From previous post...
Bonbibi’s
story is always followed by Dukhe’s tale. Dukhe (literally ‘sadness’) was a
young boy who lived with his widowed mother grazing other peoples’ animals. One
day, his village uncle lured him into joining his team to work in the forest as
a honey collector. Dukhe’s mother did not want him to go but finally allowed
him to leave with the recommendation that he should call out to Ma Bonbibi
should any harm befall him. As the boy left for the dreaded forests, his mother
prayed out to Ma Bonbibi to protect her son.
Kotha raile bonobibi mai,
Abhagir putra dukhe mahalete jai,
Kangaler mata tumi bipodnashinee,
Amar dukhere ma go tarabe aponi,
Tomar kadame mata sapinu uhare,
Rane bane banabibi tarabe bachhare|
(She
{dukhe’s mother} prayed to Bonbibi “where art thou oh mother Bonbibi, the son
of this unfortunate mother is heading for the forest, you, the savior of all
the poor ones, shall surely save my son. I put my son into your hands; protect
him from the perils of the forest".)
The team left for the forest but couldn’t locate
any bee-hives. Dokkhin Rai then appeared to the uncle in his dreams, whose name
was Dhonai (from dhon – ‘wealth’) and promised him seven boats full of honey
and wax if he could have Dukhe in return. Dhonai cried out:
Raimoni nibedi charane,
Dinga laye ashiachhi mahal karane,
Dhup dhuna ayojone puja bali lao,
Shaat dinga pura more mom modhu dao,
Toma bhabe ashiyachhi laiya taroni,
Tomar choron bina onyo nahi jani,
Mom modhu diya mor rakho bochon,
Natuba tomar age tajibo jibon|
(dhonai the
boatman prayed to dokhhinrai for his blessings and asked him for seven boats
full of honey and wax from the forest. He worshiiped ray with incense and
offered sacrifices. He entreated ray to fulfill his desires: ‘either you give
me honey and wax or I shall lay down my life.’)
After some
hesitation, the uncle agreed and left Dukhe on the banks of Kedokhali Island
and his boat sailed off piled with honey and wax.
Raimoni mokam korila sendu bone,
Pujila rayer pado nana ayojane,
Chini pheni malom sandesh kato ar,
Dhup diye gondho puja nana upohar,
Shanibare rayer puja dilo dhona
naiya,
Ekkhani chaak shese lailo katiya,
Mone mone bole dukhe dilam tomare|
(Dokkhinrai
made forest of sendu trees his home. Dhonai made all the arrangements for his
worship with incense, sweet meats etc. On Saturday after worshipping Dokkhinrai
he cut down a hive and mentally declared “I offer you Dukhe as a sacrifice”.)
Just as
Dukhe was about to be devoured by Dokkhin Rai, he called out to Bonbibi. She
took him in her arms.
Echham ajam pariya mata gaete
phukila,
Samalia dukhe tokhon uthia bosila|
(The mother
Bonbibi chanted hymns in the name of Allah and blew into the pores of his body.
Dukhe got back his senses.)
She then
rescued him and sent her brother Shah Jongoli to beat up Dokkhinrai. Dokkhinrai
ran away from the forest.
Darete osthir rai kapite lagila,
Gaji jendar hujurete hajir hoila,
Bose achhilo barkhagaji kalu dosta
jora,
Samnete shaat bagh rohiyachhe khara,
Pingal boron tanu sonar shamiyana,
Nuner putul moto sorir kancha sona,
Saha sikandar badshah Allah jare
raji,
Tahar beta chander chhata shah barkha
gaji,
Duniya beria tambu dilo jei jon,
Manik poros adi besumar dhan,
Chouda hajar bagh ache sahar prahari,
Mayur murale kalu rai kare gai,
Henokale upanita dokkhiner rai|
(Dokkhinrai
began to shake with fear. He went for shelterto the place where Barkhan ghazi
sat with his friend kalu. Seven tigers stood up right in front of him. Gorgeous
to look at, he had a soft golden halo around him. Shah sikandar was a devotee
of Allah, and his son was no other than Barkhan Ghazi himself. His umbrella was
unfurled over the whole world and his wealth had no limit. The handsome ghazi
sat there with fourteen thousand tigers to guard him. Kalu, decked with peacock
feathers was in attendance when Dokkhinrai arrived there.)
In fear for
his life, Dokkhin Rai ran to his friend the Ghazi. Ghazi, who is a pir, suggests
Dokkhin Rai ask forgiveness from Bonbibi by calling her ‘mother’.
Shuno nek mai,
Tomar hujure mago ek bhiksha chai,
Dokkhinrai pare kop koro dur,
Ei khatire ailam tomar hujur|
(Ghazi asked
Bonbibi, ‘good mother, grant me this wish. Don’t be angry with Dokkhinrai.
Pardon him.’)
He then takes him to Bonbibi and pleads on
Dokkhin Rai’s behalf. Bonbibi, heeding the Ghazi’s intervention, accepts
Dokkhin Rai’s apology and accepts him as her ‘son’.
Atharo bhatir madhye ami sabar ma,
Ma bole je dake tar dukh thake na,
Sonkote poriya jeba ma bole dakibe,
Kadachit himsa tai kabhu na karibe|
(I am the
mother of all beings within these eighteen lowlands. Anybody who hails me as
mother gets relief from all sufferings. You must not cause injury to anybody
who appeals to me in danger.)
Hearing
these words, Dokkhinrai filled with remorse, and made a solemn promise.
Shuno shuno mata arjo amar,
Satya satya tin satya satya angikar,
Banete asiya jeba ma dakibe,
Ama hote himsa tar kadacha na hobe|
(Mother,
listen my vow, ‘I shall never cause harm to anyone who appeals to you for
protection.’)
However,
Dokkhinrai starts arguing that if humans are given a free reign there will be
no forest left. So, to be fair and ensure that Dokkhinrai and his retinue of
tigers and spirits stop being a threat to humans, and humans stop being a
threat to non-humans (i.e. wild animals and spirits), Bonbibi elicits promises
from Dukhe, Dokkhinrai and the Ghazi that they are all to treat each other as
‘brothers’. She does this by forcing Dokkhinrai and the Ghazi to part with some
of their wood and gold respectively and by making Dukhe promise that he and his
kind heed the injunction that they are to enter the forest only with a pobitro mon (pure heart) and khali hate (empty handed). She then sends
Dukhe back to the village a rich man so that he does not have to work in the
forest again.
The
personification in the above mentioned songs is virtually transparent. We all
get to know at once that Dokkhinrai is none other than the man eating tiger of
the Sunderbans, whereas Bonbibi is the spirit of the forest in its benign
aspect. Bonbibi saved Dukhe from the clutches of the tiger and sent him home on
the back of a crocodile. Dokkhinrai is the fierce spirit of the tiger who must
be propitiated. Bonbibi, on the contrary, is the embodiment of the forest
itself, cast in a feminine form. The personification of the forest as a kind
mother who protects all woodcutters and honey-gatherers is evident in the
manner in which Bonbibi allays Dukhe’s fears regarding the crocodile.
Bibi bole
ore dukhe,
Kumbhire na
khabe toke.
Ei bate nahi
daro tumi.
Kumnhirer
pith pare,
Jaite Jodi
bhoi kare,
Kole niya
bosibo j ami.
Sunia tobe
dukhe koi,
Se hoila
kiser bhoi,
Thaki Jodi
jononir kole,
Kahe hin
kobikar,
Amon nasib
kar,
Bonbibi beta
jare bole|
(Mother
Bonbibi said: ‘my poor Dukhe, the crocodile will not eat you, don’t have any
fear on that score. If you are afraid to ride on the crocodile, I shall take
you on my lap.’ Hearing this Dukhe said: ‘if I am on my mother’s lap then I
have nothing to fear.’ The poor poet says, whoever had such good fortune as to
be called a son by Bonbibi herself.’)
|
Typical clay figure of Bonbibi with her brother Shah Jongli and Dukhe at her feet. |