Sab Likhni Kai Likhu Sansara : Padmavat Aur Jayasi Ki Duniya

This research work by Professor Mujeeb Rizvi, prepared after nearly fifty years of hard work, is being presented to the public at a time when he himself is no longer alive. Begun in the 1950s, this work was finally awarded a doctorate by Aligarh University in 1979. This research work not only presents a fundamental analysis of Malik Muhammad Jayasis entire work but also introduces us for the first time, through Jayasi, to many of the beliefs and expressions of Sufi literature. Mujeeb Rizvi proves that reading Jayasi without knowledge of Persian and Sufi literature is not only difficult but also impossible. Jayasis poetic world is a magnificent confluence in which Indian poetic, folk, literary, religious, and linguistic definitions merge with Arabic-Persian traditions in such a way that one cannot be separated from the other. In Sufi terms, Mujeeb Rizvi demonstrates that in Jayasis work, Persian and Indian literary and religious traditions are two souls, one in two. To uncover this excellence of Jayasi, a multilingual, tolerant, and extraordinary scholar like Mujeeb Rizvi, possessing a unique blend of devotion, Sufism, and literature, is needed. This book, encompassing the full range of possibilities of Jayasi, Sufi love stories, Awadhi culture, and literature, profoundly impacts our understanding of these subjects. Highlights: Reading this book by my late, respected well-wisher, I realized that Jayasi was one of those writers who were building the unity of the Hindi community or Hindustani nationality. Had we followed that path, the Hindi or Hindustani community would have gained a recognized existence today, like the Marathi and Punjabi ethnicities. We would not have been divided into Hindi, Urdu, or other dialects. I feel honored to write a few words about this book. -Vishwanath Tripathi The late Professor Mujeeb Rizvi was an authority on early modern literature and culture. Mujeeb Rizvi correctly recognizes that, thanks to his authentic knowledge of Hindu mythology and religious beliefs, and Islamic beliefs, as well as his deep connection to the folk life of Awadh, Jayasi is a poet capable of elevating even the crudest colloquial words to the pinnacle of meaning. Thats why he manages to translate not only Sanskrit but also Persian phrases and idioms into true Awadhi. The sixteenth century was truly a century of highly exciting and inspiring developments, and as Professor Mujeeb Rizvi says in this book, Jayasi is the voice of the sixteenth century. -Purushottam Agarwal The insights of Dr. Aditya Bahl, himself a disciple of Professor Mujeeb Rizvi, have greatly helped me in understanding Chandayan and other Sufi love stories. As Mujeeb Rizvi points out, Jayasis poetic style is deeply influenced by the Persian masnavis. - Simon Digby.