1884.] 
133 
G. A. Grierson —The Song of Bijai Mai. 
for sale.’* * * § On hearing this, up rose king Gorakh Singh and said, 
‘ Hear, my son, Raiidhir. (95) Tell the damsel Hemiya to bring the 
prince.’ Up rose Randhir the Chhattri, ‘ hear 0 damsel Hemiya, 
(100) bring now the prince.’ The damsel Hemiya brought him, and 
the welhread Paiidit inspected him, and was satisfied,f ‘ 0 king, how 
much TilahX will you take for the |)rince.’ (105) Up rose king Gorakh 
Singh and said, ‘ Hear, 0 well-read Pandit, nine hundred thousand will 
I take as a TilaJc, six hundred thousand as a dowry, § four hundred 
thousand at the ceremony of Bucir puja,\\ (110) three hundred thousand 
when the prince puts on his sacred thread, and two hundred thousand 
at the ceremony of kanliwdri.^ On these conditions, 0 Pandit, will I 
give the prince in marriage’. On hearing this, the Pandit returned 
to the castle in the mountains, (115) into the audience chamber of his 
king. Up rose the well-read Pandit and said ‘ 0 king, hear my petition. 
There is a co-father-in-law w'orthy of you as co-father-in-law. There is 
a boy worthy of your child. (120) There is a house worthy of your 
house, but he asks for many rupees. He asks for a TilaJc of nine 
hundred thousand, for a dowry of six, for four at the ceremony of 
dud?' jpujd, (125) for three when the prince puts on the sacred thread, 
and for two at the ceremony of hanliwdri. On hearing these words, 
O king, I agreed to the terms, and eight days hence I fixed as the 
day for the wedding.’ (130) Up rose the proud king Bawan Siiba 
and said. ‘ Hear, 0 my son Manik Chand. Open quickly the treasury 
and send an invitation** to some of the brotherhood. Load carts with 
provisions. (135) Tighten the pad on Bhawaranan the elephant,ff 
mount him and go to the land of Ghunghun. There offerthe Tilah 
for the prince.’ Hearing these words Prince Manik Chand departed, 
(140) and went till he reached the land of Ghunghun. He arrived 
* is goods for sale. Here it refers to the king’s marriageable son. In 
certain castes, in which it is difficult to find a fit husband for a girl, a high j^rice is 
paid to the parents of a suitable boy, to induce them to consent to the marriage. 
This price is made up of various items, viz., the Tilalc &c., mentioned further on. 
•f is long form of ‘ satisfaction.’ 
J The Tilalc is the price paid to bridegroom, on the settlement of thfe marriage. 
§ The present given to the bridegroom after the marriage, on leaving the 
bride’s house. 
II The ceremony of welcoming the bridegroom at the bride’s house. 
^ The ceremony of presenting a loin-cloth (Jcanhdwar) to the boy-bridegroom. 
The name is derived from Jcandhd, a shoulder, because at the time of gift, it is laid 
on the shoulder of the recipient. 
** \/ means, in Bhojpuri ‘ invite.’ The Maithil form is 
is long form of '^<511 a male elephant. 
lit. ‘ lay upon the prince’s (head),’ the technical term for the ceremony, 
R R 
