There is a story of a madzub. A madzub is someone who is not considered to be an active person in the world. Many think of him as someone who is not quite balanced. In the East there are some who know about such beings, and they have regard for them. There used to be a madzub in Kashmir some centuries ago, who was allowed by the Maharaja to roam about in the palace and the gardens wherever he wanted to go, and he was given a piece of ground where he could dwell. He used to walk in every corner of the Maharaja's gardens that he was allowed to enter. There was a miniature toy cannon in the garden, and sometimes this madzub got a fancy to play with it. He used to take this gun and turn it, either toward the south or toward the north or elsewhere. Then he would turn it again and make all sorts of gestures. After making those gestures he would be delighted. It seemed as if he were fighting and as if after that fighting he was now victorious and delighted.

It was at such times that the Maharaja Ranjit Singh used to give the order to his army: "Now prepare for fight!", and there was success. The war had been going on for many, many years, and it was going on slowly; nothing had happened, but every time the madzub played with the cannon results were achieved.

I myself have seen in Hyderabad a madzub whose habit it was to insult everybody, to call people such names that they would go away from him. Still one man dared go there in spite of all the insults. The madzub said to him: "What do you want?" He said: "My case is coming on in the court six days from now, and I have no money, no means. What shall I do?" "Tell me what is the condition", said the madzub, "but tell me the truth." So the man told him all. The madzub listened to it; then he wrote on the ground: "There seems to be nothing in this case; so it must be dismissed." Then he said: "Go, it is done." The man went to the court. On the opposite side were many barristers and pleaders; on his part there were none, because he was a poor man. The judge heard the case from both sides, and then spoke the same words that the madzub had written on the ground.