This is a rather interesting folktale from Nepal. I am very unsure about the details, but I do know the gist of the story. So let’s just say that this is my own twist to the story. There are many different words for ‘death’, but the one used here is ‘काल’ (kaal). काल (kaal) can also mean time, but when it is meant as ‘death’, it is rather taken in the meaning of ‘time of dying’. The expression काल आउनु (kaal aaunu) means ‘For death to come’.
This folktale attempts to explain why we cannot see Death. It begins by personifying death as an entity and contains some supernatural elements. Just like any other folklore, it has a lot of variation (and sometimes a different ending!) I try to be as literal as possible, so the English isn’t exactly Shakespearean.
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STORY
एकादेशमा एउटा जवान मान्छे थियो। त्यो मान्छे एक दिन घरमा बस्दैगर्दा काल उसको ढोकामा आइपुग्यो। काल देखेर त्यो मान्छेलाई डर लाग्यो।
कालले उसलाई भन्यो, “म काल हुँ। तिम्रो मृत्यु अबको एक हप्तामा हुन्छ।” यो सुनेर त्यो मान्छेलाई धेरै डर लाग्यो। त्यो मान्छेले सोध्यो, “तपाईं काल नै हो र ?” यो सुनेर कालले एउटा बाटोमा हिँडिरहेको मान्छेलाई देखायो। त्यो बटुवा त्यहीँ नै मर्यो। यो देखेर त्यो मान्छेलाई धेरै डर लाग्यो। कालले उसलाई भन्यो, “म तिमीलाई अब को सातामा लिन आउँछु।”
काल गएपछि त्यो मान्छेले जुक्ति निकाल्यो। त्यो साताभित्र उसले सबैभन्दा माथिलो तलाको एउटा कोठामा ठूलो फलामको ढोका बनायो। त्यो फलामको ढोकामा एउटा ठूलो आँख्लो राख्यो।
एक हप्तापछि काल उसको घरमा आयो। त्यो मान्छेले उसलाई “घर देखाउँछु” भनेर त्यो माथिलो तलाको कोठामा लाग्यो। हतार हतार त्यो मान्छे त्यो कोठाबाट निक्लेर त्यो ढोका बन्द गर्यो र त्यो आँख्लो लगाइदियो। काल निक्लन सकेन। काल त्यो कोठाको कैदी भयो।
यो घटना भएको धेरै बर्ष भइसकेको थियो। तर यो बिचको समयमा केही जन्तुको मृत्यु भएन। यो देखेर यमराज आत्तिए। यमराज अब आफैँ काल खोज्न गयो।
खोज्दै गर्दा यमराजले काल थुनिएको घरमा आइपुग्यो। उसले काललाई मुक्त गर्यो। यो घटनाले गर्द काल आघात भएको थियो। कालले धन्यवाद दिँदै यमराजलाई भन्यो, “प्रभु, म अब यो काम गर्दिन।” यो सुनेर यमराजले भन्यो, “काम त गर्नै पर्छ। बरु तिमी काम गर्दा कसैले नदेख्ने चै बनाइदिन्छु।” त्यसैले काल आउँदा कसैले काललाई देख्दैनन्।
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MEANING
एकादेशमा एउटा जवान मान्छे थियो (ekadesh`ma euta jawaan manche thiyo)
= Once upon a time, there was a young person.
त्यो मान्छे एक दिन घरमा बस्दैगर्दा काल उसको ढोकामा आइपुग्यो (tyo manche ek din ghar`ma basdaigarda kaal usko dhoka`ma aaipugyo)
= That person one day while sitting at home, Death came to his door.
काल देखेर त्यो मान्छेलाई डर लाग्यो (kaal dekhera tyo manche`lai dar laagyo)
= After seeing Death, that person felt afraid.
कालले उसलाई भन्यो, “म काल हुँ (kaal`le uslai bhanyo, “ma kaal hu)
= Death told him, “I am Death.
तिम्रो मृत्यु अबको एक हप्तामा हुन्छ (timro mrityu aba`ko ek hapta`ma huncha)
= Your death will happen one week from now.
यो सुनेर त्यो मान्छेलाई धेरै डर लाग्यो (yo sunera tyo manche`lai dherai dar laagyo)
= After hearing this, he felt very afraid.
त्यो मान्छेले सोध्यो, “तपाईं काल नै हो र (tyo manche`le sodhyo, “tapai kaal nai ho ra)
= That person asked, “Are you really Death?”
यो सुनेर कालले एउटा बाटोमा हिँडिरहेको मान्छेलाई देखायो (yo sunera kaal`le euta baato`ma hidiraheko manche`lai dekhayo)
= After hearing this, Death pointed out to a person walking on the street.
त्यो बटुवा त्यहीँ नै मर्यो (tyo batuwa tyahi nai maryo)
= That pedestrian died (then and) there.
यो देखेर त्यो मान्छेलाई धेरै डर लाग्यो (yo dekhera tyo manche`lai dherai dar laagyo)
= After seeing this, the person felt very afraid.
कालले उसलाई भन्यो, “म तिमीलाई अबको सातामा लिन आउँछु (kaal`le uslai bhanyo, “ma timi`lai aba`ko saata`ma lina aauchu)
= Death told him, “I shall come to get you one week from now.
काल गएपछि त्यो मान्छेले जुक्ति निकाल्यो (kaal gaepachi tyo manche`le jukti nikaalyo)
= After death left, that person took out an idea. [thought of an idea]
त्यो साताभित्र उसले सबैभन्दा माथिलो तलाको एउटा कोठामा ठूलो फलामको ढोका बनायो (tyo sata`bihtra usle sabaibhanda mathilo tala`ko euta kotha`ma thulo phalaam`ko dhoka banayo)
= Within that week, he made a big iron door on a room on the topmost floor.
त्यो फलामको ढोकामा एउटा ठूलो आँख्लो राख्यो (tyo phalam`ko dhoka`ma euta thulo aakhlo rakyo)
= He kept a big akhlo on the iron door.
एक हप्तापछि काल उसको घरमा आयो (ek hapta`pachi kaal usko ghar`ma ayo)
= After one week, Death came to his house.
त्यो मान्छेले उसलाई “घर देखाउँछु” भनेर त्यो माथिलो तलाको कोठामा लाग्यो (tyo manche`le uslai “ghar dekhauchu” bhanera tyo mathilo tala`ko kotha`ma lagyo)
= That person after saying “(I’ll) show the house” took Death to that uppermost floor.
हतार हतार त्यो मान्छे त्यो कोठाबाट निक्लेर त्यो ढोका बन्द गर्यो र त्यो आँख्लो लगाइदियो (hatar hatar tyo manche tyo kotha`bata niklera tyo dhoka banda garyo ra tyo aakhlo lagaaidyo)
= Hurriedly, that person got out of that room, locked that door and placed the akhlo.
काल निक्लन सकेन (kaal niklana sakena)
= Death could not get out.
काल त्यो कोठाको कैदी भयो (kaal tyo kotha`ko kaidi bhayo)
= Death became a prisoner of that room.
यो घटना भएको धेरै बर्ष भइसकेको थियो (yo ghatana bhaeko dherai barsa bhaisakeko thiyo)
= This event happened many years ago.
तर यो बिचको समयमा केही जन्तुको मृत्यु भएन (tara yo bich`ko samaya`ma kehi jantu`ko mrityu bhaena)
= Within that period, no organism’s death happened.
यो देखेर यमराज आत्तिए (yo dekhera yamraj attiye)
= Yamaraj became worried after seeing this.
यमराज अब आफैँ काल खोज्न गयो (yamaraj aba aafai kaal khojna gayo)
= Yamaraj himself went to look for Death.
खोज्दै गर्दा यमराजले काल थुनिएको घरमा आइपुग्यो (khojdai garda yamaraj`le kal thunieko ghar`ma aipugyo)
= While searching, Yamaraj came at the house where Death was locked.
उसले काललाई मुक्त गर्यो (usle kaal`lai mukta garyo)
= He freed Death.
यो घटनाले गर्दा काल आघात भएको थियो (yo ghatna`le garda kaal aaghaat bhaeko tihyo)
= Because of this event Death was traumatised.
कालले धन्यवाद दिँदै यमराजलाई भन्यो, “प्रभु, म अब यो काम गर्दिन।” (kaal`le dhayabaad didai yamaraaj`lai bhanyo, “prabhu, ma aba yo kaam gardina”)
= Death thanked Yamaraj and told him, “Lord, I will not do this work from no on.”
यो सुनेर यमराजले भन्यो, “काम त गर्नै पर्छ। (yo sunera yamaraj`le bhanyo, “kaam ta garnai parcha)
= After hearing this Yamaraj told, “(You have) to do work.
बरु तिमी काम गर्दा कसैले नदेख्ने चै बनाइदिन्छु।” (baru timi kaam garda kasaile nadekhne chai banaidinchu)
= Rather, I’ll make it that no one will see you when you do your work.
त्यसैले काल आउँदा कसैले काललाई देख्दैनन् (tyasaile kaal auda kasaile kaallai dekhdainan)
= That’s why no one sees Death when Death arrives.
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VOCABULARY
जवान (jawan) = Young
काल (kaal) = 1. (here) Death 2. Time
मृत्यु (mrityu) = Death
बटुवा (batuwa) = Pedestrian; Person who walks on the street
साता (sata) = Seven days; Week
जुक्ति (jukti) = Idea; Plan
तला (tala) = Floor; Storey
फलाम (phalam) = Iron
आँख्लो (akhlo) = A long vertical bar across a doorway that acts as a lock
कैदी (kaidi) = Prisoner
जन्तु (jantu) = Being
यमराज (yamaraj) = The Hindu God of the Afterlife
आत्तिए (aatie) = Form of the verb ‘ आत्तिनु’ (attinu) which means ‘To Panic’
मुक्त (mukta) = Free (something)
आघात (aghat) = Traumatised
प्रभु (prabhu) = Lord
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QUESTIONS
1. Find a synonym for प्रभु (prabhu), मृत्यु (mrityu) and जवान (jawan).
2. Is death necessary? Did the person do the right thing (or ruined it for everyone)?
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ANSWERS (for illustrative purposes only)
1. परमेश्वर (parmeshwar), दशा (dashaa), किशोर (kishor)