Lalleshwari, also known locally as Lal Ded (; 1320–1392), was a Kashmiri mystic of the Kashmir Shaivism school of

Hindu philosophy Hindu philosophy encompasses the philosophies, world views and teachings of Hinduism that emerged in Ancient India which include six systems ('' shad-darśana'') – Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.Andrew Nicholson ( ...

. She was the creator of the style of mystic poetry called vatsun or ''Vakhs'', literally "speech" (from Sanskrit ''vaak''). Known as Lal Vakhs, her verses are the earliest compositions in the

Kashmiri language Kashmiri () or Koshur (, /kəːʃur/) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by around 7 million Kashmiris of the Kashmir region, primarily in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2020, the Parliament of India passed a bill to ma ...

and are an important part in the history of modern

Kashmiri literature Literature of Kashmir has a long history, the oldest texts having been composed in the Sanskrit language. Early names include Patanjali, the author of the '' Mahābhāṣya'' commentary on Pāṇini's grammar, suggested by some to have been the sa ...

.Lal Ded's Vakhs
/ref> Lal Ded ("Mother Lal" or "Mother Lalla") is also known by various other names, including Lal Dyad (''Dyad'' means "Grandmother"), Lalla Aarifa, Lal Diddi, Lalleshwari, Lalla Yogishwari/Yogeshwari and Lalishri.

Life

A great deal of the records of Lal Ded's life are contained in oral tradition, and consequently there is considerable variance on the details of her life and beliefs. Numerous contemporary Kashmiri histories, such as those prepared by Jonaraja, Srivara, Prajyabhatta, and Haidar Malik Chadura, do not mention Lal Ded. The first written record of Lal Ded's life is contained in the ''Tadhkirat-ul-Arifin'' (1587), a collection of biographies of saints and religious figures written by Mulla Ali Raina, and followed by an account of her life in Baba Daud Mishkati's Asrar ul-Akbar (1654). In these texts, Lal Ded is described as a mystic saint, appearing in the forest to travellers. In 1736, Khwaja Azam Diddamari's ''Tarikh-i-Azami'' contained a more detailed account of Lal Ded's life. She is also noted in a Persian chronicle, the ''Waqiati-e-Kashmir'' (1746) in which she is described as being famous in the reign of Sultan Alau-ud-din (1343–54) and died in the reign of Sultan Shihab-ud-din (1354–73). Lal Ded is also believed to be a contemporary of Mir Sayyid Ali-Hamdani, an Iranian Sufi scholar and poet, who recorded stories of her in his own verse during his travels to Kashmir. Most modern scholars place Lal Ded's birth between 1301 and 1320 C.E., near Sempore or Pandrenthan. She is estimated to have died in 1373, and a grave near Bijbehara is commonly attributed to her, although there is no confirmation. Lal Ded is believed to have been born to a Brahmin family, and was married at the age of twelve in accordance with the local customs. Following her marriage, she was renamed, as is custom, to Padmavati, but continued to be known as Lalla or Lal Ded. Some reports suggest her marriage was unhappy, and that she left home, between the ages of twenty-four and twenty-six, to become a disciple of a spiritual leader, Siddha Srikanth or Sed Boyu, who was a

Shaivite Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...

. As part of her religious education, she travelled alone on foot, surviving on alms, before becoming a teacher and spiritual leader herself.

Literary works

Lal Ded's poems represent some of the earliest known works of Kashmiri literature, and were written as Kashmiri began to emerge as a distinct language from Apabhramsa-prakrit, which was spoken in North India. A total of 285 poems, known as ''vakhs,'' are attributed to Lal Ded.

Themes

Lal Ded's ''vakhs'' drawn from influences and languages that made contact with the Indian sub-continent in her life, drawing from Sanskritic, Islamic, Sufi, and Sikh cultures. She continued the mystic tradition of

Shaivism Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangi ...

in Kashmir, which was known as

Trika Kashmir Shaivism or Trika Shaivism, is a nondualist tradition of Shaiva-Shakta Tantra which originated sometime after 850 CE. Since this tradition originated in Kashmir it is often called "Kashmiri Shaivism". It later went on to become a pan- ...

before 1900.

Translations

Lal Ded's works were first recorded in writing in the twentieth century, and have been frequently republished since, in Kashmiri as well as in translation. In 1914, Sir George Grierson, a civil servant and the Superintendent of the Linguistic Survey of India, commissioned a copy of Lal Ded's ''vakhs''. A written record of the ''vakhs'' was unavailable at the time, and one was prepared by transcribing an oral narration of the ''vakhs'' performed by Dharma-dasa Darwesh, a story-teller residing in Gush, Kashmir. This manuscript was translated in English by Grierson and published as ''Lalla-Vakyani'', or ''The Wise Sayings of Lal Ded''. Grierson consolidated and expanded on the partial translation prepared by the Hungarian-British archaeologist and scholar Sir

Marc Aurel Stein Sir Marc Aurel Stein, ( hu, Stein Márk Aurél; 26 November 1862 – 26 October 1943) was a Hungarian-born British archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia. He was also a professor at ...

, and incorporated some archived poems that were contained in the ''Dictionary of Kashmiri Proverbs and Sayings'' (1888). Grierson's translation was the first printed and published volume of Lal Ded's works. Following his translation, a number of English translations have been produced, notably those by Pandit Ananda Koul (1921), Sir Richard Carnac Temple (1924) and Jaylal Kaul (1973). More recent translations include those by

Coleman Barks Coleman Barks (born April 23, 1937) is an American poet, and former literature faculty at the University of Georgia. Although he neither speaks nor reads Persian, he is a popular interpreter of Rumi, rewriting the poems based on other English ...

, Jaishree Odin Kak, and

Ranjit Hoskote Ranjit Hoskote (born 1969) is an Indian poet, art critic, cultural theorist and independent curator. He has been honoured by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, with the Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award and the Sahitya ...

. Her poems, (''vakhs'') have been translated into English by Richard Temple, Jaylal Kaul,

Jaishree Odin Jaishree Odin is a literary scholar who is the director and a professor of the Program of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Hawaii. Her research relates to cultural studies of science and technology, literary and political ecology, ec ...

, and

Legacy

The leading Kashmiri Sufi figure

Sheikh Noor-ud-din Wali Nund Rishi ( c. 1377 – c. 1438 AD; sometimes spelled Nund Reshi), also known as Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Sheikh-Ul-Alam (spritual guide of the world) and by the title Alamdar-e-Kashmir ("Flag Bearer of Kashmir"), was a Kashmiri Sufi saint, ...

(also known as Nooruddin Rishi or Nunda Rishi) was highly influenced by Lal Ded. He ultimately led to the formation of the

Rishi order __NOTOC__ The Rishi order is a religious tradition, concept for the mystical teaching or spiritual practices associated with religious harmony of Sufism in the Kashmir Valley. The sufi saint of Rishi order influenced Kashmiris and its culture. The ...

of saints and later gave rise to many Rishi saints like Resh Mir Sàeb. One Kashmiri folk story recounts that, as a baby, Nunda Rishi refused to be breast-fed by his mother. It was Lal Ded who breast-fed him. Lal Ded and her mystic musings continue to have a deep impact on the psyche of Kashmiris, and the 2000 National Seminar on her held at New Delhi led to the release of the book ''Remembering Lal Ded in Modern Times''. In his book "Triadic Mysticism", Paul E. Murphy calls her the "chief exponent of devotional or emotion-oriented Triadism". According to him, three significant representatives of devotionalism emerged in Kashmir in the five hundred years between the last half of the ninth and the end of the fourteenth centuries. What this points to is the non-sectarian nature of Lal Ded's spiritual life and her song-poems. Yet, her life and work have been used for various religious and political agendas over time. As author and poet

writes:I, Lalla: The Poems of Lal Ded, translated by Ranjit Hoskote with an Introduction and Notes, Penguin Classics, 2011, p. xiv . Beyond several new translations of Lal Ded's vakh, there are other contemporary performative arts that are based on Lal Ded's life and poetry. For example, there are contemporary renderings of Lal Ded's poetry in song. In addition, a solo play in English, Hindi, and Kashmiri titled ''Lal Ded'' (based on her life) has been performed by actress

Mita Vashisht Mita Vashisht (born 2 November 1967) is an Indian actress. Known for her work on screen, stage and television, she has played a wide range of roles. Her most prominent appearances includes; sci-fi television series '' Space City Sigma'' (1989-1 ...

across India since 2004.Bhumika K
All for theatre
''The Hindu'', 7 November 2011.

References

External links

Kashmiri Saints and Sages

The Wise Sayings of Lal Ded
translated by Sir George Grierson {{DEFAULTSORT:Lalleshwari Hindu female religious leaders Hindu mystics Kashmiri Shaivites Hindu poets Kashmiri poets Indian women poets 1320 births 1392 deaths 14th-century Indian poets 14th-century Indian women writers 14th-century Indian writers Women mystics