The Nāṣirī Generations 248.5.5

248.5.5

Alan-Quwa — which is also written Alan-Khu — and Alan-Kuwan — on the death of her father, her husband being dead, was entrusted with the direction of affairs until such time as her eldest son should become of age to succeed ; but, in the meantime, although she refused to marry again, whilst lying asleep upon her couch, on a certain occasion, a mysterious light entered through the hole in the top of the felt tent and enveloped her, and the light passed through her mouth, penetrated her, and she conceived. This mysterious light came more than once, such was her story ; and, as matters could no longer be concealed, it was made known unto her tribe, who reviled her, and refused to believe her story. Some writers state that she asked some of the chief persons of her tribe to keep watch, and satisfy themselves of the truth of what she had stated, and that some did so, and found her story correct, and the tribe were satisfied. This is not much like the “story of the incarnation of the Buddha Sakya- I became cognizant of from the accounts of trustworthy muni” as a recent writer asserts, considering that the husband of his mother [who had never consummated her marriage with her husband] was, according to Chinese belief, ruler of Kashmir, and that his birth took place 1222 years before the Christian era, while the Hindus, on the other hand, give a different account of his birth.