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Lalleshwari, ( also commonly known as Lal Ded (), was a Kashmiri people mysticism of the Kashmir Shaivism school of Hindu philosophy. She was the creator of the style of mystic poetry called vatsun or Vakhs, meaning "speech" (from Sanskrit vāc). Known as Lal Vakhs, her verses are among the early compositions in the Kashmiri language and are a part of the history of modern Kashmiri literature. Lal Vakh online
Lalleshwari ("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. Lal Ded www.poetry-chaikhana.com. Lal Ded www.radiokashmir.org.
Records of Lalleshwari's life are contained in oral tradition, and consequently, there is 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 Lalleshwari. The first written record of Lalleshwari'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, Lalleshwari is described as a mystic saint who appears in the forest to travellers. In 1736, Khwaja Azam Diddamari's Tarikh-i-Azami contained a more detailed account of Lalleshwari's life. She is also noted in a Persian chronicle, the Waqiati-e-Kashmir (1746) in which she is described as being known in the reign of Sultan Alau-ud-din (1343–54) and died in the reign of Sultan Shihab-ud-din (1354–73).
Lalleshwari is also believed to be a contemporary of Mir Sayyid Ali-Hamdani, an Iranian Sufism scholar and poet who recorded stories of her in his own verse during his travels to Kashmir.
A widely recounted legend narrates that as an infant, Nund Rishi refused to nurse from his mother. Lalleshwari (Lal Ded), upon visiting, addressed the child:
"If you are not ashamed of being born,Following her words, the child began to nurse, an act interpreted as Lal Ded imparting spiritual wisdom to [[Nund Rishi]]. This anecdote underscores the deep spiritual bond between the two mystics.
''why are you ashamed of being breastfed?"''
Both Lal Ded and Nund Rishi employed vernacular Kashmiri poetic forms ('Vakhs' and 'Shruks') respectively to convey their mystical experiences and teachings. Their verses emphasize themes such as the impermanence of the material world, the importance of self-realization, and the unity of existence. Nund Rishi's poetry often reflects the influence of Lal Ded's thought, acknowledging her spiritual stature and expressing a desire to attain similar enlightenment, he writes:
That Lalla of Padmanpore,The spiritual kinship between Lal Ded and Nund Rishi symbolizes the harmonious blending of Shaivism and Sufism in Kashmir. Their teachings transcended religious boundaries, fostering a culture of tolerance, compassion, and unity. Their combined legacy laid the foundation for the Rishi order in Kashmir, which emphasizes inner spirituality over external rituals and promotes a universal message of love and understanding.The one who drank the nectar,
The one who kept gazing at Shiva,
God, give me a gift like that!
In summary, the profound connection between Nund Rishi and Lal Ded exemplifies the rich tapestry of Kashmir's spiritual heritage, characterized by a deep commitment to inner realization, universal love, and the transcendence of religious divisions.
Lal Ded (Lalleshwari) profoundly shaped the Rishi order in Kashmir through her mystic poetry, known as 'Vakhs'. These verses, blending elements of Shaivism and Sufism, emphasized direct personal experience of the divine, transcending ritualistic practices. Her teachings inspired Nund Rishi, who further developed the Rishi order, promoting values of simplicity, equality, and non-violence. Lal Ded's influence is evident in the Rishi order's emphasis on spiritual unity and communal harmony, laying the foundation for a syncretic religious culture in Kashmir.
Lalleshwari's vakhs drawn from influences and languages that made contact with the Indian sub-continent in her life, drawing from Sanskritic, Islamic and Sufi cultures.
Grierson's translation was the first printed and published volume of Lalleshwari's works. Following his translation, a number of English translations have been produced, those by Pandit Ananda Koul (1921), Sir Richard Carnac Temple (1924) and Jaylal Kaul (1973). Recent translations include those by Coleman Barks, Jaishree Odin, and Ranjit Hoskote.
Her poems, ( vakhs) have been translated into English by Richard Temple, Jaylal Kaul, Coleman Barks, Jaishree Odin, and Ranjit Hoskote. Kashmir's wise old Grandmother Lal Aditi De's review of I, Lalla by Ranjit Hoskote in The Hindu/ Business Line Mystic insights Abdullah Khan's review of I, Lalla by Ranjit Hoskote in The Hindu Words are floating Jerry Pinto's review of I, Lalla by Ranjit Hoskote in Hindustan Times Lalla and Kabir, resurrected Nilanjana S. Roy's article on Ranjit Hoskote's I, Lalla and Arvind Krishna Mehrotra's Songs of Kabir
Lalleshwari 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. Remembering Lal Ded in Modern Times National Seminar by Kashmir Education, Culture and Science Society, 2000. In his book "Triadic Mysticism", Paul E. Murphy calls her the "chief exponent of devotional or emotion-oriented Triadism". According to him, three 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 Lalleshwari'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 Ranjit Hoskote 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 Lalleshwari's vakh, there are other contemporary performative arts that are based on Lalleshwari's life and poetry. For example, there are contemporary renderings of Lalleshwari'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 across India since 2004. Songs of a mystic, The Hindu, 1 May 2005.Bhumika K. All for theatre. The Hindu, 7 November 2011.
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