Zindaginama

by Krishna Sobti

  Nawab brought the candlestand and put it before Kashi Shah. He opened the book to read aloud:

  ‘It is from the times of Shahjahan Badshah. In those days, Miyan Mir Shah was considered a great devotee and man of God. Miyan Mir would often indulge in opium and suchlike pursuits. Hindus, Muslims, all came to his court. Singing, dancing and mujras by performers and prostitutes were common.

  ‘Once some uncouth idiot went and complained to Badshah Salamat that Miyan Sahib’s gatherings were full of debauches and revellers. And that this should be investigated. Badshah Salamat stated that he wouldn’t like to act on hearsay and one day the badshah mounted his horse and headed that way. En route he had to cross the river Raavi. As the water had receded, Badshah Salamat decided to cross the river on horseback. When his horse reached midway, it pissed and shat in the water.

  ‘Seated in his darbar, Shah Miyan Mir was watching all this with his divine vision. When the badshah reached his darbar, Shah Sahib laughed and said, “Your horse has polluted the whole river. Now where shall I wash and worship?”

  ‘Shahjahan Badshah laughed and replied, “Saain Sahib, can horseshit ever pollute a whole river?”

  ‘Miyan Mir said, “If a fakir’s mind, which is a self-willed ocean, can be polluted by the revelries of this world, then why not a river?”

  ‘The badshah instantly realized his error, and accepted Saain Sahib as his spiritual master. While they were still talking Chhajju Bhagat arrived at the darbar. Seeing him, Miyan Mir at once stood up to receive him and seated him with utmost love and respect on his own seat. The badshah saw all this, but remained so engrossed in the symbolic import of the river incident that he neither recognized nor acknowledged the man of God.

  ‘The royal retinue had barely left Miyan Mir’s darbar when the badshah’s servant came back running to Miyan Mir and said, “Saain Sahib, Badshah Salamat is in great distress! He cannot pass gas. His stomach is bloated.”

  ‘Miyan Mir said, “I cannot do anything in this matter. Only Chhajju Bhagat can relieve him of his discomfort.”

  ‘When the royal servant approached Chhajju Bhagat, he said, “But I am just an ordinary man, with nothing to my name. What do I know of medicines and cures!”

  ‘The servant again requested, “Bhagatji, Saain Sahib says that you and only you can relieve Badshah Salamat’s suffering.”

  ‘Chhajju Bhagat said, “This is Saain Sahib’s grace that he honours me so. He is Sahib-e-Kamaal, a master of all miracles.”

  ‘Defeated, the servant went back to Miyan Mir’s darbar and pleaded, “Shah Sahib, Badshah Salamat is in great distress. Please do something!”

  ‘Saain Sahib gave his judgement. “Go and tell Badshah Salamat that he shouldn’t have sent a servant to Chhajju Bhagat. He should have gone himself.”

  ‘Finally, Badshah Salamat himself went to Chhajju Bhagat and said, “Bhagatji, please forgive my blunder. I am in great difficulty!”

  ‘Chhajju Bhagat said, “Ay badshah, such pride in being a shahenshah! Tell me, what can us ordinary folk do for a badshah anyway?”

  ‘“Bhagatji, do have mercy. I cannot bear this suffering any more.”

  ‘“Ay Shahenshah, tell me, if you do get well upon my mercy, what would you give in recompense?”

  ‘“Whatever you say, maharaj, you only have to ask.”

  ‘Chhajju Bhagat laughed. “O naive badshah, what do you really own? Only your crown, isn’t it! Even that is not yours – it belongs to your people. All right, for today I will accept your crown. Write down the transfer of power and hand it over to me duly stamped with your insignia.”

  ‘Badshah Salamat was in great dilemma. Then he thought, What are thrones and empires before life? If I lose my life, I will lose my crown anyhow. So Badshah wrote the royal patta and presented it to Chhajju Bhagat. As soon as Bhagatji took the scroll in his hand, the badshah passed gas and was relieved. He promptly ordered his retinue, “Prepare for departure!”

  ‘Bhagatji saw these royal airs and laughed. “Are you in your senses? Whose command now and whose kingdom? The sovereignty of Hindostan has been writ on paper, and that is now in my hand. Do you still have any identity left, O great Shahjahan?”

  ‘The badshah was irritated and said, “Pray, what mockery is this?”

  ‘“O emperor who reneges on his word, on one hand is the sovereignty of Hindostan, and on the other, a foul fart. Even then you fall prey to arrogance and vanity and dare to challenge those who are face to face with God. Ay badshah, remove yourself from our sight, and take this worthless clutter of your sultanate too.”

  ‘And Bhagatji tore the paper into tiny pieces.

  Profoundly ashamed and humbled, the badshah fell at Bhagatji’s feet, pleading, “I have understood both my grave sin and my folly! Please forgive this wrong of one less than nothing!”

  ‘Bhagatji closed his eyes and said, “Only Miyan Mir has the right to grant forgiveness. Not I.”’

  Our pirs-fakirs, sadhus-sanyasis possess such heart-warming humility on the one hand, and such profound majesty that does not bow even to badshahs and emperors, on the other! Kashi Shah was lost in devotion as though he himself had reached Chhajju Bhagat’s house. He nodded and said, ‘It’s a well known idiom: Neither in Balkh nor in Bukhara is there such peace and joy as in Chhajju’s Chaubara. Shah Miyan Mir and Chhajju Bhagat’s friendship and love is famous throughout the world. For them, day wasn’t day and night wasn’t night when they were together. Rabb’s benedictions upon them both. They would remain forever lost in zikr, in His praise and prayer.

  ‘One day Shah Miyan Mir was sitting in meditation. Startled, he suddenly got up and started walking towards Chhajju Bhagat’s house. When he reached, he saw that Chhajju Bhagat was cooking in his kitchen. Shah Miyan stood outside and asked, “May I come in?”

  ‘Chhajju Bhagat looked at him sternly and shook his head. “If you had come in, who would have refused! But now you may stay outside. Mir Sahib, do pir-fakirs also have castes and categories? How could you imagine that your presence would pollute my kitchen? How could you even think such a thought! If it has entered your heart, then it must have already existed!”

  ‘Miyan Mir was most upset. He bowed his head on the threshold and begged forgiveness. Said, “I have sinned against you, Bhagatji. Give whatever punishment you deem fit. I accept.”

  ‘Chhajju Bhagat’s throat choked with tears. He said, “Miyan Mir, you have committed another blunder! Why didn’t you come in and embrace me, my friend? It is I who have sinned that you thought my kitchen more sacred than me. Saiyyan, this is a sin against love; a sin! In this one moment you have opened an ocean between us. From now on, I stand on this side, and you on the other.”

  ‘For long moments, Miyan Mir kept looking at Chhajju Bhagat with brimming eyes. Then offered salaam and said, “I accept both my sin and your punishment. I am your devotee. I will always remain your devotee. I will never forget you even for a moment, nor be apart from you in thought.” Saying this, Miyan Mir gazed soulfully upon Chhajju Bhagat for one last time. Then offered his salaam once more and took his leave.

  ‘Chhajju Bhagat kept watching the road with streaming eyes until Miyan Mir had vanished from sight.’

  Jahandadji nodded. ‘Shah Sahib, just as milk and butter get spoilt by a hair, so is the mirror of the heart clouded by a sullied thought.’

  Shahji shook his head. ‘There was another reason too. Lost in a trance of Muhammad, whenever Saain Sahib would happen to glance at Chhajju Bhagat, he felt as if he was being showered by divine munificence. Bhagatji ultimately realized that while he and Miyan Mir would gain in spiritual wealth in each other’s company, they would forget the ultimate sahib-e-kamaal, Khuda Himself!’

  Ganda Singh’s thoughts were elsewhere. He first adjusted his turban, then unwrapped and carefully rewrapped his khes, and said, ‘Shahji, this is a matter of roohani ishq, divine love. But if someone asks me, the context of your badshah’s story points to the firangi government. What will now happen is tha
t the Ghadar and inquilabi revolutionaries are going to stop the Sarkar’s piss and breath. I am ready to give it in writing, Shahji, that the writ of sovereignty is ultimately bound to pass into the hands of the people. Once the Sarkar is lightened of crown and kingship, there will be no holding our people back. Only one slogan will resound then: The voice of the people is the voice of God! It is said that Saturn was born to the Sun, and the Sun lost a sixteenth part of its power and glory. The same applies to the government. On one hand, the war and on another, the Ghadar revolutionaries set upon martyrdom!’

  Shahji kept nodding for long moments. ‘Badshaho, the tenth Patshahi Guru Gobind Singhji Maharaj wrote to Badshah Aurangzeb in response to his cruelty and oppression:

  ‘When all other means fail,

  It is justified to lift the sword against tyranny!’

  ‘Waah-waah, Guru Sahib, glory and praises to your bravery and courage!’

  GLOSSARY AND NOTES

  Aftaab: A mud pot in which country liquor is brewed

  Ahalkar: Officer

  Ahmad Shah Durrani (c. 1722–1772): Also known as Ahmad Khan Abdali, was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan. After the death of Nader Shah Afshar in 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani was chosen as King of Afghanistan. Within a few years, he extended his control from Khorasan in the west to Kashmir and North India in the east, and from the Amu Darya in the north to the Arabian Sea in the south.

  Ajwain: Carom seeds

  Akhyan: Incident from a sacred text, usually with a moral

  Anna: Six paise

  Antaryami: Omniscient

  Athwara: A musical composition of eight feet rhyme

  Baba Farid (1173–1266): Khwaja Fariduddin Masud Ganjshakar was a Sufi saint and Muslim missionary in Punjab region of South Asia, belonging to the Chishti Order. One of Farid’s most important contributions to Punjabi literature was his development of the language for literary purposes. Whereas Sanskrit, Arabic, Turkish and Persian had historically been considered the languages of the learned and the elite, and used in monastic centres, Punjabi was generally considered a less refined folk language. Although earlier poets had written in a primitive Punjabi, before Farid there was little in Punjabi literature apart from traditional and anonymous ballads. By using Punjabi as the language of poetry, Farid laid the basis for a vernacular Punjabi literature that would be developed later.

  Baboye: A phulkari motif

  Bachchi: Girl child; Daughter (Address)

  Badana/Boondi: Deep fried gram flour drops sweetened with sugar syrup

  Badshah : Emperor

  Badshahat: Kingdom

  Baag phulkari: A dense form of phulkari embroidery, which is elaborate and decorative. Baag literally means garden of flowers. The embroidery is so profuse that the base fabric is no longer visible.

  Bahooti: Daugher-in-law

  Bahufali: Medicinal plant used as diuretic; Corchorus antichorus (Tiliaceae)

  Baithak: Formal sitting room

  Balaiyyan: A gesture of the arms, diverting another’s troubles upon one’s own head

  Barkhurdar: Son; Form of address to a young man, as in, ‘My dear young man!’

  Batasha: Sugar ball

  Bebe: Mother

  Begum: Middle-aged Muslim woman; Wife

  Behan: (Hindu) Sister

  Bela: (Bael): Tree; Aegle marmelos

  Bhadralok: Genteel class

  Bhang: Marijuana leaves ground with milk to make an intoxicating drink

  Bhari: Offering from a house where a celebration like birth of a son or a wedding has taken place

  Bharjaaee: (Hindu) Brother’s wife

  Bigha: Measurement of land; 1 Bigha = 0.4 Acres

  Boher: Medicinal plant; Moraceae

  Boora: Ground sugar

  Cannon of the Bhangis: The Zamzama Gun, also known as Kim’s Gun, is a large bore cannon. It was cast in 1762 in Lahore, now in Pakistan but at the time part of the Durrani Empire.

  Changa: Okay

  Changair: Wicker platter

  Charkha: Spinning wheel

  Chati: Clay pot

  Cheekho: Scream

  Chhand: A quatrain used in the poetic traditions of North India and Pakistan

  Chhanna: Bowl

  Chhantank: Unit of weight; 125 Grams

  Chillum: A small clay pipe used for smoking

  Chillianwala slaughter-field: The Battle of Chillianwala was fought between the Sikhs and the British army on 13 January 1849.

  Chirayta: A herb whose stem and leaves are used to make medicine for fever, constipation, upset stomach, loss of appetite, intestinal worms, skin diseases and cancer. Some people use it as a bitter tonic.

  Chowki: A low stool with four legs

  Chowk-phool: Pattern of braids on head, woven as interlinked flowers

  Chulha: An open clay stove using wood and uplas

  Chunni/Dupatta: A part of female dress, a long piece of cloth to cover the head and shoulders

  Dachi: Pure-bred camel

  Dadi: Paternal grandmother

  Damri: A small coin in pre-Partition days

  Darbar: Royal court

  Dargah: (Sufi) Holy place; Shrine

  Daroga: Inspector

  Dauni: Ornamental red dot on forehead, worn by the married Hindu women

  Deghbara/Degh: Huge vessel for cooking rice

  Deorhi: Entrance step into a house or building

  Desh: Homeland

  Devar: (Hindu) Brother-in-law; Husband’s younger brother

  Devrani: (Hindu) Sister-in-law; Wife of husband’s younger brother

  Dharm-Pitti: One who loses her religion

  Dhela: A small coin in pre-Partition days

  Dhussa: Thick woollen shawl

  Dhiya/Dhee/ Dhiyani: Daughter, becomes Dhiye in address

  Diya/Deeva/Divta/ Deepak: A small earthen lamp, with cotton wick dipped into ghee or mustard oil

  Doha: Couplet

  Dohara: Form of verse

  Dottahi: Two sheets stitched together, to form a thick double layered sheet, used as a bedsheet or for covering

  Dupatta: See Chunni

  Falan: A variety of shrub

  Farsi: The Persian Language

  Gabroon: Thick cloth; Gaberdine

  Gandhari: Of Kandahar

  Ghee: Clarified butter

  Ghee-Shakkar: Clarified butter and Jaggery

  Ghuma: Unit of land; 1 Murabba is 25 Keela/Ghuma, and 1 Killa is 1 Acre or 8 Kanals

  Granthi: A Sikh priest

  Gulistan Bama’ani: An Urdu text written by Shaikh Mubasshir Ahmad Rabbani

  Gulkand: Rose petal preserve

  Gul-Sanobar: Bright pink flower

  Haan: Yes

  Hakeem: Medicine man in Unani tradition

  Halaa: Okay

  Halwa: A sweet made with semolina, ghee and sugar

  Halwai: Sweet-maker

  Handa: A prominent Khatri clan originating from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. Handas are all Punjabis and are Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. Many Handas trace their origin to the former Indian and now Pakistani districts of Punjab: Lahore, Gujranwala, and Gujrat.

  Havan-Yagna: A ritual offering of grains and ghee to fire, accompanied with shloka or prayers in Sanskrit, which is held to mark births, marriages and other special occasions.

  Hazoor: Most respected (Address)

  Hidayat: Advice; Instruction

  Hukkah: Smoking pipe

  Hukumat: Dispensation; Rule

  Ilm: Knowledge

  Imam: (Arabic) An Islamic leadership position. It is most commonly in the context of a worship leader of a mosque and Muslim community.

  Inquilab: Revolution

  Jagga Daku: Jagat Singh Virk, best known as Jagga Daku was a 20th century heroic rebel of Punjab, known as the Robin Hood of Punjab for robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.

  Jaikara: Shout of glory of some god or goddess

  Jajman: Client

  Jangi Laat:
Governor Defence

  Janjghar: Community centre

  Jatt: A raditionally agricultural community

  Jazia: (Jizayah). The tax that was taken from the free non-Muslim subjects of a Muslim government. On 2 April 1679, Aurangzeb re-imposed Jazia upon the Hindus which had been abolished by Emperor Akbar in 1564.

  Jhagga: A loose shirt, worn by women, with a lower, salwar

  Jheevar: The caste of water-carriers

  Jithani: Sister-in-law; Wife of husband’s elder brother

  Kafi: A classical form of Sufi poetry, mostly in Punjabi and Sindhi languages. Some well-known Kafi poets are Baba Farid,Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast and Khwaja Ghulam Farid. Kafi is a rich and varied poetic form, yet through it all it remained centred on the dialogue between the Soul and the Creator, symbolized by the murid (disciple) and his Murshid (Master), and often by lover and his Beloved. Kafi is usually themed around heroic and great romantic tales from the folklore, often used as a metaphor for mystical truths, and spiritual longing.

  Kalapani: The prison at the Andaman islands. Referred to as the blackwater for its most difficult climate and living conditions.

  Kanali: Large shallow plate

  Kanjar: Low caste; (Abuse) Pimp

  Kanjari: Nautch girl

  Kantha: A heavy gold necklace

  Karahi: A wok-like cooking utensil

  Karmawalio/ Karmavaliye: Women of good deeds (Address)

  Karta: Doer

  Kashtkari: Agriculture on rented land

  Katha: Story

  Kauri: Sea-shell

  Kavitt: A short poem; Another name of Ghanakshari Chhand

  Khainu: Children’s game

  Khanam: Lady servant

  Khand-Malai: Sugar and Milk cream

  Khasampitti: The unfortunate one who lives to mourn her husband

  Kheer: Rice pudding

  Khes: Thick woven cotton sheet, used for covering

  Khoya: Milk solids

  Kikar: Tree; Acacia nilotica

  Kudi: Lass; Young girl

  Kullah: A kind of Muslim turban

  Kutteyo-Khassiyo: (Abuse) Dogs and Transvestites, dickless

  Laat Bahadur: A British Lord

  Laatni: Wife of a Laat (British Lord)

  Lal Chand ‘Falaq’: Freedom fighter during the first decade of the 20th century, a contemporary of Lala Lajpat Rai, ‘Falaq’ was known for his fiery patriotic nazms. When Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh were arrested in 1907, Sufi Amba Das continued the freedom struggle along with Bhai Kishan Singh (Bhagat Singh’s uncle), Bhai Paramanand, Pindi Das, and ‘Falaq’. They were also prosecuted and convicted.