September 15, 2016: Session 2

Maithili Folklore 16_09_15_02

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis and Carlos Gomez
Transcription by Nidhi Anand and Translation by Neeraj Kumar

Teller: Sagar Devi
Location: Narayan Patti
Date: 9/15/16

View the transcription in Maithili.

एकटा ब्राह्मण रहैथ।ओ बियाह करैत त ओ पूछथीन कि घरवाली के जे एकटा हम सवाल अहाँ के पूछइ छी , तेकर जवाब जे देब  त तब अहां के राखब नइ त हम मारि देब।  कहलकय ठीक छै पूछू, त ब्राह्मण कहथीन कि जे घरनी से घर होइ छै कि घरे स घरनी होइ छै?

There once was a Brahmin. Each time he got married, he would say to his wife, “I will ask you a question. If you answer it correctly, I will keep you, otherwise I will kill you.” His wife would say, “Go ahead.” Then he would ask, “Tell me: Does a home exist because of its homemaker, or does the homemaker exist because of her home?”

आ त नइ घरे स घरनी होइ छै। त हुनका मारि देलकन। ओहिना करैत करैत करैत करैत बहुत जहैन उ बियाह क लेलथ तहन गाम में एकटा मसोमाथ के लड़की रहै|

His wife would reply, “No, the homemaker exists because of her home.” Then the Brahmin would kill his wife. He kept repeating this act and ended up marrying many women in his village, killing each of them in turn, all in the same way. There was a widow in his village who had a daughter. 

कहलखिन आब ओकरा स हम बियाह करब| आब उ मसोमाथ कलहित में रहैथ जे आब त इ भरि गाम के सब के  मारि देलकय आब त इ हमरो बेटी के मारि देत, से नइ त हम बियाह नइ बेटी के करब | त बेटी समझदारी रहै, कहलकय गै तू किया ऐते हैल कैल भ गेलैं, हम बियाह करब,जे जबाब पूछतै तकर सबाब हम देबै, तों कियै डरै छैं |

Knowing this, the Brahmin said he would marry the widow’s daughter. Hearing this, the widow got anxious, as she knew that the Brahmin had killed all his prior wives, and her daughter would also meet the same fate. So, she declared that she wouldn’t allow him to marry her daughter. But her daughter was wise. She assured her mother, “Hey, why are you worried? I will marry him. And I know what to answer if he asks me this question.”

तखन हुनका स बियाह केलक | त कहलकय जे आब एकटा हम अहां के सवाल पूछइ छी तेकर जवाब  देब  तब त अहां के राखब नइ त अहूं के मारि देब। कहलकय पूछू, त कि पूछब | आ त घरनी से घर होइ छै कि घरे स घरनी होइ छै? आ त नइ घरनी स घर होइ छै,ओ कहलकय ओ लड़की| 

Then she married him. The Brahmin told her, “I am asking you a question now. If you answer it correctly, I will keep you, otherwise I will kill you, too.” She replied, “Go ahead, ask what you will.” “Tell me, does a home exist because of its homemaker, or does the homemaker exist because of her home?” His wife replied, “No, the home exists because of its homemaker.” 

कहलकय ठीक छै, हुनका नइ मारलकैन | तहैंन हुनका कि केलकैन पाव भएर चाउर,आध पाव दाइल एते नून द क ओ बाहिर चलि गेला| आ हुनका कहलकैन कि जे अहाँ इ कोठा, सोफा, पोखर, इनार, पोखर, इनार , हाथी हरसार, घोड़ा घुरसार इ सब सबटा मधुरकुलका क अहाँ राखब| बगैर बाप के बेटा आ बगैर घोड़ा के बछेरा से क क राकह पड़त|

The Brahmin said, “OK.” He didn’t kill her. Then he gave her a quarter kilo of rice, an eighth kilo half-quarter of pulse, and some salt, and then prepared to go out. As he was departing, he said to her, “Make ready a house, a sofa, a pond, a well, elephants, horses and their stables. You will also have to have a son without a father and a baby foal without the father horse.”

ठीक छै, गेला ओ अपन बाहर| आब इ बेचारी सोचना में परि गेली जे कहलैत त किछ नइ आ कहलैत बड़का भारी बात, आब इ केना हैत| तहैन उनके घरवाला के एकटा दोस्त रहैन ओता पहुँचलि| हुनका पूछलकन, जे अहाँ के दोस्त त चलि गेला है बाहर आ एना एना से हमरा कहलैथ है पाव भएर चाउर आध पाव दाइल इतनी नून द क गेलैथ है एतवा समान हमरा फरमा गेलैथ है| त अहाँ  कि करू ढोलहो पिटा दियउ आ हाट लगा दियउ, बगैर बट्टी के हाट लगा दियउ | 

And with that, he left. Now his poor wife was thinking that her husband actually didn’t say anything at all but said so many things. How would she manage these things? Then she reached out to one of her husband’s friends for help. She asked him, “Your friend has left and has asked me to arrange some things. He gave me just a quarter kilo of rice, an eighth kilo of pulse, and some salt. So, what you should do is open my land for the town’s shopkeepers to erect their shops and do business there.”

उ सै केलखिन बगैर बट्टी के हाक लगा देलखिन| जैहैन हाट खूब जयम गेलै तकर बाद में कहलकैन दोस्त के जे आब अहाँ बट्टी ओसलु| ओ बट्टी ओसलैत ओसलैत सबटा ओ क लेलैथ जते हुनका कहि गेलन से सबटा ओ पूरा केलखिन| कोठा, सोफा, हाथी हरसार, घोड़ा घुरसार ,पोखर, इनार, मधुर कुरकौल, सबटा भ गेलैन, नौकर चाकर भैंस तैंस सबटा|

The Brahmin’s friend obliged her. He offered his friend’s land for shopkeepers to open their shops and when the market started functioning well, his friend’s wife told him, “Now you can collect the rent from these shopkeepers.” With all the rent collected, she bought everything her husband had asked. She got everything – a house, a sofa, elephants, horses, their stables, a pond, a well, everything, even servants, buffaloes, all.

तब कहलखिन कि आब दू टा चीज हमरा बाकी रहि गेल, आ इ केना आब हैत? तहैन जा क, तखन ओ कहलखिन दू टा चीज आब बाकी अइ | तहैन नौकर चाकर के कहलखिन जे देखी तो सब ठीक स राज पाठ चलैयाहं, दूध दही खहियैं आ घी जमा के राइख लेब| हमरा बाहर स चिट्ठी आइब गेल है से हम छ महिना लिए बाहर जैब|

Now she asked herself, “I still have to arrange for two more things. How will I do it?” She told her servants, “Listen, you people now take care of the kingdom and run the affairs here. Enjoy all the milk and curd, and save the butter. I have received a letter and must go abroad for six months.”

त ठीक छै| सबटा ओ कहि क अपन जते पाई कौरी रहैन जकरे स अपन ल क पुरुख के रूप ध क घोड़ा पर चढ़ि क ओ बाहर निकल गेली| त जहि देश राज में घरवाला रहै ओतइ पहुँच गेलैथ| जहैन ओ पहुंचालि त घरवाला लग पहुँच गेली, त घरवाला के ओ चिन्ह लेली आ घरवाला इनका नइ चिन्हलकन| त ओइ घरवाला स इ दोस्त लगा लेलैथ| 

OK, so she brought all her money with her, took the form of a man and left on a horse. She ended up in the same province where her husband was staying. She reached her husband’s place and recognized him, but her husband somehow wasn’t able to recognize her in turn. She befriended her husband. 

कहलखिन, दोस्त हम चाही छी अइ ठाम दुकान करी| आ त करू न| अच्छा दोस्त, हम अपन घोड़ी के अहाँ के घोड़ा लग के बांधि देबय त कोनो हर्जा नइ, नइ कोनो  हर्जा नइ  बांधि दियौ, बांधि देलखिन| उ दोस्त के कहलखिन दोस्त जे अहाँ अनकर खाई छी से हमरे दुकान में खाऊ| त ओ खाय लगलखिन ओहि दुकान में| तहैन ओ घोड़ी जे रहैन से सबटा खा गेलैन हुनका रहि गेलैन| आब अपन द्वार आब खोजलैथl 

She said to him, “Fiend, I want to open a shop here.” The Brahmin said, “why not? Please open one.” Then she asked him, “Friend, would you mind if I leave my mare tied here close to your stallion?” The Brahmin answered, “Not at all, please go ahead.” Then she queried further, “Friend, why don’t you start taking your meals at my shop?” The Brahmin agreed and began eating at her shop. Meanwhile, the woman’s female mare mated with the Brahmin’s stallion. 

जे कहलखिन कि, हे यउ दोस्त एकटा बात हम अहाँ के कहइ छी से करब| आ त किया नइ करब| आ त ओ रूम देखइ छी ओ रूम, ओ रूम में खुबसूरत एकटा लड़की आबइ छै, हुनका पास अहाँ जैब| अैं, त हाँ हम जैब| ठीक छै देखियो एतवा  टाईम में ओ लड़की आबइ छै,  अइ लड़की के अहाँ टोकबै नइ, टोकबै त मुँह पकिर क खींच लेत| सोजहे अहाँ अपन जैब आ चलि आइब| बस गेलैथ|

Again she beseeched him, “Hey friend, would you please do one thing if I ask you?” The Brahmin replied, “Sure, why not?” The woman then said, “See that room? A very beautiful girl often comes to that room. Would you go in there and meet her?” The Brahmin said, “Yes, I will go.” The woman cautioned him, “Look, she is visiting there at this time. Go in there but don’t talk to her, otherwise she will lure you into the netherworld. Just go in there, meet her and come back directly after the meeting.” The Brahmin finally went in.

ओ लड़की जे मर्द के रूप धेने रहैथ बस ओइ ठाम उनका स पहिले आइब गेल रहैन| जहैन ओहो बुझलखिन जे हमरा, तहैन ओ कहलखिन दोस्त के जे दोस्त हमरा गांव स चिट्ठी आइब गेल से आब हम गाम पर जैब| गाम पर जैब से हम इ दुकान दौरी अहीं राखु| खेनाइ पिनाइ जे खेलऊँ से हमरा पाई ताई कुछ नइ दिय| हमरा तीन टा निशान अहाँ द दिय खाली ठीक छै| 

The Brahmin’s wife, who had acquired a man’s form, was already sitting in that room in a woman’s form this time, waiting for the Brahmin to come and meet her. After some time into the meeting, she realized… (that the brahmin has finished consummating the relationship with her), she (came out in her man’s avatar) told him, “I will have to go now as I have got a letter from my home. You please keep this shop with you and also the money for what you ate at my shop all these days. I must leave now.” “But before I leave, can you please give me three signs of yours (that will make me remember you),” she asked the Brahmin.

एकटा अहाँ अपना पैर के जूता द दिय| एकटा पनवटी द दिय आ अहाँ अपना हाथ के अंगूठी द दिय| तीनु चीज ल लेलकैन उ लड़की आ विदा भ गेल|

“Give me a pair of your shoes, a ring from your finger, and a betel box of yours,” she asked him. She collected these three signs of the Brahmin and left the place. 

अबैत अबैत फेर गाम पर ऐल| गाम पर जे ऐल त सब चीज ठीक इये | तकर बाद घरवाला कहि क गेल रहैन ,जे हम बारह बरख नइ ऐब|  तहैन घोड़ीओ के टाइम पूरि गेलैन अपनो टाइम पूरलैन, त घोड़ीओ के बछेरा भेलैन आ अपनो बेटा भेलैन| तहैन किछ दिन में जा के हुनका बारह बरख पूरि गेलैन, हुनकर घरवाला के| उ चिट्ठी देलखिन जे हम मने आइब रहल छी से स्टेशन पर से हाथी पठबई लै महंत के|

She reached home after some time and found everything in order. Her husband, when he was leaving long back, had told her that he was going for twelve years. Some time had passed since she came back. During this period, her female horse had delivered a foal, and she also had given birth to a son. Then one fine day she realized that the 12-year period her husband had gone for also got over. The Brahmin sent her a letter, stating that he was reaching home and asked her to send the elephant with Mahout to receive him at the station.

महंत के कहलकन, जे हाथी सजा, आ स्टेशन जो मालिक आबइ छथिन, आगे हमरा बेटा के रखियै, बेटा दिया| त आगे हुनका बेटा के लेलकैन आ पाछु में हाइक रहलैन आ गेलय स्टेशन| स्टेशन जे गेलय,  तहैन जे उ गाड़ी से उतरलैथ, उतरलैथ त ओ देखलखिन ओ लड़का के| 

She then asked the Mahout, “Go, prepare the elephant. Sir is coming home. Put my son in front and then move.” Mahout took along her son, sat him at the front (on elephant’s back) and rode to the station to receive the Brahmin. As the Brahmin got down at the station, he saw this boy.

उ पूछलकैन जे इ बच्चा के? त अहीं के लड़का, त हुनका सोलह आना तामस भ गेलन,  जहिना हम कहलियय तहिना इ क क से राखि देलक| बगैर बाप के बेटा इ जन्मा लेलक| 

He asked, “Who is this boy?” The Mahout replied, “He is yours only.” The Brahmin got angry, full 16 aana (100 percent). He was fuming, “This foolhardy (referring to his wife) woman took my words the way I uttered and acted without applying sense. I didn’t mean it the way she got it. Without me how could she give birth to a son?”

आब उ स्टेशन से एला मालिक| मालिक जे एला ताबेत में, ओ पैर जे धोथिन से पानि आ ओ जूता राखि देलकन ओ लड़की|  त पैर धोलैन आ जूता देखलकिन, ओ जूता ओ चिन्हलैन जे इ जूता त लगै इया हमरा पैर के छी त इ जूता केना आइब गेल? चाइर आना तामस हुनका तखने हटि गेलन| फेर जहैन  आँगन गेला,  खेनाइ पिनाइ खेला त खिलवटी में पान रहैन,  त खिलवटी जे देखला त आठ आना तामस छोड़ भागि गेलन जे इ खिलवटी त हमर छी, इ केना एता आइब गेल| रहि गेलन आठ आना| आठ आना में फेर खा पी क अपन राति में सुतलैथ,  हुनका हाथ में अंगूठी पहिरा देलकन| ओ चिन्हलैथ त  इ कहलखिन, इ अंगूठी त हमर छी केना क अइ ठाम आइब गेल? बारह आना तामस भागि गेलन| त रहि गेलन चारि आना, चारि आना जे रहलैन, ओ लड़की पूछलकैन जे, अहाँ जे बाहर गेल रहिये त ककरो से अहाँ दोस्तियो लगेलिये? आ त हाँ|

As he reached home, the woman had kept there a pan with some water for washing his feet clean and had also put up the pair of his shoes that she had brought along from outstation. Now when he saw this pair of shoes, he got puzzled as to how this pair of his shoes could be here. Four anna (25 percent) of his anger got drowned right there. Now when he ate his dinner and leaped to chew his paan (betel), he saw his betel box lying there. “How come is this here,” he got astonished. His anger now was down to 8 anna (50 percent). Now when he went to sleep after dinner, his wife inserted his ring on his finger. “How come is my finger ring here!” the Brahmin was swept off his feet. Twelve anna (75 percent) of his anger had disappeared by then. Now only 4 anna (25 percent) of his anger was left in him. His wife asked him, “When you were outstation, did you befriend anybody there?” He said, “Oh! Yes, I did.”

अच्छा, त ओ दोस्त की कहलक जे अइ ठाम हम दुकान करइ छी| त हाँ | ओ दोस्त की कहलन जे अहाँ हमरे दुकान के खाऊ| आ त हाँ| अच्छा, ओ दोस्त की पुछलक अपन घोड़ी हम अहाँ  के घोड़ा लग के बाँधि दिय,त हाँ , | तहैन ओ दोस्त की कहलन, जे एकटा बात कहइ छी से बात करब, त हाँ , आ त ओ रूम देखइ छी ओइ रूम में एकटा लड़की बड़ खुबसूरत आबइ छै,  हुनका पास जैब? आ त हाँ|

The woman asked, “Ok. So did your friend also tell you that he was opening a shop there?” The Brahmin replied, “Yes.” The woman now asked, “Did your friend request you to eat at his shop?” The Brahmin looked puzzled, replied, “Yes.” The woman asked next, “Did your friend ask for his horse to be tied close to yours?” The Brahmin said, “Yes.” The woman had this question now, “Did he invite you to meet a beautiful woman at one of the rooms there? Did you go?” The Brahmin had to accept, “Yes, I did.” 

त से सब कहि क, सोलाहो आना तामस हटि गेलन| तब ओ कहलकन, अहाँ जे एत्ते बियाह केलौंऊ त सब के त मारि देलीयए | तब पाछु स हमरा स बियाह केलौंऊ| हमरा पुछलौंऊ त हम ओकर जवाब द देलौंऊ| जवाब जे देलौंऊ त हमरा पाव भरि चाउर, आध पाव दाइल, एते नून द क गेलऊँ, आ कते चीज हमरा कहि क गेलऊँ, से सबटा अछि कि नइ बगैर बाप के बेटा आ बगैर घोड़ा के बछेरा, अछि कि नइ ? ओ हम ही छलौंऊ| हमरे घोड़ा छल, हम ही छलौंऊ| बेटा अहीं के छी आ राज पाठओ सबटा अहीं के अछि|

Now after all his replies, the Brahmin had no anger left in him. Listening to his answers, the woman said: “You think highly of your deeds! You married many women, you killed them all. Then you married me and asked me a question. I answered that right. Then you left me here with just a quarter kilo of rice, a half-quarter kilo of pulse, and some salt, and then went off leaving me with a lot of orders for me to fulfill – now tell me, all that is available here or not? You tell me. A son without a father, and a foal without his father horse. Isn’t all this available here? It was me who was there with you during your outstation stay. It was my female horse only who mated with your horse, and it was me who you were with (in that room). This son is yours, and this entire kingdom is also yours.”