Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 146

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
JULY, 1991
Aurangzeb once (probably in 1663 A.D., when he was in Kashmir) told Rishi Pir that whenever he was eating his meals, blood came into his sight, and requested him to explain why this was so. Rishi Pir told him that it was the blood of innocent Sarmad whom he had put to death. Sarmad was a renowned şaff ascetic and a pantheist, who used to go about naked, singing his own smooth-flowing verses, which breathed not only the mystic fervour of the sufi, but also a lofty spirit of catholicity, rising above the wrangle of sects and cherishing the truth inherent in all creeds. One day (about 1647 A.D.) he was walking by the palace at Delhi, loudly singing a song. Aurangzeb's daughter, Zebu'n-nis&', a gifted poetess and patron of literary men, looked out from a balcony to hear him. Sarmad beheld her and bawled out:
چهار چیز غم از دل برند کدام چهار
There are four things which dispel sorrow from the heart : what four! Zebu'n-nisa' replied:
شراب و سبزا و آب روان و روے نگار
Wine, a green sward, running water and the face of a beautiful woman. Aurangzeb, who was sitting at a window in an adjoining room, overhearing these indeli. cate verses, angrily remonstrated with his daughter on her frivolity. She then changed what she had just said and told him that she had answered to the query of Sarmad thus :
نماز و روزه و نسبير توبہ استغفار
Prayer and fasting and rosary and repentance craving grace. Then the emperor upbraided Sarmad, asking what business he had to wander about near the palace where his zanána harim were living. He was arrested, and order was passed that he should be hanged. Sarmad made a pathetic appeal to those who were present, in the following verses
رران اپل رشید امه دید در چارا کار . من بکوشید
بیا ریه بین
را جانان این مرده تنم بدر مهارید گر بوسه زند به در لبانم
O intelligent, clever people!
Try to render help in my affair. Bring my sweetheart to me;
Entrust to her this dead body of mine. If she kisses my two cheeks
If........
After uttering this much he fell down insensible. The ministers present at this tragio soene told the emperor that Sarmad was quite innocent. Several learned soholars who were present wondered what Sarmad had intended to add after the word ' or '). Jami, who was among the learned poets there, said it was :
اور زنده فوم عجب مدارید
If I revive to life do not wonder. The ministers thereupon requested the emperor that Zebu'n-nisa' might graciously be asked to kiss Sarmad's face. He agreed, and accordingly Zebu'n-nisa' kissed Sarmad; when, lo he came to life again. Aurangzeb then pardoned him.
After a while, Sarmad, in his usual naked condition, passed in front of Aurangzeb at a time when he was saying his prayers. The emperor got very angry at being thus disturbed.