Indian Antiquary Vol 51

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 44

36
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
FEBRUARY, 1922 - while Asad Khân and Şal&bat Khân repaired daily to the neighbourhood of that garden and decided causes there, and if a case demanded the royal orders, they approached the king through a young eunuch who had access to him and carried out such orders as they received through the same source. Occasionally the king would issue written orders to one of the officers of state or courtiers. Those in the royal service and those who had petitions to make approached and attached themselves to Asad Khân and sometimes to Salábat Khân, while there were some who used to pay equal court to both. Thus the learned and accomplished Mîrzâ şâdiq, Urdûbâdi, who was from 'Iraq and was a great wit, and was at this time in the royal service, wrote the following two couplets on the state of affairs
In my perplexity, bewilderment and confusion I am by night a partisan of Asad
Khân, and by day & follower of Salábat Khan, That is to say, by the tyranny of fate, which cherishes the base,
I, poor wretch that I am, am by turns & Gabr, and a Christian."227
The king passed most of his time in seclusion in reading books, and when he came across any difficult or knotty points he would lay them before the learned men of the court for 80lution, and the learned men, having resolved them, would write their replies and submit them for the king's perusal. I shall now record some of these questions and answers, but I would here remark that as all the learned men of the court wrote treatises on the questions laid before them by the king, I cannot reproduce all these without interfering with the continuity of this history. I shall therefore content myself with reproducing some of the replies given to the king's questions by the learned Shah Fathullah Shirâzi, the most learned and deeply road man of the age. It was at this time that I came from 'Iraq to Ahmadnagar, and learnt something of these disquisitions, but if at any time I am in doubt regarding any matter, I shall mention the fact.228
(To be continued.)
VACHANAS ATTRIBUTED TO BASAVA. TRANSLATED BY RAO SAHIB P. G. HALKATTI, M.L.C.
(Continued from p. 12.)
N. Have Faith. 1. They say, 'God is fond of sound.' Nay, God is not fond of sound. They say, God is fond of the Vedas.' Nay, God is not fond of the Vedas. The life of Râvana who knew the sound was cut short to one half. The head of Brahmå who knew the Vedas was cut off. Hence, He is neither fond of sound, nor is He fond of the Vedas. But our Kudalasangama Deva is fond of faith.
2. If you wish to acquire this treasure called Faith, you should first anoint your eye with the ointment called love of God. The knowledge of the servants of our Kudalasangama Deva is itself & sovereign medicine.
3. It destroyed the five Brahmâs. It hurled away the Pranava 1: Mantra. It drove away karmas. It stood above actions. It broke the teeth of the Agamas.13 Such is the elephant of faith, belonging to Kudalasangama Deva.
w This is a hit at Balabat Khan's Christian origin. It is not clear why Asad Khan should be referred to as a Gabr or Zoroastrian. He was a Georgian by origin and therefore, probably a Christian before ho was captured by Muslims.
28 I have not reproduced any of the trivial questions which perplexed the disordered mind of Murtaza Nizam Shah.
11 The sacred syllable Om. 19 These are manuals of teaching and practice wod in certain Baiva boots