Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 52

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(FEBRUARY, 1931
TRANSLATION. (There was) a Kevatina who used to live in a small cottage with many doors, inside which she used to adorn herself, tying her hair in beautiful knots and fixing a golden comb therein. Even on rainy days, when the road was slippery, the Keratina would stroll with mincing gait to the bazár. While others sat in nooks and corners, the Kevatina used to sit in the middle of the bâzâr on a golden chair, with a silver tray (before her). (Once) the Raja came up to the Kevatina (and said): "All eat fish after paying for it ; nobody eats fish without payment: so tell me, Kevatina, the price of thy fish." "What price may I tell of my fish, oh Raja ? The day dawa fish is the same price as a Gandawâ; the ghasard fish is the price of a Kalara ; the aichha fish, that of a Teli; the sodiha fish, that of a Sunära ; the lúdd fish, that of a Dhurwa ; the bañjú fish, that of a Baniya ; the bhakura fish, that of a Thakura; the pad hind fish, that of a Pande ; the játä сhingrå fish, that of a Sannyasi ; the bhedo fish, that of a Gadaria ; the wrig. gling båmí, that of a Brahmana; the kára jiya, that of an Ahira; the khokhasi fish, that of a Goņd; the jhori fish, that of a Binjhwar; the salagi fish, that of a Dewar; (and) the crab that of a barber. The Raja, having listened so far, threw a stone at the Kevatina, but she (only) felt as if a ball of gram had been thrown at her. The Kevatina, however, made a suitable reply in words. The Râjâ's servants thereupon said: “This Kevatina is winning every point. Go and seize her by the hands and arms." The Kevatina then fled through fear. The RajA would have secured the Kevatina by some means, but at that moment she held out the skirt of her dress to the sun, whereupon she was completely burnt and turned into ashes. The Raja then returned home. After this the village boys said to the Kevata (her husband): "The Kevatina has committed sati, thinking that thou hadst been eaten up by alligators and crocodiles. The Kevata asked: "Where did she commit salf ?" "There, where the ashes are" (they replied). Then the Kevata made a vow to offer up seven pieces of cloth, and for seven days kept awake, looking at a lamp, in the flame of which the Kevatina appeared and vaid to the Kevata : "I was very beautiful and therefore the Raja was trying to catoh me, so I burnt myself and asked God to give me birth in the form of & black woman: Let everybody eat rioe and gram parched by a Kovatina, and not (that parched) by others.
MISCELLANEA. CORRUPTIONS OF URDU IN THE PENAL care is taken to split up nationalities, with the
SETTLEMENT OF PORT BLAIR. result that, except on matters of daily common The following noto is taken out of the Census concern, the convicte are unable to converse' con Report of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 1901, fidentially together. and is useful to show how new forms and words creep The Urdu of Port Blair is thus not only exceed. into Urdu owing to local conditions in different parte ingly corrupt from natural causes, but it is filled of India. At Port Blair the conditions are of course with technicalities arising out of looal conditions most unusual, as a large number of convicts from and the special requirements of convict life. Even every part of the Indian Empire are there collected, the vernacular of the local born is loaded with them. and it was naturally ewential to select a lingua franca, These technicalities are partly derived from English which all would have to learn to a certain extent. and are partly specialised applications to now uses of It was equally natural to select Urdu for that purpure or corrupted Urdu words. Pose, and it is accordingly now found to be spoken The most prominent grammatical characteristio there in overy possible variety of corruption and with of this dialect of Urdu appears in the numerals, every variety of accent. All the convicte lonrn it to which are overywhere Urdu, but are not spoken an extent sufficient for their daily wants and the according to correct Urdu custom. Thus, the understanding of orders and directions. It is also the convicts and all dealing with them count up to 20 vernacular of the local born, whatever their descent. regularly, and then between the tens simply add Tho small extent to which many absoluto strangers the units, instead of using special terme, e.g.. . to it, such as the Burmese, inhabitants of Madras, convict, whatever his nationality or mother tongue, and so on, master it is one of the safeguards of the will give his number, say, 12,536, as band hazdr Settlement, as it makes it impossible for any general pdnch sau de chhe, twelve thousand five hundred plot to be hatched. In barracks, in boats, and on thirty six. He would never say, oven if born and works where men have to be congregated, overy I bred in Hindustani proper, band hasdr pdnoh nate