Based on मगध की लोक कथाएं : अनुशाीलन एवं संचयन by डॉ. राम प्रसाद सिंह
Tags: king, queen, adventure, bravery, kingdom
The story revolves around a king and queen who argue over the identity of a bird at night, resulting in a bet where the loser must leave the kingdom. The queen, worried about the king's ability to manage the kingdom alone, instructs a servant to misreport the bird's identity in her favor. The queen eventually leaves, pregnant, and meets a merchant who treats her kindly. She gives birth to a son, Gulam Peer Singh, who proves to be exceptionally brave. Despite challenges with the king's seven other princes, Gulam Peer Singh showcases his strength and eventually unites with the king when he reveals his identity. Following various adventures, including freeing villages from a monstrous woman, Gulam Peer Singh marries the daughter of sage Kapil and returns to rule effectively, becoming a strong leader for his kingdom.
कोई सहर में राजा-रानी रहऽ हलन। एक दफे अधरतिया में कोई चिरई के बोल सुनायल तो दूनो राजा-रानी में बहस छिड़ गेलक कि कउन चिरईं बोलइत हे? राजा कहलन कि हंस बोलइत हे, आउ रानी बोललन कि सरहँस बोलइत हे। एही पर राजा बाजी लगौलन कि जेकर बात झूठ होयत ऊ राज छोड़ देत । ई तय होयला पर राजा नौकर के बोला के कहलन कि देख आव तो पोखरा पर कउन चिरई बोलइत हे? रानी विचार कयलन कि राजा के बात झूठ हो जायत तो राजा के राज छोड़ देवे से ठीक नऽ होयत। उनका बिना राज-पाट नऽ चलत। बाकि हम चल जायब तो कोई बात नऽ होयत । ई सोच के सिपाही के बोला के कहलन कि सरहँस भी बोलइत होयत तो राजा से आके कह दीहँ कि हँस बोलइत हे। सभे बात तो तू जनइते हऽ ।
जब सिपाही पोखरा पर गेल तो उहाँ देखलक कि सरहँस बोलइत हे, बाकि रानी के बात इयाद कर के राजा से कहलक कि हँस बोलइत हल। रानी राज छोड़े ला अप्पन सब जेवर-पाती उतारइत हलन। राजा देख के कहलन कि अइसन हँसी-मजाक तो हमनी में रोज हो हे । छोड़ऽ मजाक के बात । सेपर रानी कहलन कि एगो मरदे जबान के पक्का होवऽ हथ, अउरत के नऽ ? हम नऽ मानम। एतना कह के चले ला तइयार हो गेलन । फिनों राजा से कहलन कि हमरा दू महीना के गरभ हे। सेकरा तू कागज लिख के दे दऽ । राजा कागज लिख के दे देलन ।
रानी घरे से निकल गेलन । जाइत -जाइत कुछ दूर पर एगो इन्दरा मिलल । ओही इन्दरा पर बइठ गेलन आउ थकल के मारे नीन आ गेल। सूतल-सूतल साँझ हो गेल। बेचारी झट-पट उठलन आउ चले लगलन। राह में राजा के इयार सेठ पखाना पर बइठल हल। रानी अदमी के देख के पीठ कर के खड़ा हो गेल। ऊ अदमी ओकरा परेत समझ के डेरा गेल । हदे-फदे सेठ झाड़ा पर से उठ के तेजी से चले लगल । रानी भी अदमी के पीछे-पीछे चल देलक। पीछे घुर के सेठ देखलक कि एगो सुन्नर अउरत हे। ऊ ठहर के पूछलक कि तूं कहवाँ जयब मइयाँ? रानी बोललन कि हम एही गाँव में ठहरब। सेठ कहलक कि हमरा ही ठहरबऽ मइयाँ ? सेकरे पर रानी कहलन कि काहे नऽ ठहरब। फिन सेठ कहलक कि जरी हम अप्पन बुढ़िया से पूछ के आवइत ही। सेठ अप्पन बुढ़िया से पूछलक कि एगो लड़की हई, ओकरा हम बेटी बना के रखल चाहइत ही। बुढ़िया तइयार हो गेल। आके बूढ़ा सेठ ओकरा अप्पन घरे ले गेल । ऊ ओकरा बेटी अइसन मान आदर करे लगल।
कुछ दिन के बाद रानी के एगो लड़का जनम लेलक । ऊ बड़ा भागसाली निकलल । कुछ बड़ा होयला पर पठशाला में पढ़े लगल । इधर राजा सात गो बिआह कर लेलन। सातो रानी से सात गो बेटा होयल । सातो लड़कन ओही पठशाला में पढ़े लगलन । जब छुट्टी होवे तब सबहे गुल्ली-डंटा खेले लगऽ हलन । रानी के लड़का के नाम गुलम पीरसिंह हल, जे से सेठ हीं रहऽ हल । ऊ सब लइकन में बहादुर हल । से ऊ अइसन चाँप मारलक कि गुल्ली-डंटा के पते नऽ लगल कि कहाँ चल गेल। एकरे पर साथे खेलइत सातो राजकुमार खिसिया गेलन आउ गुलम पीरसिंह के गरिआवे लगन। से गुलमपीर सिंह घरे आ के अप्पन बूढ़ा सेठ से कहलक कि हम्मरा अस्सी मन लोहा के गुल्ली आउ चौरासी मन के डंटा बनवा दऽ। सेठ कहे मोताबिक बनवा देलक । ऊ गुल्ली खेलइत-खेलइत अइसन चाप मारलक कि गुल्ली जा के राजा के राजमहल पर गिर गेल से महल के एगो घर ढह गेल ।
रोज साँझ के सातो राजकुमार अखाड़ा में धूरी लगाव हलन आउ आवइत खनी अखाड़ा के बराबर कर दे हलन। बाद में गुलमपीर सिंह आवऽ हलन आउ धूरी लगा के चल दे हलन । अखाड़ा के ई हाल देख के सातो भाई खिसिआ के एगो बड़ा भारी दरखत अखाड़ा में रख देलन आउ चल देलन । एकरा बाद गुलम पीरसिंह दरखत के उठा के पटक देलन कि ऊ चार टुकड़ा हो गेल, आउ अखाड़ा के जइसे-तइसे करके चल देलन। ई हाल देख के सातो भाई एक दिन छिप के देखे गेलन। गुलम पीरसिंह अयलन तब सातो भाई ललकरलन । ओहनी सब हाथी पर चढ़ल हलन, से पारा-पारी ऊ सबहे के हाथी समेत उठा के फेंक देलन कि सातो लापता हो गेलन ।
सबेरे राजा के सब हाल मालुम भेल तो युद्ध खातिर पूरा फौज लेके चल देलन । ई सुन के गुलम पीरसिंह के माय आउ नाना-नानी सब रोवे लगलन । तब गुलम पीरसिंह सबके चुप करा के अकेले जाके राजा से कहलन कि सातो लड़का तो जम्हलोक चल गेलथुन । अबहियो तोरा होस नऽ होलवऽ हे? राजा गौर से देखलन तब ऊ लइका के चेहरा-मोहरा ठीक उनके नियन मिलइत हल। राजा के चुप देख के लड़का कहलक कि जब सातो लड़का मर गेल, तो का हम तोहर लड़का नऽ हिवऽ। एतना सुन के राजा गुलम पीरसिंह के हाथी पर चढ़ा लेलन आउ छाती से लगा लेलन। सब बात जान के राजा रानी के डोली पर चढ़ा के घरे लवलन।
एक दिन सातो सतेली माय आउ अप्पन माय पंखा हँऊक के बेटा के भोजन खिआवइत हलन तो सतेली माय कहकथिन कि हम्मर बेटा के तो मारिये देलऽ । बाकि तू कपिल मुनी के बेटी से बिआह करऽ तब न जानीं कि तोर बहादुरी हे। एतना सुन के गुलम पीरसिंह खाना से उठलन आउ चल देलन। राह में एगो अदमी के ताड़ के पेड़ के बंसी बना के मछरी मारइत देखलन । ओकरा देख के ऊ कहलन कि ई तो बड़ा भारी वीर हे। तऽ बंसीसिंह कहलन कि हम का ही, वीर तो हथुन गुलम पीरसिंह। गुलम पीरसिंह कहलन कि हम ही तो ही। तो बंसी सिंह बंसी छोड़ के उनके साथ चले लगलन।
ओहनी दूनो जाइत हलन तो देखलन कि एगो अदमी बाघ नाथ के दौंरी करइत हे, गुलम पीरसिंह कहलन कि ई तो बड़ा बहादुर हे । एतना सुन के बघउत सिंह कहलन कि वीर तो हथ गुलम पीरसिंह, जे राजा के सातो बेटा के हाथी समेत फेंक देलन कि लापता हो गेलन । गुलम पीरसिंह कहलन कि ऊ तो हम ही ही। एकरे पर बघउतसिंह दौरी छोड़ के साथ हो गेलन । तीनों साथ चललन। कुछ दूर गेलन तो भोजन ला आग लेवे बंसीसिंह के एगो सहर में भेजलन । सहर में बंसीसिंह देखइत हथ कि उहाँ बजार सजल हे, बाकि कोई अदमी नऽ हे । घुमइत-घुमइत एगो दइत बुढ़िया मिलल। ओकरा पास आग हल। जाके माँगलन तो कहलकई कि ले ले नऽ बबुआ ! जब आग लेवे लगलन तो पीछे से दइतिन मुँह बाके खा गेल। एने गुलम पीरसिंह आसा देखइत निरास हो गेलन तो बघउतसिंह गेलन । उहाँ बुढ़िया भिर आग देख के निहुर के लेवे लगलन तो दइतिन बुढ़िया उनकरो निगल गेल। हार-दाव देख के अंत में गुलम पीरसिंह गेलन आउ सुनसान सहर देख के सोचलन कि जरूर कोई बात है। एगो बुढ़िया भिरू आग धुआँइत देख के समझ गेलन कि ऐकरे सब करमात हे । से ऊ आग लेइत खनी पीछे भी नजर रखले हलन। जब बुढ़िया निगले खातिर चलल, तो ऊ एक मुक्का ओकर गरदन पर जमौलन तो झटसिन बघउतसिंह बाहर निकललन। दूसर मुक्का में बंसीसिंह निकल गेलन, फिन तेसर मुक्का मारलन तऽ सहर के दस-बीस आदमी निकललन । आऊ ऊ सब हाथ जोड़ के कहे लगलन कि सरकार आउ मारीं। सहर के सभे अदमी के एही निगल गेल हे । ई सुन के दइतिन घिघिआयल तो छोड़ देलन। बुढ़िया उहाँ से भाग गेल। तीनों उहाँ से चललन ।
जब कपिल मुनी के पास पहुँचलन तो उनकर लड़की मुनी के पंखा हउँकइत हलन । लड़की गुलम पीरसिंह के सूरत देख के मोहित हो गेलन आउ बाप के सूतल जान के कहलन कि जान देवे ला काहे ला अयलऽ हे? इहाँ से चल जाए नऽ तो बाप से लड़े पड़तव । ऊ नऽ गेलन तो कपिल मुनी उठके उनका से लड़े लगलन । आठ दिन तक कोई नऽ पटकायल, नौवाँ दिन मुनी पटका गेलन । प्रतिज्ञा के मोताबिक कपिल मुनी अप्पन बेटी के बिआह गुलम पीरसिंह से कर देलन । गुलम पीरसिंह रोसगद्दी करा के घरे आ गेलन आउ खूब बढ़ियाँ से राज-पाट करे लगलन ।
Once upon a time in a city, there lived a king and a queen. One night, they heard the sound of a bird and began to argue about which bird it was. The king said it was a swan, while the queen claimed it was a goose. They decided to bet that whoever was wrong would have to leave the kingdom. The king then instructed a servant to find out which bird was actually making the noise at the pond. The queen thought to herself that if the king turned out to be wrong, it wouldn't be right for him to leave his kingdom, as he wouldn't be able to manage without it, but if she left, it wouldn't affect anyone. Thinking this, she instructed the soldier to come back and tell the king if it was a goose making the noise. "You know all the details anyway," she added.
When the soldier reached the pond, he saw that it was indeed the goose making the sound, but remembering the queen's claim, he told the king that it was the swan. The queen began taking off her jewels and ornaments to leave her kingdom. Seeing this, the king said, "Such banter happens every day between us. Let’s stop joking." To which the queen replied, "When a man is firm with his words, why wouldn’t a woman be?" After saying this, she prepared to leave. Then she told the king that she was two months pregnant and requested him to write a letter. The king wrote down the letter for her.
The queen left the palace and, on her way, met a merchant resting under a tree. She sat under that tree and, tired, fell asleep. By the time she woke up, it was evening. She quickly got up and started walking. Along the way, she saw a merchant sitting on a latrine. The queen turned her back on him out of respect. He, mistaking her for a servant, ignored her. The merchant, noticing her beauty, quickly got up and followed her. The queen, upon seeing the man, stood still. The merchant asked her, "Where are you going, lady?" The queen replied, "I will stay in this village." The merchant then said, "Will you stay with me, lady?" To which the queen responded, "Why wouldn’t I stay?" The merchant then said, "Let me ask my wife and I will return." He asked his wife whether he could keep the girl as his daughter. The wife agreed, and the merchant brought the girl home, treating her with great respect as though she were his own daughter.
After a few days, the queen gave birth to a son, who turned out to be very fortunate. As he grew, he started attending school. Meanwhile, the king married seven times and had seven sons from the seven queens. All seven of these boys also attended the same school. When it was recess, they all played gully-danda (a traditional game). The queen's son was named Gulam Peer Singh, and he was the son of the merchant. He was very brave and made such powerful strikes that no one could tell where the gully or danda had gone. The seven princes got upset with him and started to scold Gulam Peer Singh. So, he returned home and asked his old merchant father to arrange for him to have a gully made of eighty man of iron and a danda of eighty-four man. The merchant complied with his request. While playing gully-danda, he struck with such force that the gully flew and hit the king's palace, causing one house in the palace to collapse.
Every evening, the seven princes would come to the wrestling ground to practice, and they would level the ground. After this, Gulam Peer Singh would come and walk away without participating. Seeing the condition of the arena, the seven brothers became angry and placed a large tree in the wrestling ground before leaving. Following this, Gulam Peer Singh uprooted the tree and threw it down, breaking it into four pieces, and left the arena in disarray. Seeing all this, the seven brothers decided to hide and watch. When Gulam Peer Singh arrived, they called out to him. The princes were riding elephants, and Gulam Peer Singh threw them all off their elephants and they went missing.
The next morning, when the king learned all this, he marched out with his entire army for war. Hearing this, Gulam Peer Singh's mother and maternal grandparents began to cry. Gulam Peer Singh, calming everyone down, went alone to speak with the king, saying that the seven boys had met their end. "Don't you have any bravery yourself?" asked the king, observing the boy closely. He found the boy's face to bear a strong resemblance to his own. Seeing the king silent, the boy added, "If all seven boys are dead, then am I not your son as well?" Upon hearing this, the king took Gulam Peer Singh on an elephant and embraced him. Knowing the truth, the king brought the queen back home in a palanquin.
One day, while all seven of the stepmothers and the queen were serving food to their sons, one of the stepmothers remarked that they should have killed her son instead. However, you should marry the daughter of the sage Kapil, and then you'll know of your own bravery. Hearing this, Gulam Peer Singh got up from the table and left. On the way, he saw a man fishing with a bamboo pole made from a palm tree. Seeing this, he said, "This man is truly brave." To which the fisherman replied, "I might be, but the true warrior is Gulam Peer Singh." Gulam Peer Singh said, "I am that warrior!" So, the fisherman left his pole and began to follow him.
As they moved on, they saw a man chasing a tiger. Gulam Peer Singh remarked, "This man is very brave!" Hearing this, the tiger chaser said, "No, it is Gulam Peer Singh who is truly courageous, who threw the king's seven sons off their elephants." Gulam Peer Singh reiterated, "I am indeed that person." Thus, the tiger chaser joined them. The three of them traveled together. After a while, to gather firewood for cooking, they sent the fisherman to a nearby village. Upon reaching the village, the fisherman noticed that the market was bustling, but there were no people around. While wandering, he met an old woman who had some fire. Approaching her for fire, she said, “Take it, my child!” But as he reached to take it, the old woman suddenly swallowed him whole.
Seeing his friend disappear, Gulam Peer Singh became disheartened, but the tiger chaser went ahead. When the old woman saw the tiger chaser coming near the fire, she prepared to swallow him too, but he deftly escaped her mouth and emerged outside. Gulam Peer Singh, seeing the desolate village, thought there must be something wrong here. Observing an old woman with smoke rising from her dwelling, he realized she must be behind this. So, he took the fire, keeping an eye behind him. When the old woman approached to swallow him, he landed a punch on her neck, and in a flash, the tiger chaser got out. In the next punch, the fisherman emerged, and then with the third punch, twenty to thirty men from the village came out. All of them joined their hands and began to plead, "Spare us, please!" It turned out that everyone in the village had been swallowed by her. Hearing this, the old woman began to stammer and then released them. She ran away from there. The three of them departed from that village.
When they reached the sage Kapil's abode, his daughter was fanning him. The sight of Gulam Peer Singh captivated her, and realizing her father was asleep, she asked, "Why have you come here to take my life? If you don’t leave from here, my father will have to fight you." As she spoke, she moved forward, and when she did not leave, Kapil Muniraja woke up and began to confront him. For eight days, no one could harm him, but on the ninth day, the sage was overpowered. According to his vow, Kapil Muniraja arranged Gulam Peer Singh’s marriage to his daughter. Gulam Peer Singh then established his rule back at home and began to govern the kingdom splendidly.