Rustic Love Expressions of Maharashtra

Author(s): Nalini Joshi
Publisher: Nalini Joshi

Page 4

"'"'The feeling of that love, which is first estranged and then composed, and in which the fault (of either of the pair) is directly visible, become flavorless - like water (first) heated and then made cold." (1.53)
One of the poets describes the pseudo-anger in love-sport of a young couple. The meaning can be paraphrased likewise -
""Look here! the feeling of displeasure towards her lover adopted by the lady, fretted by jealous anger, slips away quickly like a handful of very fine sand." (1.74)
The onomatopoetic word "surasuranto', which is the adjective of the "fine sand', is quite noteworthy.
Actually, in this anthology, the power of words consists in the usage of proper deshi words, having the flavor of the rustic ideas of the village-dwellers. Half of the credit of the success goes to the apt use of proper deshi words - which have nothing to do with refined Sanskrit words. A very small list given bellow will illuminate the rustic nature of this poetry - adaanaa, attamatta, undura, ulla, ojhara, olugga, kakkara, khudda, khutta, golaa, gose, ghola, chiradi, chulachulanta, chojja, chippa, dhakka, tambaa, tuppa, paosa, pakkala, pattala, phaggu, bhandana, mankusa, maami, runda, lukka, vallara, vellahala, baaulla, saaulee, hallaphalla, hutta ..... and so on.
Again, going back to the main theme of love, one poet of this anthology thinks that when one looses one's love, the person starts thinking of various alternatives. These options are enumerated in a very simple manner and simple words. We feel the attitude of philosophizing the emotion of love in the verse 1.76
At another place the jealousy of co-wives (sautana) is captured and stated by using unique poetic imagination, which is really rare. The verse means - ""The red color of her lips, which was wiped off by the kiss of her lover on the previous night, is seen reflected next morning in the eyes of her co-wives." (2.6) A typical filmy love-triangle is also not new when we read -
saa tujjha vallahaa, tam si majjha veso si, teea tujjha alam & baalaa phudam bhanaamo pemmam kira bahu-viaaram tti &&
"She is your beloved, but you are mine. You are an object of hatred to her, and I am hated by you. O boy, I plainly state this - love is said to have many transformations." (2.26)
The extreme condition of love-lorn youngsters is described in Gaathaa-sapta-shatee 2.41. The psychology of a widow or widower is expressed thus -