Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India

THE FARMER AND THE MONEY-LENDER

Money-lender—Lîdû, a disreputable tradesman, a sharp practitioner.

Râm—Râma Chandra, now 'God' par excellence.

Conch—Sankh, the shell used in Hindu worship for blowing upon.

THE LORD OF DEATH

Lord of Death.—Maliku'l-maut is the Muhammadan form of the name, Kâl is the Hindu form. The belief is that every living being has attached to him a 'Lord of Death.' He is represented in the 'passion plays' so common at the Dasahra and other festivals by a hunchbacked dwarf, quite black, with scarlet lips, fastened to a 'keeper' by a black chain and twirling about a black wand. The idea is that until this chain is loosened or broken the life which he is to kill is safe. The notion is probably of Hindu origin. For a note on the subject see Indian Antiquary, vol. x. pp. 289, 290.

THE WRESTLERS

The Wrestlers.—The story seems to be common all over India. In the Indian Antiquary, vol. x. p. 230, it is suggested that it represents some aboriginal account of the creation.

Ten thousand pounds weight.—In the original 160 mans, which weigh over 13,000 lbs._

GWASHBRARI

Gwâshbrâri, etc.—The Westarwân range is the longest spur into the valley of Kashmîr. The remarkably clear tilt of the strata probably suggested this fanciful and poetical legend. All the mountains mentioned in the tale are prominent peaks in Kashmîr, and belong to what Cunningham (Ladâk, 1854, ch. iii.) calls the Pîr Panjâl and Mid-Himâlayan Range. Nangâ Parbat, 26,829 ft., is to the N.W.; Harâ Mukh, 16,905 ft., to the N.; Gwâshbrâri or Kolahoî, 17,839 ft., to the N.E. Westarwân is a long ridge running N.W. to S.E., between Khrû and Sotûr, right into the Kashmîr valley. Khru is not far from Srinagar, to the S.E.

Lay at Gwâshbrâri's feet, his head upon her heart.—As a matter of fact, Westarwân does not lay his head anywhere near Gwâshbrâri's feet, though he would appear to do so from Khrû, at which place the legend probably arose. An excellent account of the country between Khrû and Sesh Nâg, traversing most of that lying between Westarwân and Gwâshbrâri, by the late Colonel Cuppage, is to be found at pp. 206-221 of Ince's Kashmîr Handbook, 3rd ed., 1876.

THE BARBER'S CLEVER WIFE

Hornets' nest.—Properly speaking, bees. This species makes a so-called nest, i.e. a honey-comb hanging from the branch of a tree, usually a pîpal, over which the insects crawl and jostle each other in myriads in the open air. When roused, and any accident may do this, they become dangerous enemies, and will attack and sting to death any animal near. They form a real danger in the Central Indian jungles, and authentic cases in which they have killed horses and men, even Europeans, are numerous.

Fairy.—Parî, fairy, peri: the story indicates a very common notion.

THE JACKAL AND THE CROCODILE

Verses.—In the original they are—

Gâdar, ghar kyâ lâyâ?  Kyâ chîz kamâyâ?  Ki merâ khâtir pâyâ.Jackal, what hast thou brought home?What thing hast thou earned?That I may obtain my wants.

The story has a parallel in most Indian collections, and two in Uncle Remus, in the stories of 'The Rabbit and the Wolf' and of 'The Terrapin and the Rabbit.'

HOW RAJA RASÂLU WAS BORN

Raja Rasâlu—The chief legendary hero of the Panjâb, and probably a Scythian or non-Aryan king of great mark who fought both the Aryans to the east and the invading tribes (? Arabs) to the west. Popularly he is the son of the great Scythian hero Sâlivâhana, who established the Sâka or Scythian era in 78 A.D. Really he, however, probably lived much later, and his date should be looked for at any period between A.D. 300 and A.D. 900. He most probably represented the typical Indian kings known to the Arab historians as flourishing between 697 and 870 A.D. by the synonymous names Zentil, Zenbil, Zenbyl, Zambil, Zantil, Ranbal, Ratbyl, Reteil, Retpeil, Rantal, Ratpil, Ratteil, Ratbal, Ratbil, Ratsal, Rusal, Rasal, Rasil. These are all meant for the same word, having arisen from the uncertainty of the Arabic character and the ignorance of transcribers. The particular king meant is most likely the opponent of Hajjaj and Muhammad Qasim between 697 and 713 A.D. The whole subject is involved in the greatest obscurity, and in the Panjâb his story is almost hopelessly involved in pure folklore. It has often been discussed in learned journals. See Indian Antiquary, vol. xi. pp. 299 ff. 346-349, vol. xii. p. 303 ff., vol. xiii. p. 155 ff.; Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal for 1854, pp. 123-163, etc.; Elliot's History of India, vol. i. pp. 167, 168, vol. ii. pp. 178, 403-427.

Lonan—For a story of Lonân, see Indian Antiquary, vol. ix. p. 290.

Thrown into a deep well—Still shown on the road between Siâlkot and Kallowâl.

Gurû Gorakhnâth—The ordinary deux ex machinâ of modern folk-tales. He is now supposed to be the reliever of all troubles, and possessed of most miraculous powers, especially over snakes. In life he seems to have been the Brâhmanical opponent of the mediæval reformers of the fifteenth century A.D. By any computation Pûran Bhagat must have lived centuries before him.

Pûran Bhagat.—Is in story Râjâ Rasâlû's elder brother. There are numerous poems written about his story, which is essentially that of Potiphar's wife. The parallel between the tales of Raja Rasâlu and Pûran Bhagat and those of the Southern Aryan conqueror Vikramâditya and his (in legend) elder brother Bhatrihari, the saint and philosopher, is worthy of remark.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU WENT OUT INTO THE WORLD

Bhaunr' Irâqi.—The name of Rasâlu's horse; but the name probably should be Bhaunri Rakhi, kept in the underground cellar. 'Irâqi means Arabian.

Verses.—In the original these are—

Main âiâ thâ salâm nûn, tûn baithâ pîth maror!  Main nahîn terâ râj wandânundâ; main nûn nahîn râj te lor.I came to salute thee, and thou hast turned thy back on me!I have no wish to share thy kingdom! I have no desire for empire.Mahlân de vich baithîe, tûn ro ro na sunâ! Je tûn merî mâtâ hain, koî mat batlâ! Matte dendî hai mân tain nûn, putar: gin gin jholî ghat! Châre Khûntân tûn râj kare, par changâ rakhîn sat!O sitting in the palace, let me not hear thee weeping!If thou be my mother give me some advice!Thy mother doth advise thee, son: stow it carefully away in thywallet!Thou wilt reign in the Four Quarters, but keep thyself good andpure.

Verses.—In the original these are—

Thorâ thorâ, betâ, tûn disîn, aur bahotî disî dhûr:  Putr jinân de tur chale, aur mâwân chiknâ chûr.It is little I see of thee, my son, but I see much dust.The mother, whose son goes away on a journey, becomes as a powder(reduced to great misery).

HOW RAJA RASÂLU'S FRIENDS FORSOOK HIM

Verses.—Originals are—

Agge sowen lef nihâlîân, ajj sutâ suthrâ ghâs!  Sukh wasse yeh des, jâhan âeajj dî rât!Before thou didst sleep on quilts, to-day thou has slept on cleangrass!Mayest thou live happy in this land whither thou hast come thisnight!

Snake—Most probably represents a man of the 'Serpent Race' a Nâga, Taka, or Takshak.

Unspeakable horror—The undefined word âfat, horror, terror, was used throughout.

Verses—Originals are—

Sadâ na phûlan torîân, nafrâ: sadâ na Sâwan hoe:  Sadâ na joban thir rahe: sadâ na jive koe:  Sadâ na râjiân hâkimî: sâda na râjiân des:Sadâ na hove ghar apnâ, nafrâ, bhath piâ pardes.Tcrîs (a mustard plant) do not always flower, my servant: itis not always the rainy season (time of joy).Youth does not always last: no one lives for ever:Kings are not always rulers: kings have not always lands:They have not always homes, my servant: they fall into greattroubles in strange lands.

These verses of rustic philosophy are universal favourites, and have been thus rendered in the Calcutta Review, No. clvi. pp. 281, 282—

Youth will not always stay with us:We shall not always live:Rain doth not always fall for us:Nor flowers blossoms give.Great kings not always rulers are:They have not always lands:Nor have they always homes, but knowSharp grief at strangers' hands.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU KILLED THE GIANTS

Giants—Râkshasa, for which see previous notes.

Nîlâ city—Most probably Bâgh Nîlâb on the Indus to the south of Atak.

Verses—In the original these are—

Na ro, mata bholîe: na aswân dhalkâe: Tere bete ki 'îvaz main sir desân châe. Nîle-ghorewâlîd Râjâ, munh dhârî, sir pag, Woh jo dekhte âunde, jin khâiâ sârâ jag.Weep not, foolish mother, drop no tears:I will give my head for thy son.Gray-horsed Raja: bearded face and turban on head,He whom you see coming is he who has destroyed my life!

Verses—In original—

_Nasso, bhajo, bhâîo! Dekho koî gali! Tehrî agg dhonkaî, so sir te ân balî! Sûjhanhârî sûjh gae; hun laihndî charhdî jâe! Jithe sânûn sûkh mile, so jhatpat kare upâe!Fly, fly, brethren! look out for some road!Such a fire is burning that it will come and burn our heads!Our fate has come, we shall now be destroyed!Make some plan at once for our relief._

Gandgari Mountains—Gandgarh Hills, to the north of Atak; for a detailed account of this legend see Journal Asiatic Society of Bengal for 1854, p. 150 ff.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU BECAME A JOGI

Hodînagarî—A veritable will-o'-the-wisp in the ancient Panjâb geography: Hodînagarî, Udenagar, Udaynagar, is the name of innumerable ruins all over the northern Panjâb, from Siâlkot to Jalâlâbâd in Afghânistân beyond the Khaibar Pass. Here it is more than probably some place in the Rawâl Pindi or Hazârâ Districts along the Indus.

Rânî Sundrân—The daughter of Hari Chand.

Alakh—'In the Imperishable Name,' the cry of religious mendicants when begging.

Verses.—In original—

Jâe bûhe te kilkiâ: lîa nâm Khudâ:  Dûron chalke, Rânî Sundrân, terâ nâ:  Je, Rânî, tû sakhî hain, kharî faqîrân pâ:Coming to the threshold I called out: I took the name of God:Coming from afar, Rânî Sundrân, on account of thy name.If thou art generous, Rânî, the beggar will obtain alms.The Musalmân word Khudâ, God, here is noticeable, asRasâlû was personating a Hindu jôgi.

Verses.

Kab kî pâî mundran? Kab kâ hûâ faqîr? Kis ghatâ mânion? Kis kâ lâgâ tîr! Kete mâen mangiâ? Mere ghar kî mangî bhîkh? Kal kî pâî mundrân! Kal kâ hûâ faqîr! Na ghat, mâîân, mâniân: kal kâ lagâ tîr. Kuchh nahîn munh mangî: Kewal tere ghar ke bhîkh.When didst thou get thy earring? When wast thou made a faqîr?What is thy pretence? Whose arrow of love hath struck thee?From how many women hast thou begged? What alms dost thou beg from me?Yesterday I got my earring: yesterday I became a faqîr.I make no pretence, mother: yesterday the arrow struck me.I begged nothing: only from thy house do I beg.

Verses.—In original—

Tarqas jariâ tîr motîân; lâlân jarî kumân; Pinde bhasham lagâiâ: yeh mainân aur rang; Jis bhikhiâ kâ lâbhî hain tû wohî bhikhiâ mang. Tarqas jariâ merâ motîân: lâlân jarî kumân. Lâl na jânâ bechke, motî be-wattî. Motî apne phir lai; sânûn pakkâ tâm diwâ.Thy quiver is full of pearly arrows: thy bow is set with rubies:Thy body is covered with ashes: thy eyes and thy colour thus:Ask for the alms thou dost desire.My quiver is set with pearls: my bow is set with rubies.I know not how to sell pearls and rubies without loss.Take back thy pearls: give me some cooked food.

Verses.—In original—

Kahân tumhârî nagari? kahân tumhârâ thâon? Kis râjâ kâ betrâ jôgî? kyâ tumhârâ nâon? Siâlkot hamârî nagarî; wohî hamârâ thâon. Râjâ Sâlivâhan kâ main betrâ: Lonâ parî merâ mâon. Pinde bhasam lagâe, dekhan terî jâon. Tainûn dekhke chaliâ: Râjâ Rasâlu merâ nâon.Where is thy city? Where is thy home?What king's son art thou, jôgi? What is thy name?Sialkot is my city: that is my home.I am Râjâ Sâlivâhan's son: the fairy Lonâ is my mother.Ashes are on my body: (my desire was) to see thy abode.Having seen thee I go away: Râjâ Rasâlû is my name.

Sati.—The rite by which widows burn themselves with their husbands.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU JOURNEYED TO THE CITY OF KING SARKAP

Raja Sarkap.—Lit. King Beheader is a universal hero of fable, who has left many places behind him connected with his memory, but who he was has not yet been ascertained.

Verses.—In original—

Bâre andar piâ karanglâ, na is sâs, na pâs. Je Maullâ is nûn zindâ kare, do bâtân kare hamâre sâth. Laihndion charhî badalî, hâthân pâiâ zor: Kehe 'amal kamâio, je jhaldi nahîn ghor?The corpse has fallen under the hedge, no breath in him, nor any onenear.If God grant him life he may talk a little with me.The clouds rose in the west and the storm was very fierce;What hast thou done that the grave doth not hold thee?

Verses.—In original—

Asîn bhî kadîn duniyân te inhân the;Râjâ nal degrîân pagân banhde,Turde pabhân bhâr.Âunde tara, nachâunde tara,Hânke sawâr.Zara na mitthî jhaldî RâjâHun sau manân dâ bhâr.I, too, was once on the earth thus;Fastening my turban like a king,Walking erect.Coming proudly, taunting proudly,I drove off the horsemen.The grave does not hold me at all, Raja:Now I am a great sinner.

Chaupur, p. 256.—Chaupur is a game played by two players with 8 men each on a board in the shape of a cross, 4 men to each cross covered with squares. The moves of the men are decided by the throws of a long form of dice. The object of the game is to see which of the players can move all his men into the black centre square of the cross first. A detailed description of the game is given in The Legends of the Panjâb, vol. i. pp. 243, 245.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU SWUNG THE SEVENTY FAIR MAIDENS, DAUGHTERS OF THE KING

The daughters of Raja Sarkap.—The scene of this and the following legend is probably meant to be Kot Bithaur on the Indus near Atak.

Verses.—In original—

Nîle-ghorewâliâ Râjâ, niven neze âh!  Agge Râjâ Sarkap hai, sir laisî ulâh!  Bhâla châhen jo apnâ, tân pichhe hî mur jâh!  Dûron bîrâ chukiâ ithe pahutâ âh:  Sarkap dâ sir katke tote kassân châr.  Tainûn banâsân wohtrî, main bansân mihrâj!Grey-horsed Râjâ, come with lowered lance!Before thee is Râjâ Sarkap, he will take thy head!If thou seek thy own good, then turn thee back!I have come from afar under a vow of victory:I will cut off Sarkap's head and cut it into four pieces.I will make thee my little bride, and will become thy bridegroom!

Hundredweight—Man in the original, or a little over 80 lbs.

Verses—In original—

Ik jo aia Rajpût katdâ mâromâr, Paske lârhân kapiân sittîâ sîne bhâr. Dharîn dharin bheren bhanîân aur bhane ghariâl! Taîn nûn, Râjâ, marsî ate sânûn kharsî hâl.A prince has come and is making havoc;He cut the long strings and threw us out headlong.The drums placed are broken and broken are the gongs.He will kill thee, Raja, and take me with him!

Verses—In original—

Chhotî nagarî dâ waskîn, Rânî wadî karî pukâr.

  Jân main niklân bâhar, tân merî tan nachâve dhâl.  Fajre rotî tân khâsân, sir laisân utâr.Princess, thou hast brought a great complaint about a dweller in asmall city.When I come out his shield will dance for fear of my valour.In the morning I will eat my bread and cut off their heads.

HOW RAJA RASÂLU PLAYED CHAUPUR WITH RAJA SARKAP

Dhol Râjâ—It is not known why the rat was so called. The hero of a well-known popular love-tale bears the same name. Dhol or Dhaul (from Sanskrit dhavala, white) is in popular story the cow that supports the earth on its horns.

Verses—In original—

Sakhî samundar jamiân, Râjâ lîo rud gar thâe: Âo to charho merî pîth te, kot tudh kharân tarpâe. Urde pankhî main na desân, jo dauran lakh karor. Je tudh, Râjâ, pârâ khelsiâ, jeb hâth to pâe.O my beloved, I was born in the ocean, and the Râjâbought me with much gold.Come and jump on my back and I will take thee offwith thousands of bounds.Wings of birds shall not catch me, though they gothousands of miles.If thou wouldst gamble, Raja, keep thy hand on thy pocket.

Verses—In original—

Na ro, Râjiâ bholiâ; nâ main charsân ghâh,  Na main tursân râh.  Dahnâ dast uthâeke jeb de vich pâh!Weep not, foolish Râjâ, I shall not eat their grass,Nor shall I go away.Take thy right hand and put it in thy pocket!

Verses.—In original—

Dhal, we pâsâ dhalwin ithe basante lok! Sarân dharân han bâziân, jehrî Sarkap kare so ho! Dhal, we pâsâ dhalwen, ithe basanlâ lok! Sarân dharân te bâzian! Jehrî Allah kare so ho!O moulded pieces, favour me: a man is here!Heads and bodies are at stake! as Sarkap does so let it be.O moulded pieces, favour me: a man is here!Heads and bodies are at stake! as God does so let it be!

Verses.—In original—

Hor râje murghâbîân, tu râjâ shâhbâz!  Bandî bânân âe band khalâs kar! umar terî drâz.Other kings are wild-fowl, thou art a royal hawk!Unbind the chains of the chain-bound and live for ever!

Mûrtî Hills.—Near Râwal Pindî to the south-west.

Kokilân.—Means 'a darling': she was unfaithful and most dreadfully punished by being made to eat her lover's heart.

THE KING WHO WAS FRIED

The king who was fried.—The story is told of the hill temple (marhî) on the top of Pindî Point at the Murree (Marhî) Hill Sanitarium. Full details of the surroundings are given in the Calcutta Review, No. cl. p. 270 ff.

King Karan,.—This is for Karna, the half-brother of Pându, and a great hero in the Mahâbhârata legends. Usually he appears in the very different character of a typical tyrant, like Herod among Christians, and for the same reason, viz. the slaughter of innocents.

Hundredweight.—A man and a quarter in the original, or about 100 lbs.

Mânsarobar Lake.—The Mânasasarovara Lake (=Tsho-Mâphan) in the Kailâsa Range of the Himâlayas, for ages a centre of Indian fable. For descriptions see Cunningham's Ladâk, pp. 128-136.

Swan.—Hansa in the original: a fabulous bird that lives on pearls only. Swan translates it better than any other word.

King Bikramâjît.—The great Vikramâditya of Ujjayinî, popularly the founder of the present Sarhvat era in B.C. 57. Bikrû is a legitimately-formed diminutive of the name. Vikrâmaditya figures constantly in folklore as Bikram, Vikram, and Vichram, and also by a false analogy as Bik Râm and Vich Râm. He also goes by the name of Bîr Bikramâjît or Vîr Vikram, i.e. Vikramâditya, the warrior. In some tales, probably by the error of the translator, he then becomes two brothers, Vir and Vikram. See Postans' Cutch, p. 18 ff.

PRINCE HALF-A-SON

Half-a-son—Adhiâ in the original form; âdhâ, a half. The natives, however, give the tale the title of 'Sat Bachiân diân Mâwân,' i.e. the Mothers of Seven Sons.

THE MOTHER OF SEVEN SONS

Broken-down old bed.—This, with scratching the ground with the fore-finger, is a recognised form of expressing grief in the Panjâb. The object is to attract faqîrs to help the sufferer.

THE RUBY PRINCE

Prince Ruby.—La'ljî, Mr. Ruby, a common name: it can also mean 'beloved son' or 'cherished son.'

Snake-stone.—Mani the fabulous jewel in the cobra's hood, according to folklore all over India. See Panjâb Notes and Queries, vol. i. for 1883-84.