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The story goes that Ali Mardan Khan, the Kurdish governor of Kashmir appointed by Shah Jahan, the governor who built Chameshahi Garden, the supposed owner of a philosopher stone got from a dead snake woman, was one night strolling around Shalimar Garden when his eyes suddenly fell on Mahadeo peak and saw something, believed he saw Shiva himself. He went on to write a poem on his experience. No one was to later claim that he must have been smoking or drinking Shiva stuff that night.

I find the story interesting not just because of the obvious ‘Muslim Man singing Hindu Hosanna’ thing but because in this particular story and the poem associated with the story, the whole unique Hindu concept of ‘Darshan’ and the concept of God having physical attributes is also adopted.

I have read the story and reference to the poem in a lot of ‘our great culture’ writing on Kashmir. But never was the poem presented in entirety. The usual – someone knows 30% about something, he shares 15%, someone else is happy copying 10%,  and in the end you get only 5% but that doesn’t matter cause you get a lazy ‘our great culture’ kick even in that 5% and that’s how the matter remains. In my case, OCD causes me all kind of pirablems. I need to know more even if I don’t understand it. Even if it is all Persian to me.

Last month, I found the poem in an Hindi-Kashmiri Aarti /Bajan book dated 1993 lying among my grandmother’s god books collection. Here’s the complete poem, in what may or may not pass for Persian, with what may or may not pass for translation:

Huma Aslay Maheshwar Bood
Shabshahay Ki Man Didam
Gazanfar Charam Dar Barbood
Shab Shahay



I saw him at night, I am sure it was Maheshwar
wearing a Lion skin on him, that night

Zonarsh maar bar gardan
Ravansh gang bar sar bood
Shab Shahay



His body covered in ash, a snake around the neck
Ganga was flowing down from his hair, that night


Say Chashmash bar jabeen Darad
Zee mehroy roshan tar
Say Karan Dast Bastah bood 
Shab Shahay



Three eyes on his face, his face all illuminating
for that reason, my hands paid him respect, that night


B-dastash Aab-e-Kosar
V-bekh Nakusee Nilofar
Hilalash Taaj bar sar bood
Shab Shahay



Water of bounty, a lotus conch in hand
his head was lit by moon, that night


Uma Az Soi-la-Bingar 
Zi Sad Khursheed Taban tar
Svarash Kulib-e-nar bood
Shab Shahay



Uma to his left, bright like a thousand suns
their ride was a Bull, that night

Ajab Sanyaas-e-didam
Namo Narayan Guftam
E-Khakay paye bosidham 
Shab Shahay



I saw a strange renouncer, my lips uttered – Namoh Narayan
I kissed the dust flying off his feet, that night


Nigahay bar manay Miskeen
Namood Az Chashim Tabaan Tar
Makanash Laamkan tar bood
Shab Shahay



He looked deep into me with his shining eyes
I saw his house in the uninhabitable infinite, that night


Manam Mardaan Ali Khanam 
Gulam Shah-e-Shaham
Ajab Israar may Beenam 
Shab Shahay

I, Ali Mardan Khan, server of King of Kings
I witnessed something very strange, that night