Jadavar: Hareshwar Roy
Jadavar: Hareshwar Roy
This happened a very long time ago. In the Shahabad region of Bihar province, there was a small fiefdom named Jagdishpur. The owner of that fiefdom was Babu Kunwar Singh. His Bhojpuri-speaking subjects respectfully called him 'Babu Saheb'.
Babu Saheb was a man of straightforward and firm temperament. He was very popular for his bravery, courage, sense of justice, and generosity. He was always ready to work for the welfare of his people. Thus, during his reign, peace and order prevailed in Jagdishpur, and the people were content and prosperous.
In Babu Saheb's court, there lived a jester (court jester) named Basawan. He was an extremely clever and sharp-witted man. All the courtiers were very fond of him, and Babu Saheb himself was convinced of his talent.
In moments of leisure, Basawan would entertain Babu Saheb by telling jokes, proverbs, satirical stories, and poems. His remarks were so witty that Babu Saheb would burst into fits of laughter. Even in adverse circumstances, Babu Saheb would consult Basawan for advice.
Babu Kunwar Singh took special care of all his courtiers. There was a provision to give them a special allowance on festivals and occasions. Not only that, but as soon as winter set in, there was a tradition of giving Jadavar [winter clothes] to every courtier each year.
Once, as soon as winter arrived, Jadavar was allocated to all the courtiers. However, Basawan the jester missed out on receiving his Jadavar because he was not present at the headquarters on the day of distribution. In fact, on that day, Babu Saheb had taken Basawan along with him to hunt in the forests of Jamuaon.
Upon returning to Jagdishpur several days later, Basawan learned about the distribution of Jadavar from his friends. Perhaps due to his busy schedule, the treasurer had also forgotten to give the Jadavar to Basawan. On the other hand, Basawan felt hesitant to bring up the matter of his winter clothes before Babu Saheb. However, he started waiting for the right opportunity to present his case.
After waiting for a few days, he finally got a great opportunity to speak up. He prepared himself thoroughly to make the most of this chance.
It so happened that a famous perfumer (Gandhi) from Ghazipur came to Babu Saheb's court. The court was in session. With Babu Saheb's permission, the perfumer began showing his perfumes to the assembled courtiers. In doing so, he used the cap of the perfume bottle to apply perfume, one by one, to the back of the courtiers' palms.
When the perfumer reached Basawan, Basawan spread open his palms facing upward. The perfumer stopped in his tracks, and all the courtiers began to smile.
“Oh sir, perfume is not applied on the palms, but on the back of the hands,” the perfumer remarked playfully.
“That's fine, that's fine, but please give me a little perfume right on my palms,” Basawan replied.
Hearing this, the perfumer humorously poured the perfume bottle onto his palms. Without delaying for even a moment, Basawan hastily began rubbing his palms onto both of his knees. Everyone, including Babu Saheb, broke down in uncontrollable laughter.
“My dear friend Basawan, all the courtiers had perfume applied on their hands so that they could easily smell its fragrance, but why did you rub it on your knees?” asked Babu Saheb once the laughter subsided.
“Your Highness, it is actually winter time. In the absence of Jadavar, I have to spend my nights somehow curled up tight. My knees remain pressed against my nose all night long. That is why I rubbed the perfume on my knees, so that I can enjoy its fragrance throughout the night,” Basawan explained.
Babu Saheb understood Basawan's point immediately. He called his treasurer right away and ordered him to issue Jadavar to Basawan without delay. In addition to that, for entertaining the courtiers, Babu Saheb also rewarded him with a cash prize of fifty coins.
