March 2, 2017: Session 6

Maithili Folklore Story 17_03_02_06

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.

एकटा राजा रहथिन। हुनका चारि गो बेटा रहैन दू गो बेटी रहैन। 

There once was a king. He had four sons and two daughters.

ऊ सब धिया पुताकेँ बजा कऽ पूछलखिन अहाँ सब किनका कर्म भागे खाई छी?

He called for his children and asked them, “On account of whose karma do you eat?”

सब कहलखिन जे बाबू अहीं कर्म भागे खाई छी। सब बेटा चारू बेटा कहलकैन, बेटी, पुतोहु सभ सब कहलकय बाबूजी अहीं कर्म भागे खाई छी। 

They said, “Father, we eat because of your karma.” All four sons, one daughter and the daughters-in-law said, “Father, we eat on account of your karma.”

ई छोटकी बेटी के जे पूछलखिन तऽ ऊ कहलखिन कि जे हम अपने कर्म भागे खाई छी। केकरा कर्म भागे खैब? कर्म भागे तो अप्पन होइत छै। अपने कर्म भागे खाई छी। 

Then, when he asked his younger daughter, she replied, “I eat because of my own karma. According to who else’s karma would I eat? Karma is always one’s own, so I eat because of my own karma.”

राजाकेँ बड तामस उठलैन। ई सब कहय यै हमर नाम आ ई कहय यै अप्पन कर्म भागे खाई छी। मंत्री सब के कहलखिन कि जे बहुत गरीब हेतय, ओकरा कोढ़िया बीमारी हेतय, आँखिकेँ आन्हर हेतय तेकरासँ एकरा बियाह कऽ दही। तब देखबै जे ई केना अप्पन कर्म भागे खाई छै?

The king got very angry, “They all take my name, except she says she eats because of her own karma.” He told his ministers, “Arrange her marriage to the one who is the poorest, who has leprosy, who is blind. Then I will see how she eats according to her own karma!”

एकटा राजा रहैथ। एकटा राजा रहैथ कि नै ऊ एकटा मुनिजी से तप करैत रहथिन। तप करैत रहथिनकि नै हुनका कि केलकैन तऽ ई छेड़ छाड़ कऽ देलकय राजा मुनिजी के। कमण्डल ओन्ही कऽ माला जपैत रहय से धऽ देलकय ओन्ही कऽ। हुनकर अथी टूटि गेलय। एना कऽ कऽ तकलकय कि नै से मुनि तमसकऽ कहलकय तुम आन्हर हो जाओ, कोढ़ी हो जाओ।

There was a [different] king. The king saw a holy man who was meditating. The king disturbed him, the renunciant. He moved his jug away to the other side, put his string of prayer beads away, and his …that thing also broke. As he gazed at the holy man, the man cursed him, “May you go blind, may you become a leper!” 

ई कहलकय जे सरकार हमरा केना कुछ आ सूझहो नै लगलय केना हमरा आँखि कनी हमरा रहऽ दियऽ। आ केना कऽ हम कि करब गोर लगैत छी। 

He said, “Lord, how will  I… I am going blind. Please save my eyes a little bit. And how will I be able to do anything? Please, I beg you.”

बड पएर हाथ धेलकय, बड केलकय, नै तऽ अइसँ हमरा मरि जाय लै कहू। 

He begged a lot, prayed a lot, “No, instead, tell me to go and die.”

बड जे केलकय नै तऽ ऊ मुनि कहलकय कि जे तोरा कोढ़िया के रूप धरऽ पड़तौ। हँ, से रूप धरऽ पड़तौ , से जे धऽ लेबैं तऽ देह हाथ चिक्कने रहतौ, आँखि तोरा सूझिते रहतौ लेकिन लोक देखा कऽ तोरा आन्हर से रहऽ पड़तौ बारह बरिस। आ यदि तोरा कोढ़ि लड़की स्वीकार कऽ लेलकौ अहि रूप में तोरा ऊ सुन्दर रूप भऽ जेतौ। 

Since he begged a lot, the holy man said, “You will have to assume the form of a leper. Yes, you will have to assume that form, and once you do so, only your hands and feet will remain smooth. You will also be able to see, but you will have to pretend that you are blind for 12 years. And if a leper girl accepts you in this form, then you will get your beautiful appearance back.”

तऽ ऊ कि केलक तऽ चमड़ा के खल्ला के से सिया लेलक सौंसे देह जेना बरसाती नै लोक सिबय है तेना मुँह तुँह सबटा झांपि कऽ। पएर तएरमे चकते जेना भऽ गेल।

Then what he did was to stitch together a leather body cover and, just as people wear raincoats, he covered his face and everything with that. His soul had become blackened. 

आ ओहि ठाम कतौ भटकैत भटकैत ई आयल आ ई राजा के पोखरि पर से बैठि रहल ओइमे माछ ई बनबऽ लगे। 

And wandering to and fro, he eventually arrived at the king’s pond, where he sat down and began to fish.

कोई कहय जे एकटा कोढ़िया एलय राजा के पोखरि पर। राजा साहेब ओकरे से कऽ दियौ बियाह। 

Somebody said, “A leper has arrived at the king’s pond. Your Highness, marry her [the king’s younger daughter] to this person.

कहलकय, हँ, हँ देखो कैसा है।

The king replied, “Yes, fine. Find out what sort of person he is.”

जा कऽ देखलक कि नै तऽ सरकार आन्हरो है आ कोढ़िया है। 

And so having gone to see, he reported, “No, sir. He is blind and is also a leper.”

कहलकय ओकरेसँ कऽ दही। ओकरासँ बियाह कऽ देलकय। 

The king said, “Marry her to him.” She was thus wed to him.

लोक सब कहलकय सरकार कऽ तऽ देलियय एकटा खोपड़ियो बन्हा ने दियौ। खोपड़ियोमे तऽ रहतय।

People said, “Lord, you had her married. Now please also get a thatch-roof house made for them. They will stay there.”

कहलकय अच्छा बान्हि दै लै एकटा खोपड़ी। एकटा खड़ के पतार के मोड़ि माड़ि कऽ खोपड़ी बन्हा देलकय। ओइमे रहऽ लागल। 

The king said, “Fine, prepare a thatch-roofed house.” Dried palm leaves were formed to create a thatch-roofed house. They started living there.

आब ई लड़की नै बूझैत रहै जे ई राजा बेटा छियय आ कोढ़ि छै। बड़का विद्वान रहै ऊ तब ने गेल रहै वनमे शिकार खेलय लै। श्राप रहय अप्पन। बियाह भेलय। भाई सब शिकार खेलऽ गेल तऽ ई कहलकय कि जे, हे यै कनी किछो… हरिन मारि मारि लबै सब खै।

Now the woman did not know that her husband was a prince and a leper. Highly learned as he was, that is why he had gone hunting in the forest. He was just cursed, and had been married. When the woman’s brothers went hunting, she asked, “Hello, please share a bit…” (The king’s sons would generally hunt deer and bring home the spoils to eat).

कहलकय कि जे जाउ ने कनी मांगि लाउ गऽ ने, कहबय कोढ़ि हमरे दऽ कहबय। 

Her husband said, “Hey, go and ask for some, tell them the leper… tell them that I have made the request.”

तऽ ई गेलय अनै लै यै भौजी, यै भौजी। 

Then she went there to get it, beseeching, “Hello sister-in-law, hello sister-in-law.”

मारि बारहैन छूछुनरिया के अपने कर्म भागे खेती से नै। अबय छथि छिछियैल। कतऽ एलैं हैं कतऽ एलैं हैं । झांटि बारहैन, मारि बारहैन। 

They responded, “Hit that ugly one with a broom! Can’t you eat based on your own fate? Why the hell do you keep running to us? Where have you come, where? Sweep her off with a broom, hit her with a broom!” 

कहलकय यै कनी कोढ़ियाकेँ एक रत्ती माँस दियौ कहलकय है मांगि लबय लै। 

She said, “Hello, please give a bit of meat for the leper. He has told me to ask you for this.”

कहलकय खो ने अपने कर्म भागे। माँस खेती झांटि बारहैन। नै देलकय चलि गेल। नै देलकय चलि गेल।

They retorted, “Go eat based on your own fate. Huh! Eat meat? I will sweep you off from here.” They did not give her anything. She went back empty-handed. They didn’t give her anything, and she went back.  

कहलकय कि कोढ़िया जे यै अहाँ अपना बाबूसँ लटल बुरल घोड़ा आनि लियऽ आ हमरा ओइ पर कऽ बांधि दियऽ बैठा कऽ। हमहूँ जाय छी शिकार खेलै। हमहूँ एकटा आनि लेब मारि कऽ तऽ अपनो सब खैब।

The leper said, “Hey, fetch me from your father an old and frail horse, and tie me on fast once I have gotten on the horse’s back. I will also go hunting. I will also hunt one from somewhere, and we will also eat.”

कहलकय, अहाँकेँ केना हैत? न हाथ अछि न पएर अछि न किछो न आँखि सूझए यै केना? 

She said, “How will you manage? You don’t have a leg or a hand or you can’t even see anything, so how?”

जेबय कहुना कऽ शिकार खेलै लै।

“I will, one way or another, go hunting.”

कहलकय, हँ बाबू। गे मारि बारहैन, मारि एकरा बेला बेला बेला। ई कियै एलौ छुतहरिया। ई कियै आयल सामनेमे।

She inquired, “Hello, daddy?” Her father said, “Hey! Hit her with a broom, hit her! Shoo, shoo! Why has this leach come here? Why has she come before me?”

तँ बाबू एगो लटलाही घोड़ा दै ने हमरो कोढ़ियाकेँ, जेतै शिकार खेलै लै। 

She replied, “Daddy, give the leper an old and frail horse; he will go hunting.” 

कोढ़िया खेलतौ शिकार? लोककेँ लागि गेलय हँसी। हय दही दही दही एकटा लटलाही घोड़ा दही, देलकय। 

“The leper and hunting?” People couldn’t resist laughing. They said, “Hey, give, give her one old, frail horse.” He gave her one.

घोड़ा नेने आयल पकड़ने। ओइ पर ओकरा कोढ़ियाकेँ चढ़ा देलक। कहलकय  दू टा झोरा हमरा से कपड़ा के सी दियऽ आ ई घोड़ा पर एना कऽ धऽ दियऽ गद्दी पर कऽ एना कऽ धऽ दियऽ, गेल। 

She brought the horse, dragging it. And she helped the leper to sit upon it. The leper said, “Bring me two cloth bags stitched and placed like this, hanging from each side of the seat on the horse’s back.” Then off he went.

एकटा बोनमे जा कऽ बड़का सुन्दर महफ़िल लगा देलक। एकदम कोठा कोठामे अछि, एकदम बंगला, पान खाई यै कोनो चीजकेँ कमी नै। के? ई कोढ़िया। कोढ़िया देह छोड़ि कऽ ओतऽ बोनमे जा कऽ । ई तऽ स्वीकार्य लेलकय कि नय, कनिया, जे आब हमर बर भऽ गेल। एकरा तऽ आब सुंदर देह भऽ गेलय।

He went to a forest and arranged for a big party. He was sitting in a mansion, fully palatial, with him chewing betel, lacking nothing. Who? This leper. He’d left his leper form and was there in the forest. She  had accepted him as her husband. So his body had become beautiful again. 

ई कनिया दुआरे नै अथी करय। कहलकय  तऽ कोई कनिया स्वीकार्य लेतौ तऽ सुन्दर देह आ सुन्दर देह रहय भऽ गेल। 

He would actually act like a leper because of his wife. Thus, because he had been told “if a girl accepts you…,” so he had become beautiful again.

ई गमलक जे कनी अही देहमे नाटको कऽ लय छी। ऐंह सुन्दर भेल बैठल राजा आ जत्ते ओइ बोनसँ ओकर भाई सब जे रेबारय अथी हरिन अबय से सब हरिन के कान काटि काटि कान काटि काटि एकटा झोरामे धेने जाय।

He thought, “What’s the harm in doing a little acting?” This beautiful, handsome king now would just sit in the forest. And when the king’s [his father-in-law’s] sons would go to hunt deer, he would just chop their ears off and keep accumulating those in a bag. 

आ एकटा चिक्कन हरिन से एकटा झोरामे कऽ मारि कऽ राखि लेलक राजा। 

And the king also killed a whole deer and put it in a bag.

एकरा सबकेँ लागि गेल पियास, राजा के बेटा सबके। कहलकय रौ चल तऽ कतौ देखियय पानि, गेल। देखलक तऽ राजा बैठल अछि खूब सुन्दर। नौकर चाकर ओइ जांग खटय यै। तऽ ऊ गेल कि नै तऽ कहलकय सरकार। 

The king’s sons became thirsty. They said to one another, “Hey, let’s go find water somewhere. They went. There they saw a very handsome king. Servants were all around there working. Upon arrival, they enquired, “My Lord?” 

कि चाही? आबऽ बैठऽ। कुर्सी सब लागल रहय बैसऽ के। 

“What is it you need? Come, sit here.” There were chairs all around for seating.

तऽ हम पानि पियब।  

“We would like some water to drink.”

कहलकय पानि पियब भोजन करबऽ तऽ भोजन करऽ। सबटा के भोजन करौलक आ सबके पानि पियौलक। आ सबके एकटा के बनला पान चारू भाई के खिऔलक। आ तब जै जे लगलय तऽ ओकरा पीठि पर, अखैन लोग कांवर लऽ कऽ जाय छलय आब दय छै या नै दय छै।

The king replied, “Drink if you want water, have lunch if you want to.” He offered them food and water, and also gave all four of them a readymade betel to chew. And as they were leaving, on their back… I don’t know if people, when they go on pilgrimage with a kaanwar¹ walking stick, whether they give it or not.  

कांवरिया स्थानमे जे रहय छलय ओइमेसँ घूमै छलय यै ऊ जनाना के दऽ दै छलय अइ पोखरा पर आ मर्द के दऽ दै छलय ई छाती पर मोहर, चेन्ह कांवरिया बाबा बला। कि केलक तऽ एकरा द्वारका छाप से धऽ देलक चारू भाई के पीठि पर।

…at a pilgrimage site, the people who walked over there, the ladies would have their upper back stamped, and the men would get it stamped on their chests. The seal of a Kaanwariya baba, a pilgrim. So what the king did was to put a kwarika² seal on the upper back of the four brothers.   

द्वारका छाप भेलय अहाँकेँ ओकरा कोई नै मिटा सकैत छै। अलग टाइपकेँ भेलय एकटा राज के चिन्ह भेलय। जेना द्वारका जीमे भगवान रहथिन कृष्ण तो कहय सोने रूपे भरल द्वारका के गोकुल के….हँ तँ ओ राज चिन्ह भेलय। राज चिन्ह भेलय। द्वारका छाप  दऽ देलकय पीठि पर। ओ सब चलि आयल। आयल इहो अप्पन से फेर ऊ सब समेट लेलक अथी आ कोढ़ियाकेँ रूप धऽ कऽ घोड़ा टूटलाही पर बैठि कऽ लटकाइत एलय।

A kwarika seal is one you cannot just wash off. It’s a different sort, like a royal seal, as was the case in the kingdom of Lord Krishna in Dwarka, where it is said, gold-filled Dwarka’s, Gokul’s… yes, yes, that’s a royal seal. A royal seal. The dwarika mark was stamped on their upper back. They all returned. He [the leper king] also came back, after assuming a leper’s form, sitting on and hanging onto the old, frail horse’s back.

यै भौजी, यै भौजी भैया सब एलय देखलकय हमर कोढ़ियाकेँ। 

“Hello sister-in-law, hello sister-in-law, everybody came after seeing my leper.”

मारि बारहैन, ई कि चलि अबय छै। खै ने अपने कर्म भागे छिछियैल एतौ, छिछियैहनी नै तन मारि झांटि बरहनी दऽ कऽ एकरा। फेर चलि गेल।  

They would say, “Hit her with the broom, why does she come all the time? Why does she not eat based on her own fate, why come here running, huh! This wandering lady, hit her with the broom, sweep her off!” Then she left.

देखलक ओइ पर टगैत घोड़ा ओ तँ बहाना केने रहै अप्पन अबैत। दौड़ कऽ गेल उतारलक ओइ परसँ। हमरो कोढ़िया गेल छलय शिकार लै। ओतऽ आइ माइ सब जेना ई चलि एलय ने तेना गै माय केना कऽ एलय शिकार खेल कऽ? 

She saw he was coming back, hanging from the horse’s back (the leper king now was actually acting in a leper’s role). She ran there and helped him down. “My leper also went hunting.” There she and the old ladies, the mothers were all thinking, “How did he manage to go hunting?” 

उतारलक झोरा तोरामे धेलक हरिन घर कऽ। आ ऊ कोढ़ियाकेँ घर कऽ ढूकौलक जे किछ बनौने रहै से अढ़मे खाय लै दऽ देलक। ओ कि खैत। ओ तँ खा कऽ टंच भेल। फेर ऊ चलि गेल खल्ला तल्ला पहिरनेही ओइमे ढूकि गेल माछी ताछी लटकैत।

She pulled down the bag and brought the deer inside. And she pulled the leper into the house, and gave him to eat in a bowl whatever she had cooked. What would he eat, after all? He was already full. Then he went inside the room, wearing the leather cover and all with flies and such around him.

कहलकय कि ई झोरा नेने जाउ। काँख तर कऽ लटकौने जाउ। एना कऽ दबने जाउ आ कहबय भौजी, भौजी कनी हमरो दियऽ मांस, हमरो दियऽ मांस। आ जे सब झांटत, झंटबे करय यै, कि करब अहाँ उझलि देबै अंगना में। आ कतबो हल्ला करत घूरि कऽ नै ताकब भागि आयब। 

He told her, “Take this bag under your arms and go. Put it here and tell her, “Hey sister-in-law, please also give me some meat, give me some meat.” And when they all shoo you away – they will surely do that – just throw everything from this bag out there in the house’s courtyard and return. No matter how much they shout, don’t turn around to look, and just run back home.”

ई गेल ओइ कान के नेने, यै भौजी, यै भौजी।

She went. “Hello sister-in-law, hello sister-in-law.”

फेर अबय छौ झांटि बरहनी दऽ कऽ ई कि छिछियैल अबय छै। जरलाही, अपने कर्म भागे खेती से नै दौड़ल अबय छथि। 

They said, “There she is coming again. Give me the broom. Why on earth is she coming here again? Burnt lady, can’t you just eat on your own, why come here?”

भौजी हमर कोढ़िया गेलय नै किछु भेलय कनी एक रत्ती दियऽ ने। कहलकय मांगि लबय लै। 

“Sister-in-law, my leper went there but didn’t get any; please give some. He has asked me to ask you for that.”

भाग ने भाग ने जो ने झांटि बरहनी दऽ कऽ। 

“Get out of hear, off with you! I will sweep you off from here.” 

ई कि केलक एना कऽ उझलि देलक अंगना में।

What she did was to throw everything out from that bag into the house courtyard.

ओइ झोरा के एना कऽ पकड़ि लेलक, उझलि देलक। सौंसे अंगना कान पट पट पट पट, सौंसे अंगना कान भरभराइत, ई भागि गेल, उड़ऽ लगलय।

She held that bag like this and threw everything out. Ears and ears all over the courtyard. She ran away, and ears went flying all over the place.

ओतऽसँ आयल। 

She returned from there. 

कहलकय कि देखियौ ने ई काने काटि… तऽ ओकर भाई सब कहय कि, रौ एते कान जे ई लौलकय यै से अपना सब तऽ आइ कनकट्टे खाली कनकट्टे हरिन के देखय छलियय यै। एकरा एते कान कतऽसँ एलय? केना एलय ई कान एकरा लगमे? भाई सब आश्चर्यमे मरय जे जते देखय छलियय बोनमे से कनकट्टे छलय। आ ई कान एकरा लग एते कतऽसँ एलय आ केना कऽ कान कटलकय ई हरिन के? भाई सब अपनामे चारु सोचए।

They said, “Hey, see, no. These ears cut off from…” Then the brothers said, “Hey, he has brought only so many ears. Do you remember that we were seeing only earless deer today? Where did he get so many ears from? How did he come by these ears?” The brothers were quite surprised, wondering which of the deer they had seen in the forest were earless. And this man had so many deer ears. How did he manage to cut the deers’ ears? They would be thinking among themselves.

रातिमे ऊ जे जाइत रहय ने लग्ही, पेशाब करऽ गेलय से कनी रहय उघार भऽ गेल ई एना कऽ एना कऽ नुआ साड़ी नै एना कऽ मोड़ा जाए छै किछु से एना रहय भऽ गेल से एड़ी रहय उघार से ई देख लेलकय लड़की जे एकर पएर तँ बड्ड सुन्दर छै। ई कि केलक जे एना कऽ चीर देलक। चीर देलक कि एहन ललका गोड़का पएर निकलल ओइमेसँ। ऐं एना कऽचीर देलक।  ऐं देखलक तँ ऊ राजकुमार। 

When he was going out at night to pee, his leg was a little exposed (like you know you hold a clutch of saree in your hands and your legs are a little bared when you prepare to go to the washroom), so this woman saw his heels, and said, “This man’s legs are so beautiful!” And she tore his cloth over there, like this. As she tore the cloth, these red and white legs became visible from there. She tore it like this and discovered that he was actually a prince.

कहलकय अहॉं जुल्म केलियय। 

She said, “You committed a grave mistake.” 

कनी दिन और हमरा झांपि कऽ राखू दस दिन। कहुना कऽ दस दिन राखू। हमरा बारह बरिस के श्राप छलै। हमरा मात्र दस दिन अछि। 

He said, “Just, please, keep me hidden for 10 days. Somehow keep me for 10 days. I had a curse of 12 years. Only 10 days are left.”

आब तऽ ऊ तृप्त भऽ गेल। कहलकय हम अहॉंकेँ वैह ओढ़ा पोढ़ा कऽ… गय भौजी, गय गय नै जीतै कोढ़िया गय। गय कनी किछु दवाई, दू टा रूपैया दऽ दै जाई जो गय।

Now she was overcome. She said, “I will keep you hidden in the same leather cover-cloth…” Then she began crying, “Hey, sister-in-law, sister-in-law, the leper won’t survive now. Please give me some medicine and a couple of rupees, kind ladies.” 

लोक सब जाय देखय लै जे आब कोढ़िया मरय है। इम्हर बंद केलक, उम्हर बंद केलक। ओकरासँ एते लार आनि कऽ ओइमे कोंचि दियै। ओम्हरसँ खर आनि कऽ ओम्हर धऽ दियै जे कोई देखै नै। ओकरा ओइमे कऽ झंपने तोपने गुदड़ी चथड़ी लऽ कऽ कहुना दस दिन बीत जाय। 

People went to see the leper dying. The woman would shut this side off, that side off. She would get some waste and cover him with that filling. She would bring some palm leaf from there and would cover him so that no one could see him. Covering him with things and torn clothes and all, somehow the ten days passed. 

आब लोक जाय देखियय कनी कोढ़ियाकेँ, हय गय नै देखय जाही गय, हवा लागि जेतय गय जो गय। मारि ओन्हर, ओन्हर किदैन कहाँ छिट छाटि देलक माछी लगैत। कहय गय जो गय। लोको जाय तऽ ठीके गय माछी भिनकय छै, घूरि जाय। 

Now, as people would come to get a look at the leper, she would say, “Hey, no, please, no. Don’t look at him. Air would get inside and impact him.” And she sprinkled stuff that would attract the flies. She would say, “Hey, go away, don’t come to meet him.” Even the people who visited there would see that flies are flying around, and they would go back. 

दस दिन जे पूरलय नै रातिमे ओहि पोखरि पर कोठा कोठामे बना लेलक। एहन ऊ राजा भऽ कऽ बैसल। लोक सब जे भिनसर जाय कि नै तँ ई कोठा कोठामे भऽ गेलय। राजा छलय, छै अइ जांग, बड्ड सुन्दर राजकुमारी, रानी। आब ऊ महलमे रानी भऽ गेल। ई कतऽ गेल कतऽ नै।

When the 10 days were over, within a night they got their palace ready there at the pond side. And like this, that was sitting there. In the morning when people went there, they would see this palace. He was a king, and a very beautiful princess, queen. Now she became a queen in that palace.  Where did that woman go, where indeed?

आब लोक सब कहय, राजा यौ अहॉंकेँ अथी पर जे छलियय दऽ आयल दाइजी के कोढ़ियासँ बियाह केलियय से कोढ़िया कतऽ दन चलि गेलय आ दाइजी ओ चलि गेलय। आ ओइ जांग बड़का कोठा छै। आ बड्ड अथी लागल छै। 

Now the people said, “Lord king, our sister who you had pushed out to be married to a leper, we don’t know where he has gone, and nor even our sister. And a palatial estate is there . And so many….”

राजा हाथी पर चढ़ि कऽ गेला देखय लै। ई के हमरा जमीनमे कोठा कोठामे बांधि लेलक? 

The king rode on the back of an elephant in order to see, “Who is this who would dare build such a large estate on my land?” 

हुनका आदर केलकैन आऊ, बैसौलकैन। बैसैलखिन, चारु बेटो गेलैन। तब सब गामक लोक सब गेलय। देखय एना कऽ तऽ कहय कि भैया रौ। ओकरा ओ कहय यैह खियेलकौ बोनमे। जंगलमे यैह खुएने रहौ यैह राजा। आ यैह रहौ अपना सबकेँ पीठी पर द्वारका छाप देने नै।

He was welcomed. “Please come,” and he was seated there. He sat; his four sons also went there. Then all the villagers also went there. They all looked at one another and said, “Elder brother, hey.” They told each other, “It was he himself who offered us food in the forest. This was the king who had offered us lunch. And this was the person who had our upper backs stamped with the Dwarika seal.” 

कहलखिन, हमरा पहचानलौं।

The king then said, “Do you recognise me?”

तऽ हँ, जी सरकार पहचानलौं। 

“Yes, lord. We recognise you. 

हिनका अहाँ सब कहने रहियय नै जे कोढ़ियासँ बियाह कऽ देबय। कोढ़ियासँ बियाह कऽ देलियय ने, यैह कोढ़िया छियय। 

“You all had told her, no, that you will have her married to a leper. So you married her to a leper. Here is the leper.”  

हिनकर अप्पन कर्म भाग जेहन छलैन तेहन हमर हिनके भागे हमर देह से आइ एहन भेल।

“Because of her fate only, I have gotten back this beautiful body of mine.”

आब अहाँ सब देखू अहॉंकेँ जे दाइजी छलीह है तिनकर हम बर भेलौं , बहनोई भेलौं। हुनकर दमाद भेलियय आ कतऽ हमर सरहोजिनी सब गेली से आबथि। हम कोढ़िया आइ प्रणाम करबैन सबकेँ। 

“Now you all see, I am the husband to your sister, I am your brother-in-law. I am his son-in-law. And where my sisters-in-law are, they should come here. I, the leper, will meet and greet all.”

राजा देखि कऽ तऽ… ठीके सब अपने कर्म भागे खाय छै। कोई अनकर कर्म भाग लऽ कऽ नै खाय छै।

The king was …, seeing all this… Really, everybody eats because of their own fate, nobody eats because of another’s fate.

 भऽ गेल खिस्सा।

The story is over.