Today, I will tell you a short story entitled ‘पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ’ (pakau bhada pakau). This short story is a grade 3 Story, hence the words used are simple and clear. The title literally translates into ’Cook Utensil Cook’ but I wanted the title to be a pun, so it is ’Cook Kit! Cook’. Get it?
This story is an excellent viewpoint to see how Gender is differentiated in Nepali, especially seen in the verbs. The Protagonists are female in this short story.
Thank you TimroNepali for providing audio for the Story! It is greatly appricated! Click here to go to the video.
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STORY
धेरै पहिले एउटा गाउँमा एउटी बुढी आफ्नी छोरी बुनुसँग बस्थिन् । उनीहरु असाध्यै गरीब भएकाले बिहान र बेलुकाको छाक टार्नसमेत धौधौ पर्थ्यो । उनीहरुसँग पैसा थिएन । गरीब भएकाले कसैले पनि उनीहरुलाई हेर्दैनथे ।
एक दिनको कुरा हो । बुनु भोकले रून थालिन् । घरभित्र गएर खानेकुरा खोजिन्, तर केही पनि भेटिएन । बुनुले भोकलाई कसरी मार्ने भन्ने उपाय सोच्न थालिन् । बुनु खानेकुरा खोज्न वनतर्फ लागिन् । त्यही समय मा अकस्मात् एउटा ऋषि आएर भने, “तिमी यहाँ किन रोएकी, तिमीलाई के भयो ?” यसो भनेको सुन्द बुनुले भनिन् “भागवान्, म धेरै दिनदेखि भोकै छु, मैले केहि खाएकी छैनँ, घरमा आमा पनि भोकै बस्नुभएको छ, मलाई केही खानेकुरा दिनुहोस् ।” ऋषि दयालु थिए । ऋषिले बुनुलाई एउटा भाँडो दिएर भने, “यो भाँडो लैजाऊ, तिम्रो भोक जहिले खतम हुन्छ” । बुनुले भाँडा समाइन् । ऋषिले सम्झाउँदै भने, “हेर नानी, तिमीलाई भोक लाग्यो भने यो भाँडालाई ‘पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ’ भन्नू । त्यसपछि यस भाँडाले खीर पकाउँछ । खीर पाकिसकेपछि ‘रोक भाँडा रोक’ भन्नू । यसले पकाउन रोक्छ । ”
त्यसपछि बुनुले ऋषिलाई धन्यवाद दिइन् । साँझ बुनु त्यही भाँडो लिएर खुसी हुँदै घर आइन् । आमालाई सबै कुरा बताइन् । साँझ बुनुले “पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ” भनिन् । त्यसपछि भाँडाले खीर पकायो । खीर पाकिसकेपछि “रोक भाँडा रोक” भनिन् । त्यसपछि खीर पाक्न रोकियो । त्यसपछि आमाछोरीले भोक मेटाउने गरी खीर खाए । बुनुकी आमा धेरै खुसी भइन् । त्यसपछि उनीहरुको समस्या हट्यो ।
एक दिन बुनु साथीसँग खेल्न गएकी थिइन् । बुनुकी आमालाई भोक लाग्यो । उनले “पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ” भनिन् । त्यसपछि उनी घरको कामधन्दामा लागिन् । खीर पाक्यो तर रोकिएन, किनभने बुनुकी आमाले “रोक भाँडा रोक” भन्न बिर्सिन् । खीर पाक्दै गयो । भुइँभरि भयो । घर भरियो । बुनुकी आमा आत्तिइन् । रोक्नलाई धेरै शब्द प्रयोग गरिन्, तर रोकिएन । बुनुले “रोक भाँडा रोक” भनेपछि रोकिन्छ भन्ने कुरा आमालाई भनेकी थिइनन् । नजान्ने काममा जान्ने हुँदा उनकी आमालाई डर लाग्यो । उनले हत्तपत्त त्यस भाँडालाई लठ्ठीले हिर्काइन् । लठ्ठीले हिर्काउँदा भाँडो फुट्यो ।
बेलुका बुनु घर आइन् । उनलाई असाध्यै भोक लाग्यो । उनी बाहिरैबाट चिच्याइन्, “पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ” तर भाँडा फुटेकाले उसले पकाएन । उनी भित्र पुग्दा भाँडो फुटेको थियो । उनी अचम्म परिन् । आमाले सबै कुरा बुनुलाई सुनाइन् । बुनु रून थालिन् । आमाले भाँडा फुटाएपछि तिनीहरु पहिले जस्तै गरीब भए ।
यसैले नजान्ने काममा कहिल्यै पनि अगाडि सर्नुहुँदैन । होस नपुर्याई काम गर्दा राम्रो चीज पनि गुम्छ । त्यसैले कुनै पनि काम गर्दा राम्रै सोचेर गर्नुपर्छ । विचार नपुर्याई काम गरेमा पछि पछुताउनु पर्छ ।
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MEANING
धेरै पहिले एउटा गाउँमा एउटी बुढी आफ्नी छोरी बुनुसँग बस्थिन् । (dherai pahile euta gaau ma euti budhi aafni chori bunu sanga basthin)
= Long time ago, an old woman used to live in a village with her Daughter (named) Bunu.
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उनीहरु असाध्यै गरीब भएकाले बिहान र बेलुकाको छाक टार्नसमेत धौधौ पर्थ्यो । (uniharu asadhyai garib bhaeka le bihan ra beluka ko chhak taarna samet dhau dhau parthyo)
= It was very difficult to eat even one square meal everyday for they were very poor.
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उनीहरुसँग पैसा थिएन । (uniharu sanga paisa thiena)
= They did not have any money.
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गरीब भएकाले कसैले पनि उनीहरुलाई हेर्दैनथे । (garib bhaeka le kasaile pani uniharu lai herdainathe)
= Nobody used to look after them because they were very poor.
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एक दिनको कुरा हो । (ek din ko kura ho)
= This talk is about one day.
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बुनु भोकले रून थालिन् । (bunu bhok le runa thalin)
= Bunu started to cry due to hunger.
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घरभित्र गएर खानेकुरा खोजिन्, तर केही पनि भेटिएन । (ghar bhitra gaera khanekura khojin, tara kehi pani bhetiena)
= She searched for food inside her home, but could not find anything.
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बुनुले भोकलाई कसरी मार्ने भन्ने उपाय सोच्न थालिन् । (bunu le bhok lai kasari marne bhanne upaaya sochna thalin)
= Bunu started to think about the ways on how to kill her hunger.
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बुनु खानेकुरा खोज्न वनतर्फ लागिन् । (bunu khanekura khojna ban tarfa laagin)
= In order to search for food, she headed towards the forest.
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त्यही समयमा अकस्मात् एउटा ऋषि आएर भने, “तिमी यहाँ किन रोएकी, तिमीलाई के भयो ?” (tyahi samaya ma akasmat euta rishi aaera bhane, “timi yaha kina roeki, timi lai ke bhayo?)
= At that very time, a sage suddenly came and said, “Why are you crying here, what happened to you?”
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यसो भनेको सुन्दा बुनुले भनिन् “भागवान्, म धेरै दिनदेखि भोकै छु, मैले केहि खाएकी छैनँ, घरमा आमा पनि भोकै बस्नुभएको छ, मलाई केही खानेकुरा दिनुहोस् ।” (yaso bhaneko sunda bunu le bhanin “bhagwan, ma dherai din dekhi bhokai chu, maile kehi khaeki chaina, ghar ma aama pani bhokai basnubhaeko cha, malai kehi khanekura dinuhos)
= By hearing this, Bunu said “Lord, I am hungry since a lot of days, I haven’t eaten anything, (my) mother is also staying hungry at my home, please give me some food.”
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ऋषि दयालु थिए । (rishi dayalu thie)
= The Sage was kind-hearted.
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ऋषिले बुनुलाई एउटा भाँडो दिएर भने, “यो भाँडो लैजाऊ, तिम्रो भोक जहिले खतम हुन्छ” । (rishi bunu lai euta bhado diera bhane, “yo bhada laijau, timro bhok jahile khatam huncha”)
= The Sage gave Bunu a utensil and said, “Take this utensil, your hunger will end forever.”
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बुनुले भाँडा समाइन् । (bunu bhada samain)
= Bunu held the Utensil.
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ऋषिले सम्झाउँदै भने, “हेर नानी, तिमीलाई भोक लाग्यो भने यो भाँडालाई ‘पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ’ भन्नू । त्यसपछि यस भाँडाले खीर पकाउँछ । खीर पाकिसकेपछि ‘रोक भाँडा रोक’ भन्नू । यसले पकाउन रोक्छ । ” (rishi le samjhaudai bhane, “hera nani, timilai bhok lagyo bhane yo bhadalai ‘pakau bhada pakau’ bhannu. tyaspachi tas bhada le khri pakaucha. khir pakisakepachi ‘roka bhada roka’ bhannu. yasle pakauna rokcha)
= The sage reminded, “See my child, if you are hungry say to this utensil ‘Cook Utensil Cook’. After than, this utensil will cook porridge. After the porridge is done cooking, say ‘Stop Utensil Stop’. It will stop cooking.”
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त्यसपछि बुनुले ऋषिलाई धन्यवाद दिइन् । (tyaspachi bunu le rishi lai dhanyabad di’in)
= After that Bunu gave her thanks to the Sage.
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साँझ बुनु त्यही भाँडो लिएर खुसी हुँदै घर आइन् । (sajh bunu tyahi bhado liera khusi hudai ghar aain)
= In the evening, Bunu came home happily with the Utensil.
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आमालाई सबै कुरा बताइन् । (aama lai sabai kura bataain)
= (She) told (her) mother everything.
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साँझ बुनुले “पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ” भनिन् । (sajh bunu le “pakau bhada pakau” bhanin)
= During evening Bunu said “Cook Utensil Cook”.
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त्यसपछि भाँडाले खीर पकायो । (tyaspachi bhada le khir pakayo)
= After that, the utensil started to cook Porridge.
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खीर पाकिसकेपछि “रोक भाँडा रोक” भनिन् । (khir pakisakepachi “roka bhada roka” bhanin)
= After the porridge was done cooking, she said “Stop Utensil Stop”.
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त्यसपछि खीर पाक्न रोकियो । (tyaspachi khir pakna rokyo)
= After that, the porridge stopped to cook.
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त्यसपछि आमाछोरीले भोक मेटाउने गरी खीर खाए । (tyaspachi aama chori le bhok metaaune gari khir khae)
= After that, Mother and Daughter (both) ate the porridge till their hunger was quenched.
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बुनुकी आमा धेरै खुसी भइन् । (bunu ki aama dherai khusi bhain)
= Bunu’s mother became very happy.
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त्यसपछि उनीहरुको समस्या हट्यो । (tyaspachi uniharu ko samsya hatyo)
= After that, their problems ended.
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एक दिन बुनु साथीसँग खेल्न गएकी थिइन् । (ek dun bunu sathi sanga khelna gaeki thi’in)
= One day, Bunu had gone to play with her friend.
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बुनुकी आमालाई भोक लाग्यो । (bunu ki aama lai bhok laagyo)
= Bunu’s mother felt hungry.
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उनले “पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ” भनिन् । (unle “pakau bhada pakau” bhanin)
= She said “Cook Utensil Cook”.
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त्यसपछि उनी घरको कामधन्दामा लागिन् । (tyaspachi uni ghar ko kamdhanda ma laagin)
= After that, she went to do household chores.
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खीर पाक्यो तर रोकिएन, किनभने बुनुकी आमाले “रोक भाँडा रोक” भन्न बिर्सिन् । (khir paakyo tara rokiena, kinabhane bunu ki aama le “roka bhada roka” bhanna birsin)
= The porridge was cooked but did not stop (to), because Bunu’s mother had forgotten to say “Stop Utensil Stop”.
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खीर पाक्दै गयो । भुइँभरि भयो । घर भरियो । (khir paakdai gayo. bhui bhari bhayo. ghar bhariyo)
= The porridge kept cooking. It went all over the floor. It filled the entire house.
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बुनुकी आमा आत्तिइन् । (bunu ki aama aati’in)
= Bunu’s mother started panicking.
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रोक्नलाई धेरै शब्द प्रयोग गरिन्, तर रोकिएन । (rokna lai dherai shabda prayog garin, tara rokiena)
= In order to stop it she used many words, but it did not stop.
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बुनुले “रोक भाँडा रोक” भनेपछि रोकिन्छ भन्ने कुरा आमालाई भनेकी थिइनन् । (bunu le “roka bhada roka” bhanepachi rokincha bhanne kura aama lai bhaneki thi’inan)
= Bunu had forgotten to tell to her mother that the utensil would stop after saying “Stop Utensil Stop”.
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नजान्ने काममा जान्ने हुँदा उनकी आमालाई डर लाग्यो । (najanne kam ma janne huda unki aama lai dar laagyo)
= Her mother started to be afraid and acted to be smart in a situation where she had no clue.
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उनले हत्तपत्त त्यस भाँडालाई लठ्ठीले हिर्काइन् । (un le hattapatta tyas bhada lai tatthi le hirkaain)
= She hurriedly hit the utensil with a stick.
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लठ्ठीले हिर्काउँदा भाँडो फुट्यो । (latthi le hirkauda bhada phutyo)
= The utensil broke after the stick struck it.
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बेलुका बुनु घर आइन् । उनलाई असाध्यै भोक लाग्यो । (beluka bunu ghar aain. unlai asadhyai bhok laagyo)
= Bunu returned home at evening. She felt very hungry.
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उनी बाहिरैबाट चिच्याइन्, “पकाऊ भाँडा पकाऊ” तर भाँडा फुटेकाले उसले पकाएन । (uni bahirai bata chichyain, “pakau bhada pakau” tara bhada phuteka le usle pakaaena)
= She shouted from outside, “Cook Utensil Cook” but the utensil failed to cook because it was broken.
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उनी भित्र पुग्दा भाँडो फुटेको थियो । (uni bhitra pugda bhado phuteko thiyo)
= When she went inside, the utensil was broken.
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उनी अचम्म परिन् । (uni achamma parin)
= She became shocked.
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आमाले सबै कुरा बुनुलाई सुनाइन् । (aama le sabai kura bunu lai sunaain)
= (Her) mother told her everything (that happened).
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बुनु रून थालिन् । (bunu runa thalin)
= Bunu started to cry.
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आमाले भाँडा फुटाएपछि तिनीहरु पहिले जस्तै गरीब भए । (aama le bhada phutaechai tini haru pahile jastai garib bhae)
= After (her) mother smashed the utensil, they became poor again.
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VOCABULARY
भाँडा (bhada) = Utensil
गाउँ (gau) = Village
बुढी (budhi) = Old Woman
असाध्यै (asadhyai) = Very
गरीब (garib) = Poor
बिहान (bihan) = Morning
बेलुका (beluka) = Evening
छाक (chhak) = One square meal
धौधौ (dhaudhau) = Difficult (onomatopoetic)
पैसा (paisa) = Money
भोक (bhok) = Hunger
खानेकुरा (khanekura) = Foodstuff
उपाय (upaaya) = Remedy; Solution
वन (ban) = Forest
समय (samaya) = Time
अकस्मात् (akasmaat) = Suddenly
ऋषि (rishi) = Sage
भागवान् (bhagwan) = God
दयालु (dayaalu) = Kind
खतम (khatam) = [To] End
खीर (khir) = Porridge
साँझ (sajh) = Eveninng
समस्या (samasya) = Problem
कामधन्दा (kamdhanda) = Chores [kam (work) + dhanda (doing dishes)]
भुइँ (bhui) = Floor
प्रयोग (prayog) = Use
डर (dar) = Fear
लठ्ठी (laththi) = Stick
अचम्म (achchamma) = Shocked; Astounded
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QUESTIONS
1. Imagine a robot named ‘anuv@4d’ did the translation and transliteration work. The story had a moral (यसैले नजान्ने काममा कहिल्यै पनि अगाडि सर्नुहुँदैन । होस नपुर्याई काम गर्दा राम्रो चीज पनि गुम्छ । त्यसैले कुनै पनि काम गर्दा राम्रै सोचेर गर्नुपर्छ । विचार नपुर्याई काम गरेमा पछि पछुताउनु पर्छ) which was neither translated nor transliterated. Can you do the work which the robot missed out?
2. Find meaning of: हत्तपत्त (hattapatta)
3. What is the difference between the meanings of भाँडा (bhada) and भाडा (bhada)?
4. Could the disaster have been averted if Bunu had warned to her mother before?
5. Bunu seems to cry a lot. Suggest methods on how people – with modern technology – can harness the hydro energy generated by her eyes. Is it feasible?
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ANSWERS (some not provided)
2. Quicky; Hurriedly
3. भाँडा (bhada) = Utensil / भाडा (bhada) = Rent; Fare
4. Yes