Encyclopedia on Lal Ded released

Tribune News Service

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Jammu, April 24

A Kashmiri scholar has compiled a comprehensive encyclopedia about life and works of 14th century Kashmiri mystic poetess Lalleshwari, popularly known as Lal Ded.

“Lal and her vaakh,” composed by Dr RL Bhat gives a detailed account of historical time during which Lal lived in Kashmir and documents the transition to first Muslim dynasty.

Known as Lala Aarifa among Muslims, she was a great saint and the best-known poetess of Kashmir. The encyclopedia was released by eminent writers and novelists Dr RL Shant, Dr KL Chowdhury, Dr PN Trisal.

“Her verse is known as vaakh. The word, vaakh, is derived from the Sanskrit root vaach (utterance). There has been no Kashmiri who has not heard of her mystic poetry. She is seen as repository of pristine wisdom and pioneer, opening the door of spiritual realms for the common men and women,” said Dr Bhat.

As per the historians, Lal Ded was born around 1310 AD, the middle of the reign of last Hindu king Suhadeva and died at the age of 60, towards the end of the rule of first Muslim dynasty under King Shahubudin.

“She lived half of her life (first 30 years) under the rule of the last four Hindu kings and rest of her life under Muslim dynasty,” said Dr Bhat.

“In fact, Kashmir Shaivism was the religious and spiritual ideology and Kashmiri language was emerging from its mother Sanskrit. Persian language had not entered Kashmir of the time of Lal,” said the author.

There are about 277 Vaakhs attributed to Lalleshwari and encyclopedia contains these with translation.