New History of the Marathas v1.c16.23

v1.c16.23

A large number of papers of his period has lately been printed, which particularly disclose this phase of Shivaji’s endeavour. Gods, Brahmans, Saints, and Shrines are words ever present in his mind, as these papers reveal. It is a historical fact that wherever Shivaji went, be it Agra, Karwar, Tanjore or elsewhere, his first concern was to find out the celebrated shrines of the vicinity and the men of saintly character and learning that congregated at such places. He goes by sea to Basrur and pays a devout visit to Gokarn Mahableshwar at Karwar. Later when he went to Bhāgānagar and thence proceeded to the south, he spent a long time at Shrishaila Mallikārjuna, getting into a trance from which he could be roused with difficulty. Saints and sacred places were in those days the repositories of knowledge, learning, piety, and information in the various branches of life. Often he used to lose sight of his objective and suddenly get into a mystic pensive mood, after having met with some souls of extraordinary spiritual power. He never undertook a serious task without first consulting his gurus. Shivaji made no distinction in this respect between a Hindu and a Muslim saint. He honoured all with equal respect. At his capital Raigad he erected a special mosque for Muslim devotees in front of his palace in the same way, that he built there the temple of Jagadishvar for his own daily worship.