Lalleshwari
| Lal Ded | |
|---|---|
| Native name | लल्लेश्वरी, لل دید |
| Born |
1320 Pandrethan, Kashmir |
| Died | 1392 |
| Other names | Lalla, Lal Ded, Lal Diddi |
| Known for | Vatsun poetry |
Lalleshwari (Kashmiri: للء ایشوری) born;1320, died;1392, was a mystic of the Kashmiri Shaivite sect.[1] She was a creator of the mystic poetry called vatsun or Vakhs, literally "speech" (Voice). Known as Lal Vakhs, her verses are the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri language and are an important part in history of modern Kashmiri literature.[2][3] She inspired and interacted with many Sufis of Kashmir.[4]
She is also known by various other names, including Lal Ded, Lalla Aarifa, Lal Diddi, Laleshwari, Lalla Yogishwari and Lalishri.[5][6][7]
Life
Lalleshwari was born in Pandrethan (ancient Puranadhisthana) some four and a half miles to the southeast of Srinagar in a Kashmiri Pandit family.[8] She married at age twelve, but her marriage was unhappy and she left home at twenty-four to take Sannyasa (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.[9]
Literary works
Her poems (called vakhs) have been translated into English by Richard Temple, Jaylal Kaul, Coleman Barks,[10] Jaishree Odin, and Ranjit Hoskote.[11][12][13][14][15]
An example of Lal Vakh in Kashmiri:
yi yi karu'm suy artsun
yi rasini vichoarum thi mantar
yihay lagamo dhahas partsun
suy Parasivun tanthar −138
English translation:
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[1]
Legacy
The leading Kashmiri Sufi figure Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali (also known as Nooruddin Rishi or Nunda Rishi) was highly influenced by Lal Ded. He ultimately led to the formation of the Rishi order of saints and later gave rise to many Rishi saints like Resh Mir Sàeb.[1] One Kashmiri folk story recounts that, as a baby, Nunda Rishi refused to be breast-fed by his mother. It was Lal Ded who breast-fed him.[16]
Lal Ded and her mystic musings continue to have a deep impact on the psyche of Kashmiris, and the 2000 National Seminar on her held at New Delhi led to the release of the book Remembering Lal Ded in Modern Times.[17] A solo play in English, Hindi, and Kashmiri titled Lal Ded (based on her life) has been performed by actress Mita Vashisht across India since 2004.[18][19]
Further reading
- Lalla Yogishwari, Anand Kaul, reprint from the Indian Antiquary, Vols. L, LIX, LX, LXI, LXII.
- Lalla-Vakyani, Sir George Grierson 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 Akademi, New Delhi.
- The Ascent of Self: A Reinterpretation of the Mystical Poetry of Lalla-Ded by B. N. Parimoo, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi. ISBN 81-208-0305-1.
- The Word of Lalla the Prophetess, by Sir Richard Carnac Temple, Cambridge 1924
- 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 Muktananda and Swami Laldyada. 1981, SYDA Foundation, ASIN: B000M1C7BC.
- Lal Ded: Her life & sayings, by Swami Laldyada. Utpal Publications, 1989, ISBN 81-85217-02-5.
- Naked Song, by Laldyada, Lalla, Coleman Barks (Translator), 1992, Maypop Books, ISBN 0-9618916-4-5.
- I, Lalla: The Poems of Lal Ded, translated by Ranjit Hoskote with an Introduction and Notes, Penguin Classics, 2011, ISBN 978-0-670-08447-0.
- Siddha Yogini, A Kashmiri Secret of Divine Knowledge. by Ghauri, Laila Khalid. Proquest Dissertations And Theses 2012. Section 0075, Part 0604 82 pages; [M.A. dissertation].United States – District of Columbia: The George Washington University; 2012. Publication Number: AAT 1501080.
See also
References
- 1 2 M. G. Chitkara (1 January 2002). Kashmir Shaivism: Under Siege. APH Publishing. pp. 14–. ISBN 978-81-7648-360-5.
- ↑ Lal Vakh online
- ↑ Lal Ded's Vakhs
- ↑ Triloki Nath Dhar (1 January 2006). Kashmiri Pandit Community: A Profile. Mittal Publications. p. 7. ISBN 978-81-8324-177-9.
- ↑ Richard Carnac Temple (1 August 2003). Word of Lalla the Prophetess. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7661-8119-9.
- ↑ Lal Ded www.poetry-chaikhana.com.
- ↑ Lal Ded www.radiokashmir.org.
- ↑ Lalleshwari: Forerunner of Medieval Mystics Kashmiri Herald, Volume 1, No. 1 – June 2001.
- ↑ Toshkhani, S.S. (2002). Lal Ded : the great Kashmiri saint-poetess. New Delhi: A.P.H. Pub. Corp. ISBN 81-7648-381-8.
- ↑ Barks, Coleman (1992). Naked Song. Maypop Books. ISBN 0-9618916-4-5.
- ↑ Kashmir's wise old Grandmother Lal Aditi De's review of I, Lalla by Ranjit Hoskote in The Hindu/ Business Line
- ↑ Mystic insights Abdullah Khan's review of I, Lalla by Ranjit Hoskote in The Hindu
- ↑ Words are floating Jerry Pinto's review of I, Lalla by Ranjit Hoskote in Hindustan Times
- ↑ Lalla and Kabir, resurrected Nilanjana S. Roy's article on Ranjit Hoskote's I, Lalla and Arvind Krishna Mehrotra's Songs of Kabir
- ↑ I, Lalla/ Songs of Kabir Extracts from Ranjit Hoskote's I, Lalla and Arvind Krishna Mehrotra's Songs of Kabir in The Caravan
- ↑ K. Warikoo (1 January 2009). Cultural Heritage of Jammu And Kashmir. Pentagon Press. pp. 140–. ISBN 978-81-8274-376-2.
- ↑ Remembering Lal Ded in Modern Times National Seminar by Kashmir Education, Culture and Science Society, 2000.
- ↑ Songs of a mystic, The Hindu, 1 May 2005.
- ↑ Bhumika K. All for theatre. The Hindu, 7 November 2011.