132 
G. A. Grierson —TJie Song of Bijai Mai. 
[Sp. No. 
servant.* * * § Up rose Queen Maina saying, ‘ Husband, bear my words.f 
Our daughter has become fit for marriage. Go forth into the coun¬ 
try, and have searchJ made for a spouse for her.’ (50) King Bawan 
Suba§ went away, and sat in his audience-chamber, and the proud 
Bawan Suba thus spake, ‘ Hear, 0 well-read Pandit, my daughter is 
ready for marriage. (55) Take with you a barber’s|| lad, go forth 
into the country, and search for a bridegroom. 0 Pandit, take money 
with you, and go forth and search. Search for a house worthy of 
my house, (60) and search for a boy worthy of my child.^ Search 
for a co-father-in-law worthy of a co-father-in-law.’ On hearing** * * §§ these 
words the Pandit took money, and a barber lad (65), and went forth to 
the south country, but he found not a boy worthy of Tilki.ff He searched 
unsuccessfully in the east country, and in the north. He ran to many 
cities and returned, (70) but found not a bridegroom worthy of Tilki. 
Then he went to Bawan’s audience hall, and there the barber lad bowed 
lowJJ and made obeisance. The Pandit blessed him, and up rose the 
proud Bawan Suba and said (75) ‘ Tell me the news about the boy.’ ‘ 0 
king, I have wandered to and from many cities, but, lo, your daughter 
has been born an enemy to you. Nowhere have I found a boy worthy 
of her ? (80) On hearing this, up rose the proud Bawan Suba and 
said ; ‘ Go to the west country, to the city of Ghunghun, there is there a 
great king and a boy worthy of Tilki.’ (85) On hearing this the Pandit 
went to the city of Ghunghun, into the king’s audience-hall. Up rose the 
Brahman Pandit and said, ‘hear my humble petition.§§ (90) Your 
majesty has two sons, I would see the goods which your Majesty has 
* lit. a barber’s wife, long form of wbiob is fern, of 
‘ a barber.’ Women of this caste are much used as domestic servants, and are even 
indispensable at ceremonies, such as marriages, &c. 
f is a feminine long form of ‘ a word.’ This form gives a 
diminutive sense, something like, ‘ my dear little word’. 
J rfo is preterite conjunctive, in the rare sense of an Imperative. It is 
from \/ the causal form of v/ 
§ This is evidently the name of the king, but there appears to be some confu¬ 
sion with the fifty-two Subas mentioned in the well-known Alha and Rudal. 
11 In arranging a marriage a barber is the recognized negotiator. 
<1[ is here used, in common gender, to signify ‘ child’. It refers to the 
king’s daughter. 
is locative of which is long form of which is the 
verbal noun of ‘ hear’, 
ff The name of the Princess. 
XX indecl. participle of \/ *1^ to bow. 
§§ as before noted is diminutive. 
