Teja Lok Geet Ka Ek Naya Rupantar

This document, titled "'Teja' Lok Geet ka Ek Naya Rupantar" (A New Adaptation of the 'Teja' Folk Song) by Narottamdas Swami, is a scholarly article published within the Z_Nahta_Bandhu_Abhinandan_Granth (a felicitation volume). It introduces and presents a newly discovered adaptation of the popular Rajasthani folk song about the deity Teja Ji.

Here's a breakdown of the content:

Introduction to Teja Ji and the Folk Song:

• Teja Ji: The article begins by introducing Teja Ji as a very famous folk deity of Rajasthan. He belonged to the Jat community, hailing from Barnal village near Parbatsar in Nagaur district. His wife was from Paner village, and her name is mentioned differently in songs as Peemal or Sundar.
• Teja Ji's Legend: The core of Teja Ji's popularity stems from his sacrifice. While going to bring his wife, he encountered the abduction of Lakha Gujari's cattle by Meena thieves. In his attempt to rescue the cattle, Teja Ji sustained fatal injuries and died on the 10th of Bhadva Sud (a lunar date). This sacrifice led to his worship as a deity, and shrines dedicated to him are found throughout Rajasthan.
• Connection to Serpents: Teja Ji is also associated with snakes. Tying a piece of cloth blessed by Teja Ji is believed to prevent venom from spreading when someone is bitten by a snake.
• The 'Tejo' Song: The folk song about Teja Ji, known as 'Tejo', is immensely popular among the agricultural populace. Its popularity has led to the creation of numerous adaptations.

Previous Discoveries and Publications of Teja Songs:

The author, Narottamdas Swami, then details previous efforts to collect and publish versions of the 'Tejo' song:

• Agar Chand Nahata: Shri Agar Chand Nahata, a renowned researcher of Hindi and Rajasthani, published an adaptation collected and translated by Ganpati Swami of Pilani in the first issue of the first volume of Maru Bharti.
• Pandit Vanshiddhar Sharma: Pandit Vanshiddhar Sharma of Kishangarh published another adaptation in his book 'Veer Kunwar Teja Ji' as a second section.
• Bhaskar Ramchandra Bhalerao: Shri Nahata also published an article by Shri Bhaskar Ramchandra Bhalerao in Maru Bharti which included excerpts of a Teja song prevalent in Hadoti.
• Narottamdas Swami's Own Collection: Nahata Ji also published three incomplete songs from the author's (Narottamdas Swami's) own collection of songs in Rajasthan Bharti.
• Tara Chand Ojha: Another song related to Teja Ji, which is not narrative, was published by Shri Tara Chand Ojha of Ajmer in his 'Marwari Folk Song Collection'.

Related Folk Narratives (Lokgathas):

The article also mentions the existence of folk narratives (lokgathas) related to Teja Ji:

• A Hadoti folk narrative was published by Dr. Kanhaiyalal Sharma.
• Another folk narrative was published by Dr. Mahendra Bhanawat in Lokkala issue 17.

The Newly Discovered Adaptation:

The main focus of the article is the newly discovered adaptation of the Teja song:

• Discovery: While organizing his vast collection of folk songs, the author found a manuscript of a Teja song written in pencil on yellowed paper. He had acquired this copy about thirty-five to thirty-six years prior.
• Comparison: This newly found adaptation is significantly different from the one collected by Ganpati Swami, both in language and narrative. It shares some similarities with the adaptation published by Pandit Vanshiddhar Sharma. However, the Sharma version includes events from the folk narratives which are absent in this newly found version.
• Condition: The ending portion of this newly discovered adaptation is unfortunately incomplete.

Presentation of the New Adaptation:

The rest of the document presents the text of this newly discovered adaptation of the 'Tejo' song, divided into sections labeled [1] through [5]. These sections likely represent different verses or parts of the song, recounting various events and dialogues associated with Teja Ji's journey, his interactions with family members, and the circumstances leading to his sacrifice.

In essence, the article is an academic contribution to the study of Rajasthani folk literature, highlighting the discovery and presentation of a new version of a significant folk song, thereby enriching our understanding of the rich tradition surrounding the deity Teja Ji.