Based on मगध की लोक कथाएं : अनुशाीलन एवं संचयन by डॉ. राम प्रसाद सिंह
Tags: humor, fable, absurdity, relationships, ownership
The story is a humorous fable about Baba ji, who, after preparing a feast, accidentally gets involved in a dispute over his wife with a pig. When they both claim her as their own, they take the matter to a local judge (panch). The judge investigates and determines that the wife belongs to the pig based on a unique birthmark. In the end, all three (Baba ji, the pig, and the pig's wife) are left unhappy and crying for different reasons, highlighting the absurdity of the situation and possibly commenting on the nature of ownership and attachment in relationships.
एगो बाबा जी पहले-पहल रोसगदी करावे ससुरारी गेलन । अपन रोसगद्दी (अउरत के) करा के चललन तो राह में एगो नदी मिलल । नदी में पानी कम हल। कहार लोग पार हो गेलन आउ बाबा जी अपन मेहरारू के साथ खा-पी के पार होय लगलन। अपने में कहलन कि हमनी दूगो तो ही, नदी पार हो जाई। जब नदी पार होवे लगलन तो कपड़ा ऊपर उठा लेलन । उहईं पर एगो सिआर हल जे पड़िआइन के देखइत हल । पड़िआइन के दहिना जाँघ में सिआर तिलवा देखलक, आउ ऊ भी नदी के पार हो गेल। बाबा जी से कहलक कि ई हम्मर मेहरारू है। बाबा जी कहलन कि नऽ, ई हम्मर हे।
दूनो लड़इत-लड़इत पंच के पास फैसला ला गेलन। पंच सब एक जगह मिल के बाबा जी से पूछलन कि अप्पन अउरत के कुछ चिन्हा बतावऽ। बाबा जी कहलन कि ''हम बताईं, अभी पहिलही तो रोसगद्दी करौले जाइत ही !'' पंच फिन सिअरवा से पूछलन कि '’तोर मेहरारू के का खास चिन्हा हउ?'’ ऊ कहलक कि हमर मेहरारू के दाहिना जाँघ में तिलवा हे । सिआर के बात सुन के पंच लोग चिन्हा देखे ला एगो दाई के बोलौलन । दाई जाके एकान्त में पड़िआइन के दाहिना जाँघ देखलक, आउ उहाँ तिलवा होवे के बारे में ठीक बतौलक । पंच लोग फैसला सुनौलन कि ठीके ई मेहरारू सियरवे के हे।
बाद में तीनों के पंचलोग तीन कोठरी में बंद कर देलन तब तीनों रोवे लगलन। रोआई सुनके पंच लोग बाबाजी से पूछलन कि तू काहे ला रोइत हऽ? ऊ कहलन कि हम रोइत ही हम्मर मेहरारू सिआर के मिल गेल। पंच जबाव पड़िआइन से रोवे के कारण पूछलन, तो जवाब देलन कि हम्मर पुरुष बाबा जी हलन से सिआर मिलल। फिन सिआर से रोवे के कारण पूछलन, आउ कहलन कि तू काहे ला रोइत हे? तोरा तो मेहरारू मिलिए गेलो । बाबाजी मेहरारू ला रोइत हथ, पड़िआइन पुरुष ला रोइत हथ। सिअरवा कहलक कि हम तोहनी के इंसाफ ला रोइत ही कि सिआर के मेहरारू कहीं अदमी हो हे ?
Once, a baba (an elderly man) went to prepare a feast for his in-laws. After finishing the feast, he set out with his wife, and on the way, they came across a river with low water. The bearers crossed the river, and Baba ji, along with his wife, started to cross after having something to eat. Baba ji thought that since there were just two of them, they would easily cross the river. When they began to cross, Baba ji lifted up his clothes. There was a pig nearby that was watching them. The pig noticed a mark on the right thigh of Baba ji's wife and also crossed the river. The pig said to Baba ji, "This is my wife." Baba ji replied, "No, she is mine."
Both of them quarreled and went to a panch (local judge) for a decision. The panch gathered together and asked Baba ji to identify his wife. Baba ji responded, "I will tell you; I just finished the feast!" The panch then asked the pig, "What is a special mark on your wife?" The pig replied, "My wife has a birthmark on her right thigh." After hearing this, the panch summoned a midwife to check the mark. The midwife went and, in private, examined the pig's wife's right thigh and affirmed that she indeed had a birthmark there. The panch then declared that she indeed belonged to the pig.
Later, all three of them were locked in separate rooms, and they all began to cry. Hearing their cries, the panch asked Baba ji why he was crying. He said, "I am crying because my wife is with the pig." When the panch asked the pig why he was crying, he responded that his male counterpart, Baba ji, had met the pig. Then the panch inquired about the pig's reason for crying, to which the pig replied, "I am crying for justice. Does the pig have a husband somewhere?"