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The Road to Agra
Aurangzeb said, "You have been instructed in the faiths of people of the book. How is it that you remain enslaved to the false religion of my most ignorant subjects?"
The boy said, "O conqueror of the world, conquer your prejudice. It is founded on the slanders spread by ignorant and fanatical mullahs. Do not vaunt your faith too much over the faiths that preceded it, lest then you are unprepared for the faith that supersedes your own. Your venerable fathers saw a little of the light of truth within my faith. Open your eyes as they did."
Aurangzeb said, "Their vision was clouded and they were in error. They prized peace with idolaters over holy war."
The youth said, "O king, you must give up this prejudice and look with a heart purified of pride and without attachment to worldly things. You are a prisoner in the wheel of samsara; escape this world and you will see this evident truth. There is a road from here to Agra. If you are one mile upon that road or a thousand miles, are you not still upon that road? Though you may be upon that road surrounded by desert, or upon that road shaded by forest, is it not the same road? Though the sun may be shining upon that road, though the rain may be falling upon it, the road is the same. That stretch of the road does not contradict this stretch; nor is the first mile more offensive to it than the last. Rise up above the road and you will see that single path from here to Agra, from this temple to the door of your palace and to the foot of your bed. To deny this truth is to turn your back upon the unity of God. To deny this is to violate tawhid, to be an infidel!"
When the boy said these words, Aurangzeb's mouth fell open in astonishment. His soldiers became angry and one of the emperor's guards stepped forward and struck the boy's mouth with the back of a clenched fist. The boy fell, unable in his bonds to catch himself, and blood dribbled from his lips. The guard said, "Do not speak impudently!"
Aurangzeb remained silent but composed himself. He held out his hands and said, "Do not beat him. Pick the boy up; put him on his feet." When the boy stood again before him, the emperor approached him with a piece of purple silk and wiped the blood from the boy's face.
Aurangzeb said, "Little Brahmin, you should be more careful than to speak this way to your betters. With bound hands what defense can you offer? But I am patient and I am sorry that those in my service sometimes act too rashly, without thought."
The boy bowed and said, "My Lord, you are gracious and kind. And I sometimes speak too bluntly; it is the habit of my people. But we do so not in anger or to offend; we speak in affectionate anger, as one might chide those we love most."
Aurangzeb said to his soldiers as much as to the boy, "Speak openly with me. This is my boon to you. But do not overstep these bounds. What you've said is clever, but cleverness does not make true. Sweet words are as much within the devil's power as they are within the prophet's."
The boy said, "I don't ask you to turn your back on Islam, for it is the religion of God. I ask only that you look with clear vision with a dilated heart upon the way of Rama, king of Ayodhya, and you will see within his life and his works signs of God. God reveals Himself to all peoples through many prophets and teachings; tawhid requires that you acknowledge not only the unity of God but also the unity of His messengers.
"O Lord, fear and desire, attachment and short-sightedness are the children of illusion and prevent men from obtaining what is best for them. Look through the lens of perception, with the eye of detachment. See to
those distant shores that you too hastily deny exist. The world is far greater than our feeble minds perceive. Acknowledge that greatness while you are alive, though your denial will have no effect on its existence. Look, brave king of nations, and you will see clearly and perceive the beauty of God's design and the operation of His will and the work He performs among all men, not just among your own tribe.
"Dasaratha, king of Ayodhya, fathered four sons who were loved by the people. They were the noblest sons ever given to a father. But the king loved nothing in the world more than Rama, his oldest boy. Even in his youth, Rama was handsome, wise, and strong, more even than his noble brothers. Rama possessed every virtue, loved and obeyed his father, and was a wise exponent of dharma. Rama was just and merciful and performed every duty and fulfilled every obligation. Rama knew no other path and was unacquainted with fault or failure, but was quick to forgive the faults of others. He sought no pleasure except to honor and serve his family, his teachers and elders, and he tirelessly looked after the welfare of the people of Ayodhya.
"In looks, Rama was a vision to every eye. His hair was the color of the raven's wing, his eyes bright and lotus-shaped, his face shining, lighting up the eyes of others as the sun and moon light the sky. He was so handsome that, upon seeing him, the people of Ayodhya neglected their precious idols. They said, 'Rama is, in every way, more worthy of veneration than any work of art, than any worldly masterpiece. We will pray to Vishnu through remembrance of Rama, for he is truly the face of God on Earth.'
"In warfare he had no equal. His skill with the bow was unrivaled and he could ride horses and elephants with ease and grace. Had the devas and rakshasas banded together to overcome him, they would have failed, for Rama was the strength of God on Earth.
"But Rama was most loved by his father. Dasaratha was overcome sometimes with fear that Rama might leave Ayodhya. Kausalya, the king's wisest wife and the mother of Rama, consoled her husband saying, 'Rama will never leave you unless you ask him to go. He is completely devoted to you and would do whatever you command, no matter how difficult and painful.' Dasaratha replied, 'I will never let him go.'
"One day, while Rama was still a young man, Viswamithra came to Ayodhya and sought an audience with the king. When Dasaratha heard the name of that venerable sage, his heart filled with joy. Viswamithra was no common ascetic. Once he had been a mighty king, possessing great wealth and power. But because he sought inexhaustible wealth and irresistible power, he threw off the mantle of kingship and the yoke of worldly possessions and became an ascetic, performing fearful austerities to gain the favor of the devas. He gave up the couch of repose for the cold ground and a stone pillow. He traded his beautiful consorts and their sweet caresses for scraps of bark that scratched his flesh. He swapped an army for the strength only of his own arms and legs. He said, 'I have given up all things that many spend lifetimes to acquire. But what they seek leads only to suffering and blindness. What I have gained is far more precious than all the treasures of every king and all the conquests of every army. I have communed with Vishnu, the One God absolute from Whom all things have sprung and to Whom all things revert and upon Whom every man, god and demon is utterly reliant. God has shown me why I was born among mortal men and what duty I must perform. I am in God's service. This is my single desire: to conform to His dharma, for there is no other dharma but His.'
"With his ministers and courtiers in attendance, Dasaratha greeted Viswamithra in his audience chamber. The king pressed his palms together in greeting and offered the sage water to refresh himself. Viswamithra thanked the king but turned away the water with his hand. He said, 'Noble king, I've come to ask a favor of you.'
"Dasaratha said, 'I'm honored by your presence and am blessed among men to have spoken with you. You are famous among the wise and I will personally fulfill your request, whatever it is. Who could refuse the request of one so holy and so pure?'
"Viswamithra said, 'I've purified myself to make a sacrifice in the wilderness. Before I can complete this sacrifice, I must perform certain rites upon the altar. Yet two rakshasas have obstructed these rites by their presence. I am, of course, sufficiently strong to cast out these rakshasas, but cannot do so in my state of ritual purity, for violence is unclean.'
"The king said, 'I understand you completely. I will lead my army to the place where you are performing this sacrifice. We will destroy these rakshasas for you and you may complete your sacrifice.'
"Viswamithra said, 'No, you don't need to troubl
e yourself, nor do I wish to keep your soldiers from their duty here in Ayodhya. I need only the assistance of one.'
"Dasaratha said, 'Then I will come armed and alone and will defend your sacrifice personally. I'm old, but will risk my life to assist you.'
"Viswamithra said, "No, I can't keep you from your work here as king."
"Dasaratha said, 'Then who can I send?" But the king's face blanched. He suddenly knew what the sage desired. When the name of Rama fell from Viswamithra's lips, Dasaratha lost consciousness. After his ministers revived the king, Dasaratha pleaded with the sage. "No, O Brahmin. Take me instead. Rama is still so young and I can't bear that any harm should come to him.'
"Viswamithra became angry at this refusal. He said, 'You have given your word!'
"Dasaratha said, 'Rama is too young and inexperienced. He can't face these rakshasas. Take me, master of dharma, and I'll put these demons to flight.'
"Viswamithra stood up from his seat beside the king and said, 'Enough! I expected the promise of Dasaratha to be worth something. Since it isn't, and since I've failed in my mission, I will leave you and your family in peace.'
"The king, recognizing his duty, stood up and said, 'Master, I will fulfill my oath and entrust Rama into your care. I ask only that his devoted brother, Lakshmana, accompany him.'
"Viswamithra smiled and agreed to this, saying, 'Your love for Rama is honorable. No harm will come to him and he will return to you. You're wise to follow dharma, for His way is irresistible. It is better to swim with the current, than flail and drown, for in either case the river has its way. But one day you will be parted from Rama again and he will not return to this city while you live. Beware your attachment. See that separation from him as the illusion that it is. Break the wheel of samsara and you will be reunited with Rama forever.'
"O emperor, see the way of God in Viswamithra's austerities and his sacrifice, a clear path for you. You need not give up crown and throne, but you must give up your most precious notions if you are to see through the illusion. See in the fulfillment of Dasaratha's promise the straight way and a road to true understanding. You have caught a scent of salt air, but this is not the same as a view of the ocean.
"The sage Gautam had as his wife a beautiful woman named Ahalya. Her skin was light and without blemish and her hair black as midnight. Her eyes, shaped like the leaves of the lotus, shone like stars and her gaze was mesmerizing. She spoke with a voice like the tinkling of bells and her breath was sweeter than any perfume. Her waist was slender and her hips slim and she walked with celestial grace. Ahalya's beauty was so perfect, Indra, king of devas, desired union with her.
"Indra was very handsome and charming and more to her liking than her husband. Yet she remained faithful to Gautam and refused Indra's advances. So one morning, while Gautam went to the river to purify himself, Indra came into her room, wearing the appearance of Gautam. Ahalya hesitated, but at last let him into her bed. When her passions were satisfied, Gautam entered the room. The sage was wise and saw through the illusion, recognizing Indra in his wife's embrace. Gautam cried out and cursed the king of devas with a humiliating chastisement. Then he turned to his unfaithful wife.
"Ahalya cried out, 'O husband, I was deceived by an illusion. How can I resist Indra, king of devas, when he comes to me with your appearance, in a form pleasing to me? Have pity on me and forgive my disgrace.'
"Gautam could not restrain his anger. He said, 'The whole universe is illusion and professed ignorance is not innocence.' So he turned her to stone.
"After many years, Rama came upon Gautam's abandoned ashram and recognized the life within the stone. Having pity, Rama released Ahalya from Gautam's curse and transformed her to her original state. She fell to Rama's feet and blessed him. Rama removed the stain of disgrace from her.
"Through Gautam's curse Ahalya realized Gautam's wish-to lay eyes on God. Solid stone became flesh and blood by Rama's grace, just as the world took form at God's pleasure. Where illusion had robbed her of fidelity, and where stone had imprisoned her, Rama had restored her honor and opened her eyes.
"O king of the world, surrender the thing you most cherish and abandon fear. Give up your narrow view of Islam; it is a prison to you. You have overcome many enemies and obstacles and have mastered the world. Your strength of will is famous and your name will be remembered. Now you must choose how it will be remembered, with glory among your descendants or with shame and sorrow? Master yourself and see the truth of Rama's station through the true prism of Islam. If your pride prevents you, then you will persist in error and your works will be to no good end and you will be a prisoner in the wheel, a victim of samsara."