Aubbid Malik
God has embellished Kashmir with unbelievable natural beauty and for that reason it is rightly called as “The Paradise on Earth”. The beauty of Kashmir is not only seen in the valley’s Karewas, lakes, trees, forests and surrounding mountains but also in the form of poetry. The valley itself gave birth to a galaxy of remarkable poets, dramatists, novelists, writers etc.
The beauty of the valley can be really enjoyed through different verses of poets the valley has produced. Among the galaxy of poets is Lal Ded who is considered as an archetypal figure and heyday of Kashmiri literature of her times. Lalla as an iconic figure of Kashmir valley whose name reverberates in every individual’s soul of Kashmir and finds special mention in every Kashmiri household is known by many attributive names like Lalla Ded, Lalla Moj, Lalleshvari, Lalla Arifa who was born in 1320 in Panderathan. She is considered as the profound founder of Kashmiri poetry of the 14th century. Her poetic verses are known as vatsun or Vaakhs. The poetry of LallaDed describes the realistic nature of world as:
Gattullah akh vuchum beachisuu tymaran
Panzan haraane pohaniv aavalaah
Neyshibodh akh vuchum vaazas maraan
Tana lalka bha praarambh antseyneym-naprah
Translation: I have seen a learned man die of hunger
A sere feat drop in winter wind,
I have seen an utter fool beat his cook
(Who could not make a toothsome dish)
Since then I lalla, anxiously a wait
The day when the lure of the world will fall away
Here, the poet wants to make us understand the reality of this materialistic world. Here in this materialistic world the most learned man who deserves the best has to suffer and failsoftento get his deserved sharepart. Here people scarify of rain even in winter. I have seen the people who admired and praised themselves and are proud not worthy of it. So Lalla addresses herself and the people in particular to be aware and eschew too many expectations from this world and she is now waiting for the day the world will end, when this weariness will end too.
Lala Moj describes the behaviour of humans and how they behave while one trustfully takes a person. Sheremindsus of not sharing our secrets with those of fools who will never understand us fully. This is the same as to play a beautiful mute before deaf and as useless as sowing seeds in a barren land.Don’t let them know your worries and feelings, it is useless too and they may turn away from you someday, she warns us.
Muddas gyaanuc kath no vany ze
Kharas gordinaraavuv doah
Yus yuth karessuty uthsware
Krere karizina panun paan
Translation:
Impart not esoteric truth to fools,
Nor an molasses feed an ass,
Don’t sow seed in sandy beds,
Nor waste your oil on cakes of bran
Lala Ded, a woman of extraordinary and genius proved her life full of patience and sympathy as her husband had little sympathy towards her who was instigated by his mothers indictment against her and was cheating on her. Her mother in law used to put a stone in her every day meal which Lalla never disclosed to anyone about it.
Hand marytan kina kath lalli nalavath tcalina zanh
Translation: whether they kill Ram or Lamb, Lalla will get a stone to eat and it is a popular proverb in Kashmir.Life of lalla was miserable for her as her as mother in law proved herself cruel for lalla as she expresses in her poetry
Zanampraa vilhvy abhav notsinddum
Luub hanbhuu gan baramna oray
Somuy Aahar sueth haah zonum
Tsolum dwarka-vaar polum Dai
Translation:In life I sought neither wealth nor power,
Nor ran after the pleasure of sense
Moderate In food and divine
I lived a controlled life, and Loved my God.
Lalla preferred silent worship and devotion and found a straight path to reach Allah
Gwaran vo namkunuy vatsum
Ney brad oupanamandaray atsum;
Suyguy lali mey vaakh ti vatsun;
Tavay mey hyo tum na gay natsun
Translation:My Guru gave me one percept
“From without withdraw your graze within and fix it on the inmost self”
Taking to heart this one percept
Naked I began to roam
During the time of Amir-e- Kabir, Lalla used to wander nude as nobody understood her divine connection with Allah. One day she was across the way of Amir-e-Kabir, she ran fast away like an uncontrolled storm and jumped into a burning oven of a baking shop(bakery shop) and covered the oven with a kiln. The baker was horror struck when Amir-e-Kabir approached the baker and expressed his desire to see the lady. The baker was averse and reluctant but to the astonishment of all present there,Lala Ded came out from the oven outfitted like a fairy and she paid respect and tribute to Amir-e-Kabir and then a conversation followed between the two. At this time the age of Lalla was forty four and the conversation between lalla and Amir-e-Kabirproved her divine connection with God and accepted the terms and conditions of Islam.
Lalla the extra genius woman who lived life of trials and ordeals breathed her last in around 1389 and nothing was known for certain about her death. A famous legend says that she was buried near the Masjid of Bijbehara and a very old grave visible near the Masjid is believed to be that of Lalla. There is a belief among Kashmiri Brahmins that lalla stepped into a deep pond and didn’t come out of it and then the pond was known as Lalla Trag.
There is another oral legend about her death that her mortal remains in her coffin-cloth disappeared. There arose a quarrel between Hindus and Muslims at her death over the disposal of her mortal body. While the Hindus wanted to cremate her dead body, Muslims insisted on burying her. How this issue was settled is conjectural as Hindus asserted that when the winding seat was uncovered only few flowers were seen to be a pleasant surprise of the contestants, but Muslims pointed out an old grave outside Jamia Masjid at Bijbehara (Vejbeur) as the resting place of Lalla.
– The author a student of English literature is a resident of Sariwarpora Pattan Baramulla can be reached at: aaubbidmalik@gmail.com
