រឿងពីរដែលសំខាន់និងជាវណ្ណកម្មនៅក្នុងសិល្បៈទស្សនីយភាពខ្មែរ គឺរឿងរាមកេរ្តិ៍និងរឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធ ជារឿងដែលមានប្រភពចេញមកពីប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា និងមានអាយុកាលក្នុងចំណោមចាស់ជាងគេនៅលើពិភពលោក។
ប្រវត្តិនិងអភិវឌ្ឍន៍នៃរឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធ គឺវែងឆ្ងាយនិងស្មុកស្មាញខ្លាំងណាស់ ដែលកើតឡើងរវាងភពពីរ អតីតនិងបច្ចុប្បន្ន បច្ចុប្បន្ននិងអនាគត ក្នុងភពស្រមើស្រមៃនិងភពពិត ច្បាប់កម្មផល និងហេតុនិងផល ជាដើម។ មហាភារតយុទ្ធក៏ជារឿងមួយពេញលេញនិងស៊ីជម្រៅបំផុត ដែលគេអះអាងនៅក្នុងជំពូកទី១ថា «អ្វីដែលមាននៅទីនេះ ក៏អាចមាននៅកន្លែងឯទៀត ហើយអ្វីដែលគ្មាននៅទីនេះ ក៏មិនអាចមាននៅកន្លែងឯទៀតឡើយ»។
រឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធ ត្រូវបានគេសរសេរនិងនិយាយតៗគ្នាជាភាសាសំស្ក្រឹតក៏ដូចជាគ្រាមភាសាទូទាំងតំបន់អាស៊ីខាងត្បូងនិងអាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍។ ឯព្រឹត្តិការណ៍និងសាច់រឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធ ត្រូវបានគេយកមកអភិវឌ្ឍបកស្រាយបង្ហាញនៅលើសិលាចារឹក ចម្លាក់ គំនូរ ក៏ដូចជាសិល្បៈទស្សនីយភាពនានា រួមទាំងរបាំ ល្ខោន និងភាពយន្តផងដែរ។
បើយើងពិនិត្យមើលពីគ្រប់ជ្រុងជ្រោយ គឺមិនត្រឹមតែរឿងសង្គ្រាមនោះទេ យើងឃើញថា រឿងនេះលាតត្រដាងបង្ហាញពីកត្តាកម្មផលនិងហេតុផលដែលមានឥទ្ធិពលមកលើជីវិតអតីតកាល បច្ចុប្បន្នកាល និងអនាគតកាលទៀតផង។ ចំណុចសំខាន់គឺរឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធសង្កត់ធ្ងន់ទៅលើគោលបំណងទាំងបួននៃមនុស្សជាតិគឺ៖ គោលបំណង កម្មផល ធម៌ និងនិព្វាន និងទំនាក់ទំនងរវាងបុគ្គលនិងសង្គម ដែលជាបំណងដើមរបស់អ្នកនិពន្ធ វ្យាសៈ (Vyasa)។
«មហាភារតៈ» មានន័យថា «រឿងដ៏អស្ចារ្យនៃត្រកូលក្សត្រភារតៈ»។ «ភារតៈ» ក៏ជាពាក្យមួយដែលជនជាតិឥណ្ឌាប្រើដើម្បីសម្គាល់សញ្ជាតិឥណ្ឌា ដូច្នេះគឺមានន័យថា «រឿងដ៏អស្ចារ្យនៃប្រទេសឥណ្ឌា»។ មានប្រភពខ្លះអះអាងថា ជារឿងដែលធំជាងគេរបស់មនុស្សជាតិ។
តាមប្រពៃណី អ្នកកាន់សាសនាហ៊ិនឌូ សន្មតថារឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធត្រូវបាននិពន្ធឡើងដោយឥសី វ្យាសៈ ដោយបានសូត្រឱ្យ ព្រះគណេស ជាអ្នកសរសេរ។ រឿងនេះជារឿងដ៏វែង តាំងតែពីយុគសម័យវេទ ប្រមាណសតវត្សទី៥ មុនគ្រឹស្តសករាជ និងនៅក្នុងទម្រង់ចុងក្រោយនាយុគសម័យហ្គុបតា សតវត្សទី៤ នៃគ្រឹស្តិសករាជ។
រឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធ មាន៧៤,០០០ របះ ឬ ១,៨ លានពាក្យ ប្រវែងបីដងវែងជាងគម្ពីរប៊ីប ៨ដងវែងជាងរឿង អ៊ីលីយ៉ាដនិងអូឌីស៊ីបញ្ចូលគ្នា របស់លោក ហូមើរ ប្រមាណ៤ដងវែងជាងរឿងរាមកេរ្តិ៍ ហើយដែលមានប្រវែងខ្លីជាងតែរឿង ស្តេចហ្គែហ្សឺ របស់ទីបេ និងរឿង ម៉ាណាស របស់គៀហ្គីហ្សតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ។
នៅក្នុងបណ្តាប្រទេសក្នុងតំបន់អាស៊ាន យើងសង្កេតឃើញថា ប្រទេសឥណ្ឌូណេស៊ី ជាពិសេស និយមយករឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធជាមូលដ្ឋានដើម្បីបង្កើតជាស្នាដៃសិល្បៈទស្សនីយភាពរបស់គេ។ ចុះហេតុអ្វីបានជាខ្មែរយើង មិនសូវបានយករឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធមកតម្លើងជាសិល្បៈទស្សនីយភាព? បើតាមការសង្កេតនិងពិនិត្យរបស់ខ្ញុំទៅលើរឿងនេះ គឺដោយសារកត្តាមួយចំនួន ដូចជាកត្តាផ្នត់គំនិតវាយតម្លៃជាមុន (Preconceived idea) នយោបាយត្រឹមត្រូវ (Political correctness) ចំណុចរសើប ត្រង់សង្គ្រាមនិងជម្លោះរវាងគ្រួសារ បងប្អូន គ្មានរឿងស្នេហាច្រើន មិនជាទីចាប់អារម្មណ៍ ទាក់ទាញ ដូចជារឿងរាមកេរ្តិ៍ របាំទេពមនោរម្យ (ស្រីនិងប្រុស) (Dualism) ឈុតសុវណ្ណមច្ឆា (មច្ឆានិងហនុមាន) រាមឥសូរ មណីមេខលា (យក្សនិងទេពអប្សរ) ជាដើម។ យ៉ាងណាមិញ នាពេលបច្ចុប្បន្ន ក្រសួងវប្បធម៌និងវិចិត្រសិល្បៈ ក៏ដូចជាក្រសួងអប់រំ យុវជន និងកីឡា បាននិងកំពុងជំរុញលើកទឹកចិត្តឲ្យសិល្បករសិល្បការិនីនិងលោកគ្រូអ្នកគ្រូតម្លើងស្នាដៃសិល្បៈទស្សនីយភាព ធ្វើការសិក្សាស្រាវជ្រាវលើរឿងមហាភារតយុទ្ធដើម្បីរំលេចឡើងបន្ថែម ជាពិសេសពីលើរឿងរាមកេរ្តិ៍និងរឿងឯទៀតដែលមាននៅក្នុងបញ្ជីសារពើភ័ណ្ឌសិល្បៈទស្សនីយភាពខ្មែរបច្ចុប្បន្ន៕
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THE MAHABHARATA IN KHMER PERFORMING ARTS
Two of the most classic, oldest, and longest epics in Khmer performing arts are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Mahabharata—its history and development—is long and complex as the story unfolds in front of our eyes, trotting between two worlds of the past and present, present and future, imaginary and real, the law of karma, cause and effect, and beyond.
It is so complete and comprehensive that at the beginning of its first parva (section), it claims that “What is found here, may be found elsewhere. What is not found here, it will not be found elsewhere” (James L. Fitzgerald 2007: 2).
The Mahabharata story has been retold in written and oral Sanskrit and vernacular versions throughout South and Southeast Asia. Its various incidents and plots have been portrayed in stone, notably in sculptured reliefs at Angkor Vatt and Bayon in Cambodia, and in Indian miniature paintings, and through other media, including dance, theater, and cinema.
Examining from many angles, not just the war which is most often seen by onlookers, one finds that epic stresses upon karma and the karmic effect of the past on the present and future lives, while alluding to the “human goals” (atha, karma, dharma, and moksha) originally intended by Vyasa, the generally recognized author.
By way of textual history, the title “Mahabharata” may be translated as “The Great Tale of the Bharata Dynasty” (James L. Fitzgerald 2007: 1) or “The Great story of the Bharatas” (Nelson 2007: 1). The word “Mahabharata” is also used by the Indians generically for the Indian race, so to mean“The Great Story of India” (Nelson 2007: 1). The Bharata is also called the Kurus (Nelson 2007: 2). There is also a shorter version simply called “The Bharata” containing only 24,000 verses (ibid.).
Traditionally, Hindus ascribe the Mahabharata to Rishi Vysa (Seer, Sage), and written out by Bhagawan (Lord) Ganesha (Tokunaga 1994: 1; Fitzgerald 2007: 1) Because of its immense length, its philosophical study has a long history of attempts to unravel its historical growth and composition layers. Its earliest layers date back to the late Vedic period (ca. 5th century BCE) and it probably reached its final form in the early Gupta period (ca. 4th century CE)” (ibid.).
The Mahabharata is about three times as long as the Bible (Nelson 2007: 1), eight times as long as the Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey combined (Nelson 2007: 1). It is about four times the size of the Ramayana, and the only epics claimed to be longer are the Tibetan Epic of King Gesar and the Kyrgyz Epic of Manas. (James L. Fitzgerald 2007: 11).
With more than 74,000 verses or some 1.8 million words, this ancient religious epic of India has existed in many forms, the fundamental one being a text in ancient Sanskrit and a major text in Hinduism (James L. Fitzgerald 2007: 1). The epic discusses the “human goals” of artha (purpose), karma (pleasure), dharma (social duty, harmony, cosmic/universal order, righteousness) (Nelson 2007: 6-7), and moksha (nirvana or liberation), explaining the relationship of individuals to the society and the world. (ibid.).
The epic is traditionally ascribed to Vyasa, who is also one of the major dynastic characters within the epic. The first section of the Mahabharata states that it was Ganesha who, at the behest of Vyasa, wrote down the text to Vyasa’s dictation. Ganesha is said to have agreed to write only on the condition that Vyasa never pauses in his recitation. Vyasa agreed, providing that Ganesha took the time to understand what was said before writing it down. This also serves as a popular variation on the stories of how Ganesha’s right tusk was broken (a traditional part of Ganesha imagery). This version attributes it to the fact that, in the rush of writing, his pen failed, and he snapped off his tusk as a replacement in order that the transcription not be interrupted (James L. Fitzgerald 2007: 5).
The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the throne of Hastinapura, the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan. The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are the Kauravas, the elder branch of the family, and the Pandavas, the younger branch.
The struggle culminates in the Great Battle of Kurukshetra, in which the Pandavas are ultimately victorious. The battle produces complex conflicts of kinship and friendship, instances of family loyalty and duty taking precedence over what is right, as well as the converse.
The Mahabharata itself ends with the death of Krishna, and the subsequent end of his dynasty, and the ascent of the Pandava brothers to heaven. It also marks the beginning of the Hindu age of Kali (Kali Yuga), the fourth and final age of mankind, where the great values and noble ideas have crumbled, and man is heading toward the complete dissolution of right action, morality, and virtue.
Among the ASEAN member states, we see that especially Indonesia prefers the Mahabharata over the Ramayana being the foundation for the development of their performing arts. So why in Cambodia, Khmer artists seem to neglect the Mahabharata? In my opinion, it is due to several factors, including the mind-set and preconceived idea, political correctness, sensitivity to the situations and plots of war and conflict among and between families, less love stories that may otherwise attract audiences like what the Ramayana does, or the Tep Monorum Dance which stresses upon the societal balance and dualism of male and female, the story of the golden mermaid highlighting the mermaid and the white monkey Hanuman, or the storm spirit Ream Eysaur and the lightning Goddess Mani Mekhala. At the present, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts as well as the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport have encouraged artists and choreographers to study, research, and mount new works around the Mahabharata as an expansion of repertoire in addition to the Ramayana and the existing stories in the current Khmer performing arts inventory.
អត្ថបទដើម៖ បណ្ឌិត សំ សំអាង
