The Washerwoman Soma and Ritual of Karwachauth / सोमा धोबिन आ करवाचौथ

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

Teller: Roopam Jaiswal
Location: Tilak Chowk, Madhubani
Date: 1/6/2017

January 6, 2017: Session B1
Maithili Folklore Story 17_01_06b_01

View the transcription in Maithili.

पाबनि छै आ सुहागवति स्त्री अपन पतिकेँ दीर्घायु लै ई करय छथिन्ह।

This is a religious rite, and married women do it to ensure the longevity of their husbands.

कातिक मासकेँ चारि दिन बाद ई पर्व होय छै। सुहागवति स्त्री अपन पतिकेँ लागि कलशामे पानी, तिल, जौ, अक्षत, पान, सुपारी, पेड़ा, चूरा, राखि कऽ पूजा करय छथिन्ह।

This festival is observed four days after the month of Kartik is over. Married women keep some water, sesame seed, barley, rice grain, betel, betel nut, peda (a type of sweetmeat), and flattened rice in a small round-shaped jug usually made of copper and perform worship for their husbands.

रातिमे चाँद देखि कऽ ओ पूजा करय छथिन्ह। ओइ दिन रातिमे कऽ बड्ड राति कऽ निकलय छथिन्ह चाँद बड्ड जाँचय छथिन्ह जे पबनी करय छथिन्ह हुनका जाँचय छथिन्ह। 

Looking at the moon in the evening, they worship. That evening, late, very late, the moon becomes visible and will test the worshiping women.

कहियो कहियो तऽ आठ बजे, साढ़े आठ बजे , नौ बजे निकलय छथिन्ह । ओकर बाद चाँद देखला केँ बाद भगवानकेँ धूप दीप देखा केँ जल ढारिकेँ ओ पतिकेँ चलनीमे दिया से देखय छथिन्ह। 

Sometimes the moon becomes visible by 8:00, 8:30 or even by 9:00 pm. After the moon sighting, having lit incense sticks and earthen lamps that are waved around the gods’ idols, and having also offered water, they look at their husband through a sieve by the light of an earthen lamp that is placed in front of it.

ओकर बाद करवा चौठ केँ पानी शरबत पियाबय छथिन्ह। घरवाला पियाबय छथिन्ह। एकर कहानी से छै…

After that, Karwa Chauth is given the sweetened water. Husbands will have their wives drink that. This story is …

एक सोमा धोबिन थी। एक सोमा धोबिन छलखिन्ह हऽ। एक राजा एक रानी। रानीकेँ एकेटा बेटी छलखिन्ह हऽ। तऽ राजा कहुँ चलि जाय छलखिन्ह हऽ। माय बेटी घरमे रहय छलखिन्ह हऽ। 

There was a washerwoman called Soma. There was a king and a queen. The queen had just one daughter. When the king would go out somewhere, the queen and her daughter would remain at home.

तऽ भिक्षा मांगय लै एगो ब्राह्मण आबय छलखिन्ह, भिक्षा देही भिक्षा देही।

A brahmin would come to beg for alms, saying, “Give alms, give alms.”

तऽ माँ हमेशा कहथिन बेटीकेँ जा कऽ दऽ दही ने  भिक्षा। जहां बेटी आती थी, नहि, अहाँसँ नहि लेब। अहाँ  जाउ अहाँसँ नहि लेब। एक दिन दू दिन आ माँ कहथिन बेटीकेँ जाउ अहाँ दऽ अइयौ। आ पंडित जी कहितय कि हम अहाँसँ नहि लेबय। 

The mother would always tell her daughter, “Hey, go and give alms.” And as soon as the daughter would arrive to give alms, the brahmin would say, “No, I won’t take it from you. You go back, I won’t take it from you.” One day passed, two days passed, and the mother would still ask her daughter, “Go, you give it to him.” And the priest would say, “I won’t take it from you.”

उसको एक दिन बहुत गुस्सा गई, बहुत रोने लगी। फेर हुनकर माँ एलखिन। माँ पुछलखिन, की बात छै?

अहाँ किएक हमर बेटीसँ भिक्षा नहि लैत छियै? 

One day she became very angry and started crying. So her mother came. She asked him, “What is the problem? Why won’t you take the alms from my daughter?”

तऽ कहलकय अहाँक बेटीसँ इलै भिक्षा नहि लैत छी हम अहाँक बेटीकेँ सुहाग नै छै। बियाह नै होत अहाँक बेटीकेँ। बियाह करबय तऽ ओकर बर खत्म भऽ जेतय। हिनकर पति नै रहतय। बियाह भऽ कऽ जैत एकर पति खत्म भऽ जेतय। 

He answered, “I won’t take alms from your daughter because your daughter’s husband will die after they are wed. Your daughter’s marriage is not possible. If you marry her, her husband will die. Her husband will not live after that. As soon as she leaves here [for her husband’s home] after the wedding, her husband will die.”

तऽ पंडित जी को बैसा लेलखिन। कहलखिन नै अहाँ बैसू एकर उपाय बताउ। उपाय बतेबय तब अहाँकेँ हम जाय देब। राजा अबय छथिन्ह। अहाँ राजाकेँ कहियौ तब अहाँकेँ हम ई करब।

Then she asked the priest to sit there. She asked him, “Tell me some way out of this. I will let you go only after you give me the solution. The king is on his way. If you tell him this then I will do this to you.”

तऽ कहलकय सुनू अहाँक बेटीकेँ सुहाग बड्ड छै। ई तऽ रानी छथिन्ह आ जहाँ जेथिन हुओं के रानी छथिन्ह ई। सुनू, सात समुंदर पार सोमा धोबिन नामकेँ एगो छथिन्ह। उहे हिनकरा सुहाग देथिन तब जा कर एकर सुहाग लौटतय। 

Then he said, “Listen, actually your daughter’s husband has a long life. She is a queen here, and she will remain one wherever she goes after her wedding. Listen, across the seven oceans, there is a washerwoman named Soma. Only she can give your daughter her husband’s life; only then can her husband remain alive after the wedding.”

त’ कहलखिन केना होतय, केना जयथिन, केना बुझबय हम? 

To which she replied, “How can this come to pass? How will she get there? How will I know this?”

त’ ओ अपन पूरा कहानी बतेलखिन। सात समुंदर पार एक गाँव छै। ऊ गाँवमे सोमा धोबिन नाम छै केकरो कहबय अहाँ त’ अहाँकेँ बता देत। हुनकर बेटी सब सुनय छलखिन्ह। हुनकर बेटी  किनको नै कहलखिन आ उ चलि गेलखिन। 

So then he told her the entire story. “There is a village across seven oceans. There is one washerwoman named Soma there. Ask anybody and they will tell you about her.” Her daughter was listening to this whole conversation. She didn’t tell anyone, and she left for that place.

गेलखिन, गेलखिन त’ सोमा धोबिन के घरमे खोजलखिन। उ मिल गेलय हुनका। एनही माय बाप सब खोजय छलखिन्ह कहाँ गेलखिन हमर बेटी। त’ उ गेलखिन सोमा धोबिन के हियां। 

The went there. Once she arrived, she looked for Soma washerwoman’s house. She found her. And back there at her own home, her parents were looking for her, wondering where she had vanished to. They did not know that she had gone to Soma washerwoman’s place.

दिन भर अपन देखि लेलखिन बुझि लेलखिन। हुनका सोमा धोबिन के सात गो बेटा सात गो पुतोहु। त’ ई कि करय दिन भर देखि लय आ सब सुति जाय जब रातिमे त’ ई रातिमे उठय हुनकर घरकेँ सब कामकाज कऽ दय, घर नीप दय, बरतन मलि दय, झाड़ू पोछा कऽ दय। सब चीज कऽ दय।

The whole day she watched, and she had an idea. Soma washerwoman had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. What this girl did was to watch them the entire day and then go to sleep. And when she would get up in the night, she would go to her [Soma washerwoman’s] place and would finish all the household chores, plaster the [mud] floor, clean the pots and pans, mop and clean the house; she would do it all.

त’ बड़की पुतोहु बुझै जे छोटकी करलकय छोटकी बुझै मझली करलकय। एना करते करते पाँच दिन छः दिन भेलय।

Then the elder daughter-in-law would think that the younger one had done it all, and the younger would think that the middle one had done it all. In this way, five or six days passed. 

त’ कहलकय दीदी अहाँ त’ बड्ड नीक काज करय छी। उहो कहलकय दीदी अहाँ बड्ड नीक…

The younger daughter-in-law said to the elder one, “Hey, elder sister, you do household chores so nicely.” But she also said, “Hey, elder sister,  you also do it all very well.”

कोन काज यै?

“Which work are you talking about?”

त’ के करय छै काज?

“Then who does all the work?”

दीदी हमहूँ नै करय छी। कहलकय हमहूँ नै करय छी। तब कहलखिन कि न जरूर छै ई दूत है कि भूत है कि छै पता लगाबऽ के चाही। 

“Elder sister, I don’t do it either” Then they decided, “This is surely some messenger or ghost. We should figure it out.”

ओकर सास कहलकय अंगुरी काटि लेलखिन ओइमे नीमक लगाके उ खाट पर सुति गेलखिन। बरंडामे उ सुति गेलखिन। हँ देखियय के छै। सुति गेलखिन, सुति गेलखिन त’ ई अपन धीरे से उठलखिन राजा के बेटी, गेल अपन जे काज करऽ लगलय। त’ जेना ओ राजा के बेटी एलय त’ सोमा धोबिन जे हाथ काटि कऽ सुतल छलखिन्ह उठलखिन ओ हाथ पकड़लखिन।

Their mother-in-law said she cut her finger. She applied salt to it and then went to [feign] sleep on a cot. She slept on the verandah, murmuring, “Let’s see who it is.” When she lay down to sleep, the king’s daughter slowly woke up and started doing the household chores. As soon as the king’s daughter arrived, Soma washerwoman who was sleeping there with her finger cut got up and grabbed her by the hand.

के छैं तू?

“Who are you?” she asked her.

बता, दूत छैं कि भूत छैं के छैं तू? हमरा इहां तू पाँच दिन छः दिनसँ तू काज करय छें, बता।

“Tell me, are you a messenger or a  ghost? You have been doing chores at my house for the last five or six days. Tell me.”

त’ कहलकय हम नै दूत छी नै भूत छी। हम सात समुंदर पार फलना राजा के हम बेटी छी। हमरा ओहिठाम एगो भिक्षा मांगय लै अबय छलथि एगो भिखारी हुनका हम दय छलियय त’ हमरासँ नै लय छलखिन्ह। कहलखिन तोरा सुहाग नै छौ नै लेबौ तोरा से। त’ हमर माय एना एना बात कहलकय सात समुंदर पार सोमा धोबिन छथिन्ह उ अहाँकेँ सुहाग देत तब अहाँकेँ सुहाग बचत।

Then she replied, “I am neither a messenger nor a ghost. I am the daughter of that king from across seven oceans. A beggar would come to my place to ask for alms, but he would not take it from me when I offered it. He would tell me, ‘Your husband will not be alive after your wedding, so I will not take it from you.’ Then my mother told me, “Across seven oceans there is one washerwoman named Soma. If she gives you your husband’s life after your wedding only then will your husband survive.’”

तब जा कऽ उ अपना घरमे बैसेलखिन। सब बेटा पुतोहु निकलि कऽ एलय। तऽ कहलकय ठीक छै अहाँ जाउ। अहाँ अपन बाबूकेँ कहियौन, माय बापकेँ कहबय अहाँकेँ बियाह ठीक करथिन त’ हम अबय छी हम अहाँकेँ सोहाग देब। अहाँकेँ सोहाग रहत।

Soma washerwoman asked her in a welcoming manner to sit inside her house. Then Soma instructed her, “Go and ask your parents to arrange your marriage, and I will come and bless you with your husband’s life. After this your husband will remain alive.”

एलखिन ई। कहलकय, तू कतऽ गेल छलैं ?

The king’s daughter came back. Her mother asked, “Where did you go?” 

त’ सब बात अपन माँ बापकेँ कहलखिन। 

And so she told her parents everything.

तब माँ कहलखिन एना एना बात राजा के कहलखिन अपन पत्नी। त’ कहलकय एना एना बात है। बेटीकेँ बियाह तकै लगलखिन। लड़का मिलि गेलय। बियाह भेलय। सोमा धोबिन के खबरि करलखिन। उ ऐलय आ अपन घरमे पति के लोटामे करवामे पानि कऽ के धऽ देलखिन आ सब पुतोहु बेटाकेँ कहि देलकय जब तक हम नै आयब ई घर मत खोलियैंह तू सब नै खोलियैंह ।

Then her mother informed the king that such and such was the situation. He went in search of a boy for her marriage. They found a boy. The wedding took place. Soma washerwoman was invited. She came. And in her room, in her husband’s small copper jug, she put some water, warning all of the daughter-in-laws and sons, “Until I am back, do not dare open this room.”

त’ कहलकय ठीक है। ई आयल इहां राजा के बेटीकेँ सोहाग देलखिन मांगने सिंदूर देलखिन आ ई तुरंत निकलि गेलखिन। केतनुओ ई सब कहलकय रूकय लै कहलकय नै हम नै रूकब। 

They answered, “Okay.” Soma washerwoman came there and gave her the blessing for the king’s daughter’s husband’s life, for after the wedding. She applied vermillion in her [the bride’s] head, after which she immediately left. Despite the fact that people requested that she stay for some additional time, she did not. She said, “I won’t remain.”

ई एलखिन। हुनकर पति बहुत बिमार। ई एलखिन, देखय छथिन्ह कि हमर पति एकदम टन मन, खूब बढ़िया, गेट खोलि के बाहरमे दरबार मे बैसल छलखिन्ह। 

Now, after Soma washerwoman left, the king’s daughter arrived and saw that her husband, who had been very sick, had become perfectly fine, was outside the room, and was sitting in the courtyard.

त’ माय कहलखिन सोमा जैसन, जैसन सोमा धोबिन के सोहाग अजर अमर ओएसेहीं राजाकेँ बेटीकेँ सोहाग अजर अमर।

Her mother exclaimed, “Just as Soma washerwoman’s husband will live forever, the king’s daughter’s husband will also live forever.”

ओएसेहीं करवा चौठकेँ एगो कहानी बतेलिए।

In this way, I have narrated a story about Karwa Chauth.

इसलिए करवा चौठकेँ दिन लोग कुछ नहीं… नहि खाय छथिन्ह नै पानि पियय छथिन्ह कुछ नहि, एके बेर रातिमे। पूजा करला के बाद मुँहमे लोग जल लै छथिन्ह ओ पति के हाथ से।

That’s why on the day of Karwa Chauth, women don’t eat anything, don’t drink anything, nothing, just once in the evening. After the worship in the evening, women receive only water from their husband’s hands.