Friendship of a Man and a Snake / ब्राह्मण आ नाग के मित्रता

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis and Carlos Gomez
Transcription and Translation by Pranav Prakash

Teller: Vineeta Jha
Location: Rampur
Date: 9/8/16

September 8, 2016: Session B1
Maithili Folklore 16_09_08_b_1

View the transcription in Maithili.

एकटा ब्राह्मण छैथ । ओ पूजा-पाठ करै छैथ और एकटा गाय के पोसने छैथ । ओय गाय से जे दूध होयेछेन, ओ पीब जायेछेन बाल-बच्चा के । एकटा बेटा छथिन, हुनका दॉ देय छथिन, और बहुत दुखी, हुनकर गरीबी जीवन चलै छेन । 

There was a Brahmin. He used to perform his prayers and rituals, and he took care of his cow. Whatsoever milk was obtained from the cow, it was consumed by his family. He had a son who would get to drink her milk. But he was stricken by poverty, so he was very sad.

एकटा गाय क दूध बेचके कहे छथिन “हम ब्राह्मण छी, हम सब काज त कॅ ने सकै छी ।” 

Regarding the selling of the milk of the cow, he would argue, “I am a Brahmin, I cannot pursue any other profession of work.”

आ बच्चा पैग भैले रहे, त हुनकर पत्नी कहै छथिन कि जे रोटी नून लॅ कॅ दो रहल छथिन, जे पूजा कॅ के उतथिन, पूजा कॅ रहल छथिन भगवान के, जे “ई खाऊ आहाँ, अ जाऊ गाय के दूध बेच कॅ आऊ, अब हम फाटल साड़ी पहिर कॅ रहलौं, बच्चा पैग भेल, ओकरा ने पढ़ैबे लिखैबे, ओकरा ने किछ करबै ?” 

Meanwhile, his son was growing up. So, his wife who was preparing some chapatti with salt so that he may eat it after he finished his prayers – he was offering his daily prayers to god – expressed her concerns to him, “Eat this meal, and go sell the cow’s milk. I have spent my life in tattered clothes, but our son is growing up, you should send him to school, don’t you want to do something for him?” 

त बहुत हुनका देह में दर्द होयेछेन जे “हम गाय के दूध केना क बेचूँ, गाय माय एक होयेछे ? केना दूध बेचूँ ?” ई सोच के ओ ।

A deeply hurtful pain gripped his body, as he agonized over this issue, “How can I sell the cow’s milk?” He argued with himself, “Cows and mothers are alike, how can I sell their milk?”

और पत्नी कहे छथिन जे “नै, इ बेच क हम फाटल साड़ी कतै दिन पहिरूँ, बच्चा पैग भैल, कतै कष्ट काटत । दूध बेच कॅ त पाय आनबे, त हेतै ।” 

And his wife insisted, “How long must I live in tattered clothes? Our son is growing up. How long should we suffer in poverty? No more, we can’t go on like this. If you bring money by selling milk, then much can happen for us.”

ओ जा कॅ, दूध दैय छथिन, जे “जाऊ, बेच आउ ।” ओ बेचारा जाय छथिन बेचै लॅ दूध । दूध बेचै लॅ जे जाय छथिन, त रस्ता में हुनका भेटेछन, कि….रस्ता में देखै छथिन, तऽ एकटा बील छे साँप के । ओय में एकटा बूढ़ नाग, भूख के मारे, सूखा गेल रहे छै, बिल में जा कॅ । ओ अस्ताएत-पछताएत, हुनका ने हिम्मत करेछेन जे दूध हम बेची, ओय साँप कॅ बिल में धौ दै छथिन । उ भूखल साँप जे रहै छे, से दूध पी कॅ तृप्त आत्मा भौ जाये छे, उ एकटा मनि हुनका उगैल दै छे । ओ मनि लै कॅ चेल आबे छथिन । 

She gave him some milk and said, “Go out, sell them.” Poor man, he went out to sell some milk. As he went out to sell the milk, he met on the road…he noticed on the road, there was a snake-hole on the wayside. An aged nāg (cobra snake) was lying inside, he was so famished that his body had dried out in the hole. Unwilling that the brahmin was to sell off the cow’s milk, he poured it in the hole. The starving snake that was lying in there drank the milk, and he became a satiated soul, and he spat a gemstone for the Brahmin. After taking the gemstone, he returned to his home.  

मनि लै के जहन आबे छथिन त कहे छथिन हुनकर कन्या जे “दूध, देखलिये, एक दिन दूध देलौं, त कतै चीज घर के सुन्दर सुहावन भेल ।” 

When he brought back the gem, his wife spoke to him, “That milk, if you’d care to notice, it’s after I gave that milk to you that so many things in our house have turned pleasant and pretty in just one day.”

दोसरो दिन, उ घर में राख ले छे, कहलके “बेच देलिये”, त कहलखिन “हाँ, दूध बेच देलिये । आ तऽ देखियो, हैया, दूध बेच कॅ दाम भेलै, इतनी पाय से त नै हाएत, आर दूध बेच कॅ पाय आनब, त समान ऐन देब ।” 

On the next day, he brought the gem to his house. His wife asked, “Did you sell the milk?” He replied, “Yes, here, you see, this is how much the milk did cost. I know, this money is not enough, but I will sell more milk and will bring more money, afterwards I will get more stuff for you.”

कहलखिन “ठीक छै ।” गेलखिन, फेर दोसरो दिन, सब दिन कॅ ओ जाथिन, ओय बील में कॅ उझैल देथिन, साँप के बील में दूध के । ओ साँप धीरे-धीरे जीबॅ लगले । बूढ़ नाग जे ओय में रहे, से ओ जीबॅ लगले । आ एकटा क मनि उ नाग दौ देन, ओय साँप के बदले में । अन्त में ओ साँप तन्दुरुस्त भौ गेले खूब । 

She replied, “That’s fine!” He went out the other day as well. Every day he went out, and he poured it in the snake-hole – poured milk in the snake-hole. That snake gradually revived and regained his health. That old snake who stayed in the hole, he began living again. And he would spit a gemstone to the brahmin, in return for his snake [milk?]. Finally, that snake became very healthy and very fit.   

[ आहाँ सब यन्त्र पेन्टिंग देखलों नऽ, कतौ
माने ?
यन्त्र…?
नै इ इस्टोरी पर छथिन्ह ।
…और कतौ मधुबनी में देखलखिन हैं से…]

[Have you all seen yantra paintings anywhere?
What do you mean?
Yantra…?
No, they are after “story”.
…have they seen it anywhere in Madhubani, that’s what I wanted to know…]

त ऊ…कि नै…गेलखिन…त हुन्का जहन…बहुत मनि भौ गेलेन । बहुत मनि भौ गेलेन जखन हुन्का, दु दिन, चार दिन देलखिन…दस दिन, मनि भौ गेलेन, तऽ खूब अपन सामान मोटा में भर कॅ, बच्चा लायक खिलौना, माछ – हमरा सबके त पहले बहुत बेशी ऐच्छ पुरीगर – माछ, रंग-बिरंग चीज सब आने लग्लेथ खूब । हुन्कर गाँव समाज में नाम कतौ ने रहेन, ओ दस गोटे आबे लगलेन, हुन्का दरबज्जा पर, “हमरा बेटी के ब्याह है, हमरा किछ चाही कर्जा ।” उहो आबे लग्लेन, “हमरा किछ चाही ।” खूब अपन सुखी सम्पन्न भो गेला । आ ओत्तैयो सब दिन वैह काज करैथुन, नाग के दूध दॅ देथिन । नाग परैक गेल रहे । एक दिन उ गेलेथ…कतो अपन कुटमैती में । बेट…कन्या कॅ कहलखिन की जे, “हम जायछी, आहाँ बउआ के कहबै जे दूध दॅ एते ।”

Then he…that is…went away…then he…when he received many gems. When many gems were given to him, say, for instance, after two days, four days…ten days, when he owned many gems, then he brought many things in his home, they accumulated bags full of stuff – toys for children, fish – we abound in fishes from old times, plenty of fishes – fish, and he brought all kinds of colorful stuff. He was practically unknown in the village. Now, however, he would have tens of visitors, they would arrive at his door, and plead, “My daughter is about to get married, please loan some money to me.” Other too came to him, “We want something.” He became very prosperous and affluent. But he still did the same thing, he offered milk to the nāg. His pampering had spoilt the snake. One day he went out…somewhere to meet his relative. He spoke to his son…his wife, “I am going away, you request our dear son to give milk to the snake.” 

हुन्कर कन्या के घमण्ड भो गेलेन जे “ईह, सब दिन कॅ दूध आब कथी देबेग ?”
“जे फलना औठाँ में बीहड़ छै, ओय में कहबै ।”
“हाँ, हम ने साँप छुछुन्नर के दूध पीयाबे दे छी बेटा के । आहाँ पीयबियोगऽ । हमर बेटा नै जाएत ।”
त उ कहलखिन, “कहलौं नऽ, जे आहाँ दॅ देबै ।”

His wife had become so haughty that she replied, “What for, now why should we give him milk everyday?”
“There is a grove near that place, tell him to pour milk there itself.”
“Of course not, I am not letting my son serve milk to snakes and moles. You give them drink. My son would not follow your suit.”
Then he replied, “I have already told you that you will hand over the milk to him.”

उ अपन चैल गेलखिन गाँव, और हुन्कर कन्या गाय के दुहा कॅ दूध, आ बेटा के देलखिन, “बउआ रे, जो, साँप, छुछुन्दर के कह गेलखुन हँ दूध पीया दै ल, जो ढ़ार आभी ग ।” 

He left for his village, and his wife got the cow milked, and she gave the milk to his son, “My dear son, go out, your father has asked you to serve milk to snakes and moles, go, pour this for them.”

अ ओ बेचारा के आत्मा नै मानै, गेलखिन । 

That poor Brahmin, however, was very reluctant to go away, he still had to leave. 

अ दूध लॅ के जे बच्चा गेलै, बच्चा के जैत, उ अपन दूध टाँग देलकै गाछ में, आ बच्चा सब खेलैत रहे, चरवाहा सब, ओकरा संगे ओ खेलै लगले । 

Meanwhile, when his boy went to give the milk, as soon as he left, he hung the milk-container on a tree, and he started playing with other children, who were all shepherds, he began playing with them.

ओय नाग के सब दिन क जे दूध देय, से ओकरा उ…तखन भूख के टाईम चैल एके, ओकरा प्यास लाग गेलै । ओ नाग बाहर भो-भो क आबे, आ चल जाय बीहेड़ में, कतौ दूध ने देखै, चल जाय, बीहेड़ में । 

That nāg who used to get milk every day, he was…then it was time for his meal, he was thirsty. He went out time and again, he returned to his grove, he did not notice milk anywhere, he came out, and went back to his grove again. 

ओ बच्चा के याद पड़लै जे, “हमरा त दूध देबाक रहे, बीहेड़ में । कहने रहथ बाबूजी जे ढ़ाड़ दै ल, दूध के । जाय छीये, दॅ आबे छीये बीहेड़ में ।” ओ जे बीहेड़ में दूध देबै ल गेलै कि देखलके ओते साँप छलै । 

That boy remembered, “I was supposed to give milk, pour it in the grove. My father had asked me to pour it, pour the milk. I should get going, I should be at the grove.” When he was about to drop milk in the grove, he saw a snake there. 

बच्चा कि जाने गेलै जे हमर पिताजी ए साँप कॅ दूध पीयाबे छलखिन्ह ? ओ जे साँप देखलके, उ डंटा आन कॅ, ओकरा एक डंटा मारलकै । एक डंटा मारलकै साँप के, साँप के माथ में चोट लाग गेलै । ओ ऊलैट के पैर में काट ललके बच्चा के । पैर में काट ललके, बच्चा मर गेलै । 

How was the boy to know that his father had been offering milk to this snake? On seeing the snake, the boy brought a stick, and he whipped a blow at him. He whipped a blow at the snake, the snake was hit on the head. As an instinctive reflex, the snake bit the boy’s leg. He bit the boy’s leg, the boy passed away. 

तखन जे एलेथ…ब्राह्मण, त कन्या कहलखिन जे “कोन साँप छुछुन्नेर क दूध पीयाबे कहलौं जे हमर बेटा काल गेल, से आय ने एले ?” हुन्का चिन्ता लाग गेलेन । 

Afterwards when he…the brahmin arrived at home, his wife said to him, “To which snakes and moles had you offered to serve milk that my son went out yesterday, and he has not yet returned?” He was anxious. 

कहलखिन, “चलूँ त, देखैछिये ।” 

He said, “Let us go, and see.”

गेला, त ओत्तै बच्चा खॅसॅल । त नाग के कॅल जोड़े लागलखिन । 

He went there, and he saw his son fallen there. He pleaded to the nāg with folded hands.

त नाग कहलखिन, हिनका, ब्राह्मण के, 

Then the nāg replied to him, to the brahmin,

“चित्त टुटै ओही मित्र से, की दूध के चाह ?
तोड़ा पुत्र शोग, मोरा सीर में घाव ।

“Only a friend can ever break your heart, how one craves for the milk?
You mourn the death of your son, I am wounded in my head.”

आय से हमरा तोरा कोनो दोस्ती नै । तू हमरा परिका कॅ जीया देल, दूध दॅ कॅ, और तोरा घमण्ड में हम तोरा द्रव्य देलियो एके बदले । तोरा घमण्ड भो गेलो । तू बच्चा से भेजवा देल । तोहर बच्चा हमरा मारलक । 

We are not friends anymore. Your kindness spoilt me, you gave me life, you served me milk, and I gave you gemstones in return, and you became haughty. You were so full of pride. You dispatched milk through your son. Your son beat me up.  

आब जे तू हमरा दूध देब, त तू दूध देब एब, हम निकलब, हमरा दर्द ए सिर में, तोरो काट लेब । अ तू हमरा दूध देब, त तोरो हेत जे ‘हम ओय नाग के दूध पीयाबेछी जे हमर बेटा के मार देलक ।’ 

Now were you to offer me milk, were you to come to me with milk, I will come out, I will feel the pain in my head, and I will bite you. Were you to give milk to me, you too would think, “I am serving milk to a nāg who killed my son.”

तैं ज दुश्मनी भो गेल त दुबारा मित्रता नै कर ।

That’s why, once animosity develops in a relationship, once should avoid being friends with each other. 

चित्त टुटै ओही मित्र से, की दूध के चाह ?
तोड़ा पुत्र शोक, मोरा सीर में घाव ।

“Only a friend can ever break your heart, how one craves for the milk?
You mourn the death of your son, I am wounded in my head.”

हमरा जत्तैक घाव रहल, तत्तै तोरा पुत्र शोक छॅ । तोरा दिल में घाब छॅ, हमरा सिर में घाव य । तैं आज से तोरा हमरा कोनो रिश्ता नाता नै ।  

As much hurt I am by the wound caused by your son, you are to the same degree aggrieved by the death of your son. Your heart is hurt, my head is wounded. Therefore, we no more share friendly relationship with each other.  

अ एखन हमरा सबके सामने में पाकिस्तान वै हाल कॅ रहल है । 

And, nowadays Pakistan is doing the same to all of us.