1892.] H. G. Raverty —The Mihran of Sind and its Tributaries. 391 
The Sutlaj, or Sutlaj, or Shuttlaj. 405 
Before I give any account of the Sutlaj, the ancient S'atadru, it is 
necessary that I should relate what is stated in the Khulasat-ut- 
presence of the saint, the Makhdum-i-Jahaman, and besought him, saying : “ Ah 
Makhdum ! the Ab-i-Sind has risen so high as to threaten to overwhelm us. Let it 
not happen, that, with such a sanctified person as yourself among us, we should be 
swallowed up.” The Makhdum replied : “ Whatever may be the will of Almighty 
God, that we must bow to : and whatever He may be pleased to do, that He will 
perform, and we have no reason to say “ why ” or “ wherefore.” 
“ This happened on the night of a Friday (our Thursday night: the night is 
reckoned first in eastern countries, and the day last) ; and the Ma kh dum advised 
them, saying : “ Return to your homes and pray devoutedly to God, and supplicate 
Him, that He would vouchsafe to direct you in your sleep what you should do.” 
When the morning came round, they came to him again, and began to relate what 
their dreams had been. The Makhdum said : “I have seen the blessed Prophet in 
my sleep, and he thus directed me, saying : ‘ Ah Maklidum-i-Jahanian ! in a certain 
place there is a large brick which Mihtar Khwajah Khizr baked for a certain Zahid 
(Recluse) in the time of Mihtar Musa—on whom be peace!—who used to perform 
his ablutions on the bank of the Ab-i-Sind, in order that by standing thereon the 
Zahid’s feet might not be soiled by the dirt, and his mind thereby become distracted 
every time he performed his ablutions. That brick lies buried in a certain place : 
let it be brought from thence and given to the Khwajah, Yahya-i-Kabir, and let 
him, with his own hands, place it on the bank of the Ab-i-Sind, and Almighty God 
will cause the river to recede, and no injury will be sustained from it by U' choh h to 
the end of time.’ ’’ 
“ The Makhdum having taken the people along with him to the place indicated, 
set them to excavate ; and the brick was found and placed before him. He then 
requested the Khwajah, Yahya-i-Kabir, to take it, saying : “ With thine own hands 
place this brick on the bank of the Ab-i-Sind.” He replied : “ Oh Makhdum ! let it 
not be that some other and more worthy Yahya was intended; for it does not appear 
that the blessed Muhammad indicated me, his servant, who is not worthy to carry out 
his command.” The Makhdum answered, saying The Blessed Prophet indicated 
thee to me, saying: ‘ He is a Rohelah, who has come from the Koh-i-Suliman, and 
speaks the Pus’hto tongue.’ ” On this, the Khwajah, Yahya-i-Kabir, ejaculated “ Bis- 
mil’ldh ! ” took up the brick, and placed it on the spot indicated by the blessed Pro¬ 
phet, and Almighty God caused the Ab-i-Sind to recede ; and, Please God ! the river 
will not pass beyond that brick, and no injury will be sustained therefrom by 
U'chchh to the end of the world.” 
4*05 Muir, in his “ Sanskrit Texts ” (vol. 1, p. 417) relating the Vedic traditions 
or legends, says, that this river, which is called the “ dreadful S'atadru (Satlej), 
which was full of alligators, etc., derived its name from rushing away in a hundred 
directions on seeing the Brahman, the Sage, Vasishtha, who on hearing of the 
destruction of his sons by Visvamitra, in the early contests between the Brahmans 
and Kshattriyas, threw himself into it.” 
In another place (vol. 2, p. 417) it is called “The dreadful S'atadru (Sutlej) 
which was full of alligators,” etc., and “ derived its name from rushing away in 
a hundred directions on seeing the Brahman brilliant as fire.” 
