The Book of Akbar 328.3.1

328.3.1

Among the wonderful events and unusual traits of H.M. Shāhinshāh which came forth from the ambush of secrecy and displayed their splendours in the theatre of manifestation, there was this that when H.M. Jahānbānī Jinnat Āshiyānī had come to Delhi after the victory over Sikandar, he (Akbar) there practised drawing in accordance with a sublime suggestion (of Humāyūn?). The skilful artists such as Mīr Saiyid ‘Alī and Khwāja ‘Abdul-Samad Shīrīnqalm, who were among the matchless ones of this art, were in his service and were instructing him. One day this cyclopedia of Divine things was in the library of H.M. Jahānbānī and in order to sharpen his mind was employing himself in drawing. He drew with inspired pencil the figure of a man with all his limbs separated. One of the courtiers saw that strange picture and asked the meaning of it. H.M. with mystery-explaining tongue said that it represented Hemū. At that time the name and note of Hemū were unknown, and so the listeners did not comprehend the matter and refrained from further enquiry. On the day when Bairām Khān made his request and tried to induce H.M. to slay Hemū with his own holy hand, H.M. replied that he had dispatched that haughty one on a former day and had dismembered him, and then he referred to the incident of the picture. Good God! How and when in that year had the news of this dominion-augmenting occurrence been conveyed by the tongue of act and the lip of speech?