Sri Charitropakhyan Sahib jee Series - Charitar #32

[chatanga1]

 

 

 

 

 

[chatanga1]

Charitar 32

 

Chaupai

 

Listen o King I will tell you a story

One that will give you great satisfaction

There lived a woman in the country of Panjab

Who was as illustrious as the moon itself (1)

 

Ras Manjri was the name of the woman

Her beauty gave everyone immense joy

Her husband had gone abroad

By which she was sorely grieved (2)

 

Dohra

 

Some thieves had heard about the great wealth at her house

When it was night they set off in pursuit of this great wealth (3)

 

Chaupai

When the theives came they were seen by the woman

And she spoke to them as such:

"O theives I am your woman

Protect me as one of your own" (4)

 

Dohra

 

"take all the wealth from my house and take along with you

and enjoy me in various ways day and night." (5)

"But first I will make you a meal in my house

and after take me with you, it gives me great joy." (6)

 

Chaupai

 

The thieves said that this is a great woman

and now she has become our woman

First she is making us food

and then also becoming ours (7)

 

Dohra

 

The woman sent the thieves onto the house rooftop

And put the pot onto the stove and began to prepare food (8)

 

Chaupai

 

The thieves were on top of the roof

And she locked the door after coming down (meaning she locked the door to stop them coming down off the rooftop)

She sat down by the oil in order to prepare food

and added a great amount of poison to the food (9)

 

Dohra

 

Throwing a lot of poison into the food she fed it to the thieves

And then came back again securing the lock behind her (10)

 

Chaupai

Laughing heartily she spoke to the thief

And took his hand in hers

She stalled him with her talk

Whilst sitting at the oil that was boiling up (11)

 

Dohra

 

When the oil had become hot and keeping it out of his vision

She threw it on his head and burned the man to death (12)

The head of the thieves was burned to death and the other thieves were poisoned to death

At daylight she went to the Kotwal (station) and revealed all there. (13)

 

End of charitar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[amardeep]

Quick thoughts:

the woman uses her intellect to gain the upper hand 

she uses their carnal desires against them 

the men’s carnal desires end up being the root to their own destruction (a metaphor often used in gurbani) 

 

[chatanga1]

Also the thieves being numerous were outwitted by one woman. This is a very valuable lesson, as life does throw up these situations at you, where you are dealing with several problems/issues at once. This charitar shows how clarity of thinking and planning saved this womans house. It looks to me like this is the message being told by the Minister. He is trying to tell the King that rash thinking leads to destruction of the house. Look at how the woman stayed calm, never allowing anger or fear to control her actions. She stayed calm and was very brave to do what she did.

[amardeep]

So the message is similiar to an earlier charitar - dont destroy your own lineage (house) by rash decision (executing your son)

The Zafarnama has a similiar verse saying rash decisions is the work of satan... Other charitars earlier have also been expressed idea wise in the zafarnama showing continuity of thought

[amardeep]

When one of us has time we should do a summary post that outlines the overall messages so far.. Such as:

Charitar 1: Dont destroy your own lineage

Charitar 2: Beware of relations that crosses boundaries

Charitar 3: Beware of the fidelity of even people you  trust

Charitar 4: xxxxxx

 

In this way, we can see how far the minister has advanced so far and get an overview of the CP so far

[chatanga1]

On 09/04/2018 at 8:14 PM, amardeep said:

When one of us has time we should do a summary post that outlines the overall messages so far.. Such as:

Charitar 1: Dont destroy your own lineage

Charitar 2: Beware of relations that crosses boundaries

Thats a good idea but would be better off as a seperate topic as well. Just to make it easier to reference.

[paapiman]

On 4/9/2018 at 1:24 PM, chatanga1 said:

Dohra

 

The woman sent the thieves onto the house rooftop

And put the pot onto the stove and began to prepare food (8)

ਆਪਿ ਕਰਾਹੀ ਚਾਰਿ ਕੈ ਲੀਨੇ ਬਰੇ ਪਕਾਇ ॥੮॥

According to Gyani Ishar Singh jee,  ਬਰੇ means "Pakoray".

According to Niddar,  ਬਰੇ means "a fried lump of soaked and mashed lentils with condiments".

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[paapiman]

On 4/9/2018 at 1:24 PM, chatanga1 said:

Ras Manjri was the name of the woman

Her beauty gave everyone immense joy

ਰਸ ਮੰਜਰੀ means "pleasure giving pearl"

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[paapiman]

On 4/9/2018 at 1:24 PM, chatanga1 said:

Dohra

 

Throwing a lot of poison into the food she fed it to the thieves

And then came back again securing the lock behind her (10)

 

Chaupai

Laughing heartily she spoke to the thief

And took his hand in hers

She stalled him with her talk

Whilst sitting at the oil that was boiling up (11)

There is a filler to the tale (between the Dohra and the Chaupai above), which is stated by Niddar. After reading the below, the tale will make more sense to the readers.

According to Niddar,

[Wishing to taste the lady before all else, the chief of the thieves who was not in the room, had followed Ras Manjri downstairs.]

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[chatanga1]

5 hours ago, paapiman said:

According to Gyani Ishar Singh jee,  ਬਰੇ means "Pakoray".

ਬਰੇ are pakorey made in a sabzi. I do not like ਬਰੇ at all.

[chatanga1]

5 hours ago, paapiman said:

There is a filler to the tale (between the Dohra and the Chaupai above), which is stated by Niddar. After reading the below, the tale will make more sense to the readers.

According to Niddar,

[Wishing to taste the lady before all else, the chief of the thieves who was not in the room, had followed Ras Manjri downstairs.]

Yes that is something that one finds out towards the end.

[chatanga1]

One of the things that is also very apparent from this Charitar is that you should never underestimate the enemy/opposition. The gang of thieves totally underestimated the capability of the person they came to rob, seeing her only as a female therefore assuming she must be weak and feeble, whilst they were men and in greater number.

 

And nor will brute strength solve every situation either.