The Impotence of Thought to perceive Reality. 
51 
Buddhist and by no means a Mohammedan doc-
trine.  I am a little uncertain of my transla-
tion.  Literally [Persian text].  The wheel of life 
stands still, the axis is rusty.  (This line, pencilled 
faintly in Major Lutiy’s M.S. has been difficult to 
decipher :  we doubt the accuracy of the above.  It 
is not an M.S. reading.  Ed.) 
2.  Cf.  Verlaine — c’est à recommencer.  But “ be-
ginning ” is here “ maruk ” [Persian text] not “ rah-
sid ” ;  and Mahbub says that here is a punning ref-
erence to Marut [Persian text] (any connection with 
the Sanskrit Maruts ?) and Harut, who are the Per-
sian “ Beni Elohim ” going in to the daughters of 
men.  To punish them, Allah hung them by their 
heels in a well at Babylon, where they wile away 
the time by giving magical instruction.  The mean-
ing, therefore, (argal !) of the whole passage is that 
unredeemed (i.e. uninitiated) man, however ordina-
rily devout, is liable to become a sorcerer !  I cannot 
help thinking that Mahbub must have been hung 
up by his heels at one time ;  nobody could ever 
think all that out right way up !