Feb 23, 2004, 12.00am IST
Kashmir, often described as the abode of saints , has produced a number of spiritually evolved persons. Among them Lal Ded, better known as Lalla Yogeshwari, ranks as a great mystic poetess of the 14th century.
She was an ardent practitioner of Kashmir Shaivism which is also known as Trika Shastra founded by Vasu Gupta. Lal Ded took Shaktipat Diksha from her guru , Sri Neel Kanth.
Married young, Lal Ded was abused in her marital home. The suffering prompted her to renounce worldly life and turn to spirituality. From a state of despondency, Lal Ded turned her thoughts to God.
Her spiritual journey commenced with a note of uncertainty, she confessed, but as she progressed she claimed to have realised Lord Shiva to become a jivan mukta — a liberated soul even while living in this illusory world.
Lal Ded gave expression to her mystic and poetic inclinations thro-ugh her vaakhs, the four-line poetic verses in the Kashmiri language.
In verse, Lal Ded covers a vast area of spirituality — religion, Kashmir Shaivism and even Vedanta — where she says that she is reading the Bhagavad Gita every moment of her life.
She was also inspired by Islam and Sufism. Lal Ded's vaakhs' universal appeal attracts ordinary people as well as spiritually evolved persons.
Simple rural folk, too, sing these vaakhs to get inspired while they work the fields.
The vaakhs are suffused with such deep meaning that both eastern and western scholars and saints have studied them with great interest.
They have commented upon a total of 138 vaakhs which are recognised as authentic. Each vaakh reveals Lal Ded's knowledge of kundalini and other yogas.
Her vaakhs are an outpouring of her soul, both an expression of inner experience and observation. Her central theme is her discovery of Shiva within. Lal Ded says: "Chanting 'Om' and maddened with love, I set out in His search. I roamed day and night. My most auspicious moment came when I discovered my Lord ensconced in my own heart."
Her love of Shiva is sometimes compared to Mira's love for Kri-shna. Lal Ded eschewed the rigidity of religion and rituals. She rejected social and religious rites, rituals, dogmas, chanting, fasting, idol worship and even taking a dip in sacred waters.
She preferred deep and silent meditation which she described as a mantra to reach God.
The vaakhs speak of the oneness of all existence, service to mankind, equality, purity of mind and self- control. This conveys not only the significance of self-control but also advises not to covet things that belong to others.
She says that the uncontrolled mind runs amok in the five streets (senses): "Let abuses come to me from all sides; still, I will not harbour any ill will towards those who abuse me.''
Lal Ded does not advocate escapism — she asks us to arise and ascend with our karmas, to attain liberation here and now. For, if we cannot realise Him in our lifetime, how can we see Him after death?
“Will the sun not shine alike at all places? Will it give heat only to holy places?" She never differentiated between a Hindu and a Muslim. She was equally revered by both communities.
Like the Gita's ver-ses Lal Ded's vaakhs advocate a moral and ethical code of conduct and provides tips for spiritual advancement.
She gives a call to ascend to a higher level of growth while performing one's duties in the world. Her vaakhs reveal the affinity between Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism.
She believed that all religions and philosophies speak of similar ideals; the more we plumb their depths, the more similarities we are bound to discover. All religions are similar in spirit even though they may appear different in practice.
R K Langar
nice post
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