Bihula and Visahara / बिहुला-विशहरा

March 2, 2017: Session 7
Maithili Folklore Story 17_03_02_07

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.

ऊ चनुआ बनिया रहै। चनुआ बनिया के सात गो बेटा रहै। चनुआ बनिया के सात गो बेटा रहै। आ चनुआ बनिया बड्ड ऐंठल बड्ड गौरवाह रहै। देवता पित्तर के नै पूजा करऽ चाहे आ नै किछु करऽ चाहे।

He was Chanua Baniya. Chanua Baniya had seven sons. Chanua Baniya had seven sons. Chanua Baniya was highly egoistic, very stubborn. He wouldn’t want to worship the gods or departed souls from his family. And he didn’t want anything to do with that.

भगवती अथी जे रहथिन, विषहर जे रहथिन, से विषहर चनुआ बनिया के बहिन रहथिन। तऽ ऊ कहथिन जे हमरा पूजा दै लै। 

The Goddess that was there was Vishahar. She was the sister of Chanua Baniya. She asked him to offer a ceremony to worship her.

तऽ कहथिन हम तोरा पूजा नै देबौ। 

Chanua Baniya said, “No, I won’t offer a worship ceremony for you.”

तऽ कहय तोरा पूजा नै तू देबैं तऽ हम तोरा एकोटा बेटा के नै रहऽ देबौ।

She replied, “If you don’t offer a worship ceremony for me, I will not let any of your sons live.” 

तऽ ऊ नाग सब के बजा कऽ आ ऊ सबटा बेटा के डसने जाय नाग आ मरल जाय।

Then she called for the cobras. They bit all of his sons, and they died.

एकटा बाला लखिंनदर रहथिन। तऽ बाला लखिंनदर जे रहय, सातम बेटा, तेकर बियाह भेलय बिहुला रानीसँ।

There was a person named Bala Lakhinder. Bala Lakhinder, the seventh son, was married to Bihula Rani. 

तऽ ऊ चनुआ बनिया कि केलकय तऽ अहाँकेँ अजगर के धरैन देलकय आ धामैन के कोरो देलकय आ गहुमन के कथी कहय छै…. हरहरा के सखरा के बनन देलकय। गहुमन के ई केवाड़ी देलकय। मने एनाही कऽ कऽ जते साँप होइ यै सबटाकेँ साँपे के पलंग बनलय आ धरती छोड़ि कऽ ऊपर। 

Then what Chanua Baniya did was to get a python to act as the central beam for the thatched roof, a rat snake as the rafters of the thatched roof, and wolf snakes as the tie beams on sides. Kraits acted as the doors. In this manner, whatever snakes they found were provided as the parts to form a couch as well, above the ground on a stand-like structure.

आ कहलकय कि एलय दुरागमन कऽ कऽ आ चारु भाग पहरा पहरेदार दए यै कोहबर घरमे। 

He [Bala Lakhinder] came home with his wife, and the watchmen kept vigil on all four sides of the kohbar¹ marriage chamber room.

ऊ कोहबर घर जे बनलय, अथी एक केश भरि, एक केश  बराबर भरि से ओइमे छेद रहि गेलय। ईहै ने कहने रहय जे कतौ नै रहय लै लेकिन एक केश बराबर ओ रहि गेलय।

A hole, only as big as a hair, remained somehow in that wedding chamber that had been constructed. It had been decided precisely that no gaps should exist, but somehow a gap of a hair’s breadth remained.

ओ जब देखलकय, एलय कनियाँ कोहबर घरमे गेलय, तऽ ऊ विषहर गेलखिन आ कहलखिन उजरि ढीह पर गेलखिन सूर्या नाग लग।  

When she [Vishahar] saw that the bride had entered the wedding chamber, she went to meet with the Surya Cobra at its white home base. 

सूर्या नाग रहय तकरा लग कनैत जे तू चलऽ से देखक चनुआ के पुतोहू एलय है आ ओ हमरा नै दैय या पूजा से बेटा के तू चलऽ डसय लै। 

She went there crying, “Hello, please come along. Chanua’s daughter-in-law has arrived, and he is not offering to worship me. So please come back with me and bite his son.”

सूर्या नाग कहलकय हमर तऽ दोस्त अछि बाला लखिंनदर केना डसबय हम आ बियाह को को एलय हऽ, नै हम श्राप दऽ देबय चलऽ। 

Surya Cobra said, “How can I bite him? Bala Lakhinder is my friend, and he has returned after getting married. So, let’s go; I will just curse him.”

ओतऽसँ नेने अबैत रहै। खोंइछामे कऽ उठा लेलक। विषहर खोंइछामे कऽ उठा लेलक। अबैत अबैत अबैत अबैत जे ई आयल ने तऽ ऊ कि केलकय जे खोंइछामे सँ छछरि कऽ एकटा धूरा माटि रहय तइमे घुसि गेल।

She was bringing him along. She had scooped him up in a sacred cloth. Vishahar scooped him up in a sacred cloth.  While she was on her way, Surya Cobra slipped from the cloth and snuck inside a mound of dirt.

फेर ओइमेसँ हथोड़ि पथोड़ि कऽ विषहर निकालि लेलक।

Again, Vishahar took him out to dig and search.

गेल जऽ ओतऽ तऽ कहलक, जे कहाँ छै कतौ छेद? केनी दऽ कऽ जेबय हम भीतर? तऽ ओकरा बालू लऽ कऽ देह के रगड़ैत रगड़ैत रगड़ैत रगड़ैत केश सनक बनौलक। 

When they arrived there, he asked, “Where is there a hole? Which way can I sneak inside?” Then she took some sand and rubbed him with it a lot to make him thin like a strand of hair.

फेर ओइ बालू म हेरा गेलय सूर्या नाग। ओकरा मोन नै रहय डसय के फेर ऊ हेरा गेल। फेर विषहर ओकरा छानि कऽ ताकि कऽ लेलक खोंइछामे अप्पन गेल। ओइ जंग दऽ कऽ, ओइ दऽ कऽ पैसा कऽ भीतर

कऽ देलक।

Then, Surya Cobra buried himself there in the sand. He was actually not in a mood to bite him, so he hid himself again. Again Vishahar filtered the sand, searched for him and took him in the cloth. And in this manner she enabled him to sneak inside. 

गेल, देखलक पलंग पर दुनू प्राणी सुतल नींदसँ। कहलकय ओहो दोस्त के केना कऽ डसबय।  दुनू प्राणी सुतल छै। 

He went and saw that both of them were fast asleep on the bed. He said, “How can I bite my friend!” Both were sleeping.  

आ बियाह जे होइ छलय यै तऽ लोककेँ केश रहय छै खुजले। आब अहाँ सबमे जे होइत यै, हमरा सबमे केश रहय छै खुजले।

(During the time of the wedding, the hair of a bride does not get tied to form a knot, it remains loose. What’s it like in your custom? But in our case the hair remains loose.)

केश खुजले रहय से ओ केश रहय नीचा लटकि गेल। बिहुला के केश नीचा लटकि गेल। पलंग परसँ नीचा लटकि गेल। 

Her hair was loose, so it was hanging down from the bed. Bihula’s hair was hanging down from the bed.

ओ ओइ केश पर दऽ कऽ ऊ कहलकय हम केना जेबय पलंग पर तऽ विषहर कहलकय हौऐ केश छै लटकल ओइ पर दऽ कऽ जाइ लै। पलंग पर गेल तऽ पलंग पर बैठलय सूर्या नाग गोरथाड़िमे।

By the hair… He queried, “How should I get to the bed?” Vishahar said, “There you see the way her hair is hanging down, go that way.” Then Surya Cobra went up on the bed and sat there at their feet.

कहलकय हे भगवान हम तऽ जबरदस्ती… हमर तऽ कोनो अपराध नै केने छथि, से हम गोरथाड़िमे आबि कऽ बैठय छी, हमरा जे दोष किछु करत अपराध तखने जा कऽ हम कटबय नै तऽ नै कटबौ।

He said, “Oh God, I am forcibly… He has not committed any crime against me, and I am sitting at their feet. Only if he commits some crime can I bite him; otherwise I won’t do it.” 

कि केलकय तऽ दुनू प्राणी सुतल रहय ई विषहर कि केलखिन तऽ मच्छर बना कऽ मच्छर के भेज देलखिन पएरमे कटय लै। मच्छर जे कटलकय तऽ एना एना पएर फेखलकय। एक बेर लगलय, दू बेर लगलय। ओ छिप ले मूड़ी।

Then, as both of them were sleeping, Vishahar turned Surya Cobra into a mosquito and sent him to bite him in the leg. When the mosquito bit, he kicked his leg a bit. Struck at him once, struck at him twice. He would move his head away so as not to get kicked. 

सूर्या नाग के नै मोन रहय डसऽ के, नै डसऽ के मोन रहय। कहय जे हमरा दोस्त लतियबय यै सरकार हम माफ कऽ देब भगवान के कहय। बादमे जा के कि नै एक बेर नोचि लेलकय एना कऽ। नोचि लेलकय तऽ ऊ बाला लखिंनदर खत्म भऽ गेल।

Surya Cobra was in no mood to bite, had no inclination to bite. He said to God, “Lord, my friend is kicking me with his legs, please forgive him.” After some time, he went and bit him once. When he bit him, Bala Lakhinder died. 

भिनसरमे जे उठेलकय बिहुला रानी आ सब कोई एलय नौकर चाकर तऽ कोई नै देखलकय कोई कतौ गेलय से आ ओइमे मरि गेल। 

In the morning, when Bihula Rani tried to wake him up, and the servants and others came, then no one saw where he [Surya Cobra] went to, and meanwhile he [Bala Lakhinder] had died.

तऽ चनुआ बनिया एलय। अर्थी तर्थी बनौलक एकरा दाह संस्कार करबय। बिहुला कहलकय हम नै दाहबय, जब हम सती छी आ हमरा भगवान सोहाग छीन लेलक हम किछु नै केलियय तऽ हम हिनका छोड़बय नै। 

Then, Chanua Baniya arrived. He constructed the pyre and such for the funeral. Bihula said, “I won’t proceed with the funeral. I am a married woman, and God snatched my husband. I haven’t done anything wrong, so I will not leave him.”

ससुर संगहि लड़ि गेल। कहलकय अहाँ पूजा दियौ। आ नै देबय पूजा तऽ ई हमरा ई विधवा कऽ…

She fought with her father-in-law. She beseeched him, “Please offer a worship ceremony. If you don’t offer a worship ceremony, I will become a widow….”

कहलकय नै हम पूजा तऽ नै देबौ। 

He said, “No, I won’t offer a worship ceremony.” 

ओकरा कि केलक तऽ लऽ कऽ बुलऽ लागल बिहुला। बादमे जा कऽ ऊ देह सड़ि गलि गेलय। सड़ि गलि गेलय तऽ मोटरी बाँधि लेलक। महक लगय, तऽ महक लगय तऽ एकटा नदीमे जा कऽ सबटा अंग के धो लेलक आ धो कऽ फेर मोटरी बाँधि लेलक। एकटा पार्ट ओइमे पानिमे रहि गेलय खसि पड़लय।

Bihula, then, started roaming around with the husband’s body. Afterward, the body rotted. Once it had rotted, she put it in a bale of hay, but it started to smell foul, so then she went to a river and washed all the organs of the body and again packed it into the bale. But one part got left in the river; it had fallen in there. 

मोटरी बाँधि कऽ जाइत जाइत ई गेल तब भेटलखिन भगवान। कहलखिन गे बिहुला ई हड्डी गुड्डी के मोटरी कियेक बंधने फिरय छैं।

As she kept wandering around with the bale, she came upon God. God asked, “Hey, Bihula, why are you wandering around with this bale full of bones and muscles?”

कहलकय मोटरी अहि लै बंधने फिरय छी जे सती के सौत नै छै तऽ दुनियामे सती कियेक रहतय। हमरा विधवा बना कऽ धऽ देलक आ ई नाग के एते टा के अथी छै… हमर ससुरो के दोख छै अइमे जे विषहर के पूजा नै दै छै से हमरा जे अहिअब बना देत हमर जे ई बर तऽ हम देबै पूजा आ ओइ ससुरसँ दियेबय, देतै नै। 

She said, “Why I am wandering with this bale is because if there is no wifely devotion and chastity left; how can such a woman live in this world? This cobra has so much awe that he has left me a widow… My father-in-law is also to be blamed for this, as he is not offering a worship ceremony. If I get my husband back, I will offer a worship ceremony and will make my father-in-law offer one, as well; he will do so.”

तकर बाद से भगवान कहलखिन कि से, एकटा बबाजी के रूपमे रहथिन। कहलखिन कि से, गे बच्ची राख, रखलकय। 

Afterward, God, who had taken the form of a holy man, replied, “Hey! Bring some ash. Put the ash there.”

कहलकय राख जे रहय राख, मने कोनो धूप आरती दय छी ने तेकर छाउर जे गिरय छै, से जमा कऽ कऽ से ओकर सानि कऽ आ कमण्डलमे जल रहय ओइ लऽ कऽ सानि कऽ आकार बनेलकय। 

He asked for the ash (the ash of incense sticks) to be gathered and mixed with the water from the auspicious jug that holy men keep, and he shaped a form from that mixture. 

आ कहलकय सबटामे सब हड्डी दही। सबटा हड्डी देलकय ओ तऽ कहलकय कि जे आब एकटा घटि गेलय। तऽ फेर गेलय ओतऽसँ ताकि कऽ लौलकय हसोइत कऽ, देलकय।

And he said, “Put all the bones into that form.” She put all the bones in it. Then he said, “Now, one is missing.” So, she again went back to the river and retrieved it. Then, she added it.”

सबटा जे दैल भऽ गेलय ओइमे…फेर बाला लखिंनदर जीब गेल। 

When all of that was added, Bala Lakhinder came back to life. 

ओतऽसँ एलय बिहुला आ ससुर के पकड़ि के कहलकय, तऽ ऊ चनुआ बनिया हारि कऽ बमा हाथे कहलकय मोरक पूजा देब बमा हाथे एते लावा एते दूध से कूड़क खेतमे कऽ कहलकय ओकरा हम पूजा देतय।

Bihula came from there and took hold of him, her father-in-law. Then, Chanua Baniya, with a heavy heart, said, “I will offer a ‘special painted paper cover’² for worship with my left hand.” Using his left hand, he offered this much paddy slag and this much milk in a plowed field.” 

ओ जबरदस्ती दियौलकय तऽ कूड़क खेतमे (जोतल खेत) से दूध लावा लऽ कऽ पूजा बमा हाथे दऽ एलय। 

Because she forcibly made him do the offering, she went to a plowed field and offered the paddy slag and milk before returning.

कूड़क खेत भेलय जोतल खेत। जोतल खेत के कूड़क खेत कहय छै। जोतल खेतमे कऽ दऽ एलय हँ कूड़क खेतमे पूजा देलकय आ बाला लखिंनदर जीब गेलखिन।

(“Kudak field” actually means a plowed field. A plowed field is also called a kudak field.) So, he made the offering in a plowed field, and Bala Lakhinder came back to life.