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A few days back I watched a Hindi Movie ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ (def watch)- a superb film bringing together Rishi and Neetu Kapoor on one screen. It is about a middle class family that is trying to live within its budget. Things seems difficult but not too bad until one day the man’s sister comes to invite them to a wedding at her in-law’s and she has a pre-condition! They should all arrive in a car! Reason: Her sisters in law tease her about her middle class mayka! And then to appease his sister the man borrows a car and the story follows from there on. Even in today’s society when people sometimes don’t actively seek dowry, there are these subtle expectations from the girl’s family. It can range from anything around their lifestyle to the quantum of gifts they give to the in laws, grandchildren etc. This brings me to the folk song ‘Valaru’, a narrative poem describing a sister’s woes and how her brother reaches out to her.
Rukmini, a married lady says to a traveller, please tell my family I have called for them. She tells him how to identify her home. The traveller then approaches each member of her family who have other tasks at hand that they want to finish before responding to Rukmini. Except the brother! He rushes to his sister who lovingly welcomes him but she has tears in her eyes. The brother enquires about the reason for her sadness. She says ‘ You gave me all the utensils but not the churner that is needed at my in-laws house – a churner to churn the butter! My sisters in law insult me over it and the neighbours also don’t say anything when I am being jibed at!’. The brother immediately orders a goldsmith to make a gold churner and silver cord to go with it for his beloved sister. Towards the end the song pictures the fair Rukmini happily churning butter using the gold churner tied with a silver chord.
There are two key themes in the song – there is the sadness expressed by Rukmini about being insulted for a material thing, there is also the portrayal of a brother’s love for his sister.
रुक्मिणी: वाटेन वत्तल्या वाटेचे वळारा रुक़्मिणी कुळारा बोलावीलां
वळार: हांव नेण वाट, हांव नेण तींट, हांव नेण रुक्मिणी मायी-बाप
रुक्मिणी: एक धारीं चंपा एक धारीं अंबा तें घर रुक़्मिणी मायी-बापा
(वळार रुक्मीणीचे कुळाराक पांवता। थंय तिजे बापसूक सांगता)
वळार: हांतुण मांच्यार पळ्ळेल्या रुक्मिणीचे बापसू, रुक्मिणी धूवेन बोलां सांगलां
बापा: खांडि भरी हाडीन कुंभेरी मोडीन त्यावेळी त्या रुक्मिणी धूवे बोलावीन
वळार: खाटल मांचयार बैसल्ले रुक्मिणीचे आवसु रूक्मिणी धूवेन बोलां सांगलां
आवसु: खांडि भरी हाडीन कुंभेरी मोडीन त्यावेळि ते रुक्मिणी धूवे बोलावीन
वळार: गुल बावल्यानि खेळतल्ले रुक्मिणीचे भयणी रुक्मिणी आकान बोलां सांगलां
भयणी: गुलबावल्यां हाडन्ती खेळ जो खेळन्ती त्यावेळ त्या रुक्मिणी भयणी बोलावन्तीं
वळार: बाणसीर पाटो करतल्ले रुक्मिणीचे भावजे रुक्मिणी नणन्देन बोलां सांगलां
भावज: एकि मडकी चडयन एकि मडकी देवयन त्यावेळि त्या रुक्मिणी नणन्देक बोलावीन
वळार: आंगडबिँगड वतल्या रुक्मिणीचे भावा रुक्मिणी भयणिन बोलां सांगलां
भाउ: हाड्यारे गंगाळं न्हाणियां भरया पाणी आपण वत्तां घरीं रुक्मिणीं
(दूर सून येवचें भावाक रुक्मिणीन पळयलो ) दूरां जा थाकूनु बंधु जो देखीला पाटु जो सोडीला सुवर्णाचो एक हातीं तांबिया एक हातीं पाटवा पाय धुयता बंधुवां रुक्मिणी पाय धुयतां पाय धुयतां दोळ्यां आयलीं दुखां (दोळ्यांचि दुखां देकून)
भाउ: आज इत्तें जालें रूक्मिणी भयणी?
रूक्मिणी: अंदण विन्दण दिल्लें मू रे भावा खवल्या खातीर मांयों हिणकिन्ती, मांयो रे हिणकिन्ती, नणन्दो शब्दुदिन्तीं सेजार घरच्यो बायलो व्हय व्हय म्हणन्तीं
(अयकतच भावान थंयच सोनाराक बुलावून बैसयलो आनी सुवर्णाचो खवलो घडयविलो) गावां गावचें शेठी देरला मुखार पेटी सुवर्णाचो खवलो घडवन्तीं सुवर्णाचो खवलो रूपयाची दोरी ताक घाण्टिता गोरी रुक्मिणी ताक चाळतां ताक चाळतां खवल्या लागलो गूळो तांतु देखिला तीळो कुंकुमेचो
rukmiṇī: vāṭena vattalyā vāṭece valārā ruka़miṇī kulārā bolāvīlāṁ
valāra: hāṁva neṇa vāṭa, hāṁva neṇa tīṁṭa, hāṁva neṇa rukmiṇī māyī-bāpa
rukmiṇī: eka dhārīṁ caṁpā eka dhārīṁ aṁbā teṁ ghara ruka़miṇī māyī-bāpā (valāra rukmīṇīce kulārāka pāṁvatā। thaṁya tije bāpasūka sāṁgatā)
valāra: hāṁtuṇa māṁcyāra pallelyā rukmiṇīce bāpasū, rukmiṇī dhūvena bolāṁ sāṁgalāṁ
bāpā: khāṁḍi bharī hāḍīna kuṁbherī moḍīna tyāvelī tyā rukmiṇī dhūve bolāvīna
valāra: khāṭala māṁcayāra baisalle rukmiṇīce āvasu rūkmiṇī dhūvena bolāṁ sāṁgalāṁ
āvasu: khāṁḍi bharī hāḍīna kuṁbherī moḍīna tyāveli te rukmiṇī dhūve bolāvīna
valāra: gula bāvalyāni khelatalle rukmiṇīce bhayaṇī rukmiṇī ākāna bolāṁ sāṁgalāṁ
bhayaṇī: gulabāvalyāṁ hāḍantī khela jo khelantī tyāvela tyā rukmiṇī bhayaṇī bolāvantīṁ
valāra: bāṇasīra pāṭo karatalle rukmiṇīce bhāvaje rukmiṇī naṇandena bolāṁ sāṁgalāṁ
bhāvaja: eki maḍakī caḍayana eki maḍakī devayana tyāveli tyā rukmiṇī naṇandeka bolāvīna
valāra: āṁgaḍabim̐gaḍa vatalyā rukmiṇīce bhāvā rukmiṇī bhayaṇina bolāṁ sāṁgalāṁ
bhāu: hāḍyāre gaṁgālaṁ nhāṇiyāṁ bharayā pāṇī āpaṇa vattāṁ gharīṁ rukmiṇīṁ
(dūra sūna yevaceṁ bhāvāka rukmiṇīna palayalo ) dūrāṁ jā thākūnu baṁdhu jo dekhīlā pāṭu jo soḍīlā suvarṇāco eka hātīṁ tāṁbiyā eka hātīṁ pāṭavā pāya dhuyatā baṁdhuvāṁ rukmiṇī pāya dhuyatāṁ pāya dhuyatāṁ dolyāṁ āyalīṁ dukhāṁ (dolyāṁci dukhāṁ dekūna)
bhāu: āja itteṁ jāleṁ rūkmiṇī bhayaṇī?
rūkmiṇī: aṁdaṇa vindaṇa dilleṁ mū re bhāvā khavalyā khātīra māṁyoṁ hiṇakintī māṁyo re hiṇakintī naṇando śabdudintīṁ sejāra gharacyo bāyalo vhaya vhaya mhaṇantīṁ
(ayakataca bhāvāna thaṁyaca sonārāka bulāvūna baisayalo ānī suvarṇāco khavalo ghaḍayavilo) gāvāṁ gāvaceṁ śeṭhī deralā mukhāra peṭī suvarṇāco khavalo ghaḍavantīṁ suvarṇāco khavalo rūpayācī dorī tāka ghāṇṭitā gorī rukmiṇī tāka cālatāṁ tāka cālatāṁ khavalyā lāgalo gūlo tāṁtu dekhilā tīlo kuṁkumeco