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so beautiful, what about his master? He must have learned from somewhere. Music is also learned in India through masters because it is one of the meditative sciences. What about his master if his disciple is so great?
And he told Tansen 'I could not imagine that something could be greater than your music or somebody could be greater than you are. Is your master alive? If he is alive then invite him to the court.'
Tansen said 'He is alive but he won't come. You will have to go to him. He is a beggar and he does not care for anything. Even if somehow I persuade him to come he never sings. If somebody asks 'He never plays on his instruments, he plays only when he feels to. So if you really want to listen you will have to follow according to his ways. And he is an eccentric man; one never knows when he will play. But I will enquire and I will make arrangements.'
And after two days he informed the king 'He is just close by in Agra where the Taj Mahal is, just by the side of the river; he lives in a hut. And I have come to know that almost every morning, early, at three o'clock in the morning, he plays -- all alone. Nobody hears it -- only the river and the trees. So if you really want to listen we will have to go and hide behind his hut and listen.'
Akbar was so enchanted that he said, 'Okay, I will come.' They went. It was a cold winter night and Akbar was shivering and like a thief he was hiding behind the hut. The master started playing at three o'clock. Akbar could not believe it, it was so unearthly. Many times he thought he was dreaming; and tears started flowing from his eyes and Tansen was watching what was happening. Akbar did not utter a single word, he was in such awe.
When they were returning he remained silent the impact of the music was such. When he was entering his palace he said only one thing to Tansen, 'It is unbelievable. If you had told me I would not have believed it. I thought that there was nobody who can surpass you, but now, what I have heard and seen is so superb that I don't thing you could ever reach that point.'
The name of the master was Haridas. Akbar said, 'Haridas is simply not of this world,
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