Kans and Bali — How the Earth was Formed / कँस आ बाली

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

Teller: Vineeta Devi
Location: Ranti
Date: 9/14/16

September 14, 2016: Session C4
Maithili Folklore 16_09_14_c_4

View the transcription in Maithili.

कष्ट…काल के नास, जेना कंस रहै काल, जे अपना बाप के…। 

Pain…destruction of evil, for instance, Kans was an evil person who wanted to…his father.

कंस मनुष्य कोएख में होते हुए भी…कंस किया भेलै? कंस के माँ गेलै रहथिन फूल तोड़ै। फौलबारी में रोज पूजा करैत रहथिन। एक राक्षस ने कंस के माँ के साथ कुछ गलत कैलके। ओकरे जन्मल कंस छै। ओकरा दिमाग में राक्षसी बुद्धि छलैय।

Even though Kans was born as a human being…how did Kans become Kans? Kans’s mother went out to pick some flowers. She would pray daily in a garden. A demon did some bad thing to his mother. That led to Kans’s birth. His brain, however, was a demonic mind. 

Suman: कंस के छै सेहो केह दियो। 

Suman: Let her know who Kans was.

Suman: {Do} you know Kansa?

Suman: {Do} you know Kansa?

Someone in the background: No.

Suman: केह दियो।

Suman: Tell them.

कंस के माँ पूजा करै रोज।

Kans’s mother used to offer daily prayers.

फूल तोड़े फूलवारी में जाथिन। एक दिन राक्षस – दानव – आ के उसको बलात्कार किया। तो उस समय में…

She used to go to a garden to pick flowers. One day a demon—a monster—came and raped her. At that moment…

Suman: फेर हिन्दी?

Suman: Hindi again?

Narrator laughs and resumes: हँ हँ हम त बिसेर…। 

Narrator laughs and resumes: Ha ha, I keep forgetting. 

फेर ओकरा साथ बलात्कार केल्कै जे वेहै ओही समय पेट में बच्चा रेह गेलैय। त उ कंस…वेहै बच्चा जे जन्म लेलकै से कंस भेलै। 

When he raped her, his child went into her womb. Then Kans…the child that was born became Kans.

ओकरा हमेशा राक्षसी बुद्धि रहलैय। 

He always possessed a demonic mind. 

उहो अपना बापो के नै बुझलकै हमर पिता य। 

He never really tried to understand who his father was.

अपना बापो क जेल में देल्कैय। 

He imprisoned his father too. 

न्याय अन्याय उ कंस हमेशा अन्याय केल्कैय अ हुन्कर बाबूजी कहथिन कि जे, “तू न्याय कर। धर्म के रास्ता चल।” लेकिन कंस कखनो धर्म के रास्ता नै चल्लैय। 

Between just and unjust actions, Kans always preferred unjust ones. His foster father used to counsel him, “Engage in righteous acts. Tread on the virtuous path.” But he never followed the path of righteousness.

ए लॅ क कि ओकरा धर्म के बुद्धि नै रहै। उ त राक्षस के पुत्र भौ गेलै नऽ। अ ए एकर पिताजी रहै, से त धर्मात्मा रहै। 

He behaved in this way because he was not endowed with a noble mind. He was the son of a demon. But his foster father was different, he was a saintly person.

तै दुआरे ऊ पिता के जखन कंस बच्चा मारेत रहै, हत्या करैत रहै, पिताजी कहै हुन्कर जे, “हत्या मत करो, कुछ दया करो, कुछ धर्म करो।”

That’s why when Kans was killing children, his foster father said to him, “Don’t kill them. Spare some kindness for them. Perform some righteous acts.” 

त बाप कऽ ओय लगे पद उताएर कॅ जेल में धॅ देल्कैअ राजा अपनै बैन गेलै।

He removed his father from the throne, sent his father to prison and became the king himself. 

तब हत्या करै लग्लै। 

Then he began killing people. 

ए लगै क पापदृष्टि एकटा राक्षसै के होयछै, कसाइ आदमी के। 

This shows that only demons have evil intentions. They butcher human beings. 

दिल ओकरा…अपना जान…रक्षा के वास्ते दोसर के हत्या करै लगलै।

His heart…for the sake of his life…in order to  protect himself, he began killing others.

तऽ कंस उ ओही लॅ के कंस के दिल में दया धर्म नै रहै, चुँकि उ ओकर माए के साथ कुछ इ भैल रहै। घटना घटल रहै। और राबण।

For that very reason, Kans’s heart was devoid of any compassion or virtue. This was because something like this had happened to his mother. That event caused this. Ravan too [was born thus]. 

राबण के जे माँ रहै, उहो दैत्य कन्या रहै, ओकरा शुक्राचार्य करलकै गलती। इ कहानी भुझल छैन? 

She, who was Ravan’s mother, too, was a demon’s daughter. Shukracarya had wronged her. Do you know this story? 

इंद्र भगवान। इ प्रह्लाद। 

There was the God Indra. And this boy Prahlad. 

प्रह्लाद के जे पिता जे माएर देल्कै जखन हिरण्यकश्यपू के। मएर गेलैय। तऽ उ राज्य प्रह्लाद के भेटलैय। 

Prahlad’s father was someone who had killed Hiranyakashyapu. He died. Then that kingdom came into Prahlad’s hands. 

प्रह्लाद के बेटा…एं….से…एक हुन्कर लड़का तऽ। 

Prahlad’s son…um…he…such was his boy. 

प्रह्लाद कि केल्खिन उ राज अपन बेटा कॅ दॅ देल्खिन। 

What Prahlad did was that he gave the kingdom to his son. 

अपने चेल गेल्खिन धर्म करै, जंगल में। 

He went out to perform austerities in the forest. 

उ राज्य छीनै कॅ…लेबै के बास्ते इंद्र भगवान कि केल्खिन, त हुन्कर…अ ओए समय में बलि जे रहै, से पाँच साल के रहै। 

To take away that…to take possession of that, what Lord Indra did was that…Bali who was alive then was five years old. 

ओकरा बाप के इंद्र भगवान मारल्खिन। आप कि दुश्मनी रहै भगवान जाने!

Lord Indra killed his father. Only God knows why they were enemies!

Suman: केकरा बाप के? 

Suman: Whose father? 

प्रह्लाद के बेटा के। बलि के बाप के। राजा बलि रहै नऽ?

Prahlad’s son. The father of Bali. Wasn’t there a king named Bali? 

Suman: हँ।

Suman: Yes. 

ओकरा पिता के। उ पोता छियै। 

He is the grandson.

Suman: प्रह्लाद के पोता छियै? 

Suman: Is he Prahlad’s grandson? 

हँ, बलि। 

Yes, Bali is the grandson. 

Suman: बालि बलि? रामायण वला? 

Suman: Baali is Bali? The one who appears in Ramayana? 

हँ। बलि छीयै प्रह्लाद के पोता। 

Yes. Bali is Prahlad’s grandson. 

तो…बलि के बाप के, से इंद्र भगवान माएर देल्कै।

So…Lord Indra killed the father of Bali.

माए जे गेलै बचबै, ओकरा माएओ कॅ माएर देल्कै। 

When his mother tried to rescue his father, Lord Indra killed his mother, too. 

अ माए बाप के, दुनु के इंद्र भगवान माएर देल्कै, अ इ बच्चा काने लाग्लै। 

Lord Indra killed both his mother and father. So, this child started crying.

तऽ ओइ समय में शुक्राचार्य आबैत रहथिन, उ हुन्का अपना ओईठाँ लॅ गेल्खिन। 

At that very moment, Shukracarya was passing by. He took the child to his place. 

ओहिठाँ पोसे पाले लगल्खिन।

He began parenting the child. 

ओकरा राक्षसी बुद्धि सिखाबै लगलखिन। 

He started teaching diabolic lessons to the boy. 

इ त…इ लेकिन बाप…पूर्वज के जे ओकरा छलै अंस धर्म के, इ बहुत धर्म करै लगलै बलि। 

The boy was…his father was…his ancestors were righteous people, and some of their righteousness was present in him. He performed many virtuous acts. 

त शुक्राचर्य कहल्कै, “देखो, इ देबता लोग हमरे साथ धोखा दिया है। दैत्य के साथ। 

Then Shukracarya told him, “Look, these gods have cheated us. They have deceived the demons.

समुद्र मंथन हुआ है तो अमृत अपने पी लिया है।

When the divine ocean was being churned for the nectar of immortality, they drank the nectar themselves. 

नहीं दिया दैत्य को। 

They did not share it with the demons. 

और…म…अभी देखो, इंद्र भगवान तुम्हारे पिता को, ऐसा किया, तुम ऐसा करो, तुम्हारे पास धर्म शक्ति है। 

And…um…now look, Lord Indra has killed your father. He did this to him. Now you should also do the same to them. You have the power of righteousness. 

तुम लड़ो। लड़के तीनों लोक को परस्त करो। सब देवता को परस्त करो, और तुम तीनों लोक जीतो। राज करो। 

Fight against them. Fight against them in all three worlds. Defeat all of the gods, and be victorious in all three worlds. Rule them.

त इ शुक्राचार्य के सिखेला पर राजा बलि लड़ाई केलके देबता सब से। 

After being instructed by Shukracarya, King Bali launched a war against gods. 

देबता कॅ क तीनो लोक जीत गेलै। 

After defeating various gods, he won all three worlds. 

आब तीनों लोक जीत गेलै। 

Now he was victorious in all three worlds. 

तऽ आब ओकर जज्ञ होतिये। 

So, his consecration was to be performed.

त जज्ञ होतिये, त उ जज्ञ जे करैत रहै, तखनै सब देबता घबरा गेलै, “आब तऽ जज्ञ करैछै, तखन त आब त इकर भॅ जेत्तै।” 

The consecration was scheduled. Then when he was performing this ritual, all the gods grew anxious. “As he is performing this ritual, he will be the owner of these worlds.” 

त सब बिष्णु भगबान के पास गेल्खिन्ह, त कहल्खिन्ह बिष्णु भगबान, “ठीक है, हम उसका उपाय करेंगे।” 

All the gods went to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu assured them, “Okay, I will devise some solution.” 

त वैह बौउन रूप धारण केल्खिन्ह। 

Then he took the form of a dwarf. 

विष्णु भगवान बामन रूप, मतलब छोटा-सा बच्चा का रूप धारण किया। 

Lord Vishnu became a dwarf, that is, he appeared in the form of tiny child. 

छोटा छोटा पाँव और उ गये हैं भिखा माँगने के लिय।

Walking on his little feet, he set out to beg alms.

ब्राह्मण का रूप धारण करके, हँ।

He was dressed as a brahmin, you see.

त भिक्षा माँगने गये त राजा बलि के पास त राजा बलि देखा बहुत सुंदर बच्चा।

Then he went to King Bali to seek alms. King Bali noticed that he was a very beautiful child.

उसकी राजा बलि का जो लड़की थी…बहन बहन, उ आके देखा तो बच्चा का सुंदरता देखकर सोचता है, “हे भगवान, अगर ये बच्चा मेरा बेटा होता, तो हम इसको दूध पिलाते।” 

The girl who was the daughter…sister, sister of King Bali, came out and was so moved by the beauty of the child that she wondered, “O God, I wish this boy were my child so that I could nurse him.” 

तो मन ही मन भगवान कहते हैं कि, “तुम्हारा बचन पूरा होगा। तुम दूध पिलाओगी मुझे।” 

The lord mind-to-mind communicated to her, “You will have your wish. You will nurse me with your milk.” 

इतना उ भी बचन दे दिया अ इ मन में सोचा अ उ बचन दे दिया मन ही मन में। ये बात कोई नहीँ जाना।

He gave his word to her as and when she thought about her wish. He made his promise mind-to-mind. No one else knew about this. 

तो बाद में क्या हुआ राजा बलि…जो थे उनको भिक्षा माँगे, तो उ देने के लिये तैयार हो गये थे। 

Then what happened was that King Bali…when he sought alms from the king, the king was willing to grant him alms. 

शुक्राचार्य कहते हैं कि, “नहीं, इसको दान कुछ मत दो, इसलिये कि स्वयं विष्णु भगवान है। छल करके तुमसे दान माँगने आया है। हो सकता है ई सारा चीज वापस कर लेगा।”

Shukracarya cautioned him, “No, don’t give anything to him because he is Lord Vishnu himself. He wants alms from you in order to trick you. It’s possible he will take away everything [that you have].” 

कहलके, “नहीं, हम जज्ञ कर रहे हैं। उस समय कोई भिक्षा माँगने आ गया है तो उसको हम दान नहीं करे तो क्या करें? पाप करें?” 

He replied, “No, I am performing ritual oblation. If someone comes begging for alms at this [auspicious] moment, should they not be granted any offering? Must one [deny offering and thereby] commit a sin? 

Suman: मैथिली। 

Suman: (Speak in) Maithili.

अहँहँ…सही मेँ…याद करा दे छीयै। 

Ahaha…it’s good…you remind me [to speak in Maithili].

Prof. Davis: What is जज्ञ?

Prof. Davis: What is yajña? 

Suman: यज्ञ…it’s it’s kind of पूजा…

Suman: Yajña… it’s it’s a kind of worship…

जैसे कोई चीज जीत के लाये नऽ, लेल्खिन नऽ…

For instance, when someone wins something and brings it home, when they get it then…

Suman: But I don’t know what would be the equivalent of…in English. It’s a kind of performance, a pūjā, that you perform to…um…so, it’s done for various purposes. But mostly…um…you put things in the flame…

Prof. Davis: Frame…flame? 

Suman: Yes. 

Prof. Davis: Right, ya, so, I know what that’s called. 

Suman: But I don’t know…what is it called in English. 

Prof. Davis: It’s a kind of worship, involves offerings into fire.

तऽ उ…हमर लड़की चैल गेलै की? प्रीति, प्रीति…

Then he…has my girl already left? Priti, Priti…

Another female listener in the background: गर्मी में उ छोड़ा की करैय? गेलै हँ आटा साने लॅ। 

Another female listener in the background: What is that boy doing in [this] hot weather? He has gone to make dough from flour. 

गे प्रीति। 

O Priti!

Suman: की भेल? 

Suman: What happened? 

The other female listener in the background: चैल गैल। 

The other female listener in the background: She is gone.

चैल गेलै? 

Has she left?

Suman: कहू कहू कहू फेर की भेलै? 

Suman: Tell, tell, tell, what happened next? 

त उ कि भेलै…अ…जेक्के कहल्खिन्ह जे, “उ त की लेतै? कुछ न। भिक्षा माँग लेतै।” 

Then what happened was…that…he asked someone, “Does he want anything else? Nothing. Let him get his alms.”

पूछै गेल्खिन्ह, “आहाँ की लेब?”

They asked him, “Would you like something?”

कहल्खिन, “किछु नै लेब, तीन डेग जमीन लेब।” 

He replied, “No, I will take nothing, just three steps of land.”

त उ कहल्खिन, “छोटा छोटा पैर छै, तीन डेग एतबै दूर में भौ जेत्तै।” 

Then he said, “His legs are so tiny. His three steps can measure only so much.” 

त कहल्खिन, “ठीक छै। हम देब।” आब राजा…कहल्खिन्ह बलि जे, “हम दॅ देब।” 

So he replied, “Okay. I will give it to you.” Now the king…Bali conceded, “I will grant your wish.”

अ बचनबद्ध भो गेल्खिन आ शुक्राचार्य हुन्का रोएक रहल छै जे, “आँहाँ नै दियो तीन पग में सब तीनु लोक लॅ लेत।” “नै नै, से इ बच्चा छै।” 

He had given his word even though Shukracharya tried to stop him, “Don’t grant him his three steps; he will take away all three worlds.” “No, no, this is just a child.” 

उ जखन जे हुन्का संकल्प करे लॅगल्खिन तिन डैग जमीन, तऽ शुक्राचार्ज कंकड़ बैन कॅ सुबर्णा के टोटी में घुस गेल्खिन ताकि गंगा जल नै गिरै। 

When he promised to grant three steps of land, then Shukracharya became a pebble and embedded himself into the lid of the golden pitcher so that the holy Ganga water would not get sprinkled on the offering.

ओकरा की केल्खिन तऽ…अर्घा होएछे नऽ जल देय बला? 

Then what he did…do you know about argha, an offering of holy water?

ओए लै के एना कॅ भोएख देल्खिन्ह। 

He held it like this and pricked [Shukracharya]. 

हुन्का दाहिना आँएख फूइट गेलै। 

His right eyeball was ruptured.

तखैन शुक्राचार्य क्रोध भै कॅ कहै छथिन, “अब तुम्हारा बिनास काल आ गया है राजा बलि। तू मेरा आँख फोड़ दिया।” 

Shukracarya was enraged. He said, “Raja Bali, your end is near now. You have destroyed my eyeball.” 

ओत्तै बात कैह देल्खिन्ह, तकरा त हैट गेल्खिन्ह। 

He yelled at Bali and went away. 

इ संकल्प जेखन कॅ लेल्खिन्ह त कहल्खिन्ह “तीन डैग जमीन नाप लिजीये।” 

Given that Bali had vowed to keep his promise, he said to the boy, “Measure three steps of land.”

त ए…तखन इ रूप विसाल देल्खिन्ह। 

Then…then the boy took an enormous form. 

अपन रूप दिखेलखिन्ह। 

He displayed his form. 

“एक आकाश एक पाताल, तीसरा पग कहाँ रखें, बलि?” 

“One step in the sky, another in the underworld, where should I put down my third step, Bali?”

तऽ माथा सिर झुका देल्खिन्ह। 

Then Bali bowed down his head. 

वैहै…उ जे जीत लेलै रहै तीन पग, तही दुआरे इंद्र भगवान बज्र खसबै छल्खिन्ह राजा बलि के मारे के बास्ते। 

That’s how…he won the third step. That’s why Lord Indra decided to kill Bali and struck King Bali with a thunderbolt. 

ठनका जे खसेय्य। 

It’s the same lightening that strikes us today. 

ओ बलिये के मारे के बास्ते खसबै छलखिन्ह। 

That was originally intended to kill Bali. 

लेकिन औएठाँ भगवान हुन्का पाताल में दॅ देल्खीन्ह। 

But the god had sent Bali to the underworld. 

अखनो ठनका खस्सैय त पाताल में जाएयॅ। बलिये के लेल। लेकिन बले के मथा पे नै जायछै। 

Even today, if lightning strikes [on the earth], it goes to the underworld. To [kill] Bali. But lightnings fails to fall on Bali’s head. 

भगवान के चरण जे पड़लै नऽ, ओए लकै बेच रहल छै। 

Since the god had placed his feet on Bali’s head, his head was shielded.

और…ओही लॅ कॅ से हीन्का कहाऽ नऽ ओइ दिन कहल्खिन्ह जे…इ भैलछै साबन के पूर्णिमा दिन। 

And…because of this, he came to be known from that very day …all of this happened on a full-moon day.

तै दुआरे राखी जे बन्हैछै त कहैछै, “दीनबन्धु बलि राजा, दानबन्धु महाबला।” 

That’s why when [sisters] tie rakhis [amulets on their brother’s wrist], they chant, “the friend of the poor King Bali; the generous giver Great Bali.”

दीनबन्धु बलि…दीनबन्धु त अपने छल्खिन्ह बउन रूप, अ बलि राजा रहबै करै। 

The friend of the poor Bali…He was kind to the poor. God himself was a dwarf, and King Bali was there [to give him alms]. 

अ बलि राजा दान कैलखिन्ह, त महाबल भौ गेलेन्ह। 

And King Bali did give alms to him, that’s why he is known as the Great Bali. 

दीनबन्धु बलि राजा दानबन्धु महाबला। 

The friend of the poor King Bali; the generous giver Great Bali. 

और ओकर उपर छै जे हमरा नै अबैयऽ।

And I don’t know the story after that. 

त भगवान छथिन से संसार के रक्षा कारण। 

So, god exists to protect the world. 

जखैन भगवान इ पृथिबी बनेल्खिन्ह−उहो बिष्णु भगवान बनेल्खिन्ह; पता यऽ आँहाँ के? 

When god made this earth—that too Lord Vishnu created; did you know this? 

सब…मच्छत्त-रूप धारण कै−तखैन मनुष्य के औएठाँ जन्म देल्खिन्ह, तब सब भगवान कहल्के जे, “आहाँ जे मनुष्य के जन्म देलिये पृथिवी पर, तो उ लैट्रीन करत, बाथरूम करत, थूकत, हर चीज करत।” 

Everything…after taking the form of a fish—then he gave birth to humans here, then all the gods said, “Now that you have given birth to humans, they will shit here, they will bathe here, they will spit here, they will do anything and everything.”

त धरती माता कहल्खिन्ह, “हमरा से तऽ ई बर्दास्त नै हैत।” 

Then Mother Earth said, “I  cannot tolerate this.”

त धरती माता के कहल्खिन्ह, “आहाँ के ऊपर कोई पाप नै रहत। जै लैट्रीन करत, त पीछै मुड़ के देख लैत, त पाप औकरे देह में। बाथरूम करतै, थूक फेंक देतै, थूइक देतै, औकर पाप ओकरे देह में।” 

Then god explained to the mother earth, “You will incur no sin here. When they shit, they will look behind to see what they have done. On doing so, they will be responsible for their sin. If they bathe here, if they spit here, then their [own] bodies will carry their sin. 

त उ साल में गंगा नहाए जथिन। सब पाप गंगा के पानी में धोकेड़…धुआ जेत्तै। 

They will go to bathe in the Ganges every year. Their sins will get washed away in the river…they’ll be purified. 

तो गंगा कहल्खिन्ह, “मनुष्य के पाप लॅ कॅ हम की करब?”

Then Ganga said, “What will I do with the sins of humans?”

त कहल्कै कि जे, “ऊ पाप आहाँ सब इंद्र भगवान कॅ दॅ देबै।”

The god replied to her, “You can pass on those sins to Lord Indra.”

इंद्र भगवान कहल्खिन्ह, “ई पाप लॅ कॅ हम की करब?” 

Lord Indra said, “What will I do with those sins?”

कहल्खेन, “ हम मछली बनाए कॅ बरसात मेँ – साबन भादौ में – बरसात महीना पूरा नदी में खेत में पोखरा में जहाँ एक कुआँ में जहाँ तहाँ हम पानी के साथ गिरा देबै। उ माएर माएर लोग खेतै, फेर मनुष्य के पाप मनुष्ये के देह में जेत्तै।” 

The god replied, “I will make fish in the rainy season—in the months of saban and bhadau—and drop them in all the rivers, farms, lakes, wells and wherever bodies of water exist throughout the rainy season. People will kill and eat them, and their sins will enter their bodies again.” 

त देखैछीयै बरसात में, नदी में, पोखरा में, खेत में, पथार में, सौंसे मछली गिरैछे। 

So, you must have seen in the rainy season that full-bodied fishes fall (from the sky) into rivers, ponds, farms, and fields. 

उ गिरैछे त धीया-पूता सब माएर माएर कॅ पकैड़ पकैड़ आनैछै, सब माएर कॅ खाएछै।

When they fall, then children catch and kill them, bringing them home to cook and eat. 

वैह चीज छीयै धरती। त धरती के उपर पाप रहबै ने करैछै। फेर मनुष्य के पाप, मनु के…मनु के जे देह में लाएग जाएछै। 

Such a thing is earth. That’s why no sins stick to earth. The sins of men fall unto humans…they stick with the bodies of humans.