244 Journal of the Asiatic Sociely of Bengal. [N.S., XIX, 
was in accordance with the holy Qur'an, or rather it 
was its commentary. It appeared to Dara Shikoh that the 
following | verse actually referred to this eternal work (Upa- 
nikhat) : “This is the honourable Qur'an, in the preserved book, 
let none touch it but the purified. It is a revelation from the 
Lord of the worlds.’ Jt meant (according to Dara) that the 
excellent Qur’an was in the book, and that book was hidden, 
which none but the clean could comprehend, revealed from the 
Creator of the world and of all the creatures. It appeared to 
him that this verse did not refer to the Psalms, the Pentateuch 
er the Gospel. It appeared from the word tanzil (revelation) 
‘that it did not refer to “the indelible tables.’ As Upanikhat 
meant ‘‘ the secret to be concealed”’ it was certain that by 
‘the secret book, this ancient book was meant. He knew from 
it what he had not known, and understood from it what he 
ihad not understood. He had no other purpose or motive (in 
undertaking this duty) but to benefit himself,’ his descendants, 
friends, and seekers after truth. He is the fortunate one who 
having laid aside the hankering of his evil genius for the true 
sake of God, should read and understand, without prejudice, 
every sentence of this translation entitled the Sirr-i-’ Akbar 
gree Secret)—believing the same as the Work of God—he 
will without loss, without fear, and without sorrow, be saved 
and hel pful (to others). 
is book and the Majma‘u’l-Bahrayen! reflect great 
credit on Sultan Muhammad Dara Shikoh. It was he who 
collected eminent Pandits and Divines of India at Benares, and 
translated the till-then little known scriptures of the Hindus 
into Persian. But the interpretation he put on the verse of 
the holy Qur’an he has quoted is far fetched and not con- 
vincing. The Vedas and Upanishads are not the works of 
one man, but according to modern researches are the com- 
positions of Munis and Rishis, of both sexes, who might be 
inspired. The mystic doctrine of the Upanishads ae confined 
in one book was no more confined to one nation or one land. 
The mystics of Islam have from the very earliest nue given 
expression to Divine Unity and the love of the Universal 
Fath This doctrine is to be found among all or nearly all 
the nations of antiquity and not confined to India only 
€ opinion expressed by Mirza Mazhar is the Siderad 

| This book, too, was written in Persian. The treatise was brought 
to England by Mr. Frazer, and is in the Radcliffe library under the 
1 
citing passages from the Koran the pig 
Orme’s ‘* Historical Fragments’? (5) ‘Nets EL. p: It 
Manuscripts of the book are e found in raves of India. 
has been translated er in Arabic. 
