Parrot’s Curse on Sita / सुगा के श्रापल सीता

September 12, 2016: Session A3
Maithili Folklore Story 16_09_12_a_3

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

Teller: Abha Das
Location: Ranti
Date: 9/12/16

View the transcription in Maithili.

कोनो पेन्टिंग बनैछे, बिना खिस्सा से नै बन्बैछीयै ।

Whenever a painting is made, we don’t make it without a story.

ओना हम किताब नै पढ़नै छीयै । रामायण पोथी नै पढ़नै छीयै ।

I haven’t read books as such. I have not read the ‘book’ of Ramayan.

मने रामायण लिखॅ अबैयऽ, रामायण के खिस्सा लिखॅ आबैय्य ।

However, I know how to paint Ramayan, I know how to depict the story of Ramayan.

जत्तै सॅ कहू, ओत्तै से कहू, शुरू कॅ दे छीयै, लिख्नाय, से अबैय ।

I will begin from wherever you’d like me to, and I will begin it from there, I will begin writing from there — This I know how to do.

त एय से बड्ड मन खुश रहैय, बच्चो सब के देखैलोँ, अपनों दुखैऽ, उहो दुख…कनि काल तऽ बच्चा लग मन खुश रहतैयऽ…

It brings me great pleasure to do this. I show my paintings to children. My own sadness, their sadness…Sometimes the company of children gladdens my heart.

[ …इ नै लोग सोचैयऽ, सबटा बच्चा… ]

[ …people don’t consider that all children… ]

…सीतो जी के, आहाँ के जे श्राप पड़लैन, सीतो के, शुग्गै न, आहाँ के, श्राप देनै छथिन । 

…the curse that fell on Sitaji as well, you see, the one that fell on Sita, it was cast by a parrot. A parrot, you see, had cursed her.

[कथि के श्राप ?]

[What kind of curse?] 

सीता जी के शुग्गा श्राप देनै छथिन जे, “जेना हमरा आहाँ,” मने, सीताजी जखन…मने…कनि नम्हर भेल्खिन, तऽ फुलवारी में जाएत रहथिन । हँ ? 

The parrot cast a curse on Sitaji that, “The way you have treated me…” That is, when Sitaji…that is…when she had grown up a bit, she was once passing by a garden. You see?

त ओ सीताजी अपन फुलबारी में जाएत रहथिन,

So, Sitaji herself was walking in the garden,

त शूगा जे रहै नऽ, से दुनु पराणी अपन, चिड़ैय, 

so, the parrot who was there, you see, both husband and wife were themselves there,

तऽ अपन आपस में गप्प करै जे, “देखियो, सीता धरती तर से त निकलॅल्खिन, राजा के, अथि, हॅर जोतल्खिन राजा…तही तॅर सॅ, लेकिन सीताजी के दुख लिखल छलै, कपार में ।”

then, they were talking among themselves that, “You see, Sita came out of the earth, that is, when the king was ploughing the field…she was found below the earth, but much suffering has been inscribed for Sitaji, it’s written on her head.

उ अपना में बतियेलके । 

They were conversing with each other. 

त पहिलका लोग सब जे रहै नऽ, त ओ न चिड़ै-चुनमुनी के भाषा जनैत रहै ।

So, these people who lived in long ago, you see, they knew the languages of birds and the like. 

ओ जे अपना आपस में किछु गप्प करै, त ओ चीज लोग बुझ जाए । हँ !

Whatever conversations they would have with each other, these people understood what they were talking about. So it was!

चाहे उ साधू-सन्त होय, कि जेनेरल भाषा में लोगो होए, ओकरा बहुत लोग कॅ जानकारी रहेछै । 

Whether these people were sages or saints, or whether they were commoners speaking in a normal wasy, many people had such knowledge. 

त सीताजी जे…फूल तोड़ेत रहथिन, त ओ देखल्खिन जे ओय चिड़ैय के जे, मने, “हमरे लॅ इ बजैय्यऽ,” त आरो लोग के जिज्ञासा होयछे । 

Sitaji who…was picking flowers, noticed that these birds were, I mean, talking about her, “They are speaking about me.” An event like this make people more curious about their future.

ओहिनो अनायास ककरो कोनो चर्चा करैछे, नाम लॅ कॅ ककर, या त नीक दृष्टिकोण सॅ बुझ्यौ या अधला कॅ…लोग कॅ होयछे, “हैय, की करैय्यॅ हमरा ?”

Usually when someone spontaneously talks about others by mentioning their names — whether with good intentions or vile motives…others do wonder, “Hmm, what is being done to me?”

मने, हमर नाम आभा लेलक, तऽ, “कीया लैलक ? की कहै चाहेयऽ ? नीक कहलक या अधला कहलक ?,” से मन में जरूर आबेछै । 

Say someone mentions my name, Abha, and then I wonder, “Why was my name mentioned? What do they want from me? Did they say good things about me, or did they disparage me?” All of these questions definitely enter one’s mind.

तऽ सीतो जी के भेलैन कि “इ पशु पक्षी हमरा नाम लॅ कॅ बजैयऽ…‘सीता के, मने, एना जन्म भेलैन, एना इ भेलैन, एना भेलैन, आगू सीता के बहुत दुख लिखल छै ।’”

So, Sitaji thought, “This creature — these birds mentioned my name in their conversation… ‘Sita was, you see, born in this way, then this happened, then this happened, and the future fate of Sita is filled with much suffering.’”

तॅ ओ जे बजल्खिन शुग्गा अपना में, त ओ कहल्खिन कि जे से, मने, उ अपन पति के कहैत रहथिन ।

So, then those parrots were talking among themselves. Then she said that…that is, she was talking to her husband. 

शुग्गा जे रहथिन, दुनु पराणी, तऽ नर जे रहथिन, नारी जे रहथिन से अपन नर के सुनाबैत रहथिन खिस्सा । 

Those parrots were there, both of them were there. The male parrot was there. The female parrot who was there was recounting a story to her consort. 

हुन्का बुझल रहै खिस्सा । 

She knew the story.

तो ओ अपन कोनो चीज होयेछे त पति पत्नी जेकरा जे चीज बुझल रहैछे, एक दोसर के अपन बँटैछे सुख-दुख, त ओ सुन्बैत रहथिन ।

So, she had something to tell her husband. If there is anything husbands and wives come to know, they share it with each other. They share their joys and sorrows. So, she was telling it to him. 

त कहल्किन कि…सीता जे सुनल्खिन, त कहल्खिन कि जे, “इ जे शुगा जे छै, जों हमरा बारे में जनैछे, जे सीता के एना जन्म भेलैन, अ एना सीता के बियाह हेतै, एना धनुष जगैयते, त सीता…सब चीज, इ शुगा त सब चीज जनैत हैत, किछु नै इ शुगा के हम पकैड़ के राएख लै छीयै ।”

So, she said…as soon as Sita overheard the exchange, she said, “This parrot who knows everything about me — that Sita was born in this way, that Sita was married in this way, that the bow will be lifted in this way, then Sita…everything about me, then this parrot must be aware of everything. Not to worry, I will capture the parrot and keep it.”

हँ, त अपन हुन्का दरबार में त बड़ लोग रहैन । 

Yes. So, in her court, there were many people. 

त फेर दोसरो दिन गेल्खिन फुलबारी, त देखल्खिन ओ शुग्गा के ओहिना बैसल, अ अपन बतियाएत । 

So, the next day she went to the garden again. So, she saw that the parrot was still sitting the same way, and she was talking to her husband.

त कहल्खिन कि, “ओ शुगा हमरा पकैड़ कॅ आहाँ आएन दियौ ।”

Then she said, “Catch hold of that parrot and bring it to me.”

त शुगा के पकैड़ के आन देल्खिन अपन, ओ की कैल्खिन, सीता ओकरा पिंजड़ा में बंद कॅ देल्खिन, सीता ।

So, they caught the parrot and brought her to Sita. What Sita did was that she put the parrot in a cage. 

पिंजड़ा में जे बंद कॅ देल्खिन, त हुन्कर जे मने अथि रहथिन, हसबेन्ड रहथिन, ओ शुगा के, ओ रोज दिन आबथिन, खिड़की पर बैस कॅ, अपन पत्नी के देख्थिन जे, “आए छोड़ देथिन सीता ।”

When she locked up the parrot in a cage, then her…that is, he who was there…her husband, he came to see her everyday, he came to see that parrot.

अ सीता कहथिन कि, “जौं आहाँ हमरा बारे में बर्तमान में जानलौं, आहाँ हमर भविष्यो जनैत हैब ।

But Sita insisted, “Since you know about my present, you must be aware of my future as well.

त आहाँ हमरा भविष्य कहू ।”

So, tell me about my future!” 

शुगा के होएन कि, “जौँ हम एकरा भविष्य केह दबै, सीता के, त भविष्य ककर के कहल्केयऽ, त भऽ सकैय कि हमरा माएर देत या…डर लोग के भऽ जाएछे नऽ, समा जाए छे नऽ ।

The parrot thought, “When I tell her about her future…if I tell it to Sita…One who discloses a person’s future to whom…it is possible that she will have me killed…after all, people are driven by fear…fear is ingrained in our being.”

अ हम तऽ पशु पक्षी छी, त हमरा त औरौ डर, मने, इ हैत कि करत, नै करत ।” 

Besides, I am an animal, I am a bird, so I must worry all the more…that is…I’m not sure how they will treat me.”

त कहल्खिन कि, “नै, हम आहाँ के आगू के बात नै कएह सकै छीयै ।”

Then she said, “No, I cannot tell you about what will befall on you in the future.” 

त कहल्खिन कि, “नै, जखन आहाँ हमरा बारे में, मने, बच्चा से जाएनलों हँ, त आगू हमरा की हैत, सोहों आहाँ जनैत हेबै ।”

Then she said, “No, when you have narrated my story to me…You have known my life since my childhood, then you must know what will happen to me in future.”

त कहल्खिन, “नै, नै, हम नै जनैछीयै । लेकिन आहाँ के दुख लिखल यऽ ।”

Then she replied, “No, no, I do not know. But your fate is inscribed with suffering.

त कहल्खिन जे, “जौँ दुख लिखल यऽ, त कि दुख लिखल यऽ, सेहो आहाँ जनैत हेबै नऽ ?”

She queried, “Since suffering is inscribed in my fate, you must certainly know what that is, no? What suffering is written in my fate?”

त कहल्खिन जे, “नै, हमरा आहाँ छोएर दियौ, हँ ।” 

But she replied, “No, you should set me free!” 

त कहल्खिन, “नै, जाबैं आहाँ हमरा पूरा खिस्सा नै कहब, हमरा कहानी नै कहब जे हमरा की दुख लिखल है, ताबै हम नै आहाँ के छोड़ब ।”

Then she countered, “No, unless you tell me the whole story, unless you narrate my full story, describing what kind of suffering I will have to endure in future, I will not release you.”

तऽ ओ जे रहै, ओकर शुग्गा जे रहे, से रोज दिन आबै, शुगा देख लै खिड़की पर, ओ पिंजड़ा में ओकरा बँद कॅ…तऽ पशु पक्षी के त आहाँ जखनै कैद कॅ रखबै, ओकरा चिड़य चुनमुन के, त ओ अपन सबटा इ भौ जाएछै ओकरा, ज हम उड़ै वला पक्षी छलौं, हमरा इ बंद कॅ क राखनै यऽ ।

Now, he who was there, that is, her husband — he would come to see her every day. He used to sit on the window and he would gaze at his wife trapped in the cage…Now, when you put animals and birds in a cage, when you put birds in a cage, then they all begin to wonder, “We are the ones who are meant to fly freely outside, but they have imprisioned us here.”

त ओ खेनैय पिनैय शुग्गा त्याएग देलकै, अपन, त ओ जे ओ शुगा सब दिन अबै देखै, त पूछै जे, “तोरा बंद केनै छौ, त केना छोड़तो, से कही ?”

So, she gave up eating and drinking, and her husband, who visited her everyday, demanded to know, “She has imprisoned you. On what condition will she free you? Let me know.”

त कहै, “हमरा त नै छोड़ैय, आगू के हमरा खिस्सा कहैय, मने, कहॅ लॅ, सीता के, “हमरा की दुख लिखल है ?” से हमरा सीता पूछैछे ।

She replied, “She won’t free me. She wants me to tell the story of her future. That is, she wants me to answer her. “What kind of suffering has been inscribed to me?,” this is what Sita is asking. 

से हम केना हीनका कहबैन ?

How can I possibly disclose it to her?

हम जे केह देबै, त आहाँ के बनबास लिखल यऽ, अ बनबास के बाद आहाँ के फेर, माएन लियऽ, रामचंदजी आहाँ के त्याग कॅ देता, त इ हमरा अखनै माएर देत ।

If I told her what is written in her fate — that you have to live in the forest; that after your long stay in the forest, your husband, Ramcandji will discard you — then she will immediately kill me.

त तैं द्वारे हम से नै कह सकैछियै ।

So, I cannot reveal her future to her.

त ओहिनो मरबै करब हम, माएन लिय, इ हमरा छोड़त नै, त तैं द्वारे हम किया न सीते हाथे मॅरी ? 

I will be dead anyway. Assuming she will not free me, then why shouldn’t I accept dying at the hands of Sita? 

ओ त बहुत, सीतो जी, ज्ञानी छल्खिन्ह ।” 

Afterall, Sita is a very learned person.”

किया नै रहतै, ओहन अथि के बेटी रहथिन, ओहन के पुतोहु रहथिन, त किया नै रहथिन ! 

Why won’t she be? Being that she was the daughter of such a person and the daughter-in-law of such a family. So why wouldn’t she be?”

त ओ शुगा की केल्कै हीन्का श्राप दॅ देलकै, “जे जहिना आहाँ हमरा एइ अवस्था में…,” सीता जी के पिंजड़ा में कतै दिना ओर रहतै…उ शुगा मएर गेलै । 

Thus, she put a curse on Sita, “In the same way as you have incarcerated me…,” how long could she stay in the Sita’s cage…That parrot died. 

त ओ जे ओकर पति एलै देखल्के शुगा के मरल पिंजड़ा में, त सीता जी के श्राप देल्कै जे, “जहिना एइठाँ, एहि अवस्था में, शुगा के बच्चा होए वला रहै, जे अवस्था में, आए हमरा पत्नी के हमरा बियोग सहै पड़ल हँ, अ हमरा पत्नी के बंद कॅ क राएख लेलौं, येहै चीज आहाँ के भोगे पड़त ।”

When her husband came to see her and when he saw she was lying dead in the cage, then he cast a curse on Sitaji, “In the same way as you have incarcerated her, under similar circumstances, you too will suffer. That parrot was expecting a child. Today I am suffering from the separation and loss of my wife. You too will suffer in the same way. You caught my wife and kept her in a cage. You too will have to endure similar suffering.”

अ उ कह कॅ शुगा चल गेलै, त सीता जी के ओ शुग्गै के श्राप पड़ल रहै ।

After placing his curse, the parrot went away. And, it was the curse of that parrot’s curse that later afflicted Sitaji.

जे शुग्गा हुन्का कहल्खिन जे एना-एना, मने, आगू नै बतैल्खिन जे की हेतै, त सीता जी के आहाँ आगू में बीयाह भेलैन, सब चीज भेलैन, तकर बाद जे ओ, मने, बनबास के ठाएन देल्खिन जखन सब चीज, सीता के बनबास, त गेल्खिन सीता बनबास, बनबासे से फेर एल्खिन, फेर राबन-ताबन हेर लेल्खेन, त फेर औएठमाँ, जे ननैद रहथिन्ह कहल्खिन, “आहाँ नै देखलिये रावण के ?”

That parrot who said such-and-such to Sita and who did not disclose the details of her future — that Sitaji would later get married; that she would have everything; then, that is, she would choose to live in the forest when she already had everything; that she would go to live in the forest; that she would return from the forest; then Ravan and others would kidnap her; then there her sister-in-law would ask, “Did you not see Ravan?”

ननैद त लोग के बड़ दोचारण होयेछै, त “आहाँ ता त कहैछियै, ‘हम भौजी रावण से गप्पे ने केलौं’ ?

Sisters-in-law are often given to misbehavior. So, her sister-in-law probed, “How come you are saying, ‘O sister-in-law, I did not chat with Ravan’ ?

त आहाँ त कम-से-कम छाइयों देखनै हेबै रावण के ।”

You must have at least seen his shadow.” 

किया त रावण से जखन बतियाएत रहथिन सीता जी, किया के सीता जी पर-पुरुष से नै अथि करैत रहथिन, त ओ नै एकटा तिनका जे कहेछै, त ओ ने एकटा खर लॅ कॅ, हमेशा जे बात करथिन एकटा खर लॅ कॅ ।

That’s because whenever Ravan had to talk to Sitaji; because Sitaji would never talk to a male stranger, she would would carry a bit of straw — what looked like a stalk of straw — and she would communicate using the straw.

मने दंत कथा में जे कहेछै । 

That is, this is how it’s been explained in oral tales. 

आय काल सीरियल सब में जेत्तै कहैछे त कीछु त कीछु देखाबैछै, त ओ से त हमरा सब कॅ दादी सब के खिस्सा कहने छथिन, चाहे चाचीये सब हमर बॅजै छथिन, सॉस सब, त से हम सुननै छीयै ।

Nowadays in television series, they make up different stories, and they show anything and everything. But we all heard this story from our grandmothers. Our aunts too would narrate this story to us, and so did our mothers-in-law. I have heard this story from them.

त हुन्का ननैद कहल्खिन, “से केना हेतै कि आहाँ नै अथि केने हेबै, देखने हेबै ?” 

So, her sister-in-law accused, “How is it possible that you had not looked at…that is, seen…him?”

त, “नै, हम नै, हमरा नै, मने, इ यैऽ ।”

“No, I did not…this did not happen to me…that is…I didn’t see him.” 

त कहल्के, ‘नै, त आहाँ धरती पर चीचै फाएड़ दियौ, रावण केहन रहै से फाड़ दियौ ।”

But she insisted, “No, if you can’t describe him to me, then why don’t you draw his image on the earth; show me what Ravan was like in real life.” 

त ओ त राजा रावण के दशटा मुँह रहे, ओकर जे शकल-सूरत रहै, सीता अपन फाड़ देल्के । 

Now it was well known that Ravan had ten faces. So, Sita drew an image that was similar to the face of Ravan.

तकर बाद सॅ सीता के अपन वैह धोबिया जे कहल्के, ओकर घरवाली जे चैल गेलै, दुनु पराणी के झंझट भेलै ।

Afterwards, Sita heard that washerman say those things. His wife had gone out, and husband and wife were fighting among themselves.

त धोबिन्या अपन घर से भाग गेलै राएत में, तऽ अपन भाएग गेलै त अपन रहबै कत्तौ अपन, लेकिन गलत कार्ज ने केनै रहै, तो ओ धोबी कहल्कै नऽ जे, “तू ओत्ती हमरा…राम..बुझैछै…राम बुझैछै ?…जे राबण रखल्कै ओतै दिन, तखन अपना, मने, हैर, अथि कॅ क, जीत कॅ आएन लल्खिन अ राएख लेल्खिन घर में, से हम ओ धोबिया नै छी ।

So, the washerwoman had left their house at night. Since she had fled from her husband, she spent her night somewhere else. But she did not indulge in any immoral act. Then her husband said to her, “What do you think of me…do you think I am like Ram?…that Ravan would keep his wife for so long…that Ravan kidnapped his wife for so long and Ram still won his war with Ravan and brought her back to his house?…I, this washerman, am not like him.”

हम…तो राएत भर कत्तै छलैंह, से कह, अ छलैंह जत्तै, ओहीथाँ में रह, हम तोरा नै राखबो ।” त धोबियो के श्राप मने पड़ले ।

I…tell me, where did you spend your night? And wherever you were, return to the same place, I won’t keep you with me anymore.” That’s how a curse had been cast on the washerman.