Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Abstract:

Indispensable for the student aspirant in the deep study of Satpanth Religion.

Abstract:

In the Aga Khan Case of 1866, the Bombay High Court’s redefinition of a caste group of
khojas as ‘Ismaili’ resulted in the institution of a uniform religious identity that undermined
the pluralistic character of Islamic practices in South Asia. The colonial court’s
monolithic understanding of khoja identity as ‘Ismaili’ has continued to influence the
community’s self-understanding to the present day. In this paper, I question this dominant
narrative in which khojas were identified as ‘Ismaili’. I argue that the early modern
Gujarati poem of the gina¯n genre, Dasavata¯r, became essential to the making of Ismaili
Muslim identity in the nineteenth century. I read the Dasavata¯r gina¯n as a conduit of
khojas’ religious beliefs to produce an alternative history of Ismaili community formation.
This discussion of Dasavata¯r explores the workings of global Islam in microcosm.
It shows that the ‘borrowings’ which transpire within the Indo-Islamic ecumene cannot be
conceptualized through notions of ‘sect’ or as an addendum to a Middle East-centered
Islamic grand narrative, which is how the Ismailis continue to be described in authoritative
accounts.

Eji Sarve jivun naa jaare lekhaa lese
taare koi kene nahi paase - ebi tanye tame 1

Eji Maai na baap na bhenn na bhaai
te sarve potaa maanhe paddase - ebi 2

Eji Kaaji mulaan tyaan sarve aave
hisaab saaheb tyaan maage - ebi 3

Eji Purav janamni bandagi paar langaave
to aaraadh saahebji kaa karannaa - ebi 4

Eji Araj bandagi Gur jini taare
to gat saghali chhutte - ebi 5

Eji Gat maanhe jaaher Gur Nar aaveaa

Eji Roj kiyaamat daaddo aavse,
ane avtaare avtaar,
saaheb lekhaa re maangse,
tame nistte jaanno nirdhaar 1

Eji Sat Gur hajrat hujur hoese,
tame paach vas kari raakho imaan;
Sat Gur bhette chhutso,
tenu nabi Mahamad naam 2

Eji Pop jugaa jug Kal-jug hoese,
ane pohotaa te pop didaar;
Pir Hassan Kabirdin boliaa,
aaj kal das-me avtaar 3

Kiriyaa kaarann ahonish jaago
te man chevaa kholo ...bhaai hotaa 1

Shaah sarannaa sidhak patiyanna
tri raahaa fari var diyaa ...bhaai hotaa 2

Sur tentris sun sadaa rang liyannaa
paacham me purakh upanaa ...bhaai hotaa 3

Surinar garup naath dhiyaai-yaa
hinyaansaa tribhovar upanaa ...bhaai hotaa 4

Maariyo Sankhaasar ved-j liyaa
jalethi mach upanaa ...bhaai hotaa 5

Madhukittak mudd daannav ghelo
pop kari sahi chhinaa ...bhaai hotaa 6

Saami raajaa jampuadipe umaayo ji
velaa te kar jo Prabhu aavnnaa 1

Saami raajaa di-anni-e ame rahi na sagi
tuj vinaa bando keshavaa 2

Saami raajaa jivddo tamaare haath chhe
avar jiv na loddi 3

Saami raajaa lakh choraasi feraa ttaallajo
moman naa jiv sadhaari 4

Saami raajaa haathiddun daine ugaarjo
kaljug mahaa visamun daaddho dohelo 5

Saami raajaa Mach, Korabh, Vaaraa, Narshinh
Vaaymann, Farsi-raam, Sri Raam tun 6

Juvo juvo pinddhataa ved puraann,
kie avtaare Hari hotaa paakhaann ... ...
Pahelo avtaar Hari thayaa Machh maasaa,
Sankho daannav maareo paataal pesaa;
lai ved tame Bharmaa jine diyaa,
sahu devtaa-ne aanand thayaa - juvo 1

Bijo avtaar Hari Korabh pursatti,
rasaatal jaantaa tame ugaari sirastti;
evaa piraakaram bole puraann,
maareo Madhukittak daanaav lidho tame piraann - juvo 2

Trijo avtaaar Hari Vaaraa-no lahi,
vedhiyo daanav mor daint tanhi;
e sahu parothmi jaali tame daaddh,
evaa saamiji tamaaraa khel - juvo 3

Jire bhaai nil re dhandhukaar Shaah aape rachaayaa,
taare choraasi chokaddie tenu paar na paayaa 1

Jire bhaai kamal vikaasi shaahmore aaranbh kiaa,
taare aaranbhe thakine Shaah more finn upaayaa 2

Jire bhaai finn thaki Shaah more ek inddh upaayaa,
taare inddh sevine Shaah-e chaud bhamann upaayaa 3

Jire bhaai jodd jamin Shaah more enni pere baandhiaa,
taare dhamlaa dhori ane singe Shaah bhaaraj dhareaa 4

Jire bhaai dhamlaa dhori ane singe Shaah bhaaraj dhareaa,

Prem paataann raajaa Mansudh,
tene ghar-e Radeaade raanni 1

Pardhaan panch vir tiyaan rahe,
Raajaa sun vaat karaay 2

Raajaa raanni reheve dhiyaan maan,
tenu saami saathe het 3

Nagar madhe pardhaan parvare,
raajaa sun vaat karaay 4

Raajaa raanni raheve mohol maa,
kare kiriyaa apaar 5

Ek man beu-no bandheo,
Gur Shamsh sun raakhiyaa pyaar 6

Avar ichhaa kuchh na ochare,
kare Har-ji sun dhiyaan 7

E viraa bhaai kartaa jug maa tame vrat na paariyo,
tiyaa tame aapnnu aap na raakhiyo 1

E viraa bhaai bhagat Pelaaj ne jutho kariyo,
Sri Narsang ji rudhe na dhariyo ji 2

E viraa bhaai dharam niyam to ektthaa kartaa,
dhartaa dhiyaan dharam-saraaye maltaa ji 3

E viraa bhaai man maanhe bhirat ne gat maanhe aaviyaa,
tenaa fal sarve haariyaa ji 4

E viraa bhaai tretaa jug maanhe kartaa re kaaj,
toy tam-ne na aavi laaj ji 5

E viraa bhaai Harichandra bahu dhariyaa het,

Fulddaa ma chuntish bhoraa mahesari,
enne fuldde fuldde chhe jiv bholaa maali;
jis kaarann tame chuntto chho fulddaa,
so panthariyu nahi jiv bhoraa maali;
Tame chunttish ma fuldda ne chhaanttish ma panni,
evaa paathariyun pujataa bhaai murakhaay aanni;
taaraa tiratha-maa tirath devun maanhe dev,
sotaa aaj kali-maa avtareyaa Sri Naarayaann dev;
jenne Harannaa-Kans Shaah more nakhe sun vidhaariyaa,
jenne Vaaymann rupe Raja Bal chhaleyaa,
jenne vann thambhe aavaa bharmanddnn jaddeyaa,
so saaheb paacham desh bhale bhale avtariyaa 1

Fulddaa chutti tame paathar e kaany sukaavo,

Yaa Shaah tun pehelaa Machh rupe avtaar dhariyaa e mu alaah,
Bhirmaa ved lahi Shaah aur dhareaa;
Korabh rupe Madhu-Kitak chheddiyaa,
saami eh chalitra kiyo e mu alaah ... ...
srevjo saarang dhar sri sankh chakar
Nar Harvare kero raajaa,
Raam rikhiye varo saaheb gatiye varo;
Hek chinte hek man he jo saarang dhar srevan,
bhaai ek chint alakh dhar aaraadhin,
to sharannaa fal vaikhuntth paahin e mu alaah;
Shaah gatiyen varo ji 1

Yaa Shaah tun trijaa Vaaraa rup lai-ne avtaariyaa e mu alaah,
daaddh tar Shaah to gagne dhareyaa;

Jire bhaai namo to Shaah Noor-ke jo siri Kaan chanur bhoj
aanje jivadde -jo Shaah Ali daatar 1

Jire bhaai soh soh name Shaah Ali hek eh bhanni je
aanhi sujaaddio sohi kirtaar 2

Jire bhaai Ali-a rupe Shaah Noor Garib jo Mirjaa
chadde kaayam Shaah visan moraar 3

Jire bhaai indh foddi-ne Shaah chaud bhamaann eh rachaayo
aanhi rachi yaaraa raho hi sansaar 4

Jire bhaai chaare kalap Shaah more sehezesun joddiyaa

Aashaaji
Sacho tu alakh nirinjan agam agochar
sun kaale saami tun ramat ramiyo 1

Aashaaji
Ahunkaare maadhe Shaah Ali sahejethi upanu
unniyaade aadh Shaah jo naam bhanne-yo 2

Aashaaji
Indh maanhe Shaah more shreshtt rachaay
shreshtt jurtaar saami ji Vishnu bhaani-yo 3

Aashaaji
Aasann kari jug maanhe bhale bethaa Shaah
anant rupe saami ji chalatra kiyo 4

Aashaaji
Jug par chaanu raajaa gati-yen ke lakhaayo
hek man-e rikhiye jaann kariyo 5

Aashaaji
Machh, Korab, Vaaraa bhannaa viyaa

Jug me fire Shaahaa ji muneri,
Shaahaa pir gati-e ghar vaadhaayun;
ghaddh aalamot Shaahaa dekhaaddiyo 1

Ham bhaai nito nit sovaagi,
alaahaa aayo thio gati-e bhaag;
bhaai paachhame ali Shaahaa bhale aayo ji 2

Nur shaah purakh pichhaanno,
yaaraa aanhi soi pir kari jaanno;
jenne baare hi kalaa sun Shaahaa likhaayaa ji 3

Sohi Shaahaa ke sirevo moraa bhaai,
bhaaiddaa bhiraant e na kije;
jem suraj ugeo em Shaahaa bhale aayo ji 4

Saaheb ji aayo yaaraa e vasant,
vanasapati sarve moriyun;

Eji Ketre chaltre Shaah dev muraar,
thiyo parchaanu levaa eji,
enne Machh rupe avtareyo saami,
saaher madhnaa kiaa eji,
Shankhaasur Shaah daanav maareaa,
Ali alakh lakaayaa eji,
suno gatiyun lovaa man dhar chevaa,
aaj so Shaah dev muraar eji,
suno gatiyun lovaa aanhin man dhariyo chevaa,
Kahek-me Shaah sohaaro eji;
suno gatiyun lovaa aanhi man dhariyo chevaa,
Shaah paase Pir suhaaro eji,
suno gatiyun lovaa aanhi mandhareaa chevaa,
Kaayam bakshannhaar eji 1

Eji Bije Korabh rupe saami avtariaa,
parat ladhaai avtaar eji
Madhukittak Shaah dannav maareaa,

Shaah tun aapohi aap sahi ho saami,
saamiji tun bahu avtareaa;
Shaah tun sarag mirat paiaar saami,
tun saami-ni thaan nirijan;
satoter paatra Imaam chaalis,
das-mo avtareaa;
avtaar paatra Imaam nu;
hun balhaari apram paraa.
Shaah tun Machh rupe thiaddo saami
to jale aap pakhaariaa,
Shaah tun ved Bhirmaa-khe jog dine,
Sankhaasar sangaariyaa .... ...
be-ginaani gaafal daint bhulaa,
rayaa rahan na vaariyaa;
sahi raaj rikhien-khe Shaah deshe;
maari daint sangaariyaa;
Kaaem devaa tun srevo,
laagaa jiv piaariyaa
men tuj-sethi nehaj laago,
ahonis saami manaa gaddi ma visaarie

Yaa Khudaavand,
anat kalap men aage tunhi-j hotaa
taaro ant tunhi-j jaanne ji 1

Yaa Khudaavand,
taare jamin na hoti aasmaan na hotaa
jo hotaa so tunhi-j jaanne ji 2

Yaa Khudaavand,
tun aape ilaahi tun aape nirinjan
tun aapo hi aap pariyaann ji 3

Yaa Khudaavand,
ashtt karodd Bhrahmaa aage te upaayaa
tenne taaro ant na jaanni yo ji 4

Yaa Khudaavand,
aatth laakh karann Pi-re taari sirevaa jo kidhi

Jire bhaai re Karta jug maanhe Shaah nu thaanak rachiyo;
hans puri nagri minjaar ji 1

Jire bhaai re paanch krodd sun raajaa Pahelaaj potaa;
Rug ved Bharmaaji bhanniyaa ji 2

Jire bhaai re utar khanddh maanhe Shaah ji bethaa;
Machh, Kachh, Vaaraa, Narsinh naam ji 3

Jire bhaai re Tretaa jug maanhe saaheb aayaa;
kaasi khanddh maanhe kiyaa vaas ji 4

Jire bhaai re saat krodde raajaa Harichandra potaa;
Taaraa raanni kunvar Roidaas ji 5

Kiriyaa kaarann ahonish jaago
te man chevaa kholo ...bhaai hotaa 1

Shaah sarannaa sidhak patiyanna
tri raahaa fari var diyaa ...bhaai hotaa 2

Sur tentris sun sadaa rang liyannaa
paacham me purakh upanaa ...bhaai hotaa 3

Surinar garup naath dhiyaai-yaa
hinyaansaa tribhovar upanaa ...bhaai hotaa 4

Maariyo Sankhaasar ved-j liyaa
jalethi mach upanaa ...bhaai hotaa 5

Madhukittak mudd daannav ghelo
pop kari sahi chhinaa ...bhaai hotaa 6