Based on मगध की लोक कथाएं : अनुशाीलन एवं संचयन by डॉ. राम प्रसाद सिंह
Tags: family, sacrifice, supernatural, resurrection, destiny
The story revolves around a king with seven sons and one daughter named Karamjari. During her wedding, Karamjari mysteriously dies after revealing her name. Her brothers go abroad, and when they return without the 'panbatta' (a significant item she requested), their ship will not sail. They eventually buy it at a high cost and return home.Karamjari, who had been left in the jungle after her death, begins to show signs of life again, becoming pregnant and eventually giving birth to a son. Her deceased husband starts appearing to her at night with food and sweets, leading to suspicion from a midwife. When confronted, he reveals his identity as her husband and their child's father before disappearing into the Ganges.
The story concludes with the husband returning to life, blessed by Mother Ganga, and reuniting happily with Karamjari and their son. This turn of events also brings good fortune to everyone else in their lives. The narrative touches on themes of family, sacrifice, and the supernatural.
एगो राजा के सात बेटा आउ एक बेटी हल । सातो बेटा के पहिले सादी भे गेल। बेटी के भी शादी ठीक हो गेल, बारात आयल आउ सादी भी हो गेल।
कोहबर में लोग ओकरा से नाम पूछलन । ऊ कहलक कि नाम कहम तब हम मर जायम। लोग नऽ मानलन, कहलन कि नाम तो हम बतावइत ही। हम मर जायब तब हमरा जारिहऽ न, जंगल में फेंक दीहऽ । नाम धरते ऊ मर गेलन । मरे पर रोआ - रोहट होवे लगल । राजा के बेटी के नाम 'करमजरी' पड़ गेल । बरात घुर के चल गेल। राजा के बेटा के जाके लोग जंगल में फेंक देलन ।
सातो भई परदेश जाय लगलन । अप्पन मेहरारू से सब जाइत खनी पूछलन कि तोरा ला का लबवऽ । ऊ सब अपन मन के मोताबिक कहलन । फिन सातो भाई 'करमजरी' से भी पूछलन कि तोरा ला हम कउची लायम ? ऊ कहलक कि हमरा ला एगो 'पनबट्टा' लेले अइहँऽ । सातो भाई परदेश चल गेलन ।
साल भर छव महिना के बाद लौटलन । सब सामान ले लेलन । तब सातो भाई फिन पनबट्टा ला चललन आउ पूछलन कि एकरा केतना दाम हे। दोकानदार कहलक कि एकर दाम एक लाख रोपेया हे। एक लाख सुन के ओकरा नऽ खरीदलन । सातो भाई बतिअयलन कि बहिनी से कहम कि मिलबे नऽ कयल ।
समुन्दर किनारे आन के जहाज पर गेलन । चढ़ ला पर जहाज खुलबे नऽ करे। केतनो उपाय कयल जाय तइयो नऽ खुले । तब सातो से मलाह पूछलक कि तोहनी के कुछ सरो-सामान गड़बड़ायल हे से हमर जहाज नऽ खुलइत है।
ओहनी कहलन कि बहिन पनबट्टा लावे कहलक हल ऊहे नऽ ले ली हे । मलहवा कहलक कि जब-तक लेके नऽ अयबऽ तब तक जहाज नऽ खुलतवऽ । सातो भाई जहाज से उतर गेलन, फिन उहे जगह चल गेलन । एक लाख में पनबट्टा लेके चललन, जहाज पर फिनों चढ़लन ।
जहाज से पार होके घरे चल अयलन। सब के अपन-अपन समान दे देलन । सब पूछलन कि ई पनबटवा केतना में हवऽ । तब कहलन कि एक लाख में। तब सब मेहररूअन कहलथिन कि करमजरी के एक लाख रोपेया के समान नऽ दऽ । से ओहनी पनबटवा के अँगना में रख देलन ।
रात में पानी बरसे लगल, आउ नली से बह के पनबटवा करमजरी के अंगना में चल आयल । कमरजरी देखलक से उनके घर में रख देलक। पनबट्टा के न देख के भइवन बहिनी से पूछलन कि पनबट्टा तोरा दने दह के आयल हे ? ऊ कहलक, आयल हल से घर में रख देली हे। ओहनी कहलन कि तोरे ला लयली हल, राते कुबेर हो जाय से नऽ देली हल ।
जहिना से पनबट्टा करमजरी के मिलल तहिना से ओकर मरल मरद ओकरा भिरू आवे लगलन । कोई जानइत नऽ हल। एक-दू महिना के बाद करमजरी गर्भवती भे गेल। ऊ दिना से ऊ घरे से निकलना बंद कर देलक ।
तब करमजरी राजा से कहलक कि हम कहाँ रहीं। का करीं ? तब राजा कहलन कि जब नौ महिना बीत जतवऽ तऽ दही लेके हम्मर बाप के गाँव में अइहँऽ । हमर बहिन तोरा लिया जथुन । जब दिन पूरा हो गेल त ऊ दही ले के गाँव में पहुँचल । दही बेचइत राजा के दरवाजा पर पहुँचल तो उनकर बहिन घरे दही लेवे ला ले गेलथिन । ऊ देख के कहलन कि दहिया बेचे ओली भी बढ़िया हे आउ दहियो अच्छा हे। एतने में उनका तकलीफ भेल आउ लड़का जनम लेलक । उनका एगो घर में अलगे रखल गेल । चमइन के बोलावल गेल। सेवा भी कयल गेल ।
जब नेहा लेलक जब उनकर मरल राजा आधा रात के समय में मेवा मिष्टान लेके ओही घर में गेल आउ बोलल - के के सूतल हे ? मइया सूतल, मइयाँ सूतल, डगरिन सूतल, हम बाबू जगले । तब जाके प्रसववती के खिला देलक आउ चल गेल।
एक दिन चमइन देखलक तऽ डेरा गेल आउ कुछ नऽ बोलल। राजा चल गेलन तब चमइनिया उनकर माय से कहलक कि अहिरिनिया के 'सउरी' में के तो आधा रात में आवऽ हवऽ खूब मेवा-मिठाई लेके ।
तब मइया कहलक कि आज आवत तऽ कहिहें। आधा रात में राजा अयलन आउ ओइसहीं ऊ घर में समा गेलन । तब डगरिन जाके रानी से कहलक कि फिन ऊ आयल हथुन । उनका घर में से निकलते रानी भर अंकवार धर लेलन, तब ऊ कहलन कि छोड़ पापिन, छोड़ पापिन ! तब रानी पूछलन कि तू के हऽ, देवता हऽ कि देवी हऽ कि भूत हऽ कि प्रेत हऽ । ऊ कहलन कि हम ई सब कुछो न ही। हम तोर बेटा हिलवऽ । ऊ तोर पुतोह हवऽ, आउ ई तोर पोता हवऽ । ई कहके बेटवा कहलक कि हम जाइत ही जब गंगा-माय से हुकुम होयत तब आ जबवऽ आउ न हुकुम होयत तऽ नऽ अबव । एतना कहके ऊ चल गेलन आउ गंगा में समा गेलन ।
उहाँ जाके मृत्युभुवन के अपन सब हाल सुनवलन आउ अप्पन मेहरारू आउ बेटा के बारे में भी कहलन। ई सुन के गंगा माय के दया आ गेल। ऊ कहलथिन कि तोरा उहाँ जाय के मन हवऽ तो जा सकऽ हऽ । गंगा माय के आग्याँ पा के ऊ फिनो मृत्युभुवन में अप्पन पुरनका माय-बाप भिरू चल अयलन आउ अप्पन मेहरारू आउ बेटा के साथ सुख से रहे लगलन । जइसन करमजरी के भाग फिरल ओइसने सब के भाग घुरे ।
Once, there was a king who had seven sons and one daughter. All seven sons got married first, and the daughter's marriage was also arranged. The wedding procession arrived, and the marriage took place.
During the wedding festivities, people asked the daughter for her name. She responded that if they asked her name, she would die. The people did not believe her and insisted they would reveal it. She said that when she died, they could throw her into the jungle. Upon uttering her name, she died. When she died, there was much wailing and crying. The name of the king's daughter was henceforth known as 'Karamjari.' The wedding procession returned home, and the king's sons took her body into the jungle.
All seven brothers went abroad. They asked their wives what they would like them to bring back. Each told them according to their wishes. Then the seven brothers also asked Karamjari what they should bring for her. She said that they should bring her a 'panbatta' (a traditional item related to betel leaves). The seven brothers then went abroad.
After a year and six months, they returned. They brought everything with them. Then the seven brothers went to buy the panbatta and asked how much it cost. The shopkeeper said that it cost one lakh rupees. Hearing this, they did not buy it. The brothers discussed among themselves what they would tell their sister if they did not bring her anything.
They went to the ship by the seaside. When they tried to board, the ship would not set sail. Despite their many efforts, it remained stationary. Then the sailors asked them if some of their belongings were preventing the ship from departing. They replied that their sister had asked them to bring a panbatta, and they had not brought it. The sailor said that the ship would not move until they returned with it. The seven brothers disembarked and went back to get the panbatta. They spent one lakh to buy it and then boarded the ship again.
After crossing the sea, they returned home. They distributed their items among everyone. When asked how much the panbatta cost, they said it was one lakh. Then all the wives said that Karamjari was not worth a one lakh rupee item, so they kept the panbatta in their courtyard.
One night, it started to rain, and the panbatta was washed away into Karamjari's courtyard. Seeing it, Karamjari brought it inside her house. However, her brothers, not seeing the panbatta, asked her where it was. She said it had come and she had kept it in the house. They replied that it was said she had sent for the panbatta, and was not given to her, lest she become rich overnight.
Just as the panbatta found its way to Karamjari, her deceased husband began to appear to her. No one knew who he was. A month or two later, Karamjari became pregnant. From that day, she stopped leaving the house.
Then Karamjari told the king that she didn't know what to do. The king said that when nine months passed, she should bring yogurt and visit his father's village. Her brother would be waiting for her. When the day came, she took the yogurt and went to the village. While selling yogurt at the king's door, her brother came to take the yogurt home. Glancing at her, he remarked that it was nice there were good yogurt sellers and the yogurt itself was good. At that moment, she felt a pain and gave birth to a son. She was placed in a separate room, and a midwife was called to take care of her.
One night, while she was in labor, her deceased husband came in the middle of the night with sweets and delicacies. He asked, "Who is sleeping?" "The mother is sleeping, the sister-in-law is sleeping, the maid is sleeping, and I will wake up," he sang. After that, he fed the laboring one and left.
One day, the midwife noticed this and was frightened but said nothing. After the king left, the midwife informed Karamjari's mother that a young man had been coming in the middle of the night with lots of food and sweets.
The mother replied that she would ask if he came again. In the middle of the night, the king came back and, just like before, entered the house. The maid went to tell the queen that he had come again. When he came out of the house, the queen grabbed him. He pleaded, "Let go, let go!" The queen asked, "Who are you? Are you a deity, a spirit, or a ghost?" He replied, "I am none of those. I am your son. This is your daughter-in-law, and this is your grandson." Saying this, the son announced, "I will leave, and when Mother Ganga commands me to return, I will. But if I am not commanded, I will not return." After saying this, he left and disappeared into the Ganges.
Upon reaching there, he recounted everything to Mother Ganga, including about his wife and son. Hearing this, Mother Ganga felt compassion. She told him that if he wished to go back, he could. Blessed by Mother Ganga's command, he returned to the land of the living and lived happily with his wife and son. Just as Karamjari’s fortunes turned around, the fortunes of everyone else also reversed.