Tag: metaphysical star wars

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Bismillahi mantrena nashantea Vijayeswara

Bismillahi mantrena nashantea Vijayeswara
बिस्मिल्लाही मंत्रेणा नाशंते विजयेशवरा
~ Strange tales from Rajatarangini

In Ain-e-Akbari it is mentioned that when Parihasapura was destroyed by Sikandar Butshikan (1389-1413) “a copper-tablet was discovered on which was inscribed in Sanskrit, that after the lapse of eleven hundred years one Sikandar, would destroy it, and gather for himself exceeding great chastisement”

A similar story was narrated to Aurel Stein by priests of Vijayeshwara temple. (Point to note is that both “prophecies” get the dates of destruction wrong) Aurel Stein in ‘Memoir On Maps Illustrating Ancient Geography Of Kashmir’ (1899), in a footnote gives us:

Ekasasasalam varsam Sikendaramahabalabismilla iti mantrena nasyante Vijayesvarah
After the lapse of 1100 years, Sikandar the Mighty
would utter “Bismillah” and destroy temple of Vijayeshwara

While on the subject, here’s another one.

Taj-i-shahi az sare Shahane Kashmir bara fated wa sardari an hama rabanagoisari nihad
The royal crown will fall from the heads of the kings of Kashmir, and their government will be overthrown

~ Maulavi Mohammad Sahib on death of Sultan Fateh Shah after a bracelet given by Shah Hamada to Sultan Qutb-ud-Din (1373-89) was buried with Sultan Fateh (1486–1495).

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The reason for this post: Last month I was in Rajasthan, in Jaisalmer, at a tea shop I hired a local guide. After a lot of delightful but lunatic conversation, he claimed that he was a member of VHP. So all his theories about Jews also being Hindu suddenly made sense. During the conversation, he mentioned that a Muslim Sufi saint had predicted that the Rajputs would lose royal seats and that the foreigners would roam freely in their land.

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‘Kah-Kah’ Pal

For centuries, no old chronicle of Kashmir, not even the later Persian ones, was complete without having a section on the ‘supernatural’ things witnessed at various places in Kashmir. In the photograph from 1970s (via Huntington Archive of Buddhist and Asian Art at The Ohio State University) can be seen the famous ‘Kah-Kah’ Pal (Eleven-Eleven Stone) of Vijeshwer Shiv Temple, Bijbehara. The green coloured conch shaped stone weighing roughly 60 kilograms, it was claimed could be lifted by eleven people using their index finger chanting ‘Kah’ (Eleven). The stone went missing in the 90s.

‘Kah-Kah’ Pal (Eleven-Eleven Stone) of Vijeshwer Shiv Temple, Bijbehara. Extract from a docu made in August 1977 on Gopi Krishna.

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Similar stone lifting practice among South-Asian Muslims and Tibetans:

Dargah of Qamar Ali Shah Dervish in Shivapur near Pune.

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One more Prophecy






Parit tah buzit Brahman tshetan;
Agar ghatan tihindi Veda satiy;
Pattanach san nit thavan Mattan;
Mohit man gayshek ahankariy.

~ Lal Ded

Read and heard
only religion,
Brahman,
he was polluted;
Recited Vedas,
Rivers Shrank;
Stole stones from Pattan,
Placed at Mattan;
A beguiled heart,
it only goes khootspah.

Read and heard
only religion,
Muslim,
he was polluted;
Recited Koran,
Rivers Shrank;
Stole stones from Mattan,
built homes at Pattan;
A beguiled heart,
it only goes chutzpah.

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First page of the last Rajatarangini

1456.

Then there appeared a comet, a sign of calamity, extending over the sky with its tail towards the east. It was first seen by Vahramakhana. Its tail was like the bearded lance of death, and its wide extending form was seen even in the day time, towards the west. A mare in the king’s stable gave birth to twins, and the king, in order to remove the animal from the country, gave it away to the Yavanas. Lions and other animals of the forest wandered about during the day in Shrinagara town, a bitch gave birth to kittens. The Sadanandi tree, which had been barren, bore fruits and flowers grew on the roots of pomegranate trees near the palace. A rain of blood fell on the clothes that were in the garden, and when men saw this, they felt as if salt has been sprinkled on a wound.

In the the meantime the Hindus, excited to anger by Parna the barber, were guilty of severities on Saidakhana Agaha and others who were residing in the town. When the Yavans heard of this, they became angry and went to the king and lamented aloud, and the king ordered a persecution of the Brahmanas. In his fury the king cut off the arms and noses of Ajara, Amara, Buddha and others, and even those Brahmanas who were his servants. During this time of the pillage of the property of the Brahmans, that gave up their cast and dress and exclaimed, “I am not a Bhatta, I am not a Bhatta.”

1986

The comet again appeared in western sky, a sign of calamity, extending over the sky with its tail towards the east. It was first seen by Vinayak Razdan at Chanpore. The bearded lance of death now had a name: Halley. Pakistan needed four runs to win the match off the last ball, Javed Miandad hit a six off Chetan Sharma to win. Shers driven from the beautiful Golden temple, now roamed around Srinagar, ready to cross border. Bearded kids of downtown were seen always walking in trekking shoes, talking in whispers to moneyed agent provocateurs. A fatherless child was born with an AK-47 in hand. A hand-grenade grew on a pomegranate tree. In two years it was going to burn the roots of a barren Chinar. The sweet water of Chamashahi garden, it was said had turned sour, someone it was claimed had added a certain poison that dried your nutsacks. The clown king was seen driving a scooter with an Indian actress. Gull’e Raid’e, the new king held onto his brief reign using curfews and tear gas. Dancers were ashamed to dance and sing. Even old women now were often seen in black burqas. Old men claimed they were all headed for heaven. Hearts of generational neighbours were turning stiff.

A Muslim woman in India asked for divorce rights and was denied by the highest court of the land. Hindus in India planned to demolish the Babri Mosque of Mughals and plant a grand temple of Rama. The temple was opened by the son of a Bhatta. A cow’s head was found inside a temple in South-Kashmir. There were riots for days. Their properties burned for days. The Brahmans of Kashmir discovered their ancient threads and exclaimed, “I am a Bhatta? I am an Indian? I am a Bhatta! I am an Indian! I am a Bhatta. I am an Indian.”

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Monster of Kausar Nag

Gamera of Japanese Kaiju series

“One of our friends went to bathe in the spring and with little knowledge of swimming he went inside. Suddenly his two feet stopped swimming. We took his turban and tied a stone to it, and threw it over (the water). So he reached the bank by pulling it along with it. Then we saw that an animal had swallowed his feet in his mouth. However, much we tried to injure it with stone, stick and hatchet, it did not have any effect on it, until it swallowed the body of our friend to the knees. So we put wood on its head and lighted it. As it got burnt by the fire a sound like gun-fire was heard from the stomach of the monster. It jumped once into the air and flung itself into the spring. It was destined to die of its own food. The animal resembled a shield (‘Alq). Its length was two cubits and its width at the lower side was one cubit, and towards the head 8 girahs. Its skin was hard and granulated and that is why striking with the hatchet did not have any effect on it.”

~ An account of visit to Kausar Nag narrated by Moulvi Ghulam Hasan Shah (1832-1898) in his ‘Tarikh-i- Hasan’.

I came across it in ‘Historical Geography of Kashmir: Based on Arabic and Persian Sources from A.D. 800 to 1900’ by S. Maqbul Ahmad, Raja Bano (1984) where the writer suggest Hasan must have come across an alligator. However, given that gangetic turtles are found in some other lakes in the Himalayan region, it is more likely Hasan saw a type of a turtle, probably a Snapping Turtle, a creature that is known to survive in icy lakes.

Interestingly, while most Kashmiris now would be able to write tomes about Kausar Nag, its religious significance, its environmental significance and its history, why the war over it is necessary, yet, none can tell if there is (or was) a species of turtle found in the lake, its breeding cycle and diet. We are still busy chasing monsters.
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Flooding Superstition


“Fishing in the Hidden Eddies of the Jhelum. The flow of the river is watched with superstitious fear for signs of increased volume and impending flood. To the Kashmiri the swiftly flowing mountain streams have become barometers of fate.”

~from ‘Beneath The crags of Kashmir’ (1920)  by V.C. Scott O’connor

One of the persistent side effect of frequent flooding and other natural calamities in Kashmir, has been the proliferation of a phenomena witnessed in many other parts of the world: humbug. In times like these most people look upwards and bear witness to work of Gods. [Watch: Impact of 2004 Tsunami on Indonesia]

Walter Lawrence, in the aftermath of great flood of 1893 in Kashmir, recorded a curious practice prevalent among Kashmiri people. He wrote, ‘Marvellous tales were told of the efficacy of the flags of saints which had been set up to arrest the floods, and the people believe that the rice-fields of Tulamula and the bridge of Sumbal were saved by the presence of these flags, which were taken from the shrines as a last resort.’

The Spring shrine of Tulamulla obviously became more popular after the floods of 1893 and slowly overshadowed most other sites as the holiest of holy.

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Paintings of Kashmiri Water Deities and Origins, 1882


Two rare Kashmiri painting collected by David J. F. Newall in 1850s and presented in his book ‘The Highlands of India’ (1882) and Preliminary Sketches in Cashmere; Or, Scenes in “Cuckoo-cloudland.” By (D.J.F. Newall.) [With Illustrations.] (1882).

“Hindoo Picture Emblematic of the Draining of the Cashmere Valley
The Water Demon Juldeva overwhelmed by Suttee (or Siva) below the hill of Harrie Parvat”
The only depiction of the deity that I have seen in which the bird is part of the scene

In the story, the goddess Sharika [Tripursundari] kill the demon Jalodbhava by taking the form of a Myna (Haer in Kashmir, hence the name of the hill. Identifiable in the painting) and dropping a pebble on the head of the demon (hence setting the precedent for stone throwing in Kashmir).

The stone depicting the goddess on Hari Parbat. 2008.

“Hindoo Picture emblematic of the creation of the river Jhelum or Vetasta.”
The only depiction of the river deity that I have seen

The story as collected by Newall and presented in ‘Notes on Pilgrimages in the Country of Cashmere’, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume XXXV, Issue IV, 1867

I now come to the last pilgrimage of which I Have noted the details, and which may perhaps be almost more properly called a fabulous account of the river Vetusta, as I am not aware that it is at any time undertaken by the Hindus of Cashmere, and as I rather think that some of the places named are under waters of that river. I extract exactly as I find it in my notes.
“Fabulous account of the origin of the river Jhelum or Vetusta.”
“Mahadeo being here engaged in self-contemplation, Raja Bhagerut arrived, and prayed for a Nag or spring in which to bathe and be cleansed from his sins. A stream then issued from the head of the destroyed which, on arriving at Wamoo, was swallowed by a certain demon, rejoicing in the name of Kalneemie Assur. A second spring was in like hammer swallowed by the thirsty demon. Whereupon Raja Bhagerut descended from his place of prayer at Vetusta Khoond, and engaged the demon, whom, after a brisk encounter (described in the graphic language of the Sanskrit ring (sic in MS.) he is stated to have injured, but was unable to destroy or drive away. (Kalneemie Assur probably graduated in the Vedic art of self-defence!) In fact it seems a polite way of stating that the Raja got the worst of it, as the demon is stated to have given chase, and to have come as far as Hurnag (Virnag) in pursuit. At this however, the wrath of the destroyer was aroused. He encountered the demon, and slew him, got his head in chancery and finally grassed him. I have in my possession a picture of this event where Mahadeo is represented as literally sitting on his face! Lion (or Mahdeo) then commanded the spring to follow Bhagirat Raja, who, descending the valley, passed successively.
1. Kanibul
2. Sumbooderi Tirat
3. Deokieyar
4. Bejbeharie
5.Sungum
6. Shriya
7. Mullyar
8. Gunputyar
9. Soomyar
10. Baramoola, the residence of Raja Bhagerur, where the pilgrimage terminates.”

Newall had no knowledge of Sanskrit, in fact the story was narrated to him by his source in Persian reading from a Sanskrit Manuscript.

Kalanemi, a very popular demon from Vaishnav stories, a perennial enemy of Vishnu, even Kansa is said to be a incarnation of Kalanemi. The story of birth of Vitasta seems to draw upon the stories of birth of Ganga (the reference to Raja Bhaghirath) and slaying of Kalanemi by Vishnu/Shiva in multiple puranas.

The imagery of the demon was uniform in Kashmiri style irrespective of story from which culture was being drawn.

An illustration to the Shahnama (“Book of Kings”): Rustam and the White Div,
Kashmir, circa 1800 
Verinag.
Feb, 2014

From Newall’s writings it is clear that he had collected a lot more of such paintings but sadly only these two seem to have been published.

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The painters
‘Group of Hindu artist’ from ‘Afoot Through the Kashmir Valleys’ (1901) by Marion Doughty.

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Bala’yan Cha heng aasaan

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fellow Mulla bellow



Mullah dyuthum narai bharan,
Dolah guharan paran kyut;
Alai balai panas niwaran,
Amrit chhakan biyan kyut.
Malan asan hanga phut shubali,
Pakan alit walit ket;
Khewan gusht kasam nali,
Katshi tali tsalek patila het.
Rotsan nah tah khiwan balbali,
Achan tahtsalan katsi tali het.
Yusa ror chheh saran sangaran palan,
Sui kunih piyin malan yit!
I saw a priest blowing out fire (and)
beating a drum to others;
All evils presenting to himself,
Nectar sprinkling to others.
The priest have nice big turbans on their heads;
They walk about daintily dressed.
Dressed in priestly robes they indulge in mutton.
They run away with the cooking pots under the arm-pit.
They pretend that it does not agree with them (yet) they go on eating.
They watch and run away (with the food) under their arm-pit.
Whatever noise rolls in lakes, hills and rocks,
May it come and fall on priests!
~ Nund Rishi (trs. Anand Koul,1930)

While in Lal Ded’s sayings the criticism of orthodox religious establishment of Brahmins was sharp, her silence on the orthodoxy of ‘mausulas’ (‘Muslims’ of Pandit Shrivara) is perhaps understandable, that particular orthodoxy was not yet primal at the source of power, and it was not her concern. This criticism came only after her time, when the religion of the state completely changed, it comes from sayings of Nund Rishi. In the above given verses, he presents a caricature of a muslim priest, a Mulla.

Interestingly, the only oft quoted clue to Nund Rishi from Jonaraja’s Dvitīyā Rājataraṅginī is about arrest of a certain popular Mulla/Moulvi Noorud Din during the time of Ali Shah (Zain-ul-Abidin’s elder brother) time for being a rebel.

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breaking and making



shud sang-e astanaye din har buti ki bud
kafir biya u sajdah kun in astanah ra


ruzi ki gul zi bagh bagharat barad khizan
bulbul ba bad dih sabad-e ashiyanah ra

Transmuted into a shrine’s threshold
is every idol of the past
Infidel, come and bow before it

The day autumn plunders
the rose from garden,
Nightingale, give up
your nest to the storm

~ lines from a Ghazal by Ghani Kashmiri (d.1669), a 17th century Persian poet who lived in Kashmir during the time of Aurangzeb.*

Bibin karamat-i-butkhanah-i’ mara ay shaykh
 Ki chun kharab shawad khanah-i’ Khuda gardad

Look at the miracle of my idol-house, o Sheikh
That when it was ruined, it became the house of God!**

~ lines of Chandrabhan ‘Brahman’ quoted by Nek Rai.

In time of Akbar, Bir Singh Dev Bundela killed Abu’l Fazal near Gwalior at the behest of Prince Salim. In return Bundela got Adul Fazl’s property in Mathura on which he built a temple. In time of Aurangzeb, Husain Ali Khan, the faujdar of Mathura tore down this temple on the order of Aurangzeb. A local poet Nek Rai, in sadness, quoted lines these attributing them to Chandrabhan Brahman.

Chandrabhan ‘Brahman’ (1582-1661), was son of Dharam Das of Lahore (a mansabdar, at the court of Akbar). He was a disciple of ‘Abdulhaklm Saialkoti’. In Shah Jahan’s court (1626–56) he was employed as a private secretary of Prince Dara. He later went on to serve Aurangzeb too. His muslim friends thought of him as a muslim. His son was Khwaja Tej Bhan.

In ‘Bahar-e-gulshan-e-Kashmir’, an anthological two volume, more than 1000 page work containing verses by hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit poets and brief biographical notes, commissioned by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru in 1931-31, Chandrabhan ‘Brahman’ is given as a Kashmiri Pandit.

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* Ghani’s lines found in ‘The Captured Gazelle: The Poems of Ghani Kashmiri’. Tahir Ghani Translated by Mufti Mudasir Farooqi and Nusrat Bazaz.

** Chandrabhan’s lines given in ‘Writing the Mughal World: Studies on Culture and Politics’ By Muzaffar Alam, Sanjay Subrahmanyam.

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