January 4, 2017: Session 3

Maithili Folklore Story 17_01_04_3

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

Teller: Unknown
Location: Madhubani
Date: 1/4/17

View the transcription in Maithili.

जितिया…जितिया के खिस्सा?

Jitiya… the story of Jitiya?

हँ?

Prof. Davis: Yes?

जितिया अथि रहथिन जितिया के बरत…साम…अथि…अथि…साम… अथि…साम…अथि…चिल्होर…अ सियार दुनु बहिनै रहथिन। त दुनु बहीन बरत केल्खिन। त एक बहिन रहथिन सियार और एक बहीन रहथिन चिल्होर। 

Jitiya, um, they were…The fasting ritual of Jitiya…Sam…um…um…Sam…um…Sam…An eagle…and a jackal were sisters. The two of them used to fast. One of them was eagle, the other was jackal.

कनि जोर से बोलू।

[Speak a bit more loudly.]

तऽ सियारो से अथि पर रहथिन नीचा अ चिल्होर रथिन उप्पर। 

The jackal was stationed below, and the eagle lived above [in a tree].

त एक दिना जे अथि धोबी मएर गेल्खिन। 

One day, a washerman passed away.

त दुनु बहीन के बरत रहैन। 

Now, the two sisters were fasting. 

त अथि सब ढ़ाएह के अ चैल गेल्खिन नहा सोना क। 

So, they submerged everything [in the river], bathed there, got dressed and left. 

त इ चिल्होर जे रहथिन से हुन्का कचमच मन करैन जे, “कखैन इ सब जेती से हम मुझा कॅ अथि मुझा कॅ हम हुन्कर मौंस खाएब।” 

The eagle, who had lived there, was impatiently waiting for everyone to leave the funeral site so that she could extinguish the fire and eat some meat. 

त सियारो जे रहथिन त उ सबटा देखैत रहथिन। 

The jackal, who also was living there, was observing all funerary rites. 

त…उ…जहाँ मुझा के चल गेल्खिन डाएह क, त उ…तुरत्तै उ उ ऐब क पाएख ललन, लोल ललन, ऐब क अथि के सारा के मुझा देल्खिन अ हुन्कर महामौंस रहैन, से लैब कॅ अ उ अपन लॅ गेल्खिन अ उपर में खाथिन।  

Then…she…when they extinguished the fire and discarded the remains, then she…she quickly went there and cleared the ash with her wings and beak and found some meat there. She grabbed the meat, carried it to the top of the tree and began eating it there.

त सियारो जे रहथिन से देखैत रहथिन। 

Now the jackal, who stayed there, was looking around. 

त कहल्खिन, “हे बहीन, की करैछी?”

She asked, “O sister, what are you doing?”

त कहल्के, “बहीन, हम किछु ने करैछी जे हमरा जितीया के बरत य, से हमरा भूख लागल जे ऐय कॅर घुड़ै छी त पैँख मरमरायॅ, अ ऐय कॅर घुड़ै छी तॅ हमरा मर मरमरायॅ। 

She replied, “O sister, I am not doing anything. I am famished as I am fasting for Jitiya. When I turn to one side, then my wings quiver; when I turn to the other side, then my other parts tremble.  

त कहल्के कि से, “ठीक छै।”

Then she replied, “Okay!” 

फेर सुइत रहल्खिन। 

She went to sleep again. 

त फेर इ एनाए कटकटब्थिन।

But she continued to make crackling noises. 

फेर कहल्खिन जे, “की करैछीये आहाँ?”

Then she asked again, “What are you doing?” 

तऽ कहल्खिन कि जे, “हम किछु ने करैछीय, हमरा जितीया के बरत य, हम बलु…ऐय कॅर घुड़ैछियैत करकरायॅ, अ ओय कॅर घुरैछियै त भूखै करकरायॅ।”

She answered, “I am doing nothing. Since I’m fasting for Jitiya, I, as it happens…when I turn to one side, my body makes a crackling noise, and when I turn to the other side, my famished body again makes such noise.

तीन बेर केल्खिन। 

She did this three times. 

तीनु बेर ओग्तारा देल्खिन। 

The jackal cautioned her three times as well. 

तऽ उ कहल्खिन कि से, “आहाँ के कहैछी नै अथि करैलऽ, तऽ आहाँ करैछी। तऽ ठीक है जे करैछी से आहाँ अपना लॅ करैछी।”

She reprimanded her, “I am telling you not to do that, but you keep on doing it. Fine., Whatever you are doing, you are doing it for yourself.”

अपन छोएर देल्खिन अ सुइत रहल्खिन। 

She stopped paying attention to her and went to sleep.

तऽ फेर भिंसर भेलैन।

Then morning came. 

तऽ नहा-सोना कॅ पारन करैछै, तेना एय पारन केल्खिन। 

Now everyone was performing bathing rituals for breaking their fast; likewise she, too, broke her fast. 

तऽ इ सियारो जे रहथिन, सेओ से अपन खीरा-ओंकरी उसरैग कॅ अथि केल्खिन। 

This jackal too arranged cucumber and sprouts for breaking her fast. 

अ इहो अपन नहैलेथ-सोनैलेथ अपन खैरकॅ केलैथ, खेलैथ। 

She also bathed, then used a toothpick to clean her teeth, and ate breakfast. 

फेर इ जे अथि करै गेल्खिन, अथि अथि जखैन नै दैय छैथिन नैभैर, तखन कहल्खिन कि जे से, “हे भगवान, ऐय जनम के मन हमरा औए जनम तक देब।” जे, “हम की केलौं से, अ इ की केल्खिन से।” 

Then, when she went to perform, you know, when one prepares sacrificial offerings, then she said, “O God, whatever I have held in my heart, reward me with its consequences in the next birth.” In other words, “Take note of what I have done and what she has done [and reward us accordingly in the next birth]” 

तऽ भगवान सबटा देखैत रहथिन।

Now, God was watching everything. 

त कहल्खिन, “ठीक छै।”

So [God] responded, “As you wish.” 

तऽ इ पारन कॅ दुनु बेर…बहिनी के मुँह मेँ…अथि भौ गेलैन। मृत भौ गेलैन। 

Then as soon as both of them broke their fast…in her sister’s mouth…it happened. Both passed away. 

तऽ भौ गेलैन। 

They both died. 

तऽ फेर ओए जनम में मनुखक कोएख में से दुनु बहिनी के जनम भेलैन एकै कोएख में। 

Now, they were reborn in the human realm; both of them were reborn from the same womb.

तऽ एक…एक बहिनी के नाम रहैन अथि लीलाबती, अ एक बहिनी के नाम रहैन से सीराबती अथि हीराबती। 

So, one…one of the sisters name was Lilabati, and the other sister’s name was Sirabati; no, it was Hirabati.

तऽ दुनु बहिनी के नाम रहैन। 

These were the sisters’ names. 

तऽ जैठकी जे रहथिन जे सियारो रहथिन, तऽ हुन्का भेलैन सातटा बेटा। 

So, the eldest was the one who had been the jackal in a previous birth. She had seven sons. 

अ जो मोंस खेनै रहथिन छोटकी, हुन्का भेलैन एक्कोटा ने बेटा। 

And the younger was the one who had eaten meat. She had not even one son. 

साफे नै भेलैन। 

She just wasn’t able to bear children. 

तऽ कहल्खिन कि से, “की बात छै से अपन हे भगबान, हमरे कोएख के…एकै कोएख के छी तऽ हमरा भैल…हुन्का भेलैन सातटा बेटा, हमरा भेल एकैटा बेटा एकोटा नै।”

So, she lamented, “What’s the matter, O God? From the same womb as mine…we both were born from the same womb , but…she had seven sons and I have not even one son.” 

अ एकै गाम में एय टोन में हीन्कर अ ओए टोन में हीन्कर। 

Both of them lived in the same village. Her home was in this neighbourhood, and her sister’s was in that neighbourhood.

दुनु के बहिनी के से राजै जेनै बियाह भेलै। 

Both of them were married to royal grooms. 

तऽ हीन्का कीछु नै भेलैन। 

But she did not have any children. 

तऽ हुन्का सातगो बेटा भेलैन। 

The other sister had seven children. 

तऽ हुन्का देख हुन्का जड़न पड़ैन। 

Whenever she saw them , she would get jealous. 

तऽ इ कहल्खिन कि…बहीन बेटा…के नॅत देल्खिन बेटा सबके से आबै तऽ, “हम उनका अथि करब…नै त..नॅत दै कॅ खुऐब।”

Then she said…that..to her nephews…that her nephews should visit her, “I would do this…I will invite them for food.”

पहिले बेर नॅत देल्खिन तऽ खीर केल्खिन। 

When she invited them for the first time, she offered them rice pudding. 

तऽ खीर में जहर दॅ देल्खिन।

And she mixed poison in the pudding. 

भगवान सबटा हुनकर माँ जे रहैन…सबटा…तुलसी चौरा लॅग बैठ के जपैत रहथिन। 

By God, they and their mother…all of them…were sitting next to a Tulsi plant and chanting prayers. 

तऽ कहल्खिन कि से, “हम तऽ किछु नै करै छीयै।”

Then each said, “I have not behaved irresponsibly.”

इ तऽ जे करे हुन्कर माता सबटा जान्थिन।

Indeed, their mother knew everything they did. 

तऽ खीर दॅ कॅ…जहर दॅ के देल्खिन, तऽ गेल्खिन, तऽ सातो भाई अपन खा लेलैथ। 

So she served pudding…mixed with poison. Then all seven brothers went there and ate the food. 

परनाम कॅ क खा ललैथ। 

After greeting her respectfully, they ate the food. 

किछु नै भेलैन हुन्का। 

Nothing happened to them. 

फेर अपन पढ़ै लॅ बिदा भेलै बिहान भेनै। 

Next day, they left for their studies. 

फेर इ देखेल्खिन। 

She noticed again [that her nephews were alive].

तऽ फेर नै हीन्का बरदाश्त भेलैन। 

तऽ फेर नै हीन्का बरदाश्त भेलैन। 

तऽ फेर कहल्खिन कि से, “की बात ऐच्छ जे बलु जहर दॅ के देलिये तऽ नै मरल?” 

She wondered again, “How could it be that I mixed poison in their food but they did not die?” 

तऽ फेर नॅत देल्खिन ओकरे परात भेनै। 

She invited them again the next day. 

तऽ फेर अथि के अथि के…कि…तर में पिढ़ीया तर में जे साँप के पऊआ होएछै डट्हर, से धॅ देल्खिन। 

Then again, you know…that…a wooden stool below which one keeps baskets containing snakes. She placed it there.

सातगो पिढ़ीया रहै, सातो तर में सफेरी के मँगा के धॅ देल्खिन। 

There were seven stools. She obtained seven baskets from a snake-charmer and placed one snake below each stool. 

तऽ उ सातो भाई गेला…“माँ…जाएछी भोजन कॅरै।” 

Then the seven brothers went…, “Mother…we are going [to aunt’s] for dinner.” 

“ठीक छै, जाऊ।” 

Their mother replied, “Okay, you may go.”

तऽ कहल्खिन कि “जाएब की नै, कनिकॅ पिढ़ीया में लात माएर देबै। तहीन बैठब।” 

Then she [their aunt] said, “When you get there, pull out the stools by striking them gently with your legs. Only then will you be able to sit on them.” 

सेह केल्खिन।

They followed her instructions. 

गेल्खिन सातो भाई परनाम करके, पिढ़ीया में कनि लाएत माएर कॅ बैठ कॅ भोजन कॅ लेल्खिन चेल एल्खिन। 

After greeting her respectfully, the seven brothers pulled out the stools by striking them gently. They sat on their stools, ate the food and came back.

किछु नै भेलैन। 

Nothing happened to them.  

तऽ हुन्का फेर तेसरा दिन भनै फेर अथि केल्खिन। 

Then on the third day, she did yet something else. 

फेर नै उ मरला।

But yet again they did not die. 

तऽ कहल्खिन कि, घरवला के, जे, “हमरा आहाँ मे सत करू।” 

Then she said to her husband, “You must take an oath for me.” 

रूइस रहल्खिन। 

She was sulking.  

कहल्खिन, “हमरा आहाँ मे सत करू।” 

She said, “You must take an oath for me.”

तऽ कहल्के, “की सत?” 

He asked, “What oath?” 

कहल्खिन कि से, “आहाँ…।” 

She replied, “You…”

नै कैल्खिन तऽ जिद कॅ देल्खिन। 

He wasn’t willing. She insisted. 

तऽ कहल्खिन, “ठीक है।” 

He gave in, “Okay.” 

तऽ सत केल्खिन। 

Then he took an oath for her. 

“एक सत, दु सत, तेसरा…दोसरा अथि के…तेहनै आहाँ के कहल पर शिवपुर नरक में गिराओ।”

One pledge, two pledge, three…second to third to…that is how, at your behest, I’ll be evicted from Śiva’s abode and dumped in hell.” 

 त फेर इ अपन सातगो डोम चंडाल के नॅत देल्खिन, तऽ डोम चंडाल एल्खिन। 

Then she invited seven members of the dom-chandal caste. They came. 

सातो भाई के पढ़ै लॅ आबैत रहथिन, तऽ अधे रास्ता में घेर लेल्खिन। 

The seven brothers were on their way to school. They were halfway to the school when the dom-chandals surrounded them. 

अ लॅ गेल्खिन। 

They kidnapped all seven brothers. 

तऽ लॅ गेल्खिन तऽ अपन जंगल में जा कॅ सातो भाई के मुड़ी काएट देल्खिन।

They brought seven brothers into the forest. They severed the heads of the seven brothers there.

तऽ बीध बिधाता उड़ल चैल आबथिन। 

Then Bidh and Bidhata came flying to that spot.

तऽ कहल्खिन कि बीध रहथिन से, “ऐईठाँ कनि काल रूकु।” 

Bidh said to Bidhata, “Wait here for some time.” 

बिधाता कहल्खिन कि, “हम नै रूकब।” 

Bidhata replied, “No, I don’t want to stay here.”

तऽ कहल्खिन कि, “से नै भौ सकत।” 

He continued, “No, this won’t be possible.” 

तऽ जिद केल्खिन, तऽ बिधाता रुकल्खिन दुनु। 

But he insisted. Then Bidhana agreed to stay. 

तऽ देखल्खिन उतएर कऽ नीचा जंगल में सातो के सातटा मुड़ी काएट के राखल। 

After descending to the earth below, they saw that the seven severed heads of seven brothers were lying in the forest. 

तहैन जा कॅ जे हुन्का बिधाता के कहल्खिन जे, “आँहाँ के कँगुरिया में चना अमृत ऐच्छ, से काएट कऽ सातो के देह…मुड़ी पर छीट दियो। सातो भाई रामराम के उठथी।” 

At that moment, Bidh approached Bidhata and said, “Your little finger has a seed filled with the nectar of immortality. You can spill it and sprinkle nectar on these seven bodies…splash it on their heads. The seven brothers will arise chanting “Ram-Ram.”

तऽ बिधाता अपन ऊँगरी चीर कॅ अ छीत देल्खिन, चारो भाई रामराम के उठल्खिन। 

Then Bidhata made an incision in his little finger and sprinkled the nectar on them. All four brothers rose up chanting “Ram-Ram.” 

फेर किताब लॅ कॅ अपन पढ़ैला चैल गेल्खिन। 

They grabbed their books and resumed their walk to school. 

अ सातगो चँगेरा में उ अथि…मुड़ा जे काएट काएट कॅ लगा रहल्थिन ओकरा देय लॅ रानी के…सातो चँगेरा…उ तऽ भौ गेलेन नारियल के फल अ एकरा भवबान जिया देल्खिन ओत्तै। 

And the seven baskets that contained…their heads were hacked off and arranged in baskets so that these baskets could be given to the queen…seven baskets…all of them became coconuts, and God had brought the seven brothers back to life. 

तऽ उ सातो चँगेरा हुन्का अपन मौसी लग भेज देल्खिन। 

Then they dispatched the seven baskets back to their maternal aunt. 

हीन्कर बेटा रहैन तीनका गाम कॅ। 

Her sons were three villages away. 

ताले बिधाता हुन्का जिया देल्खिन, फेन उ अपन सातो भाई सातो घोड़ा पर चहैर कॅ चैल जाएत रहथिन। 

Meanwhile, Bidhata had brought them back to life. Then the seven brothers found seven horses to ride back to their home. 

गेल्खिन तऽ जा देखलक तऽ से, “ई तऽ जिबतै है।” 

When she arrived [at her sister’s], then she saw, “They are all alive.”

तऽ आभ हुन्का बरदाश्त नै भेलैन हुन्का बहीन के। 

Her sister could not control her jealous rage anymore. 

चाएर पाँच अथि भौ गेलैन। 

She had tried to kill them four or five times. 

तऽ कहल्खिन कि जे, “एना नै हैत से बड्ड आहाँ केलौं, हम बड्ड बर्दाश्त केलौं, से आब से गाम गाम सॅ अहूँ अपना गाम से पँचायत लाओ अ हम अपना गाम से लाबे छीयै। अ अथि धोबी..अ अथि आहाँ मँगाऊ अपनो गाम से हजाम अ हमरा अपनो गाम के यऽ।” 

Now she said, “This can’t continue anymore; you have tried repeatedly to harm us. I was very patient all the while. But the villagers must resolve this issue. Bring an assembly of arbitrators from your village, I’ll bring from mine. Bring along a washerman…and also a barber from your village. I’ll do the same.”

तऽ सेह भेलैन। 

And that’s what happened. 

अहु गामके हजाम एलैन, उहो गाम के हजाम। 

One barber came from her village, and another barber came from the other village. 

अ…अथि गाम गाम के लोग सब बैठलेन, तऽ कहल्खिन, तऽ कहल्खिन कि से, “ऐना ऐना बात।” 

Um..then people from different villages came. Then they said, they said, “Such and such are the issues.” 

तऽ कहल्के, “हँ।” 

She concurred, “Yes.” 

तऽ कहल्के, “ठीक है।” 

They concurred, “Okay.” 

तऽ हजाम सब तऽ रहबै करथिन, तब सभक सोझा में हुन्कर दाँत खोदल गेलैन, अ हिन्को दाँत खोदेल गेलैन। 

So, their barbers were already present there. Then, in front of everyone, her teeth were picked and the other sister’s teeth were picked as well.

तऽ हिन्का दाँत से खीरा ओँकुरी निकललेन, अ हुन्का दाँत से महा मोंस निकललेन। 

They pulled cucumber and sprouts from her teeth. And from the other sister’s teeth, they picked out red meat. 

तऽ कहल्किन, “किया एना भेलैय?”

So, they queried “Why did this happen?” 

तऽ कहल्के, “औय जनम में हम जितीया के बरत केनै रही, तऽ अथि धोबी मएर गेल्खिन, तऽ इ उतैर कॅ, मिझा कॅ, महा मोस खेल्खिन।

She explained, “In our previous birth, we were performing the Jitiya rituals. A washerman passed away. Then she came down and extinguished the funeral pyre, and ate the red meat. 

अ हम हिन्का कहियेन जे, “नै खाऊ।” 

I cautioned her, ‘Don’t eat it.’ 

तऽ इ कहथिन, “हमरा बलू जितीया के बरत केनै छियै, तऽ पाएँख कड़कड़ाय।” 

But she refused, saying, ‘Since I am fasting for Jitiya, my wings are making crackling noises.’

तऽ तेकर फल सब भगवान आब फैसला करूँ जे, “हम की कैनै छी अ ऊ की केनै छथिन जे हमरा सातगो बेटा, हीन्का एकोटा नै?” 

This is the result [of her actions]. Now you lords judge, ‘Based on what I did and what she did, why should I not have seven sons and she none?’” 

तऽ तखैन ते ओ जे महा मोस खेनै रहथिन, परान तियाग देल्खिन। 

At that moment, the one who had eaten red meat renounced her life-breath and died.  

परान तियाग देल्खिन, सबके फैसला ओत्तै भै गेलै।

She gave up living. All issues were thus resolved there.  

“राम राम कॅ,” अपन उ चैल गेला अ हीन्कर अथि रैह गेलैन। भौ गेलैन।   

They chanted “Ram, Ram” and left. Her sons remained alive. That’s the end of the story.