Lal Ded was the first mystic saint and poetess of Kashmir. She is known as Lal Ded, Lal Arifa, Lal Mouj, and Laleshwari. Her poetry and sayings are known as "Vaakhs". They are very famous all over the world. Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali (R.A.) and Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (R.A.) were his contemporaries.
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Lal
Ded, the 14th-century poetess, was born in Sempur. It is a village
near Pampore. She belonged to a Brahman family. She received her education from
Siddha Srikantha, or Sead Mol. He was a known scholar of his time. Lal Ded got
married to a boy named Nicca Bhatta, from Pampore. At that time, she was 12
years old. After marriage, she was given the name "Padmavati". Her
mother-in-law used to treat her with cruelty. She even turned her husband
against her.
Her
father-in-law was the only person who used to treat her with love and respect.
She was later tortured more badly because his father-in-law spoke for her.
There is a famous story in Kashmir about her mother-in-law. According to the
story, her mother-in-law used to put a stone in her rice bowl to make it look
full. She has also mentioned it in one of her statements, as follows:
"Hond maertan kini kath’
"Lalli nilvath tsali nov
Zaanh."
Lal Ded’s name is listed among the most famous poets and saints of the Valley. Her "Vaakhs" are considered the oldest poetic work in Kashmir. They have made a huge contribution to the Kashmiri language. She always used to speak to people directly. People used to listen to her words with absolute seriousness. They are still loved and read all over the world. They had never lost their value among the people.
Her
sayings have been passed orally from generation to generation for centuries. In
the year 1779, her 60 vaakhs were
first compiled by Dr. Bhaskar Razdan. They were later published by the Research
and Publications Department, Srinagar. This work inspired Sir George Abraham Grierson and Lionel D.
Barnett. They started to search for and collect more
of her vaakhs. And finally, in 1920, they published a book named
"Lalla-Vakyani" in London.
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Lal
Ded has performed many miracles in his life. One of them is linked with the
birth of his contemporary, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali (R.A.), also known as Nund
Reshi. When Nund Reshi was born, he refused to drink milk from his mother. This
caused her mother great distress. It is said that on the evening of the third
day, she visited his home. She at once realised that he was not an ordinary
baby. She took him on her lap. And asked him to put his spiritual needs on hold
for the time being and behave like an ordinary child. According to reports, the
infant began sucking right away.
There
are many stories about the debates between Lal Ded, Nund Reshi, and Syed Ali
Hamadani. However, there is no solid evidence to prove it. Lal Ded passed away
before 1391. At that time, Nund Reshi might have been 14 years old. But he was
aware of his spiritual powers.
There
is another story about her miracle that is relevant to this situation. It is
said that Lal Ded used to be naked. People used to talk about her nudity. To
avoid the comments about her nudity, she took two lengths of fabric from the
shopkeeper. And then she wrapped them around her shoulders.
Every
time she received respect, she knotted the cloth on her right
shoulder. And when she received any abuse, she knotted the cloth on
her left shoulder. Both the clothes were "heavily" knotted.
She
returned to the shopkeeper and requested that he weigh them. Both pieces of
clothing weighed the same. She then suggests that it doesn't matter whether it
was a good or terrible view.
In
an attempt to cover up her nakedness, she hurried to a grocery store, but the
owner turned her away. She rushed to the baker’s instead and jumped into his
blazing hearth. She still came out unharmed from that hearth, wearing heavenly
clothes. This may be a metaphor suggesting the burning away of filth rather
than the person itself.
Her
husband had doubts about her loyalty. She used to go early in the morning to
draw water from the river. He once followed her to the riverside, but he found
nothing. All he saw was her carrying her pot of water on her head.
He
got frustrated. He threw a stone at the pot she was carrying. The pot broke
into pieces, but not even a drop of water was spilled. The water remained in
the same shape even after the pot broke. Lal Ded didn’t say anything. She
reached home and filled all the pots. She threw the remaining water into the
yard, which turned into a spring. Now the spring is known as Lal Trag, or Lal’s
spring.
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Lal
Ded has faced many accusations from her husband. She finally left the house
when her husband called her unfaithful. Every historian has recorded this
incident.
Lal
Ded used to spend hours in a secluded place to worship. She mostly does her worship
at Natakeshwa Bhairava in Zinypor village. She used to visit their house every
morning before fetching water from the river.