The King, the Barber and the Thirteen Skills / तेरह विद्या के ज्ञान

March 2, 2017: Session 5
Maithili Folklore Story 17_03_02_05

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

Teller: Arhulia Devi
Location: Patwara, Rajanagar
Date: 03/02/17

View the transcription in Maithili.

एगो राजा रहथिन ने तऽ हुनकर बियाह भेलय तऽ सासुर गेलखिन। हुनकर साउस जे रहथिन से बारह विद्या जनैत रहथिन… आ कनिया बारह विद्या जनैत रहथिन आ साउस तेरह विद्या जनैत रहथिन। आ उ जे रहय जमाय जे एलखिन से उ नै रहथिन किछु जानैत। तऽ साउस कहलकय कि अहाँ हमर बेटी बारह विद्या जनै यैह तऽ अहाँ तेरहम विद्या से सीखियौ। सीख लेला।

There once was a King. He was married and subsequently went to his in-law’s place. His mother-in-law told him, “My daughter knows 12 pieces of wisdom, so you learn the 13th.” He learned it.

रानी जे गेल नहियर तऽ कहलकय कि से यौ हमरा बारह विद्या आबय यैह से हमरा कि गुरु बनैब। हमरा माय लग अहाँ चलि जाऊ। हमरा माय अहाँकेँ तेरहम विद्या सिखा देती।

As the queen went to her mother’s place, she said, “Hey, I know 12 knowledge lessons, so would you make me your teacher? Go to my mother. My mother will teach you the 13th lesson.” 

त एकटा हजमा रहय हरदम ढ्योढ़ीमे एनी ओनी करैत रहय। कहलकय संग कऽ लै छी हजमाकेँ किछु किछु करत खबासी।

Now, there was a barber who would always loiter around the locality. The king said, “Let’s take the barber along, he will only assist in matters.”

संग कऽ लेलक। कहलकय रे चल हम सासुर जाय छी। एक महीना समय लागत कियै तऽ पढ़ऽ जाइ छी। 

He took him along. The king told him, “Hey, come along, I am going to my in-laws place. It will take me a month’s time, as I am going to study there.” 

तऽ जे भोजन भेटय जमायकेँ से तऽ हजमोकेँ भेटय,खाय पियै। आ उ स्लेट पाटी रहय, पाटी जयमे लकड़ीकेँ पाटी। तऽ ओइ लकड़ी पर लिख कऽ से दैल जाय। तऽ ओइकेँ पढ़ि कऽ, राजा पढ़ि लेथिन आ उ हजमोकेँ कहथिन जे एकरा कने धो दही, पोति दही, कचरि दही।

The food that was given to the son-in-law (the king) would also be made available to the barber. He would eat and drink. And there was a slate that had a wooden frame. And [any communication from the king’s mother-in-law] would be written on that and given [to the king]¹. Then the king would read it and would tell the barber, “Wash it a bit, paint it, wipe it.”

तऽ ओकरा पोतल जेतय खैरकासँ फेर कचरल जेतय तब ने फेर लिखेतय ओइ पर, से काज हजमा करै।

So,  it would be painted with a brush, then wiped, and only then could it be used for writing. No, this was what the barber would do.

हजमा ओकरा पढ़ि लियै आ तब ओकरा धो धा करै। तऽ राजो भेल तेरह विद्या निधान तऽ उ हजमो भऽ गेल हजमोकेँ तेरह विद्या निधान। हजमो सीख लेलक। 

The barber would read that and then would wash it. So the king would be a wisdom-keeper and so also would the barber. He also learned the lessons.

जब आबऽ लागल तऽ कहलकय राजाकेँ, राजा, एकटा गाछ लगमे छाँहरिमे बैठल तऽ गाछमे आम रहय दू आम। एकटा पाकल रहय, एकटा काँचे रहय। कहलकय कि, सरकार अपने जे विद्या सिखलिए से देखौलिय नै, से केना पक्का भेल कि की भेल।  

On the way back, he told the king, “My Lord…” (When they sat under the shade of a tree, there were two mangoes on the tree. One was ripe, another was just green.)…The lessons that you learned, you didn’t show any time, so how and whether you got it fully or not…” 

 तँ दु चल, की सिखेली। चल तऽ ओ सीख कऽ कि करबें,  बूझि कऽ कि।

“Hey, go on. What did I learn? Go on, what would you do with such learning, what would you do with such understanding?”

तऽ नै, ई आम जे छै से ई आम  केना तोड़ल जेतय से हमरा पहिले आइ एकेटा आम तोड़ल जेतय पकलके आ ओ कचका नै तोड़एकेँ है। अहाँ बनाबियो तऽ, कहियौ तऽ।

“So, no. You see this mango, how should it be picked? First I have to pick only one of the mangoes, and I don’t have to pick the other one, the green one. Solve the puzzle; tell me, please.” 

हजमाकेँ हठ पर ओ राजा होइ छै सुधपदा लोग कि केलक तऽ सुग्गा बनि गेल। तऽ ओकरा रूप बदैल गेलय। 

The king (they are straightforward people) on the barber’s insistence turned himself into a parrot. His appearance changed.

सुग्गा बनि गेल।आ उ राजा बला देह रहि गेलय पड़ल ओइ ठाम। तेरहो विद्या जे पढ़ि लेलकय तऽ ओ तेरहो विद्या के ई रहय जे मने जे रूप धरत से रूप धरतय। तऽ ओ केलक कि तऽ ओतऽ सुतल जे रहै से सुतले रहल आ सुग्गा बनि कऽ गेल आम तोड़ए लै। देह के छोड़ि कऽ आ सुग्गा बनि कऽ आम तोड़ऽ। 

He turned into a parrot. And that king’s body remained there. Since he had learned all the 13 lessons, that meant whatever appearance he desired he could obtain. Then what he, in the form of a parrot, did was pick the mango, while his body remained there sleeping. He left his body and went, in the form of a parrot, to pick the mango.

आम तोड़ऽ जे गेल राजा सुग्गा बनि कऽ से ई हजमा कि केलक पटसँ अप्पन देह छोड़ि देलक आ राजामे घुसि गेल। हँ ओइ देहमे घुसि गेल हजमा। आ अप्पन देह छोड़ि देलक, हजमा बला देह।

When the king, in the form of a parrot, went to pick the mango, the barber quickly left his own body and snuck inside that of the king. Yes, the barber snuck inside that body, the body of the king, which was lying there. And he left his own body, the barber’s body. 

ओतऽसँ जे राजा देखलनि आम जे तोड़ऽ गेल रहथि सुग्गा बनि कऽ देखलक जे ई हमरा देहमे बैसि कऽ ओ ठाढ़ भऽ गेल। आ उ हजमा बला देह है पड़ल। हम जे ओइ हजमा बलामे जैब तऽ हम हजमा भऽ जैब। आ ई राजा भऽ जैत से तऽ उ सुग्गा अप्पन नै गेलय। ओइ हजमामे नै गेलय। हजमा के अप्पन चील कौआ खा गेल। देह रहय पड़ल अप्पन, पड़ल रहय हँ। हजमाकेँ छोड़ि देलक। ई हजमा गेल खुशी भऽ कऽ। ई तऽ सुग्गा भऽ गेल टांए टांए अप्पन केने फिरै। आब के एकर बात बूझत। ई गेल अपना गाम पर एनी घूमै, एनी घूमै।

From there, the king saw that while he went to pick the mango after becoming a parrot, “This fellow has snuck into my body and has appeared there. And that barber’s body is lying there. Now if I get into that barber’s body I will become a barber. And he, on the other hand, would turn into a king.” So that parrot didn’t go, didn’t go into the barber’s body. He left the barber. And this barber [embodied as king] went off happily. And this king would wander as a parrot, whistling and such. Who could possibly understand what he was saying? He went to his village and wandered around there.

ई राजा भऽ गेल। ई राजा हुकुम दियौलक कि जे जते सुग्गा है सबकेँ बझा बझा लबए लै। आ कनिया लग जे गेलय, एलियय सीख कऽ? 

Meanwhile, the other one became a king. This king passed an order that all the parrots be caught and summoned. And when he went to his [the actual king’s] wife, she asked, “Have you become learned and returned?”  

कहलकय हँ। 

He said, “Yes.”

तऽ आब देखियौ मुँह कान तऽ सबके अनेक रंग छै आ ई आत्मा जे छै से सबके तऽ …

See, people have different faces, and different souls are…

अहाँ सुन्दर छी। हमरा जे चीज आबय यै से अहाँकेँ नै आबय यै। आ अहाँकेँ जे आबय यै से हमरा नै आबय यै। अहाँसँ जे कोई बात करतय तऽ अहाँ अप्पन बला बात कहबय हमरासँ कोई बात करतय तऽ हम अप्पन बला बात कहबय। 

For instance, you are beautiful. What I know, you don’t know. And what you know, I don’t know. If somebody is talking to you, you will share what you know, and if somebody talks to me I will share what I know.

तऽ उ राजा बला बुद्धि ओकरा नै रहय। देहे टा खाली रहय। देहे रहय आ मंत्र सीखि आयल रहै तऽ रानी के कहलकय। रानी एकरा देखलक जे ई, ओ तऽ रहै बारह विद्या निधान कनिया। ओहो कहलक कि जे ई हमर बर नै छी। कहलकय सुनु अहाँ सीख कऽ एलियय तेरह विद्या तऽ अहाँ बारह बरिस से सदाबरस बँटबय तब अहाँकेँ विद्या से अथी हैत आ तब अहाँकेँ हम कनिया हैब। अखैन हम अहाँकेँ कनिया नै हैब। ओकरा हटौलक ओनी कऽ, हजमाकेँ।

But, he [the barber] didn’t have the mind of a king. He only had his body. He had the body and had learned the hymns, so he told the queen. She also said, “This is not my husband.” She said, “Listen, you have learned 13 knowledge lessons. When you spread this knowledge for 12 years, only then your knowledge will be (proven), and then I will again be your wife. Right now, I won’t be your wife.” She kept him at a distance.

हजमा बनि गेल राजा। आब हजमा गमै कि जे कहीं चलि ने आबय कतौसँ सुग्गा तऽ ऊ सुग्गा चलि ने आबय। ई सबटा सुग्गाकेँ मारैत मारैत, ऊ रानी कहलकय कि जे जते लोग सुग्गा बझा कऽ लबए छऽ…  ऊ कहलकय मारि दय लै सुग्गाकेँ। सुग्गाकेँ मारि दय लै। आ ई कहलकय रानी जे सब सुग्गा बझा कऽ लबए… रानियो है तऽ रानियोकेँ जूति चलतय ने। सुग्गा बझा कऽ लबए छऽ से हमरा लग पहिले ला। आ सुग्गाकेँ एकटा चिट्ठी रहय से दय पढ़य लै। हम चिट्ठी पढ़ा लेबय तकर बाद तू मारि दिहऽ आ जे करबऽ से अप्पन।

The barber became the king. Now the barber would always be apprehensive of the parrot arriving from somewhere. One by one he would kill all the parrots that were caught and brought to him by people … he ordered the killing of all the parrots. Killing the parrots. But now the queen would instruct the people catching parrots to bring them first to her. (She was queen so she would also have a say, no?) She said, “Bring the parrots that you catch to me first.” And then she would make the parrot read a letter that was there. “I will first make the parrot read a letter, and then you can kill them or do to them whatever you will.”

सुग्गा बजबैत बजबैत बजबैत कते सुग्गाकेँ ओ हजमा मारबौलक। रानी ओ हजमाकेँ सुग्गा पर रोक लगौलक। बहुते के रूपैया दय आ भरि दिन तकैत रहै आ सुग्गाकेँ बझा बझा लऽ जै। जे असली सुग्गा रहय से तऽ बझबे नै करय। एक दिन एहन होइत होइत एक गोरे के हाथ पर चलि एलय सुग्गा। हाथ पर अपने मने आबि कऽ बैठि रहलय। ऊ एना कऽ पकड़ि लेलक। ऊ आयल दौड़ल रानी लग। रानी देखियो ने ई सुग्गा हमरा हाथे पर अहि पर बैठि गेलय से हम नेने एलियय, जे देबय से अपने दियौ। 

That barber had many parrots killed, summoning them all. The queen put a stop to the barber summoning parrots. They would give a lot of money and would spend the entire day catching parrots and bringing them. But the real parrot would just not get caught. After many days, one day the parrot came into the hands of a person. The parrot came and sat on the person’s hand on his own. That person held it like this. He came running to the queen. “Madam, see this has come on its own and sat on my hands. I have brought it here. Please give me whatever you want.”

कहलकय हँ देबय। रानी पकड़ि कऽ लेलक और चिट्ठी देलक। सुग्गा पढ़ऽ लगलय चिट्ठी। सुग्गा पढ़ऽ लगलय तँ रानी कहलकय कि जे पिंजरामे कऽ धऽ कऽ आ घरमे को टांगि देलकय सुग्गाकेँ। ओ हजमा तो अप्पन दरबारमे दरबारी करैत ओकरा कि पता छै, टांगि देलक। ओकरा पाइ कौड़ी देलकय। कहलकय जो आओर देबौ तोरा हम ताबे लऽ जो, खो गऽ पी गऽ। कहलकय जे आइ बारह बरिस पूरि गेलय। रानी चिन्ह गेलय जे हमर राजा छी सुग्गा। आब ई राजाकेँ देहमे जेतय केना?

She said, “Fine, I will.” The queen held it and gave it the letter to read. The parrot began reading the letter. As the parrot began reading the letter, the queen said… caught it and put it in a cage, and hung the parrot in the house. That barber was busy attending to matters of court; what would he know about this episode? So, she hung it there. That man was given cash. She told him, “I will give you more later; for now go eat and drink.” “Today 12 years is complete.” The queen identified that this parrot was actually her king. But how could he re-possess the king’s body?

कहलकय आइ बारह बरिस राजाकेँ पठा दियौन दरबारमे रानी बजबय छथिन्ह।

She demanded, “Ask the king to come home from the court; the queen is calling.”

ई चटपटैल हजमा गेल।

And the barber went there out of greed.

कहलकय अहाँ जे एलियय पढ़ि कऽ तेरह विद्या से हमरा तऽ किछु नै देखौलिय। आब हम अहाँकेँ कनिया भेलौं अहाँ हमर बर। आब तऽ बारह बरिस पूरि अहाँकेँ गेल। सुग्गाकेँ टंगने अछि नुक्का कऽ, टंगने। हमरा जे अहाँ किछु बनि कऽ देखाऊ तब ने बूझबय। 

“You have come here after learning 13 knowledge lessons, but you haven’t shown me any.  I am your wife and you my husband, and you have completed 12 years.” She was hiding the parrot, hung up. “Demonstrate your learning by turning yourself into something else; then I will believe you.”

तऽ कि देखाऊ? 

“What should I show you?”

कहलकय अहाँ किछु बनि जाऊ। भेड़ा बनि जाऊ कि भेड़ी बनि जाऊ कि किछु बनि जाऊ। अइ देहकेँ छोड़ि किछु अहाँ बनि जाऊ। रूप बदलि कऽ देखा दियऽ। हम अहाँकेँ बूझि जैब जे अहाँकेँ भो जन गेल तेरह विद्या । 

“Turn into something. Become a ram, or a ewe, or become something else. Leave this body; become something. Show me by changing your form. I will then believe that you have acquired 13 knowledge lessons.”

ई हजमा कि केलक राजा बला देह छोड़ि देलक आ भेड़ा बनि गेल। जहाँ भेड़ा बनि गेल कि रानी ओइ पिंजरा के एना कऽ रखने रहैथ एना के घुसका देलखिन। ओइसँ सुग्गा बलामेसँ छूटि कऽ राजा… राजाकेँ कहलकैन जे कि तकैत छी। अहाँ कि तकैत छी। अप्पन काज करू। 

This barber left the king’s body and turned into a sheep. As soon as he turned into a sheep, the queen pushed the cage that she had put a little, like this. The king, leaving that parrot’s body… The queen said, “What are you looking at, do your job.” 

ऊ भेड़ा भेल बान्हल छथि आ ऊ राजा बलामे ढूकि गेल। राजामे ढूकि गेल सुग्गा। सुग्गा छूटि गेल। आ ऊ भेड़ा बान्हल अछि। आब बान्हल रहू भेड़ा। 

That barber stayed there, fixed in the form of a sheep, and that one slipped back into the king’s body. Returned to the king. The parrot was released. And that sheep remained stuck, remaining as a sheep.

ओ राजा फेर कहलकय जे एना एना, केना एना भेल अहाँकेँ। अप्पन रूप लऽ कऽ राजा ठाढ़ भऽ गेला। असली राजा भऽ गेल। तऽ रानी कहलखिन अहाँकेँ ई दसा केना भेल? ई सुग्गा अहाँ केना बनलौं? 

“How did this happen to you?” That king now explained that such and such happened. In his own form now the king arose. He became the real king. Then the queen asked, “How did this situation happen to you? Who turned you into a parrot?” 

यैह हजमा हमरा एना एना केलक। ई जिनगी भर भेड़े रहौ। एकरा आब किछु बनेबे नै करबय। 

“This barber himself did all these things. He should stay as a sheep for the remainder of his life. I won’t turn him into anything else now.”  

ओकरा तऽ देहो नै रहय तऽ ई कथी बनतय।

He didn’t even have his own body now, so what could he be?

हजमा तऽ अप्पन देहकेँ खत्म कऽ आयल रहय। कौआ चील खा गेल रहय। ओकरा भगा देलकय आ कहलकय आब रह भेड़ा।

The barber had come after his body had been ruined. Crows and eagles had eaten it. He [the king] shooed him away and told him, “Stay as a sheep now.”

देखियौ अइमे ई छिपल छै गलती करबय तऽ गलतिए परिणाम भेटत चाहे जहिया भेटै। अहाँ कने काल केकरो परेशान कऽ लेबए लेकिन असलिए पर जा कऽ जे असली रहय छै से कतौ जा कऽ निकलि जाय छै कि। कने देरिए से होइ छै लेकिन कतौ जा कऽ निकलि जाय छै। 

You see, this lesson is hidden in this story. If you commit a wrong, then a wrong will eventually be the result. You can harass somebody for some time, but the one who is in the right will ultimately be proved correct. Although it might take some time, eventually it will bear out.