Studies in ) Early Modern Indo-Aryan | Languages, Literature and Culture Research Papers, 1992-199, rset atthe Sixth Confrence on Deotonal Livature iy New Indorgen Languages, eld at Sat, Unavasity of Weshington, 79 uly 1998 i Eaited by ALAN W. ENTWISTEE and CAROL SALOMON with i HEIDI PAUWELS and MICHAEL © SRAPIRO ‘Alaw W, Evatt (194941996) ei ed gg, se AE aA esa fat aE, oA a Sear — Hae This je of ours ik babe of ater ‘As son at you we i disappears, MANOTAR Lik he starsat dase, ~ Kati 19997 Fst pubsed 1959 (© Manohar abies & Dsus, 1999 Ai ih reseed. Nop of hi ican may be repoticed ranted ay fm or ys) ean ‘ibout ioe petene of the ess the pubaber Ison sr r08200-1 Pabthed by ‘Nay Kama Jain for Manohar Pater e Dstbters 2, Asa Road, Danae ‘New Ds 110002 Typeset by ‘As Software Pbitig Co Pot Li 305, Dues Cher. 1333, DB. Gupea Road Karol Bagh New Des 110008 Reka Blecie Press 18399 GT Karzal Road Il. Ares ‘el 116033Barahmasain Candayan and, in Folk Traditions SHVAM MANOHAR PANDEY Birahmasa, the description of the twelve months has been a very popular genre in the literature and folklore of northern Tada dating back to che welth century. The fr terry Rohs was composed by a Musim Persian poct Sidi Salman (aD 10481131) who fved in Lahore. Sidi Salman, whose full name was Mas bn Sad i Salmn, lived during the Ghaznavi period of Indo-Muslim history. Masi'a was a wealthy landlord and was made Governor of Jalandhar for some time. His political interests led to spent periods of imprisonment, but i Ad {107 be was finally set free 2nd lived o an old age (A. Schimmel 1973, p11) Te was Sand! the Persian mystical poe fom Ghazna, who Carefully collected his verses. litle later Jain poet too started writing birabmase and the tradition continued for a long dime Sufi poets writing in Hind also used the dtuhmasa genre, along witha Seasons’) descriptions, and my objective ere ito liscue the Brahma of these Sul poets. These weiter ate Maulana Daud (Gandiyon), Kuruban (Mrgoas), Malik Muhammad Jaast (Padnavat; Kanhivei) and Maijhan (Madhundtes), Later wal compare the Sufi bétahmas radon with Masa Salman's bara ‘mdid and with other drahmasa curren in the folk iterate of the Hind! speaking area ‘The first Suf poet to use the Birahmaud genre was Maulans 'Dd0d. His composition Condayan, completed in AD 1379 (during the reign of Firor Shah Tughlag, 135188), containe « raimasd description of the heroine Maina’ viah following her husband's elopement with another woman Maing’s pangs of separation ‘month by month are decribed in the fllowing sections. Sivan ‘After Cand has eloped with Lorik, his wife Maina stat suTering ‘rom che pangs of separation in the month of Sivan (JuyeAugu CCeyng desperatey, she Watches day and night for her husband's28 strane ANON PANDEY ‘etum, and keeps repeating his name (©. $89). She i ke a fish Out of water In the meantime she hears that 3 caravan of seven hundred uatlers har arrived whoge leader is Surjan. Sugjan, a Brahmin, lswenscarefilly t0 Mais stah tormented message. Maina dee tiles her separation through the tele months, beginning with Svan (JulyAugus) Infact, most of the early uli texts describe barakmisa beginning from Savan, the only excepuen being Paaredoa, in which the Wirahndsd ins in ASivh, In Sivan che cry earth becomes drenched with water, and areenery sprouts everywhere, Maina requests Susjan w tell Lorik thatthe rainy season has capuuted her eyes and that they are shedding tears continually, roting the strings of her garlands, and the koh on her eyes, a mark of her Beatty, has eiped off Mains requests Surjan to tell Lorik that ever since Cand took him away Jn Sivan, Maina's eyes have continuotsly poured water "O Surjan’ Give Lorik this message that Mind has been unfortunate and ‘anor sleep since he went away." ‘Kutuban? author of Mrgivad (1508), follows Candayan when he describes the eath as wearing a garment of greenery. Rapmiat in Mrgvad suffers in the same way as Maina in Condiyan. She requests Dllabh, the leader of the merchants carvan, to tll her husband Manohar that she has been scorched by stalin Mrgia the bearer of the messge is also a leader of merchants But he does not seem to be a Brabmin a in Candayan. ‘Jivag uses more detailed imagery in his Padméva.* Nagra suiters in Savan due w the absenee of Ranasen.In her sorrow she Sheds tears of blood which fall tothe earth as velvet insets (oir bud In the month of Satan, as isthe tation even now, ges ‘sing on their swings in happiness, but Nagmat was overcome by the pain of enehand was wembling with agony Like the author of ‘Candayan and Mrgtvat,Jayast describes the earth af having put oma garment of greenery 1» Padmavatit isthe bird Pareva mbo is a mestenger. Here Nagin, in her message to Ratnasen, sys that {the whole words illed with water and that where are impassable ‘mountains and dense forest on the path. "How could T come to you? T have no wings wo Hy Jayas'slong and deuiled descriptions ‘Single him out from the uber pocts ofthis adition of Hind Sul poet. Tn Kanhdvar® whichis ausibuted to Maik Mubamaad Jaya, AARAHMASLIN CANDAYANAND IN FOLK TRADITIONS 289) sillmaids suffer from sitah when Kyspa leaves them and goes to Madhupur. Ther eyes shed water like the eaves ofa house during ‘he rainy season. This imagery is aso found in Padmdoat the cloud are raining heavy but the milkmaid are drying up. Those ‘women who, united with their husbands, are swinging on swings and wearing nice garments have been described in the same vay asin Su cox, The milkmaid lke other women sullering from ‘rah, are without embellshmenis and feel that their ines are Useles Here the wind carries the milmaids’ mesage to Krsna In Madhumalad, Madjhant degcribes the heroines’ vivah as follows "Both the thick clouds of the Sivan month and Madhu- salau’s eyes are overflowing with water lke the rivers Gaga and Yamuns.” Madhumalau sheds tears of Blood and, as in Pedmaoat, the tears tue into tect insects as they fall. As in ‘Condijam an the other Sul texts, Madbumalau's ejes shed tears continuously and she is plunged deeply into the agony of ‘separation, Bias In Bhado (August September) the nights become deep, dark and fearsome for Maina, who is sail a young gi. Lightning flashes ‘and loneliness seizes her heart in the absence of her husband Lorik Without » companion she suffers painful isolation. Tears fall fom her sorrowful eyes and fill both land and sea. Tis imposible for her to cross the mountains and the waterlogged ‘earth to reach her husband. Inthe lait mo verses she complains ‘hat Lori listened wo a wicked woman (Canda) and ran ata with ber. Maina spends her nights erying (Candayon ». 33). “Mrgdvas'e description of the month of Bhadd in the Indian six senon is more deuiled than the description in Candyan Te {s continuously raining in torrents and he nights are deep and dark. Lightning i lo flashing (18) Like Maina in Candiyan, ‘Ropmint is also described a being afraid. Her bed is no longer comforable for her it bites her like 4 serpent. Here Kutoban shows his familiarity with Indian myths and legends. Rapmini's jes shed water in the same vay as rains fall Zz che Sleyi and Mag nalsatr.” Rip das become like a papi bird always