Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

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Chapter two
The Songs and Translations

1 Sohar i [Nieuw Nickerie, 1967]
Wishes fulfilled through religious observances¹

pahalī mągana sītā mą̄gę javana bidhi purave ho
[pahalī mągana sītā (mą̄gäile) javana bidhi (puraväile) ho]
[pahalī mągana sītā mą̄gę javana bidhi (puravelā) ho]
sītā mą̄gele ajodhyā ke rāja sarajū jī ke darasana ho
[sītā mą̄gele ajodhyā ke rāja sarajū jī ke (daraśana) ho]
dusarī mągana sītā mą̄ge javana bidhi purave ho
[dusarī mągana sītā (mą̄gäile) javana bidhi (puraväile) ho]
[dusarī mągana sītā mą̄ge javana bidhi (puravelā) ho]
sītā mą̄gele kosillā äisī sāsa sasura rājā dasaratha ho
[sītā (mą̄ge) (kausilyā) äisī (sāsū) sasura rājā dasaratha ho]
tisarī mągana sītā mą̄ge javana bidhi purave ho
[tisarī mągana sītā mą̄ge javana bidhi (puravelā) ho]
sītā mą̄gele purusa bhagavāna devara bābū lachamana ho
[sītā mą̄gele purusa bhagavāna devara bābū (lachimana) ho]
cauthī mągana sītā mą̄ge javana bidhi purave ho
sītā mą̄ge goda ke balakavā ągana bhara kheläę ho
milahu na sakhiyā sahelarī mili juli caläu ho
sītā kauna bidhi kara leyau rāma bara pāyäu ho
māghäi māsa nahānī agana nahį tāpe agina nahį tāpäi ho
sakhi barata rahyaų paräivā rāma bara pāyäu ho

1 This is the most popular sohar; four versions have been recorded. The words in the brackets in the first six lines are given to show the variants (see p. 3) used by different singers in the same group. This system will not be followed in the balance of the text. Cp. R. Tripāṭhī ('29: 142).

[p. 39]

XIII.

milahu na sakhiyā sahelarī mili juli caläu ho

XIV.

sītā kauna kavana tapa kara leyau rāma bara pāyäu ho

XV.

barata rahyaų ekādasī aur duvādasī auro duvādasi ho

XVI.

sakhi tulasī ke diyanā jalāyau rāma bara pāyäu ho

XVII.

je yahi mangala gāve aura gāya ke sunāve, aura gāya ke sunāväi ho

XVIII.

sakhi tulasīdāsa bhali āsa amara phala pāväi ho

Sītā makes (her) first wish - (if) God¹ may fulfil it;
Sītā wishes² that she may see in the kingdom of Ayodhyā the venerable (river) Sarayū.
Sītā makes (her) second wish - (if) God may fulfil it;
Sītā wishes that she may have a mother-in-law like Kauśalyā and a father-in-law like Daśaratha.
Sītā makes (her) third wish - (if) God may fulfil it;
Sītā wishes that she may have a husband like the Lord (i.e. Rāma) and that she may have his brother Lakṣmaṇa as her devar.³
Sītā makes (her) fourth wish - (if) God may fulfil it;
Sītā wishes that a child of her (own) lap may play about all over the courtyard.
- Gather up, sakhis,⁴ gather up and come along (to ask),
What observances did Sītā perform (that she) obtained Rāma as (her) husband.
- Bathing in the very (cold) month of māgha (January-February) (I) did not warm (myself) by a fire; (I) did not warm (myself) by a fire.
Sakhi, I kept fast on the first day of the (lunar) fortnight and obtained Rāma as (my) husband.
- Come on, sakhis, gather up and let us go (to ask),
What and what (kind) of austerities did Sītā undertake (that she) obtained Rāma as (her) husband.
- I kept fast on the eleventh day of the fortnight and on the twelfth; again, on the twelfth,

1 Bidhi (S. Vidhi), the god of fate, or god Brahmā.

2 ‘mągana mą̄ge’ - she asks for the wish to be fulfilled.

3 Devar, husband's younger brother.

4 See note 1 on p. 5.

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XVI.

Sakhi, I offered a light¹ to the holy basil (plant)² and obtained Rāma as (my) husband.

XVII.

Whoever sings this auspicious song and makes it heard (by others),

XVIII.

Sakhi, (says) Tulasīdāsa, (there is) a good hope that (she) attains the fruit of immortality.

1 Literally, ‘kindled a diyā’. Diyā (S. dīpaka) is a clay lamp filled with oil in wich a cotton wick is dipped. A common household object, it is also used as an offering of light to a deity.

2 Tulasī plant. This is worshipped as a manifestation of Lakṣmī, the consort of Viṣṇu. See Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa (Prakṛti khaṇḍa) 7.45-47; 21. 1-103 and Padma Purāṇa 58.109-145; 59.1-42 re. the legend of Vṛndā incarnating as Tulasī, and her worship. Vide also Viennot ('54: 17).