290 Journal of the Asiatic Sociely of Bengal. [N.S., XVII, 
ciated. Our samples are a!l three of the kind. Cleverness in 
allusion, and dexterity in conveying hidden meanings are 
greatly admired. The words used may be quotations or, 
though it isa rare gift to be able to do so, may be made up on 
the spur of the moment Asarule the sentences spoken are 
quotations from an immense mass of oral tradition floating 
about—mostly unrecorded—in the minds of the people. If an 
answer is not to the point the listeners declare one of the 
defeat. Non-reply, too, disqualifies. Prompters are some- 
times allowed, and sometimes the actual speakers are not 
limited to a single pair but they wrangle in parties. A variety 
of the AAR AR is the ay aN in which not two people 
~ 
keep up a dialogue but in which each of those present is sum- 
moned in turn to recite or declaim his line or lines. On sucii 
occasions the individual called up may either choose a song, 
AIGAT", a story, Sar gS, or a hymn AAAS, or snatches 
from them, but the essential point is that he should be ready to 
declaim coherently and properly, immediately when called upon 
to do so. ho is silent when called up is declared defeated. 
It may be readily imagined that at these occasions a great deal 
of good-natured but rather rough and heavy banter, chaff and 
badinage is indulged in. When the dialogue is an amorous one 
it readily assumes a form of verbal horse-play. Innuendo is a 
great point and the old battle of the sexes is. fought in all the 
accents of coyness, disdain, masterfulness, artfulness, coquetry 
or broadness in turn. Poetic and delicate feelings and similes 
are not absent either. Good gsung bshad experts boast of being 
able to keep up the contest for days without failing and with- 
out repetition. They will boast that :— 
ome fave oe gy She gut mn ter ay 
TRCHAS HAG 
gS A YRA OS | 
Vea] 
paiblaus Ts 20/08, ova 
I have a dammed up sea of old songs. 
I have a heaped up mountain of new songs. 
Now I will pull out ——_ the breast-fold of my coat. 
er. 
The song in answ 
1 For 3:4 in the above verse, often E-xqy is said. I obtained this 
verse from Lama Padmacandra. 
