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About the author Hugh van Skyhawk’s From April 2007 to retrospective collection April 2013 Hugh van of articles is a reminder Skyhawk was profes- of the rich heritage of sor of comparative religion at the Taxila Hindu-Muslim, folk-lit- Institute of Asian Civ- erate, syncretism that ilizations, Quaid-i- still persists in the Sub- Azam University, continent, but is threat- Islamabad, and since July 2001, associate ened by religious professor of Indology (Privatdozent) at the Institute of Indology, Johannes Guten- hard-liners on both berg University, Mainz. sides and by monolithic H. van Skyhawk and shepherd at the top of Lohagad (fort), trends of modernisa- Dt. Pune, May 1990. In 2008 van Skyhawk was awarded the tion. Peace Prize of the Belgian-Pakistani NGO Institute of Peace and Development (IN- In a set of articles filled with extraordinarily rich ethnographic detail, van Sky- SPAD), in February 2012 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Rotary Club Inter- hawk has laid out the indisputable facts of a close and intimate relationship be- national for „Service to Humanity”, in De- tween Muslims and Hindus and, as well, between Sūfīs and yogis, revealing a cember 2012 the gold medal of the close and mutually fertilizing interchange between the followers of the two tra- National Defense University (NDU), Islam- ditions. This is a relationship dating well before the time of the famous six- abad, and again in December 2012 the teenth-century Marathi poet-saint Eknāth, whose spiritual affiliation to both “Special Recognition Award” of the Ro- Sūfī and Hindu traditions has been made more widely known by contemporary tary Club Islamabad, Metropolitan for contributions to the prosperity and stabil- Maharashtrian scholars. ity of Pakistan. In 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 he lectured in the parliament of Two figures from an earlier period than Eknāth’s, Siddhaliṅga-svāmī and the Federal Republic of Germany (Bun- Ajñānasiddha, are introduced early in the collection, who in their verses reveal destag) on the situation in Pakistan. Van a close relationship between Sūfī and yogic traditions, which van Skyhawk traces Skyhawk’s most recent major publication is Masters of Understanding: German meticulously. Furthermore, he has performed a great service is giving extensive Scholars in the Hindu Kush and Karako- translations of their verses. In these verses, and those from the eighteenth-cen- ram, 1955-2005, Islamabad [Quaid-i- tury biographer, Mahīpati, van Skyhawk discerns two themes underlying the Azam University], 2009. His most recent saint-poets’ depictions of the social harmony of the mediæval Deccan, namely, article is “A Garden amidst the Flames: “the perception of community as not being limited to one’s own religious com- The Categorical Imperative of Sufi Wis- munity ... [and] the belief that true spiritual experience transcends the empirical dom”, in: Bennett, Clinton, and Ramsey, Charles (eds.), South Asian Sufis. Devo- categories of 'Hindu' and 'Muslim'”, to which might be added, the categories tion, Deviation, Destiny, London [Contin- 'Liṅgāyat', 'yogī' etc. uum Books], 2012: 233-246. Well Articulated Better Paths Sufi Saints As Links between Religious Communities Hugh van Skyhawk 1985–2008 The author acknowledges the generous support of the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit for providing financial assistance for the publication and distribution of this volume. Technical assistance in the initial phases of preparing the manuscript: Imran Sadiq and Badar Muneer. Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit P.O.Box 1733, Islamabad 44000 – Pakistan Tel: +92 51 2 27 88 96, 2 82 08 96 Fax: +92 51 2 27 99 15 [email protected] www.southasia.fnst.org ISBN Numbers print 978-969-629-046-9 pdf 978-969-629-047-6 epub 978-969-629-048-3 Kindle 978-969-629-049-0 Audio 978-969-629-050-6 No of copies: 1,500 First Edition: 2014 Title Picture by Hugh van Skyhawk Backpage Picture by Cornelia Hinze Dustcover Picture by Imran Sadiq Printing: Pictorial Printers, Islamabad Layout: dzignet, Islamabad Disclaimer Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this publica- tion. Neither the author nor the Friedrich Naumann Foundation accept responsibil- ity for omissions as such oversights would be wholly unintentional. Nevertheless, we appreciate any corrections or additional information to improve our work. The views expressed in this book do not necessarily represent the views of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. CONTENTS DEDICATION ........................................................................................... ix FOREWORD ............................................................................................. xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................... xxiii INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................xxv Ian Duncan ....................................................................................................xxv References ....................................................................................................xxix A NOTE ON DEATH AND THE HOLY MAN IN SOUTH ASIA ......................1 Hindu-MusliM Religious syncRetisM in tHe Folk LITERATURE OF THE DECCAN ................................................................13 The Garland of the Disciples of the Vārkarī-Saṃpradāya ...............................16 The Garland of Disciples of the Liṅgāyat-Panth ..............................................16 The Garland of Bhaktas of Khvājā Śekh Nasīruddīn Alias Nāgnāth ................16 Paiṭhaṇāṃcā Nijāmuddīn (‘Paiṭhaṇ’s Nijāmuddīn’) ........................................22 Acknowledgement .........................................................................................28 PĪR-WoRsHiP And ŚiVA-BHAkti in tHe nĀgeŚ sAṃPRAdĀyA .........29 Anahāta-nagārā .............................................................................................33 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................41 etHicAl iMPlicAtions oF tHe MAHĀVĀkyAs in tHe liteRAtuRe oF tHe cĀnd BodHAle ciRcle (MarāṭhvāḍĀ, 1550–1650) ..................................................................43 VAiṣṇAVA PeRcePtions oF MusliMs in 18TH CENTURY MAHARASHTRA .....................................................................................53 v Well Articulated Better Paths MUHARRAM PROCESSIONS AND THE ETHICIZATION OF HERO cults in tHe PRe-ModeRn deccAn ...................................................65 Acknowledgement .........................................................................................76 LokasaṂgraha IN THE CULT OF A HINDU/MUSLIM SAINT AND FOLK DEITY OF THE DECCAN .........................................................77 PROCESSIONS BETWEEN HOLY PLACES AS NETWORKS OF ReFlexiVity ...........................................................................................91 THE HEART OF RELIGION: A SUFI’S THOUGHTS ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES ................................................ 107 Appendix ......................................................................................................117 islAMic tRAdition And uniVeRsAl BRotHeRHood in tHe WRITINGS OF TWO DECCANI SUFIS .................................................... 119 SONGS OF WOMEN AT SUFI SHRINES IN THE DECCAN ...................... 131 Text 1 ............................................................................................................134 Text 2 ............................................................................................................135 Text 3 ............................................................................................................138 Text 4 ............................................................................................................139 Text 5 ............................................................................................................140 Text 6 ............................................................................................................141 Text 7 ............................................................................................................142 transcriptions ................................................................................................142 Text 1 ............................................................................................................142 Text 2 ............................................................................................................143 Text 3 ............................................................................................................143 Text 4 ............................................................................................................144 Text 5 ............................................................................................................144 Text 6 ............................................................................................................145 Text 7 ............................................................................................................145 vi Content BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................... 147 INDEX OF PROPER NAMES .................................................................. 163 INDEX OF PLACE NAMES ........................................................................ 173 PLATES ................................................................................................