Abdul Rahim Khan-khana was one of the nine gems of Akbar’s court. In a sway, he was the king of his kingdom. He was very kind-hearted, which is the literal maning of ‘Rahim’. Though being a Muslim, he believed in Lord Krishna as his presiding Deity.
This incident relates to the year 1593 AD. Akbar sent him to southern India for expansion of the empire. He fought a battle with a king there. That king was defeated in battle. The defeated king sent a message to Rahim, ‘Let us be friends. Accept my invitation to have dinner with me at my home.’
One whose heart is full of love and devotion doesn’t like to increase power by embellishing his ego. Rahim’s heart was full of devotion for Lord Krishna. Therefore, he accepted the invitation seeking to foster mutual love and respect. He left for the king’s place to dine accompanied by his bodyguard. At the gate of the castle there was a boy standing. He said, “Stop! Where are you going?”
“To dine at the king’s palace.”
“Don’t go there; go back.”
“Boy! You want me to go back? You are of an immature mind. I have given a word to my friend.”
“Even then don’t go.”
“How dare you talk in this manner? And why should I take advice from a small boy I don’t know. I don’t accept all the advice given to me even by my ministers.” The boy was bent on doing all in his power in order to dissuade Rahim from going, which greatly surprised him. He said, “Why are you so insistent that I should not go to dine at the king’s place? The king has extended a hand of friendship and I should take it as such.”
“Be that as it may, I tell you not to go to dine there. The king has added poison to the food to be served to you.”
“What?”
“Yes.”
“I have given a word. Shall I swallow my words believing the talks of a child?” “Even if you have to go back on your promise, don’t to dine. Why do you invite your death?”
Rahim replied,
“Without respect, even if somebody offers me divine nectar, I do not like it. On the contrary, if one gives me even poison with love and respect, I will prefer to take it and die. The king has extended a band of friendship. Let him give me poison if he wants to, I will go.”
“What do you mean by ‘I will go? I have told you not to go.”
“What do you mean by ‘I will go’? I have told you not to go.”
“O boy! How can you order me so authoritatively? I will not obey your command.”
“Why not? You will have to obey what I say.”
“A small stranger child insisting Rahim should obey him! Well, tell me why I should do that? Are you my Beloved Lord Krishna that I should go back on my promise and agree to your advice?”
“And if I am your Lord Krishna…?”
“I will agree to what you say.”
“I am Krishna. Do as I tell you.”
“I do not believe it. Show men your real from.”
The boy who had been doing all in his power to prevent Rahim from going, appeared in Lord Krishna’s real form. Beholding that divine form, Rahim alighted from the horse and threw himself at the Lord’s feet. Lord Krishna disappeared instantly.
How mush love and care the Lord has for His devotees! Why should He bother for an ordinary mortal? But no! He stubbornly prevented Rahim from attending the dinner.
Rahim immediately attacked the king and in a short time took him as prisoner. Rahm said, “You! You wanted to poison me in the guise of friendship?
The king was flabbergasted.
Rahim said, “You talked of friendship so I will not give you capital punishment but why did you play this game of double cross with me?”
The king said, “Sir, I am guilty; but how did you come to know? I had got the food prepared by me trusted cook and I had managed things in such a way that even he didn’t know that the food had been poisoned. Who told you then?”
“That I may not tell you.”
“Please! You may punish me with death penalty, but please reveal this to me.”
Rahim said, “The Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Lord of the Universe, the indweller of all hearts, I worship Him in the form of Lord Krishna. I bow to Him every morning. He guides me from within but I didn’t listen. So, he came in the form of a boy. Even then, I disbelieved Him. Then he appeared in the form of Lord Krishna and advised me and I had to agree.”
“Rahim! You have ingested the ingested the secret of devotional service to Lord Krishna. Now onwards, whether you award death penalty or spare my life, I surrender my life to Lord Krishna.”
“If you life is dedicated to Lord Krishna, my life is for you and yours for me.” With this Rahim embraced the kind the from that day onwards, they became true friends.
Rahim was a great poet devotee of very high order. He wrote meaningful couplets on devotion to the Lord and on ethics which are popular with the common people even today. Rahim says:
‘Rahim says why don’t you love and then see the results?
With love you can have power over the Lord, what to speak of men.
Rahim asks, why lament for anybody and why be glad for anything?
Those who have departed will never come back and those who are here are bound to depart.’
There is no reason either to grieve or to rejoice in this world.
‘Once my eyes have grasped the image of my beloved, there is no room for anybody else.
If the inn is full, the travelers will turn away from the door itself.’
Even the government of this temporal world takes due care of its staff members, then wouldn’t the Divine Government of the World above, the Supreme caretaker Lord take upon Himself the responsibility of supplying the needs of a spiritual aspirant?
A propitious endeavour, carried out on the day of a religious festival, is comparatively more fruitful.
This incident relates to the year 1593 AD. Akbar sent him to southern India for expansion of the empire. He fought a battle with a king there. That king was defeated in battle. The defeated king sent a message to Rahim, ‘Let us be friends. Accept my invitation to have dinner with me at my home.’
One whose heart is full of love and devotion doesn’t like to increase power by embellishing his ego. Rahim’s heart was full of devotion for Lord Krishna. Therefore, he accepted the invitation seeking to foster mutual love and respect. He left for the king’s place to dine accompanied by his bodyguard. At the gate of the castle there was a boy standing. He said, “Stop! Where are you going?”
“To dine at the king’s palace.”
“Don’t go there; go back.”
“Boy! You want me to go back? You are of an immature mind. I have given a word to my friend.”
“Even then don’t go.”
“How dare you talk in this manner? And why should I take advice from a small boy I don’t know. I don’t accept all the advice given to me even by my ministers.” The boy was bent on doing all in his power in order to dissuade Rahim from going, which greatly surprised him. He said, “Why are you so insistent that I should not go to dine at the king’s place? The king has extended a hand of friendship and I should take it as such.”
“Be that as it may, I tell you not to go to dine there. The king has added poison to the food to be served to you.”
“What?”
“Yes.”
“I have given a word. Shall I swallow my words believing the talks of a child?” “Even if you have to go back on your promise, don’t to dine. Why do you invite your death?”
Rahim replied,
“Without respect, even if somebody offers me divine nectar, I do not like it. On the contrary, if one gives me even poison with love and respect, I will prefer to take it and die. The king has extended a band of friendship. Let him give me poison if he wants to, I will go.”
“What do you mean by ‘I will go? I have told you not to go.”
“What do you mean by ‘I will go’? I have told you not to go.”
“O boy! How can you order me so authoritatively? I will not obey your command.”
“Why not? You will have to obey what I say.”
“A small stranger child insisting Rahim should obey him! Well, tell me why I should do that? Are you my Beloved Lord Krishna that I should go back on my promise and agree to your advice?”
“And if I am your Lord Krishna…?”
“I will agree to what you say.”
“I am Krishna. Do as I tell you.”
“I do not believe it. Show men your real from.”
The boy who had been doing all in his power to prevent Rahim from going, appeared in Lord Krishna’s real form. Beholding that divine form, Rahim alighted from the horse and threw himself at the Lord’s feet. Lord Krishna disappeared instantly.
How mush love and care the Lord has for His devotees! Why should He bother for an ordinary mortal? But no! He stubbornly prevented Rahim from attending the dinner.
Rahim immediately attacked the king and in a short time took him as prisoner. Rahm said, “You! You wanted to poison me in the guise of friendship?
The king was flabbergasted.
Rahim said, “You talked of friendship so I will not give you capital punishment but why did you play this game of double cross with me?”
The king said, “Sir, I am guilty; but how did you come to know? I had got the food prepared by me trusted cook and I had managed things in such a way that even he didn’t know that the food had been poisoned. Who told you then?”
“That I may not tell you.”
“Please! You may punish me with death penalty, but please reveal this to me.”
Rahim said, “The Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Lord of the Universe, the indweller of all hearts, I worship Him in the form of Lord Krishna. I bow to Him every morning. He guides me from within but I didn’t listen. So, he came in the form of a boy. Even then, I disbelieved Him. Then he appeared in the form of Lord Krishna and advised me and I had to agree.”
“Rahim! You have ingested the ingested the secret of devotional service to Lord Krishna. Now onwards, whether you award death penalty or spare my life, I surrender my life to Lord Krishna.”
“If you life is dedicated to Lord Krishna, my life is for you and yours for me.” With this Rahim embraced the kind the from that day onwards, they became true friends.
Rahim was a great poet devotee of very high order. He wrote meaningful couplets on devotion to the Lord and on ethics which are popular with the common people even today. Rahim says:
‘Rahim says why don’t you love and then see the results?
With love you can have power over the Lord, what to speak of men.
Rahim asks, why lament for anybody and why be glad for anything?
Those who have departed will never come back and those who are here are bound to depart.’
There is no reason either to grieve or to rejoice in this world.
‘Once my eyes have grasped the image of my beloved, there is no room for anybody else.
If the inn is full, the travelers will turn away from the door itself.’
Even the government of this temporal world takes due care of its staff members, then wouldn’t the Divine Government of the World above, the Supreme caretaker Lord take upon Himself the responsibility of supplying the needs of a spiritual aspirant?
A propitious endeavour, carried out on the day of a religious festival, is comparatively more fruitful.
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