Lalasa - LallaYogeshvari - Laya Yoga Woman Saint!!!

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Lalla lived in Kashmir during XIV between about 1320-1390. In that

period, Kashmir was home to devotees of Shiva and devotees of Vishnu,

to Islamic Sufis and to followers of Tantric Buddhism. Lalla's poems

reflect all she learned from these, but synthesized to become the

expression of her own devotion in colloquial Kashmiri, rather than the

Sanskrit of contemporary philosophical writing. The variety of her

names reflect the wide appeal of her poems: In Hindi, she is Lal Ded

(grandmother Lal); in Sanskrit, Lalleshwari (Lalla the yogini); while

to Muslims, she is Lal Arifa.

 

Lalla was apparently from a family of Brahmins near Pampore; her

poetry shows her knowledge of Sanskrit and of the Hindu scriptures.

Tradition says that she left her husband after some years of an

unhappy marriage to become a student of Hindu and Sufi teachers. Then

she became an itinerant preacher throughout the Kashmir Valley,

singing her vakhs (songs) of Shiva and of the search for truth, for an

inner spirituality rather than dogma and ritual.

 

Kashmir has produced many saints, poets and mystics. Among them, Lal

Ded is very prominent. In Kashmir, some people consider her a poet,

some consider her a holywoman and some consider her a sufi, a yogi, or

a devotee of Shiva. Sume even consider her an avtar. But every

Kashmiri considers her a wise woman. Every Kashmiri has some sayings

of Lalla on the tip of his tongue. The Kashmiri language is full of

her sayings.

 

Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims affectionately call her " Mother Lalla " or

" Granny Lalla " . She is also called " Lallayogeshwari " . Some people call

her Lalla, the mystic.

 

It is said that Lal Ded was born about 1320 in Pandrethan to a

Kashmiri Pandit family. Even as a child, Lalla was wise and

religious-minded. When Lalla was twelve years old, she was married.

Her in-laws lived in Pampur. The in-laws gave her the name Padmavati.

Her mother-in-law was very cruel. She never gave her any peace. It is

claimed that her mother-in-law used to put a stone on Lalla's plate

(tha:l). She would then cover the stone with rice so that people would

get the impression that Lalla had a plateful of rice. Lalla would

remain half fed, but would never complain about her mother-in-law. Her

father-in-law was a good man and he was kind to her, but her

mother-in-law made her miserable. She would even speak ill of Lalla to

her husband. Poor Lalla knew no happiness either with her husband or

with her mother-in-law.

 

When Lalla was twenty-six she renounced the family and became a

devotee of Shiva. Like a mad person, she would go around naked.

 

She became a disciple of Sidh Srikanth (Shree Siddha Neela-Kantha).

She would only keep the company of sadhus and sufi pi:rs. She did not

think in terms of men and women. She would claim that she had yet to

encounter a man, and that is why she went about naked. But when she

saw Shah Hamdan, she hid herself saying: " I saw a man, I saw a man. "

 

Why is Lalla so famous in Kashmir? She was illiterate, but she was

wise. Her sayings are full of wisdom. In these sayings, she dealt with

everything from life, yoga, and God to dharma and a:tma:. Her riddles

are on the lips of every Kashmiri.

 

The exact date of Lalla's death is not known. It is claimed that she

died in Bijbehara (vejibro:r). People like Granny Lalla do not really

die. Lal Ded is alive in her sayings and in the hearts of Kashmiris.

 

The sayings of Lalla number around two hundred.

 

 

 

Life Sketch of Lalla Yogishwari - A great Hermit of Kashmir.

 

Sheila Trisal

 

Kashmir by it's geographical location indicates in the best sense of

the term, the crown of India. It has been prolific not only in

producing great kings, philosophers, grammarians, historians,

astronomers and poets who not only shone like luminaries in the

firmament, but also in producing women of extra-ordinary talents and

rare gifts. Lalleshwari, Rupabhawani and Jaman Ded were ascetics of

the most sublime and exalted order with a halo of 'Divineness' about

them. Lalleshwari, more popularly called by the homely and simple name

of Lal Ded (Mother Lal) was one of those master spirits, who take

birth at periodic intervals in this world and deliver a message of

truth and peace, exhorting the humanity to follow higher ideals of

life and shun the frivolities of mortal earthly existence. She was an

apostle of goodness and a follower of the 'Shaivya philosophy'. She is

remembered with divine adoration by both Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir.

 

There is a curious legend about her birth. It is said that prior to

her birth as Lalleshwari, she was born somewhere in Kashmir and was

married to a man living at Pandrenthan - the old capital in the south

east of Srinagar. There she gave birth to a son. The priest of this

family, Shri Sidh Kanth, was called to perform the 'Kahanether'

ceremony. Lalla enquired of the priest - " What relationship has the

new-born baby with me? "

 

Sidh said perplexed - " What an absurd question : Why - he is your son "

to which Lalla said - " No " " What then is he to you " , asked Sidh. She

replied, " I am going to die now and shall be born as a filly in

Marhama village with such and such marks. If you care to have the

answer to your query, you may come to meet me in Marhama after one

year from now and I shall give you the answer " . The woman died just

after uttering these words. Sidh in order to satisfy his curiosity

went, after an year, to Marhama and searched for the filly. He found

her and put the old question to her. She told him - " Well I would like

to give you the answer but I am to die just now and am to be reborn as

a pup in Bijbihara with such and such marks and if you care to get the

answer you may come to meet me there " . After the filly had finished

this talk, a tiger jumped out of a bush and devoured her. Sidhi's

curiosity increased and after six months, he went to Bijbihara. There

he searched for the puppy and he did find it. He put the same question

to it, and it told him as before that it was to die just then and was

to be reborn as such and such at such and such place and he might come

there to receive the answer. No sooner had it said this, than a man

riding on his pony passed by and the puppy got killed under the pony's

hoofs. In this way Sidh was dismissed by her without having the answer

he required, until she took six rebirths in different places and being

thus baffled, he gave up the idea of making further attempts to

satisfy his curiosity. He then went to Wastervan to perform penances.

 

In the same family, in which Lalleshwari had died on the eleventh day

of her confinement, she took her 7th rebirth. When she was twelve

years of age, her marriage was arranged in a pandit family surnamed

Nica Bhatt living in the Drangabal Mohalla of Pampore. Just one day

previous to the wedding day, Sidh returned from Wastervan to preside

over the ceremony. While the ceremony was being performed, the bride

whispered to Sidh - " That baby who was born to me and you were

pursuing me in my several rebirths, anxious to know what relationship

he bore to me, is this very boy who is the bridegroom here " . Sidh

recollected the matter and was astonished beyond belief.

 

Lal Ded propounded the yoga philosophy and also high moral truths in

Kashmiri Verse. These are called 'Lal Vakh' (The sayings of Lal).

These 'Vakhs' apart from being the utterances of a holy woman are

expressive of lofty thoughts and spiritual principles. They are the

gems of the purest form which touch the ear of a Kashmiri as well as

the chord of his heart. They are freely quoted by Kashmiris as the

most apt maxims on appropriate occasions. Since 'Lal Wakhs' treat of

abstruse knowledge of yoga, they are difficult to be understood by the

common people. But those who have grasped the Vedanta philosophy and

understood the Bhagwat Geeta in special reference to the 'Karma'

theory, will agree fully to the revelation that the same content (of

Srimad Bhagwat) has been propounded by Lal Ded. Lal Ded died at an

advanced age in Bijbihara. When she gave up her soul, it buoyed up

like a flame of light in the air and then disappeared.

 

There are countless sayings of Lal Ded. I, shall, however pick up a

few to present here with interpretation for the benefit of our readers.

 

" Aisy Asi tay asiy aasav, Asiy dor kari Patawat,

Shivas Sori na zyon ta marun, Rava's Sori na atagat " .

 

Only we existed (in the past) and only we shall exist (in the future).

 

Only we did ever make excursion in the past. Birth and death will not

come to an end for Shiva;

 

as rising and setting will not come to end for the sun.

 

The following 'Vakh' (utterance) can be well compared to the saying

from the Gita explaining the interminable round of birth and death.

 

" Khena khena karan kun no watak, Nakhena gachakh ahamkari

Somuy kheh mali, somuy aasak Samiy khenah muchranay baranan tari

Sum yeli samiy, rum kati roziy Ada he mali Sapanak 'Sohum suy'. "

 

By eating and eating, thou shalt not reach anywhere. (i.e. will not

achieve anything).

 

by not eating thou Shalt become conceited (thou shalt consider

theyself a great ascetic).

 

Eat moderately, and thou shalt live. By eating moderately, doors will

be unbolted (for thou).

 

When an even (joint) is joined to another even joint, no rim remains.

 

Then thou, o father, shalt become (fit to proclaim) " I am He, even He " .

 

" Shiv chuy thali thali rozaan, Mozan Hindu to Musalmaan,

Truk ay chukh ta paan panum parzanaar Soy chay sahibas sati zaniy jan. "

 

Shiva pervades every place, do not differentiate between Hindu and

Musalmaan. (Be not a bigot).

If thou art intelligent, recognize thine own self. That is the true

acquaintance with God.

The most pragmatic utterance to explain that self-realisation is the

true knowledge of God.

 

" Gorus prichum Sasih latey, - yas na kehn wanaan, tas kyah naav;

prichaan prichaan, thachis ta lusas, khehnas nishi, khyatani draav " .

 

 

I asked the guru a thousand times - 'what is the name of him who is

not called anything?

I got tired and wearied by inquiring and inquiring.

'Something came out of something' -

This was the answer, meaning that god was incomprehensible.

 

 

" Dama dama omkar man parnovum, paanay paraan, paanay bozaan;

so ham padas, aham goolum, Teil Lal boh wachsay prakashasthan "

 

Every moment I taught 'omkar' to the mind, I was myself reading and

myself hearing, from " so hum "

(I am He), I cut off " aham " (I am); Then did I, Lalla, reach the state

of illumination.

 

" Omuy aadi tay omuy sorum, omuy thurum panun paan;

Anitya travith Nitya bhosum, Tavay provum paramsthan. "

 

The syallable 'OM' is the beginning, and I meditated on 'OM'. I made

myself with 'OM'.

Having left the perishable (body) I beheld the imperishable (god).

By doing that I attained the supreme Abode.

 

" Zanam Pravit viboh na tchondum, Loban, bhogan, bh ram na priy;

Somuy ahaar Syetha zonum, Tcholum dhokh, wav, polum Duy. "

 

Having taken birth, I searched not aggrandizement. Desires and

enjoyments I like not.

I considered moderate food enough. I bore pain and poverty and

worshipped god.

 

OM Shanti! Shanti!

 

The commentary of the 'Lal Wakhs' has been written by my revered

father, late Pt. Prithvinath Raina who was a deep thinker, a

philosopher of high stature and above all a 'yogi' who had attained

equipoise of mind. A very unassuming person, he did not believe in any

kind of loud demonstration. It had been his desire to get his

interpretation of 'Lal Wakhs' (a long series) printed and I am making

a humble venture through this forum. This will be a tribute to my late

father, who, like many humbler mortals, passed this earth but also has

passed on the legacy of his content unknowingly to his children. I am

proud to be his daughter.----Author

 

 

Lal Diddiji - notes on a naked yogini and avadhut

by Vishvanath

 

Lalleshwari was a sadhvini or naked female wandering devotee of Shiva

who was hailed as a great Siddha or enlightend master of her time. As

a poet her poetry is still influential, especially in Kashmir. She

spent life wandering throughout northern India and renounced the

householder life while still very young.

 

" I lost you out of ignorant attachment to my body. Then I wasted

my time searching high and low. Finally I found you within, O Shiva,

then we united in Bliss. Only though the grace and compassion of

Siddhanath could this have happened. "

 

" When the mirror of my mind became clear, I realised the

fundamental principle that resides in my relatives and others dear to

me. And this non-dual knowledge completely destroyed all thoughts of

'you' and 'I'. I came to know that the entire world is not different

from the divine " .

 

Lalleshwari was born into a Brahmin family in Kashmir in the medieval

period. Independent by nature she married early to young man of the

same caste. Her husband was apparently was very much under the

influence of his mother and according to legend the mother hated her

daughter-in-law intensely. Not content with acting maliciously towards

Lalli, the mother poisened her son's mind against her and it has been

suggested that this may have been because Lalli never became pregnant.

Finally her mother-in-law turned her out of her house.

 

Instead of returning to her family home, Lalli took up the life of a

tantric naked sadhvini or Yogini and completely rejected the Brahminic

way of life. She was indifferent to social and religious laws and

norms and following 'left-handed' practices ate meat and drank wine.

Her solitary and unorthodox life may at first have brought her

criticism, and in some of her poems she refers to this but there is no

record of her being molested as a woman wandering alone. In her

sadhana or daily practice Lalli seems to have depended largely on her

own judgement and her poems never mention any person as her initiating

Guru. Her philosophy and practices as recorded in her poems show a

deep understanding of the central tenets of the Shaitive non-dual

philosophy.

 

" Passionate, with longing in mine eyes, searching wide, and

seeking night and days, Lo! I beheld the truthful one, the wise Here

in my own house to fill my gaze " . " That was the day of my lucky star.

Breathless I held my guide to be. So my lamp of knowledge blazed afar,

fanned by slow breath from the throat of me. Then, my bright soul to

myself revealed, winnowed I abroad my inner light, and with darkness

all around me sealed Did I garner truth and held him tight " .

(Temple 1924: 167)

 

" Think not on the things that are without, Fix upon thy inner self

thy thought; So shallthou be freed from let or doubt. Precept these

that my preceptor taught " .

 

" Dance then Lalla, clothed by the air; Sing then Lalla, clad but

by the sky. Air and sky; what garmant is more fair? 'Cloth', saith

custom; ' doth that sanctify?' " .

(Temple 1924: 173)

 

There is no doubt that Lallishwari commanded and commands great

respect among the Shaiva sects but the great Sufi's of her time also

revered her. Among the people she was given the title Ded

(Grandmother), and this reflects the affection and respect with which

the common people regarded her.

 

Source: Temple, Sir Richard Carnac. 1924. The words of Lalla, The

Prophetess: Being the sayings of Lal Ded or Lal Diddhi of Kashmir.

Cambridge University Press.

 

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