Dr Ramesh Raina
Lalleshwari – the great saint-poetess ever produced by Kashmir, was born to a Brahmin family in 1335 AD at Puran Deshthan, the modern Pandrethan, during Udyan Deva’s rule. She was born at a time when social and political putrefaction had set in Kashmir. Its socio-political picture was undergoing a change, in fact sweeping metamorphosis in the life of the people was fast catching up.
The spread of Islam in Kashmir came in direct conflict with Brahminism resulting in an ideological battle between the two religions which continued for many years. It was not an ordinary one but a gigantic clash and it had terrific impact on the average man, an ordinary man was simply confused and dazed. The first documented record of her majestic presence at the social scene of Kashmir is available in Baba Dawud Mishkati’s Asrar-ul-Akbar writtenin 1654 AD who has quoted her with reverence as the highest saint poetess of those times. This has been supported by Waqi-ati-Kashmir written in 1746 AD by Khwaja Muhammad Azam Dedammari. It was followed by Tarikhi-Hassan by Peer Ghulam Hassan in 1835 and Tarikhi Kabir in 1909-10, by Haji Mahi-id-din. Later, after some painstaking efforts by eminent Kashmiri Pandit scholars, her sayings and preachings were given a proper shape and form. Resolution of this ideological struggle and end of the crisis assumed significance as Kashmir’s brilliant past was getting replaced by not so pleasant present; in fact it was the mutilation of its face. An attitude of conciliation and not confrontation was the best antidote but that needed a mastermind to change the course of events.
The tools of change too had to be such that it would not invite the wrath of rulers and make enemies. Lalleshwari’s arrival at the scene had a tantalizing effect. Her catholic mind, simplicity and intellectual genius acted as an instrument in the psychological transformation of an average mind. Endued with an inborn sensitiveness, Lalleshwari could not but get influenced by the situation around her. She started manifesting her intellectual prowess from her very childhood days but that remained unrecognized as nobody took note of it. From the very beginning she got influenced by the values of religion. She displayed an unusual spiritual calm from her early days which was beyond the imagination of people. Those were the troubled times for the people of Kashmir as there was a persistent attempt to debase the religion in order to malign it. In addition, the political map was being redrawn and that also acted as a stimulus in making Lalleshwari a legend. Her marriage and subsequent maltreatment at the hands of her in-laws is yet another important factor which has contributed to her spiritual growth.
This Vaakh which is very popular in every household of Kashmir adequately conveys her agony: Hund Maritan Ya Kath Lalli Nalawath Tsali Na…History indicates that she was influenced mainly by three factors, namely, socio-cultural degeneration, maltreatment by her in-laws and general condition of the people. It was a struggle which involved the participation of the people without violence and her strength lay in the moral authority that she gradually started commanding. She was at her creative best. Her teachings, if watched closely, give an insight of the conditions prevalent at that time. Giving content to her thought, she clothed Shaivism in homespun Vaakhs still very common in every household in Kashmir. Her thinking had been greatly influenced by her family priest, Sidh Bayu, who himself was an eminent Sanskrit Scholar and an erudite exponent of Shaivism though Lalleshwari possessed intrinsic greatness of a revolutionary thinker and that is how she surpassed her contemporaries, including her Guru as regards spiritual attainment. There used to be frequent religious and spiritual discourses between them and one with great spiritual messages is reproduced here which is believed to have taken place between her Guru Sidh Bayu, herself and her husband about what to be termed as the best light, best pilgrimage, best friend and ultimate happiness in the spiritual context. Her husband is presumed to have initiated the discourse: Chandras Hue Na Prakash Kanh, Gangi Hue Na Tirath KanhBhandav Hue Na Bhando KanhRani Hue Na Sukh KanhFollowed by Sidh BayuAchhin Hue Na Prakash KanhKwathyan Hue Na Tirath KanhChandas Hue Na Bandho KanhAris Zuwas Hue Na Sukh KanhLalleshwari speaks the last:Mayus Hue Na Prakash kanhDayus Hue na Bhando kanhPayus Hue Na Tirath KanhBayus hue Na Sukh Kanh. The great scholar, her Guru, must have understood her spiritual depth as she had genuinely grown taller than him and did not need Guru any more. Religion for Lalleshwari was not a mere ritual and worship of idols but something far more deeply connected with the societal welfare that ultimately trickles down to the lowest strata of the society and benefits common man in the process. Her message has a fascinating kinship between spiritual evolution and the plight of average Kashmiri at that time. Her powerful spiritual influence dug deep into all the conceivable areas of the society thus helping a common man in identifying himself with the spiritual movement. An analysis of her philosophy confirms that her sayings present a fusion between various religions especially Brahminism and Buddhism. In fact, to gain greater acceptability an attempt to carry along people belonging to different faiths bore fruits as that was the crying need of the hour. Her focus was on societal transformation by gradually inculcating a sense of common cultural affiliation amongst various sections of the society, the objective being to blur the sense of religious belonging and make it redundant. Her spiritual thought expressed in very simple Kashmiri dialect brought in revolutionary changes as it gradually succeeded in reducing societal conflict.
In fact it resulted in transforming the cultural life of Kashmir. The slow acceptance of this thought process helped the people detach themselves from deep religiosity because the basis of her philosophy was to create a space in which different communities could interact freely and thus strengthen the societal bond. The idea was to create a climate for collective societal identification as such a society would ultimately evolve its own culture to be shared by all the individuals alike, and that culture came to be known as Kashmir culture, with religious humanism as its mainstay. One school of thought believes that the historical golden period of Kashmir during Zain-ul-Abidin’s rule owes its success to Lalleshwari’s philosophy as it is widely presumed that the intelligent king as he was, he had undoubtedly adopted her teachings as the basis of his political philosophy and this paid rich dividends as Kashmir not only recorded overall growth and development but also ushered in overall peace and prosperity. Her message transcends all social barriers to reach out to the masses. Such has been her impact that she became the most recognized spiritual personalities of her time. What is unique about her teachings is that she used a common man’s language as the mode and medium of her expression. Even though she had no formal education, yet she explained the most complex spiritual truths with amazing lucidity and simplicity.
There is yet another very powerful factor behind her veneration and success that she did not woo anybody away from his or her faith but guided them by reinforcing her belief. Another important dimension of her personality is that she did not leave behind her a distinct sect of followers as she forces nobody to follow the path. What differentiates her from her contemporaries is the strength of her conviction to build on. Even her end is shrouded in mystery as some authorities believe that she had attained nirvana at Vejbror (Bijbehara) and some say that she had vanished into thin air leaving behind a handful of flowers, but both these claims are subject to conjectures as neither of them prove their claims.
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