KURAGRAPHYकुराग्राफी

Folklore: Male Baje

Compilation: Kishor Subba Limbu

Once upon a time, there was a Magar and a Pandit living in the village. One day, Magar organised ritual worship and called Pandit a ritual priest. Magar has prepared all the ingredients for the ritual. Pandit started the ritual. Pandit directed that offerings (donations) be made. Magar said, "Male Baje." Pandit looked at the cowshed; there was a young and robust "male ox." The Pandit thought to himself that he would be donating the "male ox" instead of a donation of money, and whenever Pandit asked for the offerings, Mager kept saying, "Male Baje." When the ritual finished, Pandit received Tika (a red-coloured rice grain received on the forehead as a symbol of blessing), and again, Magar said that the donation was "male Baje." Pandit was content, and after preparing all of his belongings, he went to the cowshed and took the "male ox," and he was leaving for the house. Magar wondered what the Pandit is doing in his cowshed and with the "male ox"? When Magar saw that Pandit was taking his "male ox" with him, he got angry and beat Pandit.

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When the villagers gathered and observed the situation, they asked, "What is the issue and what happened?" The Pandit said, "This Mager lied to me." He was donated the "male ox" each and every time I instructed him to offer a donation in the ritual, and now when I am taking the "male ox," he has bitten me. "Is this fair?" Then the villagers laughed at the Pandit and made him understand, "Oh, Pandit! When the Mager was telling you "Male Bale," that means "he doesn't have money" in his Magar language. He was not saying that he'd give you his "male ox" as a donation. The Pandit wondered: "It means this magician donated nothing in the whole ritual, and at last he bit me." "It is the worst day ever." Pandit was murmuring while he was leaving.