The Rainy Season

Re#17 PMishra2

My dear Mishra jee,

Arrey bhai, kahan chhupe hue the aap abhee tuk?

Here I was – feeling sadder by the minute – and how slowly those minutes tick by – not a single serious question on this work – and lo and behold – I get your interact!

Dear Mishra-jee, YOU are the man after my own heart!

To satisfactorily address your questions, I must first cover a bit of background – perhaps more for the sake of others than for you. So, please bear this wear with me.

As you are well aware, although it is revered as an account of the life of Lord Rama, the Ramcharitmanas is not treated by the vast majority of masses like a book of religious commands, instructions, guidelines, or even tips – in the way for example, the Holy Bible is. It is just one interpretation of how Lord Rama lived his life – it’s Tulsidas’ account – who was obviously not an eye witness. Most people who read it, they just enjoy reading and singing it – I know I do, perhaps you do too – usually and especially on auspicious occasions.

It is quite well recognized that this Book contains a few controversial comments by Tulsidas – some of them reflect his own prejudices or those which prevailed in the society at large at the time. These included the treatment of the “low” castes and the stereotyping of women – these were and perhaps to some extent remain the unsavory aspects of our society, even in this twenty-first century, as can be evidenced on several contemporary boards.

The stereotyping of women perhaps was stronger in this instance because of Tulsidas’ own unfortunate experience – he left home after being lectured by his wife on why he should have devoted his attention to God instead of her body of flesh – this after Tulsidas had risked his life to get to her – legend has it that he crossed a swollen river by grabbing on to a bloated dead-body in order to keep afloat. I am not too knowledgeable in this area, but I am sure there are others here who can fill in more details.

The fact remains that most readers just love this Book, while few would deny some of its quirks – certain individual statements that lend themselves to criticism at the present time – most prefer to simply disregard them! That’s how it is, at the present time.

More to follow…

Re#15 by burpinder

Sat Sri Akal to you also, my dear! And for good measure, may I add “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa!”, and “Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!”, too! (and for rest of this board, unless there is reason to believe or do otherwise – let me – for the sake of discussion, assume that you are indeed “Burpinder” from Delhi (as distinct from, say, Delhi-ite from U.S.))

[Only thing most sirdarjees abhor is the cigaarit. Don`t ask me why.]

My dear Burpinder, I certainly do not mean to tell you regarding your “own” religion. Now-a-days, it is well known that smoking is highly injurious to one’s health. However, it was not always so well understood. In light of that, it is quite remarkable that the 10th Guru saw its harmful effects and expressly prohibited it – as quoted below from a Sikhism website – so you don’t have to plead your ignorance again:

“… Guru Gobind Singh was once riding with his Sikhs when he suddenly stopped his horse and after dismounting proceeded to rip out a wild tobacco plant. The Sikhs asked why the Guru had ripped the plant out and the Guru replied that the Sikhs should avoid alcohol as it destroys a generation but tobacco destroys several generations. The Guru then forbade his Sikhs to ever use tobacco.”

More on other parts of your post a bit later!

Beej-ji,

Thank you for your translation. I specially like that you chose to highlight the theme
of ``nature`` and the season of rains in india. Anyone who has lived through an indian summer followed by the first rains (and then the 10th :-) has a sense of the joy and exhilaration and of re-birth that accompanies the first few weeks of rain.

But your translation also highlights the author who, of course, is either considered a male-chauvinist demon or a great bhakta and avatar of valmiki. What is your opinion of him?

Obviously, not an easy question but:

(1) Is it the case that by translating ramayana into hindi, he had to face censure and hatred from the sanskrit-oriented hindu establishment?

(2) Are there any details of his life available? How did he acquire his learning?

(3) How would you compare his writing to Kabir?

BTW, I have been reading a beautiful translation of Kabir dohas and bhajans into English. Sad to say that while I read kabir in the hindi as a boy it was taught so HORRIBLY that I got nothing out of it. So this has been a real discovery for me and I plan to re-read him in the original.

Here is one of my favourites, though it has a more serious tone than your excerpt:

``jhini jhini bini chadariya``

He wove the sheet
so fine, so fine
He wove the sheet so fine.

What was the warp?
What was the weft?
What was the thread
with which he wove the sheet?

Ingala and Pingala,
the warp, the weft
Suhsumna the thread
which he wove the sheet.

He spins the eight-petakked lotus
as his spinning wheel,
with five elements
and three great qualities.

He weaves the sheet.

He weaves the sheet
through ten months
in a mother`s womb,
beating in the weft.

testing and checking
every strand,
He weaves the sheet.

Saints and human
wrap themselves in his sheet,
but the wrapping soils the sheet,
so fine, so fine.

His servant Kabir
wraps himself in the sheet,
with effort and care,
he keeps it spotlessly clean.

this sheet, so fine, so fine,...


FROM:

Kabir: The weaver`s songs
by Vinay Dharwadker, Penguin India, 2003.

Poems dont have to rime necessarily. Many wonderful poems and songs I`ve read/heard dont rime. And translated stuff rarely do. Not that the guys couldnt mind you.

So I agree with Burpinder paaje. This poetry sucks. Full marks for your efforts though.

Mr. Beej

Sat sri akal. My chacha is not minding the chai breaks, so I am logging in at 9.15 a.m. (not 5 a.m., you are be needing some help with the time differences, I suppose, like many of the weak intellect) and finding to my utmost delight that my old friend Beej who once accused me of being gujju or salim or whoever has written an article!

Beer is being loved by the sirdarjees, what you are saying sir! We are loving the whisky even more (Dharam-paaji once endorsed Bagpiper, don`t you remember?) Only thing most sirdarjees abhor is the cigaarit. Don`t ask me why.

Seriously though, thank you for reading my article. Have already submitted another, which I think should be published, unless chowk gets all prudish on me :)))

One more thing- it may seem to you that I was being petty and mean by criticizing your poetry, that`s not the case. I genuinely believe that it sucks. I also think t`s poetry sucks, but that is neither here nor there.

And, sorry to bring this up, but I absolutely fell out of my chair laughing when I saw your response to t`s recycled ``Hi-Jack`` story. Kept wondering- who to feel sorry for more- him for (re)making such a bad joke, or you for not getting it....

Peace.

#11 Rahulmal

Thanks for your positive and encouraging feedback.

I really appreciate your effort in going through the translation and the transcription.

At one time, I did consider the iTRANS option. However, I later found out that the version of MS WORD I currently use allows me to include the Indic Script package – so I have been using that for Hindi/Devanagri postings. For example, my August 15, 2005 i-log, which included the poem “Ae mere watan ke logon…” contained both the transcribed form as well as the form of the poem in Devanagri font.

I considered doing the same here, but made the (perhaps erroneous) assumption that not too many will be able to read Devanagri font. Perhaps I will do that a bit later.

I found the effort involved in this translation quite hard, but very rewarding.

Thanks again for the time you put in!

Now if only that OTHER Rahul will get his fanny over here – he may have some meaningful words to say, too! Boy, how slow he has been lately!

Will SOMEBODY wake up THAT kumbh-karan?

Sincerely,
Beej.

#10 by burpinder

My dear Burpinder,

I am so glad you decided to visit this board. Now I can have some fun (at your expense (sorry Bud! (I don’t mean the beverage! (Sirdar-jees don’t touch that stuff, do they?!(You ARE a sirdar-jee – aren’t you? (You mean to tell me that name is NOT real!))))))

And what the heck are you doing – reading Tulsidas at 5 A.M. Indian Standard Time when you should be out there, well, doing things that motorcycle mechanics working for their uncle are supposed to be doing at 5 A.M. IST – perhaps sleeping – unless you are running behind in your assignments (which would be quite understandable – it would be tough to hold that wrench and loosen lug-bolts at the same time as your eyes are glued to the chowk site), in which case you ought to be – well, fixing motor cycles! Yeah!

And you are too hard on T-Bhai – don’t underestimate his ability to inspire!

As far as this chowk site is concerned – well, my views have been amply amplified elsewhere – here and there, in bits and pieces, in bytes and bites! But it would be an error to call the audience here unsuspecting! I believe “all-suspecting” may be closer to the dot.

You got any questions on our man – THE man – Tulsidas?

Shoot now – or for ever hold that spanner!

Sincerely,
Beej.

PS: I found your article “The Sania Effect,” interesting in spite of the effects it produced – I suppose it could be considered a “unique” piece in a league of its own! When are you coming up with the next piece, master?

#9 Subroto

Subroto,

I am so pleased that you took a crack at rhyming my last name (of the pseudonym). It is a tough nut to crack, I tell you.

I firmly hold on to the belief that there is a very simple explanation for why there are SO FEW sirdar-jee poets out there! (You are listening, Kaura – right! (Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.(Go for it, baadshaaho!)))

You see, Subroto – “Singh” is such a difficult word to rhyme!

Seriously, my regards for a poet’s MANUAL part of the toil has gone up significantly – ever since I undertook this undertaking (and I have a feeling that some knowledgeable chowkies here are sadly shaking their head and remarking – yes, you did a job as effectively as an undertaker!)

It is SUCH a pain – imagine when they only used to use only a pen!

I consider this work more of a labor of love – ever since childhood, I have loved reading the Ramcharitmanas – a passion few in my (real) family share!

Also, there are some interesting stories from Tulsidas’ own life – but I will put it in later – hopefully somebody might have a question or two about him.

Sincerely,
Beej.

Beej,

This was really neat! I salute the effort put in to make it rhyme. The verses are indeed luxuriant.

It took me an awful time to read the original, and I still don`t understand many words. Not sure if this is because of transliteration or Awadhi dialect. It would be a good idea to follow Rahul_Captri`s advice on trasnliteration and use iTRANS. If you write the original as per iTRANS, the software generates an image of the text in Devnagari, so people can read it for themselves. For instance, I prefer `tam` to `tum` (darkness).
Official iTRANS Site

This is what happens when people like temporal encourage and inspire all and sundry to let loose their creative juices on an unsusupecting chowk audience.

Mr. Beej, just because it rhymes doesn`t mean it`s poetry.

And these shameless attempts to increase post count and inflict more of your sad brand of ``humour`` on readers is just.. .well... pathetic.

please sing beej k singh
can beej k singh sing
is there a poetic soil
under that janitorial toil
thanks to tulsi we hear you sing

The Visitation, Part -1

(Chowk interactors peeping in.)
Beej(B): Come on in!

(Chowk interactors unsure.)
B: Do come on in, sir! (More pleasant voice) Come on in baby – sweetheart – hunney – darling…!

(Enters the janitor)
Janitor (J): Did somebody call me?!

(Chowk interactors scatter faster than clouds during the rainy season.)

B: Oh, my God! Not you again!
J: Is there a problem here?
B: No problem – nothing to fix – why don’t you just go away!
J: You mean, leave you all alone in your misery – sitting here killing flies while NOBODY shows up to interact! (Aside) Not you T-Bhai, I NEVER meant that YOU are a nobody!
B: Wise guy, eh? Didn’t you earlier say that sarcasm is corrosive – especially to self!
J: You should have listened to my advice!
B: You mean about focusing on Tulsidas’ love life instead of his description of the rainy season?!
J: It worked for the Gillster!
B: Well, I DID try to bury little hints of sensuality and sexual innuendos! Not to mention a very subtle hint of a HIGHLY controversial nature.
J: And what was that?
B: (Shocked) I’m not going to tell you! Let them find for themselves!
J: You still don’t get it, do you! With THIS crowd, you have to hit them on their heads with it – literally blow their minds away – like Hamid2’s adrakh, a – taste you really missed out on!
B: Don’t give me that smartypants look – YOU missed it too!
J: You realize what the basic problem is?
B: Go ahead – make my day – hit me with it!
J: There is an underlying fundamental issue with the rainy season.
B: How so?
J: It make people FEEL all wet!
B: Now he tells me! (Heart broken) Gawd…. You really know how to rub it in. (Angry like heck) Scram!
J: So when is a good time for me to come back?
B: How about NEVER!
J: You break my heart!
B: PLEASE don’t start singing – or reciting Urdu poetry! Urdu – you know – a language you don’t know, I mean!
J: What’s wrong with Hindi poetry!
B: Too much fidgeting with the “foreign” keyboard!
J: Why not just Hindvi?
B: Stop trying to pull this sage stuff on me! I have seen you in your underwear!
J: Be careful now! Chowk censor (CC) might be listening!
B: That’s all I need – no interactors AND some chowk warning citations – just when I am beginning to endear myself to this crowd!
J: You mean, for your entertainment value!
B: Do you have to be so cruel – I do have a heart – and it does bleed if you prick it!
J: Not to prick your balloon too hard – but this site is full of bleeding-hearts – as liberal as they come!
B: Come back on Halloween day – just the right time for ghosts and goblins!

(Beej looks restless.)
J: Unless I feel otherwise!

(Exit the janitor.)

Re#5 WiseGuyIn (further thoughts)

And by the way, I picked a part of Ramcharitmanas which is not heavy on the religion part – but has some really good metaphors which I have liked for a while.

I am glad you liked the part about the boulder and are moved by it (who says that boulders never move) but I am not trying to convert anybody here to Hinduism!

Therefore, Urstruly, NTSyed, and others of that esteemed group – you can consider yourself still safe from my cleverly-disguised attacks designed for you to drop everything (but not those pants) and line up at the closest Hindu temple for a quick conversion!

(And hamidm2, keep that trap shut about any disfigured body parts – remember you asked me to remind you not to tangle with me!! Yeah!)

Sincerely,
Beej.

Re#5 Wiseguyin

Dear “wise guy”,

Alas, how dull indeed our lives would be without wise guys!

(Psst: You realize of course who they used to call “wise guy” in old gangster movies?! (Hint: such a remark would be followed by a quick blast of gun fire at the object of that remark!))

Just kidding, of course!

You have hit upon the crux of the matter. I have always had the suspicion that a lot of poems do not rhyme – not because the poet’s natural flow wants to move unhindered (not to be confused with body movements (or body organ movements)), but because it is TOO MUCH WORK to make the rhyme work!

And poets are basically lazy! (Except for our T-Bhai here, of course!)

So, I toiled, and I toiled, and at times got a bit lazy and instead of keeping on trying longer (as in for the next fifty years), I applied the janitorial practice of “optimization” – i.e., do the best one can do while retaining SOME connection to the original thingie.

The original text for that stanza you mention was:

{ka-ba-hun prabal bah maarut, juhn-tunh megh bilaaheen}
{jimi kapoot ke oopje, kul sud-dharam nasaaheen}

Literal Translation (parenthetic stuff is mine):
Occasionally, a powerful gust of wind would come and scatter all of them clouds, causing them to disappear (a little like those “neta-jees” right after the elections!) – just like all it takes is one lousy family member for all the virtues of the whole extended family to go down the drain (a bit like somebody with the initials OBL creating problems for the good image of a whole community all by himself.)

Beej version:
When wind just comes – powerful, one
Those clouds then scatter – gone, but none
Like takes just one – of evil bend
To virtues, for – whole clan, to end

If you can suggest a better optimization – hey, be my guest!

Thanks for the input – keep them coming! Otherwise, I will have to continue this talk ALL by myself! (I have the feeling that this chowk crowd is so scared of me they have all decided to hide.)

Sincerely,
Beej.

Beej,
I must congratulate you on the fine effort you have put in this.

On boulder white – beautiful hue
Seated serene – the brothers two


I have not been to a temple in a long time now. Somehow your translation reminded me of
that. So definitely you have done a good job. But, in patches, the effect of words seems
strange .... like

When wind just comes – powerful, one
Those clouds then scatter – gone, but none

Like takes just one – of evil bend
To virtues, for – whole clan, to end


regards,
SN

All interactors:

Let me get a few things out of the way right away.

(1) I am Beej. (It’s a pseudonym. (But I like it. (It should have been my name.)))

(2) I am NOT Goswami Tulsidas.

(3) Goswami Tulsidas lived a few centuries ago. I did not know him personally.

(4) Feel free to take this work apart – I won’t mind – I did not write the original.

(5) The Goswami won’t mind either. He is dead.

(6) For those who understand the original (appearing in #2 – in Awadhi language), feel free to suggest your own versions for individual lines. It will make me happy – especially since it will make YOU happy! I don`t know how the Goswami would have felt – probably neutral. (He did not know English, anyway.)

I reserve the right to get more things out of the way, as and when necessary! (Therefore, don’t drop your guard just yet! Yeah!)

Sincerely,
Beej.