Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

36 General marriage songs II [Paramaribo, 1965]
Śiva's marriage²

calalaį mahādeva gäurā biyāhana
suravana chatra dhara ā̈in re

2 Cp. Grierson (J.R.A.S. 1884: 234); Archer and Prasād ('43: 5 ff.); D. Siṁha ('44: 44-45 intr., and longest song on this theme: 280-288, 302 etc.); K. Upadhyāya ('54: 241, 244, 246; '60: 304); T.L. Śāstrī ('62: 152). This song confused and mixed with one on Rāma, U. Tivārī ('54: 170 intr.).

[p. 86]

III.

bichiyana kuchiyana ke mäurā dharāvahį

IV.

sąpavā ke ḍāre haį janëuvā re

V.

parachana nikale haį sāsu mainā̈in

VI.

sąpavā cale haį phuphukāra re

VII.

supavā bīge haį sāsū belavā ke taravarā

VIII.

pachavą̄ se gäile bhaharā̈i re

IX.

äisana bara se maį gäurā na biyahavā

X.

bhalu rahihaį kųvāra re

XI.

tani eka bhesavā badalatyau mahādev

XII.

näihara ke lokapati ā̈in re

XIII.

machiyā bhelasa dhari ke äile mahādeva

XIV.

kanhavā ke lagale chipa ā̈in re

XV.

gäurā läi ke uṛabe maį

XVI.

gäurā läi ke bilasavā

XVII.

gäurā läi ke uṛabe patāl re

Mahādeva proceeded to marry Pārvatī.
The gods came holding parasols,¹
(Śiva, however) put on a crown of scorpions and such things,²
(And) wore a sacred thread (consisting) of snakes.
The mother-in-law, Menā, came out to perform the adoration;³
The snakes began to move with hisses.
The mother-in-law threw the sūp under the good tree of bilva.⁴
(And) stumbled (backwards) after that.
- I shall not wed Pārvatī to such a bridegroom -
Rather that she should stay a virgin.
- Would that, oh Śiva, you would change your dress a little;
The world-rulers⁵ (belonging to my) parental home have come (to attend the wedding; what would they say?).

1 Symbols of royal power and authority. ‘Holding parasols (over their heads)’.

2 A twin-word, bichiyana-kuchiyana.

3 The parchan.

4 A tree traditionally associated with Śiva; its leaves form an important offering to Śiva in the ritual of his worship.

5 Loka-pati, the guardian-gods of various realms including the four quarters.

[p. 87]

XIII.

Śiva took the form of a fly and came;

XIV.

He came hiding around (Pārvatī's) shoulder.

XV.

- I shall take Pārvatī and flee.¹

XVI.

I shall take Pārvatī and enjoy (together with her).

XVII.

I shall take Pārvatī and flee to the underworld.²

1 Or elope. The story of Śiva hiding under Pārvatī's añcala in various forms is an important motif throughout the literature.

2 The connection of Śiva with pātāla, the underworld, is not unknown elsewhere, for example, Vīramitrodaya, Pūjā-prakāśa (: 312): ‘One who bathes Durgā, with faith, in cold water, attaining the heavenly realm, plays with the nāgas’. It is known that the realm of the nāgas, the snakefolk, is pātāla, here identified with heaven and Durgā, of course, is an aspect of Pārvatī. In the song, on the other hand, it is possible that Śiva means to say that since he has been insulted because of his snakes, he will kidnap Pārvatī and take her to the world of the snakes, pātāla, itself. The version of Archer and Prasād ('43: 5), however, simplifies the problem: jani ammā uṛahū jani ammā buṛahū; jani ammā khilahū pātāla re. Pārvatī says to her mother; ‘whether, mother, you fly, or, mother, you drown or, mother, you flee away’, to marry Śiva is my inevitable fate. According to K. Upādhyāya ('60: 8) pātāl khilnā is a Bhojpurī idiom meaning ‘to go far away’. It is probable that our Surinam version of the song has been derived from some such previous form.

Kanyā-dāna

At the stage of kanyā-dāna, there are several little ceremonial steps for which the songs are sung:

1. Preparatory to the ceremony.

2. Giving the bride's hand to the bridegroom.

3. Pouring water over the löī, the ball of flour dough containing some gifts.

4. As an epilogue to the kanyā-dāna.

Here a song combining (2) and (3) is recorded.