The var, in
Punjabi poetry
Punjabi literature, specifically literary works written in the Punjabi language, is characteristic of the historical Punjab region of India and Pakistan and the Punjabi diaspora. The Punjabi language is written in several scripts, of which the Sha ...
, is a heroic ode or ballad which generally narrates legend such as stories of Punjabi folk heroes or a historical event.
[''The Encyclopaedia of ]Indian Literature
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Republic of India has 22 officially recognised languages.
The earliest works of Indian literature were ...
(Volume One - A to Devo)''. Amaresh Datta, ed. Sahitya Akademi: 2006, 352.
Examples of the former including ballads narrating the feats of
Dulla Bhatti Raja Rasalu, whereas examples of the latter might include
Amir Khusrau's Var for
Ghiyath Al Din Tughlaq who took the throne of Delhi in 1320 and Najabat's ''Nadar Shah Di Var'' which describes the invasion of India by
Nadir Shah
Nader Shah Afshar ( fa, نادر شاه افشار; also known as ''Nader Qoli Beyg'' or ''Tahmāsp Qoli Khan'' ) (August 1688 – 19 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian ...
in 1739.
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sin ...
's '' Chandi di Var'', or to narrate the mystical experience
Scholarly approaches to mysticism include typologies of mysticism and the explanation of mystical states. Since the 19th century, mystical experience has evolved as a distinctive concept. It is closely related to "mysticism" but lays sole emphasi ...
of a Pir, Bhagat or Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan- Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
.[
]
See also
* Dhadi (music)
Dhadi ( pa, ਢਾਡੀ (Gurmukhi), Dhādi), also spelled as Dhadhi, is one who sings ballads using Dhadd and Sarangi, the folk instruments of Punjab. According to Kahn Singh Nabha's Mahan Kosh the definition of ''dhadhi'' is "One who sings b ...
* Raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...
* Asa di Var
Asa Di Var, (Gurmukhi: ਆਸਾ ਦੀ ਵਾਰ) meaning “A ballad of hope,” is a collection of 24 stanzas (''pauris'') in the Guru Granth Sahib, from ang 462 to ang 475.
Some people argue that the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, wrote ...
* Chandi di Var
* Varan Bhai Gurdas
References
{{Portal, Literature
Punjabi literature