A Critical Study of Folk Sayings by Lok Kavi Ghaagh and Bhaddari on Farming Values

Abstract

In medieval Hindi literature, Lok Kavis Ghaagh and Bhaddari composed sayings and folk sayings that were based on agricultural life. Due to a lack of specific information about their lives, it cannot be definitively stated whether they were the actual authors or if these sayings were popularized under their names within the farming community. This is because different regions may have variations of the same saying. Ghaagh's sayings are directly related to the farmer's perspective, while Bhaddari's sayings are based on astrology. It is not possible for any farmer to rely on astrology for farming under any circumstances. So how did these sayings based on astrology become prevalent in the context of agricultural life? Ramnaresh Tripathi compiled the sayings and evaluated them based on agricultural values. However, blending folklore and astrology raises questions about the purity of folk poetry, as it may become contaminated. This raises the question of how an ordinary farmer living in a village can express such sayings. It is through these compiled sayings that we get a glimpse of the life and structure of the aboriginal society, while also questioning the role of science in folk poetry and specifically in agricultural life. An attempt has been made here to draw conclusions and address these questions through these sayings.