At times of unrest, disturbance and strife in the society, many saints come forth and give comfort to the people through their knowledge and wisdom. Kashmir – the paradise of India – is a land of great beauty and natural wonders. It has been attacked and raided numerous times by foreigners and subject to severe unrest and strife. It is also the land of Lord Shiva and His snowy peaks and many great saints have been born here and have given solace to the people of this troubled land. Lallayogeshwari or Mother Lalla belonged to Kashmir and with her bhakti and wisdom, comforted her fellow men. She was revered by both Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims. Many called her Lalla the mystic.
Lalla was born in 1355 in a Kashmiri Pandit family. She was a wise and religious child. As was the custom of those days, she was married at the age of 12. Her mother- in- law was a cruel woman and her husband was like his mother. Her father- in -law was a kind man but had no voice in the family. She was ill-treated and not given proper food or rest in her husband’s home. Her mother- in- law used to place a large round stone on a plate and cover it with some rice to show all that she gave large quantities of food to Lalla. Lalla remained hungry most of the time but never complained.
Lalla worked very hard at home and spent whatever time she could in meditation. She never neglected her household work. Yet she was not able to satisfy her husband or mother- in- law. She used to sit by a spot in the river enjoying solitude and think of God. Her love for solitude was misinterpreted by her family and she would suffer their wrath. Her spiritual yearnings were not understood by them. Once she stayed away for a longer time than usual at the river bank. When she returned with the pot of water on her head, her angry husband hit the pot on her head with a stick. The pot broken in pieces but the water in the pot had solidified (as Kashmir is cold) and remained intact. Lalla took it and filled all the vessels at home. Still the water overflowed and formed a stream. The stream formed a tank known as Lalla’s Tank and was in existence even in the early part of 20th century.
Lalla and her husband did not share any love or relationship. The incident of hitting the pot forced Lalla to leave her home and family. She became a roving mendicant and practiced yogic discipline. She became a disciple of Siddha Srikanth. She spent her days and nights in meditation and realized her beloved Lord Shiva. She worshiped Lord Shiva and sang about Him. She was indifferent to worldly comforts. She moved around half naked. She kept the company of saints, sadhus and pirs (Muslim saints). She did not think in terms of men and women. For her, only a realized being was a man. She said she saw no men around her and hence her state of undress made no difference to her. Sufism had entered Kashmir by then and was quite similar to Kashmir Shaivism and many sufis had taken residence in Kashmir. When she saw Shah Kamdan, she hid herself saying she saw a man. Shah Kamdan was a man of God – a self realized man.
Lalla was able to speak the language of mystics in simple local dialect of Kashmir. She was illiterate but wise. Her sayings became popular and every one spoke her words. She spoke about every topic in life – about God, Yoga, dharma, atma (soul), relationships etc. She was against mechanical rituals and superstitions. Her life, character and sayings molded the character of the people around her and set a tradition of love, patience and tolerance which is found in the people of Kashmir even now. Even today, her sayings are common place and found on the lips of the people of Kashmir. She is present with them in spirit and guides them.
(contd in part 2)
