Book Review of Lalleswari Vaakkulu

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Book Review by Mrs. M. Rajya Sri

 

Lalleswari Vaakkulu by V.V.Bhaskara Rama Rao

 

 

A man once told Socrates, `Sir I am getting married, but I

am worried about it.' Socrates consoled him, `Don't worry, if she

is good, you will be the happiest man. If she isn't you will be the

greatest philosopher'.

 

It was true in the case of Lalladevi. Lalladevi, originally

named Padmavathi, was born into a Kashmiri Brahmin family and was

married at the age of 12. She was not highly educated. She was not

a Sanskrit Pandit. She had no desire for name and fame, but the

suffering she faced in the hands of her mother-in-law, wrought out a

poet in her. They turned out to be gems of philosophy on the law of

life and won her the name of Siva Yogini Lalla Devi, in the 14th

century.

The mother-in-law kept a big stone in her plate and covered

it with a few grains of rice to give the impression she served her a

heap of rice. That gave rise to the lines.

`Undane undikada Lallaku gundrayi'.

This means they may have a sumptuous meal but I have only

the stone. The father-in-law came to know of her fate through those

lines.

She was in quest of knowledge. She went in search of Lord

Siva, streaking. One day, she saw Shahamadas. She felt her search

had come to an end.

Naa Atma Neekosam

Neekosam na dukham

The Buddhist philosophy was imbibed in it. A Buddhist monk

demonstrated that we were bound by chains to the material world. In

her days Buddhism was prevalent in Kashmir.

Aatmalonuuna doshalanni

Bhasmipatalam chesanu

Gundenunna Avesaalanu durimanu

Kongu parachukuni akkade

Mokarilli saranaagathi vedukontuu-

Lallaga naaperu suduram vyaptamaindi.

She rose to the level of advising her Guru Srikanta by her

incessant prayer to God and by her self-realization.

Lalladevi was no ordinary woman and V.V.Bhaskara Rama Rao

who portrayed her in his book `Lalleswari Vakkulu' is no ordinary

writer. He is a famous writer in Telugu and English and he

translates one into another.

This book Lalleswari Vakkulu is a Telugu rendering of

English translation of Lalladevi's Kashmiri sayings. What makes

Lalladevi special? Her legend goes that she informed her guru

Srikant that she would be born to a horse and after that to a dog

and so. The guru checked every birth thus, till her sixth birth as

Lalledevi. She proved that anybody can attain knowledge of the self

through Vairagya and Viveka.

What makes this book special? The author has made a perfect

blend of Lalladevi's life and her sayings. He had intertwined some

anecdotes, legends and historical events with her sayings.

 

Name of the book - Lalleswari Vakkulu

Writer - V.V.Bhaskara Rama Rao

Language - Telugu

Price - Rs.40/-

For copies -

Smt. Vadapalli Ramani

C-7, New Township

B.T.P.S. Badarpur

New Delhi - 110044.

Navodaya Book House

Opp. Aryasamaj Mandir

Kachiguda, Hyderabad - 500027

Writers e- mail: vvbramarao