The Emperor Shah Jahan used to say, “At times I fear that my eldest son [Dara Shukoh] has become the enemy of good men; Murad Bakhsh has set his heart on drinking; Muhammad Shuja has no good trait except contentment (i. e., easy good nature). But the resolution and intelligence of Aurangzib prove that he [alone] can shoulder this difficult task (viz., ruling India). But there is great sickness and infirmity in his physical frame. (Verse)
Then, whom will he wish for as a friend and to whom will his heart incline?”
Text.—Ir. MS. 14a. Not in MS. N. This anecdote occurs in
many other collections and is No. 5 in the lithographed Ruqaat-