Lalleshwari
Encyclopedia
Lalleshwari (1320–1392), also known as Lalla, Lal Ded or "Lal Arifa". She was a mystic
of the Kashmiri Shaivite sect, and at the same time, a Sufi saint. She is a creator of the mystic poetry called vatsun
or Vakhs, literally 'speech'. Known as Lal Vakhs, her verses are the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri language
and are an important part in history of Kashmiri literature
.
Lal Ded and her mystic musings continue to have a deep impact on the psyche of Kashmiri common man, and the 2000 National Seminar on her held at New Delhi led to the release of the book Remembering Lal Ded in Modern Times. A solo play in English, Hindi and Kashmiri titled 'Lal Ded' (based on her life), has been performed by actress Mita Vashisht
all over India since 2004.
in a Kashmiri Pandit
family.. She married at age twelve, but her marriage was unhappy and she left home at twenty-four to take sanyas (renunciation) and become a disciple of the Shaivite guru
Siddha Srikantha (Sed Bayu). She continued the mystic tradition of Shaivism in Kashmir, which was known as Trika
before 1900.
There are various stories about Lal Ded's encounters with the founding fathers of Kashmiri Sufism. One story recounts how, when Sheikh Nooruddin Noorani
(Nund Rishi) was born, he wouldn’t feed from his mother. After three days, Lal Ded arrived and fed him herself. She said to the baby that, since he hadn’t been ashamed to be born, why should he be ashamed to drink from his mother’s breast?
According to another story, when Lal Ded encountered Sheikh Ali Hamadani she jumped into a tandoor
(clay oven) and, when the Sheikh lifted the lid, Lal Ded came out dressed in flowers. When asked why she was dressed this way, Lal Ded replied, saying “Today I saw a man for the first time”. However, this second story is disputed by some scholars as unreliable and as an example of how Islamic missionaries to Kashmir tried to expropriate Lal Ded for their cause because she represented the pre-existing Kashmiri spirituality.
Her poems (called vakhs) have been translated into English by Richard Temple, Jaylal Kaul, Coleman Barks
, Jaishree Odin
, and Ranjit Hoskote
.
yi rasini vichoarum thi mantar
yihay lagamo dhahas partsun
suy Parasivun tanthar -138
Whatever work I did became worship of the Lord;
Whatever word I uttered became a prayer;
Whatever this body of mine experienced became
the sadhana
of Saiva Tantra
illumining my path to Parmasiva. -138
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
of the Kashmiri Shaivite sect, and at the same time, a Sufi saint. She is a creator of the mystic poetry called vatsun
Vatsun
Vatsun is derived from Sanskrit ‘Vachan’ meaning word/speech. This is because it has no particular pattern of versification or rhyme scheme. The metres and rhyme schemes of vatsun are varied, but generally each unit is a stanza of three lines followed by a refrain . Vatsun bears a resemblance to...
or Vakhs, literally 'speech'. Known as Lal Vakhs, her verses are the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri language
Kashmiri language
Kashmiri is a language from the Dardic sub-group and it is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in Jammu and Kashmir. There are approximately 5,554,496 speakers in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Census of 2001. Most of the 105,000 speakers or so in Pakistan are émigrés from the Kashmir...
and are an important part in history of Kashmiri literature
Kashmiri literature
Kashmiri literature has a history of at least 2,500 years, going back to its glory days of Sanskrit. Early names include Patanjali, the author of the Mahabhashya commentary on Pāṇini's grammar, suggested by some to have been the same to write the Hindu treatise known as the Yogasutra, and...
.
Lal Ded and her mystic musings continue to have a deep impact on the psyche of Kashmiri common man, and the 2000 National Seminar on her held at New Delhi led to the release of the book Remembering Lal Ded in Modern Times. A solo play in English, Hindi and Kashmiri titled 'Lal Ded' (based on her life), has been performed by actress Mita Vashisht
Mita Vashisht
Mita Vashisht is an Indian television, film and theatre actress, who graduated from National School of Drama , New Delhi in 1987.-Early life:...
all over India since 2004.
Biography
Lalleshwari was born in Pandrethan (ancient Puranadhisthana) some four and a half miles to the southeast of SrinagarSrinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
in a Kashmiri Pandit
Kashmiri Pandit
The Kashmiri Pandits are a Hindu Brahmin community originating from Kashmir, a mountainous region in South Asia.-Background:The Hindu caste system of the region was influenced by the influx of Buddhism from the time of Asoka, around the third century BCE, and a consequence of this was that the...
family.. She married at age twelve, but her marriage was unhappy and she left home at twenty-four to take sanyas (renunciation) and become a disciple of the Shaivite guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
Siddha Srikantha (Sed Bayu). She continued the mystic tradition of Shaivism in Kashmir, which was known as Trika
Trika
Trika, a concept of Kashmir Shaivism, refers to the 3 goddesses Parā, Parāparā and Aparā which are named in the Mālinivijayottata-tantra, a Bhairava Tantra.This gives Kashmir Saivism its other name, Trika.-Śiva, Śakti and :...
before 1900.
There are various stories about Lal Ded's encounters with the founding fathers of Kashmiri Sufism. One story recounts how, when Sheikh Nooruddin Noorani
Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali
Sheikh Noor-ud-din, also known as Nund Rishi, was a famous Kashmiri saint who belonged to the Rishi order. He belonged to a Rajput lineage of Kisthwar. He was born in 1377 CE, corresponding to 779 Hijri and he died at the age of 63 years in the year of 1440 CE or 842 Hijri...
(Nund Rishi) was born, he wouldn’t feed from his mother. After three days, Lal Ded arrived and fed him herself. She said to the baby that, since he hadn’t been ashamed to be born, why should he be ashamed to drink from his mother’s breast?
According to another story, when Lal Ded encountered Sheikh Ali Hamadani she jumped into a tandoor
Tandoor
A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking. The tandoor is used for cooking in Azerbaijan, India, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central Asia, as well as Burma and Bangladesh.The heat for a tandoor was...
(clay oven) and, when the Sheikh lifted the lid, Lal Ded came out dressed in flowers. When asked why she was dressed this way, Lal Ded replied, saying “Today I saw a man for the first time”. However, this second story is disputed by some scholars as unreliable and as an example of how Islamic missionaries to Kashmir tried to expropriate Lal Ded for their cause because she represented the pre-existing Kashmiri spirituality.
Her poems (called vakhs) have been translated into English by Richard Temple, Jaylal Kaul, Coleman Barks
Coleman Barks
Coleman Barks is an American poet. Although he neither speaks nor reads Persian, he is nonetheless renowned as an interpreter of Rumi and other mystic poets of Persia.- Biographical notes:...
, Jaishree Odin
Jaishree Odin
Jaishree Odin is a post-modern literary theorist who teaches at the University of Hawaii. She has examined the feminist angle to mysticism and considered the current relevance of Shaivite theories of higher consciousness....
, and Ranjit Hoskote
Ranjit Hoskote
Ranjit Hoskote is a contemporary Indian poet, art critic, cultural theorist and independent curator.-Early life and education:...
.
Lal Vakh in Kashmiri
yi yi karu'm suy artsunyi rasini vichoarum thi mantar
yihay lagamo dhahas partsun
suy Parasivun tanthar -138
Whatever work I did became worship of the Lord;
Whatever word I uttered became a prayer;
Whatever this body of mine experienced became
the sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
of Saiva Tantra
illumining my path to Parmasiva. -138
Further reading
- Articles on Lal Ded http://ikashmir.net/lalded
- Lalla yogishwari, Anand Kaul, reprint from the Indian Antiquary, Vols. L, LIX, LX, LXI, LXII.
- Lalla-Vakyani, Sir George GriersonGeorge Abraham GriersonSir George Abraham Grierson OM KCIE was born to a prominent Dublin family in 1851. His father and grandfather, both also named George, were well-known printers and publishers.-Biography:Educated at St...
and Dr. Lionel D. Barnett Litt. D. (R. A. S. monograph, Vol. XVII, London 1920).ISBN 1846647010. - Vaakh Lalla Ishwari, Parts I and II (Urdu Edition by A. K. Wanchoo and English by Sarwanand Chaaragi, 1939).
- Lal Ded by Jayalal Kaul, 1973, Sahitya AkademiSahitya AkademiThe Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
, New Delhi. - The Ascent of Self: A Reinterpretation of the Mystical Poetry of Lalla-Ded by B. N. Parimoo, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi. ISBN 8120803051.
- Lal Ded: Her life and sayings by Nil Kanth Kotru, Utpal publications, Srinagar, ISBN 81-85217-02-5.
- Lalleshwari : spiritual poems by a great Siddha yogini, by Swami MuktanandaMuktanandaSwami Muktananda is the monastic name of an Indian Hindu guru and disciple of Bhagavan Nityananda. Swami Muktananda was the founder of Siddha Yoga...
and Swami Laldyada. 1981, SYDA Foundation, ASIN: B000M1C7BC. - Lal Ded: Her life & sayings, by Swami Laldyada. Utpal Publications, 1989, ISBN 8185217025.
- Naked Song, by Laldyada, Lalla, Coleman Barks (Translator), 1992, Maypop Books, ISBN 0961891645. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0961891645
- I, Lalla: The Poems of Lal Ded, translated by Ranjit HoskoteRanjit HoskoteRanjit Hoskote is a contemporary Indian poet, art critic, cultural theorist and independent curator.-Early life and education:...
with an Introduction and Notes, Penguin Classics, 2011, ISBN 9780670084470. http://www.amazon.com/I-Lalla-Poems-Lal-Ded/dp/0670084476