The Ākhar Lines in Performances of Padāvalī Kīrtan

Abstract

This abstract examines the role of akhar lines in performances of Padavali Kirtan, a devotional musical form prominent in Greater Bengal. Akhar lines are additional, often improvised, lyrical insertions between lines of original medieval Bengali and Brajabuli poems. The article highlights that these lines serve not merely as translations into more contemporary Bengali, enabling even illiterate audiences to understand complex medieval texts, but also as crucial elements for internal interpretation.

The author demonstrates through detailed analysis of two songs how akhar lines elaborate on emotions, introduce new emotional perspectives (like a friend's concern for Radha's well-being), and deepen the audience's emotional engagement with the narrative. They create a bridge between the medieval poet and the modern audience, allowing for a more profound experience of the devotional emotions surrounding Radha-Krishna love, particularly in states of "love-in-separation" (vipralambha). By making the performances more accessible and emotionally resonant, akhar lines are vital to the religious power and widespread success of Padavali Kirtan in nurturing Radha-Krishna devotion.