The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 1 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations
Religion
The Dabistán, or School of manners, Volume 1 (of 3): translated from the original Persian, with notes and illustrations
Iran -- Religion; Religions
_Farzanah Kharrád_, of the family of Mahbud, who had been the _khan
salar_ (royal table-decker or taster) to the equitable monarch
_Nushirvan_,[325] and put to death through the sorcery of a Jew and
the calumnies of a chamberlain, as recorded in the Shah Namah of the
king of poets, Ferdúsi, and in other histories: Kharrad joined himself
to Kaivan in the bazar of Shiraz, and practised religious austerities
for many years. Farzanah Khushi has often mentioned in conversation,
and has also frequently repeated in the _Bazm-gah-i-Durvéshán_, “the
Durvesh’s banquetting-room,” the following circumstance: “I one day
beheld _Kharrad_ and _Ardeshir_ (a descendant of _Ardeshir
Babegan_,[326] and one of Kaivan’s disciples), standing face to face
and mutually opposing each other: whenever Ardeshir wished to smite
Kharrád with a sword, he appeared like a stone, so that when the sword
came into contact with his body, it was instantly broken to
pieces.”――In the year 1029 of the Hejirah (1620 A. D.) he became
reunited to the pure uncompounded spirit. _Buzurgi_ says:
“What is the soul? the seminal principle from the loins of destiny:
This world is the womb: the body its enveloping membrane:
The bitterness of dissolution, dame Fortune’s pangs of childbirth.
What is death? to be born again an angel of eternity.”
_Farzanah Farshid wird_ was one of the Parsi village chieftains: his
pedigree ascended to _Farzanah Shedosh_, who was one of the fifth
_Sassan_’s[327] disciples. He also became attached to Azar Kaivan in
the same place as Kharrad, and devoted himself to the service of the
Almighty. Khushi relates as follows: “Farshid wird and Bahman used to
stand facing each other; every arrow which Bahman discharged against
Farshid wird, he used to cut in two with his sword: and whenever the
latter let fly an arrow, Bahman with activity and address threw
himself to one side and avoided it. But this is still more wonderful:
whenever Bahman shot off a musket, Farshid let fly one at the same
instant, and ball met ball, so that they both remained unhurt:
sometimes also when Farshid Wird shot off his musket, Bahman used to
move rapidly on one side.” In the year 1029 of the Hejirah (A. D.
1619) he hurried away from this abode of the elements to the skies.
The Khajah Hafiz speaking on this subject, says:
“He never dies whose heart is quickened with love divine;
But remains for ever stamped on the records of our eternal world.”
_Farzanah Khíradmand_ was descended from Sám, the son of Narimán: he
joined _Zu-l-Ulum_ and gave himself up to religious austerities.
Khushi thus relates: “I once beheld Khiradmand while standing face to
face to _Rustam_ (who was descended from _Bahram Gur_,[328] and was
one of Kaivan’s distinguished disciples), assume the form of a dragon,
and shower out fire from his mouth, to such a degree that a strong
palm was consumed by its violence.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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