A DEMON WITH RUBY EYES"So why did you resist me in taking Brahmanabad?" The priest
replied, "When the ruler Agham had passed away and the young
prince became the raja, I reluctantly took the task of giving him ad-
vice. Though in my view, all matters of this world are to be shunned.
Now that you are the ruler of the world, I am willing to obey you, but
I fear that you will take your revenge on the temple and destroy it.
Chach answered, "It is always better to be praising the Buddha and
to attain perfection in his path. If you need anything from me, you
simply ask.^119Then Chach offers riches for the priest's temple, but his generosity
is repeatedly declined. In the end, the priest makes one request: "The
Buddhist temple of Kanohar is ancient and decrepit. If you repair it, you
will earn the gratitude of the believers."^10 Chach quickly agrees to have
the temple rebuilt and leaves the priest. He returns to his troops and
orders them back to Brahmanabad. "Why did you not let us kill the
priest?" inquires Chach's minister, while leaving. Chach replies:
I saw something that was neither trickery nor magic. I examined it
carefully with my eyes. When I sat down next to him, I saw a demon,
ugly and fearful (makruh o sahamnak), who stood next to him.
His eyes were like embers glowing, or rubies; his lips were fat and
drooping; his teeth were sharp like spears. And he looked to strike
someone. I was frightened when I saw him, and I dared not speak to
the priest as I had indicated to you, because I knew he would kill me.
So I made peace with him and left.^11This encounter between the Hindu King Chach and the Buddhist
temple priest is the first of numerous encounters between different re-
ligious communities in Chachnama. It offers three models for recog-
nizing and ordering difference: a hierarchical distinction between the
ruler and the ruled, a distinction that acknowledges the faith of the in-
dividual, and a distinction between serving the state and serving god.
The people of Brahmanabad resist their conquest but are pardoned
afterward through mediation. The faith and temple of the city are pro-
tected, and Chach proclaims that serving Buddha is a valuable pursuit.
Though there are different ways of sacrality (ascetic or institu-
tional), they are presented as overlapping, which allows for alliances
of law, conduct, and marriage. The standoff between the political power