Tunda Asraja: Difference between revisions

Tunda Asraja was a King named Asa having maimed hand, who faught a battle with his brother. His Father King Sarang desired to pass on the crown to him instead of to his senior son. Sardul the senior prince decided to claim the kingdom. With the help of his maternal uncle Sultan Rai, he waged war against Raja Sarang and Asaraja. The court-poet composed a ballad to be sung in a particular dhuni(tune) in praise of King Asraja who was s symbol of the victory of virtue over vice. This var became very poplar and inspirational.

Guru Arjan found a great resemblance between the five-lined pauris of Guru Nanak's Asa di var and the var of Tunda-Asaraja and prescribed the tune of the latter for the singing of the former. So he mentioned ਟ੝ੰਡੇ ਅਸ ਰਾਜੈ ਕੀ ਧ੝ਨੀ before the vaar

Asa-di-var is to be sung in raga Asa which is classical, while the dhuni is that of the popular var of Tunday Asraja. A var is generally intended to produce a heroic and martial feeling-Bir rasa. Its diction is simple but emotional. Asa-di-var contains pauris (of Guru Nanak) of five line each, along with his salokas. The salokas of Guru Angad were added later on to it by Guru Arjan. Chhants of Guru Ramdas were directed to be sung with Asa-di-var of Guru Nanak, by Guru Arjan on account of the similarity of contents. Just as the theme of the var of Tunday Asraja is the victory of good over evil, in the same way, the subject of Asa-di-var is spiritual evolution and fulfilment. Hurdles in the path of divinity, like ego, hypocrisy and evil thoughts are conquered by following the path of truth and meditation and the earning of God's grace.

Story of Asraja

An outline of the story of Asaraja (meaning the king named As) is given below. As (pronounced 'Us') was a son of Raja Sarang in ancient times. His step-mother-the King's second wife-fell in love with him but he refused her advances. The lady out of spite blamed him of incest. Raja Sarang ordered his execution at the insistence of his wife.

He told his minister to carry out the order of execution of As. The minister was a wise man. He took As to a jungle and ordered the executioner to cut one hand of As a proof of his death. After cutting his hand, they left him in the jungle. A party of traders soon passed through the jungle and heard the cries of As. They atteneded to his wound and took him to a neighbouring country. They sold him as a slave to a washerman. As had lost his hand and was called As the cripple (Tunda-As).

He was given the duty of loading a bull with dirty clothes and bringing back the washed clothes to his master-the washerman. Unfortunately the king of the town died suddenly, without leaving any heir.The ministers decided that the man who passed through the city gates first the next morning, would be crowned as King. As usual Tunda-As who went out early morning with his bullock to the rivulet (outside the city) with his load of dirty clothes, happened to be the first man to pass through the city gate. He was crowned and called Tunda Asraja(King Asa the cripple).

Soon thereafter the crops failed on account of drought. Asaraja had bought a lot of grain in advance to feed his people. Raja Sarang-the father of Asraja-had two other sons who were given to hunting and pleasure. Raja Sarang felt the effects of famine and sent his minister to buy grain from the neighbouring country. The minister came to Asaraja's town for purchase of grain and met him and recognised him. Asraja gave the minister a lot of grain free.

Raja Sarang come to know of the generosity of Asraja. He also became aware of the bad character of his second wife. He called Asraja to his palace and desired to pass on the crown to him instead of to his senior son. Sardul the senior prince decided to claim the kingdom. With the help of his maternal uncle Sultan Rai, he waged war against Raja Sarang and Asaraja. The court-poet composed a var to be sung in a particular dhuni (tune) in praise of King Asraja who was s symbol of the victory of virtue over vice. This var became very poplar and inspirational.

Guru Arjan found a great resemblance between the five-lined pauris of Guru Nanak's Asa-di-var and the var of Tunda-Asaraja and prescribed the tune of the latter for the singing of the former.

References

• [www.gurmat.info gurmat.info]