English
" Kisar Uridyl dalis dul deny " The barley stained the hem of the garment. Clean it." Shiva Kak was a Pandit of very high family and great learning. In course of time he was appointed overseer of the village of Wutrus in the Kotahdr district. His duty was to collect H. H. the Mah^djah's share of the grain in that village. Once when the harvest was over and the grain all gathered in he invited the 113 villagers to como to him to tho granary, whore he would give t horn each one his share of tho produceof tho season. When the distri- bution was over, and while he was returning to his house, someboily noticed tliat his clothes had been stained by tho dirty grain and tiild him to shake it off (" A'isar Idridyi dalin dul den"). On this remark the thought struck tho Pandit, what an unprofitable business this was, and thence his mind took flight into loftier regions. '* Behold," said he, as though to liimself. " Behold, O heart, the state of affairs. Here am I, who all this day have been giving away, returning, as I came, empty-handed, nay, worse than empty-handed, for my garments have become stained. Listen, O heart, thus will it ho with you. When you die you cannot take any thing with you. Kmpty- handed you arrived and empty. hantled you will return ; moreover, you will repent your birth, because in this life there is naught bub sorrow and pain." Therewith he tore his clothes from off his back, and went to live in tho jungle near his village, there to give liimself up entirely to a religious life. Attracted by his devotions tho riKldess Umd (PdJn'ati) appeared unto him in a dream, and said how pleased she was with him, an<I promised that he should know more ltd more of things divine ; and aa a guarantee for these words ihree springs arose in that place, by the which if any p<Tson in sickness or trouble offered the Bacrifioo of iloma (a kind of burnt- offering, the casting of gh(. Sec, into the sacred fire aa an offering to the gods), he, or she, would be immediately rid of these things. On awaking from his sleep, Shiva Kik saw tho throe springs, and while engaged in worship close by them, behold ! several apsards (lK>autiful female dancers from the Court of Indra), came and sang to him and played some heavenly music. It was some time after this that a famine arose in the country; and great wjeis tho distress of tho people. There was no rain ; and harvest-timo came, but there was no grain to gather in. ThouMands upon thousands of tho p<x)rer classes perished, and tho corpses of horses and cows and sheep and goiits wore to be soon stretched out in every direction. The ruler of the country was very much grieved, and thought of several plans for tho relief of the people, but what could he do against tho great monster *' Famine !" One night, however, he sent for his minister, and asked him with much expectation what ho would advise, and whether there was not a religious mendicant, to whom they could apply. " Yes," replied tho minister, " there is one called Shiva Kik, who resides in the jungle, a gootl and holy man, and in favour with the gotls." On hearing this tho ruler went to Shiva Kak and worshipjHjd before hinu " Wherefore came ye hither?" said the faqir. " For this reason," answered tho ruler, " that my country is dying from lack of rain. O pray ye that i*ain may descend and water the ground." Where- upon the faqir bade hira to make a bumt-offeriug (Homa) unto the j;o<ls. and proniised him that then it would rain. Tho ruler did so, ind the rains came and replenished tho parched lands, so that they yielded food again, and the people lived. 15 114 There are other tales couceniing this man — one es]5ccially good, wherein the king is said to have sent to seize this Shiva Kdk, because he was so very holy, and got his prayers answered so quickly; but as soon as the king's messengers drew near, lions and bears came forth from the hills to devour them, &c., &c. Koh hofwal tah ynr subador. Mountain the police-officer, and pine-tree the district-officer. No government. Everybody does as he likes. Eolih h'jiwat 'kliasih nah hiikh. The pestle will not come forth dry from the river. A poor fellow, who has a case in the Court. Eolih hhutak hoi tarani. One river is colder than the other. Out of the frying-pan into the fire. Kolih Uliunun chhuh fUdn tah hJwrun mvsJikil. It is easy to throw anything into the river, but difficult to take it out again. Easier to fight than to conciliate ; easier to give than to take. Kom gayih hum, '* durah" hurus zih gmjih. Work has become a dog, and " durah'* has frightened it away. A workman afraid to undertake a certain work. Durah is a word spoken sharply to frighten dogs away. Karen hande toUe goren grumit hmani gav. The daughters' stars were so unlucky that the milkmen got only a little, even, of the cow's urine. A daughter, born under an unlucky star, so hard to get married. Hindus have a custom of washing their daughters' hair with milk and cow's urine two days before the marriage. Korih hund hatah gav dorih hund ges. The daughter's dinner is as dirt in the streets. It is thought most despicable to depend upon one's daughter's husband for a living. Korih lekh gayih torih dab. To have one's daughter abused is hke receiving a blow from an adze. Kri'dasui chhuh hhund bdnah amn. To the potter a broken vessel. The washerman with a dirty shirt on j the cobbler, &c. 115 Krum ehhid p^im zih tfah yiyih ? Is kriim a reproach that one should become angry, \vhen another calls him by it. Krdm, a nicknamo. A name which hag been added to tho original name by reason of the man's special calling, or because of )mo peculiar circomstanco which has occuiTed to him. For instance: — There was a very respectable citizen of Srftiagar, by name J^far Hir, who had a beautiful pear tree growing in his court-yard. One day during a heavy wind this tree fell down, and in its fall wounded Jifur Mir's grandfather, who unfortunately happened to be sitting under it at tho time. Henceforth tang, which is tho Kashnifri for a pear, was added to his ordinary nanio by the common folk ; and even to the present day tho third genera* tion arc thus named. Totd R^m, who now has tho supervision of H. H. tho MahiWijah'B mules, is never culled Toti Bam, but Totd Khachchar. liuni W^tul is thus invariably called, because he happens to bo the clerk of accounts to tho wdtul or sweeper class. Snhnz Chhdn, i.e., Sahaz tho carpenter is so oallod from the reason tliat one of his predecessors for a short time helped a oarpenter in his biKjk- keeping. Darim K^ndur is tho name of tho Pandit, who accompanies tho baker's coolie on his rounds with tho bread-basket every morning. Kdndur is tho Kashmfri for baker. Tdlib Kalah is a well-known character in Srfnagar. Kalah moans a head, and this wonl was added to tho family name by the ' ommon folk, when Tdlib's father, who was a Nai|<|4sh, or painter, iiinibh'ii from otf the ladder, u|K)n which he was standing and (Uconit Jul: tli nnif of tho Shilimdr Uigh pleasure- house, and very Bt'v.nly hiui^iil his head. llaji Muhamm;ul SAdiq came to this country from Bombay six ytars aL,'i>, or more. Uo brought a parrot with him; that was sutUciout. From tho moment that this was known everybody called him Toti HAji. Nearly every person I liavo met with has a krdm, with which tho majority are not at all pleased. I can only account for the extreme frequency of these nicknames from the fact, that there are so many people of one and tho same name, and a difference some- times must be made. Kranjilih, kranjUih^ poni s'run. To take up water in a basket. To draw water in a sieve. Krayih hhutah chhuh inadf. Justice is better than worship. 116 Kruhun batah tah chhut Bum tah wazul Musalm6n. A black Pandit, a white Dum, and a red Musulmiin (are wicked, deceitful, characters). Kruhun uhur gar g.ar l^are ; chhut ubur dare nah zah, Susniur mar hare ; wad hare nah zah. The black cloud will only thunder, the white cloud will never stop raining. The malicious man will fight, but without giving an answer (z, e., he will not smite openly, not just at once, he will not retaliate at the time, but will wait until he gets a quiet opportunity). Persian. — Az dbr i safed hilars o az ddam i narm. Az dbr-i-siydh matars o az ddam i garm. Kub-hul Tius ? Mufih liund tulah hul. "Which is the crooked tree ? Mut's mulberry-tree. Who is the fag ?