Raja Nal and the Goddess: The North Indian Epic Dhola in Performance

Glossary of Key Hindi Terms

Glossary of Key Hindi Terms Adharm Lacking in righteous duty, acting against the rules of proper conduct Ādiśakti The original powers of the universe Ālhā An oral epic performed mostly in the state of Uttar Pradesh in north India. It tells of conflicts between the Muslim rulers and local kin. It is also the name of the melody to which the epic is usually sung. Anuloma Against the grain, as in marriages that run counter to the normal rules of hypergamy (marriage of the female to a man from a superior group) Apsāra Heavenly nymph, a damsel from the court of the gods Aukhā Distress, trouble, a time of chaos Baigi An exorcist, a spiritual healer Bali Offering to the god, a sacrifice Bārahmāsı̄ A genre of songs; literally, “of the twelve months” Bārāt The bridegroom’s marriage procession, usually just his male kin who travel by bullock cart, bus, truck, or cars to the village of the bride where they are hosted for several days Bhābhı̄ kinship term for older brother’s wife Bhagavād Gı̄tā The Hindu text in which the god Krishna entreats the Pandava hero Arjun to fight a just war Bhāgyavān “fated one,” the one who lives by fate Bhairon Male demons, associated with the goddess, (often) as her servants Bhajan A religious song, frequently sung as a way to show devotion to the gods Bhakti The feeling of love and devotion that a devotee has for his or her chosen deity Bhangı̄ A person belonging to the caste group that cleans latrines and streets Bhent̊ Sacrifice, offering to the goddess Bı̄j mantra The ritual saying that makes things happen quickly, as when Raja Nal makes the horses fly through the air Bindı̄ The auspicious red dot that women put on their foreheads Cikār̊ā The three-stringed bowed instrument used for singing Dhola D̊ānk A ritual that cures those bitten by snakes, performed in the rural areas of western Uttar Pradesh 208 Glossary of Key Hindi Terms Dānu Demons Darśan Sight or vision of the gods/goddesses D̊holā The epic story of Raja Nal, his wives Motini and Dumenti , and his son, Dhola D̊holak The two-headed folk drum used in north India Deva Gods Devı̄ Māhātmyā A Sanskrit text in honor of the goddess, written about the sixth century c.e. Devı̄-bhagavata purān̊ā A Sanskrit text in honor of the goddess, written about the twelfth century c.e. Devnārāyan̊ An epic popular in rural Rajasthan, performed in front of a scroll that portrays the epic story Dharam bhāı̄ Literally, “brother by religion,” that is, a fictive kin relationship that is affirmed religiously Dharamśālā A pilgrim’s way station or rest house, often attached to a temple Dharma Righteous duty D̊holā-Mārū A ballad sung in western Rajasthan and Gujarat, considered by some to be one of the earliest Hindi compositions Dı̄pak rāg The melody that lights lamps; given to Raja Nal as part of his dowry from Motini Dohā A metrical form common to Hindi prosody, with two lines of twenty-four metrical syllables Gālı̄ Songs of abuse, sung by the women of a bride to the groom’s wedding party Gaunā The ritual that marks the consummation of a marriage, traditionally occurring some years after the actual marriage ceremony and after the girl reaches puberty Ijjat Honor, something to be defended at all costs Jaldāriyā The flying water horse that Raja Nal finds in the demon Bhumasur’s locked room, to be ridden only by Indra or Raja Nal Jāt̊ A caste of agriculturalists found in north India Jāti Caste, related to the Latin term genus; designates a kind of person Jāt̊iyā Belonging to the Jat caste, here referring to workers in a Jat village Jūrı̄ Two ropes tied together into a ring, used here to symbolize a marriage alliance Kacā Raw, unrefined, uncooked, unbaked Kahār A member of the Water Carrier caste Kamı̄n The worker in a patron-client relationship Kanyā Virgin girl Kanyādān The gift of a virgin girl in marriage Glossary of Key Hindi Terms 209 Kar The verbal root “to do” which is the core of the...