The Pandit’s Secret / पंडित जी के गुल्लैर तऽर

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

Teller: Dr. Rani Jha
Location: Madhubani
Date: 12/15/16

December 15, 2016: Session 5
Maithili Folklore Story 16_12_15_05

View the transcription in Maithili.

ओ बहुत पूजा करैत रहैत बहुत चानन ठोप सब चीज करैत रहैत।

He worshipped a lot, very often wore a religious tilak mark on his forehead, and did many rituals and such.

एक गाँवमे ने से बड़का जग होइत रहय। 

There was a great yajna fire worship ceremony being organised in a village.

त हिनको एलनि अहूँ चलू जग करबऽ लै जजमान मने ओतऽ अहाँ पूजा करेबय। खुश भऽ गेला ई विदा भेला ओइ ठामसँ।

And so he, too, was beckoned: “Hello, please come along to do the yajna ceremony at the host’s house.” He happily set out for that place.

अपना घर परसँ मोटरी चोटरी लेलनि आ विदा भेला त रस्ता मे ने एकटा बड़की टा गुल्लरि गाछ रहय आ एकटा पोखरि रहय। 

He brought along his bag and his things from his home. And on the way he came across a cluster fig tree and a pond.

हुनका पैखाना लागि गेलनि त उ पैखाना करऽ बैसला। पैखाना करिते रहैत ने कि ओहि ठाम भट दऽ एकटा पाकल गुल्लरि के फल खसलय। 

Now, he needed to defecate, so he squatted down. He was in the middle of defecating when a ripe fig fruit fell from the tree right there in that spot.

त ओ इम्हर ओम्हर तकलखिन जे हमरा क्यो देखय यै त नै ऊ गुल्लरि लऽ कऽ टप दऽ मुँहमे धऽ देलखिन। 

So, he looked to his left and his right, wondering if anybody was looking at him. And he popped that fig fruit right into his mouth.

शौचो ने केने रहैत, अपन टप दऽ मुँहमे धऽ देलखिन। फेर गेला अपन शौच केलनि पोखरिमे हाथ पैर धो कऽ फेर कपड़ा लत्ता पहिरि कऽ खूब पंडितजी भऽ गेला, चलि गेला जग करबऽ लै। 

He had not defecated yet, and he popped the fruit into his mouth. Then he squatted again to defecate and afterward washed himself, dressed himself in the attire of a priest, and left for the yajna ceremony.

जग भेलय ओइ ठाम त ओइ ठाम जगे टा नै होइत रहय, औरोहो चीज होइत रहय मने गीत नाद, नटुआ नाच सब चीज होइत रहय । 

The yajna ceremony took place there, and in addition to the yajna ceremony, there was also music, natua dancing, and other events.

त रातिमे नटुआ के नाच रहय। पंडियोजी दिनमे पूजा तूजा करा कऽ आ सांझमे बैसला एकदम नाच देखय लै। 

Now, the natua dance event was slated for the evening. The priest finished the worship session for that day and sat down to watch the natua dance in the evening. 

नटुआ गीत कि गबैत रहय, नटुआ एकटा गीत ओकरा अबैत रहय, ओ खूब नचय आ कहय, “गुल्लरि तर के बतिया हम त कहिए देबय न। “

The natua was singing, he knew a song, and he danced around singing this: “Let me tell you of the matter that took place under the fig tree….”

पंडितजी के भेलनि कि जे रौ तोरी के ओइ ठाम त क्यो नै रहय ई सार नटुआ केना बूझि गेल ई गप्प जे हम हगले गाँड़ि खा लेने छी गुल्लरि। 

The priest thought, “Oh my god, there was no one there, so how did this wife’s brother natua come to know that I have eaten the fig fruit while squatting to defecate?!”

बस हिनका बेचारा के डर भऽ गेलनि मोनमे। पूजामे जे दक्षिणा भेटल रहैन ओइमे से थोड़े पैसा लऽ कऽ आ नटुआ के चुपचाप दऽ देलखिन। 

Now this poor chap got scared. He secretly gave the natua some of the money that he had received from his host for performing worship at the yajna gathering.

कहऽ के रहैन हुनका जे तू चुप रह ई बात ककरो कही नै। नटुआ कि बूझलकए जे पंडितजी के ई गीत बड्ड नीक लगय छै। 

Actually he wanted to tell him, “Hey, don’t reveal this to anyone.” But the natua wrongly understood, thinking instead, “Perhaps the priest likes this song a lot.”

ऊ आर देह चमका चमका कऽ फेर गाबऽ लागल , “गुल्लरि तर के बतिया हम त कहिए देबय न।”

So he began to sing even more, making great bodily gestures. “Let me tell you the matter of what took place under the fig tree… (melody).” 

पंडितजी बूझलक ई सार के देखियौ पाइयो देलियय यै तैयो कहय छै हम कहिए देबय न। 

The priest thought, “See, how shameless he is. Even though I gave him money, he still says that he will reveal what happened.”

पंडितजी कि केलनि आरो थोड़े पाइ ओइमे लऽ कऽ जते देने रहथिन तकर दोबर लऽ कऽ फेर जा कऽ चुपचाप जा कऽ दऽ देलखिन। 

The priest took some more money out of his earnings from the yajna, doubled what he had given to the natua before, and gave it to him secretly.

नटुआ बूझलकए बाप रे आइ त पंडितजी के  बड्ड नीक लागि रहलय यै हमर गीत। 

The natua misunderstood: “Oh my god, it looks like the priest has indeed liked my song a lot today.”

ओ फेर नाच लागल आ फेर वैह गीत गाबै। 

He again began to sing that song and started dancing.

सार ई कखैन त हमरा देखि लेलक ई गुल्लरि खाइत त कहय छै गुल्लरि तर के बतिया हम त कहिए देबय न। 

अंतमे पंडितजी के बूझलखिन कि जे ई भंडा फोर त हमरा कइए देत ई। 

The priest thought to himself: “Brother-in-law, when did he see me eating the fig fruit? And he is saying that he will reveal the thing that took place under the tree.” At last, the priest thought no matter how much… he would ultimately reveal the truth to people.”

लोग बूझए यै जे एते पैघ पंडित छी हम आ हमरा ई हमर भंडा फोर करत, जे रहन दक्षिणा सब लऽ जा कऽ ओकरा नटुआ लग के दऽ देलखिन कहलखिन सार आब तू कहि देभी त कहि दही।

“People think of me as a great priest, and this man will destroy my truth,” so whatever he had earned from worship at the yajna there, he placed that near the natua and said, “Brother-in-law, reveal it if you will, it doesn’t matter.”

आ जखन क्यो देखने नै रहय ओ गीत रहय।

But, actually, no one at all had seen what transpired; that was just a song.

खिस्सा खत्म।

The story is over.