[Reader-list] DIVINITY AND GODHOOD IN DASTANS

[mahmood farooqui]

GODHOOD, FALSE GODS AND RELIGION IN Tilism-e Hoshruba



While ostensibly the Dastan-e-Amir Hamza purports to
be an account of the triumph of Islamic armies over
infidels and worshippers of other Gods, in its essence
it is a highly secular narrative. Very rarely does it
engage in what can be called proselytisation. This is
vastly different from encouraging enemies to renege
from their faith and their side and join the Islamic
side. 

Here is the greatest of the false Gods Laqa, driven
from country to country by the indefeasible Islamic
warriors, yet charismatic enough to make those who
shelter him bow in submission to him. Here is one such
vassal writing to those below him-

“It is a sign of the Almighty’s benevolence that
despite being harassed by his subjects he does not
punish them and instead says that they are all my
creatures and I created them in a moment of
intoxication therefore they have turned rebellious and
degenerate and now their fate cannot be changed and
the Almighty is helpless. They repent and plead to be
forgiven but the Almighty refuses their repentance.
And his subjects say that now that the Almighty does
not accept our apologies we may as well enjoy our
independence and do as we see fit.” (p28 TH 1

In the Dastani worldview the good and the bad are
evenly matched, infinitely. When an evil sorcerer
dies, a new one rises to replace him. When someone on
the righteous side is killed, another one is quickly
found to replace him. It is as if they can keep
replenishing their numbers infinitely and the good and
the bad will remain evenly matched no matter who
emerges victorious. When Hamza and his cohorts capture
one Tilism, they are faced with another. Laqa will
keep finding vassals, they will keep fighting and thus
it is that Dastans can go on endlessly. 

They never need end, all depends on the listeners and
the performer. Amar, Hamza’s chief trickster, is
captured several times over by Afrasiyab, the Emperor
of the sorcerers in the first volume of the
Tilism-e-Hoshruba itself. Each time though he effects
his escape, either through his own ingenuity or
because of Afrasiyab’s credulity. It is in Amar’s
nature to trick people and he will always do so, it is
Afrasiyab’s lot to be tricked and he will continue to
do so. 

On one such occasion Afrasiyab has managed to trap
Amar in a Tilism and he is brought, starving and
humiliated, before Afrasiyab. Before he arrives
Afrasiyab says,

“If I did not have to inquire something from him, I
would have starved him to death in that jungle. As
long as the Tilism-e-Hoshruba remains, my life remains
and until I remain alive the Tilism that I have cast
will not be broken by any save myself and the Aiyyars
will never be freed.” (p437 TH 1)

However, when Amar is brought before Afrasiyab he
manages to convince him, of all things, that he Amar
is the confidant of the God Laqa whom Afrasiyab
submits to. Here is Amar’s rationale.

“Afrasiyab said, what I want to ask you is this. Who
dropped you across the magic-river and how did you
return from the Almighty at the Koh-e-Aqiq to the
Tilism? Hearing this talk Amar broke into a guffaw and
said O Emperor, this is hardly worth concealing. I am
a beloved subject of my God and when I was determined
to come this side I started praying to my God who sent
a houri from paradise and she seated me on her
shoulders and brought me across to this side. 

Afrasiyab asks who is your God. Hearing this Amar
laughs loudly and said I have already mentioned
several times that I am an Angel of Zamurrad Shah
Bakhtari meaning the Divine Laqa and God has sent me
into this Tilism as the messenger of death and yet you
ask who your God is. That one is our only God, there
is none to rival him today and nobody can share
anything with him. To tell the truth I worship only
that one God and submit to him, I do not care for the
other 175 Gods. What would you know of the secrets and
confidences that I share with my God. What I will say
now is that the Almighty was very put out at [your]
worshipping Samri and Jamshed and he commanded me to
go and kill the worshippers of other Gods. Outwardly
he says kind things but he is not happy with you
people. He is happy with those who consider him alone
as the singular Almighty because [as] God says the
Gods who are dead, their divinity is also dead. 

Consider this O King of Sorcerers, I am merely a speck
of a few grams whereas you weigh a thousand quintals.
How can we be matched yet is it not because of God
Almighty’s displeasure that I overcome you.” [p439]

In the passage quoted above Amar is transposing the
usual arguments for monotheism that the partisans of
Islam had upheld for centuries, into Laqa’s mouth.
Laqa himself is a false God in the Tilism and is
repeatedly humiliated by Amar. Yet, the terms on which
he is presented could be turned around, on a slightly
subversive reading, to apply to the monotheistic God
of the Muslims itself. Further, the readers know that
it is not the false God Laqa who abets Amar in his
confrontation with Afrasiyab but the true God of the
Muslims. The irony is therefore doubled for the
informed listener. Further, taking potshots at the
false Gods in this garb and in this manner could all
too easily have been a surrogate for questioning the
dominant and prevalent conception of divinity and
Godhood in the wider society itself. 

What was so far couched in a confusion of identities
comes dangerously close to blasphemy as Amar’s
wisecracks at Laqa, the sole and overpressed God,
could apply wholesale to the one and true God. 

“When the fairy reached the mid-river it dived inside
and I saw a stream of blood flowing and I started
drowning in it. At that moment a boat appeared and
Khudawand Laqa was riding in it, he pulled me out of
that Nallah and hauling me into the boat began to take
me across. I found such a stink and noxious smell
coming out of Khudawand that my mind was benumbed and
I fainted. When I came to I found myself on this side.
Afrasiyab asked why was there a stink emanating from
Khudawand. Amar said the reason for the stink is that
Khudawand does not wash himself sometimes for ten days
after shitting. And he never ever cleans his mouth,
his teeth are mouldy and when he talks it seems as if
it is not his mouth opening but the door of the toilet
bowl that is ajar. The reason for this is that he does
not get a minute off from his work for the subjects.
Having to kill someone, to give birth to another,
making someone rich, throwing someone to poverty and
so on and so forth. You tell me how and when can he
wash himself and clean his mouth and face. “ [p439}

By now Amar, who had reached Afrasiyab’s presence
cowering with apprehension only two pages before is in
such a flow of trickery that he seems to be fully
warmed up to prime Afrasiyab and the latter too seems
ripe for priming. 

“Afrasiyab responded you have uttered obscene remarks
regarding his Almighty’s august presence but you spoke
the truth. For where we, his subjects, are so
preoccupied with managing just one Tilism that we find
no time to wash ourselves etc then the Almighty, who
has to look after the whole universe, has to kill,
give birth and provide for so many people then how
would the Almighty find even a minute to spare.

While Afrasiyab was still saying these things when one
of his maids spoke up saying O Emeperor, whose words
are you being taken in by. He is deceitful, just ask
him where is a Nala in the magic-river. Afrasiyab got
very upset at the maid and said, idiot what do you
know that you poke your feet in such exalted matters,
doesn’t blood flow into the magic-river, it is that
which he refers to as the bloody Nallah.” [p439]

Having convinced himself about Amar’s truthfulness,
thus paving the way for his own perdition, Afrasiyab
then wants to know why Khudawand Laqa and his chief
Devil are outwardly so inimical to him.

“Amar said the reason for that is that once Khudawand
had leisure for an hour or so. In that leisure the
Almighty thought let me do something so that a
Devil/satan is born in my divinity. Since the Almighty
was engaged in purposeless repose he began to indulge
in the forbidden deed and Devil was born. When he had
given birth to him and he began to lead the subjects
astray, at that time Khudawand thought let me produce
someone to oppress the devil too and he should be such
a man who would be insolent towards me and should have
the status of my father so having spent a lakh years
to that end he created me and made me his father. It
is for that reason that I shave Khudawand’s beard and
beat up the Devil.” (p439)

True to his nature Bakhtayarak, the Satan-Devil
created by the false God Laqa frequently takes
potshots when things go wrong for Laqa. On one such
occasion when Sawar Qudrat, a great sorcerer who had
come to assist Laqa against Hamza is killed
Bakhtayarak asks him, 

“Bakhtayarak said, o Almighty what is this fate you
have cast. Laqa broke into a huge laughter and said
who can appreciate our divination see we have visited
our benevolence upon him and despatched Sawar Qudrat
to heaven where he is enjoying himself. Hearing this
all the people in the gathering started saying no
doubt you are the God of ever shining light, you are
the almighty and may do as you please. Everyone else
was saying these things while Bakhtayrak was quitely
saying damnation upon the liars. While this talk was
going on the cloud that had appeared on the horizon
came near and Toofan Feel Dandan {toofan with
elephant’s teeth}who had been sent by Afrasiyab
arrived there…Bakhtayarak passed water around Laqa and
gave it to Toofan to drink and said remember this
favour that drinking this water will increase your age
by ten years everyday and you will remain cool. Toofan
said of course my body is already cold. Bakhtarak
again whispered to himself whichever bastard comes
here is a liar.” [p484]

After a battle the sorcerers reassemble and Qahhar
announces his intention to do the Muslims under.

“Qahhar said o Almighty you are all powerful, you have
given me a humble and dirty subject such powers that I
will now slay all the Muslims. Hamza has the power of
the Ism-e-Azam [a chant that keeps him safe from all
magic] if he escapes then he will killed anyway and if
he remains alive then he will find it difficult to
survive the bereavement of his helpers and friends.
Bakhtayarak said all that is correct but the problem
is that firstly the Muslims are not in the habit of
dying and secondly the Almighty’s grandson Iraj is in
their camp and his son in law Qasim too. What if the
Almighty therefore feels pity for them and overturns
the fate. Laqa replied that this time I am determined
that they all be killed and this time I will not
change my divination.” [Tilism-e-Hoshruba, p 486]

Satan being satan has no lack of knowledge. It is in
fact the clarity of his vision and the depth of his
intellect that makes him a fit enough candidate to try
and take on God. Here too Bakhtarak being wise is
fully aware of the righteousness of the Islamic side
and the emptiness of Laqa’s divinity. He has been
humiliated and punished several times by Amar, whom he
regards as a guide and preceptor and addresses him
with the Sufi term Murshid. It is well known to all
that he is secretly on the Muslims’ side, yet he must
go on being the Devil of the false God. That is his
nature and his lot and he cannot escape it. 

ISLAMIC WINE

At one point in the Tilism-e-Hoshruba Laqa succeeds in
capturing several leading commanders of the Islamic
army. They are all under a spell so they participate
willingly in everything that Laqa bids them to do. But
just as caste rules determine dining and intercourse
in this land, the same rules apparently apply for
wining too. Of course conventionally Muslims are not
supposed to drink, not so however in the Tilism. 

“Bakhtayarak whispered into Laqa’s ears, right now the
Islamic commanders are under a spell and at the moment
they will drink our wine despite the fact that we are
kafirs to them. But when they come to and lest like
the others Paikan [who has cast the magical spell on
them] too is killed then these people will destroy us
because they will say that non-believers and Kafirs
have corrupted us by making us drink [their] wine. It
would be best therefore if you say to one of these
people that we have heard that the Islamic side makes
great wine, why don’t you go and buy some and offer it
with your own hands to your brethren. Laqa liked the
idea and repeated what Bakhtayrak had advised him to
Faramarz. Faramarz got up and went to the Islamic
camp, seeing the Prince the watchman did not obstruct
him because he said the Prince will beat me up if I
stop him and I will not be able to raise my hands on
him. Seeing the Prince he went to the tavern and
brought forth canisters of wine and started serving
everyone with drinks.” [TH, p827].

By far the most agreeable resolution to chhua-chhoot,
as far as drinking is considered. Banned it may be but
forbidden it is not. 

{All quotes are from Tilism-e Hoshruba Vol. 1, Khuda
Bakhsh Public Library Patna, 1988}










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