Editor’s Note: Kashmir As I See It From Within And Afar, written by Ashok Dhar, is the author’s personal account of growing up in Kashmir intertwined with the rich cultural history and geographic analysis of the state, aiming to provide various solutions to the long territorial battles waged by Kashmiris. have suffered throughout history. The author states that peace will not come to the valley until the Kashmiris have explored the true meaning of Kashmiriyat. Dhar relates that the ideological basis of Kashmiriyat lies in the teachings of the rebellious mystical poet of 14th-century Kashmir, Lal Ded.
Here are a few excerpts from the book:
Growing up in Srinagar in the early 1960s, I remember accompanying my father for the morning bath at the neighboring ghat on the Jhelum (Vitasta) River, near Ganpatyar Temple. After a quick dip in the water, we attended the morning aarti prayers at the oldest temple of Lord Ganesha in Kashmir.
Just a hundred meters away was a mosque in Malyaar, frequented by Muslims in the place because it had a hammam bathhouse. Everyone longed for a free hot spring bath for warmth in the winter. Even today I remember the soothing aarti in the temple (Om Jai Jagdish Hare) and the azan recital of the taqbir from the mosque. It was common for Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) and Muslims to meet in a shop serving halal meat after praying. Such was our life growing up in Kashmir, full of stories of religious tolerance and cultural fusion. In fact, the first word I ever spoke was of a lullaby sung in my ear by my maternal grandmother and mother.
Hukus bukus telli wann che kiss,
Onum batta lodum deag,
Shaal kich kich waangano,
Brahmi charas puane chhokum
Brahmish batanye tekhis tyakha.
This was, and still is, the most popular lullaby in Kashmir. Years later, as I got older, I learned the correct version of the lullaby and realized how deeply rooted it was in the spiritual tradition of Kashmir. The lullaby is timeless; while some believe it was written by Lal Ded, others attribute its origin to the origin of Kashmir and
Cashmere culture. It continues to serve as a poetic medium to pass on the Kashmiri culture and ethos from generation to generation. The song, which has a calming effect on all children in their mothers’ wombs, has such depth that it can help people understand what sets Kashmir’s culture apart from others. The actual song and its meaning is as follows:
Tse kiss be kiss teli wan su kus
Moh batuk logum deg
shwas khich khich wang-mayam
Bhruman daras poyun chokum
Tekis takya bane tyuk
[Who are you and who am I? Who is the creator that
permeates both you and me?
Each day I feed my senses/body with the food of worldly
attachment and material love (moh: attachment)
For when the breath that I take in reaches the point of
complete purification (shwas: breath)
It feels like my mind is bathing in the water of divine love
(bhruman: nerve centre in the human brain, poyun: water)
Then I know I am like that sandalwood which is pasted for
divine fragrance symbolic of universal divinity. I realize that
I am, indeed, divine. (tyuk: tika applied on the forehead)]
Hukus bukus or Tse kiss be kiss. Respect for universal divinity is a cultural ethos in Kashmir that begins very early in life with the pursuit of spiritual rather than material goals. There is the belief that one is indeed divine, that the creator pervades us all, that what nourishes our senses or our bodies are only attachments. Such thoughts of universal divinity are ingrained in Kashmiris when they are toddlers, and remain the connecting link for Kashmiris from generation to generation.
Memories of shikara rides on Dal Lake, trekking in the Zabarwan hills, eating fresh fried trout in Pahalgam and visiting temples, Sufi shrines and dargahs often flash to the inner eye. Three words always remind me of a clear identity: Kashmiriyat, Sufism and Kashmiri Shaivism. Kashmir is a country where three religions – Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam – have coexisted.
LAL DED AND KASHMIRIYAT
I believe the core value of our Kashmiriyat (synergistic culture) was inspired by the verses of Lal Ded. She was a devout follower of Kashmiri Shaivism. The verses of Lal Ded became the inspiration for Sufis and saints who came to Kashmir. For more than three hundred years, Lal Veelhs were passed down orally from one generation to the next. The leading Sufi figure, Sheikh Nuruddin, also known as Nand Rishi, was heavily influenced by Lal Ded. Lal Ded, mee
sowed with Rishi Nuruddin the seeds for the Rishi order of saints, creating many Rishi saints. A Kashmiri folktale tells that as a baby, Rishi Nuruddin refused to be breastfed by his mother and instead was breastfed by Lal Ded.
Lal Ded was a strong critic of idolatry, seeing it as a useless and even foolish “work” that urged the worshiper of sticks and stones to turn to yoga doctrines and practice for salvation.
Idol is made of stone; temple is of stone;
Above (temple) and below (idol) are one;
Which of them will you worship, O foolish Pandit?
Do you cause the union of spirit and soul.
She further denounced the fanatical followers of the so-called ‘religions’ by saying:
O spirit, why have you become intoxicated with another’s?
cost?
Why have you mistaken true for false?
Your little understanding has attached you to that of others
believe;
Moderate in coming and going; to birth and death.
Lal Ded’s spiritual vision was universal. Through her verses, she advised against equating religious rituals with spirituality. Her mantra of universal harmony, brotherhood and universal divinity, uttered during her lifetime, can be applied to address the existential problems in South Asia and around the world. Above all, there was congruence between Shaivism and Sufism as both believed in communication between man and God. This laid the foundation
for what is called Kashmiriyat, but some also call it lihaaz. Though not the majority, some people have started to describe Kashmiriyat as a kind of lihaaz, meaning they should be tolerant and respectful of different stories and people of different religions.
The following excerpts from the book, Kashmir As I See It From Within And Afar, written by Ashok Dhar, are published with permission from Rupa Publications. The hardcover of this book costs Rs 595.