Editors Mail

J L Tiku  

Dear Sir,

I had the privilege to go through the recent saints and sages issue of Koshur Samachar. It has acted as a balm to the embittered feelings of the migrant community to delve into past and learn so many facets of the sages, their miracles and philosophy.

However, I have been amazed to view a rare sketch of Lalleshwari at page 41 and page 45, "Courtesy J.K. Mirza". The earliest I had encountered a similar sketch duly framed was in 1980 with Shri Dashrath at Julakha Mohalla, Jammu. The sketch is a supposed nude representation of the illumined Lalla with an overhanging belly. A belief is prevalent that the great saint-poetess moved nude through length and breadth of the valley. The erroneous belief is based on the vakh:

Guran vonanam kunuy vatsun,

Nebra dupnam andaray atsun,

Suy gav Lali me vakh to vatsun,

Tavay me hyotum nangay natsun.

The vakh associated with her self-recognition has been literally translated, to mean that the enlightened Lalla moved in nude in God intoxicated ecstasy. Lalla's vakhs contain the highest Shaivite philosophy in chaste Kashmiri idiom. Some have confused the overhanging belly represented in the sketch to be a reason for calling her Lalla.

There is another saying that instead of blessing a grocer she blessed a baker. "The story goes that Syed Mir Ali Hamadani saw her moving nude and Lalleshwari finding him the only gifted man chose to hide herself in the baker's oven, wherefrom she emerged in celestial robes.""

That Lalleshwari was not given the name of Lalla because of an overhanging nude belly is clear from yet another vakh :

Mal vondi zolum Jigar morum,

Teli Lal nav dram, Yeli dali travimas tati.

It is not as such proper to rely on the sketch as a graphic representation of the great illumined soul and leave for posterity something which cannot be substantiated.

Jammu

J L Tiku

DISCLAIMER:

The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.

Courtesy J L Tiku and June 1992, Koshur Samachar