There is no great reward other than life

May 10, 2021

Chanesar….. A character having lust for power and luxury in the opera Doday Jo Moat (Part I)

By Noor Ahmed Janjhi

Opera ‘Doday Jo Moat’ written by Shaikh Ayaz depicts the role of Chanesar in a different way. Chanesar was the crown prince who had to take over the power of Soomra rule in Sindh. The situation changed and Amirs or delegates of the court, coroneted his younger brother Dodo. Reacting to the rejection, Chanesar went to Delhi to seek help from Sultan Allauddin Khilji. The latter helped him and gave his troops under the command of Zafar Baig to attack Sindh and to take Baghi, daughter of Bhoongar for marriage with Sultan. It annoyed everyone. The story of Dodo Chanesar is a semi-historical folk legend of Sindh that tells many stories pertaining to the society of Sindh. Some writers like M H Panhwer have rejected the story. However, Dr. N A Baloch has documented the legend in two volumes containing different versions of the tale those reflect its existence in the hearts of people who remembered such a great legend and transferred the same to their succeeding generation through verbal heritage. The tale is told with verses called ‘gahoon’. The gahoon are a heart touching form of folk poetry. The depiction of the tale presents a kaleidoscope of the events and it seems as the battle is being fought before the audience.

Shaikh Ayaz was also inspired by such a great influencing presentation of the folk tales and he created operas on the stories. His opera ‘Doday Jo Moat’ starts with an act of the indulgence in luxury. Chanesar listens to the singing by his keep Chholi and starts narrating something. The narration presents a tragic story of the instability and vulnerability of power. Chanesar was the brother of Dodo. However, both had different mothers. Chanesar was from a blacksmith lady and Dodo was from a Soomro lady. A little debate during the coronation annoyed the delegations and they evolved Dodo on the throne. The racial considerations have been influencing human thinking since centuries. The fight between Sindh army and Dehli troops was fought bravely. Sindh troops were defeated and Dodo was murdered. It is said that when the commander of Dehli army dishonored the dead body of Dodo, Chanesar become infuriated and took his sword out and started fighting but it had been very late and Soomra rule ended with the slaughter in the battle. Shaikh Ayaz has depicted the character of Chanesar as the mundane one who considers and values everything in material terms. He thinks everything to the present world and wants to enjoy whatever one gets. Chanesar starts talking as follows:

هرشئي اچڻي وڃڻي آهي

هرشئي ڀيري ڀڃڻي آهي

جيڪي آهي سو هي پل آ

موت اٽل آ، موت اٽل آ

موت اسان جو پاڇو آهي

ڪارونجهر آ، ڪاڇو آهي

منڇرآهي ، مياڻي آهي

سانوڻ جي سومهياڻي آهي

(Everything is supposed to come and go. Everything has its turn. This moment is worthwhile. Death is inevitable. Death is our shade. Death is Karoonjhar, Kacho, Manchar and Miyani. And it is late sun setting of monsoon)

Chanesar thinks death as an inevitable phenomenon which is born with us. None knows the start and end of death. It returns back into oblivion. The death does not honor any one’s request to stay away. Many a brave people came in world and dictated all and sundry but there does not find any of their trace. There is no permanent address of the dwellers of earth. Chanesar is of the view that the death supports to none. The death keeps a light which aims at the life. The fear of death makes sensation in every heart. Chanesar asks about such a brave person who may conquer the death by killing it. The death rides as a lion on everyone’s head and grinds nuts on everyone’s breast. Having been frightened by the concept of death, Chanesar treats saint and sinner at equal footing because in his eyes, everyone has to fill the ditch of land after death. He says:

توسان مونسان ڄايو آهي

اڻ ڄاتي مان آيو آهي

اڻ ڄاتي ۾ وڃڻو آهي

ڪنهن جي مور نه مڃڻو آهي

هن ڌرتيءَ تي ڪيئي آيا

جن ڌرتيءَ کي ناچ نچايا

اڄ ڪو تن جو نانءُ نه آهي

ٿهرڪٿي، ٿِرٿانءُ نه آهي

پرڀونئي جو ڀاڻ نه ڪوئي

مٽيءَ جو مانڊاڻ نه ڪوئي

هيئن چوي يا هونئن چوي ڪو

موت ڏئي ٿو ڪنهن کي ٽيڪو

هرڪو سچ اسچ ڪري ٿو

ڪنهن ماڻڪ جيئن موت ٻري ٿو

جنهن جي ٽڪ حياتيءَ ۾ آ

هرماڻهوءَ جي ڇاتيءَ ۾ آ

ڇا ڪو اهڙو ڀاڄوڪڙ آ

ڀُونءِ مٿان ڪو اهڙو ڀڙ آ

جيڪو اُن کان آجو آهي؟

هرماڻهو هڪ باجو آهي

جنهن جي سُر ۾ موت ڀريل آ

هر پل من تي مُڱ ڏريل آ

ڪوڙو سارو آپو آهي

ڪانو سڀ جو ماپو آهي

ڏوهيءَ جو ساڻيهه به ساڳيو

بي ڏوهيءَ جو ڏيهه به ساڳيو

ڇو جو هرڪنهن کي مرڻو آ

ڀُونءِ جو اونهون ڀِڀُ ڀرڻو آ

(The death is born along with you and me. It has come out of unknown and has to be returned back there. It does not honor to anyone. Many came on the earth who made many people to dance. There is no trace of theirs today that where they had been living. Alien has no stationary place at earth. Clay has no shape. One may say this or that. Death gives temporary support to all. Everyone utters truth or non-truth. Death is illuminating as a pearl and aims at life. Is there any person who can flee away from it or any place where death cannot reach? Everyone is such an instrument that plays death tunes in his head. Every moment grinds nuts on the breast and all of the self is false. Saints as well as sinners have to go to same place as everyone has to die away to fill the belly of earth.)

Chanesar passed through a situation of uncertainty when he observed such conditions. A few keep themselves intact in such trying situations and emerge as a Dodo otherwise many a Chanesar do bad things by lame justification of the mortality of world and lose themselves. Therefore, everything has been regarded lawful in war. Man should be helping and facilitating hand to fellow men rather than an enemy thirsty of his blood. The situation compels and throws many to be Chanesars. Despite the trying situations, one should maintain courage. When a person looks at this world with the eyes of Chanesar, everything is useless for him except his own interests. He forgets kith, kin, friends, country and humanity. People seek refuge in luxury during such trauma in life. They avoid looking on the ground realities. Shaikh Ayaz narrates through the character of Chanesar as:

اي متواري مئي پُڄاڻان

سج اُڀري ٿو مان ڪيئن ڄاڻان

سڀڪجهه هيءُ جُڳاڻو آهي

چوڏس رات چٽاڻو آهي

موتئي جي مهڪار به آهي

۽ ڪا ماکيءَ آر به آهي

تنهنجي ٽاريءَ جهڙي تن تي

ساري رات انڌيري بن تي

ڪويل جي ڪوڪار چڱي آ

۽ سا سندر نار چڱي آ

جيڪا پنهنجا ڦل آڇي ٿي

چار رسيلا پل آڇي ٿي

تاڙيءَ ڏول کجيءَ جي وڻ ۾

ساري رات لُڏي سانوڻ ۾

رچي وڃي ٿو اهڙو رس ۾

آڳ لڳائي ٿو نس نس ۾

ڏاهپ جو آڏس اهوئي

جيئڻ جهڙو جس نه ڪوئي

موت رڳو انڌيارو آهي

مُٺ هڏن تي مارو آهي

(After drinking wine, I don’t know how the sun rises. Everything is this world. Moonlight of full moon is everywhere. There is fragrance of motiyo flower and honey. Branch like your body is beautiful and cry of cuckoo bird suits at night there. A beautiful lady suits there as she offers some melodious moments. It is like a bucket hanging in palm tree in monsoon. Such wonderful situation ignites fire in all sinews. Sanity suggests that there is no reward like the life. Death is darkness and it is an attack on a handful of bones)

Chanesar’s habit of the indulgence in luxury takes him close to a woman. He seeks refuge in a woman and wine. The body of a woman is a head hiding place for him. As the drunkards look anxiously towards the buckets hanging in the trees of tarree so the eyes seek a refuge. Ayaz has called it a melodious company. The whims of wine put Chanesar’s body on fire. He declares in such a whimsical mood that life is a great reward and death is an attack on the handful of bones. It takes existence of life away towards nothingness. Shaikh Ayaz has discussed the death in the beginning of the character of Chanesar. He has called it inevitable and it is unknown too. The poet has been reflecting such situations of the present throughout his poetry. The moment ‘present’ is the important moment for Chanesar as the coming moment will be the moment of fight and fright. The bugle call will be blown to start the fight. There will be fight and smiling and tinkling sounds of swords. It will be a nerve wrenching situation and Chanesar wants to be away from the situation as he does not sustain pressure. He seeks refuge in luxury. (Continues)