Na Nau Mann Tael Hoga, Na Radha Naachegi

#59

February 4, 2021

Today’s Hindi proverb (कहावत) is:

ना नौ मन तेल होगा ना राधा नाचेगी।

(Transliteration: Na nau mann tael hoga, na Radha naachegi.)

Literal translation: Neither will there be nine maund oil, nor will Radha dance.

Figurative meaning: An event will not occur or a deal will not be concluded (because the terms and prerequisite conditions will not be fulfilled).

Oil lamps of India

Usage in a sample sentence:

आप चितां ना करें। अदालत में आप की ही जीत होगी। आरोपी के पास वकील करने का भी कैश नही है। ना नौ मन तेल होगा ना राधा नाचेगी।

(Transliteration: Aap chinta na karein. Adalat mein aap ki hi jeet hogi. Aaropi ke paas vakil karne ka bhi cash nahi hai. Na nau mann tael hoga, na Radha naachegi.)

Translation: Don’t worry. You will win in court. The accused doesn’t even have the cash to arrange a lawyer. Neither will there be nine maund oil nor will Radha dance.

Origins of the proverb: This proverb is quite old and nowhere could I find a confirmation of its origin. A ‘mann’ is a measure of weight from ancient India, which approximates 35 kgs. ‘Maund’ is probably the anglicized version of mann. Some people believe that in the ancient times, in the king’s court, the chandeliers were lit with oil lamps. In a large courtroom, where dances were staged, there were many chandeliers, and to light them they required a huge amount of oil (at least 9 mann or over 300 kgs). Radha was a common name for dancers in those days. (I have heard people say that ‘Radha’ was a generic name for male dancers of a particular tribe who earned their living by dancing in the cities.) When there was not enough oil to light the lamps, the dance was called off and Radha would not have to dance. These stories of origin cannot be authenticated now because they are several centuries old and there seems to be no written record expounding these traditions.