Indian Antiquary Vol 11

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 47

FOLKLORE IN THE PANJAB.
FEBRUARY, 1882.]
showing how this has occurred in the so-called "Language" of the Sâisis, he says in effect (p. xvii) that there is no real language of the Sânsis, but that it is a mere mutation of ordinary Panjabi words for criminal or jocular purposes, having, however, slang applications of words and slang words in it.
(1.) CHARM FOR SNAKEBITE. Jhára sap waddhe dá.
Gur gunge, gur bâware, gur atar" amîr, Gurân" to chêle vichhre kushti hove sarîr. Tuk bashkian, Nathâ bâshkiân, Takhtu bish
kian, ghar ghar Guggå gavien,"
Charhe Guggi Chauhân, Guggâ mandali" sêveň, Bâwaro půjâi, sône di batti, rûpe dâ tumbâ;" Chal Mantar! Phur's wâz!1s Guggà Mahant, têrî kâr chhare; to chhare! Lûn dî khâi's vich galle.
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Charm for Snakebite.
A gurû dumb, a gurû mad, is still a gurû good and great.
Followers who leave gurus will lepers surely
be.
Tuk snakes, Natha snakes, Takhtu snakes; Gugga, sung in every house,
Guggi Chauhan comes, the people worship Guggå. Jangal worship, golden candle, silver gourd; Work charm! Act voice!
Guggâ Saint, thy charm works; let it work! And dissolve him in a mine of salt.
The idea of this charm is that the snakebite
Jhara sap waddhe dA, Panj. form of the Hindi words Mantar sup katte ko. Jhard is the Hindi and Panj. form for the classical mantra, a charm, exorcism. Sap, Panj. form of the Hindi sanp, a snake. All the North Indian modern words for snake, as smp, sop, sap, etc., spring from the Sansk. sarpa, through the Prak. (and Pali) form from the old fundamental root srip to
Waddhe is the Panj. representation exactly of the Hindi katte, though perhaps this itself is a Panj. pronunciation of kat, a bite, cut.
Gur vulgar for gura both in Hind! and Panj. Gungh is the Panj. pronunciation of the Hindi guaigh, dumb. BAward one of the numerous (vulgar) pronunciations of biola, mad, deranged; the usual Panj. word is kamb Plurals here are used out of respect.
Atar for 'itar, essence, scent-here used for anything very valuable; atar is the pron, in the Panj. always, and the Panjabis usually spell it atar. This line is in praise of Gugga.
Gurda, clearly a plural of gur, not of guru, showing gur to be considered a bona fide word and not a poetical license for gura.
To, from, for the ordinary Panj. form ton. It is the same word as the Hindi se, of. old Hindi forms sun, sett, te and the Sansk. sakálat, tas and sas. Vichhre from vichharna for bichharni, to be separated. Kush for kushthi, leprous; another Panj. form is kort (korht). Sartr, the body, and Sansk. sartra. The praise of Guggs is here
continued.
Gavien-Panj., is sung, praised. The charmer being uncertain what snake has bitten the patient now calls
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will be cured through the intervention of the Gurt (sacred teacher) Guggâ. Guggâ is therefore first praised and finally invoked, and the charm is then requested to work and cure the patient. After the praise of Guggå the different kinds of poisonous snakes are invoked, as the charmer is uncertain. which kind has bitten the sufferer, and hopes, by informing them all that he is about to invoke Gugga, that the particular snake who has offended will be induced to take his poison out of the patient.
Tuk-I have been unable to trace this word, unless it means "little." Búsikt, Panj., any venomous serpent. Basak nag (= Vasuki) is Sesha both in Hindi and Panj. Tuk, Nathá, Takhtu. We have here these three names connected with bdshkidn or Någas. Now Nita and Takshaka were names of Någas, and may be the origin of these modern words at least there appears to be no other derivation of them.
Guggd, Gogi, Gúgd or Gurd Gugg4.-Information regarding this Saint is excessively conflicting and doubtful. According to accounts I have gathered he flourished any time between 1000 A.D. to 1600 A.D. It will be best perhaps to give the various accounts first, and then work out the deductions. Tod in his Annals of Rajasthan (Madras ed. vol. II, p. 413) in relating the annals of Bandi says, "Goga, son of Vacha Raja (Chauhan) held the Jangal Des or forest lands from the Satlaj to Hariâna, and had a capital Mehera (= Gogâ kâ Mairi) on the Satlaj.10 He fell in its defence with 45 sons and 60 nephews on Sunday (Rabbwdr) the ninth (naumt) of the month," which day is held sacred to the manes of Gogâ through
upon them all to leave him, and commences to invoke GuggA, Mandali-lit. an assembly, the people. Seven worships; Hind. send; Panj. stund; Sansk. sev, to follow, seek, worship.
10 Bawar for bår, the jangal, forest. This word appears to be Panjabi purely. It is connected with Sansk. vara, anything which covers or surrounds-again Sansk. virksha is a forest, from vriksha (root doubtful), a tree.
11 Púnba, pron. tambaa gourd used by faqirs as a drinking cup-Sanek. tumba-a gourd, Lagenaria vulgaris. Hindt forms are tómri, tumrt, tombrt, tomb. I have no explanation to offer for the expressions golden candle, &c.-they seem to be sheer nonsense.
13 Phurn, Panj., to act (a charm), jhard barâ phurtá hai-the charm acts well. Phurn. Sansk. sphur-to break forth, become evident.-Hindi, phurtt, quickness. 13 Waz for Persian Awaz, voice.
14 Mahant, Sansk. mahanta; mah, great, the head of a religious order. As Guggå was a Chanhan he would now be considered a Muhammadan saint in the Panjab. Calling him Mahant here however does not really indicate anything as to his religion, for in another mantra Hanuman is called paighambar, and is invoked in connection with Allah and Muhammad.
1 Khôi, a ditch, moat, Panj. and Hindi; vich. Panj. prep. in. Hindi bich, Sansk. vich to separate.
1 Also called Gugg& Mort: it is 24 miles from Sirså. 17 Sawan sudi naumi is the date of Guggå's festival, about 15th August: Bhadon badt naumi, a fortnight later, is sometimes also made the date.