. A number of
companies which performed tamashas at which lavanis were
sung, came into existence and this pastime was universally
popular in Maharashtra till the end of the Maratha Empire.
The structure and rhythm of these lavanis was eminently
suited for their use at these musical concerts and the musical
quality of the lavani contributed greatly to its popularity.
It will thus be seen that the lavani literature was a
product of the popular demand of the Maratha society of the
1 8th century and its popularity lay in the universal appeal
contained in these lavanis for the people of the time. This
universal appeal of the lavanis proceeded from the fact that
they were about everyday incidents and common passions
of the ordinary people and the songs contained a vivid and
realistic description of these. They were the embodiment
of the national sentiment and passion of the time and
typical of the society of the time. They cast an illuminating
light on the social conditions of the time about which they
sing just as the powadas give us knowledge about the politi-
cal conditions of the time. The lavanis are truly national
in their spirit and subject matter and appeal to the readers and
listeners and they reflect the national character of the time.

They are, it can be said without much exaggeration, a mirror
of the Maratha society of the 18th century. Nowhere else
can we find such a fine and realistic picture of the Maratha
society of the 1 8th century as in these lavanis and therein
lies the importance of this branch of bardic poetry .
The very first thing, which is impressed upon our mind
on a study of the lavani literature, is the laxity of the ideas
of morality prevailing during the 1 8th century in the Maratha
society. The moral standard of the society of the 18th
century in general, as is reflected in these poems, differs
widely from that of to-day and the considerable laxity of
morals of the Marathas of the time is likely to shock many
of us. But it must be remembered that the conception of
morality of the people of that time is quite in consonnance
with the spirit and ideology of the time. A large section of
the Maratha society of the time comprised, as we have
observed above, a warrior class fighting for the national
cause at great individual sacrifice. In such people, who can
hardly look to any mental or bodily comforts while on duty,
a strong wave of reaction is bound to set in whenever they
are off duty and the result is considerable laxity occurring in
their moral conceptions. Excess of bodily discomfort and
hardship tends to increase the desire for greater comfort and
luxury, excess of mental strain due to the constant shadow of
danger incidental to the warrior's profession, tends to a relaxa-
tion of the rigid standards and conceptions of morality and
other social conduct, whenever conditions change. This is
a psychological truth and explains the laxity in the ideas of
morality of the Marathas of the 18th century. This laxity
of moral ideas on the part of the Marathas was the natural
result of the circumstances and deseives to be excused and
overlooked especially in view of the fact that it is but the
counterpart of their intense passion for the deliverance and
glorification of their homeland,
159 - 1290B
Most of these lavanis give expression to the sentimen

passionate yearning of young ladies for union with
lovers. In those times the youths of the nation had
away from their homes for the major part of the ye
their sweet-hearts at home had to spend all that time suf
the pangs of separation and pining away for their
There are numerous lavanis wherein wild state of mind
separation reflects this aspect of the society of the tim
realistically and vividly, e.g., Honaji Bal describes th
of mind of a lady long separated from her husband :
faVš 5QTH *ł% I
w ^ ii
*W<5í fi ^ Ť?T I
ita i
*?R fat qft II 8
There are numerous other lavanis of this t
very vividly depict the state of mind of
separated from their lovers.
The absence or scarcity of a thing makes its
the more intensely ; this is a universal tr
breaks in the marital and domestic happines
of the time roused their passions intensely
were free from the turmoils of warfare and a
of ordinary limit while seeking their gratificat
The voluptuous excesses, depicted in many l
therefore, mere exaggerations but reflect the o
tion from the intense mental and physical
Maratha soldiers. The continuous warfare
Maratha soldiers were engaged took a he
youths yearly, not to speak of the heav
the battle of Panipat, and great numbe
3 m *11 WIT 4 fa?WT*iť 3 Lavani 51, p. 76.
side-light on the maratha life 1203
widows, most of whom had little enjoyed the hapines

married life, were left behind to spend their lives in wret
misery. It cannot be thought unnatural if these circu
stances gave rise to numerous amours which have so o
formed the subjects of the lavanis. The lavanis are, th
fore, truly representative of social conditions of the Mar
country of the 18th century.
Another frequently occurring sentiment in these lavani
the laments of the sweet-hearts over their lovers' infidel
to them and their constant resort to other women . This also
reflects the moral laxity of the Maratha society oř the time,
which was the inevitable result of the long absence of the
Maratha soldiers from home and long separation from their
wives and sweet-hearts. The passions oř these Maratha
soldiers were ařter long periods oř abstinence kindled
all the more intensely by the comřortable and luxurious
surroundings at home. Favourable opportunities řor enjoy-
ment could hardly find adequate gratification at home, and
the ořt-deplored infidelity oř the Maratha soldiers to their
wives was natural. The bardic poets describe the people of
Maharashtra in their true colours, with all their glories and
weaknesses and hence their literature serves as a mirror
wherein is found the true reflection of the society of the time.
The vivid and detailed descriptions which we come across
in these lavanis paint before our mental vision realistic
pictures of the society oř the 18th century Maharashtra, in all
its aspects. All these songs are replete with beautiřul and
graphic descriptions oř the manners, customs and supersti-
tious belieřs oř the Maratha society oř the 1 8th century, of
the passions and enjoyments of the people, oř their dresses,
ornaments and house-decorations and oř many other minute
details of their lives. I shall proceed to quote below a few
illustrations from this lore of lavanis and show how they
throw light on various aspects of the social liře oř the
Marathas oř the 18th century.
These poets give beautiful pictures of typical sold

courtiers of the time. Below are quoted a few lines
lavani by Honaji Bal, entitled 'âiTOT', giving a graph
ture of the typical Maratha soldier of the 18th century.
fàlft ^rtiTT^T SĘT^T* -. »

wr sff i
q^TT^T ^ WÌfa ^TřlTO^ . I
Sit* Stifw f^T VR^î^t f?*T I
fai^ 1Î3Î WTVRTtf I
WTfcw W*ī% Wd I
qfaa faitt n4
Here the poet gives a vivid

the dress and ornaments, of
typical Maratha soldier.
The poet Prabhakar paints a
Maratha lady of a high fami
following lines : -
«riltjRîR fērtnft,... I
^TTSÍŤ Vfitčfi, <5lTfl«Ę ÏSÂ' čfiM itąj,... I
HT, m* m aira qfacét II

%?T3ī I I
w ami i .i«rairí ' «tfřrart
mf ITČTCTC sit i VÍ'S íffsi i
5*fa% ísrt i jttít faqiš fsit i
gi§T^t li qfaíisnra ítqi fiwwi i wgn
i ST^sraHì i^sr-- i
WÇ wn... I5
4 ^ edited by S. T. Shaligram, published by f^ąatll^r V^T ;

Lavani 134, p. 170.
* RVrm 3i<T «īfaclT, vi, "* SííTOI b faeiSTOT 5* ' (1920) ; Lavani 15,
pp. 111-12.
In these lines the poet gives a minute description of the

dress, toilet and various ornaments of a typical Maratha
lady.
The poet Ram Joshi in one lavarti describes the dress,
ornaments and toilet of a Maratha lady in the following
lines ; -
^ qrcisr srfH TTS Tn ufaran Nr ga i

i
^ZQZ vazvz îtà iřtt . . i

srfefim 3ÏTfa îfc... i
fthvt ifa ^TTfi «m fe¡3n;ü' isft vnłt i
fwsrarc «rf
TĪ^SĪ 5T%<5T frorò fearaì
33i% 3i% it °
In those lines also we find a picturesq

description of the various head-ornament
nose-ornaments, neck-ornaments, wrist-orn
ornaments. We can get from such descri
of information about the tastes and likings
the matter of dress or ornaments, etc.
Then we come across several description
to us the tastes and ideas of the Marathas of
matter of the house decorations and furn
given a few lines from Prabhakar containin
tion of a typically decorated and furnished
wsrerrff <*rfri i
in pfilt II
W5f<5U«t i
6 Prabhakar, Lavani 2, p. 92.
*§T<#f U&i ^=^p?iï čETT^rt |

zìi' m...
...qnif% vrci ąnn i
W5» ^WfgT łi^msgT HÍtlTtt II
tJ3% HTTÍ Witt I
fwft «Wî fWTTt I
q^' STīt 35«JĪ ST^f 1 7
In one song Prabhakar narrates the daily life of a lady
from a high family :
^ÉRTïjtf s33frf i 35 *T3i

^TCSîfafÎt II ^TJMl Çîfarît II q?fè
w ^gi'. • fr#' rifsqi śf^rit i mz
fra » wi tçtr
gfaiHt » - N' sfarli I ^TI
«íT»I% Il • • -fqm^ tow li . .^fïî g% gff
3WT - W lì? <pT- čfisrf fPST^T- čfiftří Wflér
qiřr qÌR^f II
ąw Wit fasici wrřrir «

qt^TTT WHS* TIT ^TSltai 5imíř ii
■ itSīI *TTw€ì - lim 3ïTW^- qtf^lT-

I ^ïig 5l«ī UïTWqT- ^TI^^T-
^STT ?9T5rare I »wN M
...tffaqiT ?|çrâr II
fercft Hlff HT II q^TO Sltą
fWt IIŁII8
The poet describes in the above lines the getting up of the

lady, her bath, worship, dinner, pastimes, etc., and gives us
7 KW ^tsit ëifl *lią<01 ^TSfrl ą<t ' faterai B9, štlÛI 69, p. 61.
8 jwt«* i u <n* ^c-^<
an idea as to the mode of daily life of the Maratha ladies o

the 18th century.
In another song Prabhakar describes the proficiency of
Maratha lady in classical music, ennumerating different Ragas
with the appropriate time of the day for singing them an
refers to the traditional belief in the effect produced by the
music : -
■*r*nfqsrf ¡raro if* nmf ^ u

fctīm sisifi w u . . .
t far <?t
řísnw^ Tjfř fcī*t ïïçCf II

if «ft *T*Ī ^frt ST msr srett u
. *1$ Ą TTriï VWm ^TT^T I
. .faTTH ^rf 1ļē*{ irtUTf^r II
TT*T ^31 9. . .
We can infer from such descriptions that there was a taste fo

classical music in the Maratha society of the 18th century
and even the ladies were all versed in classical music.
We also find some evidence in the literature in support of
the fact that the Maratha females of the 1 8th century were
not utterly uneducated. They used to receive at least som
elementary education and the boys and girls used to receiv
their early lessons together. One of the heroines of Prabha
kar says -
iî% zī$t . . 10
We also find many passages in these lava
beautiful celebrations of different religious f
9 flHrarc 'u
10 3TTWÌ J**
these we get a good idea about the social life, custo

celebrations of the people of Maharashtra during t
century. The different Hindu 'festivals frequently for
topics of lavanis, e.g., Prabhakar describes in one lav
celebration of the faiRïIT ( Shimga ) festival : -
*1! fsURï^T TT^fT I <3ST I

. . H ŤT Ht I
*ĪT*% ^ÎîT^T II fq^T5UT »
Ťn mii <5^3 i . H
çptt %«TT Śifa •
fsŒîi f?raît <33 I ^3 W3iT " • • •
The important feature of this festival, viz., the sport of

spraying coloured water and throwing gulal (red powder) is
described in the above lines. In another song he describes
the celebration of the 1T*I tHłft (Naga panohami) festival : -
ITO
fflffHT łfSTJT ïrft^T TïT SR«'* I

*T5T çm 1JS1 I •
gsnfafa i
UTO qT%5içrï i
sítew wit ^rrą^f -* « 12
The poet describes here the worship of the image of Cobra

and the feast in honour of the deity.
The famous festival of ( Navaralra ) is also des-
cribed by the same poet in another oř his lavanis, in the
following lines : -
11 wm «rncít Tit <.<

12 wiwT mf w, <n»r ut
^ HTWWT I ^ZÌ *T
sfaī Sfît il fàflì *% WSTW 3R?ït I
^T^fîTT WTřřt I fet VF^rTTcī I
*ī Hrí^íT *n*T? f^T^ ^TWt^rît *1Tř^ ! ^T
?îf ^TTrft... ^ *T*Ī I *î% H
wíiw warat i Tfítři fäquifa wmjišt i ...«kt*
<*m<rt gè vTT^T^ft ' . . .
The poet describes the various decorations made in honour oř

the festival and the musical performances, etc., during the
nine days of the festival.
From such accounts of the Hindu festivals contained in
these lavanis , we can get an idea how these religious festivals
were celebrated with great pomp and enthusiasm, reflecting
the prosperity of the period. They also show us how they had
become a part of the national life of the Marathas and how
the religious sentiment was inseparably connected with the
patriotic sentiment of the people. These festivals, indeed,
kept alive the patriotic ardour of the Marathas. Some of the
festivals were celebrated publicly at the court. We find a
beautiful description of the royal celebration of the Ranga
panchami festival at the durbar of the Peshwa Sawai
Madhavrao, in a powada of Prabhakar, entitled ' ^^īt;
fSrô qfal^T ' 14
In these lavanis we occasionally come across references to

the superstitious beliefs and customs prevalent among t
people of the time. There are a number of lavanis descr
ing various superstitious observances practised by issuel
mothers for begetting children. Parasharm in one of h
13 ÏÏVT m ą*, ÏÏTT ^8

14 wm, V'AT5' ą<t
160 - 1290B
laüanis gives a graphic description of these i -
ãte fq%*T 3Ífy§ HHTUT |

C'
cNraît IT7"»! 'sntt i g*«íV51 i

QT^T ÎT fcTOT 3TTŠT5ī3«ī J'% I
frïaft ^rîT ÎT *TTfaï% I
tmít ît' I *it *it 3ffa% I ]*
Then the poet goes on describing the various religious

places of worship all over India, visited by the lady in order
to worship different deities for getting a child. The poet
refers to more than two dozen shrines spread all over India.
The poet also describes how the lady travelled to Dwarka in a
ship. It will be seen from all this description that the
Marathas (even the ladies) used to travel all over India, mostly
with religious motives. The dangers and hardships attendant
on such long journeys in most primitive conditions of means of
communications are simply unimaginable and the fact that
such journeys were undertaken shows the firm belief of the
people of the time in the efficacy of the worship at different
shrines in the fulfilment of the desired object and also the
sense of grief and misery of ladies at childlessness.
The belief in various omens as indicating the happening
of certain events, prevalent among the Marathas of the time,
is also referred to in these lavanis now and then. For ex-
ample, Honaji Bal describes in one lavarti certain omens
regarded by a lady as favourable : -
gnił sfiTT štaāt
qrêf ira i xw ftr?
15 <rcsrcT*i stPTCir, wi * t ą, twhw- prrcra róítar ífcí ( ) wt ą
SIDE-LIGHT ON THE MÀRATHA LIFE 1 2 1 I
entrai Km I wrofort w
|...^9nf! gfť *ri% ąiM <gî =grfř... |16
The crowing of a crow in the house, throbb

etc., are regarded by a lady favourable omens i
happening of an eagerly awaited event, viz., the r
husband.
The Maratha bards do not confine themselve

descriptions of social life and customs of the pe
give occasional glimpses of the economic and in
of the national life. In a laoani, the poet Paras
in a nutshell an account of the textile industry o
fafrtwr àt i
irrat sut i
*1 g'ar^t slít i
i
*n«r fnz tfnrôit i

ira »rfö fani i
WifT WfàsfîT 'ÏÎTWT I
ífc ąjfmi TJT^T giT 1 17
The poet enumerates herein the various centres of textile

industry of India with their specialized products e.g., Pitambar
(ft^far) of Cambay (?§*TO?l), ^PCt <"?T¿E of »«it; (Bombay),
Dhotirs of Astee.
So far I have taken up a few aspects of social life of the

Marathas of the 1 8th century as reflected in the bardic litera-
ture of the time, especially in the lavanis, and from the illus-
trations cited above it will be plainly seen that a good deal of
16 łisr, <?rcul <ts, iw^}i

17 Twro <*tT«TOT *rm, wiuf ' »• ^ i
light is thrown on the social conditions of the time

branch of Marathi literature. The above review is b
cursory survey of this vast province of the Marathi lit
but it will be sufficient to reveal the potential value
branch of Marathi literature as a source of information
ing the social life of the Marathas of the 1 8th century
its aspects. It can be said with trust that the powad
laüanis jointly present us a true and faithful picture
social and political order of the 1 8th century Maharasht
as such deserves a close and sympathetic study at the
of students of Maratha history and sociology, whatever
be the poetical merits and demerits of these compositio

Maratha Life From Bardic Lit 18c - Rao

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SIDE-LIGHT ON THE MARATHA LIFE FROM THE BARDIC (शाहिरी) LITERATURE OF THE 18th

SIDE-LIGHT ON THE MARATHA LIFE

Mr. Vasanta Dinanath Rao, M.A., LL.B.

The Marathi bardic poetry, consisting mainly of the

1 ' Acworth - Ballads of the Marathas (1894),

other hand the function of the bardic poetry, as conceived

to be the inevitable result of the peculiar social an

Amba-bhavani. On these occasions of w

as found in them. They depict faithfully and simply the

lavarti s , was of a later growth. This type of bardi

going all sorts of toils and hardships and in constant dange

listeners and they reflect the national character of the time.

Most of these lavanis give expression to the sentimen

widows, most of whom had little enjoyed the hapines

These poets give beautiful pictures of typical sold

fàlft ^rtiTT^T SĘT^T* -. »

Here the poet gives a vivid

HT, m* m aira qfacét II

4 ^ edited by S. T. Shaligram, published by f^ąatll^r V^T ;

In these lines the poet gives a minute description of the

^ qrcisr srfH TTS Tn ufaran Nr ga i

^ZQZ vazvz îtà iřtt . . i

In those lines also we find a picturesq

6 Prabhakar, Lavani 2, p. 92.

*§T<#f U&i ^=^p?iï čETT^rt |

^ÉRTïjtf s33frf i 35 *T3i

ąw Wit fasici wrřrir «

■ itSīI *TTw€ì - lim 3ïTW^- qtf^lT-

The poet describes in the above lines the getting up of the

an idea as to the mode of daily life of the Maratha ladies o

■*r*nfqsrf ¡raro if* nmf ^ u

řísnw^ Tjfř fcī*t ïïçCf II

We can infer from such descriptions that there was a taste fo

these we get a good idea about the social life, custo

*1! fsURï^T TT^fT I <3ST I

The important feature of this festival, viz., the sport of

fflffHT łfSTJT ïrft^T TïT SR«'* I

The poet describes here the worship of the image of Cobra

11 wm «rncít Tit <.<

The poet describes the various decorations made in honour oř

In these lavanis we occasionally come across references to

13 ÏÏVT m ą*, ÏÏTT ^8

laüanis gives a graphic description of these i -

ãte fq%*T 3Ífy§ HHTUT |

cNraît IT7"»! 'sntt i g*«íV51 i

frïaft ^rîT ÎT *TTfaï% I

tmít ^it' I *it *it 3ffa% I ]*

Then the poet goes on describing the various religious

gnił sfiTT štaāt

qrêf ira i xw ftr?

15 <rcsrcT*i stPTCir, wi * t ą, twhw- prrcra róítar ífcí ( ) wt ą

The crowing of a crow in the house, throbb

The Maratha bards do not confine themselve

*n«r fnz tfnrôit i

ífc ąjfmi TJT^T giT 1 17

The poet enumerates herein the various centres of textile

So far I have taken up a few aspects of social life of the

16 łisr, <?rcul <ts, iw^}i

light is thrown on the social conditions of the time

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■rnfqsrf ¡raro if* nmf ^ u

tmít ^it' I it it 3ffa% I ]*

15 <rcsrcTi stPTCir, wi t ą, twhw- prrcra róítar ífcí ( ) wt ą