The Shiva Within Lal Deds Mystic Poetry
I of Kashmir's 14th century mystic poet Lal Ded is that she brought e complex Kashmir Shaiva nilosophy, known as Trika Shastra out the cubicles of Sanskrit-knowing cholars and into the wide, open spaces Kashmiri-knowingcommon people. In the process of translating its ghly evolved, nuanced concepts and er personal mystic experiences into e language of the people, she made ese more accessible. The philosophy that the material world is an extenon of Shiva Himself, therefore it not to edenied or thought of as an illusion. The world with its infinite variety is celebration of His divinity. But the enses and other faculties through highway grasp material reality and the ind that controls them have to be sciplined in order to develop detachent.totally focussed towards the goa of Self-realisation. Two of her vaakhs or quatrains, translated into English, sum up these two significant aspects: "Shiva is everywhere, know Him as the sun. Know not the Pandit different to the Muslim. If youare wise, a Trikaite, know then yourself, That alone is the way to know the Saheb." Here, there is an interesting play upon the word 'zaan'-to know-analysing its meaning at various levels, from the everyday interaction, almost the lowest level of conscious ness, to the highest. How do we get to know Shiva? The verse prompts us to ask this primal question, and then proceeds to give the answer. At the commonest and obvious level, it means the ability to see 'rav', the sun, something that is clear as daylightand which almost everyone can comprehend. Interestingly for Shaivites, the sun is Supreme Consciousness; it is also Shiva. The second line rises to a higher level of knowing-discernment, the ability to understand the essential non-difference between Hindus and Muslims. The third lineraises the level of understanding still higher, asking the listener to look squarely at something most of us are unable to see-our own Self, which’s part of that Supreme light pervading the universe. This is the toughest test of our understanding, after passing which can we claim to have found what most philosophers seek: God-realisation and meaning of life. Lal Ded not only breaks down barriers between one religion and another by invoking the image of the sun shining upon everyone without distinction, she goes on to emphasise the idea of recognition, and seamlessly hangs the Islamic valence of the word 'Saheb' to the apparent Shaiva reference to Shiva. The second Vakh is equally significant: "What am I to do with the five, the terand the eleven Who stirredthe pot, scraped it, and had they all been together and pullet he rope The eleven would not have lost the coThe 'five' are the tattvas, the five elements: earth, air, fire, water and ethwhile the ten are the karmendriyas orfive senses, and gyanendriyas, five apprehensive powers. The eleventh ismind. To Lal Ded, in this anxious mooall these seem to be working at cross-purposes while ruling the functioningjivatma, the human self. The metaphothe cow not being led inthe right direction isfrom the Yajurveda whichrefenjivatma as a cow. Lal Ded comments on what can happen and how one can losone's bearings in life if all the eleven mentioned above are not in harmony.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Neerja Mattoo kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Neerja Mattoo Speaking Tree,Times of India
The Shiva Within Lal Deds Mystic Poetry
I of Kashmir's 14th century mystic poet Lal Ded is that she brought e complex Kashmir Shaiva nilosophy, known as Trika Shastra out the cubicles of Sanskrit-knowing cholars and into the wide, open spaces Kashmiri-knowingcommon people. In the process of translating its ghly evolved, nuanced concepts and er personal mystic experiences into e language of the people, she made ese more accessible. The philosophy that the material world is an extenon of Shiva Himself, therefore it not to edenied or thought of as an illusion. The world with its infinite variety is celebration of His divinity. But the enses and other faculties through highway grasp material reality and the ind that controls them have to be sciplined in order to develop detachent.totally focussed towards the goa of Self-realisation. Two of her vaakhs or quatrains, translated into English, sum up these two significant aspects: "Shiva is everywhere, know Him as the sun. Know not the Pandit different to the Muslim. If youare wise, a Trikaite, know then yourself, That alone is the way to know the Saheb." Here, there is an interesting play upon the word 'zaan'-to know-analysing its meaning at various levels, from the everyday interaction, almost the lowest level of conscious ness, to the highest. How do we get to know Shiva? The verse prompts us to ask this primal question, and then proceeds to give the answer. At the commonest and obvious level, it means the ability to see 'rav', the sun, something that is clear as daylightand which almost everyone can comprehend. Interestingly for Shaivites, the sun is Supreme Consciousness; it is also Shiva. The second line rises to a higher level of knowing-discernment, the ability to understand the essential non-difference between Hindus and Muslims. The third lineraises the level of understanding still higher, asking the listener to look squarely at something most of us are unable to see-our own Self, which’s part of that Supreme light pervading the universe. This is the toughest test of our understanding, after passing which can we claim to have found what most philosophers seek: God-realisation and meaning of life. Lal Ded not only breaks down barriers between one religion and another by invoking the image of the sun shining upon everyone without distinction, she goes on to emphasise the idea of recognition, and seamlessly hangs the Islamic valence of the word 'Saheb' to the apparent Shaiva reference to Shiva. The second Vakh is equally significant: "What am I to do with the five, the terand the eleven Who stirredthe pot, scraped it, and had they all been together and pullet he rope The eleven would not have lost the coThe 'five' are the tattvas, the five elements: earth, air, fire, water and ethwhile the ten are the karmendriyas orfive senses, and gyanendriyas, five apprehensive powers. The eleventh ismind. To Lal Ded, in this anxious mooall these seem to be working at cross-purposes while ruling the functioningjivatma, the human self. The metaphothe cow not being led inthe right direction isfrom the Yajurveda whichrefenjivatma as a cow. Lal Ded comments on what can happen and how one can losone's bearings in life if all the eleven mentioned above are not in harmony.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Neerja Mattoo kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Neerja Mattoo Speaking Tree,Times of India