Comparison of Translated Works: Panch

Parmeshwar by Munshi Premchand

Pallavi Dwivedi
St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai
UID: 173010
SYBMM
 Contents

1. Hindi Original: पंच परमे वर

2. English Translation: Panch Parameshwar
3. Introduction: What Is Translation?
4. Rationale
5. Comparative Study
6. Conclusion

(All sources are marked as footnotes wherever required.)

 HINDI ORIGINAL1

जु मन शेख अलगू चौधर म गाढ़ म ता थी। साझे म खेती होती थी। कुछ लेन-दे न म भी साझा था। एक को दस ू रे पर
अटल व वास था। जु मन जब हज करने गये थे, तब अपना घर अलगू को स प गये थे, और अलगू जब कभी बाहर
जाते, तो जु मन पर अपना घर छोड़ दे ते थे। उनम न खाना-पाना का यवहार था, न धम का नाता; केवल वचार
मलते थे। म ता का मलू मं भी यह है । इस म ता का ज म उसी समय हुआ, जब दोन म बालक ह थे, और
जु मन के पू य पता, जम ु राती, उ ह श ा दान करते थे। अलगू ने गु जी क बहुत सेवा क थी, खब ू याले धोये।
उनका हु का एक ण के लए भी व ाम न लेने पाता था, य क येक चलम अलगू को आध घंटे तक कताब से
अलग कर दे ती थी। अलगू के पता परु ाने वचार के मनु य थे। उ ह श ा क अपे ा गु क सेवा-शु ूषा पर अ धक
व वास था। वह कहते थे क व या पढऩे ने नह ं आती; जो कुछ होता है , गु के आशीवाद से। बस, गु जी क
कृपा- ि ट चा हए। अतएव य द अलगू पर जम ु राती शेख के आशीवाद अथवा स संग का कुछ फल न हुआ, तो यह
मानकर संतोष कर लेना क व योपाजन म मने यथाशि त कोई बात उठा नह ं रखी, व या उसके भा य ह म न थी,
तो कैसे आती?

मगर जमु राती शेख वयं आशीवाद के कायल न थे। उ ह अपने सोटे पर अ धक भरोसा था, और उसी सोटे के ताप से
आज-पास के गॉव म जु मन क पज ू ा होती थी। उनके लखे हुए रे हननामे या बैनामे पर कचहर का मह
ु रर भी कदम
न उठा सकता था। ह के का डा कया, कां टे बल और तहसील का चपरासी सब उनक कृपा क आकां ा रखते थे।
अतएव अलगू का मान उनके धन के कारण था, तो जु मन शेख अपनी अनमोल व या से ह सबके आदरपा बने थे।

जु मन शेख क एक बढ़ ू खाला (मौसी) थी। उसके पास कुछ थोड़ी-सी मल कयत थी; पर तु उसके नकट संबं धय म
कोई न था। जु मन ने ल बे-चौड़े वादे करके वह मल कयत अपने नाम लखवा ल थी। जब तक दानप क रिज
न हुई थी, तब तक खालाजान का खब ू आदर-स कार कया गया; उ ह खब ू वा द ट पदाथ खलाये गये। हलवे-पल ु ाव
क वषा- सी क गयी; पर रिज क मोहर ने इन खा तरदा रय पर भी मान मह ु र लगा द । जु मन क प नी कर मन
रो टय के साथ कड़वी बात के कुछ तेज, तीखे सालन भी दे ने लगी। जु मन शेख भी नठुर हो गये। अब बेचार
खालाजान को ाय: न य ह ऐसी बात सन ु नी पड़ती थी। बु ढय़ा न जाने कब तक िजयेगी। दो-तीन बीघे ऊसर या दे
दया, मान मोल ले लया है ! बघार दाल के बना रो टयॉ नह ं उतरतीं ! िजतना पया इसके पेट म झ क चक ु े , उतने
से तो अब तक गॉव मोल ले लेत।े कुछ दन खालाजान ने सन ु ा और सहा; पर जब न सहा गया तब जु मन से शकायत
क । तु मन ने थानीय कमचार —गह ृ वामी—के बंध दे ना उ चत न समझा। कुछ दन तक दन तक और य ह
रो-धोकर काम चलता रहा। अ त म एक दन खाला ने जु मन से कहा—बेटा ! तु हारे साथ मेरा नवाह न होगा। तम ु
मझु े पये दे दया करो, म अपना पका-खा ल ग
ँू ी। ज ु मन ने घ ृ टता के साथ उ र दया— पये या यहाँ फलते ह?
खाला ने न ता से कहा—मझ ु े कुछ खा-सख ू ा चा हए भी क नह ?ं जु मन ने ग भीर वर से जवा दया—तो कोई
यह थोड़े ह समझा था क तु मौत से लड़कर आयी हो? खाला बगड़ गयीं, उ ह ने पंचायत करने क धमक द । जु मन
हँसे, िजस तरह कोई शकार हरन को जाल क तरफ जाते दे ख कर मन ह मन हँसता है । वह बोले—हॉ, ज र पंचायत
करो। फैसला हो जाय। मझ ु े भी यह रात- दन क खटखट पसंद नह ।ं पंचायत म कसक जीत होगी, इस वषय म
जु मन को कुछ भी संदेह न थ। आस-पास के गॉव म ऐसा कौन था, उसके अनु ह का ऋणी न हो; ऐसा कौन था, जो
उसको श ु बनाने का साहस कर सके? कसम इतना बल था, जो उसका सामना कर सके? आसमान के फ र ते तो
पंचायत करने आवगे ह नह ।ं इसके बाद कई दन तक बढ़ ू खाला हाथ म एक लकड़ी लये आस-पास के गॉव म दौड़ती
रह ं। कमर झुक कर कमान हो गयी थी। एक-एक पग चलना दभ ू र था; मगर बात आ पड़ी थी। उसका नणय करना
ज र था। बरला ह कोई भला आदमी होगा, िजसके समाने बु ढय़ा ने द:ु ख के ऑ ंसू न बहाये ह । कसी ने तो य ह
ऊपर मन से हूँ-हॉ करके टाल दया, और कसी ने इस अ याय पर जमाने को गा लयाँ द ं। कहा—क म पॉव जटके हुए
ह, आज मरे , कल दस ू रा दन, पर हवस नह ं मानती। अब तु ह या चा हए? रोट खाओ और अ लाह का नाम लो।
तु ह अब खेती-बार से या काम है ? कुछ ऐसे स जन भी थे, िज ह हा य-रस के रसा वादन का अ छा अवसर मला।
झुक हुई कमर, पोपला मँह ु , सन के-से बाल इतनी साम ी एक ह , तब हँसी य न आवे? ऐसे याय य, दयाल,ु
द न-व सल पु ष बहुत कम थे, िज ह ने इस अबला के दख ु ड़े को गौर से सन ु ा हो और उसको सां वना द हो। चार ओर
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से घम
ू -घाम कर बेचार अलगू चौधर के पास आयी। लाठ पटक द और दम लेकर बोल —बेटा, तम ु भी दम भर के
लये मेर पंचायत म चले आना। अलग— ू मझु े बल
ु ा कर या करोगी? कई गॉव के आदमी तो आवगे ह । खाला—अपनी
वपद तो सबके आगे रो आयी। अब आनरे न आने का अि तयार उनको है । अलग— ू य आने को आ जाऊँगा; मगर
पंचायत म मँहु न खोलँ ग
ू ा। खाला— य बेटा? अलगू—अब इसका कया जवाब दँ ?ू अपनी खश ु ी। जु मन मेरा परु ाना
म है । उससे बगाड़ नह ं कर सकता। खाला—बेटा, या बगाड़ के डर से ईमान क बात न कहोगे? हमारे सोये हुए
धम- ान क सार स प लट ु जाय, तो उसे खबर नह ं होता, पर तु ललकार सन
ु कर वह सचेत हो जाता है । फर उसे
कोई जीत नह ं सकता। अलगू इस सवाल का काई उ र न दे सका, पर उसके दय म ये श द गँज ू रहे थे-

या बगाड़ के डर से ईमान क बात न कहोगे?

सं या समय एक पेड़ के नीचे पंचायत बैठ । शेख जु मन ने पहले से ह फश बछा रखा था। उ ह ने पान, इलायची,
हु के-त बाकू आ द का ब ध भी कया था। हॉ, वह वय अलब ा अलगू चौधर के साथ जरा दरू पर बैठेजब पंचायत
म कोई आ जाता था, तब दवे हुए सलाम से उसका वागत करते थे। जब सय ू अ त हो गया और च डय़ क
कलरवयु त पंचायत पेड़ पर बैठ , तब यहॉ भी पंचायत शु हुई। फश क एक-एक अंगल ु जमीन भर गयी; पर
अ धकांश दशक ह थे। नमं त महाशय म से केवल वे ह लोग पधारे थे, िज ह जु मन से अपनी कुछ कसर
नकालनी थी। एक कोने म आग सल ु ग रह थी। नाई ताबड़तोड़ चलम भर रहा था। यह नणय करना अस भव था क
सल ु गते हुए उपल से अ धक धऑ ु ं नकलता था या चलम के दम से। लड़के इधर-उधर दौड़ रहे थे। कोई आपस म
गाल -गलौज करते और कोई रोते थे। चार तरफ कोलाहल मच रहा था। गॉव के कु े इस जमाव को भोज समझकर झंड ु
के झंड ु जमा हो गए थे। पंच लोग बैठ गये, तो बढ़ू खाला ने उनसे वनती क 'पंच , आज तीन साल हुए, मने अपनी
सार जायदाद अपने भानजे जु मन के नाम लख द थी। इसे आप लोग जानते ह ह गे। जु मन ने मझ ु े ता-हयात
रोट -कपड़ा दे ना कबल ू कया। साल-भर तो मने इसके साथ रो-धोकर काटा। पर अब रात- दन का रोना नह ं सहा जाता।
मझ ु े न पेट क रोट मलती है न तन का कपड़ा। बेकस बेवा हूँ। कचहर दरबार नह ं कर सकती। तु हारे सवा और
कसको अपना द:ु ख सन ु ाऊँ? तम
ु लोग जो राह नकाल दो, उसी राह पर चलँ ।ू अगर मझ ु म कोई ऐब दे खो, तो मेरे मँहु
पर थ पड़ मार । जु मन म बरु ाई दे खो, तो उसे समझाओं, य एक बेकस क आह लेता है ! म पंच का हु म सर-माथे
पर चढ़ाऊँगी।Óरामधन म , िजनके कई असा मय को जु मन ने अपने गांव म बसा लया था, बोले—जु मन मयां
कसे पंच बदते हो? अभी से इसका नपटारा कर लो। फर जो कुछ पंच कहगे, वह मानना पड़ेगा।जु मन को इस समय
सद य म वशेषकर वे ह लोग द ख पड़े, िजनसे कसी न कसी कारण उनका वैमन य था। जु मन बोले—पंच का
हु म अ लाह का हु म है । खालाजान िजसे चाह, उसे बद। मझ ु े कोई उ नह ।ं खाला ने च लाकर कहा–अरे अ लाह
के ब दे ! पंच का नाम य नह ं बता दे ता? कुछ मझ ु े भी तो मालम ू हो। जु मन ने ोध से कहा- इस व त मेरा मँह ु न
खल ु वाओ। तु हार बन पड़ी है , िजसे चाहो, पंच बदो। खालाजान जु मन के आ ेप को समझ गयीं, वह बोल –बेटा, खद ु ा
से डरो। पंच न कसी के दो त होते ह, ने कसी के द ु मन। कैसी बात कहते हो! और तु हारा कसी पर व वास न हो,
तो जाने दो; अलगू चौधर को तो मानते हो, लो, म उ ह ं को सरपंच बदती हूँ। जु मन शेख आनंद से फूल उठे , पर तु
भाव को छपा कर बोले- अलगू ह सह , मेरे लए जैसे रामधन वैसे अलग।ू अलगू इस झमेले म फँसना नह ं चाहते थे।
वे क नी काटने लगे। बोले–खाला, तम ु जानती हो क मेर जु मन से गाढ़ दो ती है । खाला ने ग भीर वर म कहा-
'बेटा, दो ती के लए कोई अपना ईमान नह ं बेचता। पंच के दल म खद ु ा बसता है । पंच के मँह
ु से जो बात नकलती है ,
वह खद ु ा क तरफ से नकलती है ।Óअलगू चौधर सरपंच हुएं रामधन म और जु मन के दस ू रे वरो धय ने बु ढय़ा
को मन म बहुत कोसा। अलगू चौधर बोले- शेख जु मन! हम और तम ु परु ाने दो त ह! जब काम पड़ा, तम ु ने हमार
मदद क है और हम भी जो कुछ बन पड़ा, तु हार सेवा करते रहे ह; मगर इस समय तम ु और बढ़ ु खाला, दोन हमार
नगाह म बराबर हो। तम ु को पंच से जो कुछ अज करनी हो, करो। जु मन को परू ा व वास था क अब बाजी मेर है ।
अलग यह सब दखावे क बात कर रहा है । अतएव शांत- च हो कर बोले-पंच , तीन साल हुए खालाजान ने अपनी
जायदाद मेरे नाम ह बा कर द थी। मने उ ह ता-हयात खाना-क ड़ा दे ना कबल ू कया था। खद ु ा गवाह है , आज तक
मने खालाजान को कोई तकल फ नह ं द । म उ ह अपनी मॉ के समान समझता हूँ। उनक खदमत करना मेरा फज है ;
मगर औरत म जरा अनबन रहती है , उसम मेरा या बस है ? खालाजान मझ ु से माहवार खच अलग मॉगती है ।
जायदाद िजतनी है ; वह पंच से छपी नह ।ं उससे इतना मन ु ाफा नह ं होता है क माहवार खच दे सकँू । इसके अलावा
ह बानामे म माहवार खच का कोई िज नह । नह ं तो म भल ू कर भी इस झमेले मे न पड़ता। बस, मझ ु े यह कहना है ।
आइंदा पंच का अि तयार है , जो फैसला चाह, करे । अलगू चौधर को हमेशा कचहर से काम पड़ता था। अतएव वह परू ा
कानन ू ी आदमी था। उसने जु मन से िजरह शु क । एक-एक न जु मन के दय पर हथौड़ी क चोट क तरह पड़ता
था। रामधन म इस न पर मु ध हुए जाते थे। जु मन च कत थे क अलगू को या हो गया। अभी यह अलगू मेरे
साथ बैठ हुआ कैसी-कैसी बात कर रहा था ! इतनी ह दे र म ऐसी कायापलट हो गयी क मेर जड़ खोदने पर तल ु ा हुआ
है । न मालम ू कब क कसर यह नकाल रहा है ? या इतने दन क दो ती कुछ भी काम न आवेगी? जु मन शेख तो
इसी संक प- वक प म पड़े हुए थे क इतने म अलगू ने फैसला सन ु ाया– जु मन शेख तो इसी संक प- वक प म पड़े
हुए थे क इतने म अलगू ने फैसला सन ु ाया– जु मन शेख ! पंच ने इस मामले पर वचार कया। उ ह यह नी त संगत
मालम ू होता है क खालाजान को माहवार खच दया जाय। हमारा वचार है क खाला क जायदाद से इतना मन ु ाफा
अव य होता है क माहवार खच दया जा सके। बस, यह हमारा फैसला है । अगर जु मन को खच दे ना मंजरू न हो, तो
ह वानामा र द समझा जाय। यह फैसला सन ु ते ह जु मन स नाटे म आ गये। जो अपना म हो, वह श ु का
यवहार करे और गले पर छुर फेरे , इसे समय के हे र-फेर के सवा और या कह? िजस पर परू ा भरोसा था, उसने समय
पडऩे पर धोखा दया। ऐसे ह अवसर पर झूठे-स चे म क पर ा क जाती है । यह क लयग ु क दो ती है । अगर
लोग ऐसे कपट -धोखेबाज न होते, तो दे श म आप य का कोप य होता? यह है जा- लेग आ द या धयॉ द ु कम के
ह दं ड ह। मगर रामधन म और अ य पंच अलगू चौधर क इस नी त-परायणता को शंसा जी खोलकर कर रहे थे।
वे कहते थे–इसका नाम पंचायत है ! दध ू का दधू और पानी का पानी कर दया। दो ती, दो ती क जगह है , क तु धम
का पालन करना मु य है । ऐसे ह स यवा दय के बल पर प ृ वी ठहर है , नह ं तो वह कब क रसातल को चल जाती।
इस फैसले ने अलगू और जु मन क दो ती क जड़ हला द । अब वे साथ-साथ बात करते नह ं दखायी दे त।े इतना
परु ाना म ता- पी व ृ स य का एक झ का भी न सह सका। सचमच ु वह बालू क ह जमीन पर खड़ा था।उनम अब
श टाचार का अ धक यवहार होने लगा। एक दस ू रे क आवभगत यादा करने लगा। वे मलते-जल ु ते थे, मगर उसी
तरह जैसे तलवार से ढाल मलती है । जु मन के च म म क कु टलता आठ पहर खटका करती थी। उसे हर घड़ी
यह चंता रहती थी क कसी तरह बदला लेने का अवसर मले।5 अ छे काम क स ध म बड़ी दरे लगती है ; पर बरु े
काम क स ध म यह बात नह ं होती; जु मन को भी बदला लेने का अवसर ज द ह मल गया। पछले साल अलगू
चौधर बटे सर से बैल क एक बहुत अ छ गोई मोल लाये थे। बैल पछाह ं जा त के संद ु र, बडे-बड़े सीग वाले थे। मह न
तक आस-पास के गॉव के लोग दशन करते रहे । दै वयोग से जु मन क पंचायत के एक मह ने के बाद इस जोड़ी का एक
बैल मर गया। जु मन ने दो त से कहा–यह दग़ाबाज़ी क सजा है । इ सान स भले ह कर जाय, पर खद ु ा नेक-बद सब
दे खता है । अलगू को संदेह हुआ क जु मन ने बैल को वष दला दया है । चौधराइन ने भी जु मन पर ह इस दघ ु टना
का दोषारोपण कया उसने कहा–जु मन ने कुछ कर-करा दया है । चौधराइन और कर मन म इस वषय पर एक दन
खब ु ह वाद- ववाद हुआ दोन दे वय ने श द-बाहु य क नद बहा द । यंगय, व तोि त अ योि त और उपमा आ द
अलंकार म बात हु । जु मन ने कसी तरह शां त था पत क । उ ह ने अपनी प नी को डॉट-डपट कर समझा दया।
वह उसे उस रणभू म से हटा भी ले गये। उधर अलगू चौधर ने समझाने-बझ ु ाने का काम अपने तक-पण ू स टे से लया।
अब अकेला बैल कस काम का? उसका जोड़ बहुत ढूँढ़ा गया, पर न मला। नदान यह सलाह ठहर क इसे बेच डालना
चा हए। गॉव म एक समझू साहु थे, वह इ का-गाड़ी हॉकते थे। गॉव के गड़ ु -घी लाद कर मंडी ले जाते, मंडी से तेल,
नमक भर लाते, और गॉव म बेचते। इस बैल पर उनका मन लहराया। उ ह ने सोचा, यह बैल हाथ लगे तो दन-भर म
बेखटके तीन खेप ह । आज-कल तो एक ह खेप म लाले पड़े रहते ह। बैल दे खा, गाड़ी म दोड़ाया, बाल-भौर क पहचान
करायी, मोल-तोल कया और उसे ला कर वार पर बॉध ह दया। एक मह ने म दाम चक ु ाने का वादा ठहरा। चौधर को
भी गरज थी ह , घाटे क परवाह न क । समझू साहु ने नया बैल पाया, तो लगे उसे रगेदने। वह दन म तीन-तीन,
चार-चार खेप करने लगे। न चारे क फ थी, न पानी क , बस खेप से काम था। मंडी ले गये, वहॉ कुछ सख ू ा भस ू ा
सामने डाल दया। बेचारा जानवर अभी दम भी न लेने पाया था क फर जोत दया। अलगू चौधर के घर था तो चैन क
बंशी बचती थी। बैलराम छठे -छमाहे कभी बहल म जोते जाते थे। खब ू उछलते-कूदते और कोस तक दौड़ते चले जाते
थे। वहॉ बैलराम का रा तब था, साफ पानी, दल हुई अरहर क दाल और भस ू े के साथ खल , और यह नह ,ं कभी-कभी
घी का वाद भी चखने को मल जाता था। शाम-सबेरे एक आदमी खरहरे करता, प छता और सहलाता था। कहॉ वह
सख ु -चैन, कहॉ यह आठ पहर कह खपत। मह ने-भर ह म वह पस-सा गया। इ के का यह जआ ु दे खते ह उसका लहू
सख ू जाता था। एक-एक पग चलना दभ ू र था। ह डडयॉ नकल आयी थी; पर था वह पानीदार, मार क बरदा त न थी।
एक दन चौथी खेप म साहु जी ने दन ू ा बोझ लादा। दन-भरका थका जानवर, पैर न उठते थे। पर साहु जी कोड़े
फटकारने लगे। बस, फर या था, बैल कलेजा तोड़ का चला। कुछ दरू दौड़ा और चाहा क जरा दम ले लँ ;ू पर साहु जी
को ज द पहुँचने क फ थी; अतएव उ ह ने कई कोड़े बड़ी नदयता से फटकारे । बैल ने एक बार फर जोर लगाया; पर
अबक बार शि त ने जवाब दे दया। वह धरती पर गर पड़ा, और ऐसा गरा क फर न उठा। साहु जी ने बहुत पीटा,
टॉग पकड़कर खीचा, नथन म लकड़ी ठूँस द ; पर कह ं मत ृ क भी उठ सकता है ? तब साहु जी को कुछ शक हुआ। उ ह ने
बैल को गौर से दे खा, खोलकर अलग कया; और सोचने लगे क गाड़ी कैसे घर पहुँचे। बहुत चीखे- च लाये; पर दे हात
का रा ता ब च क ऑ ंख क तरह सॉझ होते ह बंद हो जाता है । कोई नजर न आया। आस-पास कोई गॉव भी न था।
मारे ोध के उ ह ने मरे हुए बैल पर और दरु लगाये और कोसने लगे–अभागे। तझ ु े मरना ह था, तो घर पहुँचकर मरता
! ससरु ा बीच रा ते ह म मर रहा। अब गड़ी कौन खीचे? इस तरह साहु जी खब ू जले-भनु े। कई बोरे गुड़ और कई पीपे घी
उ ह ने बेचे थे, दो-ढाई सौ पये कमर म बंधे थे। इसके सवा गाड़ी पर कई बोरे नमक थे; अतएव छोड़ कर जा भी न
सकते थे। लाचार वेचारे गाड़ी पर ह लेटे गये। वह ं रतजगा करने क ठान ल । चलम पी, गाया। फर हु का पया। इस
तरह साह जी आधी रात तक नींद को बहलाते रह। अपनी जान म तो वह जागते ह रहे ; पर पौ फटते ह जो नींद टूट
और कमर पर हाथ रखा, तो थैल गायब ! घबरा कर इधर-उधर दे खा तो कई कन तर तेल भी नदारत ! अफसोस म
बेचारे ने सर पीट लया और पछाड़ खाने लगा। ात: काल रोते- बलखते घर पहँचे। सहुआइन ने जब यह बरू सन ु ावनी
सनु ी, तब पहले तो रोयी, फर अलगू चौधर को गा लयॉ दे ने लगी– नगोड़े ने ऐसा कुल छनी बैल दया क ज म-भर
क कमाई लट ु गयी। इस घटना को हुए कई मह ने बीत गए। अलगू जब अपने बैल के दाम मॉगते तब साहु और
सहुआइन, दोन ह झ लाये हुए कु े क तरह चढ़ बैठते और अंड-बंड बकने लगते—वाह ! यहॉ तो सारे ज म क कमाई
लट ु गई, स यानाश हो गया, इ ह दाम क पड़ी है । मद ु ा बैल दया था, उस पर दाम मॉगने चले ह ! ऑ ंख म धल ू झक
द , स यानाशी बैल गले बॉध दया, हम नरा प गा ह समझ लया है ! हम भी ब नये के ब चे है , ऐसे बु धू कह ं और
ह गे। पहले जाकर कसी गड़हे म मँह ु धो आओ, तब दाम लेना। न जी मानता हो, तो हमारा बैल खोल ले जाओ। मह ना
भर के बदले दो मह ना जोत लो। और या लोगे? चौधर के अशभ ु चंतक क कमी न थी। ऐसे अवसर पर वे भी एक
हो जाते और साहु जी के बराने क पिु ट करते। पर तु डेढ़ सौ पये से इस तरह हाथ धो लेना आसान न था। एक बार
वह भी गरम पड़े। साहु जी बगड़ कर लाठ ढूँढऩे घर चले गए। अब सहुआइन ने मैदान लया। नो र होते-होते
हाथापाई क नौबत आ पहुँची। सहुआइन ने घर म घस ु कर कवाड़ ब द कर लए। शोरगुल सन ु कर गॉव के भलेमानस
घर से नकाला। वह परामश दे ने लगे क इस तरह से काम न चलेगा। पंचायत कर लो। कुछ तय हो जाय, उसे वीकार
कर लो। साहु जी राजी हो गए। अलगू ने भी हामी भर ल ।

पंचायत क तैया रयॉ होने लगीं। दोन प ने अपने-अपने दल बनाने शु कए। इसके बाद तीसरे दन उसी व ृ के
नीचे पंचायत बैठ । वह सं या का समय था। खेत म कौए पंचायत कर रहे थे। ववाद त वषय था यह क मटर क
फ लय पर उनका कोई व व है या नह , और जब तक यह न हल न हो जाय, तब तक वे रखवाले क पक ु ार पर
अपनी अ स नता कट करना आव यकत समझते थे। पेड़ क डा लय पर बैठ शक ु -मंडल म वह न छड़ा हुआ था
क मनु य को उ ह वेसरु ौवत कहने का या अ धकार है , जब उ ह वयं अपने म से दगां करने म भी संकोच नह ं
होता। पंचायत बैठ गई, तो रामधन म ने कहा-अब दे र या है ? पंच का चन ु ाव हो जाना चा हए। बोलो चौधर ;
कस- कस को पंच बदते हो। अलगू ने द न भाव से कहा-समझू साहु ह चन ु ल। समझू खड़े हुए और कड़कर बोले-मेर
ओर से जु मन शेख। जु मन का नाम सन ु ते ह अलगू चौधर का कलेजा धक् -धक् करने लगा, मान कसी ने अचानक
थ पड़ मारा दया हो। रामधन अलगू के म थे। वह बात को ताड़ गए। पछ ू ा- य चौधर तु ह कोई उ तो नह ।
चौधर ने नराश हो कर कहा-नह ,ं मझ ु े या उ होगा? अपने उ रदा य व का ान बहुधा हमारे संकु चत यवहार का
सधु ारक होता है । जब हम राह भल ू कर भटकने लगते ह तब यह ान हमारा व वसनीय पथ- दशक बन जाता है ।
प -संपादक अपनी शां त कुट म बैठा हुआ कतनी ध ृ टता और वतं ता के साथ अपनी बल लेखनी से मं मंडल
पर आ मण करता है : परं तु ऐसे अवसर आते ह, जब वह वयं मं मंडल म सि म लत होता है । मंडल के भवन म पग
धरते ह उसक लेखनी कतनी मम , कतनी वचारशील, कतनी याय-परायण हो जाती है । इसका कारण
उ र-दा य व का ान है । नवयव ु क यव
ु ाव था म कतना उ दं ड रहता है । माता- पता उसक ओर से कतने च त त
रहते है ! वे उसे कुल-कलंक समझते हपर तु थौड़ी ह ी समय म प रवार का बौझ सर पर पड़ते ह वह अ यवि थत- च
उ म यव ु क कतना धैयशील, कैसा शांत च हो जाता है , यह भी उ रदा य व के ान का फल है । जु मन शेख के मन
म भी सरपंच का उ च थान हण करते ह अपनी िज मेदार का भाव पेदा हुआ। उसने सोचा, म इस व त याय और
धम के सव च आसन पर बैठा हूँ। मेरे मँह ु से इस समय जो कुछ नकलेगा, वह दे ववाणी के स श है -और दे ववाणी म
मेरे मनो वकार का कदा प समावेश न होना चा हए। मझ ु े स य से जौ भर भी टलना उ चत नह !पंच ने दोन प से
सवाल-जवाब करने शु कए। बहुत दे र तक दोन दल अपने-अपने प का समथन करते रहे । इस वषय म तो सब
सहमत थे क समझू को बैल का मू य दे ना चा हए। पर तु वो महाशय इस कारण रयायत करना चाहते थे क बैल के
मर जाने से समझू को हा न हुई। उसके तकूल दो स य मल ू के अ त र त समझू को दं ड भी दे ना चाहते थे, िजससे
फर कसी को पशओ ु ं के साथ ऐसी नदयता करने का साहस न हो। अ त म जु मन ने फैसला सन ु ाया- अलगू चौधर
और समझू साहु। पंच ने तु हारे मामले पर अ छ तरह वचार कया। समझू को उ चत है क बैल का परू ा दाम द।
िजस व त उ ह ने बैल लया, उसे कोई बीमार न थी। अगर उसी समय दाम दे दए जाते, तो आज समझू उसे फेर लेने
का आ ह न करते। बैल क म ृ यु केवल इस कारण हुई क उससे बड़ा क ठन प र म लया गया और उसके दाने-चारे
का कोई बंध न कया गया। रामधन म बोले-समझू ने बैल को जान-बझ ू कर मारा है , अतएव उससे दं ड लेना
चा हए। जु मन बोले-यह दस ू रा सवाल है । हमको इससे कोई मतलब नह ं ! झगडू साहु ने कहा-समझू के साथं कुछ
रयायत होनी चा हए। जु मन बोले-यह अलगू चौधर क इ छा पर नभर है । यह रयायत कर, तो उनक भलमनसी।
अलगू चौधर फूले न समाए। उठ खड़े हुए और जोर से बोल-पंच-परमे वर क जय! इसके साथ ह चार ओर से
त व न हुई-पंच परमे वर क जय! यह मनु य का काम नह ,ं पंच म परमे वर वास करते ह, यह उ ह ं क म हमा है ।
पंच के सामने खोटे को कौन खरा कह सकता है ? थोड़ी दे र बाद जु मन अलगू के पास आए और उनके गले लपट कर
बोले-भैया, जब से तम
ु ने मेर पंचायत क तब से म तु हारा ाण-घातक श ु बन गया था; पर आज मझ ु े ात हुआ क
पंच के पद पर बैठ कर न कोई कसी का दो त है , न द ु मन। याय के सवा उसे और कुछ नह ं सझ ू ता। आज मझ ु े
व वास हो गया क पंच क जबान से खद ु ा बोलता है । अलगू रोने लगे। इस पानी से दोन के दल का मैल धल ु गया।
म ता क मरु झाई हुई लता फर हर हो गई।

मंश
ु ी ेमचंद
 ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Translated by T. C. GHAI. 2

Jumman Shiakh and Algu Chowdhry were very close friends. They were partners in cultivation. Some of
their dealings were also done jointly. They trusted each other without reservation. When Jumman had gone
on hajj he had left his house under Algu’s care. And whenever Algu went out he left his house to Jumman to
look after. They neither inter-dined, nor were they of the same religion. But there was between them a
certain concurrence of views. And that indeed is the basis of true friendship.

Their friendship began when they were boys, and Jumman’s worshipful father, Jumeraati, was their tutor.
Algu had served his guru with great diligence, washing many plates and cups. The cinders in the tutor’s
hookah never died down, for Algu, taking respite from his books, fired up the chillum every half hour.
Algu’s father was old-fashioned in his views. He believed that serving the guru was more important than
acquiring knowledge. He would say that one acquired knowledge, not by reading books but through the
guru’s blessings. Therefore, if Jumeraati Shaikh’s blessings or close contact with him did not yield results,
he would then rest content with the thought that he had tried his best but he did not succeed because it was
not so destined that Algu should acquire knowledge.

However, Jumeraati Shaikh himself did not subscribe to this view. He had greater faith in his rod. And
because of that rod Jumman was greatly admired in the villages around here. Not even the court clerk could
raise any objection to the documents prepared by Jumman. The postman, the constable and the tehsil peon –
all looked up to him. As a result, while Algu was respected for his money, Jumman Shaikh was esteemed
for his invaluable knowledge.

Jumman Shaikh had an old aunt who had some property. She had no other near relation than Jumman. He
had coaxed her into transferring this property in his name by making tall promises. Until the transfer deed
had been registered, the aunt was pampered and indulged. She was treated to many tasty dishes. It was
raining puddings and pulaos; but this hospitality came to a stamping halt as soon as the transfer deed was
stamped. Jumman’s wife, Kariman, began to dish out, along with chapatis, hot and bitter curries of words.
Jumman Shikh too became hard-hearted. Now the poor aunt had to swallow bitter words every day: ​God
knows how long would this old woman live! She thinks she has bought us by just transferring a few bighas
of barren land. And chapatis don’t go down her throat if her dal is not fried in ghee! We would have bought
a whole village with the amount of money she has already swallowed!

Khala listened to all this for a few days, and when she could stand it no longer she complained to Jumman.
Jumman didn’t think it right to interfere in what was the domain of the mistress of the house. And this state
of affairs dragged on for some more time. At last the aunt said to Jumman, ‘Son, I can’t carry on like this.
You pay me a sum regularly. I shall set up my own kitchen.’

Jumman retorted rudely, ‘Do you think we grow money here?’

Khala asked politely, ‘Do I or do I not need a bare minimum?’

Jumman replied sternly, ‘We had never thought you had conquered death.’

2
​http://ghai-tc.blogspot.com/2014/07/panchparmeshwar-short-story-by-prem.html
Khala was offended. She threatened to call the Panchayat. Jumman laughed heartily like the hunter who
laughs to himself as he watches the deer walking into his trap. He said, ‘Why not? Call the Panchayat by all
means. Let things be decided once for all. I don’t like this everyday bickering.’

Jumman had no doubt at all who would win at the panchayat. There was no one in the villages around who
did not owe him a debt of gratitude; no one who would dare to antagonize him. God’s angels won’t come
down to hold the Panchayat.

After this, for many days, leaning on her stick, the old woman hopped from village to village. Her back was
bent like a bow. Each step was painful. But the issue had to be settled.

There was hardly a soul to whom she did not narrate her tale of woe. A few dismissed her story with just lip
sympathy. Some decried the world in general. ‘One may have one’s foot in the grave, yet there is no end to
greed! What does a person need? Eat your bread and remember Allah. Why bother about land and tilling
now?’ There were some who got an opportunity to poke fun at her. Bent back, toothless mouth, matted hair
– so much to laugh at! Just, kind and compassionate people who would listen to this unfortunate woman’s
sad story and console her were few indeed. Finally, she came to Algu Chowdhry’s door. She threw down
her stick and sat down to rest. Then she said, ‘Son, you should also come to the Panchayat meeting.’

Algu said, ‘Why call me? There will be many people from the villages around.’

The old woman said, ‘I have cried my heart out to all. But now it’s up to them to come.’

Algu said, ‘I shall come, but I won’t open my mouth.’

‘Why, son?’

‘My will. Jumman is my old friend. I can’t go against him.’

‘Son, won’t you stand up for justice for fear of losing your friendship?’

Algu had no answer to this question, but these words were echoing in his mind.

One evening the Panchayat gathered under a tree. Shaikh Jumman had spread his sheet even before. He had
made provision for ​paan, ilaichi,h​ ookah and tobacco. And he himself was sitting with Algu Chowdhry at
some distance. He greeted with a discrete salaam everyone who came to attend the panchayat meeting. Soon
after sunset, when the flocks of chattering birds had settled in the tree, the meeting began. Every inch of the
ground was occupied, but most of those who had come were onlookers. Of those the old woman had
requested only they who had a grudge against Jumman had come. A fire had been lighted in one corner.
There the barber was filling up chillum after chillum non-stop. It was impossible to decide whether the
smoke rising from the burning cowdung cakes was thicker or that from the puffs exhaled by the hookah
smokers. Boys were running all around, shouting, crying. It was a noisy scene. The village dogs too had
descended upon the scene in large numbers, hoping there would be a big feast here.

The members of the Panchayat sat down and the old woman began her submission.
‘Members of the Panchayat, it’s three years now, since I ransferred all my property in the name of my
nephew Jumman. You know all this. Jumman had promised to feed and clothe me till my death. But I
neither get enough to eat nor to wear. I have put up with it for a year. I can stand it no longer. I’m a helpless
widow. I can’t go to court. Where else should I come with my miserable tale except to you? I shall accept
whatever you decide. If I’m at fault punish me. If Jumman is wrong, admonish him. Why does he want to
earn the curses of a helpless woman? Panchayat’sword is the word of Allah. I shall obey the Panchayat’s
order without question.’

Ramdhan Mishra, many of whose clients had been won over by Jumman, said, ‘Jumman ​mian,​ choose your
Panchayat. Decide just now. Afterwards you will have to accept its judgement.’

Jumman saw that most of those present here were hostile to him for one reason or another. He said, ‘The
word of the Panchayat is the word of Allah. Let khala choose whomsoever she wants. I have no objection.’

The old woman shouted. ‘O man of Allah, why don’t you name the members? I should also know
something.’

Jumman retorted angrily, ‘Don’t force me to open my mouth. You have complained. Choose whomsoever
you like.’

The aunt understood Jumman’s taunt. She said, ‘Son, fear Allah. What’re you insinuating. Members of
panchayat ​don’t take sides. And if you can’t trust anyone, let it go. Hope you trust Algu Chowdhry. Come
on, I choose him as the Panchayat head.’

Jumman was delighted, but hiding his feelings he said, ‘Let it be Algu. For me Ramdhan Misr and Algu are
the same.’

Algu didn’t want to get involved in this. He said, ‘Khala, you know that Jumman is my close friend.’

Khala said, ‘Son, no one barters his ​imaan for friendship. Allah resides in the heart of a ​panch.​ Whatever the
panch​ says is the word of Allah.’

Algu Chowdhry was designated the Sarpanch. Ramdhan Mishra and some others, hostile to Jumman,
cursed the old woman in their hearts.

Algu Chowdry said, ‘Shaikh Jumman, you and I are old friends. We have helped each other on many
occasions. But at this moment we are not friends. You and khaala are equal in my eyes. You can put forward
your case before the Panchayat.’

Jumman was sure that he would win the case. Algu was saying all this for a public show. Therefore he
spoke in a very composed manner. ‘O members of the Panchayat, three years ago khaala jaan had
transferred her property in my name. I had agreed to provide her with food and clothing till her death. Allah
is witness, I have never ill-treated her. I regard her as my mother and it is my duty to serve her. My wife and
she don’t always see eye to eye. What can I do in this? Khaala jaan is demanding a monthly allowance from
me separately. All of you know the value of the property. It is not so profitable that I can provide a monthly
allowance to her out of it. Moreover there is no mention of a monthly expense in the agreement. That’s all I
have to say. It is now for the members of the Panchayat to give their judgement.’
Algu Chowdhry needed to go to the court regularly for some or other of his business. This had made him a
completely legal minded person. He began to cross examine Jumman. Every word he said was like a
hammer stroke on Jumman’s chest. Ramdhan Mishra was enjoying it all. Jumman was taken aback at
Algu’s conduct. Only just now he was talking to him like a friend, and now he seemed so changed and bent
upon pulling him up by the roots. Was he trying to settle some old score? Will his long friendship be of no
help?

While Jumman Shaikh was lost in this mental tussle, Algu announced the judgement.

‘Shaikh Jumman, the Panchayat has considered this matter. To us it looks fair and just that khaala jaan be
given a monthly allowance. We are of the view that the property is valuable enough to provide khaala jaan
a monthly allowance. This is our decision. And if this is not acceptable to you, then the agreement for
transfer of property would stand annulled.’

Jumman was stunned to hear this decision. Your own friend slitting your throat! What else would you call it
except the trickery of time? The very person on whom you had all the faith betrayed you when you needed
him most. Such are the times when friendship is tested. So that is what friendship is in the ​Kalyug.​ It is such
crooked and deceitful people who have brought so many calamities upon the country. The epidemics like
cholera and plague were the punishment for such misdeeds.

On the other hand, Ramdhan Mishra and other members of the Panchayat were heartily praising Algu
Chowdhry’s sense of justice. They said, ‘This is what a Panchayat is. He has separated the grain from the
chaff. Friendship has its own place but to follow the ​dharma is the most important thing. The earth has
stayed where it is because of such truthful people or it would have sunk underwater by now.’

This judgement shook the very foundation of Algu and Jumman’s friendship. The old intimacy was gone.
Such an old tree of friendship could not stand just one blast of truth. Surely it had stood on sandy ground.

Now their relationship turned very formal, and limited to mere courtesies. They met but just as a sword
meets a shield.

Algu’s treachery troubled Jumman day and night. He was always looking for an opportunity to take
revenge.

The chance for doing a good deed takes a long time to come, but not so in the case of a bad deed. And the
opportunity to take revenge came to Jumman very soon. A year ago Algu Chowdhry had purchased a fine
pair of oxen from Batesar. The oxen were of the ​Pachchain breed, handsome and having long horns. For
months people from the neighbouring villages came to cast their admiring glances at the pair. It was just a
chance that one of the oxen died just a month after Jumman’s panchayat. Jumman said to his friends, ‘This
is punishment for his treachery. One may rest content but God keeps watch on our good and bad deeds.’
Algu on the other hand began to suspect that Jumman had poisoned the ox. His wife too threw the blame on
Jumman. She said Jumman had done some mischief. And one day a war of words broke out between Algu’s
wife and Kariman. Words flowed in great streams from both the sides. All the similes and metaphors,
sarcasms and hyperboles were exhausted. Jumman somehow pacified them. He rebuked his wife into silence
and made her quit the battlefield. On the other side Algu used the stick to silence his wife.

Now a single ox was of no use. Algu tried to find a matching one but without success. At last he decided to
sell it off. There was a trader named Samjhu Sahuji who drove a single-ox cart. He carried gur and ghee
from the village to the market and returned with oil and salt, which he sold in the village. He thought of
buying this ox. If he had this ox, he would be able to make three trips easily. These days it was difficult to
make even one. He looked at the ox, yoked it to his cart for a trial, got the hair on its body examined to
know whether it was a propitious animal to buy, bargained the price and finally bought it. He promised to
pay the price within one month. Algu Chowdhry agreed, unmindful of any loss.

As soon as Samjhu Sahuji had the ox he began to drive it hard. He made three to four trips every day,
without caring to feed the animal properly. All he cared was to drive him. When he took him to the market
he fed him with some dry fodder. And before he could breathe easy he was yoked again. At Algu
Chowdhry’s home the ox had a placid existence. He was yoked to a chariot-like cart once in a while and
then he would go racing for miles without care. At Algu’s house his daily diet consisted of clean water,
ground​arhar ​dal, fodder mixed with oil cake; and not only this, on occasions he had the pleasure of tasting
ghee too. From morning till evening an attendant looked after him, brushed his hair, cleaned and patted his
body. That life of peace and enjoyment, and this twenty-four hour drudgery! He became emaciated just in
one month. The moment he saw the yoke his mouth dried up. Moving even a step had become difficult.
Bones had become visible. But he was self-respecting and didn’t like to be beaten or whipped.
One day while on his fourth trip, Samjhu Sahuji put a double load on him. Exhausted after the day’s work
the ox was unable to lift his feet, but Sahuji kept on whipping him. He ran with all his strength, and after a
short distance slowed down to regain his breath. But Sahuji, in a hurry to reach home, kept on lashing at him
with his whip. He once again tried to pick up pace but his strength failed. He collapsed and did not rise
again. Sahuji whipped him mercilessly, pulled his legs, pushed a stick into his nostrils, but how would a
dead animal rise on his feet? When Sahuji suspected the worst he cast an intent look at the ox, then unyoked
him, wondering how to drive the cart home. He shouted but the country pathways, like the eyes of children,
close at sunset. He could not find any help. There was no village close by. In anger he delivered a few more
lashes to the dead animal, shouting that he should have died after reaching home. Who would pull the cart
now? Sahuji was burning with anger. He had sold many sacks of gur and many tins of ghee and was
carrying a few hundred rupees with him. In addition there were a few sacks of salt and tins of oil on the cart.
He just couldn’t leave them here. Helpless, he decided to spend the night in the cart. He smoked a chillum,
sang a song and in this way he tried to keep awake till midnight. He thought he had kept awake throughout,
but when he opened his eyes at the break of day and touched his waist he found the pouch containing the
money missing. A few tins of oil were also missing. In anguish the poor man beat his head and fell flat on
the ground. He reached home wailing and weeping. When Sahuji’s wife heard the story, first she cried and
then started cursing Algu Chowdhry for having sold them an unpropitious ox that had caused the loss of
their life-long earning.

Many months passed. Whenever Algu went to their house to ask for the price of the ox both husband and
wife would fall upon him like dogs and start abusing him. ‘Look. We have lost our life’s earnings. And you
are asking for the price of the ox. You had given us a near dead ox and now you want its price. You have
deceived us. You hoodwinked us to buy a ruinous animal. Do you think we are fools? We are a family of
banias. We can’t be fooled like children. First go and wash your face in a ditch and then ask for the price of
the ox. If you don’t accept this, take our ox and use it for two months. What else do you want?’

Chowdhry had plenty of ill-wishers. On this occasion they came together to support Sahuji. But it was not
easy for Algu to give up his claim of one hundred fifty rupees. He lost his cool one day. Sahuji went home
to look for a lathi, and his wife took his place to confront Algu. Arguments led to fighting. Sahuji’s wife ran
home and shut the doors. The villagers gathered there on hearing the hullabaloo. They tried to pacify both
the parties. But this didn’t work. They asked for a Panchayat to be called to settle the issue. Sahuji agreed.
Algu agreed too.
Preparations for the Panchayat began. Both the parties began to look for their supporters. On the third day
the Panchayat assembled under the same tree. The same evening time. The crows were holding their own
Panchayat in the fields. They were contending whether or not they had any rights over the pea pods; and
until this question was settled they were to continue protesting against the caretaker. A flock of parrots
sitting in the tree was discussing whether human beings had any right to decry them shameless when they
themselves had no qualms about deceiving their own friends.

The Panchayat began its meeting. Ramdhan Mishra said, ‘Why waste time. Let us elect the five members.
Come Chowdhry, whom do you elect?’

Algu said in a humble voice, ‘Let Samjhu Sahu choose.’

Samjhu stood up and said sharply, ‘I choose Jumman Shaikh.’

The moment Algu heard Jumman’s name his heart began to beat fast, as if some had slapped him. Ramdhan
was Algu’s friend. He could sense the problem. He said, ‘Come, Chowdhry, do you have any objection?’

Chowdhry said in a thin voice, ‘No, why should I object?’

The awareness of a responsibility often alters our narrow outlook. When we lose our way this awareness
becomes our guide.

A newspaper editor, ensconced in his comfortable seat, attacks a council of ministers recklessly and
brazenly with his aggressive writing. But there are times when he himself joins the ministry, and then his
writing becomes so penetrating, so thoughtful and so just. This is the result of the responsibility that falls
upon him.

A young man’s wild behavior always keeps his parents worried. They fear that he would bring a bad name
to the family. But the moment the burden of a family falls upon him, the undisciplined and wayward young
man becomes a persevering and sober person, all because of the responsibility thrust upon him.

Jumman Shaikh also became conscious of such a responsibility, the moment he assumed the high office of
the Sarpanch. He realized that at this moment he was seated on the highest throne of justice and
righteousness. Whatever he uttered now would be the word of God, and any prejudice of his mind must not
contaminate that voice. He must not deviate even a tiny bit from truth.

The Panchayat began to interrogate both the parties. Both the parties pleaded their cases. There was a
difference of opinion among the members of the Panchayat All were agreed that Samjhu Sahu must pay the
price of the ox. But two members were of the view that he should be given some relief for the loss of the ox.
Against this, two members wanted Samjhu to be punished further, in addition to the apprppriate payment, so
that no one in future would dare to behave with such barbarity towards an animal. In the end Jumman
announced the judgement.

‘Algu Chowhdry and Samjhu Sahu, the Panchayat has carefully deliberated on your dispute. It is proper that
Samjhu should pay the price of the ox. The ox was not suffering from any disease when he bought it. If the
price had been paid then, Samjhu would not have been able to raise this question. The ox died because he
was forced to work too hard and was not properly fed.’
Ramdhan said, ‘Samjhu is responsible for killing the ox and he should be punished for this.’

Jumman said, ‘That is another issue. We have nothing to do with it.’

Jhagdu Sahu said, ‘Samjhu Sahu should be given some relief.’

Jumman said, ‘This is up to Algu Chowdhry. If he agrees, it will be an act of goodness.’

Algu Chowdhry was overjoyed. He stood up and shouted, ‘Victory to ​Panchparmeshwar​ !’

This was echoed from all sides, ‘Victory to​ Panchparmeshwar.​ ’

Everyone admired Jumman’s judgement. ‘This is justice. This is not the work of man. God himself resides
in the ​Panchprameshwar.​ It is His doing. Who can prove the wrong as right before the Panchayat!’

At the end Jumman came to Algu and, embracing him, said, ‘Ever since you had given the judgement
against me I had become your sworn enemy. But today I have realized that while sitting on that seat of
justice you are no one’s friend or foe. You cannot think of anything except justice. Today I am convinced
that God himself speaks through the voice of the Panchayat.’

Algu began to cry. His tears washed off the bitterness that had rankled in their hearts. The withered plant of
friendship had become green again.

(Urdu, ​Zamaana​, May-June 1916)

 INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS TRANSLATION?

The Oxford Companion to the English Language defines translation as “the communication of the meaning of
the source-language text by means of an equivalent target language text.” Translation, in simpler terms, is the
conversion of a text (usually written), from one language to another while trying to maintain as much of the
original meaning as possible.
According to Eugene A. Nida, a linguist who is considered to be one of the founders of the modern discipline
of Translation Studies, there are two diverging ways to translate a text. One either follows the Dynamic
Equivalence Theory, wherein the "quality of a translation in which the message of the original text has been so
transported into the receptor language that the response of the receptor is essentially like that of the original
receptors."3 The alternative way is to use the Formal Equivalence Theory, which involves being as faithful to
the original text as possible, and heavily focuses on fidelity to the lexical details and grammatical structure of
the original language. This often means translations in this school of thought are quite literal and can be very
jarring when read in the receptor language.
Nida later moved away from his own theory of dynamic equivalence4 and began to use the term ‘functional
equivalence.’ Functional Equivalence emphasized that the ‘function’ of a text was also a property of the text,
implying that translations had to reflect how people interact with each other in different cultures.
Translation walks the thin line between and art and a science. It involves a detailed understanding of words,
grammar, syntax and rules of language. At the same time, it requires a translator to be flexible enough to
mould the receptor language to the original meaning without compromising on the overall impact. This is felt
particularly in poetry translations, where stanza structure and syllables used lend a lot of meaning to the text.
Transforming these meanings without obliterating them is no easy task. Aesthetic is hard to convey in a
different language, as more often than not, it is quite culture specific and may alienate receptors who are
unfamiliar with that culture. For some translators, this is a goal: to introduce a wildly different culture to an
unacquainted audience. For others, their goal is to make the meaning as easily comprehensible as possible.
Translation can even be interpreted as a political act.5 Particularly in colonised nations, for whom reclaiming
their literature in languages they don’t read anymore is a tool of empowerment. It creates access and makes it
easier to overcome linguistic barriers.
Translation exists to facilitate communication and preserve texts. In many ways, translation helps the world
turn: without it, international trade and diplomacy risk falling apart. Thus, it plays a role far beyond just
reproducing works in different languages.

3
​Nida, Eugene A., and Charles R. Taber. (1969). ​The Theory and Practice of Translation, With Special Reference to Bible
Translating​, 200. Leiden: Brill.
4
​ The History of the Reina-Valera 1960 Spanish Bible p98 Calvin George – 2004 "190 For this reason in his later writings he
distanced himself from the term 'dynamic equivalence,' preferring instead 'functional equivalence.'
5
THE POLITICAL POWER OF TRANSLATION: CHENXIN JIANG ON BRINGING THE STORIES OF REFUGEES INTO
ENGLISH (https://lithub.com/the-political-power-of-translation/)
 RATIONALE

My reason for choosing this particular text and its respective translation to examine comes from my personal
childhood attachment to the stories of Munshi Premchand. This story in particular (Panch Parameshwar)
affected my worldview a fair amount. Not only was it a story that was narrated to me by my parents, but it was
also one that was part of the mandatory School syllabus.
Whenever a particular text is assigned to a nationwide syllabus and examination, it becomes an integral part of
student culture and that society’s culture in general. A good example of this is the proliferation of To Kill A
Mockingbird in the United States. Due to it being mandatory reading in Public Schools all over the US, it
became one of the most iconic symbols of American literature. The same can be said for Munshi Premchand’s
stories. They are short, realistic and depict the struggles of the rural poor and the urban lower middle class.
Their inclusion in School textbooks have made them a household name even though decades have passed since
he was an active writer. His memory is kept alive through High School Academics. It is students in high
school who look for translated and simplified versions of school texts. Thus, there are several paraphrasings
of Premchand’s most popular stories available all over the internet, like Eidgaah, Namak Ka Daroga and Sava
Ser Gehun. English translations of his works are even included in guide books that students use to crack the
exam.
This provides translations of this text a unique caveat as the translator is well aware of the intended audience of
the translated work: young students already familiar with Indian culture.
I will explore this and other interesting aspects of Panch Parameshwar and its translation in the Comparative
Study
.
 COMPARATIVE STUDY
Premchand’s Work:
Premchand wrote almost exclusively about social issues. His rationalistic outlook led to him using realism
heavily in his works. Religion, hypocrisy and power, corruption, child widowhood, prostitution, feudalism,
poverty, India’s freedom movement, colonialism: these are just a few of the many different topics Premchand
used to write about. Thus, his work has a very specific Indian bent, with issues that were rampant in rural/poor
India, that would have been hard to convey to an English-reading audience. According to David Rubin, a
scholar, “To Premchand belongs the distinction of creating the genre of the serious short story—and the serious
novel as well—in both Hindi and Urdu. Virtually single-handed he lifted fiction in these languages from a
quagmire of aimless romantic chronicles to a high level of realistic narrative comparable to European fiction of
the time; and in both languages, he has, in addition, remained an unsurpassed master."

The Translator: T. C. GHAI

Mr. Ghai is a professor of English. He retired as Associate professor in 2002 from Ramanujan College,
University of Delhi. He has published fiction, poetry, translated Punjabi poetry into English and produced
English language teaching course books for schools. In his retirement, he has taken up the intimidating task of
translating several of Premchand’s works into English his blog.

Ghai manages to convey similar if not the same emotions through his translated version of Panch
Parameshwar. Justice, friendship, family and religious differences: these are the four main themes of this story,
and Ghai certainly manages to let those themes shine through.
Ghai appears to have used Dynamic Equivalence to translate this work. The translation is not a disjointed
direct conversion, but rather a story with sentences that flow with natural rhythm and that have the same
impact as a reader of the original would have felt.
In many places, he seems to have directly translated sentences rather than choosing to paraphrase them,
especially when there is a Hindi idiom used. For example, Ghai chooses to translate “उसी तरह जैसे तलवार से
ढाल मलती है ” directly to “They met but just as a sword meets a shield.” In other places, he replaces the idiom
with a similar English one, like when he replaces “दध ू का दध ू और पानी का पानी कर दया” with “He has
separated the grain from the chaff.” Had it been directly translated, the idiom would have been read in English
as “He has distinguished milk from water.”
Ghai has elected to directly translate certain metaphors used too. For example, the extended metaphor
Premchand uses to describe the falling apart of Algu and Jumman’s relationship is translated as; “This
judgement shook the very foundation of Algu and Jumman’s friendship. The old intimacy was gone. Such an
old tree of friendship could not stand just one blast of truth. Surely it had stood on sandy ground.” The original
uses the Hindi word for ‘roots’ (जड़) instead of ‘foundation’, which Ghai uses. जड़ works better as it is more
consistent with the metaphor being applied.
Certain words have not been translated at all, and have been just rewritten in English letters. This can be seen
most often when it comes to food: eg. pulao, dal, ghee, chapatis etc. are left as they are. This is a logical
decision considering most of the intended audience ie. Indian Students, are already likely to know what those
words mean. Choosing to not replace them, adds to the authenticity of the story and emphasises the culture
depicted in the story.
 CONCLUSION

Ghai’s translation of Premchand’s famous story certainly does it great justice. The only place it lacks is in the
fact that it has been written for an audience already acquainted with common motifs and words of Indian Rural
Culture. Should an international audience try to consume this translation, deciphering culture-specific words
would confuse and derail their enjoyment of the story.
The translation, in my opinion, serves more as a companion to the original work than a alternative to it. It helps
people with weaker Hindi have an alternative way of consuming the same story. As a standalone, the
translation loses the cultural significance it holds. The poetry of Premchand’s prose does not come across as
easily and smoothly in the English translation as it does in the Hindi and Urdu versions.
Having said that, this translation certainly offers a path into Premchand's massive archive of literary work for
those who do not speak or read Hindi and Urdu. It fills the gap in the world's perception of Indian literature. It
brings to the forefront Indian authors other than one that write exclusively in English. By putting Premchand’s
most popular story on an internationally accessible stage, this translation does a great service to India’s long
literary tradition.