Raskhan

(late 16th c.) Poet-saint and devotee
(bhakta) of the god Krishna who was
born a Muslim, specifically a Pathan
(Afghan) and whose name may have
been Saiyid Ibrahim. According to legend, Raskhan spent the early part of his
life in Delhi, where he became enamored of a handsome boy. When the
object of his affections proved unattainable, he migrated to Brindavan, the
566
Rasik
town where Krishna is said to have lived
as a child, and spent the rest of his life
sublimating that attraction through his
devotion to Krishna. The main themes
in his poetry are the attraction of the
cowherd women (gopis) to Krishna,
sparked by Krishna’s physical beauty
and, especially, the enthralling music
of his flute. With Raskhan one finds
a person who was a Muslim by birth
but who used images and attitudes
belonging to Hindu culture in an
absolutely genuine manner.