Woman from Oil-Pressing Community and Shivguru / तेलिन आ शिवगुरु

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

Teller: Unknown
Location: Sagarpur
Date: 03/23/17

March 23, 2017: Session 2
Maithili Folklore Story 17_03_23_02

View the transcription in Maithili.

देखियौ एगो तेलिनिया रहै। तेलिनिया के रहै तीन टा बेटा।

See, there once was a teliniya, an oil-presser woman. She had three sons.   

तऽ ऊ तेलिनिया के रहै तीन गो बेटा। जाति के तेलिन रहै आ पहिने तऽ सरसों मिर्ची अपने पेड़ैत छलै तेल्हू पर, तऽ ऊ जे पेड़ कऽ आने आ सब दिन कऽ टरियामे तेल लऽ लियै, आ एगो पथियामे एगो कुआँ लऽ लियै, आ गाममे नय लोक के टहल टहल कऽ बेचय छलय। खरी बेचय छलय। 

So that teliniya had three sons. By caste she was a telin, and as you know, in the past people used to press mustard and chilli at their own pressing facility, so whatever she would press and bring, she would put in a small tin and put a funnel in a basket, and would go each day to villages selling to people on foot. She would sell plain oil. 

जितीयमे लोग खरी लय छलय तेल लऽ लय छलय तऽ ओ सब दिन अप्पन तेल बेचय छल। 

You know, during the Jitiya festival, people would buy oil, so she would go everyday to sell her own oil.

तऽ ओ सब दिन कऽ जे  …ओकरा दु गो पुतोहू रहै से नय रहय शिष्या। छोटकी पुतोहू जे एलय न से शिष्या रहय शिवकेँ। 

So she would everyday… Two of her daughters-in-law were not disciples. The youngest, when she arrived, was a disciple of Lord Shiva.

तऽ ऊ जे कनिया एलय तऽ भनसो करय, तऽ ऊ बिदिर बिदिर करय, तऽ दर दियादनी तऽ सबके बराबरे रहय छै, जे कहय हय जे डाइन, नाय भनर भनर करैत रहय हय कि करय हय कि नय। 

The bride who came also did the cooking, and she would keep murmuring. You know daughters-in-law in a house are all the same. They would say she was a witch, you know, they would talk about her murmurs, and what she did and so on.   

तऽ दु दिन देखलक चारि दिन देखलक ऊ भनसो करय हय शिवगुरु के नाम जपय है। कामो करय हय तऽ शिवगुरु के नाम जपय है। दुनू प्राणी सुतलो हय तऽ दुनू शिवगुरु के नाम जपय है। 

They watched for two days, then four days that she would cook and also kept praying to Shiv Guru. Even when she was engaged in work she would pray to Shiv Guru. Even when she and her husband were sleeping together they would pray to Shiv Guru.

तऽ ओकर दियादनी दुनू  कहय जे यै माय देखियौ तऽ इ डाइन नाय भनर भनर कियै करैत हय। 

Her sisters-in-law would say to one another, “Why does this witch keep murmuring all the time?”

अच्छा करय हय तऽ करय हय साउस जे कहय ओकर। तेकर बाद ऊ कि केलक तऽ तेल जे पेड़ कऽ लैल न तऽ कहलकय कि से नै एकरा घरमे नै रखबय से ई हर घड़ी भनर भनर करय हय आ ई बादे बोन जेतय दोसरे काम धंधा कऽ कऽ ई अनतय सैह काम करतय। 

But their mother-in-law would say, “Fine, if she does it’s alright.” After that what she did was she decided that the oil that she pressed and brought home, that she would engage her in selling that. Given that she kept murmuring all the time, better that she should go out to the forest to do a different kind of work. She would do  precisely that kind of work. 

तऽ ऊ कहलकय कि से हे कनिया आइ भनसा भात कऽ लऽ आ तों जे टरियामे तेल धऽ देलियऽ हन आ कुआँ धऽ देलियऽ हन से जा आइ तों से अई टोला परसँ तेल बेच लाबऽ।  

Thus she told her, “Hey, daughter-in-law, finish cooking and then take the oil kept in the tin and also take the tip that I have kept, and go today to sell in the neighbourhood and bring back your earnings.

कहलकय कि से आ ए माय ऊ दीदी सब जेबे नै करय हय आ अहाँ हमरे कहय छी।

She replied, “Hey, mother, those sisters don’t go at all and you make me only do it.”

कहलकय किया तऽ सब कोई जेतय बेरा बेरी बेचय लै कि तोंही जेबऽ आ बूढ़े बूढ़ी हमहीं बेचू गऽ से तोंही जैंइहऽ। 

She then said, “Why? Everybody will go in turn to sell, or should we old ones go sell? So you yourself go.”

तऽ कहलकय कि से देलकय ओकरा पथियामे सब चीज ओरिआ पोरिआ कऽ। ई गामसँ निकलल। थोड़े दूर घरसँ जे बढ़ल तऽ चले आगु, आ ताकय पाछू। चले आगु, ताकय पाछू, बेटी पुतोहू के तऽ केकरो डेग उठबेमे कनी दिक्कत होइ है, बहुत दिक्कत। 

So what she said, she gave her everything arranged in a basket. She then departed from home. As she went forth a bit, she would go forward but would often look back, as well. She would walk forward, and would look back. You know daughters and daughters-in-law are often shy, so it’s always a problem.

ई जाइत जाइत जाइत जाइत थोड़े दूर जे बोन पकड़ेलय न तऽ ओइ जना पीपर के गाछ रहय। ओइ पीपर गाछ तर शिवगुरु ई शिव के शिष्यो रहय एकरा घरमे कोई परखि नै रहल। घरमे एकरा परखि नै लगय जे ई शिव के शिष्या हय। 

Going forward and onward, when she got to the forest, there was a peepal tree. Shiv Guru was sitting under that tree, and she was already a disciple who people at home wouldn’t even recognise. People at home wouldn’t recognise that she was a disciple of Shiv Guru.  

दियादनी दुनियामे केकरो नै होइ हय। साउस कने झाँपनो दय हय पुतोहू कतौ जा कऽ दोसरे लंग उगलि देतय। तऽ ई जे गेल तऽ पीपर के गाछ तर शिवगुरु नंगे एगो बिपटी पहिरने आ ठार। ई जाइत जाइत जाइत जाइत तऽ चले आगु उनटि कऽ ताकय पाछू। 

No woman in the world cares about her husband’s brother’s wife. Mother-in-law might protect them at times, but the daughter-in-law would always go out and gossip before others. So, as she arrived there, Shiv Guru was standing naked under the peepal tree, wearing a loincloth. She would keep moving ahead but would also keep looking back.

जाइत जाइत जाइत ओई जंग जे पहुँचल तऽ ओ कहलकय शिवगुरु कि से हे दाइ कने एक ठोप तेल देबऽ। 

Walking onward, as she reached there, Shiv Guru asked her, “Hey, madam, would you give me a drop of oil.”

ई बेचारी कि कहलकय कि जे हँ हम तेलो देब लगाइयो देब। 

This poor lady said, “Yes, I would not only give you oil but would also massage you.”

तऽ हँ त दऽ। 

“Ok, then give it to me.”

तऽ कहलकय बाबा हम टरिया रखली अहाँ बैसू। 

Then she said, “Lord, I will put the tin here, please sit.”

तऽ ई बैसिलय, पूरा अंग अंग ओकरा तेल लऽ कऽ गत्तर गत्तर खूब मालिश कऽ देलकय। कहलकय बाबा ?

So she sat there and massaged all his organs and entire body, after which she queried, “Grandfather?”

कहलकय जो दाइ आब भऽ गेल। 

He replied, “Go now, I am done.”

कहलकय बाबा तऽ जाऊ? 

She requested, “Grandfather, shall I go now?”

हँ जा तों तीने अँगना तेल बेचिहऽ चारिमा अँगनामे जे लोक हाक पाड़तऽ तऽ तों पलटि कऽ नय तकिहऽ। तों चलि अबैत रहियह। 

He said, “Go and sell oil at just three places, and when people call for you from a fourth one, don’t turn back, keep going. Go back home.”

ई गेल तीन अँगना तेल बेचलक आ घूरि कऽ अप्पन चलि आयल। 

She went, sold oil at three homes and returned.

घूरि कऽ जे चलि आयल तऽ फेन ओ आयल तऽ टरिया, पथिया जे जहाँ रहै से अप्पन कोठी कनहा पर धऽ देलक आ अँगना तँगना बहारे लागल काम धंधा करे लागल। 

When she arrived back, she put the tin, basket, and such in their designated place atop the storage hook and went back to mopping the floor and other household chores. 

तऽ ऊ काम धंधा जे करैत रहै तऽ ओकर साउस एलय कहलकय हय तेल कुर बेच कऽ अनलऽ हन, तेल कुर बेच कऽ जे अनलऽ हन, से पाइ कौड़ी दऽ नऽ। 

As she was doing her work, her mother-in-law came to her and said to her, “Hey, you have come back from selling oil and all, so please give me the money.”

तऽ कहलकय कि से हमरा हाथ लागल है जाऊ ने पथियामे पाइयो हय बोगलियो हय आ सब चीज हय, से जाऊ लू गऽ। 

Then she said, “Yes, I was able to get a hold of some. Please go, and in the basket there is cash and my wallet, as well, all of it. So please go and take it.”

तऽ ऊ कि केलक लय बेरमे ओकरा जे  गेल नऽ, तऽ देखलक ऊ कि जे टरियामे तेल, आ भरि बोगली पाइ। टरिया ओकर भरले, आ भरि बोगली पाइ। तऽ ई फेर बड़किए पुतोहू लुबड़िए के कहे गेल जे हे देखियो ने भरि बोगली पाइ हय आ टरिया भरले हय। 

Then what she did was, when she was going to collect it, she saw that while the pot still had a lot of oil left in it, the purse was full of cash. Her pot was still full, and yet the purse had loads of cash. Then again she went to tell the eldest daughter-in-law, “See, the purse has loads of cash and the pot is still full of oil.” 

कहलकय कि जाने गेलियय। 

She replied, “I don’t know anything about it.”

फेन ओइ के बिहान भेने ई, ई तऽ परिख गेलय जे केना केना हय कऽ केना कि होइ हय से। ओकरा तऽ शिवगुरू दर्शन दऽ देने रहय रस्तामे। 

Again, the next morning, she had gotten a full sense of how it all went. Shiv Guru had given her an appearance of himself on her way.

फेन ओइ के बिहान भेने हाली हाली सवेरेमे उठल भानस भात केलक। अँगना घर केलक। सब काम धंधा केलक, सोलहो श्रृंगार बतीसों आवरण कऽ कऽ ओइ दिन एकदम ई खुशीसँ जाइत रहै।

Again, the next morning, she woke up in a hurry and cooked the meal, did chores, finished all the work at home, put on sixteen forms of make-up and wore thirty-two items of attire, and was going happily along. 

फेन शिवगुरू ओइ पीपर गाछ परसँ से एगो बिपटी पेहर कऽ चलि एलखिन। फेन ऊ गेलखिन तऽ कहलखिन गे दाइ गे दाइ कने तेल देबैं। 

Again, Shiv Guru appeared from that peepal tree, wearing a small cover. When she went there, he asked again, “Madam, madam, would you please give me some oil?”

तऽ हँ बाबा तेलो देब लगाइयो देब। फेन ई आयल ओकरा पूरा देह तेल कुर लगा देलक।

She said, “Yes, lord, not only will I give you oil, but I will also massage you.” She again came and massaged him all over his body.  

कहलकय जो दाइ तीने अँगना तेल बेचिहऽ आ चारिमा अँगनामे जे हाक पाड़तौ तऽ घूरि कऽ नय तकिहऽ। 

He said, “Go and sell at just three homes, and when you are called to a fourth one, don’t look back.”

ओइ दिन के कि केलकय ओकरा पति के कहि देलकय कि से हे तोहर घरवाली यार भतार रखने हौ से ई तऽ हमर टरियामे तेल भरले छलय आ बोगली पाइसँ भरि गेलय। 

What she did that day was to tell her son, “Hey, your wife has kept a paramour, as oil was still there in her pot, and yet her purse is full of cash.”

एकरा शक भऽ गेलय। ओकर घरवाला ओहि पीपर गाछ पर बैठल है। सब चंगतर देखय यै तऽ देखलक ओकरो घरवाला। ओकरो विश्वास भऽ गेलय जे कोन भगवान आबि कऽ एकरा टरिया भरि देलकय आ पाइयो एक बोगली भऽ गेलय। ओइ जांग से ऊ फेन ओ गेल। कहलकय जो दाइ फेन तीन अँगना तेल बेचलक आ दोसर जे कोई चाल केलकय तऽ कहलकय नै आब हम नै बेचब राति भऽ गेल जर जवान छी, हम केना जैब।

He had doubts. Her husband then sat in that tree. She looks at all the four sides and finds that her husband is also there. He also believed that a God must have come and filled her pot with oil and also filled her wallet with cash. She then moved from there. Shiv Guru told her, “Go, madam.” She again sold oil at three homes and when the other called out she said, “I won’t sell now as dusk has fallen and I am young, so how could I possibly go?”    

ऊ अप्पन घूरि कऽ आयल फेन पथिया धऽ देलक फेन ऊ अँगना घर के जे काज धंधा केलक भानस भात केलक बड़ चिक्कन। ई भानस भात करैत रहै बड़की पुतोहू आ साउस दुनू मिलि कऽ बतियाइल जे यै से ई सब दिन बोगली भरल आबय हय आ टरियोमे तेल ओहिना रहय हय आ कथी बेच कऽ आबय हय आ कथी नै तऽ कि कहलकय हय कनियाँ आइ तोंही चलि जो।

Once again she came back home and, having put up the basket, got engaged in chores and did the cooking, all smoothly. While she was cooking, her mother-in-law and eldest sister-in-law were talking among themselves, “This woman everyday brings her purse full of cash even though her pot remains full of oil. What, then, does she sell? What doesn’t she do? So, why don’t you go to sell oil today?”

कहलकय ठीक हय जैब। आइ ओहो मौगी अप्पन जे काम धंधा रहै से कऽ धऽ लेलक कऽ ऊ कऽ सोलहो श्रृंगार बतीसो आवरण कऽ कऽ ईहो टरिया पथिया लेलक माथा पर आ अप्पन गेल। चले आगु ताके पाछू, चले आगु ताके पाछू जाइत जाइत से ओहि बर के गाछ तर गेलय तऽ बाबा फेन हरहरा कऽ उतयि कऽ नीचा भऽ गेलय। गेलय लगमे गेलय तऽ कहलकय कि गे दाइ गे दाइ कनी तेल देबैं? 

She replied, “Ok, I will go.” That woman also did her chores, applied sixteen types of make-up, put on thirty-two kinds of attire and put the pot in the basket and left, carrying it on her head. She, too, went forward and looked back. As she was going along, she reached the same bunyan tree, and the god again came down swiftly. As he went to her, he said, “Madam, hello madam, would you please give me some oil?”

अम्ममम बोहनी बट्टा भेल हन हैये न पहिने एकरे तेल दऽ दय छी एक ठोप। 

She said, “Huh, I haven’t even earned a penny since the day began, but I should give this man a drop of oil? No way!” 

तऽ ऊ छोड़ि देलकय, नै देलकय तेल चलि जाइत रहय बेचय लै पूरा टोला तेल बेचि आबय। तेल अइ जांग लऽ लय अइ अँगनामे। आब एक अँगनामे बैठय हय तऽ तों लऽ तों लऽ तों लऽ सब लय। सब लऽ लय तेल पाइ दऽ दय आ अँगना जाय तऽ तेल भऽ जाय ओकरा बर्तनमे पानि। 

So she left. She didn’t give him oil and went to sell oil in the neighbourhood. She would carry oil from home and as she would sit near someone’s home, asking people to buy it, “You take some, you take some,” and so. She would get money, as all of them would buy oil from her, and as soon as they would go to their homes, all the oil in their containers would turn into water.

ओकरा तऽ ई मने मने श्राप दऽ देलखिन कि से जो न भरि टोला तेल बेचि एबैं तेल तोहर कोई लेतौ नय। तेल तऽ तोहर भऽ जेतौ पानि, पटपटायल तों अप्पन घर जेबऽ। 

He had cursed her from inside himself, “Go, even if you sell oil in all the homes in the neighbourhood, people won’t buy from you in the end, as your oil will turn into water and you will return home in frustration.” 

तब ऊ कि केलक तऽ तेल लऽ कऽ आयल नय ओकर तेल लऽ लय आ फेन  अँगनामे जाइत तेल पानि भऽ जाय तऽ ओ आनि कऽ घूरा कऽ दैत दैत एकरा सांझ पड़ि गेलय। पूरा तेल ऊल नेने आयल। 

Thus, what she did was to carry the oil back to her home, since people would give her back the oil, because it would turn into water, and she got back late in the evening, bringing back all of the oil.

साउस अँगनासँ निकललय गेट के मुँह पर कहलकय गे बेटखौकी बुढ़िया ओइ पुतोहू के तेल देलही हमरा पानि फेट कऽ देलही। 

Her mother-in-law came out of the house, saying, “Hey, you son-killer old lady, you gave oil to that daughter-in-law of yours and gave me oil mixed with water.” 

कहलकय ऐं हय केना ओइ पुतोहू के तेल देलियय आ तोरा हम पानि फेट कऽ देलियऽ। ई से बात के कहलकऽ? 

She replied, “What? Who told you this? Why would I give oil to her and water-mixed oil to you?”

ऐं जे कोई तेल लऽ लेलक पूरा तेल बिक गेल आ पूरा पाइ घूरा घूरा कऽ लऽ गेल। तेल हमर कोई नै लेलक लियऽ अप्पन पथिया मौनी।

“Because people who bought oil from me, all of the oil was sold, and yet they returned the oil and got back their money. Nobody took my oil, so take this basket.”

तऽ ऊ कहलकय कि से ठीक हय तऽ तों नय जेबऽ नऽ तऽ काल्हि हम अपने जैब, देखऽ बुढ़िया । 

So she replied, “Ok, fine. If you won’t go, I will go myself tomorrow.” See this old lady.

फेनकाल्हि के दिनमे ऊ बुढ़िया अपने निकलल तेल लऽ कऽ आ टरिया लऽ कऽ। फेन ई अप्पन जाइत रहै तऽ ई न आगु तकलक। एकरा तऽ सब दिन के पेशा रहै। ई सोझे गेल जते अँगना जाय से सबके अप्पन तेल देने जाय। तेल बुढ़िया के बिका गेलय आ ई मोन से आशीर्वाद शिवगुरु की दऽ देलखिन अच्छा अखन ने तों जाइ छऽ आ तेल बेच कऽ एबय आ जब ओम्हरसँ घूरबऽ तऽ सात गो लगवार तोरा पीछा कऽ देतौ। 

Again the next day, that old lady went out by herself with oil and pot. She was going her way and would only look ahead. She had this business everyday. She would go straight door to door and would give oil everywhere. The old lady’s oil got sold. But, Shiv Guru had “blessed” her that, “Now you are going, no. But when you return after selling the oil, and come back from over there, seven goons will chase you.” 

सैह भेलय तेल कुर बेच कऽ ई आयल अँगनामे जहाँ पथिया धेलक धम धम कऽ नागा नागा बाबाजी अँगनामे भरि गेलय। 

Exactly the same thing happened. The moment she returned home after selling her oil, the goons in the form of a sage burst into her home. 

तब पुतोहूआ कहलकय कि से… छोटकी बूझि गेलय। छोटकी एकदम सब चीज बूझय ऊ तऽ रहै शिवगुरु के शिष्या। 

Then the daughter-in-law said… the youngest one understood the matter. The youngest one understood everything; she was after all a disciple of Shiv Guru.

तब ई बुढ़िया कि कहय उनटि के हय भिक्षा लेबऽ? चाउर दालि लेबऽ कि लेबऽ? से तों हमरा अँगनामे से जेम्हर जेम्हर हम जाइ छी तेम्हर तेम्हर तों हमर पीछा केने। 

Then the old lady would turn to them and ask, “Hey, are you here to take alms? Rice and purse, or what? Wherever I go, you come after me.”

जेम्हरे जेम्हरे ओ बुढ़िया जाय तेम्हरे तेम्हरे पीछा करय। तेम्हरे तेम्हरे पीछा करय।

Wherever the old lady went, they would come after her. In that very direction.

तऽ ऊ कहलकय हमरा पीछा कियै करय छक से कि लेबऽ जे मँगबऽ से माँग ? 

Then she asked, “Why are you after me? Ask for what you want.”

तऽ कहलकय कि से गय बुढ़िया मँगबौ तऽ हम तोरासँ किछो नै आ मँगबौ तऽ बड भारी भरकम से आइ हम जेबौ नय। आइ हम तोरे लंग रहबौ। 

To which they replied, “Hey, old lady, we won’t ask anything from you, but if so then we would ask only one big thing only, so we won’t go back today. Today we will stay right here with you.”  

आब तऽ ई बुढ़िया के भऽ गेल एकदम अबग्रहमे जे बाप रेल बाप ई आठ गो दस गो है ई कतऽ हम कोन  कोठरी खोपरीमे एकरा हम विश्राम देबय। 

Now this old lady was in big trouble, “Oh my God! They are altogether eight or ten people, where, which room or shelter, can I possibly give them to stay in?” 

तकर बाद होइत होइत होइत ओकरा कत्ते फेनो ओकर वैह छोटकी पुतोहू ओ तऽ आगु जने एक डेग पाछूओ जने ऊ अप्पन आबि कऽ सबके कल जोड़लक। सब बाबाजी निकलि कऽ चलि गेलय। 

After that, after some time, the same, her youngest daughter-in-law – she knew what lay ahead and also a step backward – folded her hands before them. All the sages went and left.

खिस्सा खत्म? खिस्सा खत्म।

Is the story over? The story is over.