Indian Antiquary Vol 51

SR No.: 032543
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1985
Total Pages: 374
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 369

HIR AND RANJHA
59
DECEMBER, 1922]
Temple in his book alludes to the version by Waris Shah and says he has been told that it is the most popular of all and that it has the reputation of having been written in the most idiomatic Panjabi. Temple is right in both of these criticisms.
There are many reasons why an English translation of Waris Shah's poem would be welcome. In the first place it is the most popular and best written book in the Panjabi language. The language of the dialogues-and the book is made up principally of dialogue -corresponds almost exactly with the vernacular spoken in the Central and West Central parts of the Panjab. There could be no better text book for students of the language.
The Central dramatic situation-a girl in love with a man whom she is not allowed to marry, hurriedly married elsewhere against her will-is a good one and it must strike a sympathetic chord in the heart of every man and woman in the Panjab.
But the chief merit of Waris Shah's poem is that round this interesting central problem, he has woven an excellent description of Panjab village life. I doubt if there is any other book which gives such a good picture of the village life of this province.
We are told that Bullah Shah, a Sufi poet and contemporary of Waris Shah was a great friend of Darshani Nath. The latter from his name appears to have been a Jogi. Possibly Waris Shah too was personally acquainted with some of the Jogis. From internal evidence of the poem I should gather this was the case. His description of the Jogis on Tilla, of their jealousy of Ranjha and of their quarrels with Balnath, gives the impression of a picture drawn from personal experience.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the whole poem is the light it throws on the Jat character. It is admitted, I think, by everybody that Waris Shah has drawn the Jat to the life. The Jat is a rough and violent person. His chief weapon of offence is cunning or brute force. Rânjha overcomes the scruples of the Mullah by the mere violence of his abuse and one is rather surprised that the Mullah gives way so tamely. Hir does not hesitate to thrash her lame uncle Kaido most unmercifully; Kaido retaliates later on in the story by an equally savage onslaught on Hir's girl friends. Both sides indulge in a lot of very rough horse play. Chuchak remarks with pride that Jats are crafty swindlers.
When Chuchak finds that his buffaloes refuse to eat after Ranjha's dismissal, he at once recalls him, being apparently more concerned with the welfare of his cattle than with the reputation of his daughter. This attitude of Hir's parents is a little puzzling, because shortly before this Chuchak has been declaring that Hir ought to be poisoned and killed for her outrageous conduct, and her mother Milki had been equally emphatic, and yet they ask Ranjha to come back, thus inviting a repetition of the scandal.
Their whole attitude towards their daughter is interesting. Their anger seems mainly prompted by personal pride; what they are chiefly concerned about is not that Hir has done what is wrong, but that they will get taunted about it by other people in the village. When Kaido proposes to poison Hir, the chief argument he uses is that if the Sials let Ranjha marry Hir, the Sials in future will incur the reproach of double dealing. They poison Hir not to punish Hir or Rânjha but to save themselves from the sarcasms of their neighbours.
The interview between Rânjha and Balnath throws an interesting light on the characters of both sides. When once Rânjha has been initiated as a Jogi by Balnath, he throws off all disguise and admits that his real object in becoming a Jogi was to obtain in that disguise an interview with Hir. Balnath is naturally angry at having been thus deceived, and yet at the end of a very few minutes Rânjha wins him round to such an extent that he induces him to offer a solemn prayer for the success of his adventure.