The legends of the Panjâb

——
—
EAJA EASALU. 6
her about it. When he saw her he prayed to God to restore
her sight, and God did so, and she saw as before.
After this
asked for a son.
miracle Raja Salbahan and Rani Lonan came together and
Then said the faqir, speaking from his miraculous
knowledge
" Raja Salbahan has already had a son, where is he nov*
Tell me the truth about him, and I will pray to God to make
the Rani fruitful."
Then the Rani having a great desire for a son told the whole
truth to the faqir how she had fallen in love with Puran and
had caused her husband to cut off his hands and feet. And
this too in the presence of Raja Salbahan. The faqir was
very pleased that she told the truth and said to her
" Behold in me that same Puran."
And he gave Lonan, his stepmother, a grain of rice to eat,
and told her that after a long while she would bear a son, who
would be learned and brave and holy, but that he would not
remain with her, and that she would weep as she made Eani
Achhran to weep.
After this Piiran Bhagat took leave of his parents and went
to his Guru, Gorakhnath. In due course Rani Lonan became
pregnant by Raja Salbahan, and shortly before the child was to
be born three jogis came to beg at her gate. She filled a plate
with pearls, and giving it to the jogls, asked if
her child would
be a boy or a girl.
Then answered the youngest of them- "
: Your child is a boy,
and was conceived on a Sunday, and will be born on next
Tuesday, and will be a great man. But if either his father or
his mother see him for 12 years after he is born they will die
at once. So you must shut him up in a cellar for 12 years,
and then he must bathe in the river, put on a new dress, and
come to visit his parents. And his name shall be Raja
Rasalu."
When RSja Salbahan heard of this he did not believe it, but
sent for the jogis and set before them a she-goat heavy with
young and said
" Tell me whether she has a male or female kid inside her."