by Daud Shawni
*****
Vishnu's Bow
Aurangzeb said, "If I concede that these concepts, as you have described them, do not contradict the truth of Islam, still nowhere here is there proof that Rama or Krishna are God's messengers."
The boy said, "I have already explained this, but you resist. I have submerged the stone of your prejudice in the deepest waters, yet you say you are dry. Not a drop of this pure water has entered you. How can I argue with one who refuses to acknowledge what is so manifestly clear?
"You will know the messengers of God through the urna, the eye of your heart, the eye of detachment. Who could cleanse the Kaba after unnumbered generations of pollution and idolatry? Muhammad arose, but the power was God's alone. Who could part the sea? Moses lifted his hand, but the power was God's alone. Who could walk upon the water? Jesus stood upon the waves, but the power was God's alone. Thus, see in this duality, His singleness. In the Kaba, Muhammad spoke and acted with God's authority; to the people he was God. When Moses spoke to the people with authority, to whom belonged the authority? The authority was God's alone; any suggestion that Moses spoke only on behalf of Moses is impiety. This is already what you believe.
"Janaka, king of Mithila, was Sita's father. When Sita came of age, Janaka offered his daughter in marriage. But the king laid a terrible condition upon her suitors. Janaka required that her prospective husbands make a display of their might and valor by stringing Shiva's bow. Princes and kings of neighboring lands entreated Janaka that he require some other test, but Janaka would not relent. The queen pleaded with her husband, for she believed no living man, no deva, no demon could accomplish what Janaka demanded. Still, Janaka would not renounce his oath, though secretly he too feared that this oath was rash and that Sita would have no husband. Many great and famous men tried but none succeeded even in lifting the bow.
"When Viswamithra came to the city with Rama and Lakshmana, Janaka showed the princes Shiva's bow. In Sita's presence, Rama lifted the bow with ease. He restrung it, and fitted an arrow upon it as though it were any other bow. And, with the slightest twist of his wrist, Rama snapped the bow in half. The sound of Shiva's bow breaking was terrible. It shook the foundations of the three worlds. Sita recovered her senses and she placed a garland around Rama's neck and became his wife.
"The sound of the breaking bow reached Parasurama in the mountains. Instantly he traveled to Mithila and into the palace where he saw Shiva's bow broken in two. Enraged, he demanded the life of the one who had broken it. While Janaka's most fearsome men stood cowering, Rama approached Parasurama and said, 'God entered your spirit once; you were born to show His strength on Earth, but you have become arrogant.' Parasurama became insane with anger at these words. He held aloft the bow of Vishnu and mocked Rama, saying, 'Little prince, if you can lift this bow, then I will know that you broke Shiva's bow and then I will kill you.' Rama lifted the bow and, to Parasurama's horror and astonishment, easily fitted an arrow upon it and pointed it at Parasurama's heart. Rama said, 'I do not want to kill you. You were great and wise in your time. You were my token and my right arm. Yet I am exalted well above your ability to help or harm me. I am merciful and I forgive you for failing to recognize me and for daring to put me to the test, for it is you who have been tested.'
"Parasurama pressed his palms together and bowed to Rama. Rama said, 'I will fire this arrow into the heavens and will destroy your austerities and religious merit.' Parasurama smiled and said, 'O Rama, having attained your presence, I have no use for such merit.'
"Parasurama's eyes were opened, and he no longer sought to acquire merit to enter paradise. After seeing Rama and speaking with him what was paradise? In Parasurama's hand was a cup of silver, upon his head was a crown of precious stones, upon his hip he carried an axe of gold. He could no longer call himself poor. He said, 'Who could break Shiva's bow, but Shiva? Who could fix an arrow upon Vishnu's bow but Vishnu? Upon the body of Shiva, see the face of Vishnu. Upon the shoulder of Vishnu, see the bow of Shiva and upon Shiva's shoulder, see Vishnu's bow. Just as the daughter of Janaka is likewise the wife of Rama, there is no difference between them, though the duties of wife and daughter are different. There are not two, there is but one.' Recite from the Rigveda: God is but One in truth, but the sages call Him by many names. Recite from the Quran: By whatever name you call Him, all His names are beautiful.
"I have already said this about the Sarasvati; God invests some, appoints others, manifests Himself through others. But consider your own belief in Muhammad. I do not deny the validity of His station, but what proof does he bring, except the testimony of the Quran? Moses is proven by the testimony of the Torah and Jesus by the Gospel. See within the Ramayana similar testimony and within the Mahabharata and the Puranas further such testimony."
Aurangzeb said, "These are not compelling testimonies or convincing proofs that Rama or Krishna were messengers of God."
The boy said, "Your own belief is irrelevant. I have laid out before you the carpet of true faith, but you will not kneel upon it. I have shown you that nowhere are Rama's journey or Krishna's teachings inconsistent with Islam. Nowhere is there contradiction. Fanatical mullahs who were your teachers have led you astray, have created contradictions where before there were none. In the field of misunderstanding, they are sowers of hatred and reapers of human blood."
Aurangzeb said, "If this is your defense, I have defeated your arguments. Muhammad never claimed to be God, yet Krishna did. If Krishna is only God's messenger, then he cannot be God. If he is the pen and God is the author, why would the pen claim the station of God or be worthy of personal adoration? This is a violation of tawhid; this is the point of divergence between true faith and shirk."
The boy replied, "If the author sets ink to paper with the pen, and with the pen in hand he writes the words, 'I am the author,' who would call this statement untrue? Muhammad has spoken with the words of God; in this he becomes Him. If the author is not visible to you and yet you see evidence of the pen at work, turning in the direction of the pen and declaring, 'Here you may find the Author,' you are not in error turning to the pen. If God's spirit is the light and Krishna is the lantern holding a portion of this light for all men to see, the Light of all lights, you are not in error turning toward Krishna, or recognizing his station, at once as a man and also as the face of God on Earth. Remember, Iblis' error. God breathed his spirit into Adam. Adam was the mirror catching the reflection of God, yet Iblis did not bow to God through Adam, for he misunderstood. He was ignorant and imagined that, in that bow, God and Adam were separate when, in fact, at that moment God and Adam were one. Consider the atman, the spirit of God within you and you will understand that, in the diversity of the world, there is only Him."
