1884.] 
J, N. Kae —Baiswdri Folk Songs. 
249 
lidjd. If a woman go with me, it will be impossible for me to live 
in the dreaiy desolate (wilderness) ; for we shall have to walk on and 
on, day and night, (and there will be) a double amount of trouble. 
When we come across a town and take rest, burning incense around 
us, (who knows,) the king of that town might come to (visit) the Jogi ; 
he will see thy beautiful ruddy face and will entertain evil thoughts. 
He will kill me and make thee his principal queen. So both will come to 
grief—earthly joys and heavenly blessings. Worship thou the Protector 
of the poor (i. e., God), so that He may vouchsafe to me salvation.^ Call 
me thy son, and give me alms, so that my devotions may insure to me 
immortality (lit. be immortal). Oh queen Syamdeo, why dost thou not 
listen to me ? 
Thereupon the queen Syamdeo replied : Listen to me, 0 king ; if 
thou wilt be a hermit and wander about, play with me at dice. 
Fdjd. Why does the Raiii want me to play at dice, and what am I 
to take in my hand as a stake ? 
Bdm. If I lose I shall go along with thee, and if I gain I shall not 
let thee go. 
Bdjd. 0 queen, pray do not lay such a wager that secures both ends 
for thyself. (Let it be thus :) If Syamdeo win, I shall stay at home for ten 
days more, but if Bhar’thari win, he will not take thee along with him. 
Row the prince ordered the dice to be brought, and began to play. 
The queen held the dice in her hands and said, “ 0 dice, hear my 
entreaties ; give me the reward of my (good) actions and let there be a 
cast of 16 and 7.” 
This little song describes in a few words the legend of Bhar’thari, 
king of Nain’ghar, a place said to have been situate somewhere near 
Mirzapur.f The king suddenly became of an ascetic turn of mind, and 
was on the point of going to the woods, when the queen interposed with 
a view to dissuade him. But all these importunities were of no avail. 
The Raja did leave his home for the woods, where he became a disciple 
of Gorakh’nath Baba. This accounts for the songs relating to the life of 
Raja Bhar’thari being so widely sung by the mendicants belonging to 
the order of Gorakh’nath Baba. They sing these songs with a very pathe¬ 
tic and rueful countenance in accompaniment with the harp (sarang). 
* (Lit., ‘ so that he may ferry me across (the sea of life) in a boat,’— Ed.] 
t [Tliis legend evidently refers to the famous Bhartrihari, said to he a brother 
of Vikramaditya of Ujjain, who became an ascetic.— Ed.] 
