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EMPRESS: Akbar, may I know in what you are so deeply absorbed?

AKBAR: I am absorbed in the thought of Chaitanya.

EMPRESS: Very often I see that you think of him and meditate on him. Have you forgotten that he is a Hindu? What will people think of you? What will your subjects think of you when they come to know that you meditate on a Hindu so deeply and so often?

AKBAR: Let them think whatever they want of me, but I can’t live without loving Chaitanya. His divine love has conquered my heart. His divine mystic dance has illumined my heart. He is the Lord of my aspiring heart. The depth of his love I can never express. I beg of him only to give me a drop from the sea of his nectar-love. He has already achieved by his boundless love what I am trying to do so desperately. In his heart Hindus and Muslims have become one. He has realised Allah; he has realised the highest Truth.

EMPRESS: You are great. Everybody admires you. I don’t think you have to be an admirer of Chaitanya.

AKBAR: They admire me, but their admiration of me is not as sincere as my admiration of Chaitanya. They admire my outer power. I admire Chaitanya’s inner power. My power destroys everything. Chaitanya’s power loves everything, loves everyone, fulfils everyone. This is the difference between Chaitanya’s power and my power. My power wants to destroy the world. My power wants to lord it over the world. My power wants name and fame. His power wants to love the world, become the world and fulfil the world. O Empress, I shall tell you what I feel about Sri Chaitanya. He is not an ordinary mortal like us. He is the son of Truth. He is Truth Itself. And this Truth is Love. This Truth is oneness with Allah and His Creation. This Love my heart constantly needs. Only the dust of Chaitanya’s feet can transform my life into the Kingdom of Heaven.

(Akbar sings.)

Kemane tomare pujibo bidhata kemane
kemane tomar charane bandhibo kemane
kemane tomar nayane heribo kemane
kemane basibo tomar tarite kemane
kemane tomar banshari bajabo kemane
kemane tomare debo ei hiya kemane
rupantarer alor gitika kemane
kemane gahibo dibase nishithe kemane

(How can I worship You, My Lord?
How can I bind Your Feet?
How can I see Your Eye?
How can I sail in Your Boat?
How can I play Your Flute?
How can I offer You my heart?
How can I sing day and night the
Song of Light for my transformation?)