Ritual songs and folksongs of the Hindus of Surinam

81 Birahās iii [Paramaribo, 1962]
The mother goddess in the drum

aba asa bhajana bajā̈o bhajaniyā ho
aba tumhę devę guru sudha bhā̈ī

[p. 145]

B (Competition; riddles)

I.

kāhe kī torī nagāṛā banī hai

II.

are kāhe lāgī aba khāl

III.

kauna sa okara bhītara bole

IV.

aba uṭhe chatīsäǫ rāg

V.

candana kā gaṭhī banī nagāṛā e bhainī

VI.

bhalā bakare ke lāge khāl

VII.

are kālī bhavānī oke bhītara bole

VIII.

aba uṭhe chatīsǫ rāg

Now, play¹ such a song, O brother songster,
(In which) the guru may give you inspiration, brother.

Of what is your nagāṛā made?
The skin of which (animal) is affixed (thereto)?
Which one (i.e. who) speaks therein -
So that (all the) thirty-six tunes² arise (out of it)?
- Carved of sandal, (thus) is made the nagārā, oh sister,
(And) the skin of a he-goat is affixed (thereto).
Kālī, (an aspect of) Pārvatī, speaks therein -³
(So that), (all the) thirty-six tunes arise.

1 Bajānā, to play an instrument.

2 The thirty-six rāgas and rāginis of Indian music.

3 See p. 35 f.