The Folk-literature of Bengal: (being Lectures Delivered to the Calcutta University in 1917, as Ramtanu Lahiri Research Fellow in the History of Bengali Language and Literature.)

Table of contents :
Front Cover
Title Page (Page iii)
Table of Contents (Page xxi)
Section 1 (Page 1)
Section 2 (Page 14)
Section 3 (Page 25)
Section 4 (Page 31)
Section 5 (Page 51)
Section 6 (Page 58)
Section 7 (Page 64)
Section 8 (Page 135)
Section 9 (Page 153)
Section 10 (Page 165)
Section 11 (Page 223)
Section 12 (Page 225)
Section 13 (Page 232)
Section 14 (Page 247)
Section 15 (Page 329)
Section 16 (Page 338)
Section 17 (Page 344)
Index (Page 345)

Citation preview

THE

FOLK-LITERATURE OF BENGAL

THE

Folk-Literature of Bengal (Being Lectures delivered to the Calcutta University in 1917, as Ramtanu Lahiri Research FelIow in the History of Bengali Language and Literature.)

By

Rai Saheb Dineshchandra

Sen, B.A.

Fellow, Calcutta University and Author of “History of Bengali Language and Literature,” “Typical Selections from Old Bengali Language and Literature,” “Chaitanya and his Companions,” “History of Mediaeval Vaisnava Literature,” “Banga Bhasa-o Sahitya,” and other works.

With

a Foreword by

W. R. Gourlay, Esq., M.A., C.I.E., I.C.S.

Published by the

UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA 1920

Pk |

76

)

,545.

PRINTED

CALcutta

BY ATULCHANDRA

UNIVERsity

PREss,

BHATTACHARYYA SENATE

AT THE

Housk, CALcuTTA,

To

THE HON’BLE SIR ASUTOSH MOOKERJEE, Kt., C.S.I., M.A., D.L., D.Sc., Ph.D. these

pages

are

dedicated

as an humble token of the Author's deep sense of gratitude

for the epoch-making

step he has taken

by initiating and organising the new department Indian Vernaculars

of

in our University,

a movement that is fraught with vast possibilities

for the development of Indian National Life, based on a clear consciousness of

India's distinctive greatness and homogeneous

cultural progress.

FOREWORD There

are

few people

who have not been

to the command, “Tell me a story,” and those who, on such occasions, find pleasure subjected

in

trying

brains

to

to find

children happy, rack their something new to tell. They

make

their story should contain nothing but thoughts full of good-will and encourage ment to follow good examples. In the telling desire

that

of the story it is natural to picture the details of the scene according to the story-teller's own experience.

Such is the incentive the folk-tale is born.

from which

To those of us who come from the West, it comes as a pleasing surprise to find in the folk tales of India scenes and incidents which are familiar to us from our early reading of Grimm's Fairy Tales and Hans Anderson's Fairy Tales. This similarity early attracted the attention of scholars and there have been controversies as to the original sources of tales common to East and

Sir William Jones and the early Sanskrit scholars who worked with him, found two collec

West

:

tions of these tales so complete

as

further doubt that the origin was, surmised, in the East.

to leave as

This discovery

had

no

been

made

it

viii

FOREWORD

clear that those tales, with which we are all so familiar, had their origin not later than the early days of the Christian era; and there were many who saw in the incidents and the teaching of the tales the influence of the

life and

teaching

of the Lord Buddha and his disciples. For long it was supposed, therefore, that the tales had had their origin in the ancient kingdom of Magadha and that they might have been composed by the followers of the Lord Buddha himself. More

recently, however, the Jataka collection of the Buddhist stories was discovered and amongst the carvings on the railings round the Bharhut stupa-scenes from these stories were recognised. As the carving dates from 250 to 200 B.C., the origin of the tales is now believed to be not later than the time when Buddha lived about the 5th century,

B.C., and

it is recognised

that

the

prove

which seemed to a Buddhist really alterations made to suit the Buddhist doctrine. It is not likely that materials light will come to to enable us to trace the

features

origin

are

origin still further back, but who can say when these tales were first conceived P The attempts to trace the source of the tales have brought to light hidden knowledge. The history of the Indian people in these ancient known, but the tales are a mirror of the customs and the thoughts of days is but

imperfectly

the people and, as such, are of far greater

value

ix

FOREWORD

and the names of a few dry individuals—the bones of history. It needs but a glance at the pictures of the Bharhut carvings in the book of Jataka stories edited by Francis and Thomas to enable us to picture to us than the dates

life of the people in those times—and from these little earvings, we can create a mental picture of the incidents in the other tales; and the

the picture is so very like the scenes we see every day. Human nature changes little, and the

primitive

emotions faces now as they were has been

village

little change

are

depicted

on men's

then.

In India there

in the

environment of

of years and often little change in the fashion of the simple dress of the villager. In the West, on the other life for

thousands

hand, the environment of to-day is so different from that of ages gone by that our pictures of appearance folk tales have often grotesque

almost entirely absent in India. The monkey, the elephant, the fighting ram of the Bharhut carvings have in no way changed, and their environment is the same.

In

Mr. Dineshchandra Sen interesting gives us an account of the history of some of these fables and he puts forward a fascinating suggestion that possibly the tales of the Middle Kingdom were carried by means of these

lectures,

the ships which sailed from the coasts of Bengal to the ports of the Persian

Gulf and that thus

x

FOREWORD

they travelled, with those who transported the merchandise, to far away ports of Europe—long before any translations of the Panchatantra or Hitopadesa or translations like our fables of

Pilpai were known.

In

the following

lectures,

our attention is Bengal, particular to and the examples directed in given afford a delightful picture of village life read in the first in that Province. When

I

lecture the author's enthusiastic appreciation of Bengal folk tales, the thought crossed my mind that possibly the Rai Sahib's patriotism had had read the affected his judgment: but after

I

translation of the beautiful story of Malancha mala, went back to the first lecture and knew that what he said was true.

I

I

Everyone who reads this Bengali folk-tale will endorse what he says. It is a tale of which a nation might well be proud : it has all the attributes of a beautiful lyric : it contains a con ception of purity and love which evince a high The rural scenes are full state of civilization. of the joy of life. One cannot but feel the fresh air of the morning when the King rides the

mango

grove

:

one

shudders

out

to

at the scene

round the funeral pyre : the forest is gloomy in the darkness but fresh and smiling in the sun Nothing could be more simple or charm shine. ing than the account of the life in the

cottage

xi

FOREWORD

of the flower woman: I have never read any thing which lead me to such an understanding of the sublimity of the conception of the ideal Hindu wife, as I have obtained from the reading of the story of Malanchamala. The interest never flags.

No one who begins

rest till he has reached too is sublime.

the end.

story can The teaching

the

I hope

Rai Sahib Dineshchandra Sen will be able to do a further service to literature by making a collection of Bengali folk tales. Such a collection would help the people of the West to

get

nearer

to the people of Bengal.

There

Good will is often present, are so many barriers. supported by knowledge. but good will must be

It

is easy to obtain some knowledge by studying the history and the literature of the country and by reading novels such as those of Bankim Chandra, but here is a door that has been little more than pushed ajar by Lalbihari De, and from

the

evidence

we have in these lectures,

feel sure the author could open it

for

us.

I

Our

is spent under very different conditions of environment. When we read tales such as Malanchamala it brings us much nearer to childhood

understanding, and if we could only learn to childhood, there would know each other's less anxiety later on, be

regarding our understanding

xii

FOREWORD

I am

grateful to the author for having asked

I

hope it may write this introduction. have the effect of bringing the lectures to the notice of some who might not otherwise have been led to a knowledge of the Folk Tales of me to

Bengal.

W. R. GOURLAY. The 18th

January, 1920.

PREFACE My first course of lectures as Ramtanu Lahiri Research Fellow of the Calcutta University in the history of Bengali Language and Literature, delivered in 1914, was published under the title of Chaitanya and his Companions in 1917. present volume contains my

delivered delivered course,

in six of

I

From 1914 to 1919, courses of such lectures; each 1917.

complete

of the size

The Fellowship lectures

in 12 lectures, forms a volume this book. As most of these

lectures have not yet been published and as there is no certainty about the time of their publication, owe it to the public to refresh

I

their memory about what they heard long ago, by mentioning the subjects treated in them. v. 1.

Chaitanya and his Companions,

delivered

in 1914. The second course of my lectures deli vered in 1915 treats of the following subjects : 2.

(a) Glimpses of Bengal Bengali Literature. (b)

Songs

and

History

Ballads of

the

from old Buddhistic

period.

(c) Chandidasa. (d) Desertion of Nadia by Chaitanya. (e) Humour in old Bengali poetry.

PREFACE

xiv. 3.

The Bengali

Rāmāyanas.

I

delivered in 1916, some of the legends and

tures,

In

these

lec

tried to prove that stories about Rāma, Rāvana, and Hanumāna, now found incorporated in the various versions of the Bengali Rāmāyanas by different authors, are of a prehistoric origin, probably dent

that

anterior these

to Vālmīki's

Bengali

It

epic.

authors

is

did

evi not

follow too closely the foot-steps of Vālmīki, but introduced indigenous elements in them not contained in the Sanskrit epic. 4. The Folk Literature of Bengal—delivered in 1917.

The forces that developed literature—delivered in 1918. 5.

our

early

Chaitanya and his Age—1919. have to offer a word of explanation for publication the of my fourth course of lectures 6.

I

delivered

in 1917 before

the preceding

courses

of such lectures, delivered in 1915 and in 1916 respectively, have seen the light. An active research is going on in the field of old Bengali Literature and new materials are being made available to us every year. The history of our language and literature no longer presents a fossilized form, but by the powerful impetus given to it by Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, it is fast invading “fresh fields and pastures new” and changing shapes. Some portions of my previous lectures have

had

to be revised

and

PREFACE

XV

re-written in the light of the latest

discoveries.

Hence those lectures that are found ready at the moment are made over to the press while others have to be held up. In the present treatise time brought to the notice

I

for

have

the

first

of scholars consider Bengali folk-tales chiefly

materials about those current amongst the Mahomedans of the lower Gangetic valley. It has been a surprise to us to find that stories of Rüpamālā, Kānchan mälä, Madhumālā, Pushpamālā, etc., are not only

able

heritage

but also of their Moslem cousins who have been listening to these nursery and fairy tales, recited to them by their grand-mothers, from a very remote the

of

Hindu

children

I

historical period which have tried to prove to be much anterior to the Islamic conquest. The Hindu and Buddhistic converts who gave up their faith in the older religions did not forego their attachment to these folk-tales in which legends of Buddhist and times closely intermixed. mantras

used

Hindu gods are some The incantation and

by Moslem Fakirs and physicians

for curing diseases and the hymns of the

harvest-goddess—recited

Lakshmi–

by

Mahomedan mendicants—are full

a class of of references to

gods of the Hindu and Buddhistic pantheons, and

I

have

tried

to

trace

the

continuity

of this amongst

folklore and folk-wisdom current Mahomedans, from a remote time when they had

xvi

PREFACE

not yet accepted or Hindus. These

Islam but had been Buddhists

lectures

Bengal are by

on

Folk Literature

the

of

exhaustive. I have poetry and boatmen's

no means

not touched the pastoral

air of rural Bengal is still resonant—not her cities and towns, but her backward villages, still lovely with the dark blue foliage of mango-groves and rich in her songs with which the whole

summer bloom, where

alistic civilization the charm pastoral

of

poetry

perspective

the fierce rays of

materi

have not yet entered to dispel

rural

poetry.

open

These songs and showing the vista

a of ages long gone by.

If

I

I find an

opportunity will deal with this fascinating subject in a future course of lectures. A further enquiry on the lines of these lec tures made by

me has brought

to

light several

very important facts in regard to the Bengali folk tales. There is a mere hint in this work that some of our old folk stories are interspersed with bits of poetical lines rendered into prose, which have been evidently current amongst our woman-folk from a remote antiquity. have

I

proved

in another course

some of

with

the

these together and

of my lectures that

old stories are so fully cleverly poetical bits,

replete

strung

put in the midst of a prose style, that the work of the goddess of Parnessus lies, as it were, hidden from our view, until the

xvii

PREFACE

scrutinising eye of a scholar detects them. The language of these half-verses is generally very ancient and reminds one of the discovery made by Dr. E. W. Hopkins of the existence of Vedic hymnology in the great epic of the Mahābhārata.

I

of joy that inspires me in my research work at the present moment. Hitherto I had felt myself alone in the task of writing the annals of the Bengali language and literature, though

I

can

do not

scarcely

imply

suppress

a feeling

by this any lack of

regard

for the work of some of my colleagues in the field who have in the midst of their multi farious and scholarly tasks, made important contributions to it from time to time. But a

whole-hearted

devotion

to this

cause

was

wanting in the young generation of Bengalees, and to-day this longfelt want seems to be removed by the daily growing number of those who are wishing to take up Bengali as a subject for the M.A. Examination and by the by these earnest students the cause of their hitherto neglected literature.

enthusiasm

in

displayed

They appear to me to be the heralds of a new will, let us confidently hope, ere long dawn on us. In the march towards this goal age, that

our confidence is accentuated by the fact that the man at the helm has a never-failing steady foresight and sees the vision of our future glory,

as

no

one else

in the country

has the

xviii

PREFACE

power

to

The boat is launched

see.

pilot will steer it on to the shore

and the

of the

ideal

land, let us hope.

I take

this opportunity to thank Mr. W. R. Gourlay, M.A., C.I.E., I.C.S., Private Secretary to H. E. the Governor of Bengal, for writing the Foreword. Mr. Gourlay has been in Bengal for more than diligent student people.

our

meeting

20 years and is

well known as a

of the life and civilisation of

In

his

address

of the Indian

section

delivered

of

the

at a Royal

Society of Arts held in London on the 6th of March, 1919, he indicated the various stages of our national history and suggested a practical scheme of an up-to-date

comprehensive

history

of Bengal with a scholarship and breadth of outlook that evoked the admiration of such eminent men as Sir S. Bayley, Mr. C. E. Buck land, Mr. Skrine and Lord Carmichael. The appreciation of the story of Mālafichamālā as contained in his Foreword, though he had at first hesitated to accept my views expressed in pp. 44-47 will give to the reader a glimpse of the characteristic sympathy and genuine goodness of the heart

with

which he has always tried to

India and her people. have to thank Dr. G. Howells, Dr. H. Stephen and Dr. H. C. Mookerjee for revising understand

I

some of

the proofs

Ghatak,

Superintendent

of

this book. of

the

Mr. A. C. University

xix

PREFACE Press,

has

also

helped

me

in such matters—

but I am sorry to say that there are still many printing mistakes in the book. This

I

inevitable because am not a good proof-reader myself and I could not make satisfactory arrangement for getting this very tiresome work done from the beginning to has

been

the end.

BEHALA, NEAR CALCUITA

;

The 21st January, 1920.

DINESH CHANDRA SEN.

C on

ten t S

I

CHAPTER

The striking coincidences between some of the Bengali and European folk-tales, pp. 1-51. The early origin of folk-tales and the moral lessons they convey, pp. 1-3; the Greek legends Europe indebted to pp. 2-3 ; as folk-tales,

India

for

its

medieval

literature

fairy

of

3-5; how did the unwritten

tales and fables, pp. folk-tales of Bengal

travel to Europe, pp. 5-7: the of faithful John and of Fakir Chand, pp. 8-14; it holds up the Hindu idea story

of Sakhya and seems to be a Bengali tale, p. 14; Queen Mainamati's pursuit of the Goda Yama, p. 15; Caridwen's pursuit of Gwin Bach, p. 15; the sons of Tuirenn pursued by the princess

of Hesperides, p. 16; Bhasma Lochana, the Indian Balor, p. 17, Grivatsa and Chintā, pp. 17-18; the story of Chandrahāsa and that of “the giant with three hairs,” pp. 20-22;

p. of

pp. 28-29;

“The Rose-bud" and other stories

giving accounts

of

birds,

28; sorcery among women,

prophecies

of

p.

its

the story of “ Hans in trading fox, p. 15; the luck” and that of the eater, heart of a bird that yielded diamonds to 24; the story the sluggards, pp. 25-27;

sleeping

cities,

pp.

29-30;

xxii

CONTENTS

Rumpel-stilts Kin and “Tipai the ghost,” pp. 31-35; the stories of Sukhu-Dukhu and Mother Holle, pp. 35-39; Tom thumb and “Der-àngule,” p. 40; Jack the giant killer and the wreslter 22 men strong, pp. 40

: Eastern India gives her world, 43-45, the Gita-kathis folk-tales to the p. 41-47; Magadha and Gaur, the seats of some of

the early Indian folk-tales, p. 1S ; Bengal in the early European folk-legends, p. 49; the special features of the Arabic contrasted

folk-tales

and Persian

with those of Indian, p.

CHAPTER

as

51.

II

Internal evidences in the early Bengali folk tales proving their origin before the Hindu Tenaissance, pp. 52-S0. Storytelling —a time-honoured profession of a class of Indians specially of women, pp. 52-54; the early folk-tales are different from Pauranic stories, pp. 51-56; 12 Vedās and 8 Purānas, p. 56; the Pauriinic metaphors, pp. 56-58; the folk-tales give no catalogue of ornaments, nor any stereo typed accounts of beautiful women, pp. 58-59;

notions about gods, p. 60; the Brahmin no im portant figure in the folk-tales, p. 61; the prohibition of sea-voyage, p. 62; the position of merchants in p.

society

before

the

Tenaissance,

63; merchants lose their high position, p. 64;

the

ships,

their picturesque construction and

xxiii

CoNTENTs

65;

of characters in folk-tales indicate the marchantile rather than ideal, pp. 66-69; grandeur and Brahminic wealth, p. 69 ; none but the brave deserves the fair, p. 70; articles of luxury and of daily use, names,

p.

the

names

pp. 71-72; natal room, p. 73; on the eve of a sea-voyage, p. 74; the merchants cease to be honest, p.

p. 76;

75; the position of a barber in society,

mostly composed by folk-tales women, p. 77-78; Storytelling an avocation livelihood, of how it was practised, pp. 78-80. the

CHATTER

III

Currency of older forms of belief amongst the converts to Islam in the folk-literature, pp. 81-97.

-

The “nedas” and the “nedis,” pp. 81-82; the folk-literatures of the Hindus and Buddhists before the Renaissance very much alike, pp. 82-84; Hindu ideas in the society of Muhammadan converts, p. 84; hymns in praise of the Harvest goddess, p. 85; the incantations for curing snake-bites, pp. 87-90; the antiquated language, p. 89; historical side-lights, pp. 90-92; Jarāsura, the demoniac god of fever, pp. 92-93; recapitulation points at issue, of various pp. 93-96 ; Hindu folk-tales madans, pp. 95-97.

amongst

Muham

CHAPTER IV Muhammadan

folk-tales

in

Bengal,

pp.

98-145.

The three main divisions, p. 98; Class I, ‘Satya Pir, pp. 99-113; Wazed Ali's story of Satya Pir, p. 103; Sundara in charge of Sumati and Kumati—they try to plan his assassination— restored

to life

by Satya

PIr—assassination

a

time—Sundara goes to Kanur by means of the magic tree—Sundara returns home— second

into a bird—the princess comes to Nagar—return of the elder brother— Chandan Sundara gets back his human shape—the joy of union—the punishment, pp. 103-113; Manik Pir, transformed

Pizuruddin's version, p. 113; Dhuda Bibi's pride and misfortunes—defiant attitude and the punish ment—Manik sold to a merchant—a mean sus picion and Manik thrown into fire—rescued by punish Gebrial and turns a Fakir—Ranjanā’s ment and eventual restoration to good fortunes by the grace of the Pir—the Ghosh family—the mother does an wicked act—Kānu stung by a cobra—restored to life—they lose and regain their fortunes, pp. 113-122; historical side totally obscured by legends, p. 123. Class II—Pioneers of Islamite faith, p. 123; the story of Mallikä, p. 124;

Hanif goes on an expedition against

Raja Varuna—the but

possessed

princess

of great

not only handsome

physical strength—how

v

CONTENTS

the suitors

are treated—Umhar

in

the court of

Rajã Varuna—Hanif's letter to Rajã Varuna— preparations to meet the foe —the three days' war and flight—princess Mallikå goes to fight—the duel—in the embrace of a Turk—the Rajā turns

il

a convert to Islam, pp. 124-184;

Other stories lustrating the chivalrous spirit of Hanif, p. 135; Historical ballads, p. 135; Chaudhuri’s Ladāi, p. 136; The song of Samsher Gazi, p. 136—Piru driven by poverty—how Nasir's father gets his

taluq-the Gazi

strength—they

and Sadi's wonderful

physical

robber-gangs

in check

and become their head—the disastrous

proposal

hold the

of marriage—the Gazi settles at Perg Kachua– the appeal to Tipperah Rajā–fight with the Rajā’s army—the Uzir made a captive—Nasir's landed estates leased out to the Gazi—declares war against the Rajã of Tipperah—the Gâzi worships Kāli and gains the battle—his adminis trative reforms—assassination of Sadi-the Chittagong—conspiracies barber-brothers—to against the Gazi—the Gazi's visit to Mursidabad Rājkumara and and assassination, pp. 137-151; Rishore Mahalanavis, p. 151; the

rural ballads, p. 152. Class pp.

152; what the

the

people in

the

III:

Hindu

place

scope of the

The folk-tales,

priests

gave

to of folk-tales, p. 153;

the Muhammadans have preserved the older popular tales amongst them, p. 155; a list of some of these tales, p. 156; transmitted from a

vi

CONTENTS

time earlier than their conversion and the Hindu Renaissance, p. 156; the reference to Hindu gods and goddesses, p. 157; a Hindu spirit permeates these stories, p. 161; a deterioration of the lofty Hindu ideal, pp. 162-165; Gita-Vasanta as told by Golam Kader, p. 165; the queen's

presentiments; her death and the king takes another wife; the brothers taken to the execution ground; their escape; the eating of the hearts of the magic birds; Gita is elected a king; Vasanta loses his power; led to the execution-ground; is saved;

marries a princess and is thrown into the sea; Vasanta holds a priestly office; the merchant

beheaded and a happy end for others, pp. 165-173. Çringi Harinath Mazumdar's version, p. 173. hears from his father the story of the Gandharva

king

machinations; banished from the capital and great sufferings; the elder ; the

stepmother's

brother installed as a king; the end, pp. 173-178. Lal Behary De's version, p. 178; the brothers fly away from the capital; Sveta is installed as a

king; Sveta's wife gives birth to

a

child, who is

kidnapped; the re-union, pp. 178-182. Dakshina ranjan's version; the stepmother's witchcraft and of execution of the brothers; the escape; Çita made a king; Rupavati's condition; Vasanta secures the rare pearl; the transformation of the step-brothers into fishes; the re-union; the Duo order

Rāni restored to her own form, pp. 182-189. The language of the Muhammaedan version and that

--

CONTENTS

of Harinath,

W11

The Pauranika elements intro duced into the latter; the up-to-date questions, specimen of language, pp. 189-193; Lal Behary De’s story, p. 193. The superiority of Dakshina p. 189.

ranjan's version,

p. 195.

The story of

Sakhi

sonă, p. 195; Muhammad Korvanali's version; the Syad carries home a cobra to kill his wife; the cobra turns into gold coins; the strange baby in the earthen pot;

Manik and Sakhisonà in love with one another; they leave the city; in the hands of the dacoits; Manik kills six and is killed by the seventh; Manik restored to life and transformed

into a monkey; Sakhisonä kills a serpent and marries the princess; Manik restored to his own form; Manik marries the new princess and is happy with two wives, pp. 195-202, Fakir Rama's version, p. 202; Kumāra and Sakhisonà in school; the inviolable promise; the princess' lament; they leave the palace; the advent of the spring; the cyclone; in the cottage of robbers; Kumāra killed and restored to life; Kumāra transformed into a goat; the re-union, pp. 202-208. Dakshina ranjan's version,

p. 208;

Chandan and Sakhisonă school; they in leave the palace; in the cottage of robbers; kills six and is killed by the seventh; restored to life; kills the cobra; a happy end,

of

the

pp.

original

Muhammadan

208-218.

ideal

version,

of pp.

The deterioration chastity in the 220-223.

Fakir

Rāma introduces classical elements, pp. 223-225;

Viii

CONTENTS

Dakshina ranjan's version; brevity and want of repeti the

excellence

and genuineness

tion; onomatopoetic

words;

of

their

beauty

and

pointedness, pp. 225-232.

CHAPTER V. Four kinds of folk-tales, pp. 232-344. The Rupakathâs, pp. 232-239; the wrestler 22 men-strong and the wrestler 23-men-strong, pp. 235-238; humorous tales, p. 240; Havuchandra and Gabuchandra, pp. 240-243; the fox in charge of the tortoise's young ones, pp. 243-246; the Vrata Kathâs, p. 246; the language of hymns, pp. 247-248; the indigenous forms of worship among non-Aryans, p. 248. The deities admitted to the Aryan pantheon, p. 248. Maritime activities, p. 249; agricultural elements, p. 251; the hopes and prayers of Bengali girls, pp. 252-254. The legend of the Sun-god, pp. 254-261. The Gita Kathâs,

261; the first edition of Thakur Dada’s Jhuli, pp. 164-166. Dakshinaranjan compared with other compilers of Bengali folk-tales, pp. 265-266; the p.

story of Mälanchamālā, p.267; the king gets a son; the writings on the forehead of the baby; the baby to die on the 12th day; to be married to a girl of

12; Mälancha's condition; the baby dies and

Mälancha's punishments. the

dead baby

and limbs

revives

restored,

the

the funeral pyre; eyes and Mälancha's

In

nourishing;

in quest

CONTENTS

ix

of milk; of a tutor; in the flower-woman’s cot; the discovery by the princes; impossible conditions for Chandramānik; winner of the race; marries the princess and is imprisoned; Mälancha resolved on drowning herself; the king of Chandrapur made a captive; Mälancha breaks all her teeth in breaking the chain; the havoc made by the tigers; the Kotawal's daughter out of question; the un flinching devotion ; in the nuptial room; turned out; father-in-law speaks kindly for the first time; preparations for reception; mends everything that went wrong; the garlanding and making the co-wife chief queen, pp.

267-322.

Malancha's

322; she cares not trial, p. 327; what one for the body, p. 325; the wishes one gets, p. 328; wife as mother, p. 329; the Buddhist ideas, p. 330; why she prizes her character

analysed,

father-in-law's

p.

home,

p.

331;

self-dedication natural to her, p. 331; she wants no reciprocation, p. 332; she does not resist evil, p. 333; does her duty without caring for the result, p. 333; she speaks but

little, p. 334; prefers a woodland to a p. 337; the punished but reformed, p. 338;

palace, p. 335; the poetic

situations,

wicked are not “the chief queen’’ and “the goddess,” p. 338; the plot, p. 339; Folktales different from Pauranika stories, p. 341; the way of reckoning time, p. 342; condemnation of wicked deeds, p. 343; romance, p. 344.

Folk Literature of Bengal CHA PTE R

--

I

Striking coincidences between some of the Bengali and European Folk-tales

We need not enter into the vexed question of the origin of folk-tales. We may imagine that long before the introduction of the art of printing, primitive peoples sat by their blazing hearths in wintry nights at the close of their day’s

labour,

reciting

nursery

tales

to

their

The songs and tales became trans mitted from generation to generation, and long after a nation had scaled the height of civili zation, this invaluable heritage of their primitive children.

stage, The

early

recording the earliest conditions of their social life, still supplied foun origin of

... "...'... convey.

tains of pleasure and sorrow to children, and taught them moral

to

to

an

its

lessons—of virtue predominating over vice in the long run. For, every story, however crude object-lesson form, has the teach

2

FOLR LITERATURE OF BENGAL.

young.

In it “justice always prevails, active

talent

is everywhere

successful,

the amiable qualities are brought forward to excite the sympathies of the reader, and in the by triumph over end are constantly rewarded

and generous

lawless power”."

The early European tales are full of adven turous spirit, of fights of legendary heroes with dragons

and monsters for the acquisition of rare prizes. The tale of Perseus who

The Greek legends as folk-tales.

carried the head of the Gorgon Medusa in a magic wallet,_of Herakles who secured the golden apples from the garden of

Hesperides and made his escape from the giant Atlas with the prize, of Bellerophon who killed the Chimaira with the help of the aerial steed Pegasos,

-of

of Theseus with former killing the dragon with the help of Ariadne,—of Jason who fought with and killed the terrible dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece, with the council of Medeia, the enchantress, these and other the

the

Minotaur,

encounter

and of

the

Greek legends, full of enterprize, physical daring and valour, were the fables that European children were accustomed to hear from their grandsires when

civilization dawned on the typical West. These are stories of early Europe and have scarcely any oriental flavour in them. * Grimms' Preface, p. X.

Popular

Stories.

Oxford

University

Press,

1909,

EUROPE's INDEBTEDNess

To INDIA.

3

But even in these early Greek tales, we occasion ally come across one or two which savour of an exotic origin. The story of the miraculous milk-pitcher, which had the marvellous quality

of being never empty, obtained by Philemen and his wife Baukis is

so

like some of the Indian

stories, that we may not be very wrong

in finding

a faint trace of Eastern origin in the fable.

The

story of Kirke, the enchantress, who could trans form princes to animals by her sorcery, has many a parallel in our Indian, notably Bengali, fables.

In many of

the stories prevalent

in different countries of Europe, we find animals supporting the leading characters. Western

‘...." "... val literature of fairy tales and fables.

scholars these impress

are

of opinion that

“strongly

bear

the

tantra and

triumphant the West and “exercised very great shaping the literature the Middle

ages

of

a

in

of

influence

the Hitopodega made

in

march

to

in

in

of

no

to

is

‘’."

of a remote Eastern original There doubt that many the nursery tales travelled from their eastern homes Europe the middle ages. We know for certain that the Indian fables the Pancha

Europe”.”

Europe imported these fables

Popular

Stories,

Oxford

University

Press,

History

Sanskrit Literature, Ed. 1899,

p.

Macdonell's

of

*

p.

*

Grimms' Preface X.

as

of

into her shores chiefly through their Arabic translations. Many the stories are now

421.

1909,

4

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL.

familiar in European countries as they have been Among a considerably large number of in India. these we may mention here the story of the

milk

maid “who while carrying a pail of milk on her head to the market, and building all kinds of

air with the future proceeds of the milk, gives a jump of joy at the sale of the prospect of her approaching fortune and thereby shatters the pail to pieces on the ground.” This castles in the

story, first related in the Panchatantra, was made

familiar in Europe by La Fontaine in his charm ing book of fables in 1678 A.D. The Persian writers copied it with slight alteration in the story of

Young Alamaschar's

dreams. Another familiar story in the Panchatantra is that of the avaricious jackal, whose calculations and too economic wisdom ended in his tragical death by the

bow

of the hunter

piercing his head.

&sº this

starting

ºf

asunder and

The well known

line

has now passed into a common saying in country. La Fontaine popularised this

story in Europe.

Dr. Macdonell in his

History

of Sanskrit Literature tells us “Europe was thus undoubtedly indebted to India for its Mediaeval literature of fairy tales and fables”.' The Persians and the Arabs are also indebted

India for acquiring the art of story-telling. We quote the same authority on this point.”

to

* Ed. 1899, p. 420. 2 p. 369. 22 3x

FOLK TALES IN EUROPE.

BENGALI

5

“The style of narration was borrowed from neighbouring by peoples India the oriental of Arabia, employed composing Persia and who it in works.

course,

of

of is,

independent

The

most notable instance

the Arabian Nights.”

That some

of

the stories the Arabian Nights were taken from Indian tales will be mentioned later on. amongst her peasant

folk and her women break to

of

the Panchatantra,

were written

in

courts

circulation

manded

and certainly obtained

a

the past.

Most

royal order

all

over

the

of

in

world-wide celebrity

Hitopadega

the

Kathâsaritsägara

the

by

even

the rustic homes and the female apartments find an the world outside The Jātaka P

in

stories,

of

through the mud-walls the seclusion audience

Bengal current

of

But how could the folk-tales

these

and com world by

the quiet environment

shady

by them,

-

in

mostly composed of

Europe

P

to

travel

of

of

authoritative translations into foreign languages. But the Bengal, How did the unwritten folktales by village-women and Bengal folktales told mangoe-groves

show themselves

to

evening there—did not venture strangers.

to

—like the coy Mālati flowers that bloomed

in

amidst which stood their straw-roofed mud-huts, the

peep out and

What conveyances

Bengal itself,

till

the middle

of

to

P.

in

to

Europe could carry these our family-treasures past passed the remote These stories from mouth mouth and were never written in the 16th century,

6

FOLK LITERATURE

OF

BENGAL.

when only one of them is known to us to have been recast and written out in a verse form by

Fakir Rām Kavibhushana. The rest, know, were never written

till only

so

far

recent

How could these travel to Europe?

as we

times.

How could

the whispers of our own woodlands be heard the shores of the

Baltic,

on

of the Mediterranian

and the English Channel?

This could only be possible by the humbler classes of Indian people coming

in contact with European men. No printing press could give publicity to what was never written and was chiefly confined within the four walls of the Zenana. We have it on the authority of Firdausi, that Sankhal, the king of Kanauj “sent 10,000 men and female

Luris recruited from different parts of Northern India,

who could play upon the lute” to the Persian king Behram Gor in 420 A.D. at his request. These Luris travelled to Europe and settled in various parts of

it and became known

Their language bears a close affinity to Hindi and other Aryan dialects of India. Gypsy And the latest of these settlements took place in Hungary in 1470 A.D. It may be that

as Gypsies.

people brought their folk-tales to Europe. who knows but that the hulls and ships which

these

Or

landed the cotton

Muslin our

on the

folk-stories

conveyed

fabrics known European there

much of

!

as

shores

The

oriental,

the also

Dacca landed

Arab merchants notably

Indian,

STORY OF FAITH

FUL JOHN.

7

wisdom to European countries.

The connection Europe and Asia by means of trade between Gujarat, has been one of hoary antiquity. Bengal and the picturesque shores of South Orissa had a considerable number of ports that sent their ships all over the world and were famous for their maritime activities in ancient

It

times.

may not be wrong to suppose that our

nursery tales travelled

to

other

in

countries

songs

boatmen's and in their half-broken narrations to foreign peoples whose dialects they could have but imperfectly acquired. Thus it will be seen that though the

European versions of imported some these tales bear an undoubted Bengali origin, the stamp of Indian—probably details are worked out in different methods, proving that the outlines of our stories, rather than their finer shades, were gathered from imperfect verbal narrations of story-tellers not thoroughly the

people

acquainted before

speeches

with the

whom

they

of

were narrated.

Some of the European scholars have proved a close and

communication

Asiatic

between

races was

the

established

days of the Crusade when the legends the of the one country other.

that European

during the

folk-tales and passed

to

the -

We will now show by illustrations that some of the folk-tales that are even now the

lower

Gangetic

valley

have

narrated

in

their exact

8

FOLR LITERATURE

OF BENGAL.

counter-parts in those which delight the young in European countries. The story of “Faithful by John” collected the Brothers Grimm' is one The Rev. Lal Behary Dey calls this the story of ‘Fakirchänd.’ But the story has got other names also. It was known to us in our younger days as the story of the Princess Rupa mälä. We need not however trouble ourselves such for instance.

with the name which is a very trivial point. The chief actors in these stories were three birds who had the power to see into the future and

whose

sayings were always of a prophetic nature.

Let

us now show the leading points of similarity between the European and the Bengali versions.

Faithful John attended his new King, to whom he was devotedly

attached

on his journey

back

capital. John was seated on the prow of ship, playing on his flute. the and was The king and his consort were very happy at to his

The story of Faithful

John and of Fakirchfind or Ripamälä.

the

John

time. e

-

saw

three

e

ravens flying in the air towards

him. Then he left off playing and listened to what they said to each other, for tongue.

The first said “There he (the new king) goes; he surely has her, for she is sitting by his side in the ship.” Then the first began again, and cried out “what he

understood

boots

it him

* Grimms' p. 194,

2

Popular

their

See

you

Stories,

not that when they

Oxford

University Press,

Ed. 1909,

FAITH FUL JOHN.

STORY OF

9

come to land, a horse

of a fox-red colour will spring towards him ; and then he will try to get upon it and if he does, it will spring away with him into the air, so that he will never see his love

again.”

“but

is there no help

first,

“if

“True

!

the second, yes, yes,” said the

true !” said

?” “Oh

he who sits upon

the horse takes the

dagger which is stuck in the saddle and strikes him dead, the king is saved, but who knows that,

will tell him, that he who thus saves the king's life will turn to stone from the toes of and who

his

feet to his knee.”

“True horse

I know

the second said :

still, though the dead, the king loses his bride; when

true

!

Then

be

!

but

more

all

they go together into the palace, there lies the bridal dress on the couch, and looks as if it were woven of gold and silver but it is brimstone

said the third. “Oh

“if

someone

draws near and

into the fire, the young king

is

yes, yes,”

will

said the

throws saved.

it

second,

be

?”

help

!

it

!

it

he

;

puts on, and pitch and will burn him marrow and bones.” “Alas Alas there no

But

who knows and will tell him, to

he

I

if

P

what boots that that, does, his body from the knee the heart will be turned into stone P” “More more know more,” said the third, “were the dress burnt still the king loses his bride. After the

when the dance begins and the young queen dances on, she will turn pale, and fall though she were dead, and someone does not 2

if

as

wedding,

10

FOLK LITERATURE

draw near and

lift

OF BENGAL.

her up

take from

and

her

did

of to

the tip

Faithful to

Then the ravens flew away. fulfil all the conditions

his toe.”

John

his head

to

stone, from the crown

of

so,

right breast three drops of blood, she will surely die. But if anyone knew this, he would tell him, that if he does do his body will turn

save the

to a

he

young king and his consort from their impending perils, and then turned stone image. For was obliged

of

at

so

to

do

he

to

state the reasons for his conduct which had appeared highly offensive, though had the sacrifice his life. The only

condition on the fulfilment of which John could

the king

sake

it

as

for

the

the queen

and

faithful John.

The

is

of

of to

the

trial

severest of

it

for

the

undergo,

the story that John was restored and the baby also revived by the will

sequel

life

to

parents did

was

it

Though

the

old story from Bengal, the minister's

son plays the part

of

In

Providence. faithful John.

The young

ing

conversation

keeps

on

watch

order

to

minister's son prevent any danger.

in

The

no

is

It

is

prince with his fair bride his way back night and the married couple sleep home. finding under tree human habitation near. a

.

its

as

of to

be

brought back life was that the king should cut off the head his baby soon was born, and sprinkle blood over John's image.

He overhears the follow Bihangamā and between

THE STORY OF FAKIR CHAND.

Bihangami,

two prophetic

11

birds perched on a

bough of that tree."

Bihangamā (the male son will at last.

find

bird)—The

it difficult

minister's to save the prince

Bihangami (the female bird).-Why so P Bihangamā—Many dangers await the king's son ; the prince's father, when he hears of the approach of his son, will send for him an elephant, some horses and attendants. When the king's son rides on the elephant, he down and die.

Bihangami-But

suppose some one prevents

the king's son from riding on the

elephant and

will

makes him ride on horse-back,

that

will fall

not

he

in

case be saved P.

Bihangamā.-Yes, he will in that

escape

case

that particular danger, but a fresh danger awaits him. When the king's son is in sight of his

to

its

father's palace, and when he is in the act of lion-gate, the lion-gate will passing through upon fall him and crush him death. to

son

Bihangamā.—Yes,

that case

saved

will escape

Bengal

a

:

Lal Behary Dey, Macmillan

&

Folk-tales

of

*

awaits him. pp. 40-42.

case

it;

but fresh danger When the king's son reaches the danger by

that

particular

that

he be

will not the king's

in in

the lion-gate before the king's son goes up

P

Bihangami.-But suppose some one destroys

Co.,

1911,

12

FOLR LITERATURE

BEN GAL.

OF

palace and sits at a feast prepared for him, when he takes into his mouth the head of a

and

fish him, cooked for the head of the fish will stick in his throat and choke him to death. Bihangam.I.—But suppose some one sitting at the feast snatched the head of the fish from the prince's plate and thus prevents him putting it into his mouth, will not the king's son in that case be saved P

Bihangamä.—Yes, king's

will

son

in that case the life of the

saved ; but a fresh danger When the prince and the princess

awaits him.

be

in

to

a

in

lie

retire into their sleeping apartment, and they together bed, terrible cobra will come into the room and bite the king's son death. Bihangami.—But suppose some one lying

that man will

is

it

life

if

restored

to

is

after

it

to, of

immediately

of

restor

life the marble statue may washed by the life-blood

the infant which the princess

world.”

means

be

Bihangamā-Yes,

there P

ing the marble statue

to is

Bihangami.-But

no

a

sation between you and me, turned into marble stone.

be

to

if

be

in

of

P

in

be

in

wait the room cut the snake into pieces, will not the king's son that case saved Bihangamā.—Yes, that case the life the king's son will saved. But the man who kills the snake repeats the prince, the conver

will give ushered

-

birth

into the

THE INDIAN ORIGINAL.

The risks are undertaken and all

13

condi

the

tions duly fulfilled. In the case of the Bengali tale the Wazir's son is obliged to state the reasons

for his conduct

which

had

highly

appeared

offensive though he had told the king repeatedly

that

if

he did so, he would turn to stone.

baby

here

Kāli.

In

is

restored

to

life

The

by the grace of

the Christian version this part of the

tale is slightly altered. One need not, however, put any undue emphasis on the dissimiliarity bet ween the details of the prophesies of the ravens and of Bihangamā and Bihangami. There is no doubt that the western hearer of the Oriental

story introduced such alterations in the details as suited best the conditions of Western life. The talk of Bihangamā and Bihangami and their prophecy

form a familiar incident in many of the Bengali folk-tales. All of us have heard of such things in our childhood. heard this story under the name of Rupamālā, the young bride, more than forty years ago from an aged uncle of

I

mine who had in his turn heard it in his child hood from his grandfather on the banks of the Dhalegwari, as Lal Behary Dey heard the story under the name of Fakirchänd on the banks of The story is one of great antiquity acknowledged and Eastern origin European scholars. story The Faithful John, “T)er Getreue Johannes’ passed from Zwehrn

by

many other countries

of

and Paderborn

to

of

is

its

the Ganges.

Europe.

14

FOLK

LITERATURE

OF BENGAL.

University Press, which under The Oxford English took an translation of Grimms' tales published first in 1823, made the following regarding the story of Faithful observation John :—“The tale is a singular one, and contains so much of Orientalism that the reader would almost suppose himself in the Arabian Night's Entertainments *. But a careful student of

*

Oriental literature will see that this story is not of the nature of Arabian fables, characterised by flights of unrestrained fancy, chiefly aiming at amusing the young. The

'.

...'...'...

Indian fables have, on the other hand, a deep ethical and moral lesson underlying all creations

its

of fancy. The idea of Sakhya, of dedicating one self to the service of his friend, at all costs and sacrifices, to open the mouth knowing conse

of

as

to

I

to

a

it

in

a

be

to

turning into marble statue, this pre friendship folk-story ideal marks out eminently Jndian. Nay, am inclined trace Bengal, the land the home this story quence

of

of

the king of

an in

of

curious manner

Godā Yama, the messenger

of

Death, who had taken away husband, Mänika Chandra, her royal

of a

the

the Christian era, we find account old queen Maynāmati's pursuing

in

of

century

of

In

in

of

Bihangamās and Bihangamis, the birds prophetic sayings hundreds our folktales. Maynāmati, songs the written the 12th

the life

CHANGE OF SHAPEs.

“Godā and

Yama

changed

ºº:...

changed

became

himself

15

into a carp.

The queen

herself into a water-fowl and

Yama.

and the queen

this,

at

bewildered

began

to beat the carp with her Thereupon Godā Yama wings. changed himself into a shrimp, became a gander and searched

out the shrimp under the water. Godā Yama up shape next flew in the air in the of a dove, but the queen changed herself into a hawk and pursued the dove.” The pursuit is continued for long, till Godā Yama turns himself into a Vaisnava saint and sits in an assembly of holy mendicants of that Order. The queen, changing herself into a fly, sits on the head of the saint. Here Godā Yama is caught by the queen Maynāmati and becomes her captive.

We find nearly an exact parallel of such change

of shapes and pursuit of the foe in some

of the western folk-tales and legends traced about the same point of time. Here is an tract from one of such tales : “Caridwen

*::::::..."

forth after Gwin Bach, running. And he saw her and changed himself into a hare

went

and

fled.

But

she

changed

herself into a greyhound and turned him. * Typical

Selections

University, Ed. 1914.

to

ex

from old Bengali Literature, Part

I,

And Calcutta

16

FOLK

LITERATURE

OF BEN GAL.

he

ran towards a river and became a fish.

she

in the

form of an

And

otter-bitch chased him

under the water, until he was fain to turn Then she,

self into a bird of the air.

as a

him hawk,

gave him no rest in the sky. And just as she was about to stoop upon him, and he was in fear of death, he espied a heap of winnowed wheat on the floor of a barn, and he

followed him and

dropped

amongst

the wheat and turned himself

Then she transform into one of the grains. high-crested black hen and ed herself into a went to the wheat and scratched it with her feet and found him out ’’." pursuit and change of shapes we have many instances in our folk-tales, an interest ing example of which will be found in the story

Of similar

of Sonár-Käthi and Rupār-Käthi in Mr. Dakshina Majumdar's Thakurmär Jhuli (pp. 193-196).

Many of these folk-tales are however, still un

I

written. remember to have heard in my child hood a similar story where the pursued does not indeed turn himself into a grain of wheat but to a mustard-seed.

In

the Gaelic legends we

have

again a similar example in the account of the sons of Tuirenn carrying the three apples from

*

daughters who

of

legend,

the were

the Hesperides. the country” says

skilled

Mabinogion, Vol.

III,

Taliesin

“had witchcraft. p.

...

...; #...

the garden “The king

of

tº

in

m.....

359,

three

By

BHASMALOCHANA’s FIGHT. sorcery

they

changed

themselves

17

into three

pursued the three hawks”—the shapes taken by the three sons of Tuirenn. “But the latter reached the shore first, and changing themselves into swans, dived into the ospreys,

sea.”

and

"

Many of the incidents, described in our Bengali Rāmāyanas and Mahābhāratas, were gathered from local folklore.

These do not form

a part of the original Sanskrit instance are the legends of

fight

*...*.*.*.

in

epics.

Such for Bhasmalochana's

the Lamká-kānda of

the Rāmāyana and of Çrivatsa and Chintā in the Bengali Mahā bhārata. Pandit Ramgati Nyāyaratna tells us in his ‘Bangabhāshā Sãhitya Vishayaka Prastāva’ that he had consulted all the Sanskrit Purānas, not to speak of the original

of Vyāsa, in order to trace the source from which the Bengali epic

folk-tale.

merchant whose her touch, the a

flower-woman long lying like piece waste-land, but sud denly smiling with flowers and green leaves the approach of

a

garden

of

in

of

The carrying off Chintā ship floated the water

a

evidently by

story

by a

This

is

to

it.

writers of Mahābhārata got the story of Çrivatsa and Chintā but that he could not find a clue

99.

3

p.

Celtic Myth and Legend Co.

by

at

Çrivatsa and Chinta.

Charles Squire, Gresham

Publishing

i8

FOLK LITERATURE

BENGAL.

OF

of Chintã, the vow taken by the heroine for performing a religious rite with the object of gaining one year's time in order to make in

in

of

its

quiries about her lord, and many other incidents kinship with hundreds of the story show Bengali; and the folk-tales prevalent

It

turn

Rāmāyana

in

source that episode

as

it

calling this such

was absurd

Sanskrit works. the Bengali of

trace to

But let

its

to

attempt us

to in

a

in

Rev. Lal Behary Dey was right story folk-tale and incorporating his work on folk-literature.

to

:

hero,

appeared

extract from the with animal-skin,

his eyes leather-spectacles. Bhasmalochana, the dreaded

before Rāma

of in

Thus

wore equipped

on

and

chariot was covered

he

“His

Here

tale.

Rāmāyana

an

digenous

is

I

is a

as

in

in

appears which Bhasmalochana field, fight against the battle Rāma. This just purely in episode, stated, have

the battle field.

of

on

whom his gaze will fall, heap ashes. You see his

In

with animal-skin, within

sand

he

is

the dreaded one—he like Death. practised had austerities for

youth

years.

it

lies his early a

chariot covered

protect

is

will turn into

us.

Now

before

a

Bhasmalochana from him. He,

us

to

in

Rāma was the company Bibhishana and Sugriva. And Bibhishana gave the alarm and Rāma, “Look there, Oh lord, the hero said

thou

Brahmā, the creator, was pleased

BALOR, THE GAELIC BHASMALOCHANA.

19

with him for this, and appearing before him,

“What

said:

Oh Rākshasa, would you Our hero said: “Make me

boom

have from me?”

immortal, god

the

Oh creator

said—“You

of

the

will

destroy

universe.”

But

my creation

I do that ; seek some other boon.” “Then do I pray unto you to grant me this boon that

if

of destruc tion that they slay all on whom their look may fall.” Brahmā granted him the boon and said: “Now it is all right, your gaze will wither my eyes be possessed of such power

all whom you may happen to see, wear a pair of leather-spectacles and shut yourself up in a delighted to have view to experiment

as

instantly

of

look his eyes fell own children and wife have the

gazed

and his

as

own followers who

hero was

power

this he

a

Rākshasa

it,

with

The

withered soon upon them. His dread for him

a

greatly

house.”

at

room of your

of

approach this unfor tunate monster. Such the foe, Oh lord, that fight with you take care lest all has come none

them

dares

;

us

“Though

had

of

the

Gaels

Buarainech,

i.e.,

eyes,

one

two its

was

venomous

slew whom look fell. Neither god nor gaint seems have been exempt danger; from that Balor was only allowed so

its

to

it

that

anyone

on

was always kept shut, for

gaze.”

so

of

‘cow-faced.”

son

been

it

have

he

said

a

are destroyed by his venomous Balor, the terrible monster-god to

is

of

to

is

and

Folk

20

LITERATURE

OF BENGAL.

that he kept his terrible

to live on condition

its

eye shut. On days of battle he was placed opposite to the enemy, the lid of the destroying eye was lifted up with a hook, and gaze withered all who stood before it.”

it

of

Chan-

three hairs.”

man, who had contents lost

and

belonged

a

in

no idea the this fatal letter,

his way

hut which They opened the letter when ter

of

of

.."...' §

The story

to

and

which was written arrives, the bearer this let him be immediately buried.” The young of

killed

as

“As soon

the queen

in

letter

to

with

a

to

a

of

in

of

by

of

“the giant with three golden hairs” the collection tales the Brothers Grimm, young man, whom the king the country wished murder, was entrusted by him

In

story

the

shel

took the

robbers.

as

time they let him sleep showed

queen's palace;

him the right

where

the letter, she had

all

soon possible

as

then

as

and

till morning broke, way

to

on to

to

as

a

in

the young man was asleep and read the contents. Then their leader wrote fresh letter the king's name desiring the queen, soon the young man arrived, marry him princess. the Mean the

she had read preparations

Charles Squire.

p.

Celtic Myth and Legend

by

for her husband. .*.

ly

;

as

made for the wedding and the young man was very beautiful, the princess took him willing

49.

21

WISHA AND WISHAYA.

This story will naturally remind one of that of Chandrahāsa told in the Mahābhārata. While both these stories have some strikingly common features in them, the one in the Mahābhārata possesses

a more romantic

interest.

The king,

in this story, sends young Chandrahāsa to the palace desiring his queen to put him to death immediately by means of poison. His mandate ran thus: “give him poison, as soon as he arrives at the palace”. Now the word for poison in Sanskrit and Bengali is ‘Visha.’ The queen had an only daughter of matchless

beauty

and

just

grown into wannanhood. Her name was ‘Vishayā” Chandrahāsa, like the young man of Grimms' tale, lost his way and entered a garden, reserved for the use of the princess. It was a cool evening and the fatigue of the journey made the young man sleepy, so that he fell fast asleep under a

with her attending maids came to that spot and was instantly smitten with love for the beautiful youth. She saw that in his turban a letter was stuck, which shady

tree.

The princess

she at once took

for one from her royal father.

She carefully opened the letter and read its cruel contents. Her love was the more stimu lated by a feeling of deep compassion and she took a reed from her garden and wrote with the

black paint which adorned her eyes one single letter II (yā) after the word Visha. This changed the spirit of the

letter, for instead

of

22

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BEN GAL.

him ‘Visha' immediately” it now read “Give him Vishayā immediately”. So the queen, as soon as she read the letter, forth with got Chandrahāsa married to the fair princess Vishayā. “Give

There is a well known nursery tale which Bengali boy knows, and which seems to a very old one from the language of some curious trade.

a

a

fox makes while trying

it.

verses that are in

Once

a

be

of the doggerel

In

every

this,

barber,

razor

way

compromise.

of

by

to

a

it

a

to

extract thorn from Reynard's with his razor. To escape from bring criminal suit, which the fox threatened against him, the barber presented him with his nose, cuts

The next stage

to a

man who gave the fox

This

the

to

he

a

The fox made over the bride

of

price to

the fox

as

bride

to

of

to a his

give

tinsel

fox was the great was obliged

a

bridegroom. crown meant for bridegroom; but what gave calamity the latter when

a

the trading fox.

of

in

-

of

a

in

this trade was that the fox changed his razor cooking pot. The cook for The story Hans ing pot was given away luck and that

the crown drum-player,

cooking pot bride,

diſbä (lūb

(lūb,

a

a

a

I

tag

The bride

I

for

a

dub dub.

got

tinsel crown fåg diſbä bargain With the crown made

I

the

a

I

as

“I

who gave him his drum. The fox now played upon the drum and song follows, got razor for my nose, tag diſbä dub dāb, for the cooking pot, tag dubă dub dāb. For got razor

THE TRADING FOX AND HANS.

23

for this drum, tag diſbä dub dub. Tag diſbä dub dāb is the sound of the drum at the changed

interval of each line of the song and shows how jubilant was Reynard over this trafficking of his. The story of Hans in luck, which is of popu lar currency and first appeared in the Wuen schelruthe, a periodical publication, in 1818, to the trade of Hans, who changed “A piece of silver as big as his head”—the earnings of his seven years' service—for a worthless pony, which he again changed for a cow; his next relates

bargain was to change his cow for a pig; the pig he gave to a man who gave him a goose, and the goose he changed for a common rough grinding stone. This he could not carry a long way, and he felt himself greatly relieved when

fell into a pond, which he had approa ched for drinking water. Hans' answers to the grinder's questions have an unmistakable ring the stone

of the fox's song. The grinder asked “Where did you get that beautiful goose?” “I did not buy it but changed a pig for it” “And where did you get the pig P” “I gave a cow for it”

“And the cow P” the horse ?”

“I

“I gave

a horse for

it” “And

gave a piece of silver as big as

my head for that”. The “tag dubă dub dub’ is only wanting in the speech to make closer the affinity between the two stories. In Indian tales the beasts play an important part and the

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL.

24

pre

European imitators may not always like to serve such friendly relation with the lower mals in their tales.

In

ani

the story of Shit-Basanta

he

it,

in the Rev. Lal Behary Dey’s folk-tales we read of the marvellous qualities of a fish. “If any one eats it” said the laughs fisherman who caught “When

a

of

-

any one kills open

a

little

eats

his mouth story will wish it.” the called collection, the Grimm Brothers’ fairy, came woman who was

to

merry young huntsman—the hero bird, the tale—and directed him shoot saying “when will fall dead, cut and open the dead bird and take out its heart and the

it

a

to

of

up

old

and

cuts

a

Salad

heart will come out

and

In

often

my

in he

as

as

diamonds and pearls

me

it,

a

The heart of bird that yielded diamon ds to its eater.

the

of

that the brothers Shit-Basanta two birds the bough tree. One of them said to Basanta. “If

of

tells

on

espied

us

story;

he

us a

mäniks (diamonds) will drop from his mouth.” Golām Käder gives version the same

on

comment suggesting

a

of

a

make any striking,

you

by

is

needless above, the the similarity

gold

by

rise.”

It

under your

you will find piece pillow every morning when is

and

to

it

keep

Grimms' Popular Tales, Oxford University Press, 1909,

p.

*

p.

published Qita-Basanta Punthi Golām Käder Sāheb, Afazaddin Ahammad from 335 Upper Chitpore Road, Garānhātā, Calcutta, 1873, 18. 310.

25

THE SLUGGARDS.

source of the stories or one’s indebted

common

We are inclined to suppose that the very extravagance of the idea proves its Oriental origin. The Western narrator has tried to improve on the crudeness of the fable ness to the other.

by saying that a piece of gold

would be found pillow, instead of a precious stone under the dropping from the mouth of the eater of the bird's heart, each time that he laughed. The story of the three sluggards in the collec tion of the Brothers Grimm seems to have been from some Oriental

also derived

“The

source.

he

to,

king of a country,” thus goes on the tale, “a long way off, had three sons. He liked one as well as another, and did not know which to leave

be

of

to

he

all

so

when was after his death, his kingdom him, said, dying, and them called the three “Dear children, the laziest sluggard king after me.” “Then” said the shall

still

:

is

I

to

I

if

on so to

go

could not shut them, that sleeping.” The second said

should “Father,

I

I

lie down my eyes

eldest, “the kingdom

mine lazy that when for am any thing were sleep, fall into the

so

story

of

The

sluggards.

so

I

I

to

sit

I

to

lazy me; for am the kingdom belongs by the fire warm myself, that when my toes burnt than take the would sooner have

4.

be

to

I

if

so

I

is

to

trouble draw my legs back.” The third said, mine, for “Father, the kingdom lazy am hanged with the rope that were going

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL.

26

the father heard this, he said

it.” “You shall

When be

hanged than raise my hand

to

be

I

do it,

round my neck, and some body were to put a sharp knife into my hands to cut had rather the

king

;

for you are the fittest man.” The idea of absolute inertness of

It

of

to

in

this story seems origin. suggest its Eastern In Bengal we have our own story four sluggards with which

pension

all physical energy

sus

and

is

is

its

of

of no so in

to

in

I

of

you are familiar. trust all not ana logous detail, but the above tale certainly spirit. Though most you have

to

I

of

by

a

it

it

purpose

it

doubt, yet give below for the comparison. king took Once into his head maintain kingdom allowing people the idle his them

heard

mak

a

in

to

bungalow near his palace and live ing provision for their sustenance. When proved

a

great kingdom, the and sluggards and lived

it

obtained,

many people

of

living could

be

easy

such

a

so

of

do

to to

to in

as

to

attraction they enlisted themselves the king's bungalow without being required any work. The number these people good many, rose that several new houses

of

by

resolved

to

now

idlers who lived upon him. allow only the genuine

Grimms' Popular Tales, Oxford University Press, 1909,

p.

*

number

of

of

large

He

by

erected he

be

for accommodating them. At one time when the king passed that part capital, sight his was struck the the had

349.

THE SLUGGARDS.

27

sluggards to live there, and dismiss the rest, and accordingly took recourse to a device. He his people to set fire to all these bungalows, which were roofed with straw. As

all

ordered

fire broke out, these idle people came precipitous haste, out their rooms and fled except only four who remained their room of in

in

of

Soon as

a

of

or

Without showing the slightest sign concern activity. One them who did not open his eyes, great blaze through his half-closed yet saw he

to

eyes, said his comrades, “How many suns have risen, brother?” addressed, The man whom

“Who cares

it

to

open his eyes and see what ?” The third who felt the heat fire on his

of

is

said,

‘poré.” the like

an

he

The fourth advised “phi-sho” manner an abbreviation of is

which

in

‘po’

of

of

so

he of

is

unmeaning back said “Pi-po” which “pith poré” (my back abbreviation the word burns), for was idle that would not ‘pith’ and utter the full sentence but only ‘piº

the sentence “phiré sho” (turn your back and sleep). The king, who overheard their conversa

live

in

these four men only

to

tion, had them instantly removed from the room, and whem the fire was extinguished allowed the

sluggard’s

I

quarters, after having dismissed the rest. As have already stated, Bihangamā

and

or

or

in

Bihangami are the most important figures the Bengali folk-tales. When the hero the dangers, heroine falls into difficulties the

FOLK LITERATURE

28

OF BENGAL.

birds are often found to come to the rescue by offering advice or saying prophetic things which are sure to be fulfilled. Their frequent appearance

is such a characteristic

element in inclined to regard

our folk-tales that we are these prophetic birds to be indigenous creations of rural Bengal’s fancy. The bringing in of of popular tales, side by side with the human, is a special feature of Asiatic, particularly Indian popular fictions;

animals

as characters

but the prophesies of birds, with sympathies for the heroes and heroines, Prophesies of birds. helping their achievement of the marvellous and the strange,

seem

to

be a

Bengali fables,

distinctive feature of the and curiously we find birds playing the same part in some of the European stories as they do in Bengali nursery-tales. Such for instance are the stories of the “Crows and the soldier”, “The Robber bridegroom” and “Faithful John”. The former of these is a Mecklenburgh story; that it had an Asiatic origin seems to be hinted by the

M. Grimm brothers by their assertion that there is a similar tale by the Persian poet Nisami. In the story of “Jorinda and Joringel” which is popular in the Schwalmgegend, we have the old woman, Sorcery.

a

popular character in old Bengali folk-tales, who could

very

change

princes

sons

of

noble men to beasts by her spell. The stories

of

and

SORCERY-SLEEPING CITIES.

29

‘Sakhi-sonä’, to which reference will be made again in course of my lectures, and of “Puspa mälä’ give us some characters of malignant women skilled in witch-craft. The sorceress Kirke, sister of King Æetes, had a similar power; her spell was baffled by Ulysses as we read in the Greek

legend.

In

the story “The also get from the

grateful beasts” which we Schwalmgegend, there are many points similar to those of a tale current

Tartars in which

a

among

the

benevolent Brahmin

the graetful assistance of a mouse, a a monkey, whom he has severally the hands of their tormentors.

In the Western folk-tales

Calmuck receives bear, and

from

rescued

we have

accounts

of a whole city that fell asleep under the spell of magic. This we find in the story of the Rose-bud. We read in it how “the king and the queen and all their court fell asleep, and the horses slept in

off

the stable, and the dogs in the court, the pigeons on the house-top, and the flies on the walls. blazing and Even the fire on the hearth left

he

to

by

so

on

a

..". "...;

at

The

and

to

sleep; and the meat that was roasting Rosebud stood still, and the cook who was that time pulling the cities. kitchen-boy give the hair something him box the ear for had done amiss, let him go, and both fell asleep; and went

this we find

the accounts

An of

exact parallel

still and slept soundly.” in

stood

of

everything

30

FOLK LITERATURE

BENGAL.

OF

city in our Dharma-mangal poems. is cast by Inda, the thief, over the city of Lousen. Here is an

a sleeping

spell

The Maināgar,

in

its

account of how the spell worked. “The potter slept over the cooking-pot he had made, and his sister Kāthā rolled in the profound sleep. The old dust by side

as

of

weaver-woman Jayå fell dozing over her loom. The carpenter's wife was blowing fire into the hearth, her head lay near the opening the

Dharma-mangal

of

similarity seem

with those evidently

so

or

the 12th

The story city in

“

collection has

many points

“The Rose-bud” that have been derived from

In

they

11th

era. sleeping

to of

Majumdar's

the

Christian or a

century the “ghumanta-puri

are

Manik Chandra and of R. of

coeval with the songs should be referred to

poems

D.

earliest

of

The

in

sleep. hearth she became senseless The porter fell into the drain seized by sleep and his load was scattered in the street.”

I

I

Typical selections from old

p.

*

473

(Part I.)

I

it

at a

repeated

have since found and Western folk-tales.

sity,

of

magic spell,

shows

the

heard for

whole city

in an

asleep under

a

the first time the account

least

In

The name the story.

of

”

Bejān Shahar Persian origin

a

of

an

my childhood the same source. heard from aged uncle mine folk-tale called. “The

falling

account that many Eastern

Bengali Literature, Calcutta Univer

TAPAI—THE

31

GHOST.

I

Thus reading these Western folk-stories have been often reminded of those that heard

I

recited

childhood in my native

to me in my

The tale of Rumpel-Stilts-Kin, where

country.

naming a spirit is made a condition for escaping from a danger, is analogous to the story of Tāpāi, the ghost,

that

I

from an aged

heard

relation of mine when I was a mere boy. The spirits in both the cases stand betrayed by their Rumpel-Stilts-Kin own carelessness. The Bengali story runs thus:–Once on a

*** *

*

time an old Brahmin was travelling through a large marshy tract. It was winter and he saw at some distance a fire sending a glimmering light.

As he was quaking in every limb owing

himself a little

he thought of warming by the fire, and reaching it in all

haste, he cried a little heat,”

“tāpāi,” “tapäi’” (“let me enjoy “ me enjoy little heat.”)

cold,

a

sitting

be

|

of

a

ghosts number warming themselves

when

he saw there

the fire-side and

The name

one

of

Now what was his wonder

of

severe

by

the

let

to

these

“Tāpāi.”

of

to

to

happened The Brahmin had ejaculated “tapäi’” signifying his desire enjoy the heat the fire, which the word literally

his

of

so

by

the query,

that the Brahmin was not only frightened the sight this unseemly company, but for

a

name. The other ghosts also joined

asked by

had called him

in

why

he

to

the Brahmin

as

meant, but the ghost who bore that name

32

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL.

what to say in reply to His presence of mind returned, however, after a moment of consterna tion, and, assuming an air of indifference, he said moment did not know their strange question.

“Why?

Täpäi’s ancestors,

generation, name P” and said,

I

that

should call him ghosts

The other

turned to Brahmin say?

“what does the

true?” Tāpāi's

the

fourth

all been servants in my house.

have

What wonder

up to

by his

Täpäi

Is it

anger

knew no bounds and he immediately going was to kill the Brahmin, but ghosts

the

intervened

says

Brahmin

“All right,”

is

my

to

“If

said

what the

can not kill him.” “let him name my great-grand-father. The you

Tāpāi,

said

up

ancestors

and

true,

I

condition is if he can name them, will consent servant; not, to be his if he can I will put an

to his

end

The Brahmin

life without any more talk.” said,

“But

my

family

had

a

I

in those days, how can remember and name them all without consulting my domestic register “All right, give you On

the

day

third

in

time.

the

us

days'

three

I

l’”

number of servants

described.

all would

be

alarm that can better He knew that

in

than

The poor Brahmin went home with of

feeling

your

over

with him.

a

family.”

of

will not only kill you but the rest

be

I

If

to

evening you are meet here and name my you can not, woe will befall you, ancestors.

conceived three days

He ate nothing

TAPAI—THE

33

GHOST.

nor had any sleep in the night, and in reply to a hundred questions put by his wife, only sighed and hid his face with his hands to conceal his The inmates of the house thought that there was something wrong in his head and consulted physicians. The second night came; tears.

in the evening of the following day the catas trophe was sure to happen, as there could be no escape from the infuriated ghost. In the night the Brahmin resolved to commit suicide. He

thought

if

he did so, the

cruel fate to which family other members of his were to be subjected might be averted as the anger of the ghost would be, to a certain extent, appeased by seeing his corpse.

But

no place in his

he could find

house, where he could apply a halter to his neck

without being observed. distance

and

reached

So he walked a little a forest on the northern

There he selected a spot to hang himself on a tree. But just as he caught hold of a bough to the rope with, heard peculiar conversation nasal tone the of the house.

to

he

it.

to

to

moment listen One that hear from some of the

I

is

ghosts and stood said “What

a

it a in

a

tie

side

!

l’”

to

to

A

of

ghosts? Brahmin has claimed the whole your ancestors have been born-slaves his family said, The other “Nonsense the

5

the

evening to-day.

I

family

in

I

to

in a

Brahmin said whatever came his lips moment of fear. will kill him and his whole have

laid

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL.

34

condition on him.” “What is name my ancestors up to the fourth

impossible

an

“To

that ?”

generation.” them P”

“But

“Absurd

what, if he is able to name how can he do that P No one

knows it except myself and some very old ghosts”. The conversation was of course between Täpäi and his wife who lived on the top of that tree. The wife then wanted to hear the names of

Tāpāi's forefathers, and Tāpāi once or twice saying “No”, at last yielded to her entreaties, and said “Härmoo's son was Sārmoo, Sărmoo's son was Āpài, and Āpài's son is Tāpāi.” The Brahmin of course heard this genealogy which was a perfect God-send to him. He committed it to memory and returning home wrote it a hundred times in his note-book ; he looked extremely jubilant and his wife and others could not understsnd how such a cloud was removed from his looks and how it became all

We need not follow this story bears, as This have said,

sun-shime in a day. story further.

M.

to

Grimm's

heard to sing a song in which at careless moment, he gave out his name

tale a

I

that of Rumpel-Stilts-Kin in collections. The spirit in that

some analogy was

The queen of this story great scrape by this revelation. runs thus : — himself.

“Merrily To-day

I’ll

I'll make. brew, to morrow bake,

the feast

escaped

The

a

song

35

sukHU AND DUKHU. Merrily

I’ll

dance and sing,

For next day will a stranger bring, Little does my lady dream, Rumpel-Stilts-Kin is my name.”

“

of

the stories current times. The tale

of

to

wonderful likeness this country from olden Sukhu är Dhukhu” the in

ing

in a

by

Mother

cannot help being struck great many them bear-

while the tale

Ashputtel also

of

collections,

“

Jhuli

in

an

has almost exact parallel Mother Holle” in Grimm brother's

Thakurmär in that of

denly

the

to

sun for drying

blows and

the

is

up. The wind

cotton

is

before

it

to in

to

is

the latter some extent analogous the Bengali same tale. The poor girl Dhukhu the Bengali tale put some cotton entrusted by her mother

sud

carried away.

whereupon Dhukhu the wind says,” “Come with me Dhukhu, not cry, will return your cotton.” Dhukhu follows the weep,

the

way

I

cow

says

to

In

wind, weeping.

a

do

to

begins

and says, “Dear

creepers

girl,

have covered

remove these.”

banana

see, these

my trunk,

plant calls weeds

kind

and to

her

wind.

be

again follows the

A

is

Dhukhu, “Dear girl, come and remove my dung from this shed.” The girl feels sympathy for the animal and does as she bid. Then she

The girl stops again and lends

.

We

sºn.

of Grimm's tales

a

or

toº,

#ºn

pages

we turn over the and

The

If

36 her

FOLK LITERATURE

helping hand.

as fast

OF BENGAL.

Then she follows the

as she can go,

wind

but stops to listen to the

plant which asks her to re move the dirt that has gathered at its root. Doing that she goes again following the course of the wind, but a horse calls her in the

call of

a shawra

way to give it a little grass. She does so, and then the wind brings her to a very fine house, where she

meets

an

old woman sitting

door. She asks Dhukhu

by

to go into a room

the

of

the house and get from it dress and other things for her toilet. She goes and finds the room glittering with golden robes and toilet articles of the

highest value.

She

takes for

herself those that are of the humblest quality and price. She is asked to bathe in the tank which she does, and no sooner does she dip into the water, than she finds her person grown wonderfully handsome and shining with orna ments that are only worn by a princess. The old woman then asks her to enter a room full

of trunks and chests of various sizes and quality and tells her to take any one from them. Our Dhukhu takes one that is the smallest and of the lowest value. Then she goes back home. In the way the cow, the banana, the shawra plant and the horse whom she has severally served give her many rich and beautiful things. After re

turning home she shows all these to her cousin Shukhu who was in affluent circumstances,

SUKHU AND DUKEIU.

all

wishing her to partake

37

that she has got, Shukhu disdainfully

in

jointly

a

lo

But with her. rejects her offer. The next day Dhukhu opened prince came the small chest, from which out, and, taking her by the hand made her his wife. put some cotton the sun off, fol and then when the wind carried possession lowed the wind, wishing of fortune like her relation. Sukhu met in

be

a

to

it

in

day Sukhu

That

cow,

the

horse. a

in

said

the

banana,

the

They

wanted haughty tone,

shawra plants and her help, but she

“I am

going

to

the

the old

to

of

at

of

woman for riches, away, you fools, do’nt inter rupt me.” Then when she saw the old woman spinning the house, she said, the door things that “Old hag, you have given lots

Dhukhu keep away your spindle and cotton, and give me all things, will break your spindle and all.” The toilet-room was away she took the best dress, the shown her and best looking-glass and the most valuable things. she found the tank, Then she bathed

choose

a

and a

to

eczema except

deformed,

in

herself

itch,

her and

body she

shrill nasal tone.

became

full

of

as

in

I

or

;

dog-faced

could not speak She

was asked

box like her cousin, and she took one,

;

biggest

it

and with ran back home pursued her with its horns wards. The cow plants threw and the shawra the banana

the

38

FOLK boughs

their gave the

LITERATURE over

her a kick. ; but lo!

chest

OF BENGAL.

her head, and the horse Coming home she opened a cobra came out and ate

her up.

The poor girl of the tale—“Mother Holle” went to seek her spindle that had fallen into a well

came to a pretty cottage by the wood ; and when she went in, she

and

side

of

saw

an

the

bread

a

oven said

I shall

bread baking, and me out, pull me out or

full of new

“Pull

I

am done quite enough.” be burnt, for up quickly, and took it out. So she stepped Then she went on further and came to a

that

tree

was

full

of

fine

rosy

cheeked

and the tree said to her “Shake me ' shake me ! we are quite ripe.” So she shook the tree, and the apples fell down like apples,

a shower,

until there

tree.

Then

came

to a

she

were

no more upon the

went on again, and at length

small cottage

where

an old woman

sitting at the door. She behaved so well that the old woman was highly pleased with her; was

and when she expressed her desire to go back home, the old woman took her by the hand and

behind her cottage “and as the girl stood underneath, there fell a heavy shower of gold, so that the girl held out her apron and caught a great deal of it.” And the old woman, who was a fairy, put a shining golden dress over led

her

her, and said

“All this

you

shall

have,

because

39

MOTHER HOLLE.

you have

behaved

so

well;” and she gave her

back the spindle too which had fallen into the

well and led her out by another door.” Now her sister, who was an ugly and wicked

girl, envied her lot and sat by the well and began to spin; she let fall her spindle into the well and seeking it followed the same path. When she came to the oven in the cottage, the bread called out as before, “Take me out, take me out, or shall be burnt, am done quite

I

I

But the lazy girl said “A pretty story just as if should dirty myself for you !”

enough.” indeed

I

went on her way.

and apple

She

soon came to the

that cried “Shake me, shake me, for my apples are quite ripe” But she answered “I will take care how do that, for one of you may tree

I

fall on my head.” So she went on. Atlength she came to the old Fairy's house; but she was soon tired of the girl and turned her off, but the lazy girl was quite pleased at that, and thought to

pitch

came

your wages”

gold,

a

instead

great kettle

showering upon her.

said mother Holle

(the

upon her.

she

she shut the door

So

“That fairy)

is

of

dirty as

full

of

she stood under

it,

herself “Now the golden rain will come.” Then the fairy took her to the same door, but when

went home quite black with the pitch. of

Ranjan's

compilation.

As

some

of in

Daksina

to

agreement

Tom Thumb has many points with that “Dér Angulé” of

of

The story

40

FOLK LITERATURE OF BEN GAL.

the adventures of Tomb, a writer in the Quarterly

XLI) traces their connection with mysteries some of the of Indian mythology. The Review (No.

story of

“Dér

Ángulé"

current

in Bengal,

details the adventures of a child born to a wood man, no bigger in size than a thumb and a half.

pº" "

height of a thumb, and, his Bengali cousin, was

Tom was also of the

man of the

like

full of

heroic enthusiasm

and a

spirit of enterprise. The wood the West had been both

East and

at first and got their dwarfish issues after long prayers and patient waiting. There is another story in Grimm's collections which has childless

a kinship with these two fables. That is the Young story of “The Giant and the Tailor.” begins with the line “A husbandman had once

It

a son, who was no bigger

than my thumb.”

In

some of these kindred tales, Tom is represented as gradually growing in size, till he becomes a

giant; his achievements are all wonderful. In England there is the story of Jack the giant killer, a name-sake of Tom ; and in some of the countries of the north, he is called by different names, such as Tom Hycophric, the son of the Bear &c. He is a voracious

...”..."; men strong.

eater

des “Eight salmons and an ox

in his Icelandic

cribes him as eating

full-grown

like a tiger and Herbert

and

poetry

all the cates on which women

41

EASTERN AND WESTERN TALES feed.” mead.”

And he drank three firkins of sparkling But all this is child's action before the

of Băyis Joän (lit. the wrestler, 22 men strong) who takes a bag containing 80 lbs. of wheat with him and, seeing a tank before him, throws the wheat into it and drinks off the whole feats

solution.

This was,

however,

his ‘jalayoga,”

light refreshment. The folk-tales collected by some of our own men like Dakshina Ranjan Mitramajumdar, Lal bihary De, Golam Kader, Mahammed Munshi, Ali, Ahmad, Amiruddin Khondakar Jabed

Munshi Afāruddin, Harinath

Majumdar,

Fakir

Kabibhusana and others have come from country-side. They have been told in our the homes times without number, from an immemo rial age, before any door was opened in them for ram

receiving

of European or even Moslem culture. The compilers in a few cases have given some colouring to the stories on the lines rays

of classical scholarship and This

I will

modern

thought.

discuss in the course of my lectures.

Entirely free from all such colouring are the stories in Thakur Dādār Jhuli by Babu Dakshina Ranjan, which thus possess a unique value, unfolding

the

true nature of some of our

indi

genous stories and a language in which the ring

of the original country dialect still lingers. The striking analogies, which are no chance coincidences, between these stories of the East and 6

42

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

West remind us of what has been acknowledged by European scholars themselves, that in the olden times the debt of enlightenment and culture was of Europe to India, as in our times it has been quite the opposite. In India the highest culture and refinement were for ages

one

represented by Magadha, from the ruins of which have now sprung up some of the cities and towns of Bengal, her genteel society inheriting the

traditions

and

ideas

that floated in the metro

politan city of the old Indian world. Owing to Lower Bengal, the Banga proper, having been one of the landing shores of enterprising foreign

with India, it is no wonder that Bengal, or more properly Magadha, folk literature has obtained a worldwide circulation.

peoples who traded

The north-western border-lands of Bengal where Kapilabastu stood, which with the light of Bud. the veil of darkness that had en surrounding shrouded the countries in the remote past, the south-eastern portion from which the cotton fabrics, known as the Dacca muslin went dhism

pierced

out to other parts of the world as the most valued and fashionable cloth of the ancient times, and

Magadha, Champa and Banga, the great political divisions of the province in those days—were in with the rest of the world influencing the civilization and modes of life of millions of human

touch

beings.

And what wonder that the folk-lore of this favoured land should travel to remote

IEXCELLENCE OF BEN GALI FOLK-TALES

43

countries in the ships of Bengal laden with her merchandise P The Oxford University which published a translation of Grimm's tales has appended a note saying “It often seems difficult among to account for the currency the peasantry on the shores of Baltic and the forests Eastern

India

tº...'...'

of the Hartz,

of fictions which would seem to belong to the entertainments of the Arabians,

yet involved in legends referable to the highest Teutonic source.” “The Thousand and One

Nights”

is with Occidental scholars a word signify to the Asiatic type, but should not be taken in its too literal sense. It is used here

as

comprehending

all tales

derived

Persia, India

and other

Asiatic

I

further

from Arabia, countries.

The similarities

shall

detail in

lectures. We have observed that European scholars have themselves admitted that the mediaeval folk-literature of their country was founded upon Indian fables imported into course of

my

their shores chiefly through Arabic translations. They have also proved that Arabic and Persian tales are in a great measure indebted

folk-literature. therefore

have

The

Indian special

some

claim to superiority models to be copied

which by

Indian

to

folk-stories excellence made

peoples

them

far and

The Kathá sarit Sāgara is a store house

must and the near.

of such

44

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

Panchatantra, the Hitopodesa and the Jātaka stories originated in Magadha, on the ruins and remnants of whose glory stands the Bengal of to-day. fables.

The

Where lies the superiority of the folk-litera ture of Eastern India, which accounts for its world-wide circulation ? Oriental scholars have pointed out that the ethical lessons contained in Indian stories form their chief attraction. These have

their match

in old

AEsop's stories,

and some of the Teutonic fables which originat ed in the North and have been current in

England ever since the time Horsa and of Ebba the Saxon.

We have,

however,

a

of Hengist and

limited

number

of

Bengali stories, which are not of the same nature as those that have been copied by foreign nations. These have come down to us from the Buddhist times, and their striking excellence from literary and aesthetic points of view have come upon us

like a surprise. They are not to be valued merely because “they made long nights short,” when we were children;

no apology is needed

in recom mending them, on the plea of antiquity or of a primitive rustic origin. They are specimens of lyrical excellence, of superior art in style and the construction of plot that seem

almost

un

paralleled in folk-literature. These stories show Bengal to be the true home of folk-tales in a sense in which perhaps no other country can claim

EXCELLENCE OF BEN GALI FOLK-TALES

45

such a place in the world's literature. The stories

of Çankhamālā, Puspamālā and Mälanchamālā, composed in the rural dialect of this country, contain in them elements of purity, conception of love and moral feeling which indeed evince a high stage of civilization. Written in prose, interspersed with songs, they have all the attri of master-pieces of lyrics, of which any nation could be proud. It will be wrong to sup pose that they were meant for children ; people butes

in that

would like

case

to

turn into babies

in order to hear these marvels of poetic fiction. The smell of fresh buds is in them ; the charm of poetry—of rural life, the love of pure women, the wreath of juvenile mirth, which is of eternal delight to the old, the renunciation of saints and the devotion of martyrs—have all combined in these unassuming tales rendering them sub lime and beautiful in every sense of the words.

I

shall dwell upon these stories towards the end

of my present course of lectures. and

imitators

from

outside

have

The copyists approached

many of our stories in such a way as to introduce them by a change of garb into their own

countries ; but the inimitable beauty of Malan chamālā’s character, of Kānchannālā's devo Rupalāl's tion and remorse for rejecting a true wife, possess a unique Bengali grandeur, which can be admired, but cannot be taken away be adapted

to other climes by

and

changing the

FOLK LITERATURE

any

Pyramid can other spot

than

Tajmahal

a

or a

from any

earth than where they stand

the

Buddhistic ideals, and, like big lily an Indian tank, congenial when shewn from

a

gives

of

us

is

an

of

Mälanchamālā, especi The character peculiarly Indian conception and the flowering point Hindu and

now.

ally,

more

be removed and shewn

of

language,

OF BEN GAL

off

46

its

of

The Gitikathâs.

is

beautiful back-ground

of

It

of

of

this tropical country ours. frosty chill will scarcely stand the North-western realism. Like Săvitri Mälan

to

in

;

a

very spirit

and

she

is

;

reaches

the

endurance she can

an Indian yogi.

She

renunciation—the essence

of is

the

Sikh Guru compared only of

be

level

martyrdom

her

of

;

Tamasa

in

to

cha wins her dead husband back life she devoted to him as Sita of the immortal bard of

to

what Buddhist and Hindu philosophers have taught for ages. These have filtered down

its

tears are They possess

the

and the lyric beauty

How fortunate the country women

these simple grandeur epic

heard

these

stories

of

of

folk-tales. Vālmiki

and

The sunshine and lights and shades,

Jaydeva.

men and their childhood

whose

in

laughters

faith. life, its

in

clouds

all

of in

and resigned the

them,

grand

in

Bengal

its

of

assimilated

our society and been rendering the rural life simplicity and sweet

of

stratum

lowest

by

the

ExcELLENCE

OF BENGALL

FOLR-TALEs

47

from the lips of their mothers and started in life with the invaluable treasure of devotion poetry contained in them, and how unfor tunate the country whose men and women, in and

the eagerness to play the parts of the vainglorious and the showy, have thrown away, as it were, diamonds from their ancestral treasure and often run after trinkets of no value ! These superbly beautiful stories are called the GItikathâs. Their authors’ names are lost, though we shall try to prove that women for the most part composed these marvellous tales. As the stream of the Ganges passes by our doors to satisfy our thirst and daily needs and we forget that it comes to us from a lofty peak,

as the

rays we warm ourselves

with serve us the ordinary needs of life and we forget that they come from the greatest Orb of the solar regions, even so the master-minds that could conceive and produce such stories have remained

unheeded

and

unrecognised

even by

those who have profited most by these unique treasures. Being within our easy reach they have been mistaken for the ordinary and the common

But they are no ordinary folk-tales, -their prose style, resonant with musical sound, some times lapses into metrical forms which become lyrics of great beauty; their workmanship is often place.

rich as Persian carpets that should not be con founded with Bazar mats. But we reserve the treatment of this subject for the present. ##

48

FOLK

Magadha

LITERATURE was

the

OF

seat

BENGAL

of

some

of

the

greatest lines of Royal dynasties that ever reigned in India in bygone times. The Mauryas, the

Sungas and the

a

"...

."

!..."

" ...

Guptas were sovereigns who held suzerainty over a great part of India; and the capital Pataliputra Kushumpur, was during

of

Magadha,

turies not only the highest learning in this land, but

reputed

or

cell

seat

amusements

of and

fashions flowed from this centre to all parts of India—nay, even outside this great country. It was in this place that Visnugarmā wrote those fourth or fifth century, which combined interest for the young with moral lessons. These fables were translated into fables

in

the

Persian by Burzubi, the illustrious physician of the court of the Emperor Nasirban in the sixth century. The translator was helped in the compilation of this translation by an Indian Pandit named Braja Jamehar. In the ninth century the tales were by Imam

translated

into

"rabic

Hoshen Abdul Mokaka by the order

of Kaliph A. Mansabji. In the tenth century. Gaji Sultan Mahammad had these tales again translated

into Arabic.

Since then we have had

translations of this work into Hebrew, Greek, and Syrian languages. The Hebrew

many

translation was prepared by a scholar named Dunn, and his translation served as a model for

BENGAL IN EARLY EUROPEAN TRADITIONS

other scholars

who have

translated

49

it into the

modern languages of Europe. The tales of Wisnugarmā are known in England as “Pilpay’s

fables.” When the glory of Magadha was extinguished Gaur rose to eminence over its ashes ; and the flower of the Magadha population for the most part migrated to Bengal. During the reign of the Pål kings, Gaur kept up the tradition of learning and other glories that had attached

to the name

of Magadha; and we find that the ballads of Päl kings were not only sung in the Gangetic valley but in the picturesque hilly sides of Orissa, nay, so

far down as the shores of the Indian ocean,

in the Bombay presidency. The songs in honour Devi, of Manashā the home of which was the city of Champā in Bengal, travelled on the lyres of minstrels from Gaur to the remotest part of Aryavarta. We have discussed this point at some length in our Introduction to the Typical Selections from old Bengali Literature and tried to solve the historical question involved

º

-

therein.

The connection

of Bengal with the rest of

world is hinted at by many legends current in other countries. In one of

the

E".

the folk-tales, to be found

in

Bosching's Volks-Sagen, called “Cherry or the Frog-bride” the condition laid by the old king on his sons, all of whom wished 7

50

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BEN GAL

to be the heir to his kingdom, was to bring

him cloth, fine”, king said, “one hundred ells of so the through my golden ring.” “that can draw it This evidently refers to the Dacca muslin. King

I

Arthur's porter

vaunted of his experience and have been heretofore in India the Great and India the Lesser.” do not

travels in this way:—“I

if Bengal

I

included in those days in ‘India the Great’ or in ‘India the Lesser.” But it must have been in one of them. If there is any

know

was

substratum of truth in the Arthurian legends, the porter of that king must have been the first British visitor to Bengal. In view of the remarkable coincidences of the folk-tales of Bengal and those current in the West, especially as they have all an unmistakable Eastern flavour, we between

some

may not be wrong in supposing, as we have already

supposed,

this country Ganges

that some of the fables of from the banks of the

passed

Baltic

and

Channel.

of the There are

many

points strikingly common,

and we have

and

the the

Padmä

English

to

the

shores

but given a very few illustrations. The enquiring scholar will find heaps of evidence on this point, and re-echo the sentiments of Lalbehary De, who while discussing this subject enthusiasti cally said, “The swarthy and half-naked peasant * Grimm's tales, Oxford edition, * Mabinogion,

Wol,

II,

p. 255.

p. 268.

ARABIC AND PERSIAN TALEs

51

banks of the Ganges is a cousin albeit of the hundredth remove, to the fair-skinned Englishman on the banks of and well-dressed the Thames.” on

the

I

There is one point, to which should draw your attention, in regard to the claims of other Eastern countries than our own, on some of the

.."... ºu...?..." Oriental

folk-tales of Europe, possessing stamp an unmistakable of origin. The genuine Arabic and

regard Persian tales have less for moral side than those that are Indian. most of

acting

the

Indian

characters,

stories

the

the

In

animals are

in Arabic and Persian tales the giants and fairies play the most important parts. The tales of the Moslem world whereas

to wonders performed by super human agencies and give a far more sensuous

relate more

description of love-affairs, whereas the Indian stories have a greater solicitude for giving humanity rewards to virtue and and protection amiable against the wily and the violent. The fairy of the Arabic and Persian tales is in Indian stories a to the

weaker

and

the

more

nymph of Indra's heaven and the demon of the former is a Rāksasa in the Indian tale. * Folk-tales of Bengal, Preface, p,

VIII,

CHAPTER II Internal evidences in the early Bengali Folk-tales proving their Origin before the Hindu Renaissance

Story-telling was an art practised in India from immemorial times. We see Story-telling a

..". .."; profession

of a

Women.

in the Rāmāyana that in the royal court of Kekaya, prince Bharata one day entertained

was

by tales

told by professional story-tellers, when he was sad and gloomy on account of a bad dream that In the he had dreamt in the preceding night. Bengali

by Chandrävali,' Sitā in her

Rāmāyana

private apartments is found to amuse herself with listening to tales by professional story In the folk-tales of tellers who were women. Bengal we have

it

repeated

again

and

again

that the princesses and other ladies of high rank kept these professional women as companions whose business was to tell stories affording not only amusement but sound instruction as regards morality and laws of conduct. In Lal Behary Dey's collection of tales we have an account as to how

these

Rupakathâs

used

stories to

which

were

called

be told by old and expert

* A 16th century poetess, daughter poet of the Manasā-cult.

of Dija Bamgi,

the

illustrious

STORY

TELLING—A

53

PROFESSION

to the ladies of high-rank and even to king the and to his queen." In the story of

women

Mälancha Mālā” compiled by Babu Dakshina ranjan we have again a reference to the Rüpa kathâs told by a professional woman to a princess. In fact the Hindu kings not only had such story-tellers engaged in the queen's palace but kept a number of them in their courts. Even in our own times we find this custom, which has come down from a remote antiquity, followed by some of the Rājās of this province. Late Babu Bhāratchandra Sen of Dhāmrāi in the district of Dacca, was appointed not very

long ago, by Rājā Birachandra Manikya of Tippera as the story-teller of his court on a pay of Rs. 60 a month. had an opportunity of hearing a story by related this gentleman. His intonation, ges tures and manner of speaking added a wonderful

I

poetic vividness to the story that he related. And knew that he had learnt this art from

I

professional

story-tellers—an art that

had

been

handed down from a very remote age. Let us now examine the various sources

Bengali

of

folk-tales that have been accessible to

An examination of these will throw a light on the periods of their composition. We shall try to prove that most of our folk-tales that the old ladies recited to their

us.

* Wide the adventures of two thieves and of their sons, pp. 176.77, in the Folk-tales of Bengal (1911). * Thakur Dadar

Jhuli,

p. 90 (1912).

54

FOLK LITERATURE

BENGAL

OF

children in the past, and which the women-folk in the backwoods of Bengal still do recite to the young in the evenings, belong to the period

of

of

Hindu

advent

leading

reasons

up

summed

We have some definite internal proofs these stories were conceived Renaissance

Islam

in

1.

conclusion

that most the

The

may

as

to

this follows.

A.D.

be

century

tenth

to

as

be

in

its

intervening between the age of the ascendancy of Bengal. This period Buddhism and decline may covering the third defined roughly

and

also

before

before

the

this country.

the Hindu Renais sance, the characteristic feature

The early folk-tales different from Pauránic stories. are

of

this period

is

of

As regards the literature

its abundant -

-

as in

to

the Sanskrit epics. The Pauránic stories, which references

a

of

of

folk-tales, such later times took the place Dhruba, Prahlāda, and the legends hundred others that derived their sources from the

full

They offer

the

propaganda

of

are

of

Bhāgavata, the Rāmāyana and the Mahābhārata, striking

the Bhakti-cult. to

In

Bhakti,

such

recitation

of

we find any propagandism as

the tenets

of

of

virtues, and seldom

do

of

a

contrast ethical laws which governed the Indian communities during the sunny days Buddhism. the folk-tales these ethical laws form the basis of human

God's name, fast, vigil and austerities undergone

OUR RENAISSANCE

55

LITE RATURE

for the sake of spiritual devotion the

essential

feature of the

which form Pauránic stories.

There is besides nowhere in the earlier folk-tales any allusion to the Rāmāyanic or Mahābhārata episodes, nor to those which relate to the early

life of Krisha

told in the Bhāgavata.

The Bengali poems written from the 14th century A.D. downwards are permeated by the spirit of Pauránic-lore, and as we have frequently re as

marked elsewhere,

low-class people such as the hunter Kālaketu and Phullară, his wife, who were absolutely without any knowledge of letters,

even

found to refer to the Shāstras and tales in their daily conversation.

are

Pauránic Wherever there is any occasion to offer advice in political, social or domestic matters, examples are freely quoted from the Sanskrit texts. So citing the Purānas, that country pedagogue while giving elementary

great was the craze for even a

lessons to boys would sometimes be found to bring down some great heroes of the Purānas to figure as

chief actors in a mathematical puzzle. Sometimes Arjuna and sometimes Karna fling a number of arrows under complicated mathematical condi tions, but more often the mighty ape-god Hanuman throws down a stone-wall into a river, the measurement

of the stone,

its watery bed and the

problem

so

far

to outwit

earlier folk-tales,

as

I

as

it

so

far

as

it lies in

rises above,

form

student. In the have said, this Pauranic a

56

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

element is absolutely wanting, which shows that they are at least older than the 13th century when the Hindu revival was an established fact in

Bengal.

Nay, there are evidences in these tales which show that the idea of the authors of the folk-tales about the Purānas and

pº" "

"

the Vedas was not in the

lines of the Brahminic leaders of the

Hindu Renaissance.

In

and of Malanchamālā

the tales of Madhümälä

we

find a mention

of 12

and 8 Purānas which is quite against the historical and conventional notions of the Hindus. Vedās

This tradition the country-folk must have derived in an earlier age from other sources than the stock-in-trade learning of the Hindu revivalists.

For in the literature that sprang up after the revival, Brahminic views and ideas in such matters are clearly pronounced; even the village scribe who wrote

with

his reed-pen,

humble as a barber or a washerman,

be he so

could not put

anything in black and white which did not bear the stamp of Brahminic inspiration. down

The metaphors and similes with which the Renaissance-literature is strewn are all stereo 2.

typed

and of a classical

model, in the Bengali

literature from the 13th to 18th century. The Pauranik meta phors.

For

the beauty of a nose the poet is sure to refer by way of com parison to the tila-flower, for

the lips to the bandhuli,

for manly arms

to

the

OUR RENAISSANCE LITERATURE

elephant's

trunk,

for

the

teeth

57 to

pome

granate seeds, for the face to the lotus or the moon, for the braided hair to a black snake or clouds, and so forth. Read one poet's description of a woman’s beauty and then read a second, a

you like; one is as good as another. The gifted poet writes in an inspired language, the ordinary votary to Parnassus writes in plain words, but the model third, a fourth, in fact

as many as

in

of

its

which both the genuine poet and the common versifier have before them, is a classical one; stereotyped form, the Sanskrit Rhetoric, in inspires both. These descriptions men and women

the old Bengali literature have often

grown stale,

flat

and

wearisome.

When

the

was

so

it

hand,

praise

of

all the

possessed.

woman’s waist,

within the hollow of his Even

slender.

in

poet

a

said

that one could hold

of

learning that their brain

it in

wit and

by a

the country bards for display

is

jects

It

of

of

to

Pandits learnt Persian, the descriptions became ingenious and subtle the extreme; and the ‘rūpa-varnana' formed one the favourite sub

this, he fell a

of

of

far short the ideal waist the Persian poet who said of his heroine “Her waist was like

of

in

of

of

hair may, half it.” One might argue that ingenious this was all the nonsense the few Pandits who wrote Sanskritic Bengali; the absence such things the Bengali folk 8

tales

only

proves

that

they

were

composed

58

FOLK

LITERATURE

OF BENG

AL

by the unlearned

who did not know Sanskrit any or Persian nor cared for classical For, rules. This however is not true. as already said, century have from after the 13th

I

of

its

humble

author, who did not introduce classical similes and figures for adorning his poem. We find the 16th century poet Madhusudan, who was barber, literally caught the meshes classical metaphors." What sense of relief do we feel while a

a

century, however

in

A.D. no Bengali poem was written till the 18th

far greater impression forcible Pauranic

in

of

expressions.

literature not only

we

the

their

later age, come across descriptions

of

beautiful women.

In

the tales lies

of

well-chosen

"...

and

beauti

figures generally

mono

the

of

;

the excellence

the

youthful in

a

ful one

brevity

of

to

º: ºº:: produce

of

nowhere

in of

the crown

long descrip

The

personal appearance,

from tip toe, her head the her are these folk-tales. One or two words

heroine's

a

tions

of

reading these old folk-tales'

the

the

heroines

most

but also long catalogues orna ments which form very tedious reading after all, producing often rather grotesque effect, these fashion now

See Banga-Bhāsā-o-Sahitya,

491.

”

is

the folk-tales mention sometimes flame-coloured “blue-tinted or

“a

"

In

have mostly run out

p.

*

made

of

ornaments a-days.

of

a

as

of

tonous verses,

59

AQUITE DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE

silk which like the muslin were in ancient times marvels of Indian

the

manufacture.

In

the

Arthurian legends we find a lady wearing “a robe of flame-coloured silk ’’’ which reminds us of atten zitüğ Tät of a princess in our own story of Sankhamālā. “Robes of flame-coloured silk" in the British isles of those days, we contend were of Indian manufacture, but the next line which

says

black

as

that the hair of the princess was ebony is significant and makes it

clear enough,

for the black hair belongs to and is favoured in the tropical climes. Woman's beauty chief in the folk-literature of Bengal, lies in the tender qualities of the heart. These folk-tales, though they do not give erudite and descriptions of physical women's charms, do not however fail to invest them with

elaborate

truly noble

the soul. Reference to given often in a brief line, carries a far greater effect than the long tiresome accounts on classical lines.

physical

virtues

of

beauty,

I have said that these stories

ignorance legends

generally show an

part of the people, of the Qāstric and of the gods and goddesses of the on the

Hindu pantheon, which even

a

common farmer

and artisan know now-a-days; neither do the gods come to help the mortals in

their difficulties as they are found to do in the later epochs of Bengali literature. The mortals, possesed of devotion * Mabinogion, Vol.

II,

p. 276.

FOLR LITERATURE OF

60 and

BENGAL

superior moral qualities, come out of their

trials by dint of their own virtues and merit. The popular notions aboutgods which these tales unfold,

We have read of the Yama, messenger Godé the of Death, in the Mayanāmati legends; he has no place in the

seem strange and unfamiliar.

Hindu pantheon. In “Mälanchamālā’’ we find similarly the names of Sāldut and Käldut who are said to be the brothers of Yamadut.

Vidhāta fulfils a function which show him not at all like the creator Brahma whose name he bears in these

The duty of the

stories.

former seems to be

only to write the “luck” of a new born baby on its forehead. In this arduous task he is assisted

.*"..."

about

..."

Notions

by

his two companions Dhārā and Tārā. Their work appears to be similar to that of the

gods

"...

Hindu Puranas.

the infant,

and

seem

on

scrawlings

it

mysterious

do

some

to

of by

of

a

of

public office who put their heads tabulators together for comparing the results their tabu They providential lations. set down the decree the forehead

automatically

a

matic process, they become the destiny infant—“unshunable as death.”

of

so

be

to

of

higher power, under the directions This power appears the karmic law over which T]hārā, Tārā and Bidhātā have no hands; that when once the letters are inscribed in an auto the

in

The Visnudut and Çivadut, the Vaikuntha Kailāsa,—which indispensable and are

FOLK-TALEs

COMPOSED

IN AN EARLIER AGE

61

Brahminic stories describing a hero's death and his subsequent march to the other world, have no place whatever in these folk-tales.

The Brahmin any has seldom function to discharge in

himself

In

them.

the Pauránik

his blessings

tales

or

curses bring about their inevitable result of good

fortune or calamities to the characters concerned; but here nothing of the sort is met with.

º,

Witchcraft takes the place of a Brahminic curse

astrologer find out auspicious date for marriage maritime journey. Brah a

ºr

to

an

A

a

or

nº,

an

who appears very seldom, he comes at all, does so in the capacity of

when

m,

Brahmin,

the

...

and

to

to

to

a

of or

he

a

it

is

It

is

an

indispensable min’s sacred thread not thing always about him. hang allowed robes, on racket like one's and he wears go when has out the king's court nobleman’s mansion. The astrologers the folk-tales are those Scythian Brahmins

these

folk-tales

evidences

composed

popularised

tend

Buddhists

prove that the

Bengal, generally speaking,

in

been

of

All

the

before

in

during the ascendancy this land.

to

Scythian

These

their own superior order. Brahmins held high position of

place

had

the Pauranik tales were

the country

by

reserved

in

no

in

who are now called Ācharyas our country and for whom the Hindu revivalists have

the

Renaissance

62

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENG AL

Brahmins. The

But

prohibition

Sea-voyage.

of

these other

are not proofs,

all. quite

We as

have

convin

cing, to illustrate and bear out

our proposition. It is an established fact that one of the principal acts of Hindu revivalist was to shut the gate of commerce by sea against the They surely members of their own community. did it for their self-preservation, as, with the ruin of the political power of the Hindus, the wholesome control exercised upon the sea-faring people by Hindu sovereigns ceased to have any effect. The traders now settled in distant lands

preferring free life to the political thraldom in their own country, thus creating a great drain in Indian population. And if they returned to

India, they came with strange

outlandish man imitating foreigners, ways ners the of and fell upon their quiet homes like thunder-bolts, destroying the Hindu ideals of domestic life. The Brahminic leaders, in the absence of any political power to control the situation, pro hibited sea-voyages and enacted social laws for outcasting those who would be guilty of

infringing

might

be,

But whatever the cause certain, it is that the commercial them.

activity of the Hindus

with the downfall of the Hindu and Buddhistic political power position in this in Bengal. The merchants’ country underwent a signal change from the time their naval

ceased

activities

ceased.

The great

THE HIGH PLACE OF MERCHANTS

tº:

mercantile community The

position

of

63

during

the Buddhistic times enjoyed a social position and status which were almost par

with those of the royal members of families. Kānchannālā, the heroine of a folk-tale, declares to her comrades with just pride, “My father is a king and a on

a

merchant is my husband, I have played with diamonds and rubies as though they were play things.” Mahmmad Munsi, the compiler of a folk-tale, records the adventures of its hero Rüpalal,

a young merchant. This youth was at once accepted as son-in-law by the Fairy king as soon as it was reported to him that the suitor for his daughter's hand was the son of a respectable

merchant.

A

king's

son

and

a

merchant's son are always fast friends in the Bengali folk-tales, and though sometimes the Prime Minister's son, and even a kotwal’s son, claim such friendship with a prince in these fables, they hold a decidedly inferior position.

It

is the merchant’s

son

alone

who

stands

on

terms of perfect equality with the king's son. When a princess is to be married, she invariably elects a prince, or a merchant’s son as her bridegroom.

Buddhist

Now after the downfall

of

the

power,

the merchants within a few centuries lost all their status in society. Most of them were outcasted. Even the Suvarna

Banikas

who are still notable

in this country

64

FOLK LITERATURE

in point of

OF BENGAL

of our scholars have identified as scions of the royal family of Kapilavastu, were treated with contempt,

wealth

and

whom

some

by them water touched declared unclean. The Suvarna Vanikas, as their name implies, were dealers in gold, and

the

and their present low status in unaccountable, except as a result of against

society

is

Brahminic

leading

the merchants of the community. probably Buddhistic This was due to their not having accepted the Revivalists’ ire

In the story of Çankhamālā, the mother pride takes in the social status of the youthful merchant, her son, by saying “You are not a creed.

fisherman,

ºil.

Don't you know that you are merchant.” Such boast

...

º,

nor one of those who deal in flowers.

“

a

Merchants lose their

of

touched

many

merchant class places

of of of

The water

not.

often

a

a

which

by

has

society

a

position

in

a

person befits the highest only. But the fisherman—the social status Kaivartas, and the flower-seller have now

the

lowest

accept

the higher people

in

Alas! even will not

our society hands.

water

to

drinking

it

classes.

cup

of

offering

a

to

of

of

a

is

in

Kaivartas not unclean Bengal. But considerable number merchants, inspite their wealth, are now struggling privilege hard have the

from

their

THE SEA-VOYAGES

65

The folk-tales are full of glory of mercantile communities. We have descriptions of sea-going vessels which bear fascinating names having regard to their picturesque shapes. We have the

ºstrue The

ships,

their

“Madukaras” (the bees) which show-ships, and bore were the always a merchant with his

staff in state. The “Mayurpankhis.” and the “Gukapankhis” swam across the sea shapes in the of the birds whose names they bore. The Yuktikalpataru by the king Woja, personal

work of authority on the formation of ships, lays it down that the prow of the ship admits of a variety of shapes. These are enumerated as eight, of which one is the head of a bird. The “Mayurpankhis” were for long the most a

fashionable and favourite class of ships in Bengal. It is now an established fact that the

European

countries by

Indian name.

The

of

peacock,

its

sea-going Indians carried the bird peacock to Babylon and other Western countries, to which it was unknown, in the 6th century B.C. For a long time the bird was called in some of the

in

of

an of

which thus formed one the most important exports the ancient Indian merchants, was given emblematic significance picturesque the forms adorning the prows

the ships

9

of

to

that carried the birds the distant shores. The Bengali folk-tales abound with descriptions these “Mayurpankhis.”

66

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

The Hindu-Renaissance

effected a wholesale

in the tastes of people by diverting them from secular pursuits to prºper, names the spiritual. The achieve folk-tales indi-

a

high level

no

ruby were,

doubt,

those times Renaissance,

But the Hindu religious movement,

they are now. every

precious

in

age.

in

of

preceding

earthly

prosperity had been the aim popular ambition the Gold and silver, diamond and

Brahmi.

-

as

-

of

ment

mercantile

as

the

cate

great

at

ºn in The old

of

change

like set naught gold and silver and called them all, ‘filthy lucre.” The motto of the Renaissance became

Ҽf R&

frºſt.”

The Brahmin prided him self his poverty and cared only for spiritual wealth. Men delighted during this Brahminic giving their children the names revival in

of

in

era:

our country have

or

In

deities.

been more

our popular folk-tales, however, our earlier not

less associated with the names be

or

of

14th

men and women

the

of

the

Hindu pantheon. century down, the names

in

From

goddesses

of

gods and

a

of

to

found

things, which are liked most

be met

a

early folk-literature. love for those by

in

with the extensive field Women’s names reveal

to

us, are nowhere

of

familiar

to

are

so

of

a

is

Hindu god fact which will apparently strike every student this rural literature. Durga, Bhavāni, Umā, and Saraswati, names which

one name goddess,

the

merchants.

A MERCANTILE

IDEAL

67

“Kānchanmälä” a string of gold, “Manimälä” a string of pearls, “Gankhamālā” a string of sea-shells, etc., and the names of merchants also are significantly stamped with the same idea. Even the names of We

have

princes savour of the money-bag, and not of the temple from which, as have said, have

Rājkanya,

“Kalāvati

we have

princes, viz., Hirarāja—the the prince

of

still earlier period which do

will discover suggestions

for wealth—the charac mercantile classes. Such for

love

instance are “Aya Bené” Catºſ)

“Gasta Bené”

(“TRICACº)

“Sāya Bené”

(“Rºcº) “Masta Bené”

an

a

“Aya Bené” may mean (M&AC4). “Sāya with large income (AB),

merchant Bené”

an

is

of

the word sādhu,

of

a

If

a

a

in

word which the Bengali generally signifies old literature rich names, merchant. we thus prepare list of

form

a

of

of

abbreviation Sāhā Bené, the word Sāhā, which now the family-surname large community merchants, abbreviated is

possibly

them

.

a

indicating also teristic trait of

is

closer scrutiny

Sanskritic elegance, but Prakrit jargon. But

a

any trace unmeaning

in

not show as

of

We have names

(at

diamonds'

rubies, Mātirâj the Gankharāja—the prince pearls, gold. and Kānchanrāja—the prince of

sea-shells

seem

six

of

of

prince

prince

names

the

of

Mänikrāja

story

the

of

Renaissance.

of

Brahminic

of

names and titles since the days

In

flown

of

all

I

FOLK LITERATURE OF TRENGAL

68

we find that it is wealth and a thought of profit and income that dominated over the mind of

they naturally called their babies by such things that they prized dearly in their lives. We find in the folk-tales compiled by some of our modern writers, such as the Rev. the

people;

Lal Bihary Dey, that older

names have now and

then been changed for modern ones; this they have apparently done to suit the current taste. The names of architects and of boat-men also of the earlier folk-tales indicate the spirit of the times. In the story of Madhumälä, we have

“Hirāmanik”

(diamonds

and

precious

stone)

and “Shonalăl” (gold and precious stone)—the names of two architects, and in the story of

Ranchanamālā the captain of the ship is called Dulāldhan (dearly prized wealth). We do not mean to say that these names are solely confined to that particular

period of commercial activity day we Even in the present

in Bengal. occasionally meet with such names, but in the earlier folk-tales nearly all names of chief as well as minor characters bear imports suggestive

of good money. The contrast appears very striking when we find a total absence in the earlier fables of names after those of the

Hindu gods plentiful

and

goddesses, which became

so

in later times. The above evidences establish one point, viz., that it was during the period of great commercial activity prior to

69

WEALTH AND ARISTOCRACY the

Hindu Renaissance in Bengal that most of

the earlier folk-tales were composed. The same idea is traced in the incidental descriptions of the

grandeur and wealth that abound in these stories, offering a sharp contrast to the present condition of things in society. Everywhere

there is that

reference

to a high

water-mark of prosperity—the fruit of commer cial success, in the homes of merchants. The number of the rich must have been great, for in the common folk-tales, allusions to prosper ous life are plentiful, showing that the ordinary village-women who mostly composed the stories,

Grandeur and wealth,

spoke

from their direct knowledge and observa High-class women prided in their profi

tion. ciency in the culinary art. The hearths, they used for cooking, were plated with gold; they for fuel, and for the purpose of frying they generally used clarified butter

used sandal-wood

in the place of oil.

Such ideas of luxury have

passed

away from our society, not that they are fashion, out of but because the upper classes are now not so rich as to be able to afford them.

We read in these tales

of

“spoons

made

of

value

on

intermarried with the local people, their own blood

and

set

hence

a

its

pearls,” of “picturesque water-vessels made of solid gold.” After the revival of Hinduism, leaders who came from distant countries and high

lineage

70

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

became

the chief

consideration in matrimonial

We know that in comparatively later

matters.

of high qualifications was satisfied with marrying the ugliest and even one who limped or was one

times,

a bridegroom

perfectly bride eyed,

if she could trace her ancestry of

different an

one

Kulin-leaders. The of things unfolded by the folk-tales present a very condition. The bride is said to

a...'..." be

from

exquisite

must be a

the

state

hero

beauty. and

the

bridegroom

The bride

fair, proving

the force of Dryden’s rhymed formula declar ing that none but the brave, deserve the fair. This, of course, is not only the motto of all

folk-tales, but of all heroic poems of the world. We find in the folk-tales of Bengal, that the Ghatakas or the match-makers carried with them pictures of the bride and the bridegroom

to be

shown to the parties concerned. These were held indispensable where the bride and the bridegroom

lived at

a

distance

pictures in the

case

from

one

another.

of a wealthy couple

drawn on golden plates, trimmed with

The were

diamonds

and folded within rich coverings of embroidered silk. The procession of a rich man’s marriage

generally

conveyances

inlaid

of

large

number of Chaturdolās, along with many other things for display ; these were temple-shaped wooden consisted

with

a

precious

stones,

the

ARISTOCRACY AND WEALTH most

71

picturesque

a.º."

one being in the middle, reserved for the bride and the

""

bridegroom,

with a roof of the cupola form of a or minaret.

This special Chaturdolā had a golden

umbrella

unfurled over the golden throne on the pedestal. There were, besides, the Pusparathas or chariots covered with floral wreaths. times made with

seeds

Pillows were some

of white mustard

and

luxury.

For

this was considered

as a piece of

decorating

with black-paint

the

artistic shaped where

we

find

eyes

silver-rods references

were used.

(anjan)

Every

to golden plates and

cups, showing that these were in the everyday use of the merchants and other rich men. A

merchant's daughter or a princess used to keep a large number of female attendants and maids who are described as waiting with oil-cakes, alkaly and towels upon their mistress when she went to her toilet-room in the afternoon. We also read of very fine robes made of cotton “that looked transparent as dew” and sandal-colouréd aprons and clothes called “the Meghadumbur and Mayurpekham.”

The word Maghadumbur may be translated as blue-tinted like a cloud, and Mayurpekham—of the colour of the plumes of a peacock's tail. There are also accounts of palaces whose uppermost floor was to be reached by a flight of one thousand stairs, of roofs made of

white marble-plated with

gold

and

FOLK LITERATURE

72

trimmed

pendants

with

BEN GAL.

OF

diamond,

of

of the

crown from which big diamonds shone adorning the feet of and cymbals of gold lovely women of all castes. A merchant’s trea

princess'

sures,

told,

consisted,

amongst

other heaps articles, and rubies of of diamonds valuable with seven bevelled edges and sea-shells with polished mouths of the colour and quality of we are

used everyday to carry

pearls. The flower-women

that bloom in the morning and those that bloom in the dewy eve" to youth ful maidens at the dawn of the day and to of “flowers

of

in be

to

it

the fairies

the dawn

herself ;-“I

of

by

taking

of

in

her and

rich

Madhumālā spell cast upon the the night, the middle

from sleep

who awakes

princess

picture

a

of

life led into the sort fascinating lady the

We have glimpses or

close respectively.

by a

wards

by

its

baskets

the day, thus

not

the

cymbals

wont? sound

is

If

it

if

its

is

cage

on

why

as

note

do

in

its

gay

morning,

its

wonder within morning, why then does not the bird Sari sing

muses

feet

.

rich silk.

couch decorated spread pearls, the cushion

with

thirteen

varieties

as P”

with over of

described

golden

and prepared

it

diamonds being

Madhumālā a

on

princess The sleeping

is

in

of

busy

of

maid-servants? And why lamps fed by clarified do the three long rows my compartments butter still burn the

NATAL

ROOM

revivalist, the room

With the Brahmin which

the

child

first

73

sees

in

the light is held

Even in the cases of rich people, a temporary straw hut of a very miserable sort

unclean.

used to be raised for such purposes near their mansion and the hut remained outside the main

buildings, being considered untouchable by the family. We read, however, that Natal room.

in the days of these rural tales

such rooms used to be

built with great architec

tural ingenuity and decorations of gold in Surely rich men's homes. it affords a striking contrast to the sort of things that have existed for over six hundred years; for who can

think now, with the orthodox ideas of Hindu cleanliness in his head, of a lying-in-room being built like a parlour with artistic decorations of the most precious metal

P

We need not enumerate other details of high-living and luxuries indulged in by the aristocratic

communities of Bengal in the

day

hey

as depicted

of her commercial activities in the rural literature. We shall, however, refer to some rites the observance of which was held

indispensable

for a merchant on the

eve of undertaking a sea-voyage.

The tradition obscurity owing of these lies enshrouded in to Indians having ceased for a long time to travel by sea. But as given in these folk-tales, some of 10

the traditions attract us

by the tender

Folk

74

LITERATURE

of domestic duties which

associations -

fulfilled

On the eve of a sea voyage.

a gold vessel

of

her

OF BENGAL

before

had to be

merchant

a

could leave home for distant shores. The wife comes with

full of water and washes the feet about to

husband

sail

abroad,

and

wipes

them with her unbraided locks. court-yard The whole is decorated with alipaná paintings. The captain of the ship comes and asks:–“ Have you, Oh master, partaken of then

the

meal

first offered

to temples?

Have five holy and baths performed Are the eight pinnacles of god's

lights been waived in the

tank

P

temple intact and in good condition

?

Is there

a

sufficient reserve supply in the house 2 Have you bowed your head down before the gods P. Have you made sufficient provision for each of your family members for the time you may be absent from home P. Have you taken leave of each and every one in your family P And have they gladly given

such

permission ?”

merchant who had see

her

refused

a

In

one

case,

the

dislike for his wife, did not

he left home. But the captain set sail to the ship, until and unless

before to

his master

obtained

her permission.

It

should

that the eaptain ventured to do so, because all this was held indispensable from a religious point of view. The prows of the ships be said

had to be painted with red-powder, sandal

paste

and vermilion, and the whole ship oiled before

DISHONESTY OF MERCHANTS

75

starting. In the front part of the ship, amidst pearl pendants, hung five lights that burnt night and day. The merchants in later times did not always recognise honesty to be the In the 16th century, Kabikankan best policy. typical rogue. In Murārigila—a described earlier times also there was no want of Murari's cousins,

though

who

tº."“

not

behaved

selling

such

villains,

great

unscrupulously

while

their goods in

distant story of

countries. In the Çankhamālā, we get the following account of their dealings. “Some merchants produce “darmuj' a kind of poisonous wood, from their bags and call it cinnamon. Some sell goods worth a kahan for Some have their baskets of ordinary stone, and sell them a sikka.

full of

pieces

as diamonds

and rubies.”

While taking a survey of these materials in of commercial transactions, we do not certainly hold these as historical evidences. The rural tales are mere products of imagination of the people of the country-side, but yet what historical facts can be a more genuine respect

state of society than these index to the fictions, which spring from the accumulated observations and wisdom of the rural people— the true recorders of the customs and manners of

their society

P

FOLK LITERATURE

76

OF BENGAL

The “Rupakathâs” or folk-tales, already stated, used to be told evenings by professional

as

I have

in the story-tellers who were

generally flower-women or barber-women.

The

especially

of the barber caste had many important functions to discharge in the They were generally houses of rich people. the confidante of the ladies of high rank women

in their toilet. The barbers, in ancient days enjoyed a quite decent position society. in Hindu The Mahābhārata lays it down that the rice cooked and

assisted

tº, rº,” function

they

ceremonials

by barbers mins and

*

have of the

is good for other castes.

Brah The

still

to discharge in all Hindus savour of their

traditional place in the social scale from a remote antiquity. Their position in our society might have, to a considerable extent, been during lowered the Mahomedan times on ac count of their having been obliged to shave the one in society dared to or declare their water as untouch

Mahammadans. outcast them able,

when

professional

No

ruling

race engaged their services; but the barbers, since that the

time, seem to have ceased to do many offices which they used to perform in the homes of aristocratic

Hindu

Mahammadan period. ready

access

to the

families

in

the

pre

The barber-women had princes' and to a

palace

THE TALES COMPOSED BY WOMEN

77

dressing

room. Old women of every caste acquired the art of story-telling, but it is the barber-women that learnt to do it with the greatest effect; for the flower-women and the alone adopted story-telling as the

barber-women

avocation of their lives.

.

composed That women these stories in Bengal will be easily proved by the style and

manner in which they are delivered. The mannerisms, the naive and homely descriptions—

º, º,

Evidences to

by women.

prove

their

and tender testimony touches all bear a to manipula peculiar that skill in directness

pre-eminently belongs to the softer sex. In the genuine stories collected first-hand from women, these qualities are plentifully in evidence. No one of the ruder sex could build tion

which

up the tales with a rich supply of adages current

ºf

“R

the

Ffºs

A&I

horse

are

so

gº! (The elephant drowned, the fly wants There are lots such

to

ºf

if

a

they fººtº and women, not breed, are worse than useless), “*Têt Cºtgt (Money

of

and

even

P'

cºat

ºt”

the king's oppression),

tº

do

*fs,

the reach

heard

poor, we are not Tg

out

sneeze

is

I’”

here—which

means, though

of

the king's

of

huts, but lo!

in

Đº

in the zenana, such as “ºtº Cách Stā ºft: 3 tºtă ăiſs (We poor people live

in

in

in

fathom the water). things the tales and these, every one knows Bengal, are found interspersed the every

78

FOLK LITERATURE

day

OF BENGAL

of the

conversation

women-folk

of our

country.

There are besides sentences which are unmeaning jargon, and may be classed with lullabies; but like the chirp of a bird, these have a singularly charming effect, young. However great the

especially on the genius and poetic

flight of a man may be, he is not equal to the task of writing such a language, as that which, busy world, has far off from the clatter of a developed in the inner apartments of an oriental home, fed by sentiments alone. There is one

point that will at once strike the reader as a typi cal specimen of a woman's mode of calculation. After Khanā and Lilāvatī, the study of mathematics

seems

to have

been given up by

women particularly in this Gangetic valley.

“A

woman vaunt of her many brilliant quali fications,” says one of our poets, “but if she has may

calculate shillings and pence, she sees no way out, except to go to her lover's house and consult him.” In the folk-tales we find in to

several

instances

a peculiar mode of calculation

certainly does not illustrate the mathe proficiency of the calculator, but matical which

proves

that

the mathematician is a woman. In one passage the figure

...:** In

another,

52

and

265 had to

is put

be mentioned:

as 7 times

20.

In

it 13.

by “12 times another, a period

964 was expressed

17 times

36 plus

THE TALEs compose L BY WOMEN

79

equal to 298 hours is indicated by the expression 12 days and 13 nights. As our women usually calculate figures by twenties and of time

in rare to

them.

when

fifties, this is a mode peculiar No man does it in this way except stupid. is absolutely illiterate or

cases by

he

The high level conception above

of

of the

quotations

genius

displayed

stories

from

are

made

in

the

which

the

shows

an

odd

combination of extraordinary merit with much stupidity. This could not have probably been the

case, had

their authors been of the ruder

When a Hindu woman was in confinement, which, except in the case of Brahminical and one or two high castes, is for a period of 30

sex.

days, the services of a story-teller used to be engaged in former times. These story-tellers were generally widows and sometimes old men, who

art from their grand-mothers. The stories used to be told from evening till midnight, except on the sixth night of the birth had learnt

the

of a child, when the story-teller assisted by a chorus continued his recitations the whole On the sixth night the Vidhātā purusa— the god of human destiny—comes, according to Hindu notions, to write the fate of the baby on forehead, and therefore keeping up through the night, on that occasion, whole an absolute is

of

its

night.

The new mother feels lonely her during room the days confinement and for the of

in

necessity.

80

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

sake of keeping her in good spirit and in a jovial mood, they adopt this means, than which nothing can be more wholesome

for the occasion.

The

tales are interspersed

with songs, and when a story is told by an old widow, two or three young women, who have good voices, form a chorus and sing the songs. The boys and girls all assemble to hear them, and between many sighs and much

laughter,

soft eye-lids close like buds, sometimes when a story is yet unfinished. Such things may still be observed in our distant villages, where novel-reading and the study of Algebra and Trigonometry have not yet driven the

popular poetry and sentiment into ground.

the

back

CHAPTER

III

Currency of older forms of belief amongst the converts to Islam in their folk-literature.

After the Muhammadan conquest

of Bengal

among found easy converts the lay Buddhist population which was still very considerable in the country. When the Hindu

Islam

community

reorganised on the basis of the

was

The Nedis and Nedis.

old Vedic religion, and caste rules were revised and made

more stringent, the lay Buddhist people found their position very uncongenial in the country. The water touched by them was unclean and the

Bhikkus

and

Bhikkunis—the

the

Buddhist

monks and nuns—who numbered by thousands in Bengal in the 13th century, were treated with contempt and called Neda-medis or shaven men

and women.

This name, the Hindus gave

them contemptuously, Buddhists represented

not

a

only

because fallen order,

these

from

whom the Hindu revivalists had forcibly taken away all power in spiritual and even secular

of the gross immorality which a life of celibacy had brought upon the men and women living in monasteries during

matters, but

because

the days of the decline of Buddhism. 11

FOLK LITERATURE

82

In

environment

an

OF BENGAL

which

was

full

of

animosity, hatred and bitterness, these Buddhists found their position very uncomfortable, and they naturally preferred

Islam and thus associate

to become converts to themselves with the

ruling race.

In the 14th century, their lay order swelled the ranks of Muhammadan converts the vast Islamite population of modern Bengal comprises the descendants of the Buddhist and

laity whom

Hindus still treat with the epithet of Nedas—a title by which

the

contemptuous

they used to designate the Buddhist Bhikkus.

But the folk-tales of Bengal were no more of the Hindus than of the Buddhists, in the good old days immediately before the Hindu Renaissance, when both the communities had almost the same social and religious ideals.

a monopoly

Their

tāntric

ceremonies

and rites

were so similar that none but an

#.º. º

The folk literatures of the Hindus and the

of worship adept

could

distinguish

those of the one from the other. The Buddhist

who in earlier times, had strictly pursued the path of jnan and led an austere life of struggle to control the passions, gradually began to yield to the softer charms of the Bhakti-cult, and in

much

monks,

alike.

their temples became resonant with the sounds of the evening the

12th

and

13th

centuries

bells, of tabor and of kirtana songs accompanied

with dance.

The dohas of Kānupāda and

other

THE HINDU AND BUDDHIST FOLK-TALES

83

saintly poets were sung in the temples, and prostration, fast and vigil became the order of the day much in the same way as may be seen

worship of to-day. Dr. growth spirit this of a of

in the places of Hindu

Kern

has

noticed

devotion in the Buddhist temples, eventually developing into the ecstatic fervour of the latter day

Vaisnavism.

In

fact

the

Mahāyāna

Buddhism from the time of Nāgāryuna in the 1st century A.D. gradually assimilated the doctrines of the Gità and other Hindu scriptures, till, before it finally lost its hold upon the Indian communities, it had practically demolished all barrier between Buddhism and Hinduism, bring ing the former many steps nearer to the mother cult, from which it had sprung in the 6th century B.C. folk-tales told in those days in the Hindu and Buddhist families were very much So

the

alike. Bengali

It

was a pleasant occupation women to relate such stories

of the in the evening, and it was an engaging pursuit of young children to follow the adventures of the heroes through

their great perils and trials, in the mansions of ultra-human and demoniac creatures, —in the tanks from which huge cobras sprang with jewels shining from their hoods, or, in the dark wildernesses

infested

with aerial

beings

where our heroes had lost their path in the night. But still more was the effect of the tales on the

Folk

84

LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

young listeners of the fair sex, who heard with beating hearts all that the heroines suffered, now from their merciless and grimly cruel sisters-in-law, now from the persistent indiffer maltreatment of princely fathers-in law and not infrequently from their own preju diced husbands, whom, inspite of all imaginable ills, they dearly loved. and

drops

its

Buddhists ranks it

the

Hindus from whose

largest number

recruits.

few

of

counted

faith to

new

and the low-caste

A

gave

Islam

of

ence

medicine.

Hindus and

Buddhists

a

of

who

mostly

the some cases, give

up

though

mendicants

A

Sāktas are

hymns

from door Agamani the so,

course

and the

praise

of

to

day

present the

in

of

singing

goddesses

of

the

among

by

to

some

the

was

religion

that they had shunned. large number people this country used earn

do

bread gods

At

their

with

connected

converts.

or

mmadan

calling,

ancestral

in

their

in

became Muhammadan converts 14th century A.D, did not,

in

one time, but

it

were

high dilution Those Bengalis at

ºº Homeopathic

element

a

the mother-tincture

in

of

detection by scrutiny, any more than

an

of

of

of

the Iranian and Semitic blood that now through run the veins 90 per cent. the Bengali Muhammadans will scarcely admit

door. singers

the Vaisnava most typical

HYMNS OF LAKSMI

85

of this class of people. In good old days conquest, before the Muhammadan the sin gers of hymns in praise of Laksmi—the harvest

º

goddess—visited

every house

of

the peasantry,

of Bengal delighted to hear from their lips the signs of a lucky woman—of the duties to be performed by the virtuous wife and

the

women

and the ways of the evil-eyed

i.

one—of the hastini

“who walks with

eyes

fixed

air and speaks like a trumpet,” of the noble padmini “who rises with the first crow

on the

singers of hymns

ing of the crows and lights the lamp at the dusk, who does not touch any food before her husband has taken meal” and fulfils other con ditions hymns

becoming and

true housewife. These pertaining to domestic doggerels a

duties are addressed to Visnu by his consort Laksmi. The goddess in detailing the virtues of a good wife and the says of their

respective

vices of a bad one, thus husbands, “The hus

band of a chaste wife is glorious like the summit

of a mountain, but that of an unchaste one is like the prow of a rotten boat.”

This adulation

of the virtues of a good wife by the Goddess of Harvest herself is no mean compliment, making

the

peasant’s

loyalty to her mate, of the professional

brinjal and potato,

wife

proud

of

her bag

fills the rice, with and even sometimes puts a and

she

mendicant

FOLK

copper-piece

hard-earned

Bengal,

fact

the

as

mendicant's

yet sound

all in

strange

to

know that these singers Laksmi, the goddess, are not should be, but Muhammadan

on

hymns

the

it is known to

may

who do not

IIindus,

in

it

of

though

But

hands. those

LITE RATURE OF BEN GAL

it,

86

It

proves beyond mendicants. doubt that professional those Buddhist and Hindu mendi avocation

had

been

sing

to

whose

it

cants,

songs

The language

now.

in

Hindu goddess up

to

to

in

of

in

before Muhammadan conquest century, the 13th did not give up their calling after having embraced Islam, but have conti sing the same songs praise nued the these

in

alteration and crude Prakritic Bengali is

no

in

which the songs are couched

have undergone every respect that

which the

Mainā

their

The in

religion. to Islam

the new recruits

to

with the avocations

of

to

of

in

or or

mati songs the Qunyapurana were composed the 11th 12th century. The Muhammadans, inspite their religious and iconoclastic zeal, have been tolerant so far as not interfere Buddhist and Hindu converts the island of Java are allowed to

worship Laksmi with all the pious devotion Hindu. The Muhammadans physicians mostly are now the “rojähs’’ They recite incanta serpent-bites Bengal. in

or

of

a

of

of

perform the

of

by

of

tions and mantras for the cure not only those serpents who are bitten but also those said

CURE FOR SNARE-BITE by spirits.

From generation to

Muhammadans, said,

have tioners

doubt sprang

from the

have

this Hindu

families and did not, after they Muhammadan faith, give up

been

I

mostly

practi

art.

They

and

Buddhist

no

The incantations curing snake-bite.

“rojhās,”

these

of

for

generation,

as

to be possessed

87

converted

were a

published Mir Khoram Ali from 155-1 Masjidbari Street, the Introduction Calcutta. This writer says to his Manual that his name stands first in mantras

has

been

by

in

and

lately

by

A

a

of

to

calling which their maintenance from had been source manual of these incantations remote times.

of

physicians who cure the list those In all cases of snake charms and incantations. or

the

have

he

often

return

says, come

art that generation

the

to

is

afraid lest So practised from generation has been

he

so

in

his family, would die with him, well none who knows the charms

as as

upon me.”

he

“

homes disappointed. “Aged am I,” and know not when the final call will

their

there he

is

they

he to

place,

to

to

in

as

a

of

he

a

where

by

or

patient withers away from spirit being possessed under the malig witch, the mantras that knows nant spell Hence many people seek his are infallible. help But travels from place distress. bite,

does.

of

is

introduces With these preliminary remarks subject full Hindu ideas from the his which

FOLK LITE RATURE OF BENGAT,

88

beginning to the end. The language of these mantras sometimes bears a striking kinship with the Bengali style of the 10th and 11th centuries and at others with those of the 15th and the 16th. This proves that some members of the rojhā families were converted to Islam in the 13th century, when the Muhammadans first raided Bengal, and others in the 15th and 16th centuries. The language of these mantras does

not

seem

the form in composed; for charm

loses

changed

to have

which

they

if

a word efficacy.

all

at all from originally were

is altered then the It may be said that

Muhammadans might have learned these mantras from some Hindus, just as in the country-side they learn their alphabets from Hindu Gu, u Mahāgayas. But this is not at all likely. Whole families of Muhammadans in many the

cases know praises of

the

mantras,

which

are

full of

Hindu gods and goddesses; the Rojhās,

who cure snake bite and spirit-possession, are generally Muhammadans, at least they are the best of the doctors of such charms in the country-side.

Like the singers

of Lakshmi's glories, who, turning Muhammadans, did not give up the calling they practised in their ‘heathen these Rojhās also followed an avocation while they were ‘heathen which has not been days,

afterwards found incompatible, as a profession, with the conditions of their new society, though

SPECIMENS OF ARCHAIC

LANGUAGE

89

from a religious point of view, such a thing could not be tolerated. Thus we conclude that long before

century the ancestors of these Muhammadans had followed callings for earning their bread associated with the Hindu and Buddhist religions, and the Mollas or the the

13th

Muhammadan priests relaxed their orthodoxy so far as to allow them to follow those pursuits which had been the main source of income to their families for many

º"...ºf

In the

generations.

Manual referred to, the com piler Khoramali invokes the

-

iſ

*.*.*.*.*...

of

aid

64

of

Däkinees

the

Hindu Tantras and their “60

centuries.

sisters” possibly of the Buddhist Tantras. first Mantra for snake-bite runs thus:–

“sig stian, ºil cºb, fºlā,

Bāq

The

trait, atá stian ſº

º

atax, afā tīān

cº, fºlā, Bāq ºffs Rātā (a *F ºf atº—ançº fº ºft's "tº CWät

fºll

Cºſi

Tà

alsº s'ai Tà The language has evidently some

tiſſ

the word

the word ºfteå for Kamrup

is

it;

ACA

one,

one

Prakrit such,

as

elements

in

atfää fami argi

l’”

Eifiºſi

of

affeº

it

to

fºr

aſsil

fºll

Cºſì

zº.”

is

“atfºrd

It

reference

in

in

in

is

we find early Dharma-mangala poems. the We profess regard our ignorance the historical

in

in

a

of

Raja probable that that name flourished Uttarpara, pre-Muhammadan days Bali the 12

90

FOLK LITERATURE

OF

BENGAi,

who had achieved a great fame as a healer by The appeal to Manasā Devi shows that

mantras.

was inculcated by her followers

the mantra

in

olden times, and Kamakšā is certainly one of our earliest shrines.

The next mantra is in a style

which closely resembles that of the Qunyapurana of Rāmāi Pundit, written in the 11th century. There are occasionally to be met with in this Manual Arabic incantations invoking the aid of the Prophet, and this is but too natural. Within more than 7 centuries of conversion to Islam, these people could not help adding some exotic element to the hymns, in accordance with the faith

they had embraced, but the main portion of the book discloses purely Hindu ideas. There are references and appeals to Çiva, Kāli, Krisna, Garuda and other deities of the Hindu pantheon almost on every page. In the mantras relating to snake-bite, Krisna, as the vanquisher of the snake Kāliya, is frequently invoked. Hanumāna, the great ape-god, is also addressed for helping in the cure of the patient, and an appeal to Rāma and Lakshmana comes off as a matter of course.

Kamakšā

and

Kāyunr,

are mentioned and

it is

the two-notable shrines, a curious thing that

the

Muhammadan prodigy in the use of spells recites “Ś disi like a Hindu Brahmin. Chandi, the goddess, as daughter of a Hadi,

which occurs often

5étit!”

familiar line

the colophon.

We know

a

is

“ºffº in

Historical side-lights.

fºr

º"

.

CHANDI

DAUGHTER OF A HADI

91

that Hādis, in olden times, used to perform priestly functions in some of the Kāli temples, and they even do so now in some parts of Bengal. They are also the custodians of many temples of Çitală,

the small-pox-goddess; and Hādisidhyā in of the Maināmati songs, we find one of the Hādi caste elevated to the rank of a great sage.

The Hădis seem to have at one time occupied a decent position in society, and it may not be improbable that their present degraded position is due to the antagonism and resistance they offered to the Brahmins of the Renaissance. This invocation of Chandi, as daughter of a Hădi, raises the problem of a far-reaching character as to how some of the non-Aryan deities found of the Aryans. For this Chandi, who is described as daughter of a Hādi, and whom originally the Hădis worship entrance into the temples

in temples, gradually became identical with Pârvati, the consort of Çiva. The tradition of her origin from Hadi parents was in course of time totally ignored or suppres séd as that caste sank in the humblest social ped as

priests

There are many lines in this Manual which are full of suggestions on other lines. We find invocation in it of the god Dharma, scale.

who

in

than

the

popular belief is Buddha himself. Besides

the

no other there are

allusions to Ballukā Sāgara. This Ballakā or frequently Ballukā is mentioned in the

FOLR LITERATURE OF BENGAL

92

early Dharma shrine.

Mangal

Manual,

The

as

poems- as

I

have

a

Buddhist

already

said,

contains archaic forms of old Bengali, often reminding us of the style prevalent in the 10th and 12th centuries. There is another book, written by one Munshi Enayetulla Sircar, in which the birth and adventures of Jarāsura

or

Demon of Fever, are recorded. is evidently a record

the

an...”.

This of a

Hindu tradition which now seems to be lost amongst the Hindus themselves, but is still current among

Muhammadan population, transmitted from that remote time when they eschewed their belief in the older religions. Munshi Enayetulla the

Sircar

begins with the line

(‘obeisance to

Rāma and

“3 at ICºltſ an: ” Ganega') and then

goes on

to tell how a rich Brahmin’s beautiful daughter fell in love with a man of the Chandāla caste. This youth absconded with her, but was detected by a ferry-man in the way. The latter bring threatened to the matter to the notice of the Rājā’s men, but desisted from that course on

him an undertaking that he would leave the girl with the ferry-man. The woman who was enceinte gave birth to a child on Tuesday in the month of September :— it was the night of the new moon and the the

Chandāla giving

moment when the baby came to the world was

JARASURA-THE very inauspicious.

It

DEMON

OF FEVER

93

was thrown away into the

jungles

on that very night by the woman with a view to escape scandal, but the foxes nourished it by their milk. In course of time this child grew

to

adven fully in the latter portion of

be the Demon of Fever and his

tures are related the book. It is also mentioned how a Brahmin

in gaining wealth by the help of this deified Demon, having cured a princess of succeeded

fever. This disease was unknown in the country before the birth of Jarāsura. Now what we have already written proves persistent

two points,

viz.,

that the Hindus and Buddhists who had renounced their faith in their religions converts, and turned Islamite still retained some of their older religious

Recaptiulation of the various points at issue.

callings

traditions, particularly those which were associated with

which they had been used to earn their bread. The vernacular hymns to Laksmi, which used to be sung by the Hindu

the

by

or Buddhist mendicants, are now sung by their descendants—the Muhammadan Fakirs. The the

for the cure of snake-bite practised by Hindu Rojhās (Rojhā or Ojhā, a corrupted

and

abbreviated

charms

form of the word Upādhyāya

;

Ujjhāya and Ojhā being the gradually changed Rojhā forms in Prakrit from which the of Bengali has been derived) are still known to a

class

of Muhammadans—the descendants

94.

foLK LITERATURE

of the Hindus and

charms

with

regard

;

of

and Buddhist the traditions

to

BENGAL doctors of spells of the Hindus

the origin of fever, at one time

current among their peasantry, are now record ed by their descendants who are Muhammadans. Other evidences on this line will not be difficult The songs on Manasā Devi, on Kāli and even Krisna and Rādhā, sung by the Hindu professional singers, are still and Buddhist to trace.

current among a large Muhammadan populace in Eastern Bengal where recruits to Islam from the ranks of lay Hindus and Buddhists Songs of Manasā Devi have been the largest. are sung by professional Muhammadan minstrels in Mymensing

districts. The con verts have not been able to give up the traditions of the older religions during the long centuries of their renouncement of ‘heathen faith,’ and and

other

the Bengali Muhammadan to-day, inspite of the injunctions of his Molla, who is ever busy in

his efforts to root out every form of “superstitious beliefs,” has remained true to his instinct nurtur ed and

of

developed

religious

centuries.

in

and

a different atmosphere

social

life

during

long

-

The second point that we want to establish is that the origin of their callings and of some of the beliefs enumerated above, is to be traced to a far remoter period than the 14th or 15th

cen

tury when most of the ancestors of the present

THE EARLY

ORIGIN OF THESE TALES

95

Bengali Muhammadans embraced the Islamite faith. During the 7 or 8 centuries that have passed, the Hindu or Buddhistic elements in their forms of belief have scarcely received any new light from those older religions, ever-growing under fresh social conditions and turning new leaves in the history of their

gradual

advancement. The Muhammadan peasantry inspite of keeping up these faiths and ideas transmitted to them from

unrecorded times previous to their conversion, are now solely under the guidance of the Mollas.

They have shut their gates against all fresh accre tions of faiths promulgated by the new Brahmin of the Renaissance. The Purānas and the Epics which have been so popularised among by the the Hindu rural folk, new Brah min—the creed of devotion which has been with the sound of cymbal and tabor to the peasantry for these five hundred years, have not made any perceptible impression on proclaimed

the lay Muhammadan populace. It is the older forms of faith anterior to the Hindu Renais sance, that have

still some hold upon them, and

the origin of these, as

I have

already stated, is to be traced to a period much earlier than the 14th or 15th century when the largest number

of these Bengalis accepted Islam. The linguistic evidence and that of the forms of faith traced in the hymns to Lakshmi and in the Mantras and spells prove their affinity to those

96

FOLK LITERATURE

OF

BENG AI,

cmrrent amongst the Hindus and Buddhists of Bengal mostly in the 10th and the 11th cen turies. Hindu amongst madans.

But if they do still cultivate

folk-tales

the older forms of faith by songs, hymns and spells and by

Muham: -

appeals

to gods and

goddesses of the heathen

how could their women forget those tales and fables which they had heard when girls, recited to them by their grandmothers, pantheon,

and

which

they

themselves

related

to

their

children when they in their turn became grand mothers themselves P. In fact all the folk-tales current in this country during the 10th and 11th, and even earlier centuries, they still tell to their children, and in this matter the Hindu and

to

of to its

factor of Buddhist elements form a great training of the Muhammadan child from the Indrasabhā, appeals birth. References in

to

Saraswati, the goddess Manasā Devi and learning, are occasionally met with those fables; and the Râjakumâri, the princess, and of

of

her lover the prince—his friends, the minister's police, are all the prefect son and the son

as

in

in

The grandmothers Hindus these tales. Muhammadan harems still tell these stories, old as the 10th and the 11th which are centuries,

up

to

and

of

by

the transmitted family elderly women, and the continuity the strain from the time when they were pious treasured

THE EARLY

ORIGIN

of

THESE TALES

97

Hindus down to the time when they have been pious Muhammadans, has not been broken; the stories of Mälanchamālā, Bhānumati, Sakhisonă,

Amritabhāna, Chandrävali, Mälatikusum, Madhu māla and lots of others with which we are all so familiar, are still told in Muhammadan eager

attention by the young Muhammadan peasantry of Bengal. This fact was not at all known to us till recently, homes

and

listened

to with

and the discovery has been very interesting as it shows that after the lapse of the 7 or 8 centuries

of the

still

alienation from the older religion, and Sakhisonă sorrows of Kānchannālā

their

create

throbbings

Muhammadan girls, as it cousins.

This

proves

in does

the

hearts

of their

of

Hindu

beyond doubt the origin

of the stories to be long before the Muhammadan conquest and their proselytising activities in the 14th and 15th centuries ; for these

Hindu and Buddhist tales could not have found entrance into the Muhammadan harems after the light of Islam had fallen on the Hindu homes. The very form in which the stories are current Muhammadans show the earliest type, Arabic and Persian influences have, to a extent, changed the original spirit of the

13

among

though certain tales.

CHAPTER IV. Classifications

of Muhammadan

folk-tales in Bengal.

The Muhammadan folk-tales

that

discovered may be divided into

three

viz.:

I

have

classes,

I.

Those that relate to saintly men who have been given the ranks of prophets in Hindu and Muhammadan communities alike. These men

are

called

pirs, such are Mänik

Pir

and

Pir, who have been now raised above the

Satya

in popular legends, but were once men of the flesh, and had, by reason of their Hindu extraction, and of their catholicity level of mortals

of views, won the respect of both Hindus and Muhammadans, though they themselves seem to adopted

the Muhammadan faith. These legends were composed mostly during the 15th and 16th centuries.

have

II.

The

folk-tales

heroic deeds of those

which

relate

to the

Muhammadan zealots who

carried the religion of Islam at the point of their swords, and obtained celebrity by over throwing

Hindu noted

the Hindu faith and breaking the temples and also by marrying some Zenana, after beauties of the Hindu

having converted them to Islam.

These stories,

I–SATYA PIR

CLASS

some of which were

derived

99

from the

and Arabic sources, relate to events

Persian

from

after

the 11th century.

III.

that

Those

have

been

current

in

Bengal from a remote and which the Hindu converts to Muhammadan faith have not period,

able to give direct references. to

been

though they all have Hindu and Buddhist reli up,

all belong to a period much earlier than 1299 A.D. when Bengal was gions.

These stories

conquered.

We may still mention a fourth, viz., those tales heroes

which and

tell us of the

adventures

prophets of

Arabia and vernacular of Bengal

of the Persia,

with a written in the very large element of admixture of Arabic and We shall not, however, concern Persian words. the ourselves with these, but merely touch first and second classes of folk-tales, reserving a deservedly large space for the critical analysis of these tales, which directly falls of class

III

within our scope.

Class

I–Satya Pir.

The first rank in the list of prised

I

prophets com

of the above classification in No. Pir, whom one legend Satya by is describes as son of a princess—probably the occupied

100

FOLK LITERATURE

daughter of

Hushen

OF BENGAL

Shah,

the

Emperor of

Gour.' We gather this legend from two accounts

Pir, one by

Muhammadan poet named Arif, and another by Sankarāchārya. The manus cript of Sankarāchārya’s poem is dated 1062 of of the

a

the Bengali era, i.e., 1664 A.D. But there are other legends also about Satya Pir which I shall mention hereafter. In the 16th century, the

Hindu poet Fakir Rāma Kavibhusana, who ren dered some of our folk-tales into elegant Bengali verse, gave an account of Satya Pir in animated poetry, and since then many of our poets have

this deified Pir in Bengali. Gradually, however, the Muhammadan element was totally ignored or eliminated from this tale sung

eulogies

Satya

of

Pir

became in the hands of our Satyanārayan Hindu or Visnu himself, of the Hindu pantheon, deriving all his glories from the texts of the Revākhanda of the Skanda

and

poets,

purăna.

writ

Some of our greatest poets have

poem called the

The Bengali Encyclopaedia—The See the

words—ttºil

itſºſ

Viswa Kosa,

Part 18,

p.

Jayanārayana Sen who flourished the 18th century. We have come across

Harilila in

the magnificent

by

chandra and

in

in

of

off

ten adulatory verses in honour of this deity, who has now become a Hindu god in plain dhuti and chadara of the Bengalis, throwing his Muhammadan's trousers and Fakir’s loose mantle. And such we find him the works Bhārata

159,

SATYA PIR

101

-

many poets in the 17th and 18th centuries writ ing in the strain of Fakir Rāma. But though enjoys a great popularity among Satyanārayana the rural people of Bengal and though he is divested of his Muhammadan elements and is

Hindu god in every respect, yet curiously the offering of flour and milk mixed with

now a

banana and sugar, that

he

recives at the hands

of his worshippers, is not called bhoga, a name by which such offerings are generally called in the Hindu temples, but shinni, a name given to offerings by Muhammadan worshippers. This

certainly

reminds one of

which the Brahmin

priests

that exotic element have always tried to

eliminate from their religious

rites and

func

tions, but which

in the present case has been allowed to remain as if by oversight. Many of the songs in praise of Satya Pir have been written by Muhammadans themselves. Some

of

these

breathe

a catholicity of views for their being appre

which doubtless accounts ciated by Hindus and Muhammadans alike. One of these poems was written some time ago by Krsnahari Däsa, about whom nothing is known ; but it appears

to

me that though the writer's

name is Hindu, he was

for he begins by invoking the aid of Allāh and gives an account of the Wehest and of the prophet in the devotional spirit of a devout Muhammadan. The poem

a

Muhammadan

;

is printed in the right Arabic style,

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

102

beginning from where our books end and ending where our books begin. The language has also a considerable admixture of Persian and Arabic words.

This work which runs over 250 pages,

Royal

8vo,

was

Bengal

Roy

press,

printed

at the Garanhata and is generally sold in The name of the Muhammadan book-shops. story Satya Pir or the of Sandhyāvati. book is It begins with an account of a Rājā named

Maya-Dānava, who took it into his head to impri son and oppress all Muhammadan fakirs who visited his capital. This was reported to Allah in Wehest by the angel Gabriel, and the matter engaged the earnest consideration of

His Divine

It

was eventually decided by the Rasul, that Chāndbibi (who lived in counsel of the

Majesty.

Wehest) should

be ordered

to

be

earth in fulfilment of a prophecy

born

on the

which had for

long ages been current in the Wehest, that Satya Pir would be born on the earth in the womb of Chāndbibi, in order to redress all human ills in the Kaliyuga.

Chāndbibi was thus by Divine commandment born as Sandhyāvatī, and she re mained a maid all her life. Satya Pir was born of her womb by Divine will, and was nourished by a

tortoise while an infant. As he grew up he gra dually began to show his superhuman powers. There are many heroic achievements related of him

in this intersting poem, which

is his encounter

and

not

the least

with Mansingh.

of

This

OAZID ALI's STORY

103

brings us to a definite historical time; and as we have already noticed another story which that Satya pir was the son of Hushen Shah's daughter, the two accounts practically assign the same point of time to Satya pir's

says

It will

birth.

not, therefore,

be out of mark to

pir cult is to Satya pir in be looked for in the 16th century. say that the origin of the the poem of Krisnahari

Satya

Däs,

whom

we suspect

to have been a Muhammadan, though he retains

his Hindu name, described his deified prophet as having in his hand a long stick called the āsā ; his hair is knotted, and on his forehead is

mark; in his left hand he carries flute; a he has sacred threads on his breast and these are golden ; he wears the ochre

a large Sandal

cloth of a yogi and has a chain for belt. The only Muhammadan element in this description is this chain which a fakir is often times seen to wear round his waist. coloured

An interesting story is told of Satya pir and of his power to help the honest

Oazid Ali's story.

people that adhere

to him

I

in

give a of distress, by one Oazid Ali. summary of this story below. In Chandan-nagar, in the district of Hooghly there lived a merchant named times

-

in

Sumati

the

and

ºf

Sundara

Kāmadeva and

Jayadhara who had three sons. Their names were Madana, Sundara. The merchant at the

FOLR LITERATURE OF BENGAL

104

time of his death and Kāmadeva to

take

called his two sons Madana

to his presence, and desired them

particular

care of his youngest son promised to do so. On the

Sundara. They death of their father, the two brothers started on a sea-voyage leaving Sundara in the charge of their wives Sumati and Kumati. As the three lost their mother long ago, and orphan, his Sundara was a young boy and brothers made all sorts of arrangement for his education and domestic comforts, before leaving brothers

had

home. The author here gives a description of the sea-voyage of the brothers detailing among

other things the particulars about the route to the sea from Chandan-nagar. The wives of the brothers,

however,

were

Every night

beings,

human but witches. they cast their spell on Sundara which made him sleep soundly till the morning, and doing no

this they left home and ascended a tree which by their spell moved fast in the air and carried them to Käynur (Assam) which was their native place. Sundara knew nothing of their doings,

in the morning, he found his sisters-in-law at home as usual; for they returned home by the same vehicle before the dawn, every day. One night when Sundara for when he awoke

slept quietly in his bed, Satya the room and made a sign by

Pir

appeared the

in spell

of the witches was broken and he awoke.

He

which

DLAN OF ASSASSINATION

105

found that the sisters-in-law were not at home, so he spent the rest of the night in great anxiety and fear. At the dawn of the day the witches left aside their own forms and human beings, leaving Sundara took them to task for the house night they very frightened at and were much lest he should report this to their husbands

They plan nation,

when

fed

were,

enough

however,

shrewd

conceal their mental eonfusion and produced some

him

their

absence

better than asleep the

fell

night.

other days, night, went

in

They then and,

They

for explaining he

pleas

assassi.

of

those

at

his

on their return.

in

on

home

to

returned

vaunting

by

between

themselves

Käynur they could put

They then wished. sleeping youth who vomited blood their presence. Before death,

and

they the

died

had asked

of in

life cast their spell

death and restore them

so

the

They

on

witches

and

Kāli.

if

to

men

them

to

returned home that being

their brother-in-law

granted

he

was

to

power

killing

of

boon

of

to

the river-side and worshipped Kāli with They wanted the incense, flowers, and sandal.

at

of

in

a

Sumati and Kumati cup water for quench ing his thirst, but they smiled and ridiculed him, all the him his agonies, and looked while, with their malignant eyes. When the young Sundara, who was exceedingly handsome, they carried his body forest and left to a

died,

14

FOLK LITERATURE

106

BEN GAL

OF

it there to be eaten by jackals. Now Satya Pir, who was at that time in the company of his brother Amin, felt uneasy and perceived through his all-seeing eyes what had happened, he came to the spot and restored the dead youth to life

;

servants. said,

for Sundara was one of his most devoted The youth, on getting back his life,

“No more shall

I enter

a house in which my

by

saying,

you

any

Pir

insisted my word,

“Take

harm,

humble

shall

services

forthwith

to

my

on

But

home,

offer Satya

if

you.”

I

to

permitted

of

tion

higher gratifica my soul than being his return they come

to do

there can

no

Satya Pir.

be

life

sisters-in-law are witches. They will torture me and kill me again ; let me follow you and serve you the rest of my life. You life-giver, my Restored to have been and

they

put

their heads together This time they

means for killing him.

devise

took

a

ever,

to

In

of

no

of

in

of

a

to

your rescue.” He was thus obliged come back; sisters-in-law, the who seeing him revived felt thrill horror the heart their hearts, out wardly showed sign their feelings, and received him with kindness. the night, how

They knife and cut his throat with then cut his body into seven parts and carried they bag forest, where the parts eyes

a

to

these

in a

buried each The scrutinising

of

a

of

in

it.

sharp

Satya

different

Pir,

place.

however,

KAYNUR

the

its

parts

murdered

Pir took him

and

youth

tree

and

keep himself

branches

thickly over

ascend the

stages.

The disconsolate youth persuaded, this time,

it

so

of to

no

by

in

one

be

life.

means the

and ordered him

to

the

ti

restored

return home;

concealed

secured

to a

He

second time.

could

through

deed

on,

a

s

as in

foul

to

a

As

the s

saw

107

all

TOWARDS

grown with leaves. Now the witches had this time been perfectly satisfied that even the god Satya Pir could not have possibly found out the of

to

Sundara's body and restored him life. they hope this were confirmed the fact that by

Käynur would elect

bridegroom

from amongst

the

they resolved

ceremony,

from all anxieties

about

to

festivity

great

relieved

their

as go in

witness

;

palace there

so a

her suitors that very night, and there would consequently

of

They

heard that the princess

the meantime a

had

in

Sundara did not return home that night.

the

be

In

parts

king's

there and they were

brother-in-law

it;

the tree moved

tree where Sundara lay top, cast their spell on lightning's speed through

its

the self-same hidden, and ascending

in

came

to

whom they now took for dead once for all. They

of

of

in

the air and reached Käynur the twinkling an eye. One the sisters had remarked on ascending the tree, “sister, why does the tree seem

it

of

?”

heavy this day But the other made light and no further notice was taken. After the

108

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

sisters had alighted,

iºn. Sundara

goes

to

of

Sundara also got down and Satya Pir led him to the Hall

where

the

princes

as

were

sembled,

from amongst whom the king's daughter would elect her bridegroom. Sundara took his seat among the princes and

Satya Pir, whom the king's daughter also wor shipped daily, privately instructed her to offer the garland of flowers reserved for the bride The princess was right glad Sundara was the handsomest youth in that assembly. In the night Sundara slept

groom to Sundara. to do so, as

with the princess in the same room, but towards the last part of the night, he felt very uncom fortable at the thought that his sisters-in-law would

return

home

by means

of the

flying

tree and he would be left alone in the palace

the Käynur king;

so

having none

of his

of own

people there, he would be taken for a vagabond, and the princess would be ridiculed for her

He therefore resolved to return home with the two witches; but before he left his wife, he wrote in her apron all particulars about choice.

h..." go

"

himself,

expressing

that, should she feel

his

wish

miserable

at parting with him, she might to Chandan-nagar with her royal father's

permission.

He thus came back to the tree and unperceived by his sisters-in-law, hid himself in one of the leafy branches. A few moments

TURNED INTO A BIRD

109

after the witches also came there, and ascended top

of the tree which moved under their spell towards the city of Chandan-nagar. They alighted from the tree on reaching the city and the

Sundara followed them. What was their dismay, rage and vexation when they saw their brother in-law return home in sound health and excellent

spirit. They now resolved to get rid of him by some means other than assassination. In the night they tied a charm with the hair of the youth, which effected his transformation to a Suka

This done, they

(a bird).

bird to a let it fly in a

took

the

great distance from home and dense jungle. When the hunters came they caught the bird and carried it to the sea-shore for selling it to some merchant.

p."

"" "

Just at that Kāma

Sundara, laden

Deva,

time Madana and

two brothers

of

were returning home with their ships riches. One of the brothers said

with

“Look there, a hunter goes with a Suka bird.

I remember

that my brother Sundara had asked

me to get a Suka for him and

ful bird dear

I shall

brother.”

it is such a beauti

purchase it at any cost for my The price was settled at one

rupees and the brothers

took the bird with them little suspecting that it was their dear

thousand

brother himself transformed into that shape the spell cast on him by their wicked wives.

by

110

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

Meantime the princess of Käynur awoke in the morning and was greatly alarmed to find that the bridegroom was not in the room. The whole palace was in a state of agitation over the mysterious

of the merchant's They now discovered the writings on the apron of the princess, who

son.

-

disappearance

...}..."

insisted

giving

to Chandan-nagor in Several

ships

on

were

her

her royal father's permission to go

quest

of

made ready

her husband. by

the

order

of the king and the princess was on board the show-ship with her maids. The ships were laden with rich dowries and it took them several days did

Chandan-nagor, and when they witches tried to turn her out on

to reach so,

the

various pretexts. at her husband's for Satya Pir in

º

she preferred to stay house in spite of all dissuasions;

But

the

shape of a white fly had

instructed her to stay there. The brothers Madana and Kāmadeva

"

""

city

at the

days

after. greatly grieved to a few

They were hear from

arrived

their wives a story

they

about Sundara (which had fabricated) to the effect that Sundara's character had grown very bad after their departure; he mixed with bad women and wandered the last two months; as to his whereabouts

away

from home for

they could not get a clue

though they

had

tried

RESTORED

TO HIS OWN

111

FORM

their best; a woman had in the meantime come to their home calling herself a princess and wife of Sundara; but of this marriage they knew nothing. The brothers loved Sundara very dearly and their minds were filled with grief at

They joined

this report.

those

of

the

princess

their tears with they

whom

took

to be

Sundara's wife inspite of the insinuations made against her by Sumati and Kumati in their report.

The princess

was

presented

with the

the brothers had brought for She wept as she caressed the bird

bird Suka which Sundara.

with the spell

This

crest.

of

tied

they which Sundara into

the

was

witches by changed

had

a

º,"

something

its

affectionately thinking it to be a thing which rightly belonged to her husband. One day as she touched the head of the bird, she discovered

bird. Instantly,

which had changed whispering something

him

into

a

as

the spell was removed, her husband assumed his own shape, and stood before her. He told her all about the witchcraft of his sisters-in-law

bird,

but

her ears, asked her

to

to

into tie the charm again with his forelock and

not

noise about the matter.

She

did

as

she

bid and Sundara became bird again. day Next she invited her two brothers-in-law dinner. She said that she would cook the a

serve them.

They came

to

meal herself

to

a

to

was

dine

112

FOLK LITERATURE

hour but were surprised

at the usual three

two

who

to find.

three sets of golden plates and

seats and

cups with food ;

OF BEN GAL

before

was

the

princess

appeared

and said

“You

They

them.

third

one

only

were

invited

The

P.

at this stage

before them here, two are but where

is your

youngest

brother gone P call him to dine with you.” The brothers thought that the princess' head had gone wrong owing The invitation and to her grief, and they wept at union. what she said, and would not But the youngest lady of the house insisted on their calling their brother aloud and asking him to come and dine with touch the

meal.

Weeping they called out for their brother, only for quieting one whose brain, they thought,

them.

had gone out.

But she had removed the charm from the bird’s head and as soon as Sundara, who was himself again, heard the call of his brothers, he came out and joined them. Their happiness

knew no bounds at meeting one whom they had given up for lost. After the dinner Sundara told the story of her sisters-in-law and convinced his brothers that they were witches by many proofs.

Upon

this they

The punishment.

ordered

a big hole to be dug in

their courtyard and told their wives that as

robbers were

re

ported to infest that locality, they meant to put all their riches in a secure place under-ground and they had

thus

made

a deep

hole

in the

ANOTHER DEIFIED SAINT

113

court-yard of their house. The two wives eagerly wanted to see the hole which would contain the wealth of the family. But as they stood near inclining posture it in an to look down into it they were pushed down from behind; and as they fell into the pit, it was immediately filled up with earth and they were thus buried alive. The two brothers next married two very accom and beautiful girls of Käynur, and we not say that in the marriage settlements

plished need

taken an active part. A sinni on a very grand scale was offered to Satya Pir for befriending the family in their princess

the

had

distress.

The story

of another deified saint.

saint who has also been deified by alike, second only the Hindus and Mahomedans to Satya Pir in popular esteem—whose achieve Another

ments and deeds

have

been extolled

in many

Bengal—is Mänik Pir, a Mahomedan Fakir. Among many works written about this saint we shall confine ourselves legends

rural

to the

account

of

given

of

him

by

Pijiruddin. Gaza and Mänik were

Kamaruddin by Dudh 15

the

Bibi.

Munshi

twin-sons of Saha The Saha

was in

114

FOLK LITERATURE

prosperous

circumstances,

Pijuruddin's version.

OF BENGAL

and his wife Dudh

was a remarkable beauty.

Bibi The

twin sons were very handsome, and Hirā, the maid-servant of the house, one day told her mistress Dudh Bibi that she should be

and"...,"

thankful to God for giving her such lovely babies. But Dudh Bibi said “the babies are hand

I

some because am handsome ; don't you see they are exact copies of myself 2 where do you find

I

of God in it 2 If and my dear husband live, we shall have many more children like these.” Hirā did not like this reply, but the

grace

did not dare contradict this blasphemous speech. But God Almighty heard all that she said and Gabriel, by divine command, was was wroth.

nº.""

appointed

to punish the wicked

Dudh Bibi who had belittled his Divine Majesty. She got Kamaruddin, a severe fever and Saha when by pray advised Hira to to God for her re covery, said power and

“I

shall cure the fever by my own by the help of the physicians.” Allah heard the boast and was wroth. Gabriel by his command afflicted him also with fever. Kamaruddin went

in quest of a physician and

He drank pro fusely at the Evil One's instigation, came home and gave some wine to his wife also. This Satan led him to a wine-shop.

caused an aggravation of their disease and

they

115

A MEAN JEALOUSY

gradually lost their wealth and were reduced to poverty. When verging on starvation they found themselves compelled to sell Mânik, one of their twin sons, only five years old, to man named ten rupees.

a

Badarjanda,

a merchant, for

a

Now Badarjanda, making over the beautiful child to the care of his wife Surath Bibi, went to a distant country for trade, Manik sold to and came back home after merchant. By this time Mänik had grown to be a handsome youth, and Badar janda on returning home found his wife in the company of the handsome-looking young man 12 years.

recognise

to be the child that he had bought for ten rupees before he had left home. He called in question the propriety of his wife's conduct in receiving an unknown whom

he could

not

young man into the house with familiarity.

And

inspite of his wife's reminding him of his having made over the child to her charge when he was only five, and of her having nursed and brought

*"º

him up ever since that time as her own son, the infuriated merchant put the youth into a wooden box and

Mänik prayed Almighty Allah save him

the help

he

to

from the danger, and He took compassion render the innocent youth and sent Gabriel needed.

The fire burnt not the box

.

on

to

fire to

it.

set to

to fire.

il6

FOLK LITERATURE

OF

BENGAL.

though it was fed by oil; and finally when the fire was extinguished the wooden box was found intact. But what was the astonishment of Badarjanda when on opening the box he found Mänik in good health and spirits in the attitude of prayer like a second Prahlāda of the Hindu legends. Surath Bibi, whose grief had known no bounds, for she

Mänik

with open arms to receive the youth, and Badarjanda him self felt greatly repentant for his act. But Mänik said, “No more, dear parents, for, though am had loved

as her son, now came

I

I

not your son by birth, have always looked upon you with the affection which only a child may stay in feel for his parents. No more shall this world to suffer miseries from which even

q."º

I

cannot escape.

innocence

The

Lord has shown His to me, and Gabriel has lighted the mercy

torch to guide my path of

life;

I belong

to them

Saying

and to none else.” so he took a staff in put hand, his and on the ochre-coloured cloth of an ascetic and saying “Blessed be the name of Allah “ left the house as a mendicant. God took

mercy

on

him

and

gave

him

supernatural

powers.

From that time he gave many proofs of his miraculous power. He did so first of all in the Rājā house of a whose queen Ranjanā had treat ed him rudely. He had gone to the palace for begging alms but the queen had turned him out

º

RANJANA's MISFORTUNES

º," and when the

117

Fakir had spoken true words with out flattery,

the angry queen ordered one of her maids to kill

him on the spot by of her sword. The

the Pir.

a

stroke

weapon

however did not do any harm to the Fakir but killed the maid-servant who wielded it. The

Fakir disappeared

from the spot after having

pronounced

a curse on the queen. The curse queen was that the would wander in the forests for twelve years, forsaken by all and suffer great

As a matter

of course the queen prophet suffered all that the had said, and was eventually restored to her good fortunes by

miseries.

Mänik Pir’s kindness, whom she had propitiated by repentance and prayers. This part in the story is an exact repetition of a part of an old

folk

tale which we find recorded in the story of Mālati Kusuma Mälä compiled by a Muhammadan writer and also in that of Sankha Mālā edited by Dakshi mâranjan Mitra Majumdār. The only difference between the above two tales and that of Mänik

PIr, so far

as

this portion

is concerned,

is of

course that the merchant's wife (in the above two stories she is not a queen but a merchant’s wife) is restored to her former good fortunes by other agencies than the intervention of

Mänik Pir.

The chief act of Mänik Pir, however, by which he revealed himself as an authorised prophet of God, is his treatment of some of the

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

120

which leaked in a hundred places, but the Pir filled that pitcher and several others which had similar holes at the bottom with milk, and not a drop two

was

lost.

As Mánik Pir milked the cow,

nipples gave

of her

milk and two butter,

seven big pitchers were filled with these. The old woman carried them to her house and

and

did not give brother Gaja.

drop of them to Mänik or his Sanakā, her daughter-in-law and wife of Kinu Ghosh, said, “How is it that not only did you not give any food to the Fakirs from the house, but you have taken away all the milk that they have got by their miraculous power P” a

The angry mother-in-law exclaimed, “You call it miracle, that is nonsense. They secretly got the milk from duced it here.

their house and they have pro How can it be believed that

a barren

will yield so much

cow

milk and

butter? The two Fakirs are great impostors.” The young wife said, “If they got it from their own home, it is their property ; why then you usurped it P” have The old woman evidently said nothing, but left the place annoyed with her daughter-in-law. Now Sanakā, the good wife, took with of milk and offered

her a small quantity it to the Pir and

They drank milk and Mänik touched the head of the young wife and blessed her. Just at that moment the old lady came

his

brother.

up, and very much resented the

conduct of her

121

FORTUNES LOST AND FOUND

daughter-in-law.

Not

satisfied

merely

with

scolding her, she ran out of the house and met her son Kānu Ghosh, and said, “Just come, and see your wife's conduct. Two young Fakirs have come, and she is very jolly in their company.” Kānu Ghosh came in all haste and struck the

Pir

on the head with his stick.

The

Pir threw

his turban on the earth and disappeared with his brother.

... "

The turban became a cobra and it stung Kānu Ghosh who fell instantly

"

"

"

senseless on the ground. Sanaka, the good wife, was struck with

great grief, her husband being taken for dead; but the Pir took pity on her and came there in the guise of a Brahmin

who professed to be a healer

of snake-bite. The old woman promised him half of her property if he could restore her son Kānu Ghosh to life. But when the Restored

to life.

Brahmin actually did so, she fainted in fear lest the physician should lay claim on one half of her property. The Brahmin, who was no other than Mänik Pir himself, went away

º'

greatly enraged at her conduct, and, as a result, the cows and bullocks of their family-dairy died in the course of a week, and

Kānu asked her 16

his

Kānu Ghosh was in great distress; his wife Sanakā told him that all mother’s

this was due to behaviour towards to

destroyed.

all their property was

the

mis

Fakir.

seek him out and propitiate

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

122

by all means.

For six days Sanakā sought him, observing fast and vigil, and on the seventh day the Pir, who had known all about her wanderings only

in search of him and waited

try

to

her

patience and devotion, appeared before her. She fell prostrate before him, and prayed him to save the family from utter ruin. The and, by blessings, the house his

Pir

came

to

the cows and

died long ago revived and

bullocks that had “began to cut grass with their

teeth.”

The

Ghoshes were restored to their former prosperous

condition.

Kānu Ghosh

and presented the

of

rent-free

Pir with

land.

But

highly

was

gratified

a cow and ten bighas Pir said, “God

the

Almighty has made me a Fakir. What shall do with your presents

P

I do,

however,

them. But return them to you.” He all Goâlâs thenceforth to offer the first

I

accept ordered

milk of

which would bear a calf, to the earth. His glory had now spread far and wide, and he

a cow,

departed from the house of the milkmen after having blessed them.

Who this Mänik Pir was is a difficult pro blem to solve, shrouded as the account of him is in all manner of rural fiction. His own name and

that of his brother are Hindu

;

his mother's name

T)udh Bibi is also Hindu ; the

maid-servant of Hirā, the house was and that is also a Hindu name. His father alone bears a Mahomedan name.

From this we can only

guess

that he

PIONEERS OF ISLAMITE FAITH may have been of

Hindu extraction

; or

123 more

probably he may have been born in a family converted from the Hindu to Islamite faith. The anecdote which describes Historical side totally by obscured his restoring the dead cows and

legends.

bullocks to life may be a legend healing upon power that he possess based some ed in regard to the diseases of the sacred animals

Hindus. This probably explains the reason of the extraordinary respect paid to him by the rural agricultural Hindus who are wor of

the

shippers of cows. But all this is a mere guess. In the legendary account that we have, he does not appear as a mortal but as one whose acts are

all super-human.

Inspite of all these legends, however, he is not an imaginary character and must have lived as a saint or prophet in Bengal sometime after the Muhammadan conquest.

We

have already noticed that a portion of an old folk-tale is now found dovetailed to the account

of his life in the popular legend.

Class

II.

Pioneers of Islamite faith.

We now come second class

of the

to

a

consideration of the according to pioneers relate to the

folk-legends

our classification. These of Islamite faith, who made it the mission of their lives to carry the Korān in one hand and

124

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

the sword

in

other as alternatives; those accept declined to the former were put to the sharp edge of the latter. There are many such tales in the vernacular literature the

that

of Bengal, written by Muhammadans, in a style bearing in a very considerable degree an admixture of Arabic and Persian words. We give below the summary of a typical story —the legend of Hanif's victory over the

Rafirs and his marriage with daughter of Rājā Baruna.

The story

the accomplished

of the Princess Mallikä.

In the city of

Medina, there once lived Ali, the famous wrestler. He married a far-famed beauty They got a son whom they named Hanifā. called Hanif. This son grew to be a great wrest ler and hero in his youth, so much so that no one ventured to challenge him to a fight. He waged war against the ‘Kafirs’ and many made of them converts to Islam.

Now one day he heard of a great Hindu king named Baruna. It was report Hanif goes on an exagainst Rājā ed that the Rājā was invincible atulla. runa in war, and that he had a

Fº

daughter whose beauty was unmatched in the three worlds. This report inflamed the imagination of Hanif–the wrestler. He asked permission of Ali,

HANIF's MARCH his father to fight the Rājā. Fathema Bibi, and she again

Ali

125 referred him to

Hanifá. Fathema said that Hanifá knew everything Rājā, granted about the so if she him the permis sion, there could

be

to his mother

no hindrance

Hanif accordingly called sought her permission

in the way.

his mother and to fight the invincible on

Rājā and win the hand of his handsome daughter, the princess Mallikā, after having defeated him in the open field. The mother opposed, saying that the Rājā was a very great hero and that there was every chance of Hanif being killed in the field should he try to match his strength against the Rājā. But Hanif, who was full of fire to punish the infidels, was not to be dissuaded by fear. So the mother was obliged to give him the permission. Hanif gathered

him

a great force.

He took with

a large number of

war-horses and camels outside the city of Medina and the people of that

city blessed him before he departed, saying “May you succeed in the cause of the propagation of of Islam.” Rājā's daughter Mallikä was not only the handsomest woman Not only handsome that lived in the world at the but possessed of great Now the

physical strength.

time, but was possessed of a herculine strength of body. She used to go a-hunting in the remotest parts of her royal father's dominions, and kill tigers with her own

126

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

without using weapons. With her short that hung by her side, she would some

hands sword

wild elephants across the root of their trunks which she would cut off with one times strike

The animals turned from her, fell down

blow.

fit

and expired. age, her father of a (match-makers) ghatakas quest over the neighbouring countries suitable bridegroom, whose personal qualifications

a

the gifted

“Not only

.

worthy her father,

be

and social status would princess. But she told

of

in

of

of

she came sending

all

When thought

by a he

If

in

I

be

to

will preserve me of

an

the

let this

kill

the condition, for

offer my hands with my own hands;

it

right glad shall not, him shall

I

so,

be

him;

if

to

can

do

he

are these qualifications required, but the prince who will seek my hand must bind himself fight. promise that will conquer me

from undesirable rush suitors.” And the messengers proclaim these con were sent out accordingly Many ditions the intending bridegrooms. prince came and fought with Mallikā and the now

suitors were

beheaded by her

hands

and when

a

end was

;

at

a

to

to

treated.

of

by

prince struck with terror fled from her presence, she would pursue him till she caught him the indignantly cry head, hair his and would out so

a

of

prince, you coveted my hand, here take the reward” and saying she struck him down with her sword and killed him on the

“You coward

UMHAR—THE GENERAL

127

So the whole of the neighbouring kingdoms

spot.

were filled with a feeling of great terror, and no

prince dared to approach his daughter's hand.

suitor for

came to the capital he

Rājā Baruna; was called Umhar, the wrestler; he wore of

Umhar in court Rājā Baruna.

messenger

as

on

of

the

Now Hanif's

Baruna

;

no

he

a

limped

as

and

When

walked.

Raja audience-hall did not bow the king, nor observe courtesy current the court. The

Baruna,

any form

great

of

the

in

came

to

he

arrows

he

in of he to it, a

a

a

in of

paper skin trousers, carried shield his back and held wooden sword his hand he quiver that had had besides bow with

Rājā was angry and the courtiers hissed, saying

I

of

a

be

punished that the unmannerly fellow should for his folly. The messenger said “I am servant God—the one God who reigns supreme. will a

a

not bend my head before Kafir.” Then the whole court cried out “Lo, vile Turk has come, purify the city by sprinkling holy water is

by

it

over and wash the temples with cow-dung and sandal-paste. The city defiled his presence.” “Rill him,” “Kill him” ran the cry every

but nobody could

him, being

Lord

made

by

believed.

He remained there unseen by others. appeared short while, however,

to

he

gave him

whom he

the court, and, approaching the king,

a of

a

the view

the

in

invisible

After

the power

see

of

where;

blow.

And when the guards again.

128

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

tried to catch hold of him, he disappeared

mys

teriously as he had done before. The king was perplexed and when Umhar, the messenger of Hanif, became visible again, he did not try to seize or molest him but asked what he wanted; upon this he delivered a letter from Hanif addressed to Raja Baruna. The letter ran thus— “You king Baruna, abandon your belief in false gods and

goddesses

and

convert to Islam. And give your daughter Mallikä in marriage with me. If you

become

-

a

nº."

do

“

not

I

do so

will come to

your kingdom like a thunder bolt, destroying your temples

I

and seizing your property, and will take away Mallikā by force from the royal harem. So be advised, and, with the whole of the citizens accept Islam

and

your place in Behest

secure

and be on terms of amity with me.” The letter was read aloud and

indignation and cries of “ vile

Turk”

was

heard

Kill

hisses

of

the upstart, the

all around.

The Rājā

purple of anger, exclaimed, “Messenger, tell your chieftain, the vile Turk, that if he comes with his force here, whose face showed the

deep

will find his burial here, and none of his followers will be allowed to go back to his native country. With my whole city I will observe

he

fast for three days for expiating the sin of seeing you, a javana, in this city.” The messenger

FIRST DAY'S BATTLE

129

and in the meantime the king said courtiers, to his “The Turks will be in this city in a short time ; they will desecrate the departed,

20

outskirts

There shall Saying

in us

meet the foe.” general ordered place his army

a

to

march off from the capital.

miles

city.

our a

of so

the city.

of

...º.º.º.

outside

the open ground we

the

to

forth with our army

he

go

it.

temples and throw cow-bones and beef in the sacred places. We cannot allow Let

He had 10,000 of

trained elephants, and an immense number foot soldiers, besides his invincible cavalry, dreaded by the kings

battle Rājā

In

in

""

In

the enemy's ranks. evening when the

the

to

drums signal sounded the close the Baruna called his generals and to

at

them assemble together the next day, with elephants carrying ordered

the

the war-drums his marched meet those the Rājā. general Umhar did great havoc

..º Hanif's

morning

of

with the sound

the

Hanif

of

soldiers

that field.

them.

to

met him first day

Baruna inscribed

of

King

in

the

on

in

of

as

of

other countries. An extensive field was fixed the battle-ground where flags were raised several spots with the name

one point maces by

of

at

a

to

;

of

their trunks and with chargers going ahead them and thus united, make rush the enemy and crush them by sheer dint 17

130

FOLK LITERATURE

OF TRENGAL

“Desultory fight at several their number. points” his Majesty said “will do us no good. All, all must attack simultaneously.” The next day this was done but the

general for that day

on the side of Hanif was Ali Akbar, whose nerves seemed to be made of steel. He made even

havoc in the Rājā’s army, than had done the day before. On the third

greater

Umhar

day the Rājā himself

led the army and fought

with Hanif a hand to hand fight, but could not maintain his position, so that in the evening he had to make a precipitous retreat with his army and come back to his capital, losing the finest of his cavalry, a large number of ele phants and foot-soldiers.

But when Mallikä

Princess goes to fight.

Mallikā, the princess

heard of this disaster, she trembled in anger, thinking of the insult and loss done to her country

by the Turks. She armed herself then and there, and rode a horse, the speed of which could be compared to that of the wind alone.

Hanif in the field and cried out, “You vile Turk, do youknow that with my She

met

I

own hands have beheaded many a prince, young so that men of the neighbouring aristo cracy

shudder

at

my

have come with a vile

name proposal

fear? You know not Here do I spit

for

and

my lineage and qualifications. at your proposal. But will not leave

I

this

.

MALLIKA AND HANIF field,

until

I

hands as

i:31

I

have killed you with my own have done others.” Hanif smiled

and said, “Better would be your place in the harem, from which could pick you up as one plucks a flower from the garden. Your father

I

would have been well-advised to deliver you to me; for am really sorry for the sanguinary

I

;

be

it.

battle that raged here for the last three days and the loss of lives caused by Be advised, read the you will kalma, give up ghost-worship this world, and, following will secure permanent happiness

Islam, you Behest.”

in

in

happy

a

to

a

to

listen further eloquent discourse from the enemy, but hit him on the head with dart which tore his tur The princess did not wait

a

in

a

to

ban and gave rude shock his head that reeled for moment. Hanif felt the force

looking

a

a

of

the dart that his antagonist, though like tender flower, really possessed

mascu

be

could

ponent.

And when the war evening announced the close

drum

in

Medina

maces,

but the hero conquer not his lotus-eyed and

all

spears

of

arrows,

of

;

a

to

line strength and might prove more than match for him. For the whole day they fought they fought unceasingly with guns,

op the

action for

had

for which

experienced he

he

in

to

the day, Hanif returned his camp with eye brows knit wild astonishment over what was

during not

the prepared.

day

and

He

was

FOLK LITERATURE

132

determined

and

love

BENGAL

OF

to gain the woman for his bride; gave him strength to evermore

strike where

would fain

he

pay

the

tribute

The next day the fight was re of worship. princess rose from her bed first, sumed. The came to the field first and was the first to challenge her antagonist. That day Hanif Mallikā, but she rode an killed the horse of other horse and showed no sign of losing heart. For twenty days they fought, still Hanif could not conquer her. She looked soft like a shiri sha flower, but at the time of battle seemed like a marble statue on whom the unceasing gust of rain-like arrows and gun-shots left no trace. On the twenty-first day Hanif said, “Look here, fought

princess, you have The duel.

I

enough

and

I

a

liar

shall if do not say that have admired your strength

I

be,

no less than your beauty, both have seen in than what

I

of which are more

I offer

on

I

my

hands clasped back above and you enough, strength have below. fair ground princess, raise me and from the ball. one would throw me away

up

in

you cannot place yourself and and will lift you

the same

If

as

do a

up

If

with

To-day

lie

you a challenge, which should you accept, the close of this fight might the ground Here do be expedited. others.

position

I

throw you away.” Mallikā, the undaunted woman, accepted the

133

THE CONQUEST

Hanif placed himself on the ground

challenge.

with his back above his breast.

And

lift him up.

and

she

She

hands

clasped

below

tried all her strength to

could

not do

with toil;

it first

time ;

her face reddened she tried a second time, and on her brows stood big drops of sweat, but she failed to move that body lying like a hard block of stone. And she tried thrice, she applied all her might; not an inch she could move him and she stood exhausted and ashamed

failing in her attempt. self in the self-same

Then she placed her position, with her back

above and breasts below, and between them the

she clasped her both hands

earth

fists.

Hanif

and

in firm

seized her body, covered with armour,

and applying all his strength threw it up with such a force that for a moment she looked like a ball high in the air, and

The fall would have reduced her had not Hanif, whose love for her had not ceased but grown from day to day, caught her half-way then fell. to atoms,

and placed her on his knees. With a look of tender love he watched her, for she had fainted,

T."

""

embrace of a

and sprinkled scented water on "

her

eyes.

senses,

As she recovered her

she found herself in the

Turk, and had no other alternative

left than to consent to be his bride. Now the King Baruna had heard of this disaster

and

stood

at

the

main gate of his

FOLK LITERATURE

134

OF

BENGA1,

capital, determined to oppose the aggressive Islamite force and to die rather than yield. Ali Akbar, the general of Hanif, after a severe fight before said

...

caught hold of him and brought him his master, bound in chains. Hanif have no mind to molest you further. Much blood has been shed and

." “I

consort. demolish

I

will not

willingly

do

a

cruel act to the parent of my Islam, to charge you to accept the temples of evil-spirits that you

I

have erected in your city, calling them gods. charge you further to sanction my marriage

with

your daughter and

read the kalma,

If

tell your

erect mosques

and

citizens to do as

all

I

our as

Baruna did all this, not daunted for saving his life, nor for any love

by

or

;

to

bid.

I

you will do this, shall your kingdom and revere you restore you father else you know by bitter experience what will befall your kingdom.” And the king Mollas

fear, nor for Islam,

that his beloved daughter Turk for husband. The shame him, even gained victory,

of

and make him an outcast and given up kith and kin.

by

he

if

on

this would

be

had accepted

a

but for the shame

his

HISTORICAL

This

tale

so

often

BALLAIDS

135

told in the vernacular

by Munshi Aminuddin— a native of Kharda, though he tells us that his version is the first. Hanif's adventurous life, his heroism in the field and carrying off of hand some girls from Hindu homes, have formed verse, has been retold

the

vernacular poems. We have the story of his love with orali a. ygun in animated Bengali verse, another with Samrita

of many

themes

Other stories illustrating the chivalry of Hanif.

J

bhāna

Sonadhān. enthusiasm

and a third with poems show much fire of for the Islamite propaganda which These

characterised the 11th and 12th century Moslem zealots. Love was subservient to the

for propagation of faith and iconoclasm. These legends and popular tales, our Muhamma dan brethren derived from other sources than the zeal

indigenous, and the contrast between these and the Hindu and Buddhistic stories, which are still found current amongst Muhamadans, is obvious; the latter are characterised by quiet virtues and martyrdom at the altar of domestic duties.

Along with these tales of heroism love-making of the pioneers of Islamite quests, may be classed historical ballads songs

Historical

reached

and

con and

which have formed a part of the popular literature of this country. These have not the level of decent literature owing

ballads,

º 136

FOLK

LITERATURE

OF

BENGAL

in which they are couched mostly by the illiterate rural

to the crude language

being composed

people.

But some of these songs contain authentic accounts of some local historical events, or sketches of some noted village chiefs. Such for instance is the

Chaudhuri’s Lārāyi, a book written in the 18th century, describing a skirmish between two zemindars of the Noakhali district. But “Samsher Gäzir Gâna,” a ballad of Samsher

Gäzi, is the most remarkable of this class of songs. There is not much of exaggeration in the tale, and the author whose name do not find in the book

"

I

taken a good deal of notes and col considerable historical materials before

must have lected

... " "

began

write the book. It was written not long after 1752 A.D. when the Gâzi was he

to

murdered and has lately been published

friend

Maulvi Lutful

my Khabir from Noakhali. by

The book discloses a condition of the country that existed before the battle of Plassy, showing how, with the decadence of the central Moghul power at Delhi, the local chiefs tried to assert their independence in various parts of the coun try. But they could not often cope with the

in

gangs of robbers and leaders of bandits who fested the land, taking advantage of the relaxa

tion in administration—the natural- sequel of the fall of a great monarchy.

º

STORY

OF SAMSHER GAZI

137

The Gāzi was the son of a poor man, who verging on the point of starvation with his family, had left his native home in the village of Kachuā, in the Tipperah district and came

...”

to

a

place

called

Sin sika—further

the

south.

Dak Here

Piru, the Gazi's father, stole

a few long gourds when he provide saw no way to food for his son and nephew Sadi. But he was caught in the act, and taken before the Zemindar Nasiruddin.

Here he made a confession and told the story of the extreme poverty from which his family suffered. The boys were without any food whatever for two or three days and on point of death, and seeing no way out from this peril, he had taken away seven long gourds without the permission of their owner. The pathetic story moved Nasir, who paid the owner the

price of the gourds, and made provision for Piru's family. >

Nasir

Mahammad,

Zemindar had ten anna shares in the extensive zemindary of Pargannah Daksin sika; remaining six the

...'..."

the

annas belonged to Ratan

Chau

dhury, a native of Khandal in Tipperah. Nasir's father Sada Gäzi, who was an ordinary peasant, had found 18

FOLK LITERATURE

138

OF BENGAL

valuable stones in a copper vessel under the ploughing land. earth when He took the Jagat King Mänikya, vessel to of Tipperah, and made him a present

Whereupon

the

of this valuable property. Rājā was very much pleased

with him and gave him the zemindary of Dak sin sika. Nasir Mahammad, after his father's death, inherited this property. Here under the patronage of Nasir, Piru

º:*

throve well. His son Samser Gāzi and nephew Sādi read in the same school with the sons of the

zemindar,

.*

who treated them with affection and kindness. In this school the teachers were struck not only by the proof of the singular intel lectual power and manly valour

but by the extraordinary which his cousin Sādi dis

showed by the Gâzi

physical strength played;

this appeared more than human to everyone; for, it is said, Sādi strangled a big tiger to death without using any weapon. About this time the zemindar trusted the Gâzi with the collection of rents of his landed pro perty at Kud Ghat. Here the Gâzi found a considerable number of robber-gangs looting the property of the ryots and doing many other acts of violence upon them. He collected a force and held these gangs in check for some time; and at last his cousin—Sādi defeated them in several skirmishes and brought them

fully under

THE MARRIAGE

139

PROPOSAL

his control. The robbers were allowed their lives two conditions, viz.: (1) that they would not further do any act of oppression on the ryots of Nasir Mahammad, (2) that they

and

freedom

on

half the amount of the wealth they might loot elsewhere, to the Gâzi and acknow

should pay

ledge him as their leader. They agreed to do so and the Gāzi came in possession of extensive

riches by this means.

He and his cousin Sãdi quite impregnable in that found their locality. And being inspired by one Goda Hossain Khondakar, whom they re position

ºl..."

They hold the robber-

-

-

-

garded as their religious preceptor, they and

-

guide

now

aspired at far greater achievements than what the sons of poor men generally dream of. The Khondakar had prophesied that the Gâzi would one day become the

King of Tipperah.

Nasir Mahammad, the zemindar, who had treated them with such kindness and under whom

i..."

they still served, had a beautiful

was impossible.

Sādi suggested

daughter and for

that the Gâzi

it

should stand a suitor her hand. But the Gâzi said, Nasir's family-status was much

ly

as

in

higher, and their own status society was low. Secondly they were picked up street-beggars by Nasir and given education and position mere be

A

of

proposal out charitable considerations. highly offensive like the one suggested would

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

140

to Nasir and

prove

to the world that the Gâzi

and his cousin were ungrateful. But Sädi per sisted, and the Gâzi, half in fear and half in

anxiety to please Sādi, sent a messenger to his master proposing the marriage. Nasir took it as a regular insult and felt that the kindness he shown to the Gāzi and his family was ungrateful might away men, thrown to who had

afterwards prove his deliberate enemies; a pro posal like that could not, he thought, have come from one who had not harboured some further base ambition in his heart. So he instantly sent men to behead Gāzi and his cousin,

so that he might “see their heads rolling in a pool of blood

with his own eyes.”

The Gâzi had a scent of the order beforehand, and with his cousin fled from Nasir's jurisdiction and went to live in the estates of Noor Mahammad, the Talukdar The Gazi settles at Pargannah Kachua.

of

Pargannah

latter

gave

Kachua.

The

him permission

build a house in his

city

to on

receipt of Rs. 500 as nazar from the Gâzi. Nasir Mahammad, however, pursued the Gâzi with

a dogged

was determined

persistence, and Sādi in his turn

to

kill Nasir should

an

oppor

tunity

offer itself.

The Gāzi had many hot dis cussions with his cousin on this point as he was not willing to be treacherous to his old master. Sādi said that not only would it be foolish to excuse

one who was now their sworn enemy but

NASIR IS KILLED

141

it would be positively unsafe to allow him to live,

should

they

themselves

care

for

their

the course of a dogged pursuit on

own lives. In the part of each side to find an opportunity fo kill the other, Sãdi's spies brought the report one day, that at a place

in an unguarded condition Banspara. Sādi sent messen

Nasir was

named gers to him with many presents, again proposing the marriage of the Gâzi with Nasir's daughter.

The latter was beside himself in rage when he read the letter of Sãdi, which was deliberately written to provoke him. He ordered his men to throw away the presents in his presence and

kick

out the bearers. When this was being done, Sãdi, who had also accompanied the mes sengers with an army and lay at some distance, came forward and attacked

him all

unguarded,

despatched

him with his sword. A pitched battle was fought between the Gâzi's army led by Sâdi and those of Nasir's sons. But the latter were defeated and and

then

and

there

obliged to beat a retreat, and the Gāzi came in possession of Nasir's landed property. He made extensive charities and granted remission of rents and by these means secured the good will of the ryats there and became very popular. Meantime Nasir's sons had applied to the King of Tipperah for help, reporting the murder of their father and other violent acts of the Gâzi. The king was very angry and sent 3,000 soldiers

142

FOLFO

IITERATURE

OF BENGAL

his Uzir Jaydeva at the head in order to punish the rebel. Jaydeva was ... assisted by his two generals—

with

nº"#. ***

Shobhā Datta and Indra Mandal. The Gāzi lived at a fortified

place in Chagalmuri which was surrounded by a deep ditch. The Uzir laid siege to this fort.

But in the night when the Uzir lay asleep in his Gâzi with the help of some local people entered the camp like a thief and carried the Uzir off to his fort. This was done so quickly camp,

the

it,

that the Rājā’s army could scarcely offer any resistance. Now by the Gâzi's order, the Uzir was placed at the top of the gate of the fort, so

The fort was besides,

already stated,

by a

Uzir.

as

or

they that when the king's army attacked guns they could not shoot arrows lest hit the

to

of

ditch which the army could not easily cross, owing the volley shot the Gazi

captive.

“If you

of

fight. the risk

the gate and to desist from

myself being

hit;

shoot, there

is

made

his soldiers

of

Uzir

from the top ordered them

In if

The

a

The Uzir called out

had opened.

to

surrounded

you succeed, the

he so

to

as ;

Gāzi will cut my head off. either case my go back and report this death seems certain the king and do will bid.” There was as

to

no

alternative for his army than retire. As soon the king's army had gone away the Uzir's chains were removed and the therefore

143

THE GAZI RECEIVES A Sanad

Gāzi fell at his feet and gave him a nazar of Rs. 500. A Brahmin cook was engaged to prepare a rich meal for the Gâzi made many

the minister to whom apologies for fighting

against the Rājā.

He attended the Uzir as a ministering to his com master, servant does his forts in every respect. He implored the Uzir to persuade the king to grant him a sanad for Nasir's landed estates and give him besides the lease of Chakla Roshanabad for an annual rent

“If

you can make of Rs. 10,000. The Gâzi said the king agree to this, here is a thousand rupees for you as my humble present to you on perfumes. But does not agree, shall cut you

to

spend

I

if

your

king

to pieces

and

the relics of your body to his Majesty.” The Uzir wrote a letter to the king stating that the Gâzi behaved very well, and that he was the the

he

in

hand, his efficiency being undoubted. might prove assumed hostile attitude, a

he

If

Zemindary

for taking the administration

of

person

dangerous

to

fit

present

the State.

With this remark the

grant the Gâzi his prayer. He also reminded the king his own peculiar condition, for the Gāzi would surely kill him the case denial. Tipperah The Riji The Rājā held an advisory grants him lease of

to

Uzir recommended his Majesty

Gäzi.

was issued accordingly granting

A

sanad

decided

of

to

of

of

of

council and finally grant the prayer

in

º º:

nabad.

the

144

Folk

LITERATURE

the

lease of

Gâzi

the

OF BENGAL

Chakla 10,000.

on an annual rent of Rs.

Uzir and as soon

came to the

Roshanabad

as

The

samad

it was presented

his promised reward of Rs. 1,000 to him. To the prime minister he sent He, besides, sent to the a nazar of Rs. 300. Dewans and Mukhshuddis of the court a sum of Gâzi he offered

to the

Those messengers who had carried the sanad from the chief city got Rs. 10 each. He king 1,000. also submitted to the a nazar of Rs. Rs. 400.

returned to the capital and the officers of the king who had been with the Uzir thus reported, “Your Majesty has now appointed very place. the man the The Gâzi powerful man with handsome features; his mind liberal and his words are sweet; blessed a

is a

is

it

is

fit

in

fit

The Uzir now

he

hear

goat was sacrificed for the Uzir's the Gâzi approached him like the his servants.” The Uzir himself

all

dinner and humblest

gods.

a

day

due only

of

Every

is

Uzir with the respect that

to

a

to is

to

by

to

always wears rich him talk; and remains surrounded his friends who all look resplendent. He kind those help, who seek his but rude the rude. We fortnight were with the Gâzi. He treated the ness apparel

kill birds for

no fault.

If

also

to

the king that that the officers hadsaid was true. “The Gâzi has killed Nasir but hunters

spoke

that melancholy that district

to

man

of

no chance for the only

fit

event had not taken place there would have been

INDEPENDENCE

The Rājā's Nasir was thus

of

come in and occupy the anger for the assassination he

145

place.”

fit

HE ASSERTS

well pleased with the the royal officers. Gāzi for his good treatment Pergana Meher The Gāzi next got the lease annual kul from the king for ten years removed,

was

dence

in in

revenue

a

in

to

he

when

in

Tipperah

With this end

large army, and

a

collected to he

thought

was sufficiently strong, stopped paying the king and declared his indepen

a

he

and assert view,

Rājā

the his independence.

defying

most

manner.

A

resolved

Gâzi fight with

of

to

But the

to

pay addition king the for this lease. gradually grew bolder and

He had

Rs. 8,000. Rs. 1,000

of of

rent nazar

an

on

of

of

and

fight

is

fore

Tipperah.

he of

It

of

wº ..".

in

which guns and cannons were freely written the book that used by both sides. Kali, worshipped the presiding the Gâzi had deity the Udaipur hills, be

ensued

declared

war against

a

in

him

on

mised him success

dream and pro his campaign. For seven days

to

appeared

in

goddess

is

it

a

the king. He had engaged purpose, said that the and Brahmin for this

the continued incessantly, and ground eighth, the Rājā’s army began and lose day Majesty left the the his towards the end precipitous towards retreat field and made fight

in

Manipur.

The Rājā

this distress. 19

of

a

of

to

the

Manipur gave him shelter

His nephew Laksmana Mänikya

146

º

FOLR LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

was placed by the Gāzi on a mock-throne built with bamboos. The Gâzi thus became master

His reign was characterised

of the field.

tº:

by

justice, liberality and foresight, and the Emperor of Delhi gave him a sanad confirming him

in his high position. In every department great personality made of administration his its mark. He fixed the scales of measure weight, and

ment and

We find up 82

that

the

grocer

a

prices

was obliged

weight of a the standard shikkas; the price of oil

3 annas per seer

butter)

Rajjak,

that of

to

take

maund to be was fixed at ghee

(clarified

annas. He placed Abdul generals, one of his in charge of the

at

four

...." collection

and

goods.

of

of

rents

on

the

Hill-side ;

the

administration of Udaipur and Agartala was also entrusted to this general.

The Gâzi kept to of cotton in his territories, and that of salt that came by the Ganges and the Feni. He established rest-houses where himself the monopoly

entertained from the royal-store, boarding and a school where he made provision for a hundred students. The principal of this institution was a blind scholar of Shondwip who guests were

taught the Koran; He was assisted by a Moulvi, brought from Hindustan, who taught Arabic and another professor from

Jugdia who

taught

SAIDI IS ASSASSINATED

147

Bengali.

The classes remained open from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M. and from 12 A.M. to 4 P.M. When

the

Gazi

at the zenith of his

was

power, his cousin Sādi began to show

of jealousy towards him.

a feeling

The cousin was older

by some years and had rendered

than the Gâzi him great help in his rising to that eminence.

He Assassination

of Sādi.

now,

chagrin

however,

showed

malice in every gradually so that his conduct became intolerable. He publicly vaunted that the Gâzi had secured his high position merely by his and

action,

s

assistance and declared that

it

was wrong on the

part of the Gâzi to usurp all power to himself. Not satisfied with this, he openly demanded of the Gāzi to make over the administration to him.

“A

nice arrangement

battles

I

and you

it is that

I should win your

should enjoy the

fruit:

It

is

Mahammad and gained

that killed Nasir his property for you; the Rājā of Tipperah was beaten in the field by me. You have enjoyed this high position long enough, and now is the time for you to retire.” Sâdi after this was in conspiring against the Gâzi, and the latter found it unsafe to tolerate his cousin any more. He was constantly in a state of alarm

engaged

that Sādi would assassinate him. So he appointed some soldiers privately who murdered Sādi. The Gâzi's name, as an efficient ruler, now spread far and wide; and the Nawab

of Dacca,

148

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

whose ancestry was high, did not feel

his rank his son. sive.

it beneath to marry the daughter of the Gâzi to The Gâzi's charities were very exten

We have

many

interesting

anecdotes,

related of his great physical power—as to how he killed tigers and wild boars without using Weapons.

An

The barber-brothers.

anecdote is mentioned of how two barbers Chandra and

Utsava received valuable pre sents from him for shaving him when he was They did it so cleverly that when they asleep. cut his nails and shaved him the Gâzi's sleep was not broken.

Now the Gâzi had once gone to travel in the Chittagong-side, and there ordered fish to be caught from some big tanks. This country belonged to bad,

Alivardi Khan, Nawab of Murshida

whose

deputies

Agâ

Bakhar and Shekh

Onich ruled the districts from a place called Nizamgunge. The Gâzi did not ask permission from them, nor give them any share of the They fish that were caught. In Chittagong.

took umbrage and reported to the Nawab that the Gāzi had grown very power ful, and the reason of his visit to Chittagong was probably a sinister motive—to seize and occupy some of the Nawab’s dominions in the eastern side.

The Nawab treated this with contempt and Gāzi was a reputed administrator great abilities; he had caught fish from

said that the

of

.

PLOTS

TO MURDER

THE GAZI

149

of the tanks of Chittagong;

some

º""º

that was a for bringing

trifle and he blamed his generals such a petty matter to his notice.

appointed -

ºn.".”...

of

some of the officers

"

The

dis

generals now outwardly professed a great friendship towards the

"

Gazi and invited him to a dinner at their house. The un

suspecting Gāzi went in due time, and when the dinner was over, found himself waylaid by some assassins

§:

With his wonderful physical strength dash and he kicked two of the horse men out of his way, mounted on one of their horses and speedily passed out of sight before the others could realise their situation. He appointed

by the generals.

was, however, surrounded by many more soldiers of Aga Bakhar and had to hide himself in a potter's house,

whence he returned home safely after an adventurous course, after many hair-breadth escapes from the pursuing enemy. Constantly hearing reports of

brave deeds, the

the

Nawab of Murshidabad

Gâzi's now

felt that it would not be safe to encourage the growth of his power any more. So he sent a messenger asking the Gâzi to visit his capital. The Gâzi, however, was advised not to hazard The Nawab, it is said, promised a high reward to one who would succeed in inducing the Gâzi to come to Murshidabad on a friendly visit. A Hindu sannyasi succeeded such

a visit.

150

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

in doing so; for, this man had so absolutely ingratiated himself into the Gâzi's confidence that he heeded not the remonstrances of his

º

friends and relations, but paid a visit to

Miº

-

sassination.

dabad in the company of the ascetic. The Nawab received

him with seeming courtesey and friendship, but one of his men,

named Shamsher, killed

foul-play.

suspected career

of

the Gâzi when he least ended the great whose name and

Thus Gāzi

Shamsher

are on record in the

achievements

Murshi

Rajamälä–an

history of the Tipperah Raj—and which are very minutely described in this old rural song, published in a volume Demy 8vo. of 115 authorised

pages, by

Moulvi

of the judge's

Khabir,

Lutful

court, Noakhali.

Sherestadar

Even up to

this time the woodmen who enter the deep forest of the Udaipur hills and strike their axe on big Shal trees there, sometimes find a large number

of golden coins which

placed inside their trunks in

plundering preserved

expeditions. in

way

this

the

the

Gâzi had

course

of his

The treasures were by the help of the

whom the Gâzi, it is said, put to death immediately after they had cleverly covered carpenters, the

openings

in

the

bark in his presence.

trunks

with

wood

and

This he did for fear of

disclosure and of the carpenters' appropriating the wealth to themselves.

THE BEIAT SONGs

151

There are many ballads and songs composed the rural people of Bengal, Hindus and Muhammadans, which may still be found out, by

illuminating some of the obscure corners of the the history of Bengal. We know that the Bhātas of Sylhet used to record the leading historical and social events that transpired in this country from time to time in ballads which they had made it their profession to sing from door to door. A very stirring account of how by his chief poisoned a big zemindar was officer when the former had called upon him to submit an account of the money that he had defalcated,

formed

the

subject of one of the

Bhāta songs that we heard in our childhood. The Zemindar was Babu Rājkumâr

Rājkumâr Roy and Kishory Mahālānavis.

Roy and

Kishory

chief officer was They Mahālānabis. his

belonged to the village Kirtipāsā of Backergunge. The song

in the district gives a vivid account of the Zemindar's death in the arms of his faithful servant Baburam Bhandari, and relates to the providential

retaliation that came upon the chief officer, who, trying to make his escape, fell a victim to a royal tiger of the song Sundarbans. This describes events that took place more than a hundred years hence. There are several Bhāta songs that relate to the floods which inundated particular localities of Bengal at different periods.

There are besides

152

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

that describe anecdotes of some princes and other noble men of the pre-Muhammadan period. One of such that we heard long ago related the tragic death of a young and beauti those

ful princess,

who in order to escape from a tyrant, fell into a tank and drowned herself. These songs, which the Bhātas used to com pose and sing in the country side, have now grown out of fashion, and the descendants

i.” " "

have long

of these ministrels the profession encouragement.

ceased to follow

of their ancestors for lack of They kept afresh the memory

of stirring events and historical episodes and of village politics that led to the subversion of the power of a particular line of aristo cracy and the growth of power of new families in their stead. The simple village-folk did not care to know what transpired beyond the

Hima

layan ranges or Khaibar Pass, but they knew what were the historical events that occurred in the province of Bengal in those days when newspapers and journals did not bring a report of daily occurrences to their doors every day.

Class

We now

come

included in class by

I–The to

I of

Folk-tales.

treat the rural literature

our classification.

This is

far the most important section and deserves a prominent and elaborate notice.

CLASS

III—FOLK-TALES

153

After the fall of Buddhism, the Hindus felt that the whole of their social organism should be With remodelled according to their own ideas. up the education this object in view they took Not only of the masses in their own hands. did they obliterate

all history of Buddhism from

the Purānas but the very legends and traditions of the country were changed, so that no trace of Buddhism might be found in her annals. In the temples the images of Buddha were still worshipped but the priests called him by the name of a Hindu God, such as Hindu what the

5...". .

In one place Çiva or Visnu. of the found an image Buddha worshipped under the name of the femi In the temple of Tilavan nine deity—Chandi. degwara at Benares a very glorious image of the

place of folk-tales.

I

Buddha is called Jatagankara or Çiva “with knotted hair.” This “Jatā’ or ‘knotted hair' is nothing but the historic fig tree under which the Buddha attained his Nirvāna. Though the Bud

in

dha is recognised by the Vaisnavas as the ninth carnation of Visnu, the Hindus did not tolerate

his worship or any thing connected with Bud dhism in this country, during the early days of The folk-tales were of course still Benaissance. told in the Hindu homes conveying the lofty ideal of the Buddhistic self-control and sacrifice, but the kathakas introduced the stories of Dhruba, Prahllād, Harischandra, Ekalavya and 20

154 a

FOLK LITERATURE

hundred others

emphasised

from

devotion

OF BENGAL

the

Purāmas,

which

as a more potent factor

in

development

of than a his moral qualities. The Pouranic stories indi cated the beauty of faith and its power more than good action and self-control on which Buddhism So, though the had laid a far greater stress.

the salvation of a man

rūpakathas or folk-tales

still found favour in the

15th and 16th centuries, they ceased to exercise

influence in moulding the characters of men and women that they had done in a previous age. Poor Mälanchamālā and Kān chanmälä could not hold their own before SItā, the

same

Săvitri and other heroines of the Pouranic tales, though the characters of the former carried an undoubted fascination and showed at least an equally high ideal of womanhood. But the best of these folk-tales are those that have for the most part yet remained

unwritten. many of the folk-tales which have been printed, have lost their genuine forms, their compilers have tried to embellish them by their scholarship and pedantry. The Muham Munshi as well as the madan half-lettered Unfortunately,

Pourānic exponent amongst the Hindus thought these tales to be too humble to be brought before the public in their original shape, and tried to improve upon them by introducing a high-flown classical style. The influence of Arabic and Persian, no less than that of Sanskrit,

155

MUHAMMADAN VERSIONS has therefore greatly marred of these tales.

simple charm

the

For these seven or eight hundred years, the

The

Mollās have not allowed the Muhammadan pesan try to accept any story or folk-tale from the

*...,

º:

Hindus, developed under Pou rānic influences. The whole Bengal atmosphere Hindu

pop

amongst

of

mammad, them.

rung

with songs and ballads Epics. The based the Purānas and the Muhammadan peasant saw the yatrā-performan ces the homes their neighbours, but they all this time

momentary gave

their audience,

and narrations

no permission to enter the circle songs

recitations and

where

of

of

them. The kathakas the Muhammadan rustic

interest

in

superficial and

to

took

a

in

of

on

has

Pourānic stories went on. The Bengali Muhammadans, however, amused them selves still with those folk-tales that had been to

Buddhistic

in

Hindu and

of

number

Muhammadans. be

lished

by

madan conquest. We have got

a

to

to

genera transmitted them from generation tion, from times much anterior the Muham these tales

pub

They are evidently spirit, though the

a

previous lecture.

in

in

I

by

is

in

to

Hinduism found them different many respects from the type developed the They represent Pourānic Renaissance. the earlier forms, and this have already indicated

156

OF BENGAL

of

of

of

Here lies on my table a heap of these tales by Muhammadan writers. We some tales. have the story Kānchana mälä list

A

these

FOLK LITERATURE

published by Mahammad Munshi and Maniruddin Ahmad from No. 337, Upper Chit pore Road, Calcutta, that Madhumālā by of

by

by

of

Syed Shaha Khandakar Javedali published from 155, Masjidbari Street, Calcutta, Mälancha

Aizuddin Munshi and published from 337, Upper Chitpore Road, Shakhisonã by Mahammad Korban Ali, published from 11, of

mālā

of

of

Mechuabazar Street, Calcutta, Çita Vasanta by Golam Kader, published from 335, Upper Chitpore Road, Calcutta. There are besides the stories

Mālatī Kusuma, Chandrävali, Lajjā in

of

vati, and lots spirit and others which language are quite different from genuine Muhammadan tales. of

to

is

it

If

urged that these tales, most which Buddhistic, gods are have no reference and goddesses the Hindu pan theon but are based moral. qualities appeal which to period to

all

on

;

Bengal after their Muhammadan faith, should say

the peasantry

that this could never

I

conversion

humanity and for that sects reason found an access into the of

homes

conquest.

to

Muhammadan

of

a

anterior

of

#...

*...*.*...

of

mº"...

be.

Why should the Muham

madan converts whogave up their old religion and accepted Muhammadan names, obliterating

157

HINDU AND BUDDHIST DEITIES

all traces of their ancient faith and traditions, care to introduce the stories of Hindu princes and merchants into their zenana P. After they turned Muhammadans,

not even their

own

kinsmen

amongst

Hindus would visit them within their with the object of telling to them the Hindu folk-tales. The women generally tell these stories, but no Hindu woman would come houses,

in contact with a Muhammadan home, its kitchen savouring of beef and chicken roasted in onion juice, at which she shuddered. Besides it is not true that these stories do not contain references to

Hindu gods and goddesses.

I

They

sometimes

ought to tell you here that the Hindus and do. Buddhists often worshipped the same gods and goddesses.

So that the mere mention

of

a god

or goddess does not indicate to which of the two religious pantheons the deity belonged. In the story of Kānchanamālā by Mahammad Munshi

suffering all that a woman could, from the

we find the heroine Kānchanamälä The

reference

to

Hindu or Buddhist gods and goddesses in these stories.

maltreatment of her husband, -who, out of prejudice and con tempt,

She

was

a remarkable

never looked at her face.

beauty; but she could

not show herself to her dear lord, who shut his eyes against her, following the wicked counsels of sisters-in-law who had reported to him that Despairing of gaining her look was malignant. him, Kānchanamälä prayed to the love from her

158

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

goddess Sarasvati for taking her away from this earth, for she could bear no more. She was

nymph

and wanted to go back to her place father's at Alakā. The goddess came; and Kānchana must go back to her father's home

a

with her. But her steps were slow; she glanced at her husband and found herself unable to affection,

inspite of all bad treatment, bound her to him and how could she give up the opportunity of seeing him, though deep

move—a

he never looked at her ? She now prayed for a little time to the goddess on some pretext or other. Here are the verses which are no doubt very old

“Oh

—

goddess,

Oh mother, wait a while,

I

must wear my

apparel before going to father's home.”

And then again that little while passed, the apparel was worn, but she said again :— “Oh

mother, Oh goddess, wait a little more.

I must

my eight

wear

ornaments

before going to

father's home.”

This attachment to her lord is charming, for she secretly

wept as she prayed for a little time

to the goddess whom she had “as tºtifs

#

titºti we

ºf tºt

Sif,

Tirst we 5tfä,

aifa

ºf

tº

it attva

airfi

ö,

Ufa

ziº

ºf

ºrth ºf,

attºrn

atº I

invoked to help

ºf,

KANCHANAMALA

159

her in going to her father's home. The merchant caught a glimpse of her for the first time in his life as she passed out of sight like a flash. He beautiful; thought had never that his wife was so he was dazzled

it

by her remarkable beauty, but

was now too late. The remorseful husband passed

through great adventures and perils with hair breadth escapes, till he reached the fairy land. The condition of gaining his wife back was to company of her sisters, ;

same appearance for any shape. could take

of

her and take her by the hand from the

all

recognise

whom assumed the

nymphs

they were

and P

if

at

a

How could mortal dis any cover the subtle difference existed all

song

“Dance with

understood

one hand raised,

Kānchanamālā

my darling,

that

I

alone

so

: a

sang

by

She was dancing before the god Giva with her Rüpachänd, the youthful merchant, sisters.

may know you.

I

that

I

your eyes, darling, and dance

so

Shut one

of

by

so

Dance, my darling, behind your sisters may that your position. know you

of

may know you.”

or

to

a

From mere mention Çiva and Sarasvati cannot say which pantheon, the Hindu they are the Buddhistic, the deities belonged

by

as

we

in

both.

of

to

There are also invocations Kānchana Pârvati and Gangă this story. We can cite many examples like the above, showing common

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

160

that in the

Muhammadan versions

of the tale,

the gods and goddesses of the Hindu and Bud dhist mythologies have found a place as in the

Hindu versions

This undoubtedly

themselves.

proves that the stories were current amongst the Muhammadans of Bengal, before they had renounced

the older religion.

The only unfortunate thing about these stories is that we have had no opportunity to hear them from Muhammadan women. In that case it could have been understood they have been preserved by the Muhammadan country-folk in their original shape. As far as the printed versions go, they have

not been preserved in this way. The Munshis have evidently introduced changes into the stories on the lines of Arabic and Persian tales; already stated, the Hindu and, as I have printed

versions

themselves

are not free from

Sanskritic influence. In the story of Mālatī kusumamālā, the heroine Mālatī goes by her

Hindu name, but her husband which is a Muhammadan

name.

is called Alam A clear

in

fluence of Persian is in evidence in the tions of the

King's court ; the

is Bengali,

has

an

admixture

descrip

language which of

Urdu and

Arabic. But inspite of all these exotic traces, the original spirit of the story has, to a very considerable extent, been retained. The gander, ‘rājahansa,

has been the traditional carrier of all news and a help in love matters, in the

the

BUDDHIST PHRASEOLOGY

161

Hindu tales ever since the time of Nala-Dama yanti.

And here also the bird appears discharging the same meates these stories. Alam, the merchant, function. appears before a ‘muni,’ a Hindu or a Buddhist A Hindu spirit per

a täntric

Sage, and

who is engaged in tapa or

religious austerities practised by the people of order, his with head bent downwards before

a

fire

and

legs

raised

above.

These

self-tormentings

characterised the tântrikas of the 8th and 9th centuries, when these stories were probably composed, though it cannot be Said that there are not instances of similar self

torture amonst the tântrikas even of this day. One curious point in regard to these tales compiled by Muhammadans is that we come across many examples of Buddhist phraseology in them, such for instance is the word “nuranjana ’

which we find frequently in almost every one of these stories. The word is used for God. It often

occurs

in

the

Buddhist

works like the

Çunya purāna and Dharmamangala poems. The usma,” or “the anger of God

“niranjaner

forms one of the most stirring incidents

head,”

in the Gunya purăna. Another word of Buddhist currency is ‘Käynur’ for Kāmarupa, which is also to be met with in many of these

described

stories.

The Hindu and the Buddhist elements,

as they were before the Pourānic Renaissance, form the characteristic features of these tales. 21

162

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

story of Jamini Bhāna told by Munshi Muhammad Khater Marhun, the nymphs of

In

the

Indra's heaven, that we find them in a similar tale told by Hindu writers, are changed into The deer in this story was a fairy ; this will naturally remind one of the nymph who attracted the attention and love of the

fairies.

king Dandi in the guise of a deer. This legend of the king Dandi and his love with a nymph of Indra's heaven, who remained as a deer during daytime under a curse, is treated in detail in the Bengali Mahābhārata. The name of the hero——Jamini Bhàn seems to be an abbre viation of the word Jamini Bhanu (lit. ‘Sun of the night,’ whatever it may mean) and reminds us of the hero of the poem of Harililä by Jaynara yan Sen, whose name is Chandra Bhàn (moon sun, an equally meaningless word). The other characters of these tales Jagatchandra, wati and Rukmini bear Hindu names.

Mriga

As already stated by me, these folk-tales, common to Hindus and Muhammadans alike, and a common heritage to them both, have got, in the Muhammadan versions, an exotic flavour,

which is unmistakable.

"...". ...”.” a

but

mälä,

The story of Kānchana compiled

by

Munshi

Muhammad, has a Hindu ground-work, and is essentially a Hindu tale in every sense ; even here the Muhammadan compiler has

163

WOMANLY DEVOTION

introduced some of the peculiar ideas current in One of the brothers of Rupalāl his society. goes by the Muhammadan name of Aftab. The name Taimus is also a Muhammadan one in the story. But these innovations are after all very superficial. Sometimes a deterioration in the morality in the Muhamma standard of sexual

This is dan versions of these stories is striking. what has shocked us in several places. The

Hindu ideal of womanly virtues, of devotion husband, of brahmacharya

in widowhood,

to

is the

highest.

Whether a woman should stick to her husband selected by her parents, or have a free

choice in the selection of her mate, and change one who has ceased to interest her for the latest

winner question,

of

her

raised

heart, by

the

is

too complicated a modern

rationalists,

In for me to enter upon in the present topic. no doubt a change or our social organism coming on, and the time rather revolution is honoured traditions and beliefs are now being scrutinised in the light of the reformer's new ideas, and the ground we

tread

upon,

however

firm in the past, has grown shaky in the present. But let us not fail to appreciate the type of the highest devotion and highest sacrifice in women, though we may break and rebuild our ideals. In the Muhammadan community here, a woman its

may take another mate if her husband dies. The austerities fasts and vigils of widowhoood,

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

164

resignation,-the ideals set forth by the Hindu society, lost all hold the lay Muham converts,

madan

and

of

depravity was their lowest ranks, with sexual

in

not viewed by them the same feeling

on

its

and

horror.

The

folk

Hindu

all blemish this respect. They were told women women and children, and every word that fell from the lips their tellers was cautious and carefully of

by

to in

tales are free from

all the

of

The purity

weighed.

folk-tales strikes when we see that the poems and works the period, written by

more,

of

other literary

these

Hindus themselves, are not free from indecency and moral defects. The latter works were mostly

the

in

a

it,

widely

reading those

womenfolk read the the vernacular. The to

enable

written

so

of

to

as

literature

the art

viz.,

in

we now understand

knowledge amongst women and writing, had not spread days

by

as

education,

of

to

do

;

written by men for men the fair sex had scarcely any thing with them. Female

at

he

of

respon writer therefore had not that sense sibility that has the present day. When men write something for themselves and not for the other sex, they may take some license and may

greater

caution

and

than the ordinary

to

composed

sense

written

with

far

appropriateness

literature.

In

were

of

generally

women,

a

to

of

decency. not observe the too hard and fast rules But the folk-tales which used be narrated

the

CITA-BASANTA

165

Muhammadan version we are shocked to find in descriptions of the story of Kānchanamälä, that prevailed in the harem of the six brothers of Rupalal. This youth revelled in unrestrained and gross incest with his sisters-im

sexual

vice

law. In the story of Çita-Vasanta by Golam Kader, we are again shocked by the intriguing queen's throwing the two princes into the meshes of her abominable design. With what a sense

º

of relief does the reader turn over the pages of a Hindu version of the stories. The situations are completely changed, and no suggestion wicked indecency is to be found in them.

of

We are afraid that our critical review of this

folk-literature may not appeal to you, as most of you are not acquainted with

"

the stories.

I propose

take for example the story Çita There are altogether four versions

of

of

of all,

us

let

here to compare several versions of the same tales obtained from differeut sources. First

we

Vasanta.

this tale

is

brief summary

of

Calcutta.

A

by

by is

It

up

this story that have come across. We shall first take the Muhammadan one. com piled published Golam Kader and Afaz uddin Ahmed from 155-1, Musjidbaree Street, given

named

city

Ada Nasa.

king Shahabad reigned He got twin sons by his a

the

of

In

here.

queen; they were called Çita and Vasanta. One

Folk

166

LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

day the queen saw two birds near her compart ment. Seated on the bough of a tree, they

endearingly touched each other with their beaks and seemed bound in great love. They had several young ones. The queen was pleased to see the happy family. But a few days after, the female bird died, and for a day or two her mate screamed wildly in grief; but not long after, he brought with him another female bird, and they lived

as husband

and wife.

The new comer

killed the young ones, one by one, during the

...” Pr"

absence of the male bird.

This

incident moved the queen so deeply that she fell ill. She

told the king of her fears, lest if she died and he took another mate, the condition of her dear sons might be like that of the young ones of never

be, that

º a

would take another calamity, such

it was impossible that he if,

could

king of course swore that this

The

wife, as

the bird.

she

God forbidding, spoke of, ever

happened.

soul.

of

of

amongst he

charities as

of

of

advised

distributed

the poor, and did was good queen's for the the deceased time, however, the king took course

In

tº.

wife.

long course religious advice quiet the mind the dis consolate king. His Majesty to

gave

Minister

a

But the queen really died, and the Prime

of

THE HEARTs

MAGIC BIRDs

167

another queen. Gita and Vasanta had now grown up into manhood. The young queen was en

of

had conceived

a

a secret

it,

amoured of the brothers and she

did

not

make

but plainly told them that she passion for them. The brothers

at

this confession from their step mother and fled from her presence horror. maligned queen But the infuriated them before the king and gave out false story complaining shocked

a

in

were

The king was very much order next morning

to

an

against their conduct. enraged and gave

on

execute the princes, and bring their blood before him. The executioner took compassion the

in

to

in

at

liberty two brothers deep jungle, advising them never return their motherland. The brothers wandered the forests for

a

and their escape.

to a

to

be

to

a

Tººl,º

a

th

young princes, killed goat and cup with its blood filled shewn the king, and set the

-

diamond

were

fine

in

will

-

be

“he

brothers

They killed the birds.

the one. eats me,” said

the

pos

every archers.

Gita ate the heart

of

The

“If

said

one

other, session

morning.”

in

to

the magic-

king,”

any

e

a the

of

eating of

The

hearts

birds.

“If some one kills me will immediately become

a

strain

and eats my heart,

of

following

:

the

heard two birds, endowed with speech, talking one another he

the power

of

long time, and

the

168

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

first and

Vasanta of

second

the

bird.

Now

when the two brothers were straying apart from one another for a short while, the royal elephant

no

of

its

of a neighbouring king's stall came near Çita; the animal held a string of diamond of the value of nine lakhs by trunk. The king issue; the that country had died leaving minister

and

people relied

the

upon

Provi

on

diamond

proboscis

the palace. quest

came

of

in

the jungle

Gita that country.

he

to

back the king

of

and carried him was thus installed

its

Gita, put the string round his neck by

its of

its back, he should king, their elected by God. The elephant kneeled down before

on

king.

the palace

as

to

elected

a

Vita

taken

is

be

would bring

be to

it

a

to

give them king, and the elephant was dence let loose on their decision that whomsoever

he

him shelter his great surprise found that the handsome youth presented him with diamond every day. The avaricious merchant made up his mind extort from him information as where his to

to

a

to

merchant

willingly,

who gave

as a

After escaping from this danger,

to

of

of

a

he

wandered

in

his fruitlessly. through passed great brother He hardships and trials. Once was taken for horses, thief fruits and and arrested.

Wasanta

he

a

in

so

on

extraordinary treasure lay and insisted his drinking wine that drunken state might make the disclosure. Now the condition

vasANTA's

"

to

He

man

and was

so

sea-voyage

for

offered

they

secure

and whom should unfortunate youth Wasanta kith or kin claimed as their own the

wife

remonstrated,

as

merchant’s

he

whom The

was

a

secure

The merchant's

person

P.

the waters.

no chance

of

was

human

be

went sacrifice,

there

to

men

to

the ship moving

said that unless

a

sacrifice

the captain was offered,

a

on

it

and

on

of sea,

as

purchased

now

that,

happened

sell

But the eve starting, the ship would not float the

trade.

no

very rich by

on he

to

go

The merchant had grown ing the diamonds and ship and planned

but

wandered about great distress.

thus

a

like

helpless

on

him

in

away.

drove a

lost his power; and the merchant more gave him any diamond,

a

finding that

in

his

*:::::

no

Vasanta,

169

receiving a diamond every day was that this power would fail if he loses drank wine. Being obliged drink the above way, he he

of his

FURTHER TROUBLEs.

grace to

Wasanta was required 22

he

begged

spare

his that the ship

touched

the Almighty.

prove what

he

he simply the

to

merchant

When

he felt confident

of

as

of

would float

the

life,

execution

by

to

the execution-ground, however, the

º led

red robes and garlanded.

it if

was dressed

in

very handsome youth, but the relentless merchant would not listen to her words. He

said.

As

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

170

he touched the ship

it floated like

cork.

a

thing of

But Vasanta was not set

at liberty, as the captain said that if the ship should again

Issaved.

get stuck

on

the shore, his services might be

required. So Wasanta was on board the ship, and the merchant's daughter took a fancy for him and asked her mother to marry her to him. The merchant treated the request with contempt. Laden with merchandise, the ship came to the The Chinese princess happened Wasanta from the window of her palace,

Chinese shore.

to

see

and begged of her father to get her

him.

married to king The called the merchant to him and

proposed

the

to anything took place princess

marriage.

to the

He would not listen contrary. So the marriage

with the usual pomp. And the large dowry with her started on another

ship with her husband. visit to them

.*.*.*... sea.

The merchant

paid

a ship, and, day, in their one when

they were passing through the vast

ocean,

Vasanta

pushed down bottomless

into the

deep.

He now asked the princess to marry him. The princess had thrown a tumbă for the support of her husband, and declared that she would be right glad to marry the merchant after the expiry of a year, the term of her vow. Wasanta, with the help of the

COMPLETION OF THE on

the

sea

made a narrow

and

by a

floated

off

tumbă

171

WOW

a

escape from being seized and carried great sea-bird. Once crocodile had even

swal

lowed but came out with the help the tumbă. He floated through the milk-sea, the butter-sea, the red-sea, the blue-sea, fact all the seven seas, till some nymphs, taking

in

of

he

him,

him, took him

god

granted

he

be

him

it,

desert for many

years.

the withered plants

But

a

lying

as

was

a

to

which

as

woman,

of

would soon over. When returned earth, after passing through further vicissitudes fortune, came the garden flower he

of to

the destiny

Indra's heaven where the boon that his evil to

on

pity

waste-land and

Vasanta entered

all flowered

and

looked

and smiling. The flower-woman, coming time, the spot that felt some god had as

if

at

to

fresh

visited her deserted garden and worked wonders. She welcomed Vasanta, called him nephew, and

with great hospitality.

to

a

to

clue And she now expressed by

her.

a

Getting

Chinese princess was kept. this, Wasanta sent message

the

wish

to

where

celebrate

be

harem

This flower

means of access into the merchant's

a

a

treated him woman had

of

as

on

to

completed. which her vow was The merchant was very glad that the comple tion her vow she would accept him her husband. Invitation-letters were issued to all the rites

as

of

a

princes and Gita who was now king, and Vasanta, Adanäs, the father well Çita and

172

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

function. The condition required that one who would

to

-

priestly office.

condi

drums, beat accept the condi

announce the

So he

he

to

and

of

mother had seen the future of of

her sons the fate the young ones of bird. As he related the by

a

headed and the happy end for others.

in

to

merchants,

narrate the story Çita-Vasanta even from the time when their

be

is

The merchant

fully knew the story. kings

the assembled

of

by

tion declaring that commenced

Drummers were

the princess

and Vasanta came forward before

tell the

the princes Gita-Vasanta, would privileged alone hold the appointed

tion laid down

ceremony

by

the

the

to

holds

priestly office.

the able

be

Wasanta

of

whole story

influential

witness to

be of

to

its

as other princes of the country and and rich merchants assembled

feeling

of

stop

to

to

a

time himself had voice, clear his choked with emotion. and

A

many

he

of

of

one, the eyes his great miseries, one each one that illustrious audience became tearful story

violent

assembly,

as

of

by

of

in

was raised that vast brother, recognised brother and the king, his sons. The gladsome news the lost being found again was announced the music be

to

nahabat orchestra. The king ordered his wicked wife and the merchant beheaded and the

The king

his successor and Vasanta was made his prime minister. The Chinese princess to

elected Gita

be

order was carried out then and there.

HARINATH's was brought to the

173

VERSION

Vasanta, however, wife, had to take a second for the merchant's daughter had loved him with a whole heart, palace.

though her father had treated him cruelly. We shall now briefly review another version of the story of Çita-Vasanta by a Hindu writer. This compiler has tried his best to maintain his dignity as a writer of classical style, and the folk-tale he heard in his child hood he has thoroughly recast on a pouranic model, giving it an air of a full fledged Sanskritic story, and eliminating all Harinath Mazumdar's

its

version.

traces of

rural origin. is

The story not called Çita-Vasanta. Some how or other the author did not like the name of So

of

by

it

in

;

he

has changed into Vijaya. that the story this version goes the name

Çita

in

a

Chand

plume

his

more

He wrote the story

in

as

is

real name Harinath Majumdar, but familiarly known Kāngal Harinath.

;

In

Fikir

he is

This

however, his nom

saint

the colophon

de

Fakir.

is,

of

a

and writer these, he subscribes himself

Bengal as

well known spiritual songs.

is

of

The author

as

Vijaya-Vasanta.

1859,

when

its first

The author's chief credit. creating pathos

an

his

power

in

one time.

of

lies

in

popular

at

in

of

a

edition was published, and fourteenth edition long 1913, was called for after the death Vijaya-Vasanta the author. The book was very

174

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

extraordinary manner. No one can read the book without being literally swept away by emotion and by a feeling of compassion for the sufferings of the two forlorn children, especially Vasanta, the youngest

But we are not concerned with the pathos of the story. A brief summary given of this version is below. Parikshit, the king, one day went to the forests for hunting.

child.

He put a dead serpent

round the

neck of a saint, who, merged in contemplation, had not heard the king's request to give him drinking young son sage's some water. The

Çrngi came to the spot that moment, and, seeing his father insulted by the king, cursed him say ing that he would be stung by a serpent within a week and die. Now the sage heard this curse uttered by his son and reprimanded him for this cruelty. He referred to a curse once uttered by two young ascetics, leading to disastrous con of the Gandharva King Chitraratha, his wife and brother. The king sporting in a river with his wife had not paid heed to the young sages, and had thrown out water sequences in respect

on the persons of their Holinesses in course of his sports. Chitraratha and his brothers were born into the

married

to

wife became

Vijaya

the world

as

a

Chitraratha.

ee

Vijaya and world mortals Vasanta. Chitraratha's former of

story of King

Gandharva

in

the

tº

in

.º.º.

father—the

princess who was

his youth.

“What

were

THE Boys'

sufferings

the sufferings of these three ?” asked his father gave the following account. “The king Jayasen of Jaypur got

175

Grngi and two sons,

Vijaya and

Vasanta. The good queen, their mother, died shortly after, and the king was dis consolate over her death for some time and his

him a course of advice to alle grief. viate his Sometime after, the king, at the advice of his family-priest Dhauma, took another minister

gave

wife. The old maid-servant of the house Qanta took charge of the young princes and was very Durlatā, a maid-servant of the devoted to them. new queen, advised her to take prompt steps to remove Vijaya and Vasanta from the palace for ever, by means fair or foul. For these children would, she said, stand in the way of her own

...”

sons, when born, succeeding to the throne. The queen took her advice and shut

herself up in the “room of anger,” and, when the king

enquired about the cause of her sorrow, gave out a false story stating how she had been insulted by the children. The king, who was helpless arrest

in them

hands, ordered

kotwal to and execute them in the morning.

her

the

When they were bound with chains, Wasanta who was only four years old, said, will tell pappa how you treat me ; see my hands

“I

are bleeding.” Gântâ interposed and tried to take away the children from the kotwal

OF

FOLK LITERATURE

176

BENGAL.

boys were thrown into who kicked her out. The Vijaya, “Brother, a dungeon and Vasanta said to cannot bear the pain.” take away my chains. away in Vijaya heard him lament, and swooned brought before the grief. The next day they were at king who gave the order to behead them me, sire, as you will said,

I

once.

Vijaya

“Punish

innocent as innocence like, but not blood on his hand itself.” Vasanta showed the punish the kotwal and take me and said, “Pappa, pain.” am in great fear and See to your care. at the princes But the king did not even look must be carried ; and was inexorable his order greatly moved out at once. The courtiers were of the princes. and they interceded in behalf some body else had But the king said, be his fate P insulted the queen, what would cannot show partiality Vasanta,

I

to:

;

the forests.

I

that

the

just

wards my own children would not

just.”

So

in

-

be

º º: - -

“If

to

in

to a

for

of

They came from the capital. valley was the mountain where and trans pure spring see, with

to of far a off

pleasant

of a

to

ment for life. jungle, the foot

banish one was changed The two boys were let loose

execution

a

Order

of

it,

on

of

being exe the point monarch's order was strongly con cuted, but the prime minister yield little. and the king had demned

of

in

a

little parent water. Vijaya left Vasanta The latter sat quest food. time and went

EATS A POISONOUS

WASANTA

FRUIT

177

there waiting, and tasted a fruit that had dropped from a near tree and became senseless, the fruit

When Vijaya saw his little brother in that condition on his return, he con cluded that he must have been stung by a was poisonous.

Seeing no help, he lamented, saying, darling, pappa did not show you any affec tion when you appealed to him ; is it for this that, in wounded feelings, you are leaving this world P Wait, am coming to you; alas, where serpent.

“My

I

now is

Çanta?” commit suicide.

Saying

this, he

Just at that

resolved to moment an ascetic

appeared there and said, “Desist, my child, from

Self-murder is unrighteous.” He gave some medicine to Vasanta by which he recovered, for he was not dead, but senseless. The sage gave the brothers shelter for the night. In the morning they again started in quest of some habitation of men. For miles and miles the mad

course.

a deep jungle from which they way found no out. In the night they climbed a tree, and hisses of cobra and the yell of wolves spread

there

and a mingled uproar of other ferocious animals

Vijaya realised

were heard around.

the

situa

23

he

so

the morning Vasanta Upon could not speak.

In

call Qanta our aid thirsty that felt

"

to

“

if

is

its

tion and looked greatly embarrassed. Vasanta, who thought himself quite safe in the care of his brother, just as a baby in the arms of mother, Brother, any danger, why not said, there

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

178

quest of a little drinking this Wijaya went in alone, he water, and when leaving Vasanta safe, do prayed, “Oh god, keep my little brother

of

was immediately

as

in

the public streets and king. installed

joy

he

"

a

in

of

nº.

to

on

its

It

But as Vijaya whatever you like with me.” way, an elephant gorgeously had gone some him, and, gently taking caparisoned ran towards placed him on the rich häwdā him up by his trunk, then walked rapidly towards back. on the the death the city. The people there Royal stall the king, had set the elephant way, and king that find out city, when Vijaya entered the loud were the exclamations of

of

of

in

a

as

of

to

to be

of

he

at

a

it,

on a to

is

the remaining The folk-tale ends here, and the purely creation portion, tagged the classical model; though writer's fancy makes the folk-tale, end, following the spirit restored Vijaya, and Vasanta The End. father, who the old king their them cordially. becomes repentant and receives course. matter The wicked queenis punished the this story we find The next version

ward villages

of

in

is

is

is

It

called Çwet Rev. Lalbehary De's folk-tales. Basanta; but the right word “Gita' which means “cold' and not ‘Qwet' which ver This ancient Lalbehary De's means “white.’ sion. the back story still told

Bengal and there we find the

THE STEP-MOTHER's THREAT name as

‘Cita.”

179

Besides there is a sense in

the

signifies a

Gita and Vasanta as each The story told by Lalbehary De may be briefly summarised as follows. Once a merchant married a remarkable girl, names

season.

who was born of an egg of a bird called tun-tuni. She was very

handsome and accomplished,

and

gave birth to two sons, Gita and Vasanta. But unfortunately she died not long after the twin brothers had been born. The merchant married again, and after a few years lost

all affection

for

Çita had by this time

the sons of his former wife. grown into manhood and married a beautiful girl. About this time a fisherman brought a fish any one eats it,” of wonderful properties.

“If

“when he laughs, maniks will drop from his mouth, and when he weeps, pearls will drop said he,

The two brothers Gita and

Vasanta secured the fish and partook of

it.

from his eyes.”

Their

So

of

to

of

as

step-mother was very jealous they them were sure inherit the wealth the merchant after his death. she frequently quarrelled a

of

at

with them and one day she expressed her resolu great anger, “Wait, wait, tion moment of

I

The brothers this utterance

knowing what

of

fright

at

drink.”

an

step-mother

to

I

...º

of

wait, when the head the family comes home, you both will make him shed the blood give him water before

took their

influence she had

FOLK LITERATURE

180

over their father.

OF BENGAL

So they

fled from home in night the and Gita's wife also accompanied them. They wandered about in the wilderness and as

Çita's wife was awfully thirsty, her husband left them in order to seek water somewhere near ; but just as he had gone

elephant

a few paces, an

caparisoned, came to him, and taking gently by its trunk, placed him on its back him and then ran swiftly towards the city. The gorgeously

elephant

But for a

§.

was the “king-maker’ in that country. sometime past a tragic event occurred in the palace every morning.

***

The elephant carried every

a

man

day and he

on its back was duly installed as king. He spent the night with the queen and it was found every morning

that the king had died in the night. Gita was also duly installed as king and was in the room of the queen that night. He, however, did not sleep but watched. In the depth of the night athin thread-like substance came out of the left nostril

to

to

see

of

were glad beyond measure

it

his

of

pieces. the city expected usual, but they

cut

sword and The next morning the people see the corpse the king,

as

Çita drew out to

of the queen; it increased in bulk till it assumed the shape of a terrible cobra and approached the new king. Before however, it could reach him,

him living.

He

of

to

of

told them what had happened the former kings elected, and showed them the proof his

wife

CITA's

181

DELIVERs A SON

valorous act by bringing the cup in which the serpent’s body, cut to pieces, was preserved by him in the night previous. Vasanta and his brother's wife, left alone, became tired of waiting for Gita, and as the wife was very thirsty as well as anxious for news about her husband, Vasanta left her, to make

enquiries about his brother and to fetch water, if available, from some neighbouring tank. He stood near a river, and

not meeting his brother

ly.

began to shed tears; these became pearls

instant

is

who

She became senseless

extraordinarily

beautiful baby by her side,

two calves

to

his house, history was revealed attached

to

in at

between

in

affairs,

conversation

to

He overheard

a

Time passed on, and the boy grew

his son.

manhood.

this stage the

cow-shed

which his whole

him.

kotwal

He came

of

he

no

child and

The

adopted the baby

as

in

in

of

unconscious

the neighbouring city seeing state, lying the forest with

family to

an

consequence

kidnapped the baby and fled away. had

in

that wilderness she gave birth

and the kotwal

her

in ;

son.

ship. extreme distress and all alone

gives

in

to a

wife

wn

.* Çita's

in

A

in

merchant saw him that condition, seized him with his pearls and carried him away his Çita's wife was

know tragic

still served as

a

she

in

by a

a

that his mother had been saved from compassionate Brahmin end whose house maid servant.

He also came

FOLK LITERATURE OF BEN GAL

182

to know how his uncle Vasanta was kept confined and was alternately flogged and tickled by the

merchant, in order to yield pearls and rubies, for his tears produced the one and his laughs the other. The young man instantly applied to the king who was none else than Gita himself. He listened to the strange story with attention and then sent men to the merchant's house to search his dungeon.

As brought Vasanta was out from The re-union. there, Çita instantly recognised him though he looked greatly reduced and pale. From the Brahmin’s house the king recovered his lost wife. How glad was he now to find his own wife, brother and son so long known as the kotwal’s son. The merchant, who had so cruelly treated Vasanta was buried alive in again

a pit which was filled up with earth and thorns.

Yet

a

Dakshina

fourth version of the story of Çita Vasanta we find in the collec

Ranjan's

tions of Babu Takshina Ranjan Mitra Majumdar. It is in his appeared first series of folk tales that under the “Thakurmarjhuli,” name of or “the grand mother's bag.” The story runs thus:

version.

A king had two wives, the more favoured one was

the

Suo Räni,

were lean like

who had three sons; they

jute stalks or bamboo-leaves.

But

the less lucky wife, the Duo Râni had two sons, handsome and

as cherubs.

Vasanta.

Their

They

were step-mother

called Çita was

very

CITA AND WASANTA

jealous of them.

FSCAPE

183

she first tried to remove

So

their mother from the palace. One day as both the queens were bathing, the Suo Räni on the pretext of doing the hair of her co-wife, tied a magic root with her hair; the Duo Räni instantly turned into a bird called the

... "

wº"...";

"

tun-tuni and flew

away.

The

Suo Râni gave the report that her co-wife was drowned ; and the king was now absolutely in her hands. She against day story one told a false the brothers

Çita and Vasanta, complaining that they

had grossly insulted her. She demanded of the king an order for the immediate execution of the

brothers and the king saw no way but to comply with her wishes. The executioner took them to

I

a deep forest and said “Princes, was present in the palace when you were born ; was at one time in charge of you

;

I

I

cannot apply sword to

your throat, whatever may befall me. Here take this bark-dress. No one will recognise you as princes in this dress. Go as fast as your legs can carry you to the farthest end of this jungle, and choose a safe place.” Saying so, he unbound them, and set them at liberty. The executioner took a quantity of blood, The escape.

killing

a dog and a

jackal

on the spot, and made it over to the queen who was now

satisfied that Duo Râni's sons were now removed from this world for good.

184

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

Now the two princes went on, but the end of the forest was not seen. Vasanta became very thirsty and wanted Gita to get for him some water from the neighbourhood. He was not only thirsty, but so exhausted that he could not pro ceed any further. in quest of water.

on

its

its

Gita left him there and went He saw water-fowls coming from some place and understood by that sign that water was near. But on his way he saw a white elephant running towards him with a rich howdā on back. The elephant took him by back, quickly the trunk and, placing him

was let loose

to

his throne,

it

succeed

to

to of

as

walked towards the near city. This white elephant was the “king-maker’ and the king country leaving that had died without an heir find

in

ed to

king.

its

Çita made

a

a

king for the people. The elephant wandered about, from place place every day, and return the evening without carry out

he

in

as

point an

the

of

he

so

in

was

on

to

great distress and by

he

was

in

as a

to

of

on

ing any one back, for royalty any could not discover the mark person up now. The sagacious animal after long search found such signs Çita, soon was brought the city, was duly installed on the throne. All this time Vasanta

by

to

in

of

starvation and thirst, when ascetic took care him and kept him his hermitage. tun-tuni, Now the bird which the Duo Răni was transformed Suo Râni's witchcraft, death

WASANTA

A SUITOR,

185

caught by a princess Rüpavati. named The king, her father, had proclaimed her sayam vara, or election of a bridegroom by herself from Many kings an assembly of invited princes. had come there and many a prince and nobleman was

stood suitors for

hand

of

Rüpavati.

But Rüpavati, before she visited the court to elect her the

had asked the tuntuni bird “Whom elect as my husband, bird P” The tuntuni

bridegroom,

shall

I

gifted with the power of speech, “One that will bring you a rare pearl that grows on the head of an elephant on the sea-coast, will be your bridegroom, and Rüpavati’s condition.

said,

other.” So before the assembled princes, Rüpavati declared her condition, but she added, none

“He who will slave.”

Many

seek the pearl but fail, a

will

be

my

prince went to the sea-shore and

saw the elephant but could not secure the pearl. They became slaves of the princess Rüpavati.

Now when Çita, who was the paramount king in that country, heard all these, he was very angry and said, “Why should she make the sons of my feudal chiefs, the Bhuia kings, slaves P” He accordingly got Rüpavati arrested and kept her in a compartment of the palace

all alone.

Now

Vasanta

one day

overheard

the conversation of two birds, Guka and Çari. In this conversation they disclosed the secret by which the pearl on the head of the elephant could

be secured. 24

There was a favoured spot

FOLK LITERATURE

186

OF BEN GAL

milk-white sea, in which there grew a in full bloom. The one in

in the

thousand lotuses

middle was of the colour of gold.

marching

“We

formed

into fish

Vasanta gets rare pearl.

the

with him.

its

as

the

dry.

it

it.

over are

take

;

a

cry,

he heard

became

golden lotus, up Vasanta took

turned into

with the rare pearl inside when

As soon

sea.

by the trident,

The elephant itself and

he

succeeded

the milk-white

sea was touched

lived, his magic reaching that

the sands

of

in

spot

hue. He took from the

whose hermitage

trident, and with

head

in

ascetic,

in

Vasanta learned

on

golden

of

the lotus the secret.

There

a

with

it

played

with the pearl

it

the white elephant

the sea

your brothers trans with you.” Wasanta

us

the

dug the sands and found three golden fish. He took them

of

he

Now after Gita and Vasanta were driven from palace their father, lost his kingdom and fled away order hide his shame. abject poverty, Rāmi, The Suo reduced to

to

in

the

coming over

the

banks

lowed them waves. princes These three had been

of

fish, whom reduced the shapes Vasanta now took with him. to

swal

its

*...*.*

transformation

by

The

to

in in

to

begged from door door with the three princes, her sons, for livelihood. She came this way rage and the seashore. The sea roared

the prince

THEY ASSUME THEIR

OWN FORMS

187

Now the king Gita one day had gone a-hunt ing into the depth of a forest; he came near a big tree which he at once recognised to be the very one under which

he

had

left Vasanta,

and had gone from there in quest of water, years ago.

The recollection of his brother came back to him and he was overpowered by grief. His men, however, came to his help and took him to his capital, where he shut himself up in a compartment

of the palace, and for seven days saw no one, nor ate anything, for his grief was great.

At this

time Wasanta came up to the palace

said

to the royal guard, that he wanted to

and

visit the king. He had come with the pearl Rüpavati wanted, besides he had brought which the three requested

golden fish

with him.

The

guard

him to wait for seven days. This he did and when the king broke his fast, the three golden fish were presented to him. They were made over to a maid servant of the palace. As soon as she tried to cut one of the fish and dress

it

she heard

it saying,

“I am

the king's

brother, do not kill me.” The astonished maid servant brought this to the notice of the king, who wanted to see the man who had presented the fish. Vasanta came before Çita, and there was great pathos as brother recognised

brother. they touched the fish, these assumed their own forms as their step-brothers.

And

as

soon

as

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

188

“And

is

where

mother,

Suo

Rāmi P”

asked Gita and Vasanta. And the reply, of the princes was

The reunion.

“Our

our

died of grief.”

mother

“Where is our

father, the king P” He lost his kingdom and has gone away, nobody knows where.”

Çita and Vasanta shed tears of joy at meeting with each other, and of sorrow over the fate of their parents alternately. Vasanta now Rüpavati, which knocked at her

asked his brother to release was fort with done. Vasanta doors

and

exclaimed,

“See, bride,

I

have come

with the rare pearl that you wanted, make me your husband.” Rüpavati turned to the tuntuni and asked if the youth had really got the pearl and

“O yes”

was to be her bridegroom.

cried

Rüpavati

the bird. Whereon welcomed him and put the garland of flowers, that she had wreathed, round his neck as a sign of choosing

Rüpavati was so glad him to be her husband. that out of gratitude to the bird who had helped her to get such an excellent husband, she bathed

it in milk and scented it with perfumes with her own hands; and in

º thing The

form.

tied Duo

Räni

with is

to her human

She said

doing

so

she found

some

the feather on its head. She took it out and lo! as soon as she had done so, the Duo Râni once

again

that

she

gained was

the

her own mother of

the Çita and Vasanta and the news spread with

189

A COMPARATIVE REVIEW speed of lightning, throughout the whole city.

And

Çita and Vasanta and their step brothers were

in a moment down upon their knees before her, weeping in joy to meet their mother whom they had taken to be dead. The old king who had been wandering

like an ascetic

came

back to

Çita and Vasanta and the meet his lost family. princes, young their step-brothers, helped three him to gain his lost kingdom back and they lived long years in happiness and prosperity. It will appear from the four tales summarised above, that there is little room for doubting that all of these are different versions of one and the same story.

An alien influence is distinctly

The way version. step-mother shamelessly offered in which the princes has not been her love to the two mentioned in my summary for the sake of marked in the Muhammadan

The wickedness of the woman, her unrestrained passion, coquetry and vulgarism

decency.

character. Such a tale of a shocking The could not be told in a Hindu household.

are

in which the merchant's daughter and the

way

**

Chinese princess declared their love for Vasanta in the Muhammadan version also discloses a lack characterises

of

We need not

comment the language the Muhammadan version.

doubt Bengali but bears

the

large

It of

of the Hindu folk-tales.

a

no

is

The language

which

on

heroines

self-control

in

that

the

of

measure

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGA1,

190

As

an admixture of Arabic and Persian words. a specimen we may quote a few lines: —

ëfº Tifº

ºf

statiºn

tº ºf

º

*FICERF

stfää

Rizº fºſsa

•

Hºſta

Tºm

cºlºta ºta Hºmº ºfta GICs:

ºf ºx ºf C&RCAH

alsº

efºil

tº

Tº

MTH

ºn

sitetan attal

“Tº cºcº

ºff

ºſtſ

Cºtifs ºfºil

Hta

ºf

Cººl

£fºliºs wizzi

SAH.

ſº

||

attapºal

ºf ºf

stal ºth ºth stral CŞicº

Fial

||

zºº

ºff

aſſa

Nor is the next version—that by Harinath Mazumdar—less interesting from the point of view of the changes and innovations introduced into a simple folk-tale. The author is resolved upon improving the rural story by his pedantry scholarly knowledge of Sanskrit. A tale, to possess an air of authority, and classical dignity, in his opinion, must be derived from and

º. ºn...

Pauránic m.

sources.

nath Majumdar.

women

of

the

So he altogether

conceals

the fact that he had heard the story originally from the old

country-side.

He

puts

the

story in the mouth of that unweary Vaisampayana, sage age who has from age replenished to added to and the store of Vaisampayna tales in the Mahāvārata. tells

whole

THE MODERN TOPICS and Janmejaya down

to the was written by

191

hears. From hoary antiquity year 1859, when Vijaya-Vasanta

Harinath

Mazumdar,

the teller

and the listener had sat facing each other; and we are not sure which to admire the most—the

power of narration without a limit, or that of attentive hearing which knows no fatigue or weariness. The Gandharva king is introduced; following and the characteristic traditions of the

Pauránic

Renaissance

all evils of

that

the world are brought on by the curses of Brahmins, Harinath traces the career of

Çita

and Vasanta before they were born on the earth, and makes them victims to Brahminic ire. But The

Pauránic eleintroduced into this version. ments

indebted

*

the changes are not merely these. All descriptions of men and women and

to Sanskritic sources

of nature are

for their elegance

and classical style. The characters cite Pauranic stories by way of reference in their daily con They are all up-to-date and show versations. a

liking for modern topics

on patriotism are education

on

given

as

well.

Dissertations

on p. 80,

on female pp. 107-110, on widow remarriage

Other burning questions of the day are also treated by the author whenever an opportunity presents itself. The king Vijaya on p. 85.

chandra and his wife. Bimală visit the prison-houses of their capital and give sermons to improve the morals

The up-to-date questions.

192

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

His Majesty makes a laudable

of the prisoners.

and vigorous effort to spread a knowledge of science and general geography amongst his people. In one place (p. 84) we find a character crying hoarse against the rite of Sati on the lines of Rājā Ram Mohan Roy. The names of the characters are elegant Sanskritic words; Vijayachandra, may

mohan and Vimală

The king's priest

Ramani

cited as examples.

be

of the Pauránic tradition. Harinath is not only a pupil of Sanskrit poems and the Purānas, but shows his knowledge is Dhouma

of Kalidasa's poetry by referring to udyanlatā and ăçramalatā, the creeper of the king's garden and that of a hermitage, in a passage of his work (p.99). He belonged to the society of educated Bengal

a

in

work which, though

ancient rural story,

his

that

recast and

view

to

entertain the young generation. The style has the Vidyā-Sāgara, refined, rigidly a

with

was

of

men

of of

re-written stamp

his times

an

based

on

society

in

of all

in the early part of the 19th century and the age spoke through him. So how could he help giving that was fashionable the cultured

heavy

aſtfä

Il

ºf

º

tº

arcats

extra

ºf

ºff

"

guage.

2|[Art +fats

alſº

ºld

,

…,

,

is

of

and

of

with pompous classical only quote words. We need the first sentence typical style which the the entire work. “flawl ºtafre witHCAſ ºft: TR accurate

fºſs

fºrm.

ºsºg's: fiftgractſ

LĀL BEHARI's VERSION This

reminds

at once of the

us

193

characteristic

style

of Vidyā-Sāgara's Sakuntalā and SItär Wanavāsa. The rural element in which, however, lay the unassuming poetry and simplicity of the people 18th

was out of favour in the early part of the century, and Harinath as an exponent of

the taste of his times changed the manner and style of narration of the folk-tale by giving in it of Sanskritic words. But as stat foregoing portion of this lecture, by ed me in the the work of Harinath possesses remarkable pathos a preponderance

in the

chapters,

earlier

such

sägara alone could show in some

Vidyā

only

as

of

his

finest

works.

if

the Rev. Lalbehari De,

we find that his account is not always an accurate one. True, he repro

Lalbehari De's Story.

could not

he heard

Christian,

portion

the story

a

folk-tales of

but being

always get the materials the first-hand. In his version we find

at

he

as

of

it

duced

of the story

a

by

it,

given

we take up the version

of

Next

Malati Kusuma dove-tailed a

of

a

by

subsequent

union

of

the

up

and

its

of

of

baby into that Çita-Vasanta. The account who was kidnapped nobleman from the lying mother, arms senseless after delivery, the mother with part forms

25

of

in

of

in

we

in

a

to

manhood, her son grown many old folk-tales Bengal. This account also find the story Çankhamālā Dakshinaranjan's second collection called the

19

FOLK LITERATURE

|

OF BENGAL

the grand-father's bag. We think that this episode was originally a part

Jhuli or

Thäkurdādār

of the story of Cankhamālā from which it was taken and joined to other stories. But whatever it be, the Rev. Mr. De has described in this story how the kidnapped child, when he grew up proper

to

age,

conceived

a

passion

for his

knowing

without her to be so. repelling. This seems And as we have condemned a similar thing in the Muhammadan version of this story we do it also here, though it must be said to the credit of the Rev. Mr. De own

mother

very

had heard many folk-tales had died before

he

he

us

its

that he has dealt with this part of the story impropriety has not very cautiously so that prominent. Mr. De tells become too that his old friend Sambhu's mother from whom

depend for them upon

a

christian woman

to

of

he

collected the stories for his work, “The Folk Bengal,” and that therefore tales had who

the brother's eating the flesh got the power fish which of

of

he

one

by

of

episode

of

of

a

of

evidently had lost some her old memories. At given strictly least she could not have him faithful version the Hindu folk-tales. The

of

in is

to

by

a

or

bird producing rubies and pearls smiles and tears European analogous story the the Salad the Grimm Brothers’ Collections. by

of

is

It

is

of

Daksinaranjan Last all the version any Mitra Majumdar. not affected

SAKHI

SONA

195

BY KORBANALI

pedantry or scholarship in classic literature or any modern propagandism; for

The superiority of Dakshinaranjan's

Mitra Majumdar is too humble

Version.

a scholar

to aim

at

higher

things.

He is in love with the tales as they are related by the rural people of the lower Gangetic valley, and gives a faithful version of what he Nor do his stories bear any exotic influence—Persian, Arabic, or even Sanskritic. The language is that in which our grandmothers

has

heard.

simple, even archaic, full of naive rural charms, and always to the point. There is nowhere a display of vain learning or straying out of the main subject in order to hold used

to

tell tales,

disquisitions on the day.

burning

questions

of the

But as we shall have to deal with his

folk-tales more elaborately in course of lectures, we cut short our comments here.

our

There are many

s.” “”

folk-tales which we have got in common from the Hindu and Muhammadan sources, and

this we have already noticed. Another very interesting story repeated by many writers is that of Sakhi-sona. The compiler of the Muhammadan version is one Muhammad Korban Ali—an inhabitant of Butuni in the

division of Manikgani, in the district of Dacca. that follows.

soná as

he

gives,

sub

Pergannah Sindurijan The story of Sakhi briefly summarised is

196

FOLK LITERATURE

In

“

OF BENGAL

a place called Taef, there lived a poor man named Syed. He had a wife, and

Aft"."

circumstanes,

none else in the family. As they were in extremely frequently Syed had

indigent to

bear

insulting

treatment from his wife who was a One day when Syed could by no means secure food, his tart-tempered wife rebuked and insulted him grossly, taking him to task for indulg shrew.

ing in the luxury of a wife before he could provide for her comforts. Syed bore the insult quietly but resolved to put an end to his wife's life and thus be

...

"..."

cobra and put

saved from the state of things that occurred every day. He

accordingly secured a poisonous

it inside an earthen pot and carried

He planned to open the cover of the pot at the dead of the night, and to place it near his sleeping wife. But when at midnight he actually opened the cover, instead of the veno

it home.

mous animal that was inside the pot, he found it filled with gold coins. He was of course very glad at the discovery, and his wife's anger against was all gone when he produced the pot before her, and said that he had earned the

him

The cobra gold coins. -

turns into .

labour.

By

Syed’s order, his wife took

the

wealth

by

great

pot to the palace of the Badsha

of that country and sold the gold coins to his Begum for a thousand rupees.

SAKHI

SONA

BY KORBANALI

197

The Begum thought that she had made a bargain, and kept the wealth in her iron safe, and when in the morning she brought it out to show

to

the

Badsha,

he,

instead

of

finding

the gold coins that she had seen there the day before, found in it a smiling baby—a girl of exquisite beauty. The King who was child

º less

was

glad than

right glad to have this baby,

-far more

the pot had actually contained as had been reported to him by his wife.

if

gold

The throughout capital news was announced the that girl Begum a was born to the and there were

"

great rejoicings

in the palace over this event. The girl was

named Sakhi-sona.

Just at

the

moment when the king's palace resounded with the

music of the nahabat orchestra announcing the glad news, the mansion of the Uzir of the king's court witnessed similar festivities, though on a much smaller scale, on the occasion of a son being born to him. This son was called Mänik. The Badsha's astrologers prophesied that Sakhi-sona, who was born under the influence of the Scor

pion, would elope

with

a

youth

when

she

had reached womanhood.

The Uzir's son Mänik and the princess Sakhi-sona read in the same Mokhtab. When they grew up to youth, they fell in love with each other; but one could not speak of “the passion that burnt within' to the other for shame.

FOLK LITERATURE

198

OF BENGAL

One day, however, an opportunity presented itself. Sakhi-soni's paper in the school dropped from her hands below, and she asked Mänik to

it from the ground and hand it to her. Mänik eyed her with a look in which a longing

get

... " "

Manik and sakhi-song

desire was

hardly suppressed,

and said that if she promised to pledge something to him, he would do so. Sakhi-sona agreed

knowing full well the significance of his sugges tive words, and from thence they met in a compart ment of the palace

every

day.

of the princess one day dicovered

A maid-servant their intrigue

advised them to go away from the palace as they were sure to be detected some day or other.

and

Sakhi-sonã dressed herself as a young valorous youth with a sword hanging by her side and Mánik was also similarly dressed. Both mounted swift horses and left the palace at the dead of the night. From a deep jungle They leave the city. they came out after a day's fatiguing ride and coming near a cottage stopped there. The old lady of the house seemed very hospitable,

but she was the mother of seven dacoits who just at that moment were not in the

her guests wet fuel and rice mixed with grains of stones, so that it took them considerable time to kindle a fire and cook the house.

rice.

She

But

a

gave

woman of that house had whispered

SAKHI

SONA

BY KORBANALI

199

in their ears that the house belonged who

would

to dacoits return and rob them of every

soon

thing they had.

Mänik and Sakhi-sona instantly mounted their horses and fled away; but the old had,

woman

before their departure, mustard, seed to the

small bundle of

So, as

each of the horses. seeds

they

tied

a

tail of

proceeded, the

fell on the ground marking their path,

without their knowledge of the device of the cunning old woman. The dacoits, seven brothers, returned home, and their mother regretted their lateness in coming back, saying that the guests who had escaped, were enor mously rich, their crowns, and necklaces sparkled with pearls and diamonds. The seven brothers lost no time but In

the the dacoits.

of

hands

mounting the swiftest horses in their stalls march ed with the speed of lightening and overtook the

A fierce skirmish ensued, and

princess and Mänik.

Mänik who was a superior swordsman killed six of the robbers

the

for mercy

Mänik

and

him life. Sakhi showing him

ap

to

of

him and

give

the horses

But the dacoit felt

passion for Sakhi-sonà,

and

a

them food and drink.

charge

flame

secretly planned when one day

So

to

Mänik was kind

to

soná was not for

any mercy, but pointed him to of

seventh who was a lame

"". implored granted in

killed

seventh.

a

be

is

is by

the

wºul,

: but

kill Manik and seize her. Mänik had fallen asleep and Sakhi-sona was busy

200

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

in the kitchen, the dacoit took a sword and cut off the head of Mánik. Sakhi-sona lamented the loss of her husband and killed the lame dacoit and

then

to god to restore her hus pir (saint) came there at this A

prayed

band’s life.

of affairs and taking pity on Sakhi-soná,

stage

restored Mänik to life. The couple were now happy beyond measure on being to restored each other, and they rode their horses again till they came -

to

***

restored

to

-

-

-

passion for Mänik, conceived and by witchcraft turned him

transformed

a

and

is

life

Mänik

cottage of a flower-woman She at once named Champå.

the

of

escape

he

attempted

to

he

the spell

night with him.

of

man,

the night assumed the form Champā, and she spent the

If

by

The monkey

in

in

a

at

monkey; Sakhi-sona, who was not just into that moment with her lord, knew nothing about his strange transformation, and seeking him everywhere vain bitterly lamented for him.

Mänik,

by

herself and the other that

of

of

a

monkey. was again turned into Sakhi-sonă now led the two horses, the one that

their

the king

of

of of

country

the officers charge theft

of

arrested on a

was

by

a

as

to

place enquiring reins and walked from place man and about her husband. She was dressed

that

two horses stall. She was thrown into from the very large serpent appear prison. At this time ate goats, cows the king; the city it

of

in

ed

a

royal

the

SAKHI

SONA

BY KORBANALI

and men; even tigers and bears

201

were

devoured

this dreadful reptile. The king's officers with guns shot with fruitless aim at it; the shots tough skin. The failed to pierce through king proclaimed large reward one who would a

to

its

by

subjects from des truction. Sakhi-sonă dreamt the prison that pir (saint) appeared her and told her the killing serpent. secret the the morning the animal and save his

of

In

to

a

in

kill

a

of

if

to

she sent word the king, that she were released, she could kill the serpent. She was young man and the course all along taken for

king

forthwith

ordered

her

release.

She

ap

serpent and the princess.

by

so

to

marries

in

in

no

difficulty fore When she succeeded

the animal. prise,

advised do the pir her dream. She had there

in

kills

Sakhi-sona

a

her

the serpent from behind and struck sword the manner in which she was

in

proached

king gave

killing

this enter

his promised reward. And when she told her story the sufferings. caused her the king's Police officers suspicion, declaring mere her own innocence her

in on

theft

of

the charge

of

respect

of

to

by

of

the

the

horses,

the

to to

to

of

of

as a

;

he

king was very much ashamed for, could not disbelieve anything that she said. The king, token his appreciation her heroism, up injustice her, and also make for the done

26

in

a

be

to

to

give his only daughter marriage resolved her, taking her valorous and an

FOLR LITERATURE OF BENGAL

202

youth.

accomplished

readily consented to

She

the proposal and married the princess. But the latter, after a short time, felt that there was and mysterious in the con husband; for, Sakhi-sonii kept aloof duct of her from her for fear of detection. Meantime the something

strange

to

it,

monkey who assumed his human form every night, wrote a letter to Sakhi-sona describing his condition. As soon as she read she asked the king particular get for her the monkey belong of

Inspite the flower-woman. the latter's protestations, the monkey was brought the palace, and when the night related

story

the

form his

he

got back his own of

he

“

hiº...”

in

to

to

ing

sad

on

was himself after this was

king for her wicked

ness. The king, knowing now that Shakhi-sonă was woman, mar ried

daughter

to

a

is

"*"""

the

his

-

Mänik marries another princess and

of

to

beheaded by the order -

So

undo her spell him. once more. The flower-woman

obliged

he

a

of

monkey by the transformation into the shape witch-craft of the flower-woman. The woman was

Manik with

the

the

middle

in

Burdwan of

trict and flourished

native

in

a

Fakir Rama’s version.

of

by

of

of

he

the consent Sakhi-sona. And lived long prosperity and happiness with both his wives. The story Sakhi-sona was rendered into Bengali verse the illustrious poet Fakir Rama Kavibhusana, who was the

dis 16th

SAKHI century.

BY FAKIR

SONA

The story

RAMA

203

told by this writer who was a poet of the Hindu Renaissance is briefly summed up as follows. The princess Sakhi-sona and Kumāra, the as

son of the kotwal, or the prefect of the Police, used to read in the same school. The seat

of the princess the gallery in

was

an elevated

platform over

which

the classes were held. day dropped below, let us one

pen

Sakhi-sonā’s Say, by a mere accident, from her seat. she asked Kumāra to pick it up for her.

And Not

once, but thrice did the pen drop that day, and on the third time Kumāra extorted a promise before he would pick up the pen for her, to the effect that he would do so on condition that she would

"...”

indignation, demanded

Kumāra marry her and

when to

...

comply with his wishes whatever they might be. Heedlessly did Sakhi-sonärun into the agreement, but what were her wonder and

from her father's palace inequal marriage, the king For after such would not brook the pair live with him, though she was the only legal heir the throne. rage, “You villain, dare Sakhi-somâ said

the notice

the king?

in

of

help that you did me, you me this way.”

For

venture

will

this

be

if

burden

your head

to a

P

the

of

bear

Do you know that your body

of

not

brought

to

you say

so

in

to

to

an

P

run away with her

trifle insult

FOLK LITERATURE

204

Kumāra

“If

said,

OF BENGAL

you say

so, no more.

I

do not press my request. But the moral binding nevertheless remains the same

The inviolable promise.

in

either

You can kill

case.

me, princess,

if you break

but

your promise you cannot avoid the eyes of God who sees everything. “Rāma, for a simple word that he had given to his

father, left

ascetic.

his kingdom and turned an Dasaratha, his father, died of grief, but

yet did not break his promise. hearted

Rāma, the pure

killed Vāli in a questionable

manner,

simply for a promise that he had given to Sugriva. If you break promise, well and good, you will be lowered in my estimation and that of

it.

your Maker, what more ?” Sakhi-sona felt humbled, before this appeal to God. For she had given a promise and there was doubt about

no

After

many

conflicting

to

emotions which caused her sleepless nights, she decided leave the palace and join Kumāra. delay

a

of

that had manner:—“my following the maids are constantly with me; how for shame can come out? The queens will not leave my side for moment. Some cover me with the hem their garments

the

;

of

a

I

occurred,

little

in

She excused herself

soft

châmara.

some fan me, and some wave One offers me betel, and as

by

a

another kisses me with great love, and third my calls attention such words “Hear me,

SAKHI

SONA BY

FAKIR RAMA

205

I

my dearest child, will tell you a story.’ And yet another weaves floral wreath for me and wants to know if like it.”

I

Before leaving the palace, she had taken a parting view of the sleeping queens and solilo The Princess's lament,

in this way: “Hence forth we shall meet no more. quised

I

Like a boat trusting

itself to the current, youth my trust to fate. Do not weep, dear queens, when you miss me—your hapless child.

Burn my throne and royal couch, for they will torment your eyes. Offer all my books lying in heaps in my chamber as a present to the Brāhmins. Forbear to enter into my apartment,

it will grieve you ever so much.

My golden

plates and cups and vessels adorned with precious My jewels stones, distribute among the poor. and

ornaments

send

to the royal treasury, and

adieu queens, adieu for life.” She had met her preceptor in the way who ad vised her not to take the rash step, but to return to the palace.

But she said that as she had given

it was sacred and inviolable. way the the princess did not say any word

the pledge,

In

to signify her love They leave the palace.

for

Kumāra.

too much moved

She was far by her grief

in cutting off her home-ties for ever. Like Gareth following Lynette, Kumāra followed his love—wooing her at every step. But she heeded not, now looking at the cow that had

206

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

lost its young one, and

then

sighing over some

other thing she saw in her way that reminded her of the home that she had deserted. But

when the spring came and the trees that had looked like skeletons in winter became covered luxurious foliage, “the Princess and Kumāra delighted in each other's company and the former forgot her old sorrows for a time.” “Nature had given her a form of surpassing beauty; now the dawn of youth made her a marvel.

with

****

She

never

had

passed

the

threshold of a kitchen; and if her hair was untied, never did she adjust it with her own hands,--but her maids for her. Never breath; had she learnt to blow the fire with her and

as she did

it now, the smoke of the wet

fuel made her face pale and sad. The smoke stifled her breath and the fire of the hearth wel nigh burnt her skin. Alas, once even the heat of a lamp-light was too much for her; but with the smoke and fire of the hearth she continued her struggle to cook a humble meal.” Both of them were journeying on horseback when a great cyclone overtook them. “The trees of Cuttack were carried down to fly

The cyclone.

Hinglat.

Goats and cows were

on

foot, and when

she

passed

the other, the maids spread

a

room

to

abroad

on

forced to the high air like winged things, Seldom from the palace had the princess walked

from one rich carpet

SAKHI

SONA

BY FAKIR RAMA

207

on the court-yard; and when walking in the sun a

guard used to hold a golden umbrella over her head. But now the hailstones beat incessantly against her head, and it seemed at each stroke; her very skull would break. asked, “what will become storm,

“O my love" us?

of

she

From the

rain and the hailstones no escape

the

What path should we follow. hailstones will ere long kill us both.

I

The thick

see.

The light ning's flash frightens my steed, and the striking of his hoofs on the hard ground produces fire. The storm suffocates me and feel as if the

I

breath of life itself would cease.”

Suffering in this way from the furious weather and her own mental anguish, she with her In

the cottage of the robbers.

husband came which belonged bers.

Kumāra

to

a

cottage

to seven

killed

six

rob of

but the seventh implored pardon which out of magnanimity he granted. But when them,

Kumāra killed restored to life.

and

Kumāra

fell asleep, the mis

creant

killed him.

prayed

goddess

Sakhi-sona Chandi

for

mercy, and she restored Kumāra to life. Kumāra was next turned into a goat by the witch

craft the

of

a

flower-woman

king of that

country

named

Hirā

Naradhaja

and

carried

Sakhi-sona by force into his compartment for females. Sakhi-sonă said that, before she would agree to marry the king for which he

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

208 pressed,

she

must

perform some religious rite,

which was to be completed after a year, with due solemnity. The king agreed to wait till And at the end of the year, when her period of religious observances was over, she asked the king to provide her that time.

Kumāra transformed into a goat.

with a particular goat that was in the possession of Hirā, the

flower-woman.

For

Chandi had

appeared

to

the princess

in a dream, and told her that her husband had been transformed into a goat by Hirā. Hirā was obliged to produce the goat by the

king's order, and the princess by the power of the spell that Chandi had taught The reunion. her, forthwith restored her hus band to his own form. Naradhaja saw in the transformation of the goat into a man the mercy of the goddess Chandi, and ungrudgingly shared in the joy of the couple who had met after a long year of bitter separation. Meantime the old king

Vikramajit, the father of Sakhi-sona, had heard all about his daughter and Kumāra, who had

been so long missing, and now pardoned their marriage, and took them to his own city and made them heirs to his throne at death.

The most authentic version

..." "i" and

not

of this

story,

however, is the one compiled by

Babu D. R. Mitra Mazumder. The story is called Puspamälä Sakhi-soná. Mitra Majumder has

209

PUSPA AND CHANDANA

given the oldest form of the story, which is also the most accurate form. Whether the name Sakhi-sona or Puspamālā is the older name of the heroine is open to question, but that is an immaterial point. In briefly summarising this beg leave to state that the version of the tale, peculiar excellences of the original form of some of our folk-tales will be the subject of a somewhat elaborate analytical review in one of

I

my future comparison,

Here for the purpose of subjoin a very brief summary of

lectures.

I

the story under review. A Rājā happened to enter into a contract

his kotawal that if a daughter be born to him and a son to the kota The Raja's pledge. wal, they would be united marriage. in But if instead, a daughter were with

born the

to the kotawal and a son to the king, kotawal would be beheaded. These were ways

the whimsical days. So no

of the autocrats of those question was raised as to the

propriety

the

of

oath

insisted

on

by the

sovereign, and the kotawal had only to submit. so happened that just at the same moment

It

the queen and

the

similar agreement,

in a tank

called

wife ran into a they were bathing while the Putra-sarovara. The kotawal's

world knew nothing about these pledges. The king with the point of his arrow wrote his pledge on a fig-leaf and handed it to the kotawal. 27

210

FOLK

LITERATURE

OF

BENGAL

A

daughter was born to the king and a son to the kotawal ; the princess was called Puspa They mālā and the kotawal's son Chandana. in the same school and each day high from the seat on which the princess sat, she used

to read

dropped her pen below,

...'..." bent herself

a

and

Chandana

used

pick it up for her at her

to

re

quest.

One day when he picked up the pen, and she little to receive it from his

hands,

their eyes met, and Chandana the next day said, “Princess, if you exchange garlands with pick up me, then shall the pen from the ground for you; else

I

I

will

princess ber,

kingdom

that P

said,

she

as

lad,

angry

An

not.”

you

look came from the “Don’t you remem

dwell

in

Have you no fear of life

dare say so P”

I

Chandana said,

know

generations

my

that my

“Why should ancestors

father's that you

I fear, princess

:

for several to build up this have

shed their blood kingdom for your father.” The princess said nothing more that day. The next day her pen did not drop. But as cleaning pen, Chandana was his own it escaped his hand and fell on the the princess' apparel spotting it with ink. Chandana was abashed at

this, and the princess also felt a shame which she could hardly conceal, but she pushed the pen with

THE SOLEMN

211

PLEDGE

her finger so that it dropped below. Chandana “Many up pick up said, day took it and a did your pen from the ground, to-day your gentle

I

hand

pushed

has

This earth

I charge you by

here. the

mine down to reach me. sacred because the flower blooms

is

sun

and by and the moon that illuminate her, that the sacred earth

there has been an exchange of some sort.” Saying so Chandana went away silently with the pen

by

leaving

princess

his books things and other in the school. The princess was lost in her thoughts, and it was at a very late hour that she returned home that afternoon. touched

the

The maid-servants had been long waiting with soaps and perfumes for her toilet. But Chandana one day brought her a leaf on which the king had written the pledge, and on another occasion she came to know of the promise by the queen to Chandana's mother. king The had absolutely ignored his promise made

would not

in

The princess, however,

every

day.

my pen

A

I

feel why

even

bear to be

kotawal

they were

or

his

threatened

that the pledge God, however lightly regard the pride

solemn might now parents her their power. She said

of

was

the eyes

the

felt

in

wife ever alluded to with death.

If

herself, “Alas, now dropped from my hands

destiny binds me

to

hers.

it

of

to

reminded

queen

it,

the

of

and

the young

212

LITERATURE

FOLIX

Chandana,

OF BENGAL

my parents' pledge must be fulfilled.

I must be his

wife.”

-

She wept and could not sleep, the floral dropped from her hand on her breast; and

fan the

next morning a change in her was observed by all. On other days when she came to school, the jingle of her ornaments sounded like the merry

º"" The teacher on

other

hum of bees, but that day she stole into the room like a

guilty soul quietly and silently. marked it and said, “Princess,

days

the

sweetness

of

your

voice,

every

one ;

while

reciting

how is

it that your voice to-day seems so dull ?”

lessons,

pleases

Chandana looked at Puspa and Puspa looked at Chandana; their eyes met again and she blushed drawing the veil over her face. Then the princess with hands that trembled produced the fig-leaf containing the king's pledge. Both of them said to their guru,

“Should we, or should

we not, keep our parents' pledge?” The teacher felt alarmed when he saw the leaf and read its contents, but

collecting

himself

after a while

said in a clear, firm voice, “If you keep the pledge, your seat will be in heaven, if not,

your place will be in hell.” Then the princess made Chandana sit on the high throne reserved for her in the school, and she sat below where They bowed to their Chandana used to sit. teacher, and the princess laid her ornaments,

213,

THE MOTHER OF THE ROBBERS

her

bracelets

precious

necklaces,

and

stones,

with

studded

at his

feet and asked him to accept them as her humble present at the close

of her school career. “To help the king

And both of them keep

said,

his

words is to

maintain the honour of his kingdom. the city to-day.”

We leave

to

Before she had left her father's palace, the princess cooked a good meal herself. It was a great strain on her nerves to leave her father's house

for

good,

frequently

and

away her tears with her sadi.

did she wipe

She

offered

the

food to her parents, relations and servants even to the domestic animals. It was the

and last

time that she was permitted to serve them. Just at the time Chandana signalled to her; as she heard it she did not wait to take her own meal. ran to Chandana and bowing low at his feet, fainted away. For the whole night Chandana fanned her with the cloth that he tore off from his She

I

preserve turban and said to himself, “How can this jewel stolen from the serpent's hood P”

But she was all right the next morning, and both of them rode on and on, till they reached a cottage standing in the middle of a clearing.

It

belonged

to

...*** She showed

an

of

old woman, seven

robbers,

the

mother

who

had

just a moment abroad

great

before gone on their wicked trade.

hospitality to the couple and

214

FOLK LITERATURE

marked

with

delight

OF BEN GAL

precious

the

ornaments

of the She gave them rice mixed with gravels, pulse which was old and dry, and a wet hearth and damp fuel. All these caused delay in cooking. The princess and Chandana went to bathe, but the landing steps were made slippery for them by water; and when they tried to come up to the on

the

person

princess.

bank by some other way,

“Not

the old woman cried, way, dear, that it is unclean.” And when

they tried a different way,

the old woman came

“Not thither, my children, there By such petty devices she caused

again and said, are thorns.”

delay, expecting her sons to come in the mean time and plunder the guests.

on

the back-door,

their horses and fled. The fire wrong impression, for, the old thought that her guests were busy

the hearth gave woman

out

came

a

and got

danger,

on

suspecting

by

it.

The pair came to the kitchen and the torn turban now stood them in good stead, Fire was kindled by means of And they, rightly

cooking their meal.

But what was her surprise

peeping

into their room she found them gone. And from the stall their horses were gone very clever woman too. She was, however,

collected some white seeds.

of

had

cloth and

entered

her

stall, she had These she had put the

in

house leaving their horses

small pieces

;

couple

tied

to

the

in

soon

as

for

as

a

when

the

horses'

THE YOUNGEST ROBBER

215

fetlocks. The small bundles had been pierced through with a needle, so that when their ground by fled, riders the seeds fell on the twos and threes all over the track, and as they

they

fell

turned

into

white

easily

The

robbers on return guests by these beautiful signs. a

fight

was

a

the six brothers

and

superior

... .*** implored

The

the

overtook

There ensued

fell as Chandana

swordsman.

mercy.

flowers.

The

princess

seventh

said,

“No,

it is not safe to keep a part of debt, how ever small ; all should be cleared ; do the same dear,

taken

by

the

*

our

attendant.”

with is

an

enemy,

e

howsoever e

lightly you may think of him.” But Chandana said, “Foolish, what can he do P he will be So

the

life of

the

robber

was spared and he became their servant. He burnt, however, vengeance, and when with one day Chandana had fallen asleep, killed

him with his sword. The princess did not weep but smiled, and said, “What am to do

I

The robber was very glad at this and said, “All right, now come to my house, dear.”

now P”

The princess assented. So both of them rode Puspa said, back and “It is surely a happy day for us both, will you not accept this betel He, in eagerness, stretched himself from me?” to receive the betel from the princess, as a sign of her love, and she in the twinkling

forward

216

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

of an eye cut off his head with a stroke of her sword.

Now she alighted from her horse and threw herself on the ground where her husband's head lay severed from the body; she had so long controlled herself by superhuman efforts but now her tears were unceasing. She held the head close to her breast and cried, “How long,

will you remain silent and not talk with me P” “From morn to noon" she wept and “from noon to dewy eve.” It was a dark night. The god Giva and his consort Pârvati were pass dear,

Çiva replied, “No matter, who, Pârvati said, “That can never be. lament hear. who art thou,

unfortunate

O

I

woman's or

a

a

I

her

eyes woman

by

her

my darling.” sight and res

the

malignantly,

till

the

the

reached was witch.

flower-woman. She she met them, she eyed them a

a

soon

they

elation,

and Chandana turned

into

a

As

rode

great

as

house

of

couple again

on,

to

The goddess was moved tored Chandana life. thanksgivings After and

body,

was

in

head, severed from the “O my husband,

tears and crying,

met

O

down

life.

a

below,

sad spectacle.

A

2

to

a

Restoration

bathing

pass on.”

grieving over dead child dead must see thee.” Then as she looked

woman, husband

A us

let

ing by the sky at this time. The goddess said, “Stop, husband, who is it that is weeping below P”

goat,

217

THE DARING SOLDIER

but her charm did not affect Puspa as she was true and chaste. Puspa was dressed like a young soldier. She approached the king of that country seeking service in your and said, “Here am

I

majesty’s personal staff.” “What can you do for me, lad, and what should be your pay P” asked “My pay is one shield full of gold the king. day,

per

coins

I

and

The king

cannot.”

do what

can

to

assented

others

her demand

Just then a huge reptile and employed her. appeared in the city of the king, and swallowed men and beasts every night,

by

tank

seen

near

none could

and the

the

palace

only

kill

side and

it a it.

generally

was

large

appearance

night

the

of

It

made

in

for

by

its

Pušpa kills the cobra.

passed

Săl with forest abounding young kill ordered soldier was trees. The the afternoon cutting the She was busy the sword tall săl trees with the fine end with such wonderful dexterity that the trees before and none could know that they stood the middle.

night

a

At

had been cut

in

as

of

in

it.

to

a

deep

deep

28

of

to

it,

in

to

in

its

by

it

in

no

a

hissing sound was heard as the jungle, and the serpent moved about the tank, than the bank come sooner had hundreds upon fell the trees touched under body, and the monster lay crushed their weight. The young soldier next engaged pieces. cutting the body But herself uproar mixed with

218

LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

its

FOLK

a

its

ghost, there sprang when the animal gave up body from middle aged woman. She told

Puspa that she was her mother transformed

fulfil

in to

of

the wife the kotwal and Puspa her the queen—her own mother,

that the old king, her father,

had become

a

who also stated

sweeper

his breaking

in

recognised

that palace for the sin

his pledge.

And

as

her pledge

she said

spot

at

of

to

into that shape because she had failed

of

to

a

a

as

this she died the and where she died plant grew flower memorial. Not long after Chandana was restored human form by the grace Pârvati who was is

of

with Puspa’s devotion. Chandana, “What the good

Puspa

pleased

me

She was resolved

life when

a

on

*

cause

of

The happy end.

told

sweeper and my serpent be

is as a

my father mother died

my

committing

suicide, but Pârvati's grace again helped them, and the queen got her life back and the king

by

lost Chandana and

curse Puspa

kingdom which had for breaking the pledge. he

his

were united

in

restored by divine

to

was

wedlock

happiness

the queen.

no

longer ashamed

relation. The high rank, became They now lived

of

and

and prosperity for long years.

in

fast friend

of

a

a

a

of

so

chief that the king was calling him friend wife, lady kotwal's now

a

to

of

the sanction the king and the queen. The kotwal was raised the status of feudal

THE MOGALMARI

In

the version of

father

the

of

RUINS

Fakir Ram

Kavibhusama

Sakhisona,

princess

the

King Vikramjit.

219

is

is a village called to the north of

There Mogalmäri two miles Datan which some of our scholars have identi fied with the ancient historic town of Dantapur

in Orissa.

At Mogalmäri

there are ruins palace people a which of the locality ascribe

of to

Rājā Vikramjit and they say Sakhisonă of the folk story was the only daughter of that king. A mound of earth is still pointed out there as relics of

the

of

schoolroom

the

princess

she pledged her hand to the kotwal's son. Many places of our country are associated in this way with our legendary heroes and Pauranic characters. But unless we have where

clear evidence we cannot accept as

A

historically

true.

What

such accounts

happens

is this.

man gives out a story

in respect of some ruins in his locality consulting his fancy, and his statement is taken as a historical fact by

the

current

simple village-folk and it passes throughout the neighbouring locality generation to genera that these attempts to

and goes unassailed from

tion.

I

do not

believe

with the heroes of legends and popular romances should be treated -as having any historical value. connect

All

places

these stories,

I beg

to repeat, have

greatly abridged by me, and

if the

reader

been wants

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

220

have fuller knowlege of their details he must go back to the originals

to compare them

If

themselves.

for

version

we take up the

Muhammadan

critical review, we

a

see, as we have already observed, that with the

j"..."..."; jºi..."

of the Hindu ideal of womanly virtue amongst the rank and file of converts to

loss

Islam, immodesty in sexual matters was no longer thought of as a matter of serious social condemnation. The lower class of Muhammadans

in

of on

is

its

revel in unrestrained language while dealing with the topics of the passion of the flesh. The propriety self-immolation of a Sati, though justly called question grounds, humane the by

self-denial and austerities widowhood enjoined the Hindu scriptures, the loyalty that does not break after husband's death but continues to

the community

of

a

of

inspire woman's soul through the rest her life—these ideals of women were withdrawn from converts, and

the result

was

of

gaze

Kumāra

are

exposed

who feels the “dart

a

the sun

her on

of

day; her charms

to

wintry

the roof

of

palace

dishevelled stands enjoying the warmth

loose and

on

Sakhisonă with her hair all of

striking manner.

in

shows this decadence

The story Sakhisonă lofty the Hindu spirit of

purity. of

devotion and

of

of

that the folk-lore amongst them degenerated from the standpoint the high Hindu conception

a

-

and

the

Cupid

IDEAL

THE HINDU

221

outright,” and then when

pierce his breast

they

meet in the school he seduces her in the langu age of a low class debauch. She listens to him throbbing with her heart with passion ; and they meet shamelessly

in a room of the palace every

night. What a contrast does such a scene of lust, introduced by a Muhammadan writer, offer to that quiet self-control which we find in the original Hindu story ! Pre-nuptial love is un known in our community but sometimes it finds a place in our folk-tales, as

in

sexual purity

the Hindu justly laid upon

of

the word honour and upon the parents, justifying the abandonment

pledge

of

stress

guarded

of

this

tale,

is

version

of

even

high sense our rustic folk.

amongst

a

language showing

couched

In

however,

of

is,

It

case.

home

youth

a

in

a

the elopement

of

respect

of of

in

to

is

a

in

of

lover, which divested from the company any such moral obligation, itself horrible thing our men and women. Peruse the Hindu tale and nothing will jar against your ears princess

with

grossly sensuous

element,

on of

moment.

A

at

in

of

humbler rank. The woman stands your eyes inspite elevated what she did. yet And what she did was deliberate and well planned, not conceived the spur the

a

the

before she

married

him

meeting

a

the princess to

The immodesty

of

other hand, permeates the Muhammadan version. is

Af

it does in the present

lover

will strike every

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

222

Hindu reader and in our Zenana the women will not bear to hear a story like that.

The robber,

whose life is spared, feels a passion for the princess, and says or thinks nothing of his murdered brothers. The flower-woman also a passion for Kumāra, whom she transforms into a goat but restores to human conceives

The writer says “they spend the night in jolly spirits.” We need not comment on the conduct of the flower-woman. shape every night.

She may be equal to this action or things even more hineous, but the hero of the tale becomes

contemptuous by his tacit submission to the will of the debauched witch. The king seizes the princess when she is forlorn and there is again a love-proposal. The whole story in the Muham madan

version

pander

to a

thus been worked

has

vulgar

taste

up to

repels

which

us.

We would not have cared to notice the story, original were it not for showing how the Hindu tale has been vitiated in its Muhammadan version ; but let us very clearly state here that we do not believe that the Muhammadan women

tell this story in their homes in the

in which it has come down to us in printed form. The version current maybe Muhammadan homes truer the original, gives decent and and believe that a

Sakhisonà's love and trials.

have

happened

is

What seems

to

becoming account

of

it

us

let

to

in

its

shape

this.

The

PAURANIC

INFLUENCE

223

Muhammadan writer, whose readers are no doubt a few rustic men who have just learnt to read the Bengali alphabets, in his zeal for showing himself a dilettante and well skilled in the art of expressing the softer emotions of the human heart, has introduced these incongruous elements into the original Hindu story which is so rigidly pure. So far with the Muhammadan version. Let us next say a few words about this story as related

rº, nº

ºn...

duces classical elements in the story.

by Fakir Rama Kavibhushana in the middle of the 16th cen tury. That Fakir Rama was a

true poet admits of no doubt. His taste is rigid and he gives very fine touches showing a real mastery over the poetic art in many of his ele gant passages. with a dialogue Chandana.

The

For instance, he begins his tale between

latter

princess the and proposes elopement.

The princess should leave the palace and both of them go to a different country and live as husband and wife. The indignant princess expresses her vehement rage at this unbecoming proposal and threatens to bring the matter to the notice of the king. This would lead to his immediate

execution.

But

Chandana

cites

Pauranic examples; how Rāma left the palace and became a beggar for a simple pledge ; how Dagaratha

died

of grief yet dared not break his

pledge; how Rāma himself did an act which

224

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

of questionable integrity, simply because he had pledged his word. These was

blamed

as one

references to Pauranic

examples

completely conquered her Scholar

herself,

she

spirit.

of faithfulness For being a

dared not violate the

ordi

down in the holy books. The Puranas guided the social lives of the Hindus of the 16th century. Even the literary cha nances

laid

racters were bound down by the

commandment

of these scriptures.

The preceptor

dissuaded her from

flying

of Sakhisonă away with Kumāra, but she cited an example from the Rāmāyana referring to the case of the washer-woman who was afraid of scandal in the Uttarākānda; and this completely outwitted the preceptor. The descriptions of Nature given by Fakir Rama are all on classical lines. The animated account interesting, of a hurricane is and so is also that of Sakhisonä’s full grown charms on the attain ment of womanhood. Her feet are like lotus buds, her eyes soft as those of a gazelle

face lovely as the

moon.

These

are

and

her

of course

stereotyped objects of comparison

which abound inspite in Pauranic literature. But of his classical taste, which is a marked feature of the

Fakir Rama, we admire his keen appreciation of the rural element in the story related

by

original folk-tale which he retains in his version in a considerable measure. His writings show a combination of the classical elements with the

RURAL LIFE

225

rural, and his style is light occasionally verging on the humorous and far from the monotonous and heavy sweep which often repels us in most of the vernacular poems of the Hindu Renaissance. But when we come to the version of Dakshina

ranjan what a sense of relief do we feel ! This scholar has taken down the story as told by old country-side. women of the He has added nothing himself.

He has even tried, as far as possible, to retain the very language in which these tales were delivered. This takes us back to a state of things which existed in the country before the Muhammadan invasion. Those that :

-

of in

in

and

fº.º.º. The excellence

acquainted

with Hindu life the Zenana, especially the remote Mofussil villages Bengal, will bear testimony

are

of

the fact that time has changed

thoughts

and

up

complicated

and artificial

one.

made

a

life,

old

it

of

try-tales some the simple charms before the Brahmin priests had

of

in

of

ideas

of

to

but little our womenfolk and even the dialect they have been speaking for all these long centuries. We find these coun the

These beauties

29

words

“We shall

of

the

be

the holy writs nor Brahmins. Chandana says

nor

of

to a

not swear by gods and goddesses by

by

love, but they

do

of

as

everywhere

in

the tale and are abun princess dant field-flowers. The and Chandana take the vow adherence life devoted grow

the

true'

FOLK LITERATURE

226 as the

earth

is

true

BENGAL

OF

where

flowers

blossom.”

The flower is the emblem of innocence and truth; and

the

earth

blossom

here

is sacred

When

!

because

the

the queen

flowers

breaks

her

promise, Chandana's mother—the poor wife of the kotwal—comes to the bank of the Putra-saro bara

and

before

the

which

lotuses

were

the

witnesses of the queen's pledge, sings her lament, the quiet pathos of which appeals to the heart,

offering a contrast to the

Pauranic

allusions to prove that

Fakir Rama's version

made in

of

promise

good.

Here the kotwal's wife says in rhymed verse:—“Oh lotus, why do you blossom still and do not blush and breach

is

not

for shame? For did she not make a pledge here and has not she broken it here and in your fade

place

that took reflection

on

still throws

its

breach of faith

and the moon and stars by by

given

the

sun

day

this tank

night!”

a

of

dim knowledge the royal parents. her She comes

The princess has pledge

here

by

presence? The bank of this lovely tank is no longer sacred. How strange that in spite of the

a

of

of

on

near the tank and sees the birds Guka and Sări perched the bough near tree. The shade the evening spreads around her and

my heart

I

fulfilment

and

am ready offer

if to

not

and Sāri, waters tell me what this O

Guka

it,

rib

its

P

For of

take out

a

pledge

is

of

she says: “O birds, the tank, can you

BEFORE THE RENAISSANCE

227

The ideal of loyalty and devotion is here even more strikingly shown than in Pauranic tales; but they are simple virtues of necessary.”

innocent human heart, and for following these no Pauranic rules needs be quoted. The plant with floral wealth, the tank with transparent water and the lotus full

its

in

its

its

the

it.

of

to

blown beauty appeal the rural people more than the Brahmins and all their holy writ would perhaps do. The thought the pledge weighs upon Puspamālā, the princess, and makes her sad. The next day, the preceptor marks pleased

feet

of

the gold cymbals

of

her

jingle

the

the ear

everyone that

it,

on

On other days

to-day she steals into the room quietly, and the preceptor says, “How that your days voice other sounded sweet when you recited your lessons, and to-day dull like that wood

P”

dry piece

of

a

of

is

it

so

on

is

it

heard

When the preceptor

Renaissance

to

the vociferous Brahmin catalogue the

giving

of

the

a

of

does not play the part

of

as

of

learns the whole thing about the pledge from Puspa and Chandana, and when both them opinion they do, seek his what should he

goes

to

hell.” But judgment, before this Daniel delivered his had sat quiet for minute with brows that were darkened and pursed up, for realised the fact he

a

he

to

that violates

he

“If

it,

heaven,

he

to

Pauranic allusions bear upon the question, but briefly says, goes one keeps the pledge

228

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

well, that his judgment would make the princess, the heiress to the throne of that country, leave the palace and seek a life of poverty and distress. But in his regard for truthfulness, he did not yield to the Brahmanic enthusiast of the Pauranic revival, though he was not at all prolific in his speech like the latter. The princess after hearing this judgment from his Guru, made Chandana sit on this simple act showed that she elected him as her bridegroom. Without the sound of conch-shells and the recita the throne,

while

sat below;

she

tions of Vedic hymns, and held indispensable,

a

hundred rites which are

they became bound in wedlock

in response to the call of a higher duty which gave

a solid grounding to love and sentiments.

Before they departed

they said,

“To keep the king honour of the pledge of a is to keep unimpeached the honour of the country; so do

we follow this course.” The princess took her diamond necklace and bracelets off and offered

them as fees to the preceptor. We all feel that richly ; he deserved them for even at the risk everything of enviable in this earth, he could not advise the pair to swerve from truth.

that if this were known to the king, punish him with death.

He knew he

would

One thing that strikes us as very remarkable in these stories is the control exercised on feelings and speech of the great characters. This affords a contrast to the literature of the

-

BREWITY

229

descriptions of Pauranic renaissance where simple things often weary us by their monotony and unnecessary repetitions. Here the women

º,” ""

folk are generally the listeners

of these tales and they are also the story tellers. This accounts for the excellent brevity—the characteristic of the stories—which as a great poet has said “is

of

the soul of wit.” For though we read in modern romances long speeches on love delivered by women, these people of

the tender

matter of course, averse to such their feelings are deep. This is of the Hindu women. One of put has this in the mouth of his are

called

Abolās (speechless),

sex are, as a

speeches, when

true especially our great poets heroine “We for though we

have mouth, we

cannot speak out our senti fact, deep love is not consistent

ments.” In long professions. with sacrifices.

they

Words

It

is silent and full of generally frothy and

are

shallowness of the heart. Did ever a mother deliver a long speech to her child to prove how dearly she loved him P Even so it is with nuptial love; when it is deep often

disclose

it scarcely speaks. romances,

the

In

heroines

the are

modern

Bengali

given to

long

speeches and long love-confessions. But here we highest deepest find the and love shewn in action and

in sacrifice at every step, but the characters

seldom make speeches.

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

230

The look of the flower-woman's malignant eyes turned Chandana into a goat. She wove garland help a of flowers without the of thread by and blew into the air her breath. These had For, says the folk-tale, pure. It is interesting to

no effect upon Puspa. she

was

chaste

and

notice that in spite of the many superhuman actions, charms and spells, with which these abound,

stories

rural people

the

realised

the

power of simple truth and faith in a wonderful manner. A woman who was loyal and true and

rural life

a

accounts

in

simple

of

in

or

no

of

all

who sacrificed everything for love, and suffered without complaint, was a proof against kinds spell. Truth and devotion were the armour against which witchcraft charm could stand. Human virtues are appreciated these remarkably

convincing manner.

appended

which our

to

a

full translation will concluding lectures.

be

Mälanchamālā

of

these great human virtues

of

in

striking example the typical story

of

a

a

a

to

Gods and even devils bow great true heart. This gives the stories ethical status. We shall, however, show

Not

most these

and

a

a

word more, not word less than required; the words are all the to

what point,

is

stories.

poetry, finds expression

a

city and with deep unassumingly fascinating

in

its

The country life, with its charms and simpli

the

descriptions

are

not

made

THE POETIC ELEMENT

231

ingenious or heavy by scholarly effusions; the little songs interspersed in the stories are full of poetry, wit or pathos. In this very story of Puspamālā, there are many small songs which gems; they

like

shine

were

composed

not

to

illustrate classical canons of rhetoric, but coming direct from hearts that were charged with emo tions and true pathos, they appeal irresistibly and remind us that there is nothing so beautiful as simplicity.

Puspa had disguised herself as a warrior but the king's guard while trying to take

off the soldier's coat strange discovery. a song

:-

“How

body,

from her

makes

a

The folk-tale here introduces -

does her rich braided hair become open

The green outer skin of the mango had hid its wealth of ripeness but the beak of a it,

to the gaze

it

is

crow strikes and lo! the golden colour out. The water weeds had covered the lotus, its soft stalk lay hid under thorns, the bee touches

lo! hundred petals spread out and show full bloom.” a

’’

is

of

The beauty untranslatable, be

foreigners. number

of

a

The descriptions sometimes consist merely onomatopoetic ##

words. -

of

to

charming

this province. conveyed can hardly

the rural dialect

Their rich suggestiveness

few

of

and belongs

ºf

to

words

Goldsmith’s “Hermit.” like “Rºl (5tal

in

lines

of

This passage reminds

us

a

and the

They are,

232

FOLK

however,

LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

expressive

more

are

...'...'..."

classical style. The great reptile, the Çankhini, beasts,

Sºzizéiviſãi

cºſts

ºf Hi

ºf

HE Tº Rº,

græ

fºſſil Exetfail

ag

affº, fºr

HZafaza

5ſºil

##

cºià

approaches

ſafº

cºifſ; HZafaza

pages.

imagery

of

a

-

ber

of

writers would fail

ºn

many our modern writing produce num

which

by

Çankhini,

to

of

These few words call up the hideous the

Gazgº wizti;

l’”

an

sºn,

those

grandiloquent

that swallowed men and through the forest lands.

Ҽl

which written in a

than verbose and

?

ales

of

folk-tales prevalent begin with, the ripa

they are simple tales

in

kathis,

Folk-

to

There were four kinds Bengal. First all, of

in

Four kinds

of

CHAPTER V

which the super

human element predominates. The Rāksasas, the beasts and celestial nymphs often play the most important parts these stories. The tales heroism related them are sometimes fantastical. The of

of in in

sages

of

The rapakathas.

the

shapes

of

to

of

of

in

these kinds tales Gaul could tell you the age the moon; they could call the fish from the depths the seas and cause them shore; they come near the could even change the

hills and

head lands;

they

THE 8TH TO 10TH CENTURY TALES

233

could utter incantations over a body cut to pieces, saying, “Sinew to sinew and nerve to nerve be joined ” and the body became whole again; the Druid priest could hurl tempests over the seas; the heroes with one stroke of their favourite swords beheaded hills for sport; when they sat down to their food, they devoured whole oxen and drank their mead from vats. In the of Mainamati, we find the Hadi Shiddha displaying similar feats; with golden shoes on his feet he could walk over big rivers; he legend

kindled fire with the water of the Ganges instead

him; the gods came down

to

treasures

to

its

of oil; the river was bridged at the mere words of his mouth ; at his command the tree laden with fruits drooped low to the earth to yield offer

so

of

;

even the immortals, was

higher rank

special feature

the

and legends from the 8th the 10th centuries all over the world. In tale called a

to

rūpakathâs

than of

held

in

mortals,

a

powers

to

of

to

powerful that their services him he was with his rod he even chastised Yama, the superhuman god death. The attribution

of

incantations;

and

the

legend

body

by

a

dead

of

joining the different parts

of

of

a

in

“Field

of

Bengal Bones” the collection folk-tales by Lal Behary Dey, we find sage, Diancecht, like the Gaelic physician Miach, son the

the beautiful

a

nymph Caer, who became swan every summer and smote Angus with her charms, will ever 30

234

FOLK

LITERATURE

OF

BENGA1,

remind us of many stories current in Bengal Dandi, Jamini like those of Bhan and Chandrävali, to which reference has already been made. This episode, differing in some its details in various versions, recurs in Bengali stories as well as in those of many the other parts of the world. The genuine of

rūpakathas

legends

all over the world strikingly common points in them. Those that are indigenous to Bengali life have the special feature of having some great ethical have

and

many

while imparting instruction with amuse ment to the young. It is now admitted by European scholars that many episodes of the Arabian Night’s Tales owe their origin to Indian

aim

stories,

such as are to be found in the

Kathâsarit

The story of Saharia and Sahajeman is an Arabic adaptation of the story of the two Brahmin youths and their religious sacrifice

sägara.

that Indian work. The story of Sindabad the sailor, that of the King, the prince, and seven ministers, of Geliad, his son and minis ter Senmash, in the Arabian Night's Tales, are described in

derived from Sanskritic ready

sources.

We have

al

how the Panchatantra which professed to teach the princes of Pataliputra rules of conduct and politics, presented in the mentioned

of animal stories, got a world-wide circu lation. This represents one of the forms of ripakathas. But the true ripakathâs are those

garb

THE TWO WRESTLERS

235

where fair ones are won by the heroic feats of dauntless princes and young merchants after a conquest over the Raksasas or achievements of other feats equally hazardous and glorious. at one time carried the young children through every stage of narration; breathless spirits the of the air, the beasts of the forest and the monsters of the deep took part in human These

affairs in these stories creating a romance

which

produced and excited interest around the

hearth

of each family. Often in particular classes of ripakathâs, the human powers were exaggerated, till imagination feasted itself to a satiety, and in Eastern tales the romance of these was not bound by time and space, but transcended limits of all sorts. In Edda the giant Skrymmer notices the

dread falling ful blows of Thor's hammer as the of a leaf. In the English story of Jack the giant killer, Jack under similar circumstances, says the

that a rat had given him three or four slaps with its tail. But these feats are nothing as

ºn as,

tºº." m.

compared to those described in the Bengali tale called “The

wrestler 22-men-strong, and 23-men-strong.” The tale is a

wrestler typical one showing the wild excesses of Eastern imagination. 22-men-strong The wrestler the

heard the

that world

there a

lived

wrestler

in another part of 23-men-strong. His

FOLK LITERATURE

236

pride

wounded,

OF BENGAL

in great rage he started for the country of his rival who claimed the strength of one man more than himself, in fight. In his order to challenge him to a was

so

hurry he forgot to take his meal. But on his way he found that his bag contained 24 maunds of flour. Where was the plate to be found from which he could eat so much food P

Finding a tank on his way he threw the flour then quaffed off the whole mixture.

into it and

his hunger for a time. He now took a mid-day nap, but a wild elephant that had come to drink water from that tank to see

it emptied of

trampled the wrestler under ing man was disturbed, and

half-opening his not yet vanished,

from which sleep had slap which killed the animal gave gnat, and then were turned

on

he

a

it

a

eyes

liquid, and

feet; the sleep

as

was enraged

its

appeased

its

This

though

his back

rival

his gate.

But

one

and responded

every day

The

of

it

was scratching the earth

as

I

P

the house

?”

a

a

a

as

at

he

to

sign kicked the earth great sound. his rage, and this caused girl nine years old came out and wonderingly thought the cat said, “You, man

A of

his call,

23-men-strong, no

knocked

his

as

house

at

the

of

Arising from his sleep the wrestler came

to

and slept again.

wrestler felt himself

does

hum

bled by this remark, for his feats were belittled

THE KING OF BIRDS by

a

237

girl and declared to be worthy of a cat.

Then reclining

a tall palm tree he asked

upon

girl where the wrestler 23-men-strong was. “You mean my father, wait a bit, he will come

the

presently.

it

it,

He has gone to the river side,” said the girl and added “ Dont push the palm tree in that way, it may fall down.” “Why, what if it does P” The girl repiled “My father will grows when make a tooth-brush with

thought

who

making

a

like,

of

would

be

stronger.” The wrestler did not relish this remark also and wondered what the man

with

woman

of to

An old

a

to

to

a

tooth-brush with such tall palm-tree. He did meet his the river side not wait, but ran fight. began They met and forthwith rival. herd

goats

that side, and seeing the two wrestlers fighting, said “Children, forbear your moment, and let me pass.” play for The fighting stopped that and wondered wrestlers passing

be

a

was

!

buffa

of

about them, and tying her cows and her apron, passed by. The king

by

loes

to

got

all

;

as

as

as

they were could addressed play children and their fight described long she took But the woman did not wait upon fighting heroes her shoulders and for the such giants

birds

in

at

a

of

he

the sky above them Gadura was passing good saw the prospect this moment and feast, and carried his beak the woman with all that she carried.

238

FOLK LITERATUIRE

OF BENGAL

There lived a king in a certain country who had a daughter. She was taking rest on a couch on

the roof of her palace, and

one of her

a rúpakatha to her. The breeze was pleasant and the princess

attendant maids

narrating

was

the tale, when suddenly her bed and said, “Maid, see

enjoyed it no less than rose up from

she

its

it,

what has fallen into my right eye, it may be a dust-grain.” The maid took a straw in put her hand and a bit of cotton around help drew out the dust-grain. and then with

a

to

on

be

to

a

of a

in

The princess felt little pain the eye from drop which fell tear. The dust-grain when brought out proved nothing less than the woman with two fighting men her shoulders and with whole herd of beasts tied her The gentle breeze

that the

enjoyed

was

cyclone

had

of

king

a

apron

which

princess

caused

the |

of to

before this mighty -

-host

of

ficance tale.

*

an

as

birds throw the woman from his beak Brobding nag who are “as tall The dwellers ordinary spire-steeple sink into insigni the

Bengali

nymphs and fairies, where the hero and the heroine suffer for their love and pass through risks and sacri fices an adventurous spirit, have interest for rúpakathâs

introducing

in

These

And

what

people

of

latter.

as

as

the young well the old, rousing the imagi nation of the former and old memories of the the

world have

239

THE CHARM OF THE TALES

not heard these in their infancy, and not admired them

with all the warmth

their souls

eagerness

and

of

Sometimes the grim

and terrible young minds with awe, and sometimes the picturesque natural sceneries drawn in a few lines—the flowers of the P

element in

these

fills

tales

the

valley, the evening stars and moon light—diffuse a charm which make a lasting impression on the young.

And many a time and oft the story carries them through the dangers passed by the hero, in the land of Raksasas or of giants or depopulated

in cities

by

tigers

or cobras. young sigh pray And the listeners and for the end of the hero's troubles and when he is res

grati

to his love's arms, feel extreme fication and sense of relief. Sometimes

tored

as

in

story of the Field of Bones, the stillness of a dark night, in the depth of an impenetrable forest, mixed with awful incantations and the grimness of Tantrik worship, recalling the the

dead

life,

to

emotions

awaken

the

thoughts

and

that

soul

mystic

to

transcend

the

In stories like that of Opium,” through the various ambition presented in the form

limits of time and space.

“The Origin

of

a

of legend,

ment and

the ethical

lesson that content self-aggrandisement should be

not

temperament

moral life.

of

the true object to

be aimed

the

prepares the

young aspirant

to

stages

at,

of

high

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

240

The next species of folk-tale in Bengal consists of those in which there is an Humorous tales. attempt at humour. These may subtle, but they show the power of appreciating humorous situa tion by the rural-folk in their own simple way. They call up associations of merry laugh lips ter of children and smiles on the bashful not

too pointed and

be often

of youthful this way :

women.

One of them

begins

in

“There was once a king whose name was Habuchandra. His minister was and Italuchandra Gabuchandra.

called Gabuchandra.

was the very jar of wisdom and the minister a palm-tree of sagacity. “Both kept company day and night, and did

“The king

not leave each other for a moment. “How could injustice prevail in a kingdom ruled by such a pair of prodigies 2 They were determined to protect the country from harm in every way.

“The king

used to laugh loudly,

ho—ho–ho

at every thing, and the rejoinder was sure to come from the minister who in his deep-mouthed voice coughed kho-kho-kho. “ Each admired the other's wisdom and

full of

praises of the other.

was

“The king had a wall raised round his Audi ence Hall, his minister kept his nostrils and ears shut by putting a quantity of cotton in

HABU CHANIDRA—GABU CHANIDRA

This was

them.

ministerial

241

precaution lest the royal and

a

should disappear

wisdom

from the

Court.

“It

one day that a boar passed making palace nose, near the a sound with ghonth, ghonth, ghonth. The king saw the animal and said, ‘What minister The minister

P’

it,

is

its

happened

an

passed

the royal stall

imprison by

was

to

order

the servants belonging

!

once

to

“At

an

it

to

is

in

of

it

at

with scrutinizing eyes, and said, Majesty's charge ‘Your servants the stall elephant are thieves. This famished and reduced this size; the servants have not evidently provided with food.’ looked

“Another day the same boar passed it

is in it,

‘How

the

The king looked and said, minister, that the elephant has not size though the servants have been at

again.

palace

improved

punished.”

on

feeding

this time. The mice royal the store.”

The kingdom have become

“‘Does the matter even stand indignant king.

so

P’

a

in

have come out great peril.

is

an

by it

is a

“The minister said, ‘Your Majesty, this elephant, its trunk would mouse, for were fat,

cried the

by

of

to

at

Orders were once passed behead the sentinels the royal store. royal “The store was now saved the

31

a

king and his minister; they relief and sat chamber in

of breath

the

of

drew

a

sagacity

242

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BFN GAL

after this great labour and the servants fanned them in order to remove the weariness caused by the

toil of administration.”

The story goes on to narrate a number of sagacity of the king and his minister, and the humour throughout, episodes illustrative of the

though not pointed as a needle, is neither blunt They best show the joys as a wooden sword. and merriments of simple village-folks, and are purely

indigenous

worthy

of

the

the same time.

in character. The sequel is beginning, comic and tragic at The king, counselled by the

minister, orders the execution of

I,

a man, as

inno

A stake impalement is raised for the of this criminal. And the king and the minister are present to see to the carrying out of their command. Now cent as you or

on a charge of theft.

the Guru of this unfortunate

came to the

man

spot at that moment and cried out, him to the stake for god's sake

“Do

not

put

let not a criminal be rewarded in the way deserved by saints.” “What is the matter P” “What is the matter P” asked the king and his minister with gaping mouths.

;

Now the Guru who was dressed

“I

found it in the holy writs that the man who is impaled at this most auspicious moment will go to heaven straight, as a hermit said,

no matter

what

have

heinous crime he may have

* Dakhina Ranjan's Thakurmar Jhuli.

THE Fox

243

committed in this earth ; so keep his punishment in abeyance for a while, and put me on the stake instead, so that earth

to

the

I

may at once

pass from minister said,

The

heaven.”

“This cannot be, if this death is should an outsider be rewarded

glorious, why with it P Put

so

But His Majesty whose imagination

me there.”

was inflamed by the description of the nymphs of heaven that he had heard, cried aloud, “The

king must go to heaven first.” So by his royal order he was impaled by the executioner and by his wish loud music was kept up all the while drowning his screams, and when the crowd at last saw him, they found him stone-dead, with a horrible grimace on his face. There

are many stories

that we heard in containing our childhood rural sketches full of jovial spirits, humour and and not in an incon portion siderable of them are The fox in charge of animals, young the tortoise's the the chief actors. Orles.

The fox is often

these stories.

In

one of the tales

the we

hero find

of

him

capacity of a village pedagogue. The tortoise has seven young ones; he is anxious for their education and leads them to the school of in the

the

veteran

teacher.

The wily fox is well all

pleased to see the young ones and casts on them is

hungry looks, but says he, “You need not at my look care for them now. Their interest out from this day.” The tortoise now goes back

fully

LITERATURE

of

convinced

the

BENGAL

OF

sound

its

FOLK

244

education

fatherly

about school-master.

a

made him feel some paid them and visit the One of the seven had meantime care

to

anxiety

a

his

he

day,

of

at

young ones will get the hands such well known scholar as the fox. On the third

of

for the light refreshment the latter, but the cunning fellow brought the little things one by one and showed them their father, the sixth one was brought twice that could so

he

to

served

it to

in

it

In

in

not perceive any diminution their number. this way when all but one remained, the cun ning fox brought out and then took him back his school chamber and this way produced seven times, on which the tortoise felt that all the seven were alive and doing well. But when

wily animal had

tortoise

on

the

his

finished that one also, the

visit again

was

education

and

gone

to

seven young ones had completed college

told

that his

their school for higher aca

pre How long could such The tortoise now realised the young truth that his ones had gone up indeed higher world but through the jaws the wicked Reynard. And took solemn vow of

retaliation.

ing

a

One day

the

a

he

to a

of

P

a

demic distinction. text hold water

old fox was

cross of

canal and the tortoise caught one his tightly within his jaws. “Ha'-Bah!” prince cunning, cried the whose presence

mind never failed him. “What

of

a

of

legs

narrow escape

THE TRAP AND ESCAPE

245

The foolish tortoise has but caught a log by his teeth, my legs are quite free.” Whereupon the latter let it go, thinking that it was a mistake on his part. to how to

Another day the fox was thinking He had cross the small canal.

urgent business on the other side, but dared not cross the canal lest the tortoise who was on the alert, might catch him again. The tortoise was weary of waiting, and at last showed himself He abused the on the surface of the water. fox to his heart’s was

no escape

The fox also tortoise.

In

from

gave his

content

him,

replies

and said that there sooner

which indignation he

or

later.

enraged the floated

in

mid-water in a careless manner ; and lo! up in all haste and clever Reynard sprang resting his feet for a moment on the back of his enemy went to the other side of the canal by a heroic leap. “Ha'-Bah!” cried Reynard safely landing on the other bank, and the tortoise felt greatly disappointed. The tortoise thought

“The 'wily fox outwits me in this way each time but I will prove too clever for him this

time.” He came up to the bank of the canal and landing ashore closed his eyes and lay “The old fool Reynard must like one dead. take me for a corpse and come to partake Let me wait.” The fox came of my flesh. evening up there as usual for an walk and noticed the father of the deceased young

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

246

ones lying there inert and motionless. In a moment he understood the device of the tortoise and said:

But stop, dead;

poor fellow,

“The tortoise,

I

am

for he

not sure

does

not

if

is dead.

he is completely

his

shake

ears

as

they

tortoises do when die.” The tortoise thought that it must be a sign of death of the species to which he belonged,

to shake

the

ears

after death. So he gently shook his ears as a convincing proof of death. But the fox said:

“The tortoises

open

their eyes after death and Whereupon shut them again.” the foolish animal did as he was told, shutting his eyes Reynard approached after opening them once. him and gave him a kick and fled in all haste into the depths of the forest. This part of the has a parallel in the story of a hare and a fox current among the Negroes. The third class of these stories comprises the brata kathâs or tales interspersed

story

The brata kathas.

with hymns and attended

with religious observances. Some of these seem to have come down to us from hoary antiquity. The deities addressed are those for the most part to

be

to

in

is

of

its

whom the Aryan pantheon has not opened doors. Their names are unknown and non-Sans kritic, and the mode strange. their worship number, are The deities called the Thuā, five made

with clay.

figures are like

Their conically shaped

miniature

pyramids and

the

.*

-

BRATA KATHA

247

hymns addressed -

*

hymn is

*

not

to them are couched in the oldest form of the Bengali dialect akin to Prākrita. The meaning of this mystic very clear.

ºf

“qq

wiwa witH gaifa

*RFú Stöfg

ºf

ºffs

&R

Thuā

decorations,

(a

ºffs." the Bengali

is

also lost represented by

clay.

shaped piece

catal

This

and two sticks

of is

Like

Lâul

of he

god

woman's

ºffs worship

the

is

The origin

of

qal

875

of

AZR AZR

a in

Tºtal

ing

obscurity. conically

covered with floral

flowers represent

it

to

of is

this stage

to

pyramid-worship; and

of

at be

seem

to

in

be

sort

a

to

a

to

two arms are attached the figure; but this seems later innovation. The reli gious observances regard Thuā and Lāul

them.

be

to is

opposed

It

the Aryan homes seem to

originally

is

to

of

women

to

in or

or

by

to

if

say difficult these forms worship belonged the indigenous non-Aryan population, were introduced the Dravidians some other people. One point noticed regard such worship that the elderly

have been

the young

TOLK LITERATURE OF BENG AL

248

wife that introduces them at the teeth of great opposition. This we find in the sacred tales by which every such worship is consecrated. The Aryans did not at first tolerate

these practices;

but the brides were initiated into the rites pro bably by the non-Aryan people with whom they came in contact and amongst whom the Aryan homes were built. In the stories attached to the worship of these local deities, the

The indeginous form of worship among non-Aryans.

we find the

resenting the mothers-in-law practices, nay sometimes setting

at

of

all

on

their feet the sacred things worshipped with which the wives these deities privately. We know that the worship

on

of

in

Admitted to the the Aryan pantheon.

connected

as

of

this nature, such Chāndi and Manasā Devi, the

the deities

Brahmin priest opened his tem ple-door latterly. They were

some form

Hindu mythology.

or

To some

of

of

at

it in

Chandi and Manasă TVevi was not first favoured the Aryan homes. The young wives introduced great sacrifice their part and bore all oppression manner for doing so.

other with the legends But Thuā and Lâul

their last struggle for existence

in

in

by womenfolk alone, without are worshipped being recognised by the Brahmins, and are now Bengal. or

to in

us

to

of

The archaic forms words the hymns ad dressed these deities carry the 8th 9th century A.D. and even earlier times; and there

249

THE GIRL's PRAYERS

is no lack of other internal evidences to prove that some of these forms of worship originated height of maritime activities. The chart of worship of the goddess Bhāduli is full of symbolical things denoting sea-voyage. There are seven seas,

Bengalis

i.

thirteen rivers, the sandy sea beach, rafts, sea fowls, palm

-

the

Evidence of mari. activity in

all refer

gone by sea

of those to

home-shore

to

tree, etc.,

prayers

at the

were

the chart.

the safe landing dear

ones and

The

on

the

in

when

the

relations

distant countries:—

“Oh

I

be

so

fast, Oh river, Oh river, my Tell me how husband and father-in-law fare. Oh sea, Oh sea, peace with thee, grant what

Where

you

go

do

of

?

do

river, Oh river, whither you run you by, something my father and pass say Before his son.

return to-day.

with thee, hear what

I

Oh sea, Oh sea, peace

be

brother has gone for trade, may

he

pray,

My My

say.

all

of

he

father has gone for trade, may return to-day. raft, raft, high Oh Oh dweller the seas thou art. Keep my father and brother safe from harm and -

Oh sea-heach,

when they pass

Oh sea-beach, smile

by

hurt. thee.

me

I

sea-fowls, Oh sea-fowls, tell beseech thee. Where did you see the ship, that carries them sea?”

in

...

Oh

Watch them, keep them safe, this boon grant me.

32

the

250

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

The little girls worship the image of the sea, of the rivers, sea-fowls, and rafts, preparing the figures by a solution of powdered rice, and address these short prayers and hymns, wishing them,

the safe return of those dear and

near

engaged

goddess the In one the

of

mother-in-law

another passage no

of is

as

is

Bhāduli no one can hymns, she called the Indra, Lăul called

in

is,

Who tell.

of

sea-voyage.

in

to

in

of

respect

hearts be their husbands,

tender

by

scientific

methods

and

so

comes fathers and brothers whose ships not

secure as

anxiety

the greatest

of

high, and

August, the month and the monsoons are

full

of

is

worshipped Bhāduli when the rivers are

in

of

to

in

or

the elder brother Çiva. These are doubt attempts way mere connect them some other with the deities the Hindu pantheon.

appliances,

now,

in

their kith and kin

safety.

There

is a

to

to

a

of

plaything the deep. The little girls observed fasts and prayed the raft, the seabeach, the ship and the sea-fowls keep

were often

simplicity

in

unassumingly pathos tender these beautiful prayers the child's heart which can appeal. not but The images men and women alipana

in

drawn

essential rite and

the

and

this

ceremony

to

These

in

is

figures are often like crosses; addition, line drawn each cross towards end; the for otherwise the figure would have

a

worship.

part

paintings of

an

are

of is

of

of

and

APPLIES LIME WATER

CIWA.

but one leg.

251

are also made of clay and

These

country-side. A distinguished in the European scholar once expressed great sur prise at seeing one such clay figure, and told me that it was the exact likeness of some of those clay-figures which Mr. Evans discovered

all

sold

belonging

to

along with other things in Crete, about 3000 B.C.

Bengal,

of

evidence

in

country life in

is in

of

...*""

element,

factor

indispensable

an

The agricultural

most

these

We find that

songs and tales. as

field work, with the help

of

in

to

us

in

an in

the 10th century, the Çunyapurana, written agricultural god Çiva appears reaping the harvest and doing other engaged chief assistant country-side the Bhima. The peasantry the deity, attributed their own calling to

in

of

his

to

bring him nearer their comprehen humour which almost reaches There

a

pathetic interest plying lime water

Çiva ap the description rice-plants the roots said, that insects. Well

in

its

of it

One

of

the god Indra

Indra

husking rice.”

as

Indra

“Where

for

bratakathâs

to

Çiva.

these

is

does

god, the

indispensable

2

life

to

Some

agricultural

is

an

Çunyapurama

thus:—

image

considered

a

attribute

is of

to

make

of

be

a

if

bull were horns would divinity. such

an

destroy

to

order

to

in

of

is a

to

order sion.

the

these runs

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

252

One of the most popular of these Bratas, or religious rites performed by our girls, is the Sejuti. In the prayers and songs relating to

The

-

typical girl

of

The hopes, aspirations and win Bengali girls.

s

feelings.

-

"

...

this brata, we have a vivid sketch of the Hindu girls of the old school with their ideas and -

of

in of

to

ºf

in

simple our society expresses language all that she feels the deity she worships. Her ambition, her temper and even bitterness sweetness and her prayers.

simplicity

much crudeness but the to

is

most attractive. There are prayers pretty son being born the mother; stately palanquin from me borne

in

as

in

a

is

”

my

“May my “May “May

I

of

I

an

child Hindu

his the

swarthy swarthy mother with a

a

a

The liking for inherent the in

is

colour.” colour

evermore son

of

cow-shed, and may we have

in in

at

breeding a

courtyard and cows

grain husked

of

his stall, heaps

of

steeds

in

be a

to

be

“;

a

gold and may wear golden bracelets “Oh god Giva, Oh god sun, may not married illiterate man"; “May my prince;—elephants husband his door and eat off

plate

rich

he

be be

the meal for others.” lovely brother the moon-beams.” favourite the king's court”; be

brother

being married the refuse the plate

desire

I

“May

father-in-law’s

of

husband;

my

to a

suggestive

of to a

house

of a

father's

in

be

“Let my

There

expressed

all

are

a

for

jealousy is

feeling

-

SEJUTI

253

her love for the child Krsna of the religious “May I have a son in legend of her country. my lap, and one in my arms, and may I have a Sādi of Benares-silk to wear in the night ";

“May

I be a sister

-

of seven brothers.”

With a solution of powdered rice she makes a

“I

and with joined hands she prays, worship thee, Oh bracelet of powdered rice, may have a pair of golden bracelets, grant me this bracelet

I

Then she makes a kitchen, a cow-shed and a dwelling house with the same material boon.”

and prays to them each, in the aforesaid manner that she may have these made of bricks. She

for diamonds and jewels to wear in person. however, her Her concluding prayer the purest gem amongst her sincere expressions Sejuti the heart take vow

the above show her crude simplicity

a

number likings

and

husband

of

of

I

co-wife was,

as

of

in

the

but invariably with the

his consort the favourite cast away to-morrow.

became the respect The fear

a

to-day

age

in

approach

of

fluctuated whimsically,

Hindu girls co-wives;

days

of

those

of

and the favours

by

plagued

In

girl’s nightmare.

not Hindu

is

a

to

and anxiety lead virtuous life, she free from that fear which was once were

as

of

as

I

virtuous

a

if

But

may

that

so

worship Savitri.”

be a

“I

:

of

is,

prays also

have

254

FOLK

LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

-

nightmare of her existence, and this will be illustrated from the following:— said,

very

the

“Oh “Oh

I

mirror, Oh mirror, may

not have a co-wife,

squirrel, Oh squirrel, keep my husband in peace but eat my co-wife's head.

“Oh

broom, Oh

“Oh

bird, Oh

“May

her

broom, may my co-wife never have a child.

bird,

I

may my co-wife die below and behold her death from above.

sleeping-room

be

the hut for husking rice

and there may she die.

“Oh knife, Oh knife,

I

with thy help for a feast to be given on my co-wife's death. here do

dress vegetables

“What is the red dye that adorns my feet? it is the blood of my co-wife whom I have

you ask, killed.”

We have some very old specimens

of the songs of the sun-god, which at one time were recited by girls and young women. The sun was probably called

In

Visnu in the earlier

fact, in Vedic literature

Riks.

enough

there are suggesting hints that the word Visnu implied amongst the sun-god the Hindus in ancient times. Even in the days of Rāmāyana the Visnu

ºffici;

of the line “fºal Gittae ferºſa: seems signify god. to the solar The sun according to the Ptolemaic theory, as also that of the early Hindus, made his round through

.."

the earth.

""

the solar system. The theory of Copernicus gives this motion to

According to the Hindus the sun met

solar

A

MYTH

255

ºtºl,

fºſtºl and passed through Fifth sº Tsºi, ºther and other signs of the Zodiac of the Vedic times in its course. the constellations

Atºl,

The worshippers of the sun-god, created legends out of this astronomical theory, describing the marriage of the sun-god, and his play with his planetary companions. In a song of the sun god we find him in a boat with 1,600 Gopis or milk-maids. It is quite probable that these 1,600

maids

were meant

to symbolize

the

in

numerable planets of the solar system. Whatever it be, there are good grounds for believing that

Visnu or the sun-god of the Vedic hymns became in later times identified with Kºsma and as the worship of the sun-god lost popular favour in preference to the worship of Krsna, the legends round the bright luminary of the day in a previous epoch of history all passed to KISna, who ousted the former from that had gathered

the temples of this country—the popular religion to-day Vaisnava of thus seems worship to have evolved out of the of the sun-god. The song,

to

which reference has been made composed

in the 10th century or so, judging not only from crude language, but also from the fact that the forms worship and the legends which they treat of, were to

have

been

that early epoch

of

those

of

of

its

seem

our religious history.

FOLK LITERATURE

256

OF BENGAL

Like a thing carried by the waves from the Atlantic or the Pacific ocean to the shores of Bengal,

literary

these

and

the subjects of the songs, to

us

from

have

Vedic

the

historical or

relics,

come floating Upanishadaic

times.

of

do

fit

a

The young sun-god, in this song has attained marry age; yet his parents not think

now grown up, why not get girl the other side the of

on

the sun-god,

he is

of

a

at

to

of

ing him. “The beautiful sadis two Brahmin girls have been spread sun, the the young them,-O mother sun-god casts longing look

mother

him married,

A

to

order

see

that hair.

the sun-god, why not yet get quite grown up.

he of is

Oh

about

in

is

?

him married sitting with her hair spread before the river sun, look there, how the young sun-god roves

to on

he is

;

to

as

so

Another Brahmin girl walks with the cymbals jingling her feet. The young sun-god goes marry her. Why not get propose far quite grown up.” him married

in

My audience should excuse any indecent suggestion this rustic song. This was the way how the old village people felt that the time was ripe when they should look for brides, for their young lads.

GAURI-THE CHILD WIFE

257

But the real pathos of the song is centred in the touches with which young Gauri's marriage and separation from parents are described. She is below twelve, she must sever all connection with her parents at this tender age. The rela tives bless her saying, “Go O Gauri, weeping to-day, but come to morrow smiling and rejoicing.” As the boat carrying her passes through the stream that flows fast by the village, Gauri says to the boat-man,

“Brother boat-man,

ply

your oars slowly, my mother is crying, let me hear her voice a little more; Oh my brother boat man, ply the boat slowly, my sisters are crying, let me catch their sound ; Oh brother boat-man do not ply your boat so fast, yet my brothers are crying, let me hear their voice a little more.” At the time she left home the relations were weeping, stayed

Her and

for even

father wept.

they

which

she was a a day away

hid

his

little girl and never from her in his

With a basket, full of used

to

home.

scarf

face

play

toys,

together,

brothers and sisters wept, but her

mother

herself

with

Gouri's threw beating

on the bare earth and cried her head against a stone. The little girls after

their marriage, went to their husbands’ home and were subjected to the maltreatment of their sisters-in-law and mothers-in-law. This accounts

for the tender pathos of such situations. 33

FOLR LITERATURE OF BENG AL

258

But the Hindu wife, in that tender

age

had

of parents and brothers and sisters. She could not think of her husband alone as satis need

fying all the needs of her tender mind. The home meant to her, the home of parents and it would take years for her to grow up and accept her mate as her all absorbing

is the following conversation

up husband

and

his

How

care.

touching

between the

girl-wife

So

grown

long

her

were ministering to her wants and now she feels helpless not knowing exactly on whom to depend. parents

“I shall

but ill

go to your country, my husband, will it fare with me when am in need

I

of apparel.”

“In

of weavers will you.” found for shall go with you, my husband, will fare with me when want shell-bracelets for

it

ill

“I

I

I

my fair cities a colony

my hands.”

will

make

go

adorn your

your country, my husband, but

get vermilion for my brow.”

to

import

sell vermilion

your country, my husband,

supply

of

but where will

a

“I shall

fair cities

to

my go

Bănias you.”

to

“From the adjacent countries will

to

I

"where shall

the bracelet

I

“I shall

to

makers dwell, who will cut shells hands.”

to

my fair cities

I

“In

rice come from

?”

PARENTS SELL DAUGHTERS

“In

my

fair cities

busy reaping harvests

“I shall

the

259

ploughmen will be

for you, my love.”

your country, my husband, but who will be my mother there.” have my mother and she will be a mother to you.” go to

“I

“I shall

go with you, my husband,

will be my father there?” “My father will be your father

“I

will

as

but who well.”

shall go with you, my husband, but who be my brothers and sisters there P”

“My

will, my darling, be brothers and sisters unto you.” In our country, the gods are not unapproach able divinities—the dwellers of high heaven, brothers

they are merely

and

those

sisters

whom we see around us

in our home. The rustic songs draw the gods Hence so after the models of the rural people. much tenderness attaches itself to the tales of the gods.

In this

song,

there is frequently a reference

to money received by a girl’s parents from the bridegroom at the time of marriage. In one place, find Gauri's mother began to weep and cry

I

young girl was unwilling

one place, go

In

legal bindings.

to

all

its

(when Gauri left her parents for her husband's home), but she tied Rs. 1,000 in the edge of her sädi. The consideration received by the girl's mother was nearly tantamount to her price with and

Gauri, wept,

the

“Oh

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

260

my papa, Oh my mama, won’t you keep me near

you?”

“But

we have taken money before the whole

village people, how can we keep you ?” Alas, these old good days are gone. days a daughter used to be called

In those ‘EUt-º which

suggests a purchase value. How the social aspect is changed, not daughter, but the son is a valu able thing in the Bengali matrimonial market.

The rural songs have a simple charm of their own, even now, when refined ideas and Sans kritized Bengali have driven the charming things of the village into a corner. These songs some times under a religious garb and at others with out any such garb at all,—indicate the soft feel ings, the sorrows and joys that are nourished every day under the shade of green mangoe

I

trees

in a Bengali village. remember to have heard Bengali shepherd, a a lad of barely 16,-filling the

whole

heart,

air with the pangs of

a widow's

conveyed

in a song which he sang one evening, while returning from the field. The widow of the song is young and just stricken by her great calamity. I remember a line

“Oh my darling, why have you left me—mak ing me helpless,

In

driving

some past life did

fisherman

I

me mad with sorrow

!

purchase fish from a forgot and to pay the price, for that a young widow to-day.” Alas! the

fault am I Bengali widows

are

not allowed to take fish or

THE GITA

KATHAS

261

meat of any sort, the passage has therefore a special appeal for us. It is the fourth class of these folk-tales that The Gita Kathâs.

are by far the most important of

all. They are the Gita Kathâs,

lit., tales interspersed

with songs.

In Eastern

Bengal,

old widows of the humbler classes, assisted by a chorus, used to recite them before ladies of high rank during the days of their

con

finement. On the sixth night particularly, when the Fortune god—the Vidhātā Purusa—is said to come down in order to write on the forehead of the baby its future fortunes, the mother and her attendants remain awake ; and how can they do so better than by listening to the stories narrated by these story-tellers ? These gita merely nursery tales. For the education of women, according to the ideals of the East, there cannot be anything more sublime kathâs are not

or edifying.

They smell of fresh grass and field flowers that grow plentifully by the country-side and in them are embodied lessons of the highest renunciation and sacrifice. Some of them are dis tinctly and peculiarly Indian; so that none of the foreign nations that have imitated or adapted many

of the Indian tales could reproduce them in their own language or assimilate them in their stories.

Babu Daksinä Rafijan Mitra Majumdār has done yeoman's service to the cause of Bengali

262

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

literature by collecting some of these.

The first

edition of his Thäkurdādār Jhuli reproduces the stories almost as he heard them from old women

of the rural villages of Eastern Bengal. Their very language is preserved in this edition, as it was in some cases recorded by means of phono graph. The story of Mälañchamālā which is

typical of these tales, and has unique excellence,

was obtained from an old woman of the Yugi People caste. This woman was aged over 100. said she was 150 years old at the time.

She was

inhabitant of a village near Pinger in the sub-division of Tangail in the district of Mymen singh. The stories of Thākurdādār Jhuli were collected during the years 1896-1902. As the an

language of the first edition of this book proved too archaic and antiquated, the compiler at the request of his publishers had to change it in some the later editions. But though the language in the new editions is now closer to current Bengali, the intrinsic worth of the tales places in

has

to some extent suffered by the change.

It

must, however, be said in favour of these changes that the book could not have commanded the

popularity that it now enjoys, if the archaic forms had not been changed in many places. But the alterations are not always happy. When an army marched in a hurry, what a dash and sweep of the movement of a large mass of human beings is implied by the line

Ҽil

stwist

an

aim

THE EXPRESSIONS CHANGED

263

Ústíšil quiem" (p. 18, first edition), which means that the low marshy swamps were raised to the level of plain

nº.º. i.e..." "

land and the rivers were run up the stream and crossed, but this

.

translation scarcely conveys the precipitous hurry and the dash implied in the original line. This line is omitted in later editions. The words

“We’ſº ºffs”

(lit...the son of the wielder of the “at area frºm " (p. 20) “fºra *tºtal ºaſi" (p.25), “fºalfs aſtºrazái" (p.40), “ath ºptica” 49), “CWaſat 49), “frºm atsfä" (p. 55), “ºfºn virstā ātū’’ (p. 127), fisfs atºs” (p.

simpler

such

paraphrased

the succeeding

in

language

many

a

expressions have been changed

or

ºttetº atºs" (p. 131), and

in

“ºtº

it:

(p.

sceptre, p. 22),

editions.

and grand

make

a

will fail

these two

whose ears expressions childhood,

similar

still ring country

do

be, they

of

the place however pompous

But we, some the powerful by Prakrit associations of

impression.

child's dream.

of

they may

terrible Put any

to

Prakritic

words,

association the

in a

Sanskritic expressions

profound

in

a

of

to

slumber” recall midnight calm

by

which means “merged

of

“fºſs”

in us

and

in

so

as

of

What words can convey the awful stillness the night powerfully “ften fiefs affs" The very word “fººl” which means “without sound"

under

stand and appreciate their rural charm and signi ficance. Our younger generations accustomed

FOLR LITERATURE OF BENGAL

264

to Sanskritic words have not learnt their meanings

partly because they have lost touch with the old country-life, and partly because the present scrupulously avoid illuminating vocabularies scholars

confining

Prakrit expressions,

about

It was therefore prudent from the publisher's point of view to change ºf into 53), (p. 58), into fººl into fºll (p. 60). But the old fascination still lingers the archaic forms and the same literary themselves to Sanskritic words.

ºf

ºf

in

(p.

º

the point

R

in a

it

ºf

means

childhood

if

as

If

to

it

(p. is

our

dense. this density

a

be

understood pierced

127).

of

by by

impenetrably

ºffel

the tales.

substitute

In

Efs

*Its

not preserved

unfortunate

by

How

am afraid,

is

I

beauty,

we

could not

needle. *ſū means

the tales given

Rafijan,

of of

Simã

in

But the versions spite

the occasional

by

tender.

Dak

changes

in

to

a

of

to

in

the style, which he was obliged make making popular use, view them suitable for unique merit. Sir Rabindranath Tagore possess has written in his introduction one of these

in

as

so

in

in

no

compilations that Bengal has other man reproducing succeeded the tales the popu lar dialogue well Daksinä Babu has done.

its

its

an

is

of

The compiler put aside his own learning, his own notions, and his own language and did almost the part automatic machine. Thus the old antiquated forms, world here with with

A FAITH FUL REPRODUCTION

265

mannerisms

and with its ideals, unvarnished and

unmolested

by

Bengali

modern

life of the in

before us

10th story the of

professional

The old is vividly

influences.

century

Mälanchamälä.

The

to recite these kings as well as in the huts of the poor had a formed style with fossilised ideas. The stops, the sighs, and even caughings passed the from one generations of women who tales in the palaces of the

used

reciters to the others, preserving the original stories in a really wonderful manner, not indeed like the Egyptian mummy which is lifeless, but like a flower-woman’s wreath, fresh with life and fragrance. If the stories were not preserv manner, ed in this how could an illiterate woman, know how to sign her name, reproduce such an excellent thing as the tale of Mälafichamālā P Daksinä Rafijan got it from one of these women, as an automatic record. In read ing these tales, we need not attach any importance who did

not

even

to the name, that appears on the cover, of one who

for the

of ‘grateful acknow ledgment of unselfish simply labour. He had acted bringing down treasure his

purpose

a

us

medium

in

a

as

... * *" wa.".

to

...:

compiled them except

a

of

of

a

in

of

that lay hidden the rustic villages Bengal. He did not, like Harinath Majum the materials the dār, build new tale out past, nor did he, like Lål Bihāri Dé, give 34

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

266

gist of the stories in another tongue, nor like Mahomedan writers did he introduce into

the

the stories foreign elements divesting them of their original elegance ; neither did he like Fakir Rām Kavibhusama try to invest the old stories with a classical dignity

and

adorn

them

with

borrowed metaphors from Sanskrit. Daksinä Rañjan is an elegant writer of Bengali prose and we can well conceive what a control he had to exercise on himself in order to shut himself up altogether while compiling these stories. But a deep love for the rural life inspired him ; and merged in his cause he forgot himself altogether

in

in

be

There are many less

presents the old ideal most striking manner,

the the great virtues

conceived by the

elegant and

Hindu nation.

of

is

typical

of

of

womanhood

or

more

attractive than this, but

as

an

I

a

stories which

my lectures.

may

it

this fag-end

and

opportu

acquainted with this story, may for introducing full narrative here be

at

excused

until the readers find

be

nity

to

recognised

of

or

of

be

of

it,

like all great workers. We shall attempt here to reproduce the story of Mälanchamālā, as we find Daksinä Babu's compilation. As some the great Bengali merits tales will not understood

the

fair sex

Malanchamala The King is childless. His Majesty called all the astrologers, all the Brähmans and all the hermits country, and had sacri of

At the

monies, the Sacred Oracle said

end

the

a

by

them with

of

son.

cere

:

having

fices performed a

to

view

his

...” “*

a

it

the right side

should king the -and that

be

that the fruit on on

son.

by

The king gets

a

The Oracle further had

it

of

In

a

of to

O

king, for three days and “Observe fast, nights. three On the fourth day pay visit your orchard. you will find pair mangoes golden hue. Break your fast with them.”

taken

the left

by the queen.

-

all

By

in

in

the king's order music the palace was stopped, the royal court remained closed for three days. His Majesty shut himself up his room bolting its doors.

For three days and nights of

the king observed fast and vigil. On the fourth day the favourite horse his stall, the Paksirāj, stood near his door-way. The king took his bath

There had not

was

borne

mango-tree

was

in

Instantly

the orchard.

this orchard that any fruit for three generations; in

Paksirāj.

he

the

the usual religious rites. He bowed dust the temples and then rode

of

the sacred

a

to

and performed

FOLK LITERATURE

268

OF BENG AL

this tree presented two beautiful mangoes of the colour of gold. The king rubbed his eyes with his two hands and when he was sure of what he saw, promised offerings of sweets to the gods.

The gold-coloured fruits lay half-hid under green leaves, hanging from one stalk. The king shot arrows, but the fruits did not fall. He pulled them by means of a hook, but still the fruits could not be brought down.

His Majesty said, “How strange

I am not

the fruits kept they are, should be as let some of you pluck able

!

The

.

smaller stalks joining

the gold-coloured fruits,

if he can.”

The ministers, the architects, the courtiers all tried one by one, but

The arrows

failed.

they flew into an opposite direc applied hooks, which broke half

were shot, but

They

tion.

way; they tried to climb the tree, but the trunk became slippery, and

they

could

not succeed

;

his arm and another his leg in the With broken limbs they all returned crouching and sat in the meadow. king The tore off his pearled necklace and threw down his crown. He himself tried to climb one broke attempt.

the

tree.

The kotwal”

was

there.

He came

forward and said, “Victory be to the king. who is

a master

* The kotwal Inspector.

seems

of good

to

be

a

One qualities himself can

police

man

of

the

status

of

an

269

THE KOTWAL’s SUCCESS

If

recognise the same in others. permits me, may try.”

I

“The

elephants

grasshopper

All

says,

cried,

Your Majesty

and horses are drowned, the

“Let

me fathom the waters.”

“Shame” and hissed. “All right, if you succeed,

The king said,

will be a shawl for your reward ; if you fail, you will go to the scaffold.” The kotwal bowed low till his head touched

there

the very ground

“If I am

and observed,

to

kill

any living thing, let me try the elephant ; if I am to plunder, let it be the royal treasury, nothing short.” Saying this, he took up a clod of earth and muttering some mysterious words, threw it at the furits. The fruits fell down at the first stroke and rested at the hands of the king. in shame.

All hang down their

heads

The great music instantly sounded in the king's palace. The horses neighed in the stall ; the queen awoke from her sleep. The king threw his own shawl over the kotwal’s shoulders, and riding the Paksirāj returned to his palace.

But the stalks broke in the way and right,

of the

which and which

fruits was on the left, on the could not be known. The queen ate the one that was on the right, and the king the other. Some enciente.

months

passed ; the

The king was glad

queen

beyond

became measure,

FOLK

270

LITERATURE

He distributed

the

OF BENGAL

pearls

and

jewels of his the royal

necklace amongst his courtiers, and treasury was opened for charity.

Ten months

passed.

By

the

king's

order

drummers were brought from the city of drum mers; tabor-players were brought from the city of tabor-players. The great sound of kādā, nākādā,

Sānāi,

chakadā,

mrdańga

and

other

musical instruments was heard for ten days, and all this time no bird dared to come down on the On the night of the tenth day, baby a was born in the palace ; the full moon of sky the was no match for the natal room by

halo

of

the baby prince lay surrounded

a

In

it.

earth for fear.

light. to

The kingdom flourished. The king made offerings God and distributed food amongst animals.”

many

opened roads

He had tanks and ponds

places, ;

dug

in

men and

established markets and everywhere and his praises were

sung.

-

The sixth night came. The king covered his courtyard with canopies, fringed with golden pendants. lamps burnt, Three series

fed

of

.

by

. .

...'...." butter.

they played

There were 101 musical incessantly.

bands,

Buddhist

or

a

This

is

*

On four sides there were made four fire-places. The soldiers, sepoys, Jain

custom.

DHARA, TARA, BIBHATA

271

sentinels and armed men kept watch in the palace

whole night. Paths strewn with flowers were opened up to the natal room. Over the posts, raised for the occasion, hang garlands of flower; and sandal and vermilion were sprinkled over By this path, Dhārā, Tārā and the path.

Bidhātā would go to write the luck of the baby . .. prince on the forehead. The sentinels kept watch,

and

at

intervals

the bands played. The maid-servants and nurses lay cross-wise at the threshold and narrated to the queen tales of princes and their

lady-loves.

The queen fell asleep as she heard the nursery tales. The flower-woman who was reciting the story, last of all, dozed till she also fell fast asleep. The mid-night clock rang and the senti nels

were

feeling

sleepy.

Dhārā,

Tārā and

Bidhātā chose this hour to visit the natal room by the path strewn with flowers, scented with sandal and reddened with vermilion. They

all of

carried with them bundles of pens. When about to enter, they saw a person lying cross-wise at the threshold. The gods had raised their feet but they withheld; them whistled together;

the sky

to

of

but the person did not awake. Time passed, what could they do? They called the three stars They now entered the natal chamber.

person.

It

witness, and stepped over the sleeping

was

indicated

Dhārā who first held the pen. He the learning, intelligence, wealth,

272

FOLK LITERATURE

number the

of

of

followers

OF BENGAL

other fortunes

and

of

the signs

child by signs. On his palm banner and lotus were marked,

and

the

from them, and wrote details in hours; full three all the pens he had brought with him were thus exhausted. As he finished, next came Tără. He held

the pen and touched the child's forehead with

it,

god took notes

? 12

days

go, the

only.”

count

each

for

Let me see.”

P

days

Dhārā began satisfaction;

Let

to

“Only

12

ºj" ""

to

his face and said, “What more baby-prince's life extends

us

P”

do

but threw away his pen forthwith, and rose up. you find Dhārā asked, “What Tārā turned

his

time

he

calculated,

the same result—12. Dhārā put after 12, but the zero mysteriously

they hid their

tears

with

the

at

edge

;

wretched

so

Then Dhārā threw away the pen with disgust. the gods wept, the whole world would cry and of

be

If

a

zero vanished.

to

their clothes and came out. But the lying threshold was the flower-woman cross-wise. They called the three stars witness and stepped Dhārā succeeded, but Tără's feet touched the flower-woman she awoke and caught hold the feet

of

of

;

over.

“Who art thou?—a

the god.

god

woman, keep watch

at

I,

a

—a man—a spirit—or robber? The king's dar ling sleeps inside the room and the flower the threshold.

Even Death

BABY's

LIFE TWELVE DAYs

has no power to come here.” woman,

I am

“God of luck

|

273

Tārāsaid: “Flower

the god of luck, leave my feet.” Tell me what hast thou written

on the forehead of the prince P”

troubled, and said : “You need flower-woman, leave my feet.”

The god felt not hear that,

woman tied, instead, the feet of the

The god

flower tightly

with her apron. Then the god let fall the drop of tear, that he had hid so long, over her and said: “What more shall say, woman, the prince's life will extend to 12 days only.”

I

“Only 12 days "the woman burst into loud bewailings.

The

music stopped

suddenly burst

drums

;

the

sentinel’s spear pierced his own breast. The queen arose with a start and asked “What is the matter?” The king himself ; the

came out asking

“What

ministers,

courtiers,

the

city came out enquiring what is the matter?”

matter P” The fact the whole

is the in

“what

is

the

matter?

The flower-woman beat her head against a stone and cried “How many sacrifices did you perform, oh King, and as a result got this child bright

as the full moon. Not even a fortnight, King, oh this moon will vanish after 12 days. Oh God, is it just and fair P”

The king, his ministers, his courtiers fainted in grief. The queen lay as one dead. The elephants broke their chains and fled from the stall. The horses died in the stable, the 35

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

274

Paksirāj, the favourite horse of the king, did not touch any food. The kinsmen of the king and the Brähmins of the city assembled near the mango tree and observed fast, resigning themselves to

will of God. Dhārā, Tārā and Bidhātā visited the other gods and said, “What justice is this that

the

a son born after so many sacrifices and offerings to gods will live for 12 days only P. The king's

country stands on the verge of earth is flooded with tears.”

ruin,

and

the

The gods said: “Yea, have things come to such a pass?” Their chief assumed the guise of an old Brähmin and came near

the mango tree.

The Brähmin was surrounded by a halo of light. 'The citizens approached him and said: “Who are you, oh Brähmin P A light emanates from your

body; whoever you be, the prince is going to die shortly. This is his fate. Pray, Save him

if you can.”

The

Brähmin said: “Even the sun and the moon fall into the jaws of the Demon of Eclipse. Who can alter the divine decree ?

Yet despair not,

if

I

see

ministers Brahmin and

the

I

shall

be

able

to say more

child once.” The king and the took him to the natal room. The

the

examined the palm, the forehead face of the child and said: “The

life of this baby,

days old, may be seven prolonged if you can get it married to a girl who has completed her 12th year to-day. Adieu’’ The king placed the richest stones

A BRIDE OF TWELVE YEARS

275

and other valuables of his treasury at the feet of the Brähmin. What will a god do with them P He, however, chose a bright diamond and carried

it with

him. On his way he threw it towards the cottage of the kotwal and then departed. The night passed. The flowers bloomed in the garden Messengers

and

birds began

the

their

songs.

were sent all over the country, just 12 years old, to be the princess, a of the baby prince. The messengers

seeking bride

returned

º

near and reported that who had completed her

from far and

not one was found

They all went to the 12th year that day. same mango tree and waited observing fast.

self

On the other side of the tank facing the tree stood Mālafichamālā (lit. the garland of the garden), the daughter of the kotwal who

; :"

had completed her 12th year that day. She was washing the diamond, thrown by the god. She had picked it up from her cottage-compound, where

it had lain, covered with mud and dirt,

it had rained only shortly before.

She carried pitcher cymbals a with her and the of her feet made a merry sound on the landing steps of the tank. as

“Who

is

it

whose cymbals

sound

so

sweetly—a goddess

or a maid P” wonderingly musician playing on stringed

all. The lyre stopped and said

asked

“Is

it the hum of bees

FOLK LITERATURE

276

OF BENGAL

flying near a hive in the flower-garden P” other who played on a musical organ, cried

it the cackle of the merry

swimming

geese

An

“Is in

the tank P”

“Not so, then what P” The

ministers and courtiers came near the

tank and saw that it was a girl of 12, whose cymbals had sounded. “A girl of 12! whose daughter is she P” She is the kotwal's daughter. The king fell into a mental confusion. The sound of the cymbals of of

her

bees ; flowers

bloom

humming

like the

is

feet

in

the

path

which

neck;

arms are like swan's wavy hair is of curl ; the face is like the

treads ; her

she her

looks like an image made of gold. But after all, she is the kotwal's daughter. The king was perplexed. The report was carried moon

and she

“If

to the queen who said some, no matter, though

the

girl is

so

hand

she is the kotwal's marry her to the prince and raise the kotwal to the status of a feudatory chief.” “What am I to do P” asked the king to him

daughter

self ; he pondered over the matter.

Sometimes

he sat in a pensive mood and then rose up and after a good deal of thinking he commanded,—

“Well,

be

it

so.

Send words to the

kotwal.”

The report went there forthwith. The kotwal put on the shawl presented by the king. He spear took a in his hand and visited his

THE CONIDITIONS

277

“I

plucked the He told them fruits. The results is that my daughter is going to be married to a prince. The king

neighbours.

will

be my

brother-in-law

now.

You must pay

me nazar.”

The kotwal made a spacious road in his courtyard. The main door of his house, he changed into a gate ; he did not know what The kot he should do to meet the occasion. wife said “Here we humble people live in huts and the sneeze of the king is even heard here.” We are required to give our daughter in marriage to a baby who will die after Tell the king I am not going to 12 days. wal's

comply.” daughter said “Pappa and Mamma, allow me to go, as it is the king's But Pappa, go to him and first ask command. Mälafichamālā,

if

the

will agree to my conditions.” “What conditions P” “Whether

he

the

bride

groom will be permitted to visit his father-in-law's house P” The kotwal said “Certainly.” Mālafi condition, whether my cha said “Another father-in-law, the king, and mother-in-law, the

will agree to partake of the food prepared by me P” The kotwal said “Yes, daughter.” “The

queen,

third”

she said

“is

whether they will be

pared to give me dowries and presents

* The king

would oppress

us though

we are so humble.

pre

as usual

FOLK LITERATURE

278

OF BENGAL

on the marriage night.”

The kotwal came to the palace to meet the king. Meantime Mālafi chamälä said “Mamma, help me to dress my self.” What would the kotwal’s wife do P. She opened the toilet box and with tears in her eyes helped her daughter to dress herself.

The kotwal addressed the king thus, “Oh thou, King of kings though thou art, yet shall have the privilege of calling thee a brother, be it to-day, be it to-morrow. Thou

I

wilt accept my daughter but allow

the prince

to

go to

father-in-law P” The crookedly and brushing

king

shalt not thou

the house

of his

glanced

at him his hair with fingers said “let the girl first come to Mälancha's conditions. the palace on the marriage night, the question will be settled then.” The kotwal next asked, “Will Your Majesty

and the queen eat the meal prepared by my daugh ter P” The king said “Take care, kotwal, these

will be settled on the marriage night.” But, “Oh king, will not my daughter receive the

matters

dowries and presents that are usual in marriages?” say, I will “Look here, kotwal, but stop

I

tell everything,

when

the girl comes to the

palace.”

The kotwal returned his daughter. she

touched

Robed

and told

in her best of

the feet of her me leave,

“Mamma, grant

all these to

parents

attires

and said

Pappa, lead

me

THE BABY’s MARRIAGE

279

to the palace ; but Pappa, tell the king,

now

if

husband dies on the first night of marriage, may be permitted to take away his dead body ?”

my

I

The kotwal went instructed. Now the king

to the was wrath

king

and

“Such

said

big

as

words

from this mean fellow ! This rustic girl has the audacity to extort pledges from me in all matters and dares worry me again and again ; she crosses me beforehand and speaks evil things. Who is

there P Put the kotwal to prison and bring his daughter here through the air path and get her married to the baby-prince.”

It

was

the

king's

His

command.

people

forthwith went. They tied a palanquin high up to the tops of some tall bamboos, and carried Mälaficha by the air path. It was a mockery of marriage ; there was no present of scents, oil, no fasting and other rites Only one musical pipe usual before marriages. sounded, and the marriage came to a close. The Brahmins recited the mantras; the new born baby its

crying garlands

;

tried to drums. No flowers, mers

no

stop

by

it and the drum

cried, the queen came to suckle

beating their the bride went

carry

ing him

room.

As soon

as in

seven times round the baby-prince, and then her arms entered

the nuptial

of

;

of

came down an outpour

to

her apartments, there rain the towers the palace broke and the palace itself caught fire; the she came

FOLK LITERATURE

280

OF BENGAL

wº

baby-prince vomitted milk and died in the arms of his wife. There was a great bewailing in the palace; the

king ran mad and the queen fainted. The citizens in bewildered grief came to

her by the hair and drive her out

of

is a

it,

the palace, and waited near the room where Mälaficha lay with the dead prince. The king witch, catch said “There is no doubt of she the room.

to

a

Pick out her eyes and burn them.” There was They forced great agitation among the crowd. open the room. Mälaficha said the nurses

“Ask

my father-in-law do

and maid-servants

will they

;

to

be

P”

gone.”

father's house

“They per

P”

now

to

kotwal

my

there

the

P’’

“Who

go

it to

to

agree

is

mitted

and

regarding the

mother-in-law what will words they pledged.” “What words gave assurance that the bridegroom will they

regions

the king, “send the where the prince has

cried

A

sound indicated that the head was struck off. Mälaficha said

kotwal's have

“I

are those

prepared

with

“Will

they not eat the

my hands

P”

meal

“What

nurses, ask P’’

me.”

O

the king and queen about the other words that they selemnly gave seen enough,

“Nurses,

of

cut off the hands the kotwal's daughter.” The nurses cut off her hands, with the knife that was among the dowries; blood gushed out and

flowed

past

the

drain.

Mälaficha

THE PUNISHMENT said,

“I

281

it clearly,

what about the other promises that he had made.” “What promises?” “Tell the monarch to give me as dowry a milch see

lights

cow, five

with butter, sandal-wood,

fed

a stove of gold, a spoon of pearls, cups of silver

gold, pillows

of white mustard seeds, hand-made beddings of fine needle-work, silver pencil to put the black paint in the eyes. Let him not make any enquiries about his son and the bride.” and

“See how audacious is this daughter of the

Who is there, break open the doors

kotwall

room.” Then the dowry was offered in the following manner; an ass for the cow, gravels for sandal-wood, a basket of cane for the golden stove, a broken earthen pitcher in of her

place

of the spoon and cups. And the shells strung together and of cocoanut fruits were put around her neck. A basket was filled with cow-dung and tied behind her back. She made to put

rags

refuse-clothes picked up from the cremation ground, and with a looking glass in her hand she was made to ride was

ass,

on

and

in this condition was carried round the city. Her head was shaven and

the

order

and

was

was a witch.

passed

to

Mälaficha

banish said

her,

“Ask

as

my

she

father

in-law and my mother-in-law what about their “My other pledges P’ “What are they P” husband died 36

in the

nuptial

room.

They had

282

FOLK LITERATURE

BENGAL

OF

gift of him to me.”

promised to make a

“A

gift P” “All right, who is there, kindle the funeral

The fire was prepared, the flames rose up and there was great noise. The dead prince was given to Mälaficha. Her nose and ears were cut off and On the funeral

fire.”

fire,

she with the baby was thrown into the fire.

Then came jham jham

down

a great

jham

outpour of rain, fire was nearly

| The gobblins and spirits of the air came there with hungry looks. The Paksirāj horse went mad; it neighed and came

extinguished.

The

The king, the ministers and his people left the funeral ground and saved themselves by shutting the city gate. In the The trial. midst of the funeral fire, there.

Mälaficha sat with the baby-prince in her lap. Mälaiicha asked, “Is my husband dead or asleep P”

“Dead.” Malañcha

again

asked,

“Is

my

husband

dead or asleep P”

“Dead.” Again the same query asleep or P”

“Is

my husband

dead

“Asleep.” She smiled and took up the arms and pressed it to her breast.

forth

child

in her

Blood gushed

from her nose and ears that were gobblins The licked them.

cut;

THE APPARATIONS

“Mälaficha,

is

you

it

283

that

are

sitting

there P”

“Yes.” “What will you do with Offer us the dead body.”

such a husband

P

“No.”

of the funeral pyre gradually became stirred with life ; hands and legs grew in them, they walked hop, hop, hop. “Is it you, Mälaficha, that are sitting there?” The

wood

“Look here Mālaficha, so many of us are lying in wait for the dead body, give it to us.”

“No.” Sometime

passed

;

the

from the funeral pyre series of grim teeth.

took

Loud

issuing smoke the shape of a laughter

came

“Mälaficha, are you still all on a sudden. sitting there P” “Yes, what of that P” “Give us the dead child, the

“No,

I

fire will be extinguished.” will not give.” “Will you not give P”

“No.” From one side rose an old strange

and

coarse

voice

woman

with

a

“Malañcha, you are

going to be killed, make over the dead body to me.” From the other side, an old man sprang up

with a grimace, “You will be killed ere long, give me the child and save yourself.” The crocodiles and sea-fishes came up to the river bank and called out, “Mälaficha, make over

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

284

the child to us,

we

will appease our hunger

with it.” In the sky the very rains and light nings and the spirits that rove in the air gaped open their mouths, sneezed and yawned, exclaim ing “Mälancha, give us the tender bones, how glad shall we be to eat them up.” Mälancha clasped

did

not

heed

all these.

She

the baby close

to her breast and sat quietly. Days and months passed on ; on the sandy shore of the river a great forest grew

The brother of the Messenger of Death was Kāladuta, his brother was Çaladuta who approached Mälancha and said, “It is the command of the Lord of Death, give up the

up.

dead body.” Mälancha replied, “Who are you ? Take, if you have the power to do so.” Kāladuta and Qāladuta melted away in the air. There was moon-light all around. Next came an exceed

ingly pretty girl with a bright complexion and lovely intelligent

face.

Her

hands

and

feet

She said, “Is it you Mälancha P were tender. We were great friends when we were children.

forgotten all. Oh God, what a condition .

You seem to have

it

P

Oh, what is

With a dead

rotten baby in your lap ! Throw it away, throw it away.” Mälancha said, “Who are you that

Have you no feel ing of a wife for her husband P” The girl said, “Alas Mälancha, is this corpse your husband P profess

friendship to me?

Make it over to me for a moment

and go and

THE BABY RESTORED

TO

LIFE

285

little water from the river.” “There is “Oh yes, if there were water in the river, things would not come to this pass.” “Bring some medicinal herb.” “There is none.” “Oh Målancha, look up there, the fetch

a

no water in the river.”

sky is overcast with clouds, the floods come pour ing, arise, dear, here is my hand, place the baby say.” Mälancha in my lap, arise, haste,

I

clasped the baby closer to her breast and said, “Be witness, oh gods, here is my baby-husband

in my lap,

if

I am

chaste and devoted, oh you

tempter, do but touch me, and you will be reduc ed to ashes; I am Mälancha and none other; you Oh thou night, if are an evil spirit, go hence.

with my baby-hus solemnly say, will band in my lap, here do stars to fire and flowers to transform the thou dost not

stars.” the

night

The

passed away

away,

pass

I

I

frightened

was

trembling;

the

The girl,

forest-lands.

and

dawn peeped into her friend, said,

look at the baby.” Mälancha felt that the apparitions were all gone. The baby hands and in her lap was gently moving of

in

to

gradually

the

see

got

her

baby,

sight; she for

ºr

i."." "... ***

willing

the midst Mälancha, intensely to

and she seemed sands. vast expanse

of

a

feet,

be

its

“Mälancha,

a

of

in

pitcher quest went milk. Ready for service she felt She recovered her ears; that her hands grew.

286

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENG AL

her nose became what it formally had been ; the hair of her head fell in luxuriant curls behind her back. Mälancha addressed her girl “May your husband be companion and said, long-lived. Who are you? abused you, look at

I

my condition and pardon me.” Mälancha found pillows of there a stove of gold, sandal-woods, white mustard

seed and spoons

She made a fire with

made of pearls. sandal-wood, warmed the

silver cup; then with the spoon made of pearls, she fed the baby; she wiped away the neck and the face of the baby with her silken apron; then on a bed delicately

milk

and

wrought

put it in

a

needle,

with

she

made

the

baby

the pillow. She sat with her back towards the sun, and with a

sleep,

resting

his

head

on

silver pencil applied the black paint

to the baby's

eyes.

Thus did she live in the sandy shore with her little husband. She fasted all the while. She got thing, and fed the baby. She applied the black paint to eyes, and warmed with her apron. There she sat all the time, gazing

at

it

its

milk and every

the child.

he

he

and she smiled; began utter

The little husband laughed, cried, and she wept. When

to

inarticulate words, she gave replies; the little thing moved hands and feet, she played with him; she bathed him with tears, of

wiped away his dust with her hair, warmed him with her breast, covered him with the edge

287

MEETS A TIGER

SHE

her cloth and sat clasping him close to her breast. Days and months passed, and The nursing.

even a year rolled away in this

Mälancha had a pitcher of milk which The gods, with mouths, was never to be empty. pointed like needles, drank off this milk. Mälancha found there was no more milk in the pitcher. Carrying the baby-husband in her way.

arms,

Mälancha set out habitation for cow's milk.

In that

in quest of human

limitless expanse of that alluvial land,

she walked on and on.

If

the

sun

smote

the

covered him with her cloth; if rain fell, she protected him in her bosom; if dust blew, she kept it away by spreading her hair; she baby’s

face,

she

fanned him with

her

flowing hair.

She went

one step and then stopped, thus did she proceed

in her journey. In

quest of milk.

At last she reached a dense forest. Alas! where is human habitation

?

Where is milk? She

a large tiger; it approached her growl. hungry am grown old, dear with a maid, have no strength to go seeking for

saw, instead,

prey,

I

“I

I

I

this baby,” it said. “Look here tiger, he is my husband, he is so small that if you eat him, your hunger will not be appeased, so eat me instead.” “Is he your husband, child P. With such a one am

almost

starved.

I

must eat

you are in a dense forest! will eat none of you; live here, child, will be your guard.”

I

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

288

Mälancha said, “Uncle, that's good, but how can feed my baby husband P. Where is milk to be had P” “Milk? Yes, you are human beings

I

the baby must drink milk. All right let me see, you.” if can secure a cow for The tiger went away. Mälancha wept and said, “Where are ye, oh gods? The baby is crying for hunger; if by

I

sacrificing

I am

my life, one drop of milk

I

can get,

ready to do so.”

The tigress appeared at this moment with her cubs. She said, “Who art thou, child, weeping for milk in this forest ?

If

my milk will do, you can have it from me.” “Yes, it will do.” The tiger meantime returned and said that he could not procure a cow and looking at the tigress exclaimed, “You are here, forgot now see, about it.” Chandramānik (the baby prince) was suckled the tigress and by

The tigress and her Mälancha thus lived

watched her

little husband

mate were their

that forest; she every step; she

in

up.

guards.

at

grew

all

I

;

he to

;

walked keeping pace with him she gathered flowers and fruits for him she sang lullabies make him sleep and played with him when

Do not say

again.

that

Tell

what has happened, whose neck shall we break Name the offender; we will instantly

eat

P

this place is

leave

“What Word

us

tutor,

have

one day said,

P

quest

of a

In

now.”

so

I

“Uncle and

aunt,

to

awoke, and thus spent five years. With tearful eyes, Mälancha

him

THE GARDEN SMILES ONCE MORE

do

know

not

of the

husband

has just stepped

he

prince;

nothing my

is

You

aunt,

uncle and

How can

tutor.”

“Is that all?

avoid

into his fifth placing him under Then make arrangement so

I

year.

a

sort. a

“No

it,

35

up.”

289

once.

do of

education

the

prince.”

it

to

in

at

it

many scholars who There are mornings crying out evenings, rove here and ‘hukkä huà"; you have simply ask for and we shall secure some of those from the forest for

for

“No uncle, they to

us

I I

will not for us, am going away; enquire about now and then, shall live close some city.” Mālaficha took leave with tears. The of

tigress and her mate accompanied her till she got out the forest. For four days after her

The cubs

couple wandered

proceeded

Mälaficha

the forest ate

of

the grisly

about

uncared

her journey

in

departure,

nothing. for.

with

her arms. After garden, belonging flower-woman. The tank there was without water and no flower a

to a

in

Chandramānik

came near

some days she

in

for twelve years; the garden regular thorny plants and had become forest abode snakes. was hot day and while, greatly fatigued. Mälaficha rested there

37

denote the yell

of

Bengali

to

the familiar word

in

“Hukkä huā’’

the fox.

is

*

a

a

It

of

an

a

of

it

had bloomed

290

FOLK

LITERATURE

BENGAf,

OF

As she sat there, the bees began to hum and birds with coloured wings flew near about her in numbers. Each tree became covered with green

on it a with flowers. Their fragrance drew the attention of the

leaves,

and

...”

creeper

laden

each

of them

had

flower-woman, who came out. “For twelve years there has been no flower in my garden, no water in the tank, but to-day the garden smiles with flowers, and a beautiful lotus has bloomed in that tank.

It seems

there has come a change over my luck. What is it that has made the garden so to-day P” As she looked out, she saw that under the shade

a

in

as

a

its

of a Wakul tree on which sat a cuckoo making cooings, there sat the place resonant with baby goddess with her lap, bright the The flower-woman approaching her said, “What heaven that which you are dweller, child? Your presence makes desert bloom, tell me who you are Mālaficha said, humble being

a

the earth,

have sat

I

am

of

“I

a

P”

a

is

of

moon.

a

rest

while.”

“I do not to

to

the lovely form

know that aunt, your garden.” “Never

just now come mind, come my house.”

have

in

me

I

I

see before me

to

she that has come back P”

it

is

of

to

“Come inside my cot. Your face and hands and complexion resemble my niece who died twelve years ago. All those time, this Ihave wept over her untimely death; here

The flower-woman

IN THE FLOWER-WOMAN’s House

291

was pleased that she would be able to sell flowers to the palace every day, and Mālaficha felt she

would be able to get information regarding the city from her. Both entered the cottage. The flower-woman said, “You look pale, child, take some food.” Mälañcha said, “Give me some milk if you have it.” Mälañcha fed the child and dusted the room fixed for her and brought some flowers from the garden, which she placed

little husband.

around the bed of her then

she told the flower-woman,

“Aunt,

And

I

do

not take meal prepared by others, help me to get things, shall cook for myself.” The flower-woman was pleased and did as she was asked. Mälaficha did not disclose to her that

I

the child was her husband.

The cottage of the

flower-woman was a wretched one. Mälañcha said, “It is not a good house, aunt, appoint men to build a good one.” A new house was built, formerly there had been only a single hut in the house and now it contained three huts. In one she lived with the prince,

in another the flower

woman and the third had no occupant. Mälaficha asked the flower-woman one day, “Where do the students read

in the city ?”

“Why,

there

is a teacher in the palace who has a number of scholars in his charge. There is quite a legion There are hunchbacks and frog-voiced scholars, there are those who have elephantiasis and others who are huck-shouldered, Besides of them

|

FOLK LITERATURE

292 there

sons of

are

OF

the king

BEN GAL

also.

Day

and

night, they hum like bees and croak like ravens. It is a sight worth seeing—a veritable mart of crows and cranes.” “Then aunt, the prince must go there. Get for him inkstand and pens take him to the school.”

and

Chandramānik goes to school and returns with marks of ink all over his face. The room that was unoccupied serves now as his reading room. Mälaficha engages the flower-woman help to him to bathe, to wash his face marked Mälaficha cooks the meal and keeps it ready and then goes away. The flower woman brings him to the dining place and sits with ink.

by him when he eats. But Mālaficha no more before Chandramānik, fearing lest the child takes her for his mother. Mälaficha re

appears

mains in her room and from there gazes at her little husband with eyes full of love; but she comes to a place may from which he see her. Thus passed another seven years. retires

when Chandramānik

The name of the king of that country was Dudhabaran or “milk-coloured.’ His seven sons and the young princess read in that school.

But the latter makes no progress in her studies.

alsº e

alſº

£cal, gºal, city, cºin are

witH, atsia ºt; I’”

** Tºll

*tº Atº

tº aſsº wººl ºf fia

“cºa alsº

ffff;

fºſsfiſh,

THE PLAN OF THE PRINCES

it,

293

of

at

he P”

in

no

Kānchi, that The brothers ask, “How is you make progress your studies, though you evidently take pains him, “Look brothers, how glorious does look like the moon beams; his face, and his forehead have the air

P”

so

at

a

**

º

the gardener's son never

comes

the

They called

school

him

sence and said,

to

“We must see that

to

said,

at in

a

I

is

º

of

he is

a

They say that gardener. the son acquired have all the learning that the eight by gazing four Vedas and Puranas his being face. Was ever human handsome The princes were startled these words. They all god.

again.”

their

“Your

pre

face and

are spotted with ink; we shall not allow you come the school with dirty clothes to-morrow, we shall hand you over the public

...

to

The princes thought, expected

“How

to

gardener

be

the son clothes, he

a

of

executioner.”

to

If

it.

hands

can

have clean

will not attend school from to-morrow.”

"

Chandramānik

left his books weeping.

returned home

and

here

out the history. is

gave

the

money,

to

P”

“Why

The

flower-woman Mälaficha said—“Aunt,

go

executioner.”

be

he

in

of

a

P”

he

is

"

“See aunt, why The flower woman—“He tells me there are only few hours the day and the intervening night, the morning public would made over the Mālaficha said, weeping

and

get

such

fine

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

294

as may even be coveted by a prince. Mālaficha was in possession of immense wealth dresses

as she had got the diamond.

The next day the

princes were surprised to see Chandramānik robed like a king's son. “Where could the fellow get such a splendid dress that even we have not got?” Kānchi said to her seven brothers, “What do you say now

P

Does a gardener's son look

like that?”

The princes then said,

“You little

addressed Chandramānik and gardener, you have come with a

But shamel with such a dress you do not come to-morrow you came walking. in a stately palanquin, we will make you over to They thought “He may have the executioner.” gorgeous dress

If

gift of the dress, but it will not be possible for him to get a stately palanquin, so he will not Chandra be able to attend school to-morrow.” got a

mänik returned home that day also weeping. He left aside his dress and threw himself on the dusty ground. Mälaficha asked the flower-woman the reason. “There are a few hours of this day and the intervening night, after that he will be

“To-day also to be handed over to the executioner, why?” handed over to the executioner.”

“He

dresses himself well but goes walking.” “Very well take money, bring all the best palan

quins available in the city.” The flower-woman went, but no palanquin-bearer would consent even for wages to carry a gardener's son. Mälafi cha said,

“Pay

each

man

ten gold

coins,”

295

THE RACE

of gold coins was distributed, and the best of the palanquins were brought. There was among them one used by princes and So a basketful

only, with a gold umbrella overhead and in this sat Chandramānik, and other palan quins went surrounding Men assembled it.

to

noblemen

the

their feet.

to

sprang

in

see the procession

The scholars princes,” “Come said street.

a

a

in

of

Kānchi, “See how glorious the school looks to-day! gold-string Like jewel shining the middle

all,

now you must have us, seven brothers, will be

of

done

a

son, you have

a

in

I

to

do

am your

if

I

only sister and you are you seven brothers; not marry me Chandramānik, will commit suicide.” The really seven brothers found themselves puzzling situation. They said, “You gardener's he looks.

The horses several points within the range seven and occupy half miles. Your horse will the last point. We will apply whip our horses,

if

to

a

of

at

horse.

so,

soon

as

horse,

as

ride

a

to

try

he

be able

to

never

do

to

be

if

you can win the race, well and good, not, you will public handed the executioner.” princes thought gardener's The “The son will he

will

will fall down and die.” Chandra

mänik was sorrowful again and returned home

need arises.

I

Spend

as

the money.

his eyes.

it

is

in

Mälaficha said, “Aunt, see what has happened again.” The flower woman gave the account. “All right aunt, here with tears

shall

296

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

I

go in quest of a horse. will stay out not more than three days at any event, but return with the horse within the time.”

Mālaficha went on and on. She passed through 13 territories that belonged to 12 Rājās, and then came to a city where she saw the palace gate

closed

within.

doors of houses

and

all bolted from

The courts did not sit, their doors lay

The good luck of the king had left him and the city looked like a desert. The Paksi rāj, the favourite horse of the king, had run mad; it ran wildly and killed every man that walked closed also.

in the city.

Mälaficha, when she heard all these, cried out “Where art thou, Oh Paksirāj P Dost thou remember Chandramānik P” The voice the horse, and it ran up to her with erect. It said, “How could you know

reached ears

the name of Chandramānik, child,

shall

I

ever

“Paksirāj, come

get him back P”

Mälancha said,

with

Mālaficha set out for her place,

me then.”

followed by the horse.

The citizens were aston

“Chandramānik died years ago. She horse; ; names him she catches the mad what They surprise. charmer is she all felt The queen said,

“Who

a

P’’

ished.

it

a

is

P

as

she

of

daughter, carrying her

It

to

you married kotwal's through the air-path.

is

in

is

Go and find her out.” she went “O king, the self-same horse which you rode when you went quest the two fruits. You got son whom Mālaficha sang

she

that has come

SHE RETURNS WITH THE HORSE

away the horse.

back to take

297

Only a few

still remain to complete twelve years. After that you will have the full account, not now.” And Mālaficha went away. The king said, “What ? Is it Mālaficha P Mālaficha has days

city from the horse.

caught

I

the

it.

saved

Mälaficha has

had her hands and ears cut off and

punished her

P

!

in

the most cruel manner. Alas Open your doors, citizens.” has she come back

her brothers re To-day her ears and nose are fine. flower-buds, the fingers look like champaka flowers; her eyes have keen sight, bright They the sun the moon. all cried out, “Mälaficha, Mälaficha,” and ran after her. But

Her mother recognised

her,

or

as

a

as

cognised her.

messengers

in

they could not find her for she had left the city with the Paksirâj by that time. The king sent

a

to

all directions. He invited the kotwal's wife the palace and entertained her with rich banquet, and the queen herself dined

ly

with her. Days and nights passed, they anxious

38

of

the eyes the animal; ears erect, sharp were and the hoofs cut the earth that trembled under their strokes. The flower-woman

of

coming out

its

a

of

in

of

waited for news about Mālaficha. Dudhabaran, the king, the Now the city morning conch-shells sounded. The scholars up rose and attended their lessons. The words true woman never fail. She had returned with the horse. The flower-woman saw fire

298 said, said,

FOLK

“What

LITERATURE

am

OF BENGAL

I to

“Take the

do now, child P” Mālaficha horse, it is ready.” “What

I

else you would say, am ready to do, but venture not to come near that animal.” “I)on’t

I

fear, it will not hurt you, aunt.” “No child, for my life will not be able to do it.” Mālaficha hang her head down for a moment; she wiped

I

away the sweat from

her brow, and then spread

horse; with eyes downcast and head drooping low, she helped her husband to ride the horse. She then tied

a beautiful seat on the back of the

several knots in the edge of her sadi, and address

ing the animal said, “You know what you should do; my husband is a boy, place him in your charge. will open the knots in the course of the

I

I

By the time all be opened you must bring him back to me.” At this moment she held up the reins so that her husband might catch them, and day.

took the opportunity

of seeing his face for a moment. On the plea of dusting his shoes, she bowed down to his feet. Chandramānik said, “Who are you? You are always near about me, but do not speak to me.

but do not serve

I

me.

You cook my meal

have seen your hands

and feet to-day, you have to-day looked at my face and touched my feet. Who are you to me?” “Who? You ask me, am the daughter of the kotwal.” She hid her face with her hair on

I

the pretext of arranging them, stopped a little and then in haste drew out a thread from her

THE PRINCE WINS

299

cloth and put it round the neck of the horse and let it go. The Paksiraj ran as if flying in the air. Mälaficha threw herself down on the bare ground near the tank in grief. In the school the princes were surprised to see the horse. “It is of the Paksirāj-species, we have not got such a horse in our stable; where could the gardener's son get it P” Like the young one of a bird feeling its wings just grown, the horse brooked no delay. Chandramānik held the reins tightly. The horse's body moved

like a wave, its four feet struck the earth in impatience. The princes were at their wit’s end. They spoke between themselves, “As we have given word, we must be ready for the race. Even he wins, the kingdom is ours, who will prevent us from sending him to the scaffold P” They cried out, “Ho, gardener's son, if you go ahead of us,

if

will put you to death. You must be seven and a half miles behind.” This really was the

we

arrangement.

Each rider was ahead of the next by a mile and the last of all was Chandramānik. He called out, “Have you commenced the race, or have you not ?” No reply. They had set out long before. Now Chandramānik started. The

Paksirāj flew through the air, and went ahead of The princes exclaimed, “No. The race is not yet won, it is only the east, now come to the north.” Chadramānik only smiled and beat them in the north. In the the others in no time.

FOLK LITERATURE

300

west also he beat them

OF BENGAL

he won also

and

in the

The princes said, “We are satisfied. Your horse is a very fine one; now the people of return.” So let the palace will like to see “Yes, so,” said Chandramānik and applied his whip the Paksiraj. The Winner of the race. stroke tore off the thread to

it

be

it.

us

south.

neck of the horse.

Mälaficha had tied round the

Paksirāj drew

a

it

in

The thread was wrought by all the virtues she had acquired was charmed by her her past lives, tears. It fell in the earth’s dust—uncared for. heavy breath,

victory

it

“Who

of

the

and then set off. palace,

and

all

that has won the garland

P”

voices cried,

is

It

stopped near the gate

of

of

a

of

the palace On the golden tower cup, Kānchi, lay golden the princess, sat where the gold. From statue who herself looked like

of

that height she observed Chandramānik coming, and flung down the garland she had woven; Chandra the garland touched the head-dress P”

it

is

no

to

P

is

it

on

his neck." The multi But the What princess had given her garland Chandramānik help. and this implied marriage and there was came, princes and All became silent. The seven cordiality escorted Chandramānik with outward mänik and then hang tude cried, “What

man implied his election

by

a

flower-garland

her bridegroom.

to a

of

a

of

The present

woman

as

*

to

the king. The king called his councillors and said, “I)oes our law permit that the court

º

301

MALANCHA GETS THE REPORT

son

re

the gardener's

12

if

"

in

prison for years.” mains marriage alternative left. The For three days and three nights

no

"

so,

the king's daughter should marry a gardener's son P” They said, “It may be -

There was took place.

a

in

there were great amusements the palace. On the fourth day, the seven princes put chain round Chandramānik’s neck and led him to the

on

of

on

prison and there left him. Now the Paksirāj came back where Mālaficha lay the bank the tank. She was the

I

|

it

I

I

to

dusty ground and saying herself, “Alas! why Why did did not let him know who am not tell him when he asked P” Then she saw before her the Paksiraj.

She asked,

“What

On the tower garland with

I

P”

P”

to

say

I

“What should of

Paksirāj said,

in

on

P

I

is

it

is

Paksirāj, where my husband Mālafi cha's eyes became fiery. She rose from her dusty bed, “Alas, what do see what have done ground grief." She threw herself the The you, child?

the palace there sat the princess

as

regards Chandramānik's life, not seeing having sent him for the race. a

in

of

presenti Mark the change emotions her. There had been something wrong having befallen her husband, but now she was

assured that

he

ment

misgivings

the horse-back; she regretted

of

*

him

She felt on

*

to

in

a

her hand, that garland has your drawn sweet husband the palace.” As she heard this she rose up, but did not weep.”

was safe and happy.

Her own

happiness

ever, but she did not care for her personal sorrows.

was lost for

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

302

“Paksirāj,

said,

She

in

mission

it is all right

bringing

up

now

!

My

husband for To-day to-day.

my

years is fulfilled year Paksirâj, the 12th is complete. have given you trouble, pardon all, and remember me the fortunate" one. will give you a

these

12

I

I

letter. Please give it to my father-in-law, the king. Then Mālaficha, wrote thus: “Oh king, my father-in-law, the life of the prince was to close on the 12th day. Twelve years are you come to the palace of the now complete.

If

king Dudhabaran, you will find there the prince, your son. The princess there is an expert weaver of garlands. He has married her and all his trouble is over. When this letter will reach you, Oh great king, my father-in-law, dip your toes for a moment in the water of the tank where you first saw me, recollecting me—the kotwal's daughter.” She gave the letter to the horse.

it some grass and water and then bade With her clothes soiled with dust, with

She gave adieu.

dusty feet, she returned not by the roundabout garden-path by which she had been used to go, but by the road facing the cottage, which she had * The word ‘fortunate’ has a significance. The mission of her whole existence was to see him happy. That mission was now fulfilled. by any personal

º

consideration.

She called herself

3:4

fº.

wiſh

cºstata

żº wiſh

tº

**

al

fortunate, because her husband was now happy in every respect; parallel passage one may quote Chandi Däs's familiar lines, “Wiſh

for a

She was not swayed

fast

303

all

HOMEWARD, TO DIE

so

do

I I

to

to

her She arranged not trodden before." flower-woman, things and made them over the you saying, “Aunt, did not disclose is

I

up

to-day. He whom all this time, but my husband. brought all these years

to

to

to

I

of

of

of

I

I

I

to

give you. have, Do not faults, aunt, my shall bear dear remember you for gratitude my debt the burden my life. Aunt, bid have come the rest you.” The flower-woman saw every adieu thing dark before her eyes and almost fainted.

All that

near which

Kānchi

princess

the tank diamond,

father, will all How happy end. her the arms

my

of

I

an

got the

in

is

lost

to

in

the city where my griefs come the

“In

father's house.

I

1. ***

drown her

of

order out for her own city, herself the tank in

set

in

and

to

And Mālaficha went away from her presence

I I

in l’”

in

of

be

l

I

to-day drown husband How happy shall ing myself the the beautiful water tank Mālaficha thought, “What fault can

was

road

left behind—the big and

left behind.

In

that path

She did not appear before Chandramānik when he was grown-up called her mother; this was the reason for her avoiding the main

to he

*

small tanks were lest

l’”

he

P.

I

woman's garden

to

my husband know who He wanted am, was my husband never told him that Mälaficha followed her course. The flower find

the cottage,

304

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

human being nor any animal was to be seen. Proceeding still further, she met the tiger and the tigress. Mälaficha said, neither

any

addressing

“Aunt,

eat me up, uncle,

eat

turned to the cubs now grown vigour, and said, “Ye are my brothers,

up ; ” she

me to

them,

full

eat me

up.”

“Oh child, here are

you again,

had you been all this time.” garden the of a flower-woman.” “Where

tell us where

“In

carried in your arms and whom we nourished with our milk, where is that darling child of ours—Chandramānik P’” is he

whom

you

of that country has given garland. him her Aunt and uncle, what day can be more happy to me than now P Eat up to-day.” tiger tigress me The and the heard

“The

princess

the whole story from Mālaficha and sat crouching near her, “Child, then it is not the marriage garland, it is the prisoner's chain.” “Prisoner's chain, why?” a gardener's son marries the

“If

daughter of a king he shall be subjected to a penalty of 12 years' imprisonment. This is the custom of the land.” Mālaficha bit her lips and firmly stood up." The tiger said, “Take this glue from our head and put it on yours. Now let us all go to the city.” Mālaficha said nothing, as soon as she applied the glue to her hair, she became * She had thought that there was nothing more in the world, for which she would care her attitude.

to

live |

She was resolved

But there was a complete change in

to rescue her husband

from danger,

THE FLOWER-WOMAN RUNS MAD

invisible

tiger

and the tigress

flock started

for the city of

The

to others.

with their whole Dudhabaran.

305

Meantime the Paksirāj returned to its own city. It carried the letter to the king. When it came up to the palace-gate, the whole city was frightened. The king and the queen trembled, fearing that the horse must have killed Mālaficha and come back. The Paksiraj said,

“No

cause

Your Majesty may it is a letter, let it be

of fear,

“If

this letter.” carried to me by means of a hook from a safe distance.” The king read the contents and became greatly elated with joy. He said, have

read

“I

again.” “Where is he?” the kingdom of Dudhabaran.”

got my Chandramānik

cried all. “In The king called back all the messengers that he had sent in quest of Mälañcha; he called all his army and sent them out in four divisions, viz., to the east, west, north and south,

in quest of the The king after much

capital of Dudhabaran. search arrived at a place where a mad flower woman was found to tear off flowers by her break small twigs and branches, pelt clods of earth into a tank and cry “Oh my niece, Oh my darling boy.” fingers,

Song.

“My

darling

Chandramānik is in chains. The chaste wife, my niece, has gone away to the forest losing her husband. Here in this 39

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

306

tank, my niece, used to bathe every morn and eve; here by this path she used to come to the cot with her pitcher filled with water. Chandra mänik, my darling, used to sit and read here; and there on that couch he used to sleep.”

The king said, and pitch our tents a

letter

effect.

to

“King

“It

is

all right.

Stop

here.” The king sent following Dudhabaran to the Chandra of Chandrapur sends

this letter to Your Majesty. Is my son in your palace P Hear, Oh Dudhabaran, give me the right information, where have you kept my how is he doing in the palace. Chandramānik is the name of my son ; he used to read in the school attached to your palace.

son and

Is it true that your daughter

given her you wish everything has

garland to my son? If well, give back my son to me and take away his chains, and also send to my camp my daughter in-law who belongs to our family now.” Dudhabaran said in reply, “If he is your son, come and fight. If you be the victor, take gave

self

the

order to attack capital, Dudhabaran’s and him expedition. Dudha army was stronger,

baran’s

could not succeed prisoner himself. became

his attempts

and

a

he

in

so

lº..."

The king led

him by force.”

others

the

by

Made invisible

to

The day passed and

night approached. the charm given

CHANDRAMANIK

ESCAPES

307

tiger, Mälaiicha went inside the prison room where her husband lay. He was reduced weight. to half his normal There under the heavy chain he lay in the dust. Mälaiicha wiped away her tears and went near by

the

lº",

*, *...

him.

She

had

nothing with up the iron

took might all her to break it by

her. applied

chain and her teeth. Was

She

it possible to do so? In full three hours she broke one of the four folds of the chain

the attempt costing her eight teeth; thus losing all her teeth towards the end of the night, she broke the four-fold chain. The chain broke and

fell down with a sound.

Blood streamed

forth

from her gums; she smiled in her triumph but fainted. Chandramānik now awoke from his sleep; he did not notice Mälaficha lying there in an unconscious state. He, however, found that the chain was broken.

*

A

tigress had suckled him ; so

his strength was great, he rose up and broke open the door and came out. Chandramānik was sur rounded by a halo of light, and it took the tiger and the tigress no time to recognise him. They said to their companions, “Now we have got our

º"

Mänik; let us go and eat up the inmates of Dudha

*

baran's palace.” The tigers in great number came and attacked the palace. They killed

the horses and elephants,

the domestic

animals

308

FOLK LITERATURE

OF

BENGAL

and men, and made a feast with them. They ate up Dudhabaran and his seven sons, they all growled setting up a terrible roar and quest of Dudhabaran's daughter—the

Kāńchi. Now Mālaficha had senses, she ran like a mad

went in princess

back to her

come

girl towards the tigers.

“What are you doing, Oh uncle, you have indeed done a great evil; you have left no one to light the evening-lamp in this great palace. Don't eat my husband's father-in-law, his mother in-law and their sons. Don't eat the princess Kāńchi, the treasure of my husband's heart.” The tiger said, “Alas, what have we done P. We have king, the queen and their sons and followers! we have been greedily pursuing the

eaten

the

You forbid us to do so.” Mälañcha beat her head against a stone and said, “Don’t do so,

princess.

if

you are still hungry,

approached and said,

eat me.”

Mālaficha

them and the tigers left the princess “We have had a sumptuous feast, we

are now very thirsty.”

Mālaficha brought some

pitchers and went to the tank to fetch water. Dudhabaran's city was thus depopulated by the tigers. The captive king now came out,

Chandramānik was in his own men. The king ordered sounded, and with his son and marched towards his own capital. he descended the landing steps and

wash his face and

hands.

the midst of

drums

to be

the new bride

On his way of a tank to

Mälaficha was filling

THE CRUEL FATHER-IN-LAW

309

her pitcher with water at the time. She placed pitchers two filled with water on the left of the king, put two blades of green grass over them and then bowed to him. The king said, “Who are

you?”

Mālaficha's reply: Song.

“What

I am

all

a good fortune to-day ! Miserable as my life, have seen the feet of my

I

father-in-law after 12 years. You are now going to your palace. A woman’s highest heaven is her father-in-law’s home. have

I

been denied the good fortune of getting a place there. Oh my father-in-law what consolation have you to offer me P”

dº

The king exclaimed, “Here is that kotwal's daughter again shall have nothing to do with

question.

I

No more, my men. To tarry proceed; here, not but I have got a princess for my her.

daughter-in-law. daughter is out counsellors the paksiraj

The case of the kotwal's of the question now.” His said, “She saved us by putting

in check.” “What of that?” “Your Majesty knows it is she that had set the tigers against Dudhabaran's city.” “What of that P”

“Your Majesty,

it

is

she

to

whom

the

If

you

prince owes his life.”

“Now speak

a

listen

to

me,

my

men.

good deal, you will die; this will be

Folk

310

LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

my sentence.

Whatever she may have done, she is a kotwal's daughter. Whoever has heard that a beggar became a queen? If she wants audience, tell her to approach me in true dignity worthy

of a king's daughter-in-law

in stately

conveyances.” gave water to the

Mālaficha

thirsty

tigers

and borrowed money to secure state-palanquins.

now set out in a right royal palanquin attended by the tigers. The old tiger stood in king's presence said, the and “She has now come She

here in a way worthy of the palace,

accept

her king's reply and The was a shower of sharp arrows. The tigers said, “How can we, Oh Mälaiicha, bear this P Permit us by a mere word, and we will eat up this army; take her with you.”

we will eat up the princess—the new give you your own Chandramānik.”

“Say not

so,

bride and

uncle; before you eat up my pray.

father-in-law’s army, eat me,

I

Song.

“I will dust the with my hair. The unflinching devo tion.

path

I will still

for my father-in-law

go by the thorny path, but accompany him. Uncle

tiger, aunt tigress, do not take offence, but leave me.”

They, however, did not leave her. The king went with his army by the royal road and she

SHE IS TURNED OUT

311

followed him close by the thorny path.' And the tiger with his flock accompanied her. The king entered the palace with the prince and the new bride, to the sound of the drums and other music.

But she remained at the gate in grief, and the tigers also remained there, because they would not go away leaving her in her destitution. For seven days she was there. She wept and sang. Song.

“This heaven.

I

is

my

place—my

father-in-law's

To me the place is sacred, for here did

here was I married ; this my house of father-in-law appears to me more precious than a house of gold.” must stay here, uncle tiger, leave me here.” But the grisly uncle said, “Say even get

my

husband,

“I

now, we will eat up the king and the new bride and restore you to your Chandramānik.” “How could you say such cruel words P Why not eat me up P Even if be here as a servant of the charge cowshed in of the cow dung, shall pre

I

I

fer such a life and dwell here for Uncle and aunt, bow down to your feet, leave me now and go.” They said, “Now what to do, she will not in any case take our advice. Let us depart ages.

I

for a time.” felt greatly gate,

When they relieved.

went

away,

the king

“She sheds tears at my

what an inauspicious thing!

Drive her

* As the king would not allow her to go by the main road by which he passed, she had to choose the thorny path lying in the jungles.

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

312

away.”

By the king's command, they not only drove away Mälaficha, but also her mother from the palace.

The mother and the daughter wandered about weeping. The mother said, “What is the good of leading such a life? No more, let us drown our selves.” And she drowned herself in a tank. Before she had done so, Mälaficha wept and sang: “Oh mother, do not die, leaving me

I venture

helpless.

not to drown myself as my

unfulfilled. I am not allowed to see my father-in-law's face, nor of Chandramānik once before my death ! Wretched woman, as am, how can die now P” But forlorn by all, she could not bear her lot, and went to drown herself. But whatever hopes are

I

I

tank she chose for the purpose, she found filled with thorny plants or with earth, or watched over on four sides by guards,

appointed by the

king.

Mälaficha knew not if she should be sorry or happy at this. “My father-in-law will not permit me even to unload the burden of my

Let him however do

else have

At

the

night, the

the In

I

likes. Whom give in this world even to me pain?” interval the

nuptial room,

of

every

drums sounded

hours in in the palace.

three

Mälaficha went to the palace at that opportunity that the sound

heard.

as he

so

!

of

sorrow

her footsteps was not

She advanced slowly, step by step,

and

THE

co-wife’s PRAYERs

313

the room where the prince and the new

reached

Slowly did she open the doors; the beauty of the full moon burst to her sight ! Fight lamps burnt fed by butter, the room was fully up and bright; golden couch with beddings it,

on a

lit

bride lay.

in at

a

of

fringed with gold over slept the prince and the bride—like two flowers moon-lit night soundly did they sleep. Mälaficha stood the sight;-she door awhile and saw the came and saw, she brightened the lamp and saw, she came near them, stood near their pillows, near

As a

to

a

of

their feet, and beheld them for the rest the night, yet her eyes did not feel satiety. “Oh prince God, did you give such the wretched

her breath, her tears The crowing morning. Mälaficha pearls.

of of

at

|

"

kotwal's daughter Mālaficha saw the pair, her unbraided hair fell profusely behind her back, the flower-buds on the bed bloomed

fell there like

gladness

the crows indicated up

then and sang

:

put them

the feet

and from the grass and some two hairs from the new bride of

and

at

of

a

of

rose sacred plate took few blades grains rice, and she tore off her head—with these she blessed

the

her husband

are ever fulfilled. 40

happy, Oh princess, a

of

if

it

“Be happy, Oh prince, so, “Be the prayers

be

Song.

devoted woman,

FOLK LITERATURE

“May

the

OF BENGAL

that are

candles

lit

314,

up

here

!

of

to

brighten this house for generations come and this house may remain the royal umbrella unfurled for all future time

“Oh

forests,

Oh trees, Oh land, Oh water,

keep guard over this house.

“May

of

of

this palace ever remain high and unconquerable. “May the sun and the moon with their golden rays brighten the ever glorious pinnacle this the tower

royal home for long ages.

“May

as

in

of

of

be

of

my father-in-law and the the house my husband the ever preserved throne victory power and this land. seat

“May

I

be

happy and prosperous seek with her husband through long years; this boom. the princess

a

or to a

or

no or

I

a

I

brought him up with great pains; sight like this immensely pleases me. What am reduced ever may befall my lot—whether bird water transformed into dust have

on

in

I’’

a

sight like this matter, lower animal will ever delight mine eyes Every night Mālañcha stole into the room the Three nights passed, and this manner.

here.

he

rose

P.

is

right

to

low voice, “One who has

a

in

a

said

enter

have disturbed your sleep, prince, pardon

I

sing

hum

“What this Who are you that our nuptial room?” Mālaficha this way

and said, in in

up

a

in

fourth, Mālaficha was singing her song ming tone, but suddenly the prince awoke;

315

SHE IS CAUGHT

me—do not take offence,

I am

of this palace, You have no reason to fear, sleep prince depart.” “A servant P as you were doing, truth, Tell me the or else look here at this sword a servant

I

of mine. -

“A

Song.

servant

P

But that can

is the same face that

I saw

never be.

It

in the garden-path

of the flower-woman's house. If a servant, why is it that through my body passes a thrill of delight and there is an ebb and flow in my blood P recollect as if was brought up by those tender hands of yours. You a servant?

I

I

Tell so to one who does not know you.

I

know you, but tell me to-day who are you to me.” “Prince, through yonder window see the first streak of dawn’s light. cannot say anything stay.” to-day, I cannot As Mālaficha turned her

I

steps Chandramānik held her fast by the edge of

her sädi. “No,

I will

not allow you to go if you do not say that.” Mālaficha bent her head down and said, “Prince you do me wrong.”

“What P” The guards came up there, the sentinels hurried, the king himself came. “Who is it that has entered the nuptial room of the prince P Whose footprints do we see in the path P” On other days Mālaficha took care to wipe away her footprints

when

are detected.

All

she

To-day they close to the nuptial

returned.

came

816

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

They saw a strange light, they could not bear to look at The king hid his eyes from the dazzling light with his hands and said, “Who are you?” The prince replied, “Father, the kotwal's daughter.” “Kotwal's is

The prince said,

by

the path

treated who

“Son, tell

any more,

let

to

P’’

treatment compound

tread this

be

daughter,

kotwal's

better by

her

away

go

her not

to

will deserve

she

she

is

because

“If

is P”

daughter

turned out

a

so,

She

is

it

it.

room.

which she came.” by

by

to

say. Mälaficha could not say what she had away path She went the which she had entered.

Thus did Mālaficha depart from the palace. From that time evil befell the city. The high towers fell, the triumphal arch broke and many overtook this way.

the

palace.

Twelve

years

Seven children were born

to

in

disasters passed is

of

the prince and all them died. The king said, all the work of that witch.” Seven or

“It

at

on

as

he

he

eight days passed after had said so. One day the king was passing by the main road, saw every the soft flowers blooming each side; of

halting station the sound the musical pipe was heard. He looked at the tower of

The

its

restored

to

regions

former

His seven grandchildren came back king

of

the

be

from him.

seemed

to

his palace, condition.

it

sānāi

death

and

wonderingly

stood asked,

around

“What

THE BLESSINGS

“It

The prince said,

P”

is this

daughter.

of the kotwal's

317

She

is all the work can break

rebuild.”

and

“if

“False,” exclaimed the king,

she

restore the dead to life, she would make

could

first of all.” The court. The kofural came up to him to his astonishment and said, “Hail Your Majesty, the king of kings.” The queen was in her appartments, the kotural’s wife came up and accosted her thus, “We lived together for her dead parents alive again,

king

entered

many years,

the

I

come to see you, sister.” is all very puzzling, do not

have

I

The king said, “It understand what all these mean ; must clear up my brain in free air, and go a-hunting in the forest.” The king lost his way, and his atten

I

tº

tigers.

by

He wandered about losing his way, and suffered greatly from thirst. There, by the side of a tank, the water of which was dried up, he saw a a

pitcher beautiful damsel with her arms. The king said, “If your pitcher, there water by in

time

is

first

devoured

in

For

the

dants were

#

no

in

a

is

a

child, will you save my life giving me little?” The beautiful damsel said, “There my pitcher, milk water.” “Milk But milk does not satisfy thirst, can't you give me little water P’’ The damsel smiled and gave the king sufficient water from her pitcher. The king was very pleased and said, “Whoever may

be,

child, # #

you

may

you

adorn

your

318

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

father-in-law’s home, and as you have made me happy by giving me drinking water, may you be

all your life.” Her pitcher she placed on ground the and reverentially bowed to the king's feet and sang. happy

Song

“I

am made happy, oh my father-in-law, oh my king, happy beyond what can express. For

I

I

I

to-day, for the first time tunate am have your lips. heard sweet words from If die to-day shall die in happiness, oh father, allow me to touch the dust of your feet.”

I

“Who child

You the daughter of the

P

wal / Are you Mälaiicha touch

the

ground

his head again.

I

P” Thrice

with his hands He said, “Come

come to the palace.”

Kof

did the king and now

touch child,

Mälaiicha sang. Song

forest plain is my home now, for you have sweetly addressed me here. This place is got heaven to me. have what I had wanted,

“This

I

I

care not for life in the palace now. Here on this earth, made sacred by your shoe-dust, shall build a cottage and live for ever.” and

I

The king's

eyes became filled with tears. “Child, have given you much pain without knowing your virtues; pardon me and come to

I

my palace.”

Mālaficha replied:—

319

A GRAND RECEPTION Song

“I

have heard you address me sweetly in forest, this how can I leave this dear forest,

father

But

I

shall go, not now,

but a few

days hence.”

The king said, “Why should you stay here P The kingdom is yours, pardon me and come to my

“What

palace.”

It

pardoning

is

do you say, father, about

not right for me to hear such

words from you, revered sir.”

She bowed at the

I shall go to

feet of the king and said, “Father,

after a few days, meantime I shall enquire about my uncle and aunt, and about the palace

the

I

call aunt.” The king said, “Allow me then to go back. shall mean dig prepare roads, while tanks and make other receiving your uncle and aunt preparations for train,” with their flower-woman whom also

I

tanks

and

set

ed

re.

for

The king returned to his city. He distribut his treasure amongst his dug people, opened roads,

Preparation ception.

up

camps

everywhere.

On

of

and

grandsons seven and the gate the receive Mālaficha. to

Waited

his at

with

played,

##

himself citizens

-

The musical bands

he

of

the roads he placed heaps cowries amongst poor, for distribution the while the by roads themselves were reddened vermilion.

both sides

FOLK LITERATURE

320

OF BENGAL

Meantime Mälaficha went to the forest, and saw the tiger and the tigress wild with grief for her. She took them with her. She went to the cottage

of the

flower-woman. She found her head against a stone for grief.

beating

her Mälaiicha wiped

away her tears with her own hand. She went to the palace of the king Dudhabaran. It was desolate, there was none there to kindle the evening-lamp—no heir to the vast kingdom. She wept as she saw all these.

On the night of the full moon, she tore off a few shreds from her own clothes and kindled eight lamps with them. She kept them burning with butter.

She

took

her seat in the great hall in

the

She restores the dead to life.

of the palace and the attitude of yoga.

middle

sat in

nights passed and the doors of

Three days and

the palace suddenly opened. All its inmates, devoured by the tigers came to life. Mälaiicha king Dudhabaran, took with her the the seven princes she

had

couches.

and

the

rest.

borrowed

She

paid off the money

for getting

palanquins and

In the way the

father-in-law,

attendants of her by the tigers, were res she sprinkled over them the oil

destroyed

tored to life as of the eight charmed lamps. What a great uproar of men arose there ! When she was at a distance of seven days’ journey from her

father-in-law's palace, they could know that was Mālaficha coming with her hosts.

it

MALANCHA’s

32]

RECEPTION

As Mālaficha approached the palace-gate, the drums of the royal band announced her arrival triumphantly. It seemed as if the very waters of the tanks danced for joy; the lotuses bloomed;

all

the armed soldiers, sentinels and guards, the ministers, the courtiers, in fact the citizens, in

the king and the queen themselves cried out exultation. For Mālaficha, the true bride, had come to her father-in-law’s house.

She entered the palace, the ko/wal and his Dhārā, Tārā, Bidhātā, and wife also came there. to

other gods appeared above witness this happy father-in-law, event. Her parents, her mother her.

her head the

of in

of

placed blades grass over bless her, others touched

dust

Some order

to

in-law and all kinsmen approached

her feet

I

to

to

with reverence. The whole palace was filled with joyous sounds. The Paksirāj came and said the king, “Your Majesty, have restored life

killed during the last twelve years.” The king passed the mandate, “Beat the royal drums honour Mālafichamälä.” The instantly order was carried out. Mälaficha came

to

in

of

I

all whom

Kānchi,

the princess, and

“Sister, weave flower-garland to-day.” garland. Kānchi wove Mälaficha took that neck

Rånchi

-

round the

Chandramānik. She held to

the

garland and hung of

-

The garlanding and making co-wife chief queen.

it

a

a

said,

her bosom and kissed

her. For seven days and nights the palace was lost 41

-

322

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BEN GAI,

in joy.

The poor

ate butter and other

people

preparations

of milk to their heart's content. The tigers devoured the armies of those monarchs who were enemies of our king, but they returned to his capital to satisfy their thirst with water. They were given golden couches to sleep on. The king embraced the kotural calling him a friend and brother, and made him a feudatory They He received the tigers kindly. high gratification at His Majesty's behaviour, while bidding adieu to him. The chief.

expressed

flower-woman

did

not

go

back

to her home

but lived in that city and made a garden Dudhabaran, the king, was there for herself. immensely happy and after a stay of a few days there returned

to his own capital.

Mälaiicha made Känchi

chief queen, but the

people

installed Mālaficha in their hearts and called her the goddess of the palace. Heaven men, blessed them all. All birds and beasts and happy. even insects were Then did the rays of the sun and the beams of the moon fall on the high towers of the palace causing them to glitter, as it were, with gold. The king, the prince Chandramānik and His Majesty's grand-children

built a road decorated with gold and precious stones leading to the spot where stood the mango-tree and the Kotwal's They lived for long years and flourished. house.

A REVIEW

I

We have given here a rather long story. already

have

As

said,

seems to be but

a

the story as translated meagre reproduction of the

The tenderness of the Bengali style, exquisite grace and sugges used by women, tiveness are lost the translation, and reading in its

original.

story

by

it

to

it

be

on

I

it

dull, side by side with the original, find uninteresting and even verging grotesque. the judge But will not fair the original this translation.

of

of

There are other stories which are replete with amusing events and romance love curiosity stories that will excite the the

womanhood

a

the ideal manner.

in

of

It

is

of

young and catch their fancy, but this story very singular from several points view. brings forward vividly the Indian conception most

striking

of

or

be

to

is

Mälaiichamālā not classed with any any other Indian tale poem. other heroine

our vernacular literature ap point proaches her devo tion to her lord and bears

such

a

But Mālaficha’s virtues high order and brought out her.

in

of

family-likeness are

of

in

ideal

to

Malancha's character.

in

Behulā alone

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

324

a charming colour of rural simplicity and devotion that other heroines should be placed in

such

or less distance from this towering charac ter. Like a diamond discovered in a Golconda coal-mine, she has been one of our richest finds,

more

lying ignored

in the unwritten and despised patois of this province. The heroines of our classics no doubt are glorious for their great sufferings and devotion,

but

where is one like

Mälaiicha who has taken the load of all possible sorrows on her head, silently—without a word?

Like a rose or lotus—the sport of wind—the food of worms—the plaything of a child, exposed to all evils imaginable, she is Heaven's gift and the heavenly smile never fades from her lips, the heavenly forbearance never

forsakes

her.

She

is to be compared only to a flower; the petals are dried up, it smiles at death; it is worm-eaten, or torn off by a child, but nothing will make of

by

or

it,

to

of

a

is

it

its

it divested of loveliness and resigned spirit; gift Heaven this vile earth ours; you may destroy maltreat but

the

shore

of

come down from the

from

a

in

it

at

same

its

of

is

change

land

of

or

grimace, into manner; the most terrible for purity beauty this earth. Its and have

smile frowning not

it by its

;

it

be

it

it

you cannot vitiate your own vices; you cruelty, however cruel you cannot teach may give up you cannot make

eternal

immortal beauty, sacredness;

like

INDIFFERENCE

325

TO BODY

the stream of the Ganges, it cannot be soiled by earth’s dust.

first place,

an absolute indifference

its

the

to

is

is

It

be

may

to

comforts and the ills which subjected, forms the main feature Mālaficha's action. the spirit that needs nourished; that which perish destined

to body,

or be of it

In

of

not

If

save the soul. be

the unrighteous eye

to

to

in

of

of

be

to

so

is

in

us

to

be a

matter vital importance deciding our course; body the vehicle and instrument our spirit, far its value; but the good the soul should the primary object deciding view while our course action. Christ has commanded us take off

decay need

neces

or

to

of

to

be

to

ed

is

º

of

ours may sacrificed allow keep put any torment for the sake ing our virtues intact. When Mālafichamālā about be married, she states certain condi

sary this body

These conditions are necessary for the pre servation her self-respect, for keeping up the dignity her parents raised new status life, for being able do her as

in

duties wife the palace the fullest extent. But like

if

to

in

"

"

to

a

to

of

of

tions.

a

to

the average woman she would feel elated and glorified simply because prince happened

her

bride for the

prince;

he

chose

as

a

to

marry her, without caring for the honour and responsibility attached her status, she would sink into very common level indeed! The king must

326

FOLK LITERATURE

BENGAL

OF

was

of

she

contempt prevailing

conscious

the

the court against

her humble birth, for she was merely daughter; she would not brook that.

to

her owing a

right;

in

spirit

of

cension but

of

a

it.

give her all the dignity, all the love and all the honour attached to this high place ; she would not put up with any thing short of She claimed this not as matter of favour or condes

kotwal's

trial

of

a

Her eyes were taken out. She still insisted on the fulfilment the conditions; And what

country.

in

the first order. no unrealised dream

This this

Times without number instances have our history showing such firm recti

in

occurred

a

rank her ideal womanhood

truth

of

martyr

to

body and heroic devotion is

as

indifference

to

if

as

her beautiful hands were cut off, but she insisted nothing had happened. on, This absolute

of

of by

but failing arguments

at in on

a

of

F.

in

Halliday, tude and devotion the fair sex. Sir afterwards Lieutenant-Governor this pro argued with vince, sati prepared for self immolation the funeral pyre her husband,

seen

only

a

have

what

can happen

to

which

I

way

in

a

compare

to

finally twisted up

I

F.

be

to

a

no

to

his attempts dissuade her said, last “You have idea what your sufferings will be.” The woman who was young and beautiful smiled and ordered lamp brought near her. To this she put finger. Halliday, her Writes Sir “The finger scorched, blistered and blackened and

THE TEMPTATIONS

327

quill in the name of a candle. she never moved her hand,

During this time nor uttered a cry or

expression

of her countenance.” This happened quite in recent times. The heroine of a fiction in the Buddhistic period is verily a

altered

the

cousin of this historic woman who lived in our Gangetic valley in the 19th century. Then in the dark night when the very horses

of

the

stall

The trial.

run mad and the goblins are at their wildest play and the city-gates are shut and the

funeral pyres spread their smoke and gloom all around, she defies that spirit of evil—that great tempter who not

only tried

to lead astray and

take a Buddha and a Christ to infernal regions, but in less pronounced forms appears to us in

struggles for attaining a moral life every now and then. But see how she triumph antly sits with her baby husband surrounded by our little

the invisible that had taken grim visible shapes, amidst all fears fearless, amidst all horrors

undaunted.

The temptations and

horrors that

came to shake her resolve failed and passed away

like gusts of wind dashing in vain against a lofty The full beauty and blossom of the ideal of the Buddhistic renunciation, of undaunted

peak.

The miraculous and the super natural serve only to bring out and accentuate conquest of the soul over the triumphant

heroism is here.

material forces, however great these may be.

It

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENG AL

328

is like the siddhi or reaching of the final goal of

In the north ground the funeral is still the resort of many an aspirant in the path of siddhi, of soul's strenu ous struggling at any cost for a conquest over a yogi as we find in Tântrikism.

the flesh. The temptations, the appeals and the horrors are symbolical of the farewell-shot of animal passions on the eve of the soul rising

The attainment of the

above them.

the Buddha is by a visitation

said

to

from

have

evil

the

preceded

been

it has been a common

since then

nirvâna of

spirits,

and occurrence

in the history of a Täntrik's highest spiritual achievements. Mälafichamālā and Behulā are two literature,

in our folk facing such trials and triumphing

characters,

the

as

described

over them.

This material form in which our soul is

en

shrined is but the result of our longings to come in contact with the outer world. Intense desire to attain a thing and unsparing labour bring the remotest, the highest thing

rest

go

longing

quite

a

who will give

no

pursuers,

to

till they kill

within the hollow of our palms. The animal that wants to

it

escape from

its

**

it,

...Nº

will-force

all

go

I

longings and

in

grows

by an

to

with whole soul beyond their reach, gets wings and flies up. The against the tide small fish gets the power elephant cannot. say which this power

.

THE CHILD NEWLY BORN

329

miraculous way. Mälaficha loses her eyes and her hands; but as she strongly wishes to have a sight of her husband, the eyes grow—ready to serve him, the hands grow. In the case of such a soul, to whom the body is the mere vehicle of

will, the workings of the unseen forces of nature are most strikingly observed. The

a strong

explained without a spirit of propagandism and though it is all but a fic tion, it grapples with the problem of and illus trates the hidden strength of the soul in the most convincing manner. esoteric law is here

Then the child

is

newly

born.

You have

heard that Sanskrit sloka which says that a true wife is also a mother. She is a sister and a Wife as mother.

friend

as

nowhere

well. else

Here in the

as

in

world’s

literature do we find wife in the capacity of mother. Yes the child is born to her, it was stone dead; it is motherly love that has given birth to

it;

it is reborn in the lap of Mālaficha

mälä, not born of the flesh, as an ordinary child is born, but born of love, of

spirit; it is therefore

a truer child than an ordinary one.

in the capacity of but she has the background of a love

We pursue mother;

Mälaiicha

greater than that of a mother—it is wife's; gradually it comes to the front. With the growth of the feelings of the wife she retires from her habitual field of action and the flower-woman 42

330

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

instrument through whom she renders her service,—herself remaining behind the screen satisfied like a devotee with “sight”— ‘darśana ’—which is the highest bliss in the becomes

the

spiritual

world. Throughout this story there is no agency but the human, though in the beginning mention is made of some local gods. These are, however, mere recorders of fortune proving the inscrutable

ways of Providence and seem to possess no independent power. The characters solve their own destinies by their karma and this is again a Buddhistic idea. Towards The Buddhist ideas.

the end of the story Mālaficha would not enter the palace for a few days; she thus keeps

in abeyance

the

realisation

of the

of her life for one purpose. joy herself, until and unless any Not to taste cherished

dream

of all the people with whom she came in contact or whom she knew, were fully remedied. This renunciation is again

the sorrows and

a purely

wrongs

Buddhistic idea; not to save oneself world is saved was the motto of

till the whole

the Mahāyāna Buddhists of those days. The true wife in the Hindu society is one who is not only loyal to her husband, but is good to all the members of her husband's family, discharging her duties in the fullest manner to each. It is for this that we see Mālaficha so eager to have her due place in her father-in-law's

THE FATHER-IN-LAW's HOME

of byall

to

affection,

of

she

***** prize,

her

There she wanted to bind all by ties

home. why

331

remove

jealousy and petty quarrels to

her self-denial and

atmosphere by

create an

to

to in of

her

soul, but she does not

him;

the secret spring

her love

sanctuary

the

as a of

it

is

it

;

reason that Mälañcha home

darling. prizes

is

will

she then and then

good wife, but not

merely

she

for this her father-in-law’s is

husband’s

one who bride;

way which

It if

becomes her

is in a

her duties

good name there,

a

win for her only called

a

she can discharge

in

to a

comes

the attitude approaches shrine she

every thus

if

In

in

which makes the whole family her own sense of the word. The husband’s house her highest temple.

it

devotion

which she

to

as

remains, however,

her

she

is

a

display

whom to

worships

secretly

the god

of

husband

make

course

is is

the

of

purity, peace and renunciation her example. all; give herself away The true wife

Self-dedication natu ral to Mälaiicha.

or

a

it

in

all

becomes devoid

follow

mother-in-law some hand, with rod beauty. But when spirit of self-dedication blooms forth the

woman

of

other elderly

the priests and blindly a

or

ed

merely recited imposed

by

on by

develop her virtues by service and self-dedication. This was the old idea. When all these are

an

in

as

it

to

of

itself without any external agency help an artificial growth, shows itself beautiful the lily Indian tank,

332

FOLR LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

Mälaficha’s womanly virtues are thus shown in the most attractive manner. No priest ever told do, her what she should and what she should not The love she felt for her baby-husband was more than motherly at the outset but with this difference that she knew from the beginning do.

that the child would grow in time and occupy his proper place grew

in regard

to her. When he old, she avoided his

years

to be five presence lest he called

her mother which

would

be his first instinctive address—naturally oppro brious to wife. The fountain of all her action was of course profound

It

love

that pervaded her

animal passion. The she wants no reci. mere sight of the beloved, to see procation. him happy in all conditions even in the arms of her co-wife, was the highest recompense of this love ; for she did not want reciprocation but merely the good of the object of his worship. The jealousies of an ordinary whole life.

was

no

When the Paksiraj came back without her husband on its back, she woman could not be in her.

was mad with

grief; but when she learnt that

he had married the princess,

that husband whom

up as no mother could do, whom she had saved from the gaping mouths of the evil spirits and animals, for whom her eyes were taken out and hands cut off and her father she had

brought

beheaded,

for whom in fact she had suffered as few martyrs ever did—that husband was

I,OVE TO ALL

happy in the palace

333

in the arms of the princess,

for a time but did not weep. tiger She told the that she was “fortunate’’ for the mission of her life was fulfilled, her husband was made happy and there was no more any

she stood silent

need of her existence; she said touchingly to

self,

her

“How happy

is the prince now with the happy how shall I be to die in the blue waters of our beautiful tank!”

princess

She never resisted evil but bore all patiently. flowers and fruits

by

s... …

were hostile towards

its

She gave love to those who her, like the tree that gives

it

to

one who cuts with axe: her nature she was good and could not be otherwise. When evil came she

evil.

ed

to

an in

by

it

to

tried her very best ward off from her beloved by her own great sufferings and all that she power had her do. She did not lament ordinary woman, like nor vehemently protest against her oppressors however autocratic and cruel they might

be,

all kinds

poing duty, needles, of the result.

danger.

Whenever

to an

husband from

of

of

no

but Christ-like bore pains all ills without complaint, sparing protect her great trust—the life her child came she was always up with her greatest resources

occasion

be

doing what she thought

to

In

is a to

on

to

of

energy, never appealed God whom she did not see, but depended the fullest extent reality with every one. her own karma which her duty,

she

334

FOLK LITERATURE

OF BENGAL

was not to be daunted by any circumstances,

for

body is subject.

not the ills to which When the boy was five years old and required to be placed under a tutor, she did not care a bit she cared

as to what might protection of her

to her, but left

happen

the

aunt” under anxiety for a above solitary wayfarer long time. with the baby A without knowing in her arm she wandered, where to go and would not rest till she found a suitable place from which she could give edu “uncle

and

which she was happy and

cation to the child, for he was a prince and must Almost mute, brief in her have due training. speech

when

to speak,

she cared

she offers

a

striking contrast to some of the heroines of our romances, whose enthusiastic speeches,

but

low waters often indicate Bengali Malancha speak,

little.

on the surface

of

lack of depth.

a

writers

shal Our

of

like the babbling ripples

romances lesson from these seldom speak out their

may take

a

modern

tales; the heroines here love. The tree offers flowers and fruits without

words, the sun its rays without words and He that us

a

to to

is

behind this nature and supplies rain, sunshine, thousand other things moon-beams and

mother seldom speaks

Malaficha speaks

of

in

of

the out His infinite love, speaks not except mystic soul. True love works and sacrifices, frothy words. The but does not spend itself

her love for the child;

but little.

But when for the

SACRIFICES OF INDIAN WOMEN

335

first time in her life, her father-in-law speaks to her kind words in a spirit of repentance, she melts into tears and tells him, “Why should I go to the palace

This

P

you not She

forest

spoken

indifferent

is

far dearer, for have

is

here to

words to me!” comforts so

sweet

material

what is a palace or a mansion to her P Where her spirit finds a congenial thing she values that, and thus a piece of wood-land is elevated in her eyes to a shrine because she has got there what

in

In

of

of

in

as

in

giving human

inter the land

in

it.

to

literature

But all human beings are not of existence. Here in this

level

the

these days all weaknesses the lower passions men are some

times valued est

is of a

a

all

body and

husband, sleeping

unique one, and shows her

far higher plane than Enoch Arden

Tennyson.

same

**her

wood.

Kānchi,

in of

a

be

to

arms

palace.

a

she

prefers

to

land

in

The prayer she offers in her the nuptial chamber

her soul wanted.

of

on

at

of

a

have

of

always evinced high spirit sacrifice the altar domestic love, and their self-immolation the funeral pyre women

day-dream

of

poets, no dealistic

no

is

In

of

of

their husbands and practice austere Brahma charya, have evoked wonder all unprejudiced minds. this country Mālafichamālā or

unrealisable interest,”simply “without human because the human being this case happens super-human strength possess soul. of

a

to

in

mental phantom

336

FOLK LITERATURE

Though

Mālafichamālā, in Indian

The poetic situations.

OF

BENGAL

like many heroines literature lacks in

professions

of

love,

yet

the

romantic situations of the dawn of love are not wanting in this very interesting tale. not come before her child-husband

She

does

but keeps

gazing at him as he reads or sits to eat. When by no means come to the flower-woman would the fiery horse, and Mālaficha was obliged to come before him after long years,

of

the

situation

at this interview

makes

her

charmingly

the

delicacy

modest

beautiful;

grace large

of sweat stood on her brow indicating her confusion, and she touched the feet of her husband on the pretext of dusting his shoes. do not know if my foreign readers will realise the true import of this situation. To a Hindu drops

I

wife nothing can be a more pleasing than to touch the feet of her husband.

privilege

In

the

it with a confused sense of delicacy and ardour of her warm soul, which is ex ceedingly woman-like according to oriental con present case she did

ception of modesty. Then for the first time after many years she glanced at his face and met him eye to eye; she could have avoided doing so, but her great control of self yielded a little for a moment, she had not the heart to give up this

opportunity, for he was going to win a game and might not return ; when he asked her who say, she was, she could not am your

“I

THE STOLEN VISIT

wife

";

feminine

delicacy

337

choked

her

voice

in half audible whispers she could merely am kotwal's daughter.” On another night occasion in the she had entered the room of her husband and found him with his new con and say,

“I

Both were sleeping ; he suddenly awoke and asked Mālaficha, “Who are you to enter this room * * In great mental confusion she only briefly said, “One that can enter.” This was sort.

her whole speech. The words were true for as wife she had every right to enter the room of her husband; then when the prince caught her by the edge of her sari, she bent down her head and said with down-cast eyes, “Prince, you do wrong.” The pictures are all delicately wrought, and nowhere is the veil of shyness which forms the true fascination of a woman’s nature me

withdrawn.

The fine shades of

heart,

mental psychology which

her

a

true woman’s silently

offers service and devotion, and proves without words, that she can sacrifice every inch of herself for the beloved one, are traced in the

this unassuming Bengali tale. Mälaiicha's all-pervading love is ever employed in doing good to all, not

most

significant

merely

those

manner

to

whom

in

she

was

personally

When she was going to return to her husband's home, she restored the dead to life by the great esoteric power that had grown indebted.

in her by her conquest 43

over the flesh.

So

that

338

FOLK LITERATURE

m.

,

wicked

"

reformed

miserable,

was

ºn

,,

"

was unhappy.

none are

The

punished

not

but its

º none

BENGAI,

OF

a

in

an

of

is

in

of

by love, proving doing good marvellous power surely this the buman world, and higher view esthetic situation ethical planes. to

returns the palace after many years, enjoy material comforts and what

is

of

even

in

not

be

the arms

her to

of

an

in

or in

tragic way

other

fruitful brain

the

author,

her

indeed the

level

that she was—a conqueror could break all her teeth

co-wife.

their

heroine

true goddess the flesh; she who order to break few a

does

the

the

as

to

own

worshipped

and

of a

Thus

rise

to

“But the goddess.”

her

people

willingly

She place

of

offered

queen.”

in

to

chief

tale

some

of

by

in

Rånchi

the

Kān

make the path clear for Mālaficha. find in this tale “Mälañcha made

order But we

gladly

each

chi's career might have closed the mouths hungry tigers

...'."lº"" suggested

much sufferings?

so

embrace after

other's

hus

would

or

band. What other poets dramatists not make the husband and wife restored

of

strange

to

not

to

She

be

a

to

of

links the chain by which her husband was bound, was not character won by the of

to

a

of

thought the pleasures the flesh. She was thing dedicated and offered love, from which

339

EPISODES OF SACRIFICES

all

elements removed.

of the flesh

* """

completely

were

The story is like an epic poem in Bengali with many exquisite lyrical notes, and the language is

forcible, brief and colloquial, that it is not in the power of any Bengali writer to change a word, without marring naive simplicity and effect. Unfortunately, have already stated, this story my translation; will have exotic air will it

a

on

a

like

so

Bengali lady, who looked lovely gown and having an her sari, putting

appear

in

in

an

I

as

its

so

is

of

be

helped. outlandish air; but this could not weaving plot The the shows considerable art. Mälaficha of course the The plot.

its

a

of

up

central figure who connects the different episodes the story and keeps continued interest. When the baby dies, the story might naturally end there, but we have need of

her for bringing end the story

to

it

is

Mālaficha's help

it

Mälaiicha does returns with the prince and the

set

the

and the king new

bride

to

prince free.

to

need

of

have again

a

he is

of

back life. The natural thus put off till the prince marries Kānchi. Here again the story would put end, but into the prison and there we

Mälaficha

is

labour has not gone for naught.

a

of

the palace and dismisses poor Mālaficha. The story would naturally end here. But now comes showing the moral need that devotee’s

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

340 a

true

bride.

She

must

enter

the

house

to

light the bridal lamp.

After all that she has an ordinary reception will not do. The whole city, not to speak of the palace alone, should give the most cordial re done,

suffered and

ception to the true bride by erecting triumphal arches and beating the royal drums in her honour. the ceremonies that a devotee performs the temples should be celebrated in honour one who has proved by her action, too many enumerate, that she is not an ordinary type

All

human being but

in of to

of

Any reception

a goddess.

short of what was given her in the last part of the story would have been unworthy of her. Her reception has been late, but the author deferred it a long time only to make it fitting

to

The whole

one

who

story

on

brought the dead

had

thus threaded

by

of

return life again.

the

citizens who rejoiced

the

is

flowing joy of

measure,

all

in order to pave her path to the palace by repentant tears, and wreath the garland of welcome by the over in the fullest

the

share

the

joys

to by

by

of

palace

to

at

us

of

on

sacrifices for love Mälaiicha's part surprise and the end takes the statement that she did not return the

episodes

nuptial life with in

as

her co-wife, but show her greatest renunciation by inaugurating the rival chief queen place. her

A CONTRAST

341

These tales have an old world charm which is

tºº..."

irresistible

to all

of us.

The

revival of Pauranic religion has introduced a spirit of faith, and

its

of devotion of a metaphysical type. But these beauty tales disclose a all of their own in which propagandism finds no place. Woman’s fidelity is shown in truest colour; men are righteous, good and amiable; but they have no stereotyped models put before them by the priests; the punished

for their action, but there scarcely any reference the scriptures, nor are analogies sought estab lished between them and those described in the to

be

is

to

or

characters are rewarded

“Because to

of

a

proposal

When task

marriage, and says,

a is

earth,

any gods

it

the

sacred where the flowers bloom.” princess takes the kotwal’s son

making

a

of

by

The lovers swear, not

goddesses, but

its

of

it

in of

found by

or

Renaissance.

lence be

literary excel aquite different charac the literature the

characterised

"

to

is

ter than

by

...

.."

...:"...'

as

of

Purānas. All these marks out the epoch very literature which produced the tales unique one; has some very own, distinctive features

for

“How

me

to

of

in

to

“If

so

be

I

to

be

approach me bold must you this way! will bring this the notice the king. How you daring?” king could the takes

task,” replied

the

kotwal's

son

boldly,

FOLK LITERATURE

342

“here is my answer;

OF BENGAL

my

ancestors have shed thcir blood for generations to make Your Majesty's line of kings—this is my claim.” No question of caste or

social status which would been inevitable in the days of the Renaissance was raised. When the princess was

have

that it was her duty to marry the

convinced

kotwal's

son

pledged

their

because

change in her

words,

her parents preceptor

the

already

had

marked

a

On other days the cymbals sounded on her feet merrily as she entered the school room, to-day no sound of her steps was heard, so quietly did she enter demeanour.

“and

the room with down-cast eyes, sweet voice of hers in recitation did

not

everyone in the class

usual,

room

was

its

as

the voice trembled and sweetness dry log.” sounded like There

the

charm but

was gone,

muteness

in

reckon

a

is

to

night

which these rural to

of

way

The ing time.

was

the

order indicate woman, we have this

metaphor “like the sleeping nothing, nor moves.” The way

unaware

In

of a

dange; that awaited her.

of

is

to

it

a

of

sleeping princess was absolutely the resolute

in a

expressing

us

of

a

it

rural ordinary ideas which has special appeal for also “From thousand eyes the gods stole sleep and put the eyes princess” the meant show that the method

she

people

says used

reckon time, when there no watch or clock to

.

THE RURAL ELEMENT

guide find

343

In one place we is interesting. following “ the day advanced, the

them the

peacock

her

and

plumed

tail;

mate dropped

feathers from

and sari wings as they off the dust from their By these little bathed in the muddy pools.” things the country people gave an exact idea of time; for the birds did as described, at particular

their flung

the birds suka

and specified points of time recorded in the daily observations of the men who live in villages.

In another

place

we find “before

twilight had

passed and the crows had crowed their last note

indicating

departure into

These the nests.” disclosing nature, to the lift the veil from observer how she gives response to each hour

softly

that passes, in a way far more interesting than by the dull hand of a clock. The manner in which the rural people indi cated their condemnation and honest disparage ment of a wicked deed is sometimes very curiously expressed.

The flowerwoman in the story of Käfichannaălă away the wants to drive princess from her husband's home and get her own niece married to him. This wicked motive

Condemnation wicked deeds.

of

is frustrated in this way.

“If the flower-woman engages

any house-wife

to take part in the marriage of her niece, within three days the red mark of luck disappears from

that wife's forehead (she becomes a widow). The

344,

FOLK LITERATURE OF BENGAL

Brahmin marriage

whom

she appoints

function

finds

l

to perform the

his

void

cowshed

of cows and his school void of pupils. So no Brahmin would open his almanac to fix the auspicious day and no house-wife take part in the goes to the oil. ceremony. The flower-woman man for oil and to the grocer for turmeric, the oil-man's bullock dies and the grocer loses his bargain. The flowers drop from the bride's crown and the lamps cease to burn on the sacred plate.” These are no doubt foolish, but imagine

the

glee and mirth with which children listened to this

account of the wicked witch's disappointment. There may be many things said that arefoolish; the child says many such things and listens to many such things from his grandmother, but is not the heart of true poetry there? Romance.

Sometimes

a

situa

tion is made romantically poetic by a mere touch; do not know

I

if the foreign readers of our folk-tales will appre ciate the simple poetry in these few lines. “She came and bowed down

before

her

husband. He saw this spot near his feet reddened with the vermilion of her forehead.”

Index.

Page. ---

---

---

---

---

Acharyas

...

---

---

---

---

61

Ada Nasa

---

--

---

---

---

165

AEesop

---

---

---

--

---

44

--

Abolās

---

---

---

---

29

---

--

---

Agartala

---

--

---

---

146

---

---

---

--

148

---

---

---

84

---

---

--

---

158

--

Agā Bakhar Agamani

... --

Afazuddin Ahmed

--

Aetes

229

---

--

---

---

---

158

Alam

---

---

---

---

---

160, 161

Alanaschar

...

---

---

---

---

48

---

---

---

--

80

---

---

---

---

130, 134

Alivardi Khan

---

---

---

---

Allāh

---

---

---

---

Amin

Algebra

148

---

--

---

106

Amrita bhāna

---

---

---

---

97

Apäi

---

---

---

34

---

---

---

---

---

43

Arabian

---

---

---

---

---

43

Arabian Nights Arabic ---

---

---

5,

Arabia

--

---

55 50, 53, 59

---

50 49

7

---

---

--

--

---

--

--

--

--

---

100

...

---

--

...

Asia

--

Aryavartå Asiatic

---

--

Arthur

----

...

--

Arthurian

---

4,

--

---

Arjuna

2 6

---

...

---

---

--

---

---

--

---

---

--

---

---

--

---

Ariadne

--

Arabs

Arif

14

51, 43, 48, 97, 99, 101, 102, 124, 134, 160, 195, 234

--

3,

---

--

101, 102,

--

...

Akbar

--

Ali

-... -

Alakā.

--

A:zuddin Munshi

169, 170, 171

28, 43

INDEX

346

---

---

---

---

---

Atlas

---

---

---

---

---

9

...

Page.

Atlantic

---

---

---

---

67

151

5.6

B

Aya Bene

2,

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

65

Backergunge

---

---

---

---

151

---

---

115, 116

Bali Uttarpara Balor ---

---

---

---

---

89

---

---

---

---

Baltic

---

---

---

---

...

Balukä Sägar,.. --Banga

---

---

---

---

91

---

---

---

---

42

Bangabhāshā-o-Sāhitya

...

Bhāndari

Babylon ... ...

---

---

---

17

Baukis

---

---

---

---

---

Bauspara

---

---

---

---

---

---

141 -

41

---

---

---

---

Behest

---

---

--

---

---

131

Behula

---

---

---

---

---

328

Bejān Shahar...

---

---

---

---

30

Benares

---

---

---

---

---

153

Bengal

5, 7,

Behram Gor ...

6

-----

...

Băyis joàn

19 43, 50

3

Badarjanda

6,

Băburam

10, 14, 26, 28, 42, 44, 46, 49, 50, 52, 54, 56,61, 64,

68, 7A, 73, 77, 81, 82,85, 86, 88, 94, 97, 99, 113, 123, 124, 151, 152, 155, 156, 160, 192, 193, 225, 260, 262, 7,

...

249, 286, 323

Bengali

13, 18, 28, 40, 21, 17, 35, 44, 45, 53, 57, 58, 59,63, 67, 84, 92, 94, 95, 100, 155, 162, 189, 223, 229, 260, 262.

---

Bhakti cult Bhānumati Bharat

---

---

---

---

---

84

---

---

--

---

249, 250

---

---

---

---

54

---

---

---

54

...

---

---

---

---

97

---

---

---

---

52

Bhāratchandra

---

---

---

---

100

Bhasmalochana

---

---

---

18, 17

Bhātas

---

---

151, 152

...

.

Bhāgavata

...

---

--

Bhāduli

---

... ...

---

---

49,

57

249, 286, 323

Bengali Literature Bengali Muhammadans

INDEX

347 Page.

Bhavani

66

Rhikkus

81

Bhikkunis

81

Bhim

25

Bhuia

1853. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 27 11, 12, 13, 14, 27

...

Bimală

---

Bosching's Wolks-Sagen Brahmā

...

Bihamgami

18

---

Bibhisama Bihangama

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

191, 192 49

---

18, 19

29, 31, 32, 33, 51, 62, 66, 76, 91, 95, 121, 145, 181,

Brahmin

225, 227, 274, 344, 273 252

Brata ---

---

...

---

---

Brothers Grimm

---

Buarainech

---

--8,

---

Brobdingnag

•

British ...

---

*

335

Bramhacharya

---

238

20. 24, 25; 28, 194 19 ---

Buddha Buddhism

50, 59

---

328

42, 54, 81, 83, 153

44, 46, 61, 63, 81, 82, 83, 84, 86, 87, 88, 93, 94, 96, 97,

Buddhist

C

99, 160, 161, 157

Caer

235 ---

Calmuck

---

Çamkhamāla... Çankharaj

67 132

Çankhini Cânta

175, 177 15

Caridwen

142.

...

Châgalmuri

143

Chakla Roshonabad

200, 49, 42

Champå

297

Champaka Chamdāla,

Chandana

291

45, 59, 64, 67, 75, 117, 133, I34

---

---

---

92

210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 218, 223 225, 226, 227 228, 230

348

INDEX Page.

Chandi

90, 91, 153, 207, 208

Chandra

148

Chandbibi

102

Chandra Bhān

162

Chandrahāsa

---

Chandramānik

---

21, 221

288, 289, 292, 293,294,

295, 296, 298, 299,

800, 301, 304, 305, 307, 310, 311, 312 315, 321, 322 ...

97, 156, 234, 57 70, 71

...

Chaturdolās

103, 104, 109, 108, 110

Chaudhurir Lārāyi Cherry ---

Chinese

---

Chinta

---

49

2

Chimaira

135

189 17,

Chittagong Chitraratha

18

Chandrävali

.

Chandannagar

148, 149

...

174

Christ Çita Bashanta

--...

Christian

325, 327 ---

---

13, 14, 30, 193,

24, 156, 165, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 173, 179,

I80, 181, 182, 183, 134, 185, 186, 187, 188, I89, 191, 193 91

---

Çitala

---

Çiva

90, 153, 159, 216, 251,252 60

Qivadut Copernicus

254

Qrivatsa Çrngi Crusade

174

Qukapanikhis Qunya purån Cupid

17

---

65

86, 90, 161,251 220

Cuttack

6,

Dacca Muslin

206

42, 50

Däkinis

89

Daksin

I38, 137

INDEx

349 Page.

Daniel

227

Dantapur

219

Darsana

...

---

330

Dasaratha

---

---

---

204, 223

Datan

- --

---

---

219

Death

60

Delhi

136, 146

Demon of Eclipse Demon

274

of fever

93

Der Getreue Johannes

13 13

Dhaleswari Dhārā

---

---

...

----

Dhamma

60, 270, 271, 272,273,

Dharma-mangala

274, 321

30, 89, 92, 161

Diancecht

233

Dhourna

...

Dhruba

192

54, 1553

Dravidians Dudhabarana

247 ---

---

...

Dryden

175

70

297, 302, 305, 306, 307, 308, 320, 321

Dudh Bibi

113, 114, 122

Dukhu

35, 36, 37

Dulāldhan

68

Dunn

...

Duorāni

48

188, 182, 183

Durgā

66

Durlatā

175

Eastern

50, 51

Eastern Bengal

261,262

Edda,

235

Egyptian

265 ...

Ekalavya England --

6,50

---

...

Epics

---

--

English Enoch Arden

153

40, 44 335

---

---

...

155

INDEX

350

---

---

6,

---

Fairy

---

---

13, 42, 49, 51

13, 28, 41, 42, 65,234 ---

...

251

---

---

...

63

---

...

93

10, 13, 14, 28

---

---

---

---

---

Fakirchänd

---

---

---

---

...

41, 100, 101, 202, 219, 223, 224, 226, 266

---

---

---

---

...

125

Feni

---

---

---

---

...

146

---

---

---

---

---

--

---

---

---

...

Gabriel

---

---

---

---

...

114

Gabu Chandra

---

---

---

--

...

240

Gadura

---

---

---

---

Gaeles

---

---

---

---

Gallic

---

---

---

---

Gandharva

---

---

---

---

...

191

Gane;a

---

---

---

---

...

92

Ganges

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

...

102

---

---

---

...

205

...

Firdausi Frog-bride

6

Fathema Bibi

...

6,

Kabibhshana

Rām

...

Fakir

8

---

Faithful John

8,

Fakirs

---

...

E"

Evans

---

8,

European

7,

---

...

---

2, 4, 5, 6, 7,

Page.

Europe

49

Valley

...

19

16,233

47, 51, 159, 233 49, 195

Gasta Bené

---

---

---

---

...

Garanhata Bengal Royi Press --Gareth

90, 237 ...

7,

Gangetic

*

CH

67

Gaul

---

---

---

---

...

232 49

Gaur

---

---

---

---

...

Gauri

---

---

---

---

257, 259

---

---

---

---

Gaza

...

113

Geliad

--

---

---

234

Ghatak

---

---

---

---

... ...

137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 146, 148, 149, 150 .. ..

...

Ghumanta-puri

---

---

---

---

...

30

--

.

Gazi

---

---

---

Gita-Kathâs

70

47, 261

---

---

---

118, 122

---

---

---

14, 15, 60

Goda Hossain

Khondakar

---

--

---

--

Goălăs Goda Yama

...

139

INDEX

351 Page.

of Harvest

Goddess Golām

---

Käder

.

...

85

24, 41, 156, 165

Golkonda

324

Gorgon Medusa Greek

2 -

...

Grimm's collection

---

Grimm's Popular Stories Gujrat

48

...34, 40 2, 3, 14, 21, 35,43 7

Guptas

48

Guru

228

Gwin Bach Gypsies

--

...

15

---

---

6

Habu chandra

Hans

240 90,91

-----91, 233 124, 125, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135

Hanumāna --

Harilila

...

...

23

...

...

...

Hanif

.

...

Hādi Hādisidhya

...

IHI

55,90

---

Harinath Majumdar Harischandra

100

41, 173, 191, 193,265 153

Härmoo

34

Hartz

43

Hastini Haliday

---

85

---

326

Hebrew

48

Hengist

44

Herbert Hesperides

--

Hindu Guru Mahācayas Hindu Renaissance

---

---

---

...

40

---

---

---

...

2

Herakles

2,16

---

---

...

Hindu Tantras

...

Hinduism Hindustan

Hirā

89 69, 83

---

146

--

Himalayan Hinglat

88

54, 56,61, 66, 67, 69, 82, 95, 203, 225

---

---

...

152

...

206

114, 122, 207, 208

INDEX

352

Page.

Hirāmanik

67 3, ... 5,

Hirarāja

44

Homeopathic

...

84

Hooghly

103, 104

Hitopodega

67

Horsa Hungary Hushen Shah

100,103

Hycophric

Imam Hosen Abdul Mokaka

Indi India India the Great India the Lesser

--6,

Indian

---

...

50

42, 43,49, 51, 59, 62, 65, 73

Indian Literature

336

Indra Mandal

192 96

Iranian

84

Islam

...

Indra Sabhā

81, 82, 84, 86, 88,90, 94, 95, 98, 124, 128, 131, 134

Islamite

93, 95, 123, 135

Jack

40,235

Jugdia

146

Jagat Mänikya

138 162

Jagat Chandra Jalayoga

44

• --

--

...

153,162 ...

30

...

Jayasen

...

2

- --

191 93,95 5,

Jatā

41

234, 162

...

- --

Jayā

---

...

... • --

Jason Jātaka Gankara

---

- --

Jarāsura

e --

Janmejaya

--

Jamini Bhan

---

--

---

175

INDEX

353 Page. 135

Jaygun ...

Jayadhara

103

46, 142

Jaydeva

103, 162

...

Jaynarayan Sen Jorinda and Joringel

28

75

Kānchanrāj

...

Kabikankana Kachuā

127, 140

Kafirs

124, 127

67

64

Kaivartas Kālaketu

55 ...

...

Kalāvati Rājkanya Kåldut

60, 284

--

Kãli

67

13, 90,91, 94, 105, 145

Kaliph

A.

Kalidasa

192, 60

---

Mansabji

Kāliya Kāmadeva

103, 104, 109, 110 ---

---

Kanauj

---

---

Kānchannālā

89, 161 ---

---

6

Kamakasa Kâmrupa

45, 63, 67,68, 97, 154, 156, 157, 158, 159, 162, 165, 343

Kānchi

293, 294, 295, 300, 303, 308, 321, 322, 335, 338, 339

Kanu

---

---

---

118

Kapilăbastu

---

---

---

...42, 64

Karma

---

---

---

55, 330, 333 ...

---

5,

Kathâ Saritsägara Käynur

...

Kāthā

30

43,234

90, 104, 105, 107, 108, 110, 113, 161 52

Kekaya Kern

---

Khaibar Pass

---

---

---

---

...

83 152

Khanā

78

Khardā

135

Khondakar Jabed Ali Khoramali

Kinu

41 ---

Ghosh

45

...

89

118, 120, 121, 122

INDEX

354

---

---

---

Kirtipasa

---

---

---

---

...

151

Kishory Mahālānobis

3,

---

...

Page.

Kirke

29

---

---

...

151

---

---

---

---

...

123

Krišna Krisnahari Dasa

---

---

---

95, 90,94, 253

...

---

---

---

101, 103

Kud Ghat

---

---

---

---

...

138

Kulin

---

---

---

---

...

70

Kumati

---

---

---

---

Kushumpur

---

--

---

---

---

---

- -

---

---

--- -

---

...

---

---

...

...

---

Korān

104,105,111 ...

48

La Fontain

---

156

Laksmana

---

Laksmi Läual

---

---

---

...

Lajjavati

4.

I.

---

---

---

---

248, 250

Lynette

---

---

---

---

...

Lilavati

---

---

---

---

...

78

Lousen

---

---

---

---

...

30

Luris

---

---

---

---

---

90, 145 85, 86, 88, 95

6

205

4

Madan

---

---

---

Madukaras

---

---

---

---

Madhāmāla

---

---

---

---

Madhusudan

---

---

---

---

...

Magadha

---

---

---

...

...

---

Sanskrit Literature

3,

IMI

of

History

Macdonell's

--

42, 44, 48, 49

---

---

---

330, 83

---

---

---

---

17, 21, 54, 76

Mahāyana

Buddhist Korban Ali

...

65

56,68, 72 58

---

---

---

...

Maināgar

---

---

---

---

...

30

Mainamati

---

---

---

---

...

233

Majumdar

---

...

Mahābhārata

103, 104, 109, 110

16, 30, 39, 41, 53, 117, 193, 194,

195,

Mahammad

208,225,

261,264,

265,266

156

INDEX

355 Page.

Mälanchamālā

45, 46, 53, 56,60, 154, 156, 230, 267,

275,

277,278,

262,

299,

296,

322,

297,

300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 307, 308,

309, 310, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 318, 319, 321,

266,

280, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286,

288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 298,

265,

320,

323, 324, 325, 328, 329, 330, 321, 332,

334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340.

Mälati Kusam

97, 156, 160, 193

Mallikā

125, 126, 128, 130, 132

Manipur Manasā

...

Devi

---

Manik Pir

---

145

99,90, 94, 96

---

98, 99, 115, 116, 117, 119, 120, 121, 122 ...

Maniruddin Ahmad ... Mänik Chandra

156

14, 30

Mänikganj

195 67

Maniktala

67 -----

--

...

102

--

...

156

t

Matirāja Maulvi Lutful Khab

...

67

...

---

-

--

Masjidbari Street, Calcutta Masta Bene

-

67

Maya Dănava Mayur Pankhis Mayurpekhama

-

...

48 14,

-

---

---

...

102

--

Maynāmati

----

136, 150

Mauryas

...

65 71

Street...

Mechuabazar

15

Mansingh

...

Manikraja

156

Mecklenburgh

28 ---

Medina

43 2

Meghadumbur

71

Miach

233 3

Europe

2

of

---

Mir Khoram Ali Moghul

4,

-...

literature...

Medusa

Middle ages Minotnur

6

124, 131, 125, 126

Mediterranian Mediaeval

---

2

Medeia

•

87 136

INDEX

356

Page. 219 ...

Mogalmäri Mokhtab

41, 135

Moslem

35, 38, 39

Mother Holle

162

Mrigavati Muhammad

Korban Ali Khater Marhun

Muhoammad Muhammad

Talukdar

195 ---

---

...

162

---

---

I40, 144 14.4

Mukhshuddis

41

Munshi Amiruddin Ahmad

135

Munshi Aminuddin ...

92

Munshi Enayetulla Sircar Munshi Afaruddin

...

41

115, 188

Munshi Pijiruddin Murshidabad

148, 149, 150 75

Murări Gila Mymensing

94, 262

83

Nāgāryuna ...

Nala-Damayanti --

Narādhaja ...

Nasiruddin Nasirban Emperor Nowab

161

207, 208

137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 143, 144, 145 ... 48 147, 149 81

Neda-medis

246

Negroes

153

Nirvāna

28

Nisami

136

Noakhali

147

-

Oxford University

ress

Ali

P

Orissa

6,

Non-Aryan

Oazid

197

89, 94, 95, 155

Mollas

219

14, 43 130

INIDEX

357 Page. 18

---

---

--

---

...

---

---

---

---

50

Padmini ...

---

---

---

---

85

Paksiraj

---

b'aderborn Padmä

---

---

---

57

Pandit Braja Jamahar Pandit Ramgati Nyayaratna

---

-- -

---

48

--

---

Panchatantra

---

-

...

---

---

--

137, 140

---

---

---

---

174

--

267, 269, 274, 282, 296, 299, 301, 302. 305, 309

--

Pandit

--

57

---

159, 216, 218

Pargawnah

--

---

---

---

---

--

---

---

---

-

-

Parnassus

--

...

-

---

Pârvati

-

Pataliputra

5,

17 44, 234

234

---

--

---

--

Persons

---

---

---

2

--

43

57, 30, 43, 47, 48, 51, 57, 58, 97, 99, 102, 124, 154, 160, 195 3

--

---

---

---

--

Prakritic Bengali --Puspamälä -

-

--

-

254

---

-

86

-

71

---

---

--

---

-

...209, 226

Pyramid

---

---

- -

46

---

---

40

Quarterly Review

...

Q

** *

---

Putra Sarovara

-

--

29, 208, 209, 210, 212, 215, 45, 227, 230, 231

--

Pusparathas

67, 247

...55, 56, 95, 293, 153, 154, 192 -

---

263,264, ---

--

Ptolemaic theory Puranas

136 54, 153

--

Prakrit

-

--

---

--

262

--

-

---

... ...

Prahlada

--

---

-

---

55 49

-

Pinger

---

--

--

--

---

--

Pilpay

---

-

* .. .

---

--

---

...

---

Phullará

Plassy

--

--

--

Persians Philemen

4,

--

Persia

2

Pegasos

-

155, 161, 121

--

Pauránic Renaissance

-

Parikshit

-

4,

---

3,

---

...

...

---

R. Rādhā --

...

94 -

-

Raja Baruna

124, 127, 128, 129, 133, 134

358

INDEX Page.

Rājā Birchandra Manikya of Tippera ----Rajknmār Roy

---

---

53

---

---

151

Rājakumari Rājā Rammohan Rajamala

---

---

---

---

96

Roy

---

---

---

192

---

---

150 19, 239, 51, 232

---

---

---

---

... ...

--

---

Ramanimohan

---

---

---

--

---

--

Ramāi Pandit

---

---

---

---

90

Rāmāyanas

---

---

---

---

17, 52, 54

---

---

--

---

---

116

---

---

---

---

102

--

Rākshasa

---

137

Ranjanā Rasul

Chaudhury

Rev Lal Behary Dey --Revivalist -

18, 90, 204, 223 192

18, 13, 24, 41, 50, 52, 68, 193, 194, 233,265 69

---

100

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

86

---

--

---

291

---

---

…

---

162

---

---

---

31, 34, 35

---

---

--

Rüpavati

---

---

---

Rüpvarnanā

---

Rüpalāl

---

159

---

52, 76

...

---

63, 163, 165

-

-

---

---

---

-

13, 45, 63

185, 187, 188 ---

57 264

§

Rabindranath Tagore

-

---

-

Rüpakathâs

8,

--

---

Rüpamälä

Rüpachänd

"

--

-----

--

Rumpet-stilts-kin

-

Rukmini

254

--

Rose-bud

244, 245, 245, 23

--

Rojähs

...

---

Riks

-

Reynard

--

---

---

--

---

---

...

---

... ...

-

Revākhenda

---

...

Ratan

...

8,

Rama

Saharia

234

Sakhi-Sona

29, 97, 195, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 207, 208,

147

w -- • --

---

Säktās

-----

Salad Samsher

Gazi Gāna

---

--

---

24

---

--

----

24, 194

--

--

193

---

--

---

---

Sakhya --

--

209, 219, 220, 222, 224

Sakuntala

---

136

INDEX

359 Page.

Gäzi

Samser

---

---

---

138, 150

---

---

---

194

---

---

---

135

Sanakā

---

---

---

---

Sankhal

120, 121, 122

---

---

---

---

Sankarāchārya

---

---

---

Saraswati

---

---

---

6

---

Samritàbhāna

...

Sambhu

---

--

100, 101

---

96, 158, 159

Sărmoo

---

---

---

---

34

Satyanārayan

---

---

---

---

100.

...

Satya

Pir

Saxon

---

---

---

---

44

Sāya Bene

---

---

---

---

67

Semitic

---

---

---

---

84

Sehwalmgegend

---

---

---

28

Senmash

---

---

---

---

234

Scorpion

---

---

--

---

197

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

195

Shaha

Kamaruddin ...

---

---

…

98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 106, 107, 108, 110, 113 --------253, 46

...

Savitri

118, 114

Shekh

Onich

Gazi

Shamsher

150

150

---

---

---

---

148

---

---

---

---

142

Shonală

---

---

---

---

68

Sikh Guru

---

---

---

---

46

...

Shahabad

61 *

Scythian Brahmins --Shal ---

--

---

16

Datta

Sonar Käthi and Rupār Kathi --Sindevijan

---

---

---

195

Sindabad

---

---

---

.

Shobha

234

---

---

--

---

52

---

---

---

---

103 100

Sità

---

Sitär Wanavāsa Skandapurána

---

---

---

---

Sonadhān

---

---

---

---

135

Sugriva

---

---

---

---

204

Suka

...

---

---

---

109, 185,226,

Sukhu

...

---

---

---

---

Sundarbans

Gaji

---

---

---

48

---

---

---

...

Sultan Muhammad Sumati ...

343

35, 36, 37 104, 105, 111

---

---

---

---

151

INDEX

360

Page. Sundara

103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112

...

Suo Râni

186, 188, 182, 183

Suvarma

115, 116

-

Surath Bibi

63, 64

Banikas

1C2

Swandhyāvati Syed

---

---

195

---

Syed Shaha Khandakar Javedali...

156

Sylhet

151 48

Syrian languages

163

Taimus

46

Tijmahal

46

Tamasä

262

Tangail

...

Tantrik

161, 239, 328 ...

Tantrikism ---

Täpäi

---

328 31, 32

60,270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 321

Tārā

29

Teutonic

43 ---

Tennyson Thäkur Dādār Jhuli

---

335

...

Tartars ...

41, 193, 194, 262 51

Thames

16

Thäkurmär Jhuli

...

Thuā

247, 248 ---

Tilavandegwara

153

---

137, 139, 14), 145, 146, 147, 150

Tipperah

39, 40

Tom Thumb

80 49

Typical Selections Tuesday ---

--

16,

127, 128, 129, 130, 133, 184

145, 150

...

Udaipur Udipur

---

...

Turk

--

Tuirenn

92

... ---

17

Trigonometry

---

Ujjhāya and Ojhā

145 93

INDEX

361 Page.

Ulysses

29

Umā Umhar

...

...

Upanishadaic

256

Upādhyāya

93

Urdu

160

Utsava

---

---

Uttarākānda

---

...

---

...

|Uzir

148 224

142, 143, 148, 197

Waikuntha

60

Wälmiki

46

...

Waisampāyna

190

15, 84

Waisnava

...

Waisnavism

Vedas

...

Wedic Wedic literature

83

56, 293 81, 228, 255, 256 ...

Wehest Wernacular

66

128, 129, 130

254

101, 102, 131

literature

---

...

323

Bö, 276,271, 274, 321

Widhātā

79, 261

Widhātā purusa

192, 193

Widyā Sāgara

Wijayachandra Vijaya-Vasantã.

---

-

191, 192

173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 191

Vikramajit

208, 219

Virāt Nagar

118

Wisha

...

Wishayā

...21, 22

21

85, 100, 153

Wigmu Wisnu Garmā

---

---

48, 49

Wisnudut

Woja

65

Vyāsa

17

Wazir Wuenschelbruthe

46

362

INDEX Page.

Yama

233

Yamadut Yogi

328

Yugi

262

Yuktikalpataru

Zodiac

Zwehrn

65

255 13

op1NIONs

-

. . .

.

“HISTORY OF THE BENGALI LANGUAGE LITERATURE" (IN ENGLISH)

AND

BY

CHANDRA SEN, B.A.

RAI SAHIB DiNESH

Published

by

CALCUTTA. UNIVERSITY

Price–Rs.

Demy 8vo. pp. 1030,

12.

with illustrations.

His Excellency Lord Hardinge of Penshurst

in his Con Address, dated the 16th March, 1912 as Chancellor of the . --Calcutta University:— - “During the last four years also the University has, from time to

vocation

time,

appointed

Readers

important branches

subjects to foster

on special

of learning amongst

investigation of

our advanced

students.

One

of these Readers, Mr. Sen, has embodied his lectures on the History of Bengali Language and Literature from the earliest times to the merit, which middle of the 19th century in a volume of considerable by another original contribution to the he is about to supplement history of one of the most important vernaculars in this country. May I express the hope that this example will be followed elsewhere,

and that critical

schools

may

guages of India which have

be

not

for the vernacular lan. yet received the attention that

established

as

-

they deserve.”

***

His Excellency Lord Carmichael, Governor of Bengal,

in his address on the occasion of his laying the Foundation Stone of the Romesh

Chandra

Bhawan,

Saraswat

dated

the

1916:—

20th -

November,

to

to

luminous lectures the direction

of

and

In

learned

*

the

the

of the Language and the Literature, Rai Sahib Dineschandra

of

in

of

us

the publication Sahib Dineschandra Sen.

*

by

of

its

“For long Romesh Chandra Dutt's History of the Literature of Bengal was the only work of kind available the general reader. The results further study this field have been made available Rai History Sen has

OPINIONS

11

the necessary

created

interest by

his Typical

It remains

Selections.

of the Parishad to follow this lead and to carry on the work in the same spirit of patient accurate research.” Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, in his Convocation Address, dated for the members

the 13th March, 1909, as Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University:—

“We the

a long series of luminous lectures from one of our Babu Dineschandra Sen, on the fascinating subject of of the Bengali Language and Literature. These lectures

have

own graduates,

History

had

take a comprehensive

view of the development of our vernacular, and their publication will unquestionably facilitate the historical investi. gation of the origin of the vernacular literature of this country, the study of which is avowedly one of the foremost objects of the New

Regulations to promote.”

Sylvain Levi (Paris)—“I work is a Chintamant

cannot give you praises enough—your Ratnakara. No book about India would I

--a

with yours...... Never did I find such a realistic sense of litera ture... .. Pundit and Peasant, Yogi and Raja mix together in a Shakes pearian way on the stage you have built up.” compare

by the same scholar in the “Revue a review Jan. 1915;-(translated for the “Bengalee.”) “One cannot praise too highly the work of Mr. Sen. A profound and original erudition has been associated with vivid imagination.

Extract

Critique "

from

relying on his documents has the temperament He has likewise inherited the lyric genius of his

The historian though of an epic poet. race.”

.

Barth (Paris)—“I

can

approach

your book as a learner, not

as a judge.”

C. H. Tawney--"Your

work shows

vast

research

and

much

general culture.”

Vincent Smith—“A work of profound learning and high value.” by extensive erudition and inde F. W. Thomas—“Characterised pendent

B.

research.”

J.

Rapson—“I

great admiration for witness.”

F.

looked

the

through it with great

knowledge

H. Skrine-“Monumental

and

research

interest and

to which

it

bears

work—I have been revelling in the I was ignorant.”

book which taught me much of which

B. B. Havell—"Most should read.

I

congratulate

valuable book

which every Anglo-Indian

you most heartily on your very

admirable

English and perfect lucidity of style.”

D. C. Phillot-“I can well understand the enthusiasm with which the work was received by scholars, for even to men unacquainted

ili

OPINIONS with your language, profit.”

I.

it cannot fail to be a- source of great interest and -

D. Barnett—“I

congratulate you on

having accomplished -

such an admirable work.”

G. Hultzuh–“Mr.

Sen's

J. F. duction,

Blumhardt—“An exhaustive

work on Bengali literature, a

valuable

subject hitherto unfamiliar to me, which interest,”

I

am now

reading with great

extremely well-written and scholarly pro

in its wealth of materials and of immense value.”

T. W. Rhys Davids—“It

is a most

interesting and important

work and reflects great credit on your industry and research.”

Jules Bloch (Paris)—“Your book I find an admirable one and which is the only one of its kind in the whole of India.” William suggestive

Rothenstein—“I It

information.

held

found me

surprisingly full of from beginning to end,

the book

bound

in spite of my absolute ignorance of the language with obviously profound scholarship.”

Emile Senart (Paris)—“I

have

lively interest and it appears to learning and method of working.”

Henry Van Dyke—(U.

are full of new suggestions

Bengali Language

S.

gone

you

write

through your book

me to do the highest

A.) –“Your

in regard

of which

with credit to your

instructive pages

to the richness

and interest

which of the

and Literature.”

C. T. Winchester—(U. a theme which demands

S. A.)—“A work of profound learning on the attention of all Western scholars.”

From a long review in the Times Literary Supplement, London, June 20, 1912—“In his narration, as becomes one who is the soul of scholarly candour, he tells those, who can read him with sympathy and imagination more about the Hindu mind and its attitude towards life than we can gather from 50 volumes of impressions of travel by Europeans.

Loti’s picturesque account of the rites practised in Travancore temples, and even M. Chevrillon's synthesis of much browsing in Hindu Scriptures, seem faint records by the side of this unassuming

tale of Hindu literature—Mr. Sen may well be proud of the lasting monument he has erected to the literature of his native Bengal.” From a long review in the Athenaeum, March, 16, 1912—"Mr. Sen may justly congratulate himself on the fact that in the middle age he has done more for the history of his national language than any other writer of his own or indeed any time.”

and literature

From a long review in the Spectator, June 12, 1912—“A book of extraordinary interest to those who would make an impartial study of the Bengali mentality and character—a work which reflects the

iv

sympathetic.

book

Perhaps

learning of

and

masterpiece—modest, no

kind

is a

his

its

In

industry

credit on the candour,

utmost

other he

happy industry for the task

man

learned,

living

has successfully

has

author.

thorough

and learning and

the

accomplished.”

Mr. H. Beveridge

by

its

OPINIONS

is

derived

Dr. Oldenberg

of

is

in

it

the Royal

investiga

book...the the work, nothing

to

to

in

the pages

of

Dr. Kern himself)—“Fruit years...highly interesting

reviewer has all admire criticise, for his whole knowledge by

on

of

many

the Bijdragen

- - -

from it.”

-

through

carried

Kern

of

Institute for Taal (translated tion

its

would

too high praise.”

by H.

in

give its author

long review

a

From

to

be difficult

I,ondon,

the subject

The great value the book the pre-English era and for this

Sen.

fresh treatment

and

by

full

authority

more competent

is

March 15, 1912—"There than Mr. Dineschandra

a

descriptions are often eloquent.” “India,” by S. K. Ratcliffe

review

no

long

of

a

From

in

writing...his

picturesque

of

It

of

of

Society's

is a

a

review

in

the Royal Asiatic Journal, Jan. 1912–" very full and interesting account power the development the Bengali Literature. He has

From

of

Bengal contributes one

of

of

of

of

is

1911 (Translated

of

a

3,

review

in

the Frankfurter Zistung, by the late Dr. Thibaut)... “It an important supplementation the history modern Sanskrit Litera Chaitanya's influence on the poetical literature ture. The account

From

December

us

a

in

the most brilliant sections the work.” From review Deutsche Rundschan, April, 1912—“The picture which this learned Bengali has painted for with loving care of the literature of his native land deserves to be received with

attentive and grateful respect.”

-

Luzac's Oriental List,

London, May-June,

in

of

of a

being the most complete

Bengali Language

and reliable standard work

on

library

as

It

of

of

a

in

From review interesting information, 1912–"A work inestimable value, full containing complete account Bengali authors from the writings every Oriental place the earliest time... will undoubtedly find the

and Literature"

of

student important

be

1912,

“A so

of

of

so

in

May

9,

Madras Mail,

an

the

what

by

review

the evolution the Bengali letters exceptionally learned can hardly fail competent, criticism,” event the world survey

understand

a

to

is

he

if

-

to

long

profound respect in

From

of a

his book must have modern Bengal is.”

a

in

of

a

in

From review the Indian Magazine, London, August, 1912– “For Mr. Sen's erudition, his sturdy patriotism, his instructive percep Bengali life and literature, the reader tion the finer qualities

V

OPINIONS

From a long review in the Pioneer, May 5, 1912–"Mr. Sen is a typical student such as was common in mediaeval Europe—a lover of learning for learning's sake... He must be a poor judge of characters who can rise from a perusal of Mr. Sen's pages without a real respect and liking for the writer, for his sincerity, his industry, his enthusiasm in the cause of learning.” From a review in

Englishman, April

23,

1912—"Only

one who

himself with the subject could have mastered it so well as the author of this imposing book.” From a review in the Empire, August 31, 1918—“As a book of has completely

identified

Mr. Sen’s

reference

work will be found

invaluable and he is to be

congratulated on the he

result of his labours. It may well be said that English enthusiast once said that ‘Bengali mellifluousness of Italian with the power possessed by

proved

has

unites the

what an

German for rendering complex From a review in the

F. G. Pargiter —“This study,

ideas.”

Indian

Antiquary,

book is the

December,

1912, by

outcome of great research and

author- deserves the warmest praise. He has and the subjects treated in it with such fulness and in such detail as to make the whole plain to any reader. The folk-literature, the structure, and style of the language, metre on

explained

which

the

the literature

and rhyme, and many miscellaneous notes.

fair.”

points

are

discussed

The tone is calm and the judgments appear *- -

- -

- -- - -

to

in valuable generally

be

BANGA SAHITYA PARICHAYA. or

TYPICAL SELECTIONS FROM OLD BENG ALI LITERATURE BY

Rai Sahib Dineschandra

Sen, B.A.,

2 vols. pp. 1914, Royal 8vo., with an Introduction over 99 pages, published by

(With 10 coloured illustrations)

Sir

in English running

the University of Calcutta.

Price Rs. 12).

George Grierson—“Invaluable

work......That I have yet read through its 1900 pages I do not pretend, but what I have read has filled me with admiration for the industry and learning displayed It is a worthy sequel to your monumental History of Bengali Litera ture,

of it we

and

E. B. Havell—“Two Literature. appreciate and

I

As

How I wish for other Indian languages,

safely say “finis coronat opus.”

may

that a similar work could specially for Hindi.”

be

compiled

monumental

am not

volumes

a Bengali scholar,

it

from

old

Bengali

is impossible for me to

at their full value the splendid results of your scholarship but I have enjoyed reading your luminous and most

research,

instructive introduction which gives a clear insight into the subject. was also very much interested in the illustrations, the reproduction of which from original paintings is very successful and creditable to

I

Swadeshi

work.”

H. Beveridge—“Two Parichaya......I

magnificent

of the Banga Sahitya Sundari's autobiography

volumes

have read with interest Rasa

in your extracts.”

F. H. Skrine—“The

two splendid volumes of Banga Sahitya with pleasure and profit. They are a credit to your profound learning and to the University which has given them to the world.” Parichaya

I am

reading

From a long review in The Times Literary Supplement, London, November 4, 1915–"In June, 1912, in commenting on Mr. Sen's History of Bengali Language and Literature, we suggested that that work might usefully be supplemented by an authology

of Bengali

prose and poetry.

Mr. Sen has for many years been occupied with the aid of other patriotic students of the mediaeval literature of Bengal in collecting manuscripts of forgotten or half-forgotten poems. In addition to these more

or less valuable

monuments

of Bengali poetic

vii

OPINIONS

art, the chief popular presses have published great masses on literary matter, chiefly religious verse. It can hardly be said that these piles of written and printed matter have ever been subjected to a critical or philological scrutiny. Their very existence was barely known to the Europeans, even to those who have studied the Bengali Language on the spot. have

Bengalis themselves,

Educated

been

busy with

too

the

arts and

until quite recent

times,

of Europe to spare the reason why we

sciences

much time for indigenous

treasures. That was compiling of a critical chrestomathy for the benefit not only of European but of native scholars. The University of Calcutta prompted by the eminent scholar Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, then Vice Chancallor, had already anticipated this need it seems. It had shrunk suggested

the

(rightly, we think) from the enormous and expensive

task

the MSS. recovered by the diligence and generosity other inquirers and employed Mr Sen to prepare

of

volumes

now

before

on its enterprise

us.

of printing

Mr. Sen and the two bulky

The Calcutta Senate is to be congratulated

and generosity.”

From a review in The Athenaeum, January 16, 1915—"We have reviewed Mr. Sen's History of Bengali Language and Litera.

already

ture and have rendered some account of his previous entitled Bhanga Bhasa O Sahitya.

Mr. Sen

work in

supplies

now

Bengali

the

means

of checking

his historical and critical conclusions in a copious collection of Bengali verse...... Here are the materials carefully arranged and annotated with a skill and learning such as probably no one else living can command.”

From a review by Mr. F. G. Pargiter—in the Royal Asiatic Society's Journal—“These two portly volumes of some 2,100 pages

are

an

anthology of

Bengali poetry and

19th century and are auxiliary to the

prose

same author's

from the 8th to the History of Bengali

Language and Literature which was reviewed by Mr. Beveridge in this Journal for 1912...... The Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta Uni versity who was consulted, decided that the best preliminary measure would be to make and publish typical selections. The University then entrusted that duty to Babu Dinesh Chandra Sen ; this work is the Dinesh

outcome Babu

of

was

his researches....There can be no question the

person

most

competent

to undertake

that

the task

we have without doubt a good presentment typical style of the specimens of of old Bengali-literature....The big book is excellent, its printing is fine, and it is embellished with reproductions in colour of some old painting. Is has well-executed

and in these two volumes

also a copious index.

47

THE

Reader

as

to

University

of

[Being lectures delivered

the

WAISNAVA LITERATURE OF MEDIAEVAL BENGAL

Calcutta.] BY

RAI SAHIB DINESH CHANDRA JUST

PUBLISHED

SEN, B.A.

BY THE

CALCUTTA. UNIVERSITY Demy 8vo. 257 pages By

A

PREFACE

Esq., I,C.S., (Retired)

George Grierson —Very valuable book......I

I

of

of

cannot

your

I

of

to

to

sit once fear,

Benares,

the

songs

crossing

the

more

see more.

with

the

voices

the

noble river

austere

But though

recall

in

I

I

in

ghats

their sacred

able

hear the tinkle

of

the

am

I

sunset and

shall never,

if

as

along

sing

your book.

they were before me.

of

as

I

friends

they

I I

temple-bells

the boats

charmingly

figures

and

at

of

faces

the

that side

I

of

which you write

women

delighted with your book,

be reminded

which appeals me most—a side which was able during my own too short visit something India. In your countrymen the best was able see that spirit so

of

to

perceive

the faces these

am

country

beloved

of

touched

I

how

to to

William Rothenstein.—I was tell you

am reading

it.

and am learning much from

interest

to

Sir

with the greatest

only.

it

Price Rs.

2

J.

D.

with

ANDERSON,

Sanyasin

shall not look

me,

it. to

of it

I

of

as

in

in

the bathing tanks and

of

I

to

white shrine and temples villages and tanks. So once more send you thanks for the magic carpet you sent me, upon which my soul can

your well remembered y

of

carries

sacred rivers,

English, the spirit which you spirit, that shines through our own your said before, straight the banks

true an Indian

it

so

only read you

to

and

can me

I

idiom,

to

write

is

Though

I

of

so

I

I

of

upon the face India again, the vision had will fill my eyes through life, and the love feel for your country will remain life, my own vision long using enrich am capable

ix

OPINIONS return to your dear

fill this of

our

as we have need of

that

the dark waters through

best

in

you,

before own seers

is

in the years

songs

all

them,

in

to

the

May the songs of which you write to me fragrance ; you will have need of

land.

land with their

remain

which we are

steering.

Literature

By Rai Sahib

Bengal.

Mediaeval

(Calcutta —The University.)

Sen.

Though the generalisation

that all Hindus not belonging

to

The Vaisnava Dineschandra

of

in

long review the Times Literary Supplement, 2nd August, 1917

a

From

modern

of

is

Saivas

of

at

in

are

or

Vaisnavas much too wide, there are the two main divisions the bewildering mass sects which Hindus, and many points they overlap make up the 217,000,000 reform movements

devoted

of

of

of

a

of

to

or

early

the

the literature

period

the country during the

The first part the book Vaisnava literature, dating from the

is

centuries.

of

its expression

and seventeenth to

sixteenth

to

guide

tive

of

University

religious devotion, Bhakti which he taught still Bengal, and the four lectures the Reader the Bengali here reproduced provide an instruc Calcutta

of

flourishes

in

of in

doctrine

to

in

of

cult established

that the Vaisnavas—the worshippers Krishna— Bengal, owing the great success the reformed by Chaitanya, contemporary Martin Luther. The

in

is

unquestionable

are dominant

it

in

to

to

in

The attempts made the 1901 Census collect informa tion regarding sects led such unsatisfactory and partial results that they were not repeated the last decennial enumeration. But

each other.

century.

eleventh

of

and

accepted

the

The industry

is

in

of

interest

of

the enthusiasm

critical value

indulgence” for which granted

powers, will readily

in he

of

he

of if .

great,” and the “forbearing

has failed from any lack

be

is

in

modern

has been

in

therein and his thought still dominant Bengali literature not directly Vaisnava import. refreshing ingenuousness, There his claim, “my industry in

and learning displayed

Orientalists

the subject.

as to

century

authoritative work

by

the nineteenth

complete

on

most

is

middle

of

of

of

to

a

is

The Rai Sahib filled wiih most patriotic love his nation and literature, countryman its and has done more than any contemporary knowledge bulky recording widen our them. His volume the history Bengali Language and Literature from the earliest times the

asks

view narrows the strictly

for his subject which somewhat his estimates, but does not impair the sustained human

the book.

OPINIONS

X

Chaitanya clearly taught, as these pages show, that the Krishna of the great chieftain and ally of the Pandava brother,

the Mahabharata,

not the Krishna of Brindaban. The latter, said the reformer, to Rupa, the author of those masterpieces of Sanskrit drama, the Vidagdha Madhava and the Lalita Madhava, was love's very self and an

was

of sweetness : and the more material glories of Mathura should not be confused with the spiritual conquests of Brindabon. The amours of Krishna with Radha and the milkmaids of Brindabon are

embodiment

staple themes of the literature associated

of the seductive in

tions of

love

But Mr. Sen

with the worship of the God

repeatedly

insists that the love literature he has so closely studied is spiritual and mystic, although usually presented in sensuous garb. Chaitanya who had frequent ecstasies of spiritual joy ; Rupa, who classified the emo discussed

flute.

the

360 groups and the other authors

whose careers are life and religious devotion. The old passionate desire for union which they taught is still dominant in Bengali literature not directly Vaisnava in import. As Mr. J. modern in

here traced were hermits

of unspotted

D. Anderson points out in his preface, the influence of Chaitanya's teaching may be detected in the mystical verses of Tagore.

Chaitanya and His Companions From a long review

Literary supplement

in the Times

25th April,

1918 : —

“This deligbtful series of lectures made

the

and interesting

supplementing

little book

of his “ Baisnava

material

is

the

of a

outcome

which Mr. Sen Literature of Mediaeval Bengal".

the learned

discourses

by us on August 2, 1917.

reviewed

It is

authentic

an

record

that wonderful province

of the

of Bengal

suspect, have rightly comprehended,

religious emotion and

thought of

which few of its Western rulers, we not from lack of friendly sympathy

but simply

from want of precisely what Mr. Sen, better than any one living, better than Sir Rabindranath Tagore himself, can supply. It is indeed, no easy matter for a Western Protestant to compre hend,

by friendship and

save

as Mr. Sen, what

is the

with just such a pious Hindu of an ista devata, a “favourite deity"

sympathy

doctrine

of Hindu pious adoration. In his native tongue Mr. Sen has written charming little books, based on ancient legends, which bring us very akin, we suppose, to the cult of near the heart of this simple mystery, particular saints in Catholic countries. Such for instance, is his charming tale of “Sati,” the Aryan spouse of the rough Himalayan ascetic god Siva. The tale is dedicated, in words of delightfully candid

respect and affection,

whose

virtues

as wives

to the devoted and loving wives

and

mothers

are

of Bengal,

the admiration of all who

know their country. Your pious Vaisnava can, without any hesitation or difficulty, transfer his thoughts from the symbolical amorism of Krisna to that other strange creation-legend who, to save

God's

creatures,

swallowed

of Him of the Blue Throat the

poison

cast

up

at

the

Churning of the Ocean and bears the mystic stigma to this day. Well, mysteries, and as Miss Underhill and we have our traditions, legends, others tell us, our own ecstatic mystics, who find such ineffable joy in loving God as, our Hindu friends tell us, the divine Radha experienced in her sweet surrender to the inspired wooing of Krisna. The im portant thing for us, as students

of life and

literature is to note how

beliefs influence and develop that wonderful record thought and emotion wrought for us by the imaginative

these old communal

of human

writers of verse and prose, the patient artists of the pen. When all is said, there remains the odd indefinable attaches

to

all that

charm

which

Dinesh Chandra Sen writes, whether in English or

xii

OPINIONS

his native Bengali. In his book breathe a native candour and piety which somehow

remind

In truth,

he is a belated

us of the

writers familiar to our boyhood. of, say, Plutarch, and attacks his

classical

contemporary

biographical task in much the same spirit. We will be widely (and sympathetically) read.”

hope

his

latest

book

The Vaisnava Literature of Mediaeval Bengal I

publication) explaining

a

to

write short Preface (which you with pleasure even not think worth why, very old student the judgment

in of

read

with it

will

if

you

to send

of a

hope

Univer

Cambridge

propose

it,

S., Professor,

it,

leave me the courage

circumstances

I

I. C.

have read more than half of it

do

sity;—I

if

D. Anderson, Esq.-retired

in

J.

the charm anxiety

your topic and

and sorrow,

your treatment when your delightful

the reading

of

this awful year

of

in

MS. has given me rest and refreshment time when the door may bring sorrow.

post,

write this frantic hurry—the mail goes to-day—in order your most interseting and fascinating pages.

go

us

at

in a

to

of

History

the Bengali Language and Literature by

I back

a

every

every knock

to

in

how great must be

of

it

I

it

in

be

all your works, your book should Calcutta, but read not only London and Paris, and Oxford and Cambridge, have read and am reading with great delight and profit and very real sympathy. Think

long review Extract from Critique” Jan. 1915;- translated

the original authors,

who patronised

in

with the movement

of

sciousness

of

he

to a

A

of

a

Sylvain Levi (Paris) the “Revue for the Bengalee). ‘One cannot praise too highly the work profound Mr. Sen. and original erudition has been associated with vivid imagination. analyses are brought back The works which life with the con the multitudes

exalts

of all

of

the early English missionaries

He

grateful

praises

if be

tries

to

He

shortcomings,

them.

he

just

them for their with eloquent ardour to

he

the main

India.

its

palliates

would excuse

is

is

Islam;

the making

glories and

of

and

them

of in he

Buddhism

contribution

of

not approve to

to

he

civilization, does

of

as

of

an

on

and

its

with the landscape which encircled them. The historian, though relying his documents, has the temperament epic poet. his He has likewise inherited the lyrical genius race. His enthusiastic sympathy vibrates through his descriptions. every Hindu the Brahmanic Convinced the superiority them

Christianity.

it

of

a

in

so

of

The appreciation life rare our book-knowledge, runs throughout the work; one reads these thousand pages with sus tained interest; and one loses sight the enormous labour which

xiii

OPINIONS presupposes; presents. offers a

one easily slips

into the treasure

The individual extracts unique anthology

of Bengali.

ef information which it

quoted at the

bottom of the pages The linguistic remarks scattered

in the extracts abound in new and precious materials. Mr. Sen has given to his country a model which it would be difficult to surpass; we

only wish

to follow it.”

that it may provoke

in other parts of India emulations