The Dabistan

94

possible about the existence, the splendor, and the
beneficence of the sun. His Majesty, Akbar, as he
was ordered by God, used to read prayers, contain-
ing the praise of the sun, in the Persian, Hindi,
Turkish, and Arabic languages, among which all
was one prayer which is proper to the Hindus, and
which they sing at midnight and at sun-rise. Be-
sides, the emperor forbade his subjects to kill cows
and to eat their flesh; because medical men have
declared that cow's flesh causes itch, dry scab, le-
prosy, elephantiasis, and the like diseases, and is
difficult to digest. The Hindus say also that, as
many advantages are derived from the cow, it is not
right to kill it. The Yezdanian maintained that it is
tyranny to kill harmless animals, and a tyrant is an
enemy of God, the Almighty. But the learned of the
time showed in the book Serai ul mustakim, " the
" right road," composed by the Imam Majeddin Mu-
hammed, son of Yakub, son of Muhammed, Firozdbddi,l
that what is known

" The most excellent meat of both worlds is flesh."

This has not been firmly established, and in the
subject of the excellence of hersiah, a kind of pottage,

1 Majeddin Abu Thaher Muhammed ben Yakub is the compiler of the
celebrated Arabic Dictionary, called Al kamus, already quoted, which
from a work of sixty-five volumes was reduced to two. He is the author
of several works besides the above-mentioned. He died in the year of
the Hejira 817 (A. D. 1414).