Life Sketch of Lalla Yogishwari   - A great Hermit of

Kashmir.
Sheila Trisal

K ashmir 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
Lalleshwari (लल्लेश्वरी) (1320–1392), also known as Lalla or Lal Ded [1][2], was a Hindu saint-poetess
and a mystic of the Kashmiri Shaivite sect [3]. She is a creator of the mystic poetry called vatsun or
Vakhs, literally 'speech'. Known as Lal Vakhs, her verses are the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri
language and are an important part in history of Kashmiri literature [4][5].
Lal Ded and her mystic musings continue to have a deep impact on the psyche of Kashmiri common
man, and the 2000 National Seminar on her held at New Delhi, led to the release of book -
Remembering Lal Ded in Modern Times [6]. A solo play in English, Hindi and Kashmiri, titled, 'Lal
Ded' based on her life, has been performed by actress Mita Vashisht, all over India, since 2004 [7][8].

Contents
[hide]
 1 Biography
 2 Lal Vakh
o 2.1 Lal Vakh in Kashmiri
o 2.2 Lal Vakh in Hindi
 3 Further reading
 4 References
 5 External links
[edit] Biography
Lalleshwari was born in Pandrethan (ancient Puranadhisthana) some four and a half miles to the
southeast of Srinagar [9]. She married at age twelve, but her marriage was unhappy and she left home at
twenty-four to take sanyas (renunciation) and become a disciple of the Shaivite guru Siddha Srikantha
(Sed Bayu). She continued the Mystic tradition of Shaivism in Kashmir.
Many legends and stories remain about Lalla. One in particular tells of how Lalla, who ignored the
normal convention of dress, choosing to wander around naked, was teased by several children. A
nearby cloth merchant scolded the children for their disrespect. Lalla asked the merchant for two
lengths of cloth, equal in weight. That day as she walked around naked, she wore a piece of cloth over
each shoulder, and as she met with respect or scorn, she tied a knot in one or another. In the evening,
she brought the cloth back to the merchant, and asked him to weigh them again. The cloths were equal
in weight, no matter how many knots were in each. Respect and scorn have no weight of their own.
Her poems (called vakhs) have been translated into English by Richard Temple, Jaylal Kaul, Coleman
Barks, and Jaishree Odin.
[edit] Lal Vakh
Lal Vakh, literally mean sayings of Lal or Lal Ded:
[edit] Lal Vakh in Kashmiri
yi yi karu'm suy artsun
yi rasini vichoarum thi mantar
yihay lagamo dhahas partsun
suy Parasivun tanthar -138
Whatever work I did became worship of the Lord;
Whatever word I uttered became a mantra;
Whatever this body of mine experienced became
the sadhana-s of Saiva Tantra
illumining my path to Parmasiva. -138
[edit] Lal Vakh in Hindi
प्रेम की ओखली में हृदय कूटा प्रकृति पवित्र की पवन से। जलायी भूनी स्वयं चूसी शंकर पाया उसी से।।
हम ही थे, हम ही होंगे हम ही ने चिरकाल से दौर किये सर्यो
ू दय और अस्त का कभी अन्त नहीं होगा शिव की
उपासना कभी समाप्त नहीं होगी।
[edit] 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 8120803051.
 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
8185217025.
 Naked Song, by Laldyada, Lalla, Coleman Barks (Translator), 1992, Maypop Books, ISBN
0961891645. [1]
Shama-e-Kashmir Lalla
Arifa
Lalla Arifa was a controversial figure. The Hindus regard
her the reincarnate whereas the Muslims, a perfect mystic
saints. The Hindus say that her name was Lal Ishwari born
of the Hindu parents and remained absorbed in meditation
and praise of God. The Muslims hold that that she was
averse to the Hindu religion, embraced the Islam at the
behest of Syed Husain Samnani, disliked the Pundits and
the Brahmins.
She is called by several names in Kashmir: Lal Vaid,
Lalla-Ji, or Lalla-Ishwari. In fact she was the lamp of
Kashmir who benefited the communities, Hindus as well as
Muslims. Both love and respect her.
Lalla Arifa was lost in spiritual wonderment; walked
about naked; fought against her self; and renounced the
world. Her teachings gave new lease of life to thousands
of people. She was a blessed soul and could move the
hardhearted man. Lalla Arifa was a poetess and sang of
spiritual and divine bliss.
Lalla Arifa was born in 1335 AD. To Shri Zaida Pundit or
Zindia Bat, the landlord at a village Pander - then,
three miles from away form Srinagar. He was God fearing
gentleman.
From the very beginning Lal Arifa was inclined to the
matters spiritual in nature and engrossed in deep
thoughts and was not interested in worldly matters.
Pundit Shri Kanth, a mystic and Yogi of High order and
the family teacher, realized the spiritual virtues in her
and took over the responsibility to educate her in the
matter.
She was married at an early age to the illiterate son of
the landlord of Pampore village. Apparently she performed
her household duties, but inwardly she was given to
meditation and knowledge. This resulted in the neglect of
the house, which caused her mother-in-law, and husband
complains. The mother-in-law treated her badly; put
pebbles in a plate and placed some cooked rice around
them. Lalla Arifa ate the few grains of rice and made no
complaints. One day her Father-in-law came to know of it
and he rebuked his wife. This angered her further, said
untrue things about her to her husband, and turned him
against her. He too treated her cruelly.
One day Lalla Arifa carried a pitcher full of water on
her head. Her Husband arrived, and struck the pitcher
with his stick in anger. The pitcher broke but water
remained in body. She came to the house, filled in all
the empty pots with water, and the remaining she threw
outside into a forest from where ran a spring of water.
The episode made her famous and people came to see her in
large numbers and disturbed her. She then renounced her
house and married life and engaged herself whole heatedly
in prayers and meditation. At all times she recited
verses, in Kashmiri language, in low tones in praise of
God.
To mention here the practice of Lalla shall not be out of
place that in a state of extreme ecstasy and wonderment
that she roamed about the forest and human habitations
naked. Once she was going through a bazaar, she saw a
saint, was terrified and exclaimed, "Here is a man,
should cover myself." She ran to a baker's shop and
jumped into the blazing oven. People raised a hue and cry
that Lalla had been burnt. The saint also came and asked
her to come out. Lalla Arifa came out, dressed in, a long
shirt with a beautiful, coloured shawl on her shoulder.
It is also said that during the condition Hazrat Makhdoom
Jalal-Uddin Jehanian Jehan Gard met her, pacified her,
and told her the good news that soon her teacher and
guide, Hazrat Husain Samnani, would arrive and relieve
her of her restlessness and sufferings. Eventually came
Hazrat Samnani and Lalla Arifa, under his benign
guidance, attained peace.
Lalla Arifa said verses in the Kashmiri language on
subjects of spiritualism and mysticism reaching the
common people with the message that color; castes, envy,
prejudice, narrow-mindedness, and greed are worthless.
Real thing is search for the Truth. In brief, Lalla Arifa
gave people of Kashmir the message of fraternity and
equality and served them irrespective of caste and creed.
Lal Ded, also affectionately called Lalla, Lalli, Lal Diddi ("Granny
Lal"), or Lalleshwari, was born near Srinagar in Kashmir in northern
India.

Little is known with certainty about her life, other than hints that
come to us through her poetry and songs.

She was a young bride, married, tradition says, at the age of

twelve. After moving into her husband's family home, she was
abused by her mother-in-law and ignored by her husband.

A story is told about "Lalla's Lake" -- one day when returning from
the well with a clay water jug on her head, her husband lost his
temper over her delay and struck the jug in his anger. The clay
vessel broke but, miraculously, the water held its shape above her
head. This becomes an important symbol of the heavenly nectar
that rains down from the crown.

Finally, Lalla could endure no more mistreatment and, in her early

20s, she left. She became a disciple of a respected saint in the
Kashmir Shaivism tradition of yoga and she took up the life of a
holy woman dedicated God in the form of Shiva. Lalla began
wandering about, village to village, going naked or nearly naked,
and singing songs of enlightenment.

Lalla's songs are short, using the simple, direct language of the
common people, yet she touches on complex yogic techniques and
the most elevated states of awareness.

The name Lalla can be translated as either "seeker" or "darling."

Lalla is deeply loved by both Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir today,

even amidst the terrible fighting ravaging the land. There is a
saying that in Kashmir only two words have any meaning: Allah and
Lalla.