'विदेह' ७१ म अंक ०१ दिसम्बर २०१० (वर्ष ३ मास ३६ अंक ७१)- PART III

मिथिला कला संगीत

  

ज्योति सुनीत चौधरी

जन्म तिथि -३० दिसम्बर १९७८; जन्म स्थान -बेल्हवार, मधुबनी ; शिक्षा- स्वामी विवेकानन्द मि‌डिल स्कूल़ टिस्को साकची गर्ल्स हाई स्कूल़, मिसेज के एम पी एम इन्टर कालेज़, इन्दिरा गान्धी ओपन यूनिवर्सिटी, आइ सी डबल्यू ए आइ (कॉस्ट एकाउण्टेन्सी); निवास स्थान- लन्दन, यू.के.; पिता- श्री शुभंकर झा, ज़मशेदपुर; माता- श्रीमती सुधा झा, शिवीपट्टी। ज्योतिकेँwww.poetry.comसँ संपादकक चॉयस अवार्ड (अंग्रेजी पद्यक हेतु) भेटल छन्हि। हुनकर अंग्रेजी पद्य किछु दिन धरि www.poetrysoup.com केर मुख्य पृष्ठ पर सेहो रहल अछि। ज्योति मिथिला चित्रकलामे सेहो पारंगत छथि आ हिनकर मिथिला चित्रकलाक प्रदर्शनी ईलिंग आर्ट ग्रुप केर अंतर्गत ईलिंग ब्रॊडवे, लंडनमे प्रदर्शित कएल गेल अछि। कविता संग्रह ’अर्चिस्’ प्रकाशित।

३.श्वेता झा (सिंगापुर)

बालानां कृते

 बच्चा लोकनि द्वारा स्मरणीय श्लोक

१.प्रातः काल ब्रह्ममुहूर्त्त (सूर्योदयक एक घंटा पहिने) सर्वप्रथम अपन दुनू हाथ देखबाक चाही, आ’ ई श्लोक बजबाक चाही।

कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः करमध्ये सरस्वती।

करमूले स्थितो ब्रह्मा प्रभाते करदर्शनम्॥

करक आगाँ लक्ष्मी बसैत छथि, करक मध्यमे सरस्वती, करक मूलमे ब्रह्मा स्थित छथि। भोरमे ताहि द्वारे करक दर्शन करबाक थीक।

२.संध्या काल दीप लेसबाक काल-

दीपमूले स्थितो ब्रह्मा दीपमध्ये जनार्दनः।

दीपाग्रे शङ्करः प्रोक्त्तः सन्ध्याज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते॥

दीपक मूल भागमे ब्रह्मा, दीपक मध्यभागमे जनार्दन (विष्णु) आऽ दीपक अग्र भागमे शङ्कर स्थित छथि। हे संध्याज्योति! अहाँकेँ नमस्कार।

३.सुतबाक काल-

रामं स्कन्दं हनूमन्तं वैनतेयं वृकोदरम्।

शयने यः स्मरेन्नित्यं दुःस्वप्नस्तस्य नश्यति॥

जे सभ दिन सुतबासँ पहिने राम, कुमारस्वामी, हनूमान्, गरुड़ आऽ भीमक स्मरण करैत छथि, हुनकर दुःस्वप्न नष्ट भऽ जाइत छन्हि।

४. नहेबाक समय-

गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति।

नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् सन्निधिं कुरू॥

हे गंगा, यमुना, गोदावरी, सरस्वती, नर्मदा, सिन्धु आऽ कावेरी  धार। एहि जलमे अपन सान्निध्य दिअ।

५.उत्तरं यत्समुद्रस्य हिमाद्रेश्चैव दक्षिणम्।

वर्षं तत् भारतं नाम भारती यत्र सन्ततिः॥

समुद्रक उत्तरमे आऽ हिमालयक दक्षिणमे भारत अछि आऽ ओतुका सन्तति भारती कहबैत छथि।

६.अहल्या द्रौपदी सीता तारा मण्डोदरी तथा।

पञ्चकं ना स्मरेन्नित्यं महापातकनाशकम्॥

जे सभ दिन अहल्या, द्रौपदी, सीता, तारा आऽ मण्दोदरी, एहि पाँच साध्वी-स्त्रीक स्मरण करैत छथि, हुनकर सभ पाप नष्ट भऽ जाइत छन्हि।

७.अश्वत्थामा बलिर्व्यासो हनूमांश्च विभीषणः।

कृपः परशुरामश्च सप्तैते चिरञ्जीविनः॥

अश्वत्थामा, बलि, व्यास, हनूमान्, विभीषण, कृपाचार्य आऽ परशुराम- ई सात टा चिरञ्जीवी कहबैत छथि।

८.साते भवतु सुप्रीता देवी शिखर वासिनी

उग्रेन तपसा लब्धो यया पशुपतिः पतिः।

सिद्धिः साध्ये सतामस्तु प्रसादान्तस्य धूर्जटेः

जाह्नवीफेनलेखेव यन्यूधि शशिनः कला॥

९. बालोऽहं जगदानन्द न मे बाला सरस्वती।

अपूर्णे पंचमे वर्षे वर्णयामि जगत्त्रयम् ॥

१०. दूर्वाक्षत मंत्र(शुक्ल यजुर्वेद अध्याय २२, मंत्र २२)

आ ब्रह्मन्नित्यस्य प्रजापतिर्ॠषिः। लिंभोक्त्ता देवताः। स्वराडुत्कृतिश्छन्दः। षड्जः स्वरः॥

आ ब्रह्म॑न् ब्राह्म॒णो ब्र॑ह्मवर्च॒सी जा॑यता॒मा रा॒ष्ट्रे रा॑ज॒न्यः शुरे॑ऽइषव्यो॒ऽतिव्या॒धी म॑हार॒थो जा॑यतां॒ दोग्ध्रीं धे॒नुर्वोढा॑न॒ड्वाना॒शुः सप्तिः॒ पुर॑न्धि॒र्योवा॑ जि॒ष्णू र॑थे॒ष्ठाः स॒भेयो॒ युवास्य यज॑मानस्य वी॒रो जा॒यतां निका॒मे-नि॑कामे नः प॒र्जन्यों वर्षतु॒ फल॑वत्यो न॒ऽओष॑धयः पच्यन्तां योगेक्ष॒मो नः॑ कल्पताम्॥२२॥

मन्त्रार्थाः सिद्धयः सन्तु पूर्णाः सन्तु मनोरथाः। शत्रूणां बुद्धिनाशोऽस्तु मित्राणामुदयस्तव।

ॐ दीर्घायुर्भव। ॐ सौभाग्यवती भव।

हे भगवान्। अपन देशमे सुयोग्य आ’ सर्वज्ञ विद्यार्थी उत्पन्न होथि, आ’ शुत्रुकेँ नाश कएनिहार सैनिक उत्पन्न होथि। अपन देशक गाय खूब दूध दय बाली, बरद भार वहन करएमे सक्षम होथि आ’ घोड़ा त्वरित रूपेँ दौगय बला होए। स्त्रीगण नगरक नेतृत्व करबामे सक्षम होथि आ’ युवक सभामे ओजपूर्ण भाषण देबयबला आ’ नेतृत्व देबामे सक्षम होथि। अपन देशमे जखन आवश्यक होय वर्षा होए आ’ औषधिक-बूटी सर्वदा परिपक्व होइत रहए। एवं क्रमे सभ तरहेँ हमरा सभक कल्याण होए। शत्रुक बुद्धिक नाश होए आ’ मित्रक उदय होए॥

मनुष्यकें कोन वस्तुक इच्छा करबाक चाही तकर वर्णन एहि मंत्रमे कएल गेल अछि।

एहिमे वाचकलुप्तोपमालड़्कार अछि।

अन्वय-

ब्रह्म॑न् - विद्या आदि गुणसँ परिपूर्ण ब्रह्म

रा॒ष्ट्रे - देशमे

ब्र॑ह्मवर्च॒सी-ब्रह्म विद्याक तेजसँ युक्त्त

आ जा॑यतां॒- उत्पन्न होए

रा॑ज॒न्यः-राजा

शुरे॑ऽ–बिना डर बला

इषव्यो॒- बाण चलेबामे निपुण

ऽतिव्या॒धी-शत्रुकेँ तारण दय बला

म॑हार॒थो-पैघ रथ बला वीर

दोग्ध्रीं-कामना(दूध पूर्ण करए बाली)

धे॒नुर्वोढा॑न॒ड्वाना॒शुः धे॒नु-गौ वा वाणी र्वोढा॑न॒ड्वा- पैघ बरद ना॒शुः-आशुः-त्वरित

सप्तिः॒-घोड़ा

पुर॑न्धि॒र्योवा॑- पुर॑न्धि॒- व्यवहारकेँ धारण करए बाली र्योवा॑-स्त्री

जि॒ष्णू-शत्रुकेँ जीतए बला

र॑थे॒ष्ठाः-रथ पर स्थिर

स॒भेयो॒-उत्तम सभामे

युवास्य-युवा जेहन

यज॑मानस्य-राजाक राज्यमे

वी॒रो-शत्रुकेँ पराजित करएबला

निका॒मे-नि॑कामे-निश्चययुक्त्त कार्यमे

नः-हमर सभक

प॒र्जन्यों-मेघ

वर्षतु॒-वर्षा होए

फल॑वत्यो-उत्तम फल बला

ओष॑धयः-औषधिः

पच्यन्तां- पाकए

योगेक्ष॒मो-अलभ्य लभ्य करेबाक हेतु कएल गेल योगक रक्षा

नः॑-हमरा सभक हेतु

कल्पताम्-समर्थ होए

ग्रिफिथक अनुवाद- हे ब्रह्मण, हमर राज्यमे ब्राह्मण नीक धार्मिक विद्या बला, राजन्य-वीर,तीरंदाज, दूध दए बाली गाय, दौगय बला जन्तु, उद्यमी नारी होथि। पार्जन्य आवश्यकता पड़ला पर वर्षा देथि, फल देय बला गाछ पाकए, हम सभ संपत्ति अर्जित/संरक्षित करी।

8.VIDEHA FOR NON RESIDENTS

8.VIDEHA FOR NON RESIDENTS

8.1.1.NEVER SET-  - SHEFALIKA VERMA- translated by self 2.Original Poem in Maithili by Kalikant Jha "Buch" Translated into English by Jyoti Jha Chaudhary3.Original Poem in Maithili by Gajendra Thakur Translated into English by Jyoti Jha Chaudhary

8.2.1.Son of Soil- Dr. Shefalika Verma Translated by : Sanjeev Kumar Varma-2.Maithili Short-story “shabdashastram” by Gajendra Thakur re-written in English by the author himself.

 1.NEVER SET-  - SHEFALIKA VERMA- translated by self 2.Original Poem in Maithili by Kalikant Jha "Buch" Translated into English by Jyoti Jha Chaudhary3.Original Poem in Maithili by Gajendra Thakur Translated into English by Jyoti Jha Chaudhary

1.

NEVER SET

 

               DR. SHEFALIKA VERMA

O, Ziradai Divine !

A Son of your soil

 Bestowed on you

The Status of shrine !!

How can one forget 

"The Rajendra Prasad 

Who has never stood second."

 How do we forget

   The Sacrifice,

   The Simpicity

Which is lost at present ? 

Ah, the deplorable trend

  Most prevalent today

We all hanker for riches

  Whole day, every day !

Rare is the principle of Rajendra

  "Simple living,

    High Thinking'

 Nurtured at Ziradai.

With a devout heart and a polite bow

Recalling the sevices of Rajendra Babu

Adorns our hearts with pride and glow !

   Friends, wipe your tears,

   Sweep aside your fears

   For the day shall come

   Today or Tommorrow

When the sacrifices he tendered

Will herald a dawn of blissful glory

Followed by the sun of Rajendra's splendour

            Which shall not set,

              NEVER SET !

translated by self

2

Kalikant Jha "Buch" 1934-2009, Birth place- village Karian, District- Samastipur (Karian is birth place of famous Indian Nyaiyyayik philosopher Udayanacharya), Father Late Pt. Rajkishor Jha was first headmaster of village middle school. Mother Late Kala Devi was housewife. After completing Intermediate education started job block office of Govt. of Bihar.published in Mithila Mihir, Mati-pani, Bhakha, and Maithili Akademi magazine.

Jyoti Jha Chaudhary, Date of Birth: December 30 1978,Place of Birth- Belhvar (Madhubani District), Education: Swami Vivekananda Middle School, Tisco Sakchi Girls High School, Mrs KMPM Inter College, IGNOU, ICWAI (COST ACCOUNTANCY); Residence- LONDON, UK; Father- Sh. Shubhankar Jha, Jamshedpur; Mother- Smt. Sudha Jha- Shivipatti. Jyoti received editor's choice award from www.poetry.comand her poems were featured in front page of www.poetrysoup.com for some period.She learnt Mithila Painting under Ms. Shveta Jha, Basera Institute, Jamshedpur and Fine Arts from Toolika, Sakchi, Jamshedpur (India). Her Mithila Paintings have been displayed by Ealing Art Group at Ealing Broadway, London.

The Change Of Era

The bird of mind starts flying inside the egg

Gonu is speechless, Maunu (dumb) speaks

Boys staying at home, girls working outside

Oh dear, oh brother, what a ridiculous thing happening

The bride is insipid and faded

Mother in law is like juicy red mango

The son is sitting idle at the village

The father is struggling in Khagaria

I feel shame, but I have to say, I have to bear unbearable

The young just having mustache are quarters of sher (lighter)

People having grey hair are full sher (heavier)

Oh dear, oh brother, what a ridiculous thing happening

One who has only one dhoti to wear

That man says

The current leaders wear

Underpants under the Khadis

The swagger exists even on one foot

Both riding on one rickshaw

Going to watch movie having silver coins

Oh dear, oh brother, what a ridiculous thing happening

All actors and dramatist are silent

The audiences dance a lot

Ph. D. Holders are hearing quietly

Fools are doing thesis

The kids of Dom’s( lower caste) house wearing kanthi

Panditji is going to Pasikhana

Old woman takes Magh bath and youngs have cold in Jeth

Oh dear, oh brother, what a ridiculous thing happening

The husband-wife are paua paasi

Got only bed bugs in return

Or by virtue of God’s grace

Got tens-twenties of  Khar-Dushan

 Some troubling mother

Some troubling father

The things are dumped like it’s done in Sakri station

Oh dear, oh brother, what a ridiculous thing happening.

3

Original Poem in Maithili by Gajendra Thakur Translated into English by Jyoti Jha Chaudhary

Jyoti Jha Chaudhary, Date of Birth: December 30 1978,Place of Birth- Belhvar (Madhubani District), Education: Swami Vivekananda Middle School, Tisco Sakchi Girls High School, Mrs KMPM Inter College, IGNOU, ICWAI (COST ACCOUNTANCY); Residence- LONDON, UK; Father- Sh. Shubhankar Jha, Jamshedpur; Mother- Smt. Sudha Jha- Shivipatti. Jyoti received editor's choice award from www.poetry.comand her poems were featured in front page of www.poetrysoup.com for some period.She learnt Mithila Painting under Ms. Shveta Jha, Basera Institute, Jamshedpur and Fine Arts from Toolika, Sakchi, Jamshedpur (India). Her Mithila Paintings have been displayed by Ealing Art Group at Ealing Broadway, London.


Gajendra Thakur (b. 1971) is the editor of Maithili ejournal “Videha” that can be viewed at http://www.videha.co.in/ . His poem, story, novel, research articles, epic – all in Maithili language are lying scattered and is in print in single volume by the title “KurukShetram.” He can be reached at his email: ggajendra@airtelmail.in


 

I Don’t Know Whether I Will Return Or......

I don’t know whether I will return

Or I will die here

Being vanished

Sweeping the house and courtyard

In the village

I used to come home

After giving grasses to the cow

And arranging fire to warm the cattle’s house

In Punjab afterwards

How good the taste of the tea was!

I was not fagging

After working whole day though

Now I hear that drugs were added in that tea

And then, when the nest of Emmet fell off

In front of the child

The village is recalled

Let’s return, our village is calling us

The smell of soil of Mithila

The month of mangoes has come

The leaves of the trees must be falling off

The lazbizzi must have spread

Around the base of the tree

I have neither made the root of the tree

Not have I made the pier of the pond

The grasses and spines must have grown

On the foot path of the village

The stars are not seen

The pollution is so high here

That has abandoned the moon

From being reflected even in the plate

People call me here something with Bihari

Someone take me to the village

My heart don’t feel happy here

When the tin utensils of mother were bought

How much we brothers were happy then

We were eating in that plate by rotating turns

In this city of Delhi

The plate is made up of steel

But taste of that food in tin plate

What I had eaten by enjoying taste

I don’t know whether I will return

Or I will die here

Being vanished

The living place of the goat

Raking the dry leaves

Spines of acacia

White and poisonous

But not more poisonous than

The white people of Delhi

Such a venomous tongue.

And the hatred eyes are even worse

Among the sounds of Bihari! Bihari!

I sell comb, papad and messager

The nigh of winter

Trembling tree

The wind is also equally cruel

The tree in front is hewed

The blood is flowing from it

Reddish white

But turned into marshy solid gum later on

Dried in winter

Burnt in summer

These trees

Teach us living alone and at one place

Without being bored

Year after year

The grandmother, who used to give offering of water to  the Sun God

She was dropping water on the backyard

The child i.e. me

I used to jump on the water

I don’t know whether I will return

Or I will die here

Being vanished

Recalling

Unable to remember

Trying to recall

Practicing handwriting with the pen made up of bamboo stick

Writing by tying thread to the nib of the fountain pain

To make the handwriting thicker thereafter

Master Sahib used to be confused

I had harmed myself easily

My handwriting is not yet beautiful

I also remember

I used to wander during midday

In the mango orchards to search banjhi sticks

I was named as fool

When I had broken another stem/branch

I couldn’t even understand

If flower-panicles were grown

Then I would be eating mangoes next year

Banjhi sticks hadn’t have hope

They were only useful in heating

I also remember

Picking the castor oil seeds

Getting oil by extracting in mill

The taste of tilkoda fried in that oil !

Knocking the chef of Raajdhani down

The taste of the stinky Kabai fish

The false praise by saying, “What a taste!”

The usage of half kilo of oil in a month

Was giving sorrow of one kilo

No misery.....

I also recall the rice paddy farms

Jhilli and kachori (name of snacks)

Picking the leftover rice paddy stems after harvest

Buying laalchadi in exchange of that picked rice-paddies

Playing ‘He whose name is Laalchhadi’ and Satgarhiya

The Mango jabi

Fishing with tackles

Peeling raw mangoes with shells

The sweet taste of raw mangoes after mixing with edible lime

The big dalaan (passageway, open living hall)

The Daaun (process of separating rice paddy from the paddy plant with bullocks trampling on them)

The submerged crops in flood

Being destroyed

The kujarnai (women labour) catching while mixing bad crops with the good paddies

The taste of unripe plums from the ‘Bhairav Sthan’ (worshipping place)

Do you know the story of Bidesar on Sundays?

The Bidesar was worshipped with flower and water pot

Chuda  (processed rice flakes) were taken along from the home

 Returning home after eating after buying curd and jalebi there

The old tree of Indian gooseberries

In the groove of Indian black berries and betel nuts

He was clever

Who could bring the straight sticks

Of Sahar tree for brushing teeth

Kids playing the game of titti

And the game of gulli-danda and kancha

Used to be a long-lasting activity

The bamboo made kansupati of hukka-loli

Dipping fabric in the kerosin oil thereafter

We use to set fire on that

Displaying fire-works in the morning of Chhath

Playing a lot in the Judishital

Flood and famine had attacked

I left the village, oh dear friend!

Unable to remember

Trying to recall

By sitting, sitting and sitting.

The Highway Having Six Lanes

Mother!

Oh mother, near the rice farms

A highway is made

Of six lane

First three to go and other three to return

There only

What a nice red coloured car

Whose glasses were not open

Were closed

I saw that today

When I was selling birds

One child became stub-born

Made the glasses opened and

Had bought all my birds

There was water on child’s face

No sooner the window was opened

The cold air came out

From the AC car

The car which was red

Mother!

Oh mother, near the rice farms

A highway is made

Of six lane

First three to go and other three to return

Mother!

These are roads of our village, aren’t they?

But all people of our village went out

To Delhi and Panjab for earning

The soil made houses in the village

Having roof of straws and tiles

But near the rice farms

The wide roads which is made

Solid

The roads, smooth and even better than the houses

I saw that there only

Mother!

I have heard that this is made

So solid and sleek

By the fund of The World Bank

Having six lanes

As shiny as glass !

Mother!

The concrete house of uncle

Which was made in the last year

With the different clay

And had fallen off within a few days

Was also made by the government’s fund!

That was not as shiny as glass, was that?

People was also living there with fear

That was better collapsing down

But that must also be made up of fraudulent fund

I saw the luxury of that car

Made with the fund of the World Bank

I saw that on the six lane highway of our village.

Mother!

This World Bank Fund seems to be a good fund!

Aren’t houses made with this fund?

If this good fund would avail food and employment

Then why people would go to Delhi and Punjab

Why would they tolerate abuse by Raj Thakre

Why would they go to be killed in Assam

I have heard that people abuse Biharis

Mother!

With this good fund of the World Bank

If our homes were made

Those would not be like the houses made up of clay

Those would be glassy smooth and solid

Like the six lane highway by the rice fields

And if employment were provided by that fund

Then people would stay at home

The houses in village would not be deserted like this is now

Life would be sparkling in our village too.

And then our village would have the status worth seeing

And the six lane roads would also have the status worth seeing

If our bodies were also carrying the dresses

Like that dress

Which was worn by the child sitting in that red car!

Mother!

I have the feeling

The road of our village

Is closer to us than the red imported car of the red foreigner is

Both appear foreigners

It was felt today

That the air of that car was also not own

It was felt that the car and the air coming from the car

Both were contaminated by my touch

Our village is like a peacock

The six lane road is its feathers

And we are feet of that peacock

Even if the road is in our village, seems foreigner

Mother!

While taking goats for grazing everyday

I stay on watching the splendour of the road of our village

Which is having six lanes !

1.Son of Soil- Dr. Shefalika Verma Translated by : Sanjeev Kumar Varma-2.Maithili Short-story “shabdashastram” by Gajendra Thakur re-written in English by the author himself.

1.

Son of Soil- Dr. Shefalika Verma Translated by : Sanjeev Kumar Varma-

Sanjeev Kumar Varma is an Advocate in Supreme Court, Delhi & an Environmentalist. His several articles in Hindi & English on Environment and Human Rights have been published in many News Papers & Magazines like, Times of India, Hindi Hindustan, DISHA from Assam, CEE Journal, RGVN Journal etc. His published book ' WONDERS OF ENVIRONMENT' is a unique book. His book on Human Rights is also yet to be published.

Son of Soil

Dr. Shefalika Verma

Translated by :

Sanjeev Kumar Varma

Environmentalist, Advocate

“Lives of great men, all remind us

We can make our life sublime

And departing leave behind us

Foot prints on the sands of time.”

These words of a English Poet are true in letter and spirit in the case of Dr. Rajendra Prasad when we pay tributes to him. He was really one of the most brilliant luminaries of the world in the twentieth Century. He led India to freedom. His sacrifices for our Motherland will be remembered by all generations. He was the mastermind behind the framing of Indian Constitution. His simplicity, politeness and winning demeanour endeared him to every body. There is yet no parallel of Rajendra babu in this Century so far as his photographic memory is concerned. It was he about whom the examiner wrote “The Examinee is better than the Examiner”.

Even as the President of India he remained at heart an Indian farmer. The story goes that when he was on a tour of countryside as President, a farmer offered him a glass of sugarcane juice. Right when he was going to drink it, his security stopped him from doing so. It might have been harmful to him. Tears rolled down his cheeks evidencing the restraints he had to endure for being the President.

Once I was returning to Saharsa by road in a car alongwith my husband Sh. Lalan Kumar Verma, after getting Darshan and blessings of Deoraha Baba on February 8, 1982. When we reached Ziradai, native village of Rajendra Babu Sri Verma expressed his desire to see the residential house of Rajendra babu. We took a turn towards right from Lalit Chowk on the main road. The house was at a very short distance from there. We saw a forlorn pucca house containing one palang and a table in the room, which was once used by Rajendra babu. The furniture was full of dust. Even the house was ill maintained. Other rooms were full of straws and dirt. No boy was there to take care of such a strongly built pucca house except a person who claimed himself to be caretaker. We could not find any memorial in the name of Dr. Rajendra Prasad there. Even the Chowk on the main road from where we took a turn was not named after him.

I had been to Delhi in 1985. I went to Tinmurti House, Prime Minister’s residence of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. It had been converted into Nehru Museum. I saw several photographs of Pandit Nehru with all the important personalities, who took part in freedom struggle. But, I failed to find any prominent photograph of Rajendra babu there even after a hectic search.

After retirement from Presidentship of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad chose to live in Sadaquat Ashram at Patna and serve people from there. I remember the day when he died in Sadaquat Ashram. All came to attend his funeral procession. I was trying to have a glimpse of Prime Minister Nehru in the funeral procession from the roof of a house on the route. When I failed to trace him out, I made a query from a lady standing by my side. She said that Pandit Nehru could not come, as he was busy otherwise.

There is nobody in India, who can discount the contributions of Dr. Rajendra Prasad in the freedom struggle or can ignore his contributions in the post-independence era of India.

Recently, I had been to Madras. I saw the beautiful structures on samadhis of late M.G. Ramchandran and late C.N. Annadurai. I was amazed to see the respect given by Tamilnadu Government to these personalities on marina Beach. But when one turns his eyes to Bans Ghat, the funeral place of Rajendra Babu, he simply laments not finding any such structure (Samadhi) there in commemoration.

Rajendra babu lived a saintly life and to whomsoever who went to meet him with any problem which he could not solve he quoted:

“HARIYE NA HIMMAT, BISARIYE NA HARINAM,

TAHI BIDHI RAHIYE JAHI BIDHI RAKHE RAM”

(Don’t be discouraged, Don’t forget God’s name, Live in the manner he keeps you)

I greet the trustees of Rajendra Memorial Trust, Madras specially Shri Shobhakant Das, who took a leading part in the construction of Rajendra Bhawan at Madras in the memory of Rajendra Babu, which is destined to be a Research Centre. I also thank the people of Madras who have given their cordial co-operation. Will people of Bihar also do so at Patna where he spent his last days?

2

Gajendra Thakur (b. 1971) is the editor of Maithili ejournal “Videha” that can be viewed at http://www.videha.co.in/ . His poem, story, novel, research articles, epic – all in Maithili language are lying scattered and is in print in single volume by the title “KurukShetram.” He can be reached at his email: ggajendra@airtelmail.in 

The science of Words (ShabdaShastram)

The Sun is in the fifth sign of zodiac, normally between sixteenth of August to Sixteenth of September of a year. If you want to dry something then it is the best time to do so as during this period most intense light and heat of Sun falls on earth.

During this fifth sign of the zodiac the palm-leaves of Milu’s father remain placed under Sun, annual preservation plan, that instills life in these palm-leaves. Ananda did preservation work of these palm leaves paying full attention. She places these palm leaves under the intense light and heat of Sun, Milu remembers vividly. Ananda’s life spent with Milu. But before the onset of this year’s fifth sign of Leo of the sun-zodiac Ananda had departed… And now when she is not present, then how the preservation of life would be possible, the life of Milu’s and of these palm-leaf inscriptions…

Fallacy, the fallacy of words, we ascribe our personal meaning to words. And after that confusion begins.

In the courtyard of Lukesari there is a tree of sandalwood

Beneath that the cuckoos clamour

I will cut the sandalwood tree and will encircle the courtyard

Cuckoo, your clamouring will end

The cuckoo of the jungle began crying

The cuckoos clamour stopped

Oh cuckoo, cuckoo of youthfulness, do not cry

Clamour cuckoo, clamour

Whichever jungle you would go

Your marks would remain there

Tear; do not come out of eyes

I will wrap both your wings with gold, o cuckoo

I will wrap both your lips with silver

O my cuckoo dear, whichever jungle you would go

The maks of ‘garland of blood’ would remain

Some voice seemed to come from the village quarter of tanners…the voice of Ananda.

But Ananda has departed, only some hours before Bachlu has seen her dead body. After informing Milu he just returned to the village quarter of scavengers... And Ananda has died when she was quite old. Then this voice of young Ananda; it may be a fallacy, fallacy of words. The father of Milu, Srikar Mimamsak, often told many things on the science of words. We ascribe meaning to the words and then the confusion begins.

I

The Science of Words

There was a tumult.

The turmoil began. In the river Balan one corpse was floating. Beside the washerman’s quay the corpse has edged.

From where it has come nobody knows. It is deadbody of some old age woman. But the washerwoman recognizes it. She tells the name and address of her to the villager, to the villager Bachlu of village quarter of scavengers. The family of the woman has been informed. One old man lives in that house…house of Milu. Milu’s village quarter people have brought the dead body to the village. Milu performed the last rites.

In village this incident became topic of discussion. The old Bachlu knows something more. He knows the women of that corpse. The new generation does not know many things.

The dead body of Ananda was there in the flames…

-Ananda was kind natured, she understood things quickly. Her daughters were married in well to do families. Her son was also learned. Milu, husband of Ananda, was also highly educated…son of Srikar Mimamsak.  Never Milu or Ananda has asked anything from anybody, even in times of need.

Bachlu has also come of age. In this village only Milu is older than him. The people call these two as “old man”.

And this old man Bachlu knows many things.

……

Discussion between Milu and Srikar were more common. Something I understood and something I did not.

-Milu, in the book Bhamati Vachaspati tells that the base of ignorance living being which becomes its subject. You will accept which method for self-introspection. How untruth can be the cause for something? The existence of something, how can this fact prove something as true and how it can prove its existence in three ages? That which is neither true nor false and which is also not both, only that is unspeakable. Without any subject and the knower of that subject, how the concept of zero can be explained.

-Milu, Kumaril says that Atman is a living inertia. During awakened stage it is knowledgeable and during sleep stage it is without knowledge.

-Milu, Vachaspati says in Bhamati that a person expert in a science that is without self-introspection behaves with society in the same way as an animal behaves. He fleds on seeing a person coming holding a stick and if he sees someone coming with grass basket then he goes near to him. It means that he fears fear.

“A person expert in a science that is without self-introspection behaves with society in the same way as an animal behaves. He fleds on seeing a person coming holding a stick and if he sees someone coming with grass basket then he goes near to him.” This topic, however, I understood fully.

………………

It was season of Mango fruits.

Monkeys and Nilagayas trampled cultivated land and the bison trampled vegetables grown in land behind the residences in the village.

“All have been destroyed Bachlu. Monkeys do not see during night. I will go to the orchard in morning. Nilagayas have already grazed all crops now these monkeys are after mango fruits.”

I did remember that during mango season Monkeys and Nilagayas had arrived that year.

It was the season of Mangoes. So Milu will have to begin guard of mango orchad. The mangoes are to be guarded; the flowers are turning into fruits. Milu has to construct a loft. I was also with him. We were returning after cutting the bamboos.

We were coming beside the small pond. It was morning time. The red line of the sky seemed yellowish.

-Come through the pathway Bachlu.

I began to come forward through the pathway in midfield.

Then I saw some blood. I became nervous after seeing the blood.

But I got elaxed soon. The sharp leaves of bamboo bruised hand and mouth of a girl.

The girl had tears in her eyes. Milu swept the blood and put some damp soil onto her bruises.

-What are you doing?

-The flow of blood would stop, it would not come out now.

The girl has run over the midfield pathway.

-What is your name?

-Ananda.

-From which village you are from?

-From this village.

-From this village?

We both exclaimed.

Yes, Ananda was her name. And it was the first meeting of Milu with her.

………………

The loft in mango orchard got constructed. But Ananda did not surface after that.

Milu often asked about her.

-From which quarter of village she is from? She is neither from the quarter of Mishras nor from the quarter of Westerners or Thakurs.

-If she had been from the quarter of scavengers then I would have known her.

-Then how she is from our village. And if she is from our village then why till date we have not met her?

But in between these events coherence appeared.  In the quarter of Milu an investiture ceremony of the son of brother Phude got occasioned. On the auspicious day of cutting of bamboo related to the ceremony I had gone outside the village at tanner’s quarter, to call the pipers.

-Hiru brother, O Hirua brother.

-He is coming.

A lady voice came out. The voice seemed familiar to me.

-who are you?

-I am daughter of Hiru. What you want?

-Your father did not reach at the ceremony of bamboo cutting; the voice of his pipe is missing there. I have come here to call him.

-He is preparing for that occasion.

-What is your name?

At that very moment a girl came outside pushing aside creepers hanging from the house enclosure made of bamboo.

-I am Ananda. I recognized you. What is your name?

I was feeling cold. But I had to answer.

-Bachlu.

-And your friends name?

-Milu, son of Pandit Srikara.

I told milu’s father’s name to Ananda, although she did not ask it. Not knowing why…I told this to her.

At that moment Hirua came with his pipe. I accompanied him to the quarter of Milu.

While coming I asked to Hirua- Ananda is your daughter but I had never seen her.

-She lived at her maternal uncle’s place, most of the time. But now she has come of age. So I brought her to village.

-When she will now go to her maternal uncle’s place?

-No. Now she is of marriageable age. Now she would remain with us.

Milu, son of Panditji; he was my friend. What he would feel after listening to this news. From some time he is asking for her. I wished that Ananda should go to her maternal uncle’s village and I would be free Milu’s epeated questioning.

But now Ananda would remain in village and Pandit Srikar’s son Milu, what will he do?

Oh…I, myself, am thinking out of context. Milu has asked about Ananda in a natural way. That does not mean that…but if means it then?

The son of a Brahmin and the daughter of a tanner…

Pandit Srikar will approve this relationship? The village people will approve this relationship?

Oh…I am again thinking out of context. The pipe started blowing. Men and women moved forward towards the bamboo plantation, through midfield pathway. I and Milu accompanied them. On the way I tried to locate that place. The place of first meeting of Milu and Ananda…some voice seemed to come…voice of pure music…no vocal sound.

The boy whose investiture ceremony was occasioned had marked the bamboos that were to be cut. The bamboos started falling. The lifting of sacred loft in the courtyard was to be done on toaday’s auspicious day. After the labour and sweat only my mind got some peace. After lifting bamboo I and Milu had moved on that…that midfield pathway.

But Milu had started asking me. Because no work that had been assigned to me got so much delayed result. He was my Lord Rama and I was his fan Hanuman.

Sitting on loft in the orchard I said Milu one day-

-Milu. Please forget her. Why you are bent upon giving bad name to her. Ananda is Hirua’s daughter. Although she asked only your name I told her both your and your father’s name.

-She asked for my name?

-No, but…

-Then why you told her my father’s name?

-One day she would have come to know this…

-That day I would have faced…now she would ignore me…now I have to put some extra effort.

-What effort? You are Brahmin Srikar’s son and she is the daughter of Hirua tanner. Why you are bent upon giving her a bad name?

-I will marry her, why I would give her a bad name?

-Who you are deceiving?

-I am deceiving nobody dear.

Milu took decisions in a sudden manner. He was son of Srikar, the knower of Mimamsa school of Indian philosophy. I witnessed the palm-leaf inscriptions lying everywhere in his house. So I was not believing him.

-In village I had never seen her.

-You never stay in village for long. From the school of your teacher you returned only last year.

-But you had also not sen her.

-She lived at her maternal uncle’s village.

-Would she go to her maternal uncle’s village again?

-No, I asked regarding this. She would now remain in village. Lasy year Milu’s mother died in village.

Srikar Mimamsak became almost crazy, in this way the fellow village-quarter discussed about him. How there would be preservation of palm leaves in this year’s Leo zodiac of sun? Srikar was grappling with this anxiety and so he had become almost crazy…in this way it was being discussed by the people of his quarter of village.

…..

Hirr…hirr…hirr…

From my quarter of village, Domasi, I and Milu were voicing hirr…hirr sound and were following the pigs. We reached the tanner’s quarter of the village. Ananda, however, met us midway. Alongwith the pigs I moved forward. After a while I turned my head around to overhear the talk between Ananda and Milu.

Hirr…hirr…

This time Ananda voiced hirr sound and I smiled and moved further forward alongwith pigs.

This incident got repeated many times and took several rounds. Hiru came to me several times.

Hiru was agitated all the time. Hiru’s wife began praying for her daughter.

How distant is the temple of Goddess

How distant is the temple of Lukesari

Many miles I went for appeal

Goddess, look unto me.

Many miles I went for appeal

Goddess, look unto me.

Four miles is the temple of Goddess

Eight miles is the temple of Lukesari

Ten miles I went for appeal

Goddess, look unto me

Ten miles I went for appeal

Goddess, look unto me

Which flower for the temple of Goddess?

Which flower for the temple of Goddess Bandi?

Which flower for my chosen appeal?

Goddess, look unto me

Which flower for my chosen appeal?

Goddess, look unto me

This flower for the temple of Goddess

That jasmine flower for the temple of Lukesari

Marigold flower I chose for appeal

Goddess, look unto me

Marigold flower I chose for appeal

Goddess, look unto me

…..

Hiru used to come to Domasi, the village quarter of the scavenger class).

-What will happen? How it will happen?

-False…

I promised him that I would accompany him to Srikar Pandit.

And I accompanied him one day to Srikar Mimamsak. Srikar’s wife died soon after the Leo zodiac of sun. And after that Hiru Mimamsak became crazy…people say. Who people? Those people who were from his quarter of the village. The people of village, the learned people of the area gave respect to him. I am telling that I had seen with my eyes…

“Come Bachlu. Hiru, come and sit down…”- Srikar relapsed into silence. After the death of his wife he became like this. He seemed normal but suddenly used to relapse into silence.

“Uncle, the courtyard of your house sounds the voice of emptiness. How long it would remain so? Why not you get married your son Milu?”

“Milu has already taken decision about his marriage.”

“When and where?” I became agitated and asked. Hiru seemed to look towards me with relieved eyes.

“He has decided to marry Ananda. Her father has come with you.”

Oh...And Srikar Pandit was of that type.

 And Milu was of that type. He has already hypnotized his father. But a person from Srikar’s quarter of vthe village overheard this talk.

We all were seated and then that person came to the lobby of Srikar’s house, accompanied with some other persons. An argument ensued among Srikar Pandit and these people. The opposite argument, word for word, ensued.

“Srikar, which demeanour you are doing?”

“Which type of demeanour?”

“You did not have sense of distinguishing great and mean Mimamsak?”

“Dear learned folks! What is this great and mean differentiation? After hearing these words the meaning of those has entered your head in one or the other way. You have created a sentence out of these words and have mixed your selfishness in it...”

“That means that great and mean are only meanings of words? And the analysis that we have done after making it a sentence is selfishness.”

“If you do not believe then surrender the selfish content from the sentence. All fallacy would be falsified.”

“Meaning you are hell bent upon carrying out marriage of Milu with Ananda.”

“Dear Learned folks! You confuse snake for rope because both of these have separate existence. If you squeeze your eyes then you would see two moons; then you place moons in two real places of sky. The reason for fallacy is not the subject but the attachment, although both purpose and and result are true. And here also the knowledge of all subjects cannot give knowledge of the self. One’s nature is described by knowledge of self through the concept of self. Self is subject and object both of knowledge. The knowledge of self is both subject and object. The meaning of substance is obtained through attachment. The meaning of a word is near its inference after we hear a word.

-You are creating fallacy of words. We all see in this your desire of marriage between Milu and Ananda.

-Desire is a resolve and if desire does not get fulfilled then it is envy.

-The all these we are saying is out of envy? You do not give value to caste?

-See, Ananda is full with all qualities and mine caste and her caste is the same; and that is pro-active and known to all. She will be able to preserve my legacy that I believe. And that is my decision.

“And that is my decision”- these words did not enter in my and Hiru’s ears simultaneously. I had known Srikar and Milu, the type of sudden decisions I was accustomed to. But Hiru had heard echo of these words after some time. His amazed eyes turned and looked towards me.

Then Srikar Mimamsak pointed a finger towards one person, an astrologer.

-Jyotishji, you select one auspicious day. In this season this holy marriage should be occasioned. The leo zodiac of the sun is arriving, before that. Anyone of you has any objection?”

All stood on their feet with bowed head. Who would stand opposite to Srikar Mimamsak?

“All of us came here to discuss. But if you had already taken a decision then there remains nothing to oppose.”

Mimamsak’s hand got raised and all became silent.

I and Hiru moved from there.

Hiru took a deep breath that I felt.

…..

It was not that any other obstruction did not come.

But that crazy Srikar Mimamsak was scholar of repute. And Ananda became his daughter-in-law. And her touched water was acceptable not only to Milu’s quarter of village but among all the scholars in the vicinity.

…..

In the house of Ananda’s father the marriage ceremony was organized. I had heard the songs, full of life, I still remember-

The black bee that slept over the hill  

Gardener-daughter sleeping in garden

Get up gardener-daughter keep the garland

The black bee that slept over the hill

Gardener-daughter slept in the garden

Get up gardener-daughter keep the garland.

With what flower I would cover Goddess Lukesari

With what I would make her clothes

With what flower I will knot to make it an ornament

Get up gardener-daughter, place the garland

With Arabian jasmine flower I will cover Bandi

With Spanish jasmine I will clothe her

China rose would be the ornament of Lukesari

Get up gardener-daughter, thread the garland

Get up gardener-daughter, thread the garland

…..

Srikar Mimamsak became composed after assigning the task of preservation of palm leaf inscriptions, to Ananda. After the death of his wife the poor man was in apprehension.

Divine interference, Ananda seemed to have come to preserve these palm leaves. In a sudden turn of events…

Milu told me how he convinced Srikar Pandit about this marriage. The daughter of a Brahmin would be busy in cleaning utensils and Pooja materials; would be busy in making earthen Lord Shiva; and the palm leaves would get damaged.

He would not allow these palm leaves to be destroyed; Ananda would come to his home. Srikar Mimamsak had decided.

For life Milu had been grateful to his own decision.

Srikar’s age seemed to have increased. The talk between Srikar and Ananda always continued in house.

Ananda talked and singed-

When twelve yeas passed and thirteenth arrived

When twelve years passed the thirteenth arrived

Folks, my mother-in-law call me tigress

She would banish tigress from her house.

Folks, my mother-in-law call me tigress

She would banish tigress from her house.

Outside the courtyard of yours is standing the moneylender

Folks, give me Madar and Thorn-apple, I will grind and will drink it

Folks, give me Madar and Thorn-apple, I will grind and will drink it

The beloved has come from outside and sat on bedstead

The beloved has come from outside and sat on bedstead

Folks, tell the thoughts of your heart; after that I will drink poison

Folks, tell the thoughts of your heart; after that I will drink poison

When twelve years passed and thirteenth arrived

Folks, mother-in-law calls me tigress

I will banish tigress from home.

My mother-in-law beats me, my sister-in-law beats me

My mother-in-law beats me, my sister-in-law beats me

Folks, these will go and all the wealth would be mine

Folks, these will go and all the wealth would be mine

Keep silence; keep silence proud women you are great, proud women

Keep silence; keep silence proud women you are great, proud women

Poud women, I will perform holy-basil-plant oblation and will squander all my wealth

Folks; I will perform pond oblation and will squander all my wealth.

Srikar Mimamsak would jokingly ask- Ananda, you do not had mother-in-law, the how she would be calling you tigress?

-Therefore I am singing, everything I have, but…

While speaking this Ananda’s eyes were full of tears. I still remember this.

-I caused you pain by telling this.

-What pain; I do not have mother-in-law but I do have father-in-law.

Looking at happy Srikar, Milu always felt satisfaction.

…..

Even after death of Srikar Mimamsak Ananda continued instill life in these palm-leaves.

In due course Milu had two daughters, Vallabha and Medha.

I had seen the joy on the face of Ananda. She had gone to her mothe’s place. There she gave birt to twins-

You Red Fairy. O. Pink fairy.

You Red Fairy. O. Pink fairy.

O. Over the sky would dance the Indra Fairy.

O . On the rose would dance the Indra Fairy.

And in due course he had son. When son Megha grew he sent him to Benaas for study.

And days passed by, daughters grew and both Medha and Vallabha were

Married and Milu had inner satisfaction.

His son’s upbringing and marriage was also going on side by side. Megha began teaching in Benaas. Megha, Medha and Vallabha all three came to village at least once a year.

People forgot many things about them.

II

The stage of Bhamati

Ananda is preserving the palm-leaves of Milu’s father; that intense heat, Milu still remember.

Ananda’s life passed with Milu and when she is not present then how Milu’s life would be preserved… Milu gets lost in thought in between the elucidation.

The elucidation is going on. Milu would not hear the holy Garu Purana. Milu would like Mandan’s Brahmsidhi, Vachaspati’s Bhamati, if he would decide to hear something. If the daughters are insisting then he would hear Kumaril’s philosophy on the subject os Self. And that elucidation is going on.

The fallacy; the fallacy caused by words. Srikar often spoke many things about the science of words and on the philosophical stage of Bhamati. We ascribe meaning to words and then begin the confusion.

-Teacher; after death of my wife I am in distress. What is this life? Where would be Ananda?

-Milu; be composed. This lesson of Brahmasidhi will remove all your illusion. In Brahmsidhi there are four divisions- Brahma, Logic, Command and Accomplishment. In Brahma division the discussion is on forms of Brahma, in Logic division it is on proof, in Command division it is on the liberation of living being and in Accomplishment part there is discussion on the proof of Upanishadic thoughts.

-Milu, there is no subject apart from liberated knowledge. Liberation is knowledge itself. Mandan gives value to the mean knowledge of Man’s intellect. He values work. But these alone are not enough for liberation. The sound-word was given a meaning through explosion that Mandan saw. So he is different from Shankar in a way that he identifies this explosion and gives identity to it; but Shankar does not believe in any identity less than that of Brahma. So Mandan is purer non-dualist as compared to Shankar.

-Milu, Mandan does not believe in able and not able as mutually opposed. This sometime means action based difference; but that difference will not become an original element. So that Bahma would remain in all differences and still would do every work.

-Look, the thought at the Bhamati stage of Vachaspati and the philosophy of Mandan, they ae in coherence. On Brahmsidhi of Mandan Mishra Vachaspati has written an elucidation called Epistemology Critique. Although that work is now not available.

-Then how the matter of epistemology critique came forward?

-In Bhamati of Vachaspati there is discussion about it.

-But before knowing thoughts of Mandan I feel that when he lost discussion with Shankaachaya then how one would benefit from his defeated theories and would get peace.

-See, Mandan was defeated; the evidence of this is not available in the writings of Mandan. Mandan was supporter of the theory of explosion, but Shankaracharya denied it. Mandan was supporter of opposite fame of Kumaril Bhatt; but Shankaracharya’s pupil Sureshvaracharya, whom people often identify with Mandan Mishra, opposes opposite fame theory.

-That is right. If Mandan had lost he would have followed Shankaracharya.

-Now tell me, the Sureshvaracharya, who was appointed as head of Sringeri Math by Shankaracharya, says that ignorance is not of two types; but Mandan mentions two types of ignorance in Brahmsidhi as non-acceptance and wrong-acceptance. Mandan tells living one’s as abode of ignorance but Sureshvaracharya disagree with it here. Mandan opposes Shankarachaya but Sureshvaracharya follows him.

…..

Mankey and Nilagaya are trampling the cultivated lands and the male-buffalow is trampling the cultivated village lands behind the dwelling houses. Now for my sake the village people would not stop buffalo rearing. Monkey and Nilagaya are damaging the village agriculture.

“Four monkeys are in the orchard and are damaging the mangoes. I had gone there. After evening all monkeys had gone on top of the trees. Till evening we, father and son duo, have guarded cthe orchard and monkeys fled when we threw wooden missiles; but then they went towards your orchard.” - I am saying to Milu.

“All has been damaged Milu. In night they are not able to see. In the morning I will go to orchard. The Nilagaya grazed all the crop now, and now these monkeys are after mangoes. Let them damage when…”

“The Nilagaya were completely non-existent in our area for some time. How they have resurfaced again? In the nearby illiterate-village there had been some religious oblation. From there these animals crossed the river in night, to this side.”

“That is not true. These Nilagayas have come from Nepal side in flood water. Let them come when…”

“I told you about the monkeys.”

“That would be done.”

“All right brother, then I am going.” I remember the year, when Ananda and Milu had met for the first time, when during the month of Mangoes monkeys and Nilagayas suddenly disappeared. And now when Ananda has departed these monkeys and nilagayas have resurfaced again from nowhere. Not even fifteen days have passed since Ananda died…

…..

Bachlu  left the place and on Milu’s forehead thick line of anxiety began moving, one towards the another like waves do, interfering mutually, the old waves turning into new waves and moving forward. He calls his daughters, his voice aiming towads the courtyard.

“Daughters! Jayakar and Vishwanath had gone to orchard today. Both had returned or not? I head that monkeys are doing mischief there. From tommorow Jayakar and Vishwanath would not go to the orchard, tell them. Today monkeys came to the orchard; you did not tell me this. What I would do after hearing this when…”

“I did tell you father but these days you remain in your own thoughts. When I got tired after repeated call I stopped.”

Yes, Milu is now a days in his own world. These mangoes have begun ripening soon after the death of Ananda. And after so many years these monkeys and nilagayas have again resurfaced to remind us of something!

…..

Vallabha, the mother of Jayakar and Medha, the mother of Vishwanath; both sisters have come to their mother’s place after so many days. They have met after so many days. The daughter’s and son-in-laws of Ananda have come; Visho, the husband of Vallabha and Kanh, the husband of Medha. Megh has also come with his wife and children.

Milu is calling his wife…Ananda…Ananda. Then he remembers where she could be found now. The he began calling…where is Vallabha...Where are you Medha? Where are you Jayakar and Vishwanath?

Vallabha and Medha both come and Milu begins singing. The song often sung by Ananda; the songs that Ananda sung for Vallabha and Medha.

Red fairy. O . The Pink fairy

Red fairy. O . The Pink fairy

O. Over sky would dance the Indra fairy

The Goddess of the garland of red-blood is standing on door, the devotee has become poor

O after she became poor she is standing near the door of the blood-garland goddess

Mother we would have to give money to the poor

Mother we would have given money to the poor

Mother we had given money to the poor

Red fairy o pink fairy

Mother, O after she became blind she is standing near the door of the blood-garland goddess

Mother O, give eye to the blind immediately

Mother O, give eye to the blind immediately

The father and both daughters began crying.

…..

-Milu the death of Ananda has arrived like a disaster for you. You are from Brahmin caste and Ananda is from tanner caste. But the love between you is incomparable. Do not be unhappy over her death. Brahma is without sorrow. The fanciful type of Brahma is pure joy. Thereafter your unhappiness over Ananda is inappropriate. Brahma is he who oversees. The visible ones are changeable that does not has any relation with the overseer. This world is not simply a fallacy but it does have an existence. But this practical existence is not true.

-Milu, there is difference between conscious and unconscious; but that is not absolutely true. The living beings are of many types and ignorance is also of many kinds. Ignorance is one vice but the reference of it cannot be Brahma, it cannot be a complete soul. Its reference can only be an incomplete soul. Ignorance then is not true but it is not a major untruth either.

-Milu; please remove this ignorance and that is called liberation, that liberation which Ananda has achieved.

And on the face of Milu complete peace could be seen.

…..

As if Milu is going to meet someone.

He remembers the discussion he had with Ananda.

-Ananda, when I am talking to you again and again I am grappled with a fear. The weakest weakness of my father is in respect of his possessiveness for palm leaf inscriptions. So please remember all this. When my father asks you how these pal leaves would be preserved then your reply should be- by protecting the books from water, oil and loose binding, by drying these under shadow. These books are of five hundred to six hundred leaves. I will bring some of those books for you to see. One leaf is one hand-length long and around four finger-lengths broad. These remains covered with wooden frame on top and bottom. On the left side there remains a hole through which a rope passes thereby binding the leaves.

-Your father would agree?

-He will have to agree. He does not have means to bring a Bahmin bride. I once gave a farmer two rupees in advance for buying some land. But my father brought the advance back. He is saving rupees. He will have to spend seven hundred rupees so that his son is married in a good Brahmin family and his superior geneology is preserved. And that Brahmin bride would come and preserve his palm leaf inscriptions?

After the death of Milu’s mother Srikar became almost crazy; the people of his quarter of village often say like this.

Then in the village the plague did damage. Two quarters of his village, those of Mishras and those of the westernes, almost got extincted. How many people in surrounding areas died, nobody could count.

Milu got an opportunity so that his father could meet Ananda. Srikar saw in Ananda much more, besides the quality of palm leaf preservation techniques.

Milu became victorious. Milu of Nyaya school of Philosophy won over Srikar of Mimamsa School of philosophy.

And marriage of Ananda and Milu got solemnized.

He remembers his love talks with Ananda. Milu, it seems, is going to meet her. Ananda has died. She slipped into Balan River. The marks of foot slipping into the iver are quite visible.

Milu sees that mark and his heart fills with joy, he slips into the wave of emotion…

Ananda and Milu’s meetings began to increase in cultivated lands, orchards, grazing grounds, beside the river- at all these places. And both of them slipped together in cultivated lands, orchards, grazing places and also beside the river.

Milu did not jump into the iver. This slope has become slippery, thanks to the boys of today. The place has its beginning with Milu. He often sat over it and in speed he moved into the river, cutting the waves in forward direction.

-Hey, please perform without this slip.

-That is not a big deal.

-perform first, then only I would believe.

Ananda tried carefully but hey…

He could not stop her, neither in cultivated land or in orchards or at grazing places and also not beside the river.

And for what she came here…that she slipped…and got drowned.

She might have come to remember something.

Yes. Ananda has arrived Bachlu, look, hear this song.

Behind the house is the tree of china-rose flower

It is laden with fruits and flowers

A parrot came from the northern state

The parrot sat on the china-rose tree

The parrot eats neither fruit nor flower

It is destroying branches and leaves

The parrot eats neither flower nor seed

It has destroyed branches and leaves

Beside the house there lives a jackal

O Jackal, please capture this parrot sitting over the tree

Once tried

Twice tried

Third time the parrot flies

Neither this parrot is a mystic

Nor is the partridge

It is like a conveyance for hen-sparrow.

-Brother, are you not able to hear this song?

-Brother, I am hearing and seeing. Ananda sister-in-law is singing. I also heard this song the day she died; it was she, singing-

In the courtyard of Goddess Lukesari there is a tree of sandalwood

Beneath that the cuckoos clamour.

-It was not fallacy of words.

Next day after the ritual of fish and meat and after the Pooja of Lord Satyanarayan; Ananda neither cut the sandalwood tree nor encircled her courtyard.

On next day beneath that tree of sandalwood the village people saw two dead bodies in tanner’s quarter of the village. The voice of Ananda echoed in sky, all the village folks heard this.

Whichever jungle you would go dear lovable cuckoo

A mark of garland of blood would be left

It was not fallacy of words.