View of LAL DED AS REBEL: A REVIEW

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ACCENT JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS ECOLOGY & ENGINEERING Peer Reviewed and Refereed Journal (International Journal) ISSN-2456-1037

Vol.04,Special Issue 05, (ICIR-2019) September 2019, Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE

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LAL DED AS REBEL: A REVIEW Khursheed Ahmad Dar

Research Scholar (Ph. D) Department of comparative languages and culture, Barkatullah University, Bhopal (M.P.)

Abstract - Lal Ded was a saint poetess of Kashmir who lived during 14th century. Famous for her vaakhs(a four line stanza) she was the forerunner of Kashmiri poetry and Kashmiri language. Her vaakhs (verses) are so famous in Kashmir that almost everyone has few of her vaakhs on the tip of the tongue. Though her background is shaivite, she was loved by all sects of religion. Her vaakhs are full of devotion and spiritual message. Lal Ded was a rebel as her poetry depicts from the very beginning. She refuted all the futile rituals and customs of orthodox religion in her vaakhs. Her message is universal and inclusive. Lal Ded believes in oneness of all existence. She explicitly spoke against the futility of rituals and customs performed during worship, to her God is within us and we should not seek him afar. She was called mad and by many derogatory names but she did not stopped until she was accepted by one and all. Lal Ded is respected by all ages and sects irrespective of their belief and religion. The purpose of this paper is to review her poetry in relation to her rebellious nature.

Keywords: Vaakh, Lal Ded, Shaivite, Rituals, God etc.

1 INTRODUCTION

The valley of Kashmir is known as the seat of learning. It is also called pirvaad (nursery of scholars) in Kashmiri language. This fertile land has produced many great poets, sages, saints, historians, artists, doctors etc. one among these great personalities is Lal Ded. Born in 14th century Lal Ded was married at early age but her marriage proved a disaster due to the ill treatment of her husband and mother in law. This ill treatment didn’t shocked her but became a precursor to build herself as a great poetess devoid of any fear. She left her home and roamed village to village spreading the message of God. The message of Lad Ded was fearless and rebellious in nature. She attacked the orthodox rituals and customs of religion and society. Lal Ded is so dear to Kashmiri people that dearest ones weather it is bride, lonely daughters or the most charactered of women folk, all are addressed by her name Lael.

2 LAL DED AGAINST RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

Lal Ded was a staunch critique of religious institutions. She believed in one God whom she addressed as shiva but whose position and center loci was not fixed. The God of Lal Ded was omnipresent and omniscient whose position or home was not in temples or mosques as Lal Ded says beautifully in one of her most quoted vaakhs (poetry):

Shiv chuy thali thali rozan, Mozan Hinu to Musalman.

Truk ay chuk ta pan panum parzanav, Saychay sahibas sati asniy zan.

Shiv pervades every place,

don’t differentiate between Hindu and Musalman.

If you are intelligent, recognize yourself, That is the true acquaintance with God.

(Koul, 57) As we see from this Lal Ded tries to make us understand that God resides in all of us, so we shouldn’t call ourselves by names which divide us in Hindus and Muslims. Lal Ded from the very beginning of her life was against orthodox religion which was exploited by priests for their worldly gains. Many vaakhs of Lal Ded depict her bashing of preachers as she says:

Ha tseta kava chuy logmut paranas, Kava goy apazis pazyuk bront,

Dushiboz vash koranakh par daramas Yina gatshana zena-maranas kront

O Mind! Why have you developed attachment for others?

Why have you taken the unreal for the Real?

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Your lack of wisdom has ensnared you in a false-dharma,

You are getting involved in a never-ending cycle of birth and death.

(Parimoo, 33) From the above vaakh Lal Ded tries to convey that most people are unable to differentiate between truth and falsehood, they worship in a false way and end up in the cycle of rebirths which wasn’t the goal of their worship.

The institutional worship is again criticised in another vaakh where she says it is futile to follow dogmas and customs. She says when we follow rituals of institutional religion, its example is as if we are dragging our boat by the rope made of sand as the vaakh depicts:

Ha manashe! Kyazi chukh wuthan seki-lawar Ami rati(razih), hamali! Pakiy na nav

Lyukhuy yih narani karmane rikhi Tih mali! Hekiy na phirith kah

Man! Why dost thou twist a rope of sand?

With such a line, o burden-bearer! The ship will not progress for thee That which Narayana(God) wrote for thee in the line of fate,

That, Good sir! None can reverse for thee.

(Gierson, 130) 3 LAL DED AGAINST ASCETICISM

Lal Ded was not an escapist, she believed that life should be lived in a austre way. She was a critique of asceticism and had a firm belief that asceticism was not necessary for the union with God. Many of her vaakhs are explicitly against this ascetic way of life because she believed that God is within us and we should not seek him afar as she says:

Asi pondi zosi zami Nethay snan kari tirthan Waheer-wahrayes nonuy asi Nishe chuy ta parzantan

He it is who laugheth, who sneezeth, who cougheth, who yawneth He it is who ceaselessly batheth in holy pools.

He it is who is an ascetic, naked from year’s end to year’s end.

Recognize thou that verily he is nigh to thee.

The kingdom of heaven is within you.

(Gierson, 71-72) The same thought is echoed in another vaakh where asceticism is criticised. Lal Ded is against leaving home and wandering through forests. She says it is futile to leave home and sit in jungles like a hermit as she says:

Some leave their home, some the hermitage, But the restless mind knows no rest.

Then watch your breath, day and night, And stay where you are.

Lal Ded was not only against Asceticism, she was also against the practices done by yogis as she says in one of her vaakh:

Not by ascetic practices is the self realised;

Nor by desire can you gain the portals of release

In contemplation you may be absorbed as salt in water, Yet hard it is for you to gain the true knowledge of the self.

(Koul, 113-114) 4 LAL DED AGAINST IDOL WORSHIP, FASTING AND SCARIFICES

Lal Ded in her whole life spoke against the scriptures, rituals and customs. She believed that instead of bringing closer to God these rituals and scriptures were meant for exploitation of poor and downtrodden. Her belief was that God is so much supreme and powerful that these scarifices and rituals mean nothing to him. Speaking against these things in those times was a very tough job that too for a women. Her vaakhs are full of criticism against Idol worship, fasting and sacrifices as her poetry dipicts:

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3 Dev wata diwor wata

Petha bona chuy yeka wath Puz kas karakh, hota bata!

Kar manas ta pawanas sangath

An idol is but a lump of stone, a temple is but a lump of stone From crown to sole each is of but the one stuff

O learned pandit! What is this to which thou offerest worship?

Bring thou together a determined mind and thy vital airs.

(Gierson, 41-42) Lal Ded was not only against idol worship, she even criticised fasting. Lal Ded considered fasting as body torture as she says in the below vaakh:

By pandering to your appetites, you get nowhere;

By penance and fasting, you get conceit.

Be moderate in food and drink, and live a moderate life, The gates of heaven will surely be thrown open wide for you.

(Koul, 99) 5 CONCLUSIONS

Lal Ded was a religious as well as social reformer who moulded her society by preaching the lessons of peace and harmony. Being fearless and rebellious poetesses she spoke on everykind of oppression. It needs a big heart to speak on the issues which are very sensitive and only a poetesses like Lal Ded could have done so. From her poetry we see how religious institutions, rituals, customs and every kind of futality is vehemently criticised and the shackles of bondage are broken.

WORKS CITED

1. Gierson A, George and Lionel D Barnett. Lalla Vakyani. Srinagar: Gulshan Books, 2013.

2. Koul, Jayalal. Lal Ded.New Delhi: Sahatiya Akademi, 1973.

3. Parimoo, B.N. The Ascent of Self: A Reinterpretation of the Mystical Poetry of Lalla Ded, New Delhi: South Asian Books, 1978.