Vikram Tyagi
“I am sold in the market of love
I know not my buyer, nor my price.”- Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed
Neither did he approve of any worldly comfort, nor did he recognise any maiden’s desire. He was no mural of perfection, but then, love in itself is amusingly imperfect. Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed, a Sufi saint, was of a foreign origin and he was Armenian. He was from an Iranian family; some scholars are of the opinion that he was originally a Christian whereas others think he was Jewish. His homeland was Kashan; there was a large Armenian community in Iran of which some were Christian and some Jewish, but he accepted Islam. He came to India with an agenda to trade. All that he treasured in return was a young boy’s heart whose enigmatic voice casted a spell on Sarmad’s mind, body and soul.
The sufi saint discovered Abhay Chand in a poetic symposium where the boy was reciting poetry. He found him to be a perfect truth of divine voice, looks and manners. I dare say this era witnessed love of its kind that defied every limit and rose above the bounds of heteronormativity. The passion picked up like fire between the two and Abhay Chand started living with Sarmad. Here began an affair of love that certainly challenged the ethos of Indian society, but with a difference. Few revolted and few negotiated. Some pointed fingers and some uttered poison behind their backs. To think of it, the catastrophe would be similar or probably much worse in this 21st century.
Like a true saint, Sarmad showed least botheration. He refused to give away his love for it was priceless. With time, he not only abandoned his wealth but also started wandering naked in streets and courts. Love had played the trick by now. All that Sarmad cared about was the young Hindu boy. He taught him religious texts such as Tauret, Ingeel and Zaboor and enlightened him with the knowledge about God. Everytime the boy recited any of his poetry, Sarmad felt intoxicated with appreciation. Abhay’s melodious voice gave a magical touch to Sarmad’s poetry and cured him of all his pains.
Sarmad’s radical transformation post the love-affair, his unconventional behaviour and reservation against reciting the words of Kalima beyond the first two syllables became significant reasons to earn himself a capital punishment.
“For my crime of loving you
I am dragged into the marketplace.
Noise and excitement resounds,
O come to the terrace
To watch this splendid spectacle!”- Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed
Surrounded with chaos and yet painted with eternity, Sarmad’s shrine is located amidst the soulful symphony of Old Delhi. It’s juxtaposed with shrine of Sarmad’s mentor, Hazrat Hare Bhare Shah and silently breathes under the magnanimity of Jama Masjid. The shrine looks placid from inside and hesitates to unveil much about Sarmad’s lifestyle and precisely, his interest towards the same sex.
The caretaker of the shrine believes that one can never read the mind of such a saint. Whether Abhay Chand was a reflection of Allah or Sarmad could see a companion in him for real, the world’s yet to unravel this mystery. In his lifetime, Sarmad surrendered himself to love and love identifies with nothing but love.
