2025.07.02 (Vrindavan Today News): The Krishna-bhakti poetic tradition is a luminous stream in the vast river of Indian devotional literature. It is known not only for its spiritual depth and aesthetic richness but also for its remarkable inclusivity. Among its contributors were several devout Muslim poets, who, far from being confined by sectarian boundaries, immersed themselves wholly in the worship and celebration of Lord Krishna. Their lives and works offer not only poetic beauty but also profound insights into the pluralistic fabric of medieval Indian society—a legacy that urgently beckons recognition and remembrance in our fractured times.
Raskhan
Raskhan is believed to have been born in the year1548. HIs original name was Syed Ibrahim Khan and he lived somewhere in Delhi. His family was prosperous and for this reason Raskhan’s childhood was spent in happiness and affection. His family was engaged in the devotion to god, which left a deep impression in the child Raskhan, and he became curious to know about god. Raskhan was related to the Mughal dynasty and due to the infighting in the dynasty his mind became unattached from the material world.
Once a Vaishnava showed Shrinath ji’s image to Raskhan, he became very much attracted to the Lord. He started finding him everywhere. He came to Vrindavan, riding on a horse to find Shrinath ji. He went to all the temples in Vrindavan in disguise but he didn’t find Shrinath ji anywhere in Vrindavan. From there Raskhan came to Govardhan and started entering Shrinath ji temple in disguise, but at the door itself, the servant recognized that he was not a Vaishnava, but a mleccha. They pushed him out of the temple. Raskhan became very sad and sat on the bank of Govinda Kund. He didn’t eat anything as was absorbed in the devotion of Shrinath ji. The Lord’s image was settled in his heart.
Seeing the condition of Raskhan, the Lord gave darshan to him. Raskhan tried to catch Shrinath ji but he ran away. In the temple, Shrinath ji instructed Gosain ji to take Raskhan in his shelter and initiate him to Vaishnavism. Gosain ji met him at Govinda Kund and gave him initiation. Gosain ji brought Raskhan in the temple and took him for the darshan of Shrinath ji, where he was offered Mahaprasad. Raskhan was enchanted by having darshan of Thakur ji and started reciting verses to Shrinath ji. He wrote many famous verses on Krishna Bhakti. The following is a very famous savaiyya of Raskhan.
मानुष हौं तो वही रसखानि बसौ ब्रज गोकुल गाँव के ग्वारन।
जो पसु हौं तो कहा बसु मेरा चरौं नित नंद की धेनु मँझारन।
पाहन हौं तो वही गिरि को जो धर्यौ कर छत्र पुरंदर कारन।
जो खग हौं तौ बसेरो करौं मिलि कालिंदी-कूल-कदंब की डारन॥
Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan: The Philosopher-Poet of the Mughal Court
One of the most beloved figures of Hindi devotional poetry, Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan—known simply as ‘Rahim’—was born in 1556. He was the son of Bairam Khan, a distinguished commander who restored Emperor Humayun to the Delhi throne. Rahim’s mother was the sister of Emperor Akbar, placing him firmly within the Mughal aristocracy.
Despite his high birth, Rahim was famed not for power but for humility, charity, and poetic genius. His couplets—marked by deep moral and spiritual reflection—have become staples of Indian wisdom literature. Responding to praise for his generosity, Rahim once composed:
“The Giver is someone else; He sends, day and night. People mistakenly think it is me, hence I lower my eyes.”
His integrity was equally legendary. When a beautiful woman once requested a child by him, he replied gently that while her wish was uncertain to be fulfilled even biologically, it was better that she consider him as her son instead—a response so noble that it overwhelmed the woman with reverence.
Rahim’s Krishna-bhakti compositions span several poetic works, including the Rahim Satsai, Ras Panchadhyayi, Madanashtak, and Barvai Nayika Bhed. In these, we witness a heart enraptured by Krishna’s beauty, grace, and divine play. Consider these tender lines:
“Rahim has made his mind a Chakor, Always gazing at the moon-like face of Krishna.”
“What if one is a thief or a liar?
The one who protects his devotees is also the one who stole butter.”
“If Rahim had been in Braj,
He would never have let Krishna lift Govardhan alone.”
In verses describing Krishna’s dance, his lotus eyes, and his flirtatious smile, Rahim’s poetry radiates bhakti’s emotional intensity. His words demonstrate that spiritual love transcends religious identity—a sentiment that enriched the composite culture of India.
Jalaluddin Akbar: The Emperor Who Honoured Krishna’s Devotees
Mughal Emperor Akbar (1542–1605), the grandson of Babur and son of Humayun, is remembered as one of India’s most progressive monarchs. Despite having received little formal education due to political instability during his youth, Akbar’s vision and administrative genius were unparalleled.
What distinguishes Akbar in this context is his unprecedented respect for Hindu traditions. He abolished cow slaughter by royal decree—a decision said to be influenced by a poetic plea delivered via a cow wearing a couplet by poet Narhari Mahapatra around her neck.
Akbar personally visited Mathura and Vrindavan in Vikram Samvat 1627, where he met Goswami Vitthalnathji. He was so impressed by the saint’s personality that he appointed him as a regional judicial authority and had his portrait installed in the royal palace. Akbar’s inclusive policies and spiritual openness inspired poets to praise Krishna in even his name:
“My beloved Mohan resides in Akbar’s heart;
Eyes sweet as honey, glances softer than shade.”
Ali Khan Pathan: The Devotee from the Mughal Elite
Ali Khan Pathan was born in Vikram Samvat 1557 into a family of mixed lineage—his father a Gorwa Kshatriya and his mother a Muslim. Despite being born into the Pathan Muslim community, he became a fervent devotee and disciple of Goswami Vitthalnathji, a central figure in the Vallabha Sampradaya. A native of Acha village near Mathura, Ali Khan was essentially a Brajwasi, steeped in the cultural and spiritual environment of Krishna’s land.
Renowned as a master of the pakhawaj (a classical percussion instrument), Ali Khan would regularly travel from his village to Gokul to attend Goswami Ji’s discourses. So devoted was he that Goswami Ji affectionately referred to him as being from a “great family,” which is believed to hint at his association with the Mughal royal court. Scholars note that Ali Khan joined Vitthalnathji’s service around Vikram Samvat 1634, during the saint’s first forest pilgrimage.
Ali Khan’s life of devotion culminated in Vikram Samvat 1660. His deep spiritual commitment earned him a cenotaph in the garden of the famed Morwala Temple in Gokul—a rare honour reflecting his esteemed status in the devotional lineage. His poetry vividly depicts the divine form of Lord Krishna, blending aesthetic delicacy with heartfelt adoration. One of his verses reads:
प्रेयसि तुम मुख ससिधर सोहे। स्रोनताटंकगजमुक्ता बने वास गृहरदन, विसदमराल मोहे।एहि ध्यान ‘अलिखान’ सदा रहे पाँगुल, गति गिरिनगोहे।।
“Preyasi, your face outshines the moon, Adorned with pearl earrings and a radiant smile. ‘Alikhan’ remains forever absorbed in your form, A lame soul, seeking shelter in your mountain-like grace.”
Ali Khan also composed a poetic roll call of the 84 Vaishnavas (Chaurasi Vaishnavon ki Namavali), which remains a cherished part of the tradition. His work stands not only as a tribute to his guru but also as a landmark in the cultural history of Krishna-bhakti poetry authored by a Muslim devotee.
Bhaktimati Taj: The Queen Who Became Krishna’s Devotee
Bhaktimati Taj, also known as Taj Bibi was born in the prominent Kaimkhani Muslim clan of Fatehpur, Rajasthan, between 1600 and 1650. Her lineage traced back to the seventh Nawab, Fadnakon. It is believed that due to her exceptional beauty, she was married to Emperor Akbar. Literary and historical accounts suggest that after marriage, she became a devoted follower of Krishna and a disciple of Goswami Vitthalnathji.
Taj’s devotion was so intense that she had a separate colony named “Gokulpura” established in Agra, mirroring the spiritual ambience of Vrindavan. Her spiritual experiences were vivid and mystical—during Holi, she reportedly had a divine vision of Krishna engaging in play, prompting her to compose and sing the celebrated dhammar:
बहुरि डफ बाजन लागे हेली। खेलत मोहन साँवरों हो केहिमिसि देखन जाय।। सास ननद बैरिन भयीं अब कीजे कौन उपाय। ओजत गागर डारिये जमुना जल के काज।। यह मिस बाहिर निकस के हम जाय मिलें तजि लाज। आओं बछरा में लिये बनकों देहि बिहार।। वे दैहे हम ही पठै हम रहेगी घरी द्वै चार।
“Again the drums are beating, my friend, Mohan plays Holi—how shall I go see him? My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are hostile— What shall I do now?”
Her divine longing reached such intensity that she once defied house arrest and ran in pursuit of her beloved deity. In that state of devotional frenzy, she composed:
प्रीतम बसै पहाड़ पै, मैं जमुना के तीर। अब की मिलनों कठिन है, पाँइन परी जंजीर। अगर आगरे में रहूँ, गिरि पै बसत जु नाथ। तोरि जँजीरिन जो मोसों, मैं प्रीतम के साथ।।
“My beloved lives atop a mountain, I on the Yamuna’s bank. Shackled, how can I meet him now?”
This transcendental passion ultimately culminated in her spiritual union with Krishna. According to Vallabh Sampradaya tradition, while listening to the same dhammar song, she became absorbed in divine consciousness and departed her body, merging with the Lord. Her tomb remains in Ramanreti, Gokul—an enduring symbol of her unwavering love.
The Larger Canvas: Unity in Devotion, Diversity in Expression
The legacy of these poets—Raskhan, Ali Khan Pathan, Rahim, Akbar, Taj, and others—serves as a living testament to the profound spiritual inclusiveness of the Krishna-bhakti tradition. Far from being anomalies, they were integral participants in a culture that saw divine love as the highest truth, transcending the man-made barriers of caste, creed, and birth.
Their verses, rooted in both aesthetic subtlety and theological depth, show a community of souls united not by dogma but by longing—for beauty, for the Divine, for Krishna. Their lives remind us that the heart of bhakti is open to all, and that love, when pure, recognizes no borders.
In today’s world—divided and often distressed by sectarian ideologies—these Muslim Krishna-bhaktas shine like beacons from a more harmonious age. Their legacy is not just literary; it is spiritual, cultural, and deeply human. Their stories must be retold, celebrated, and passed on, as timeless emblems of India’s composite culture and as living proof that in the eyes of Krishna, only love matters.
