Rishton Ke Maheen Reshe: Ashma Kaul – Deepak Budki

 

       Rishton Ke Maheen Reshe: Ashma Kaul

                           – Deepak Budki

A collection of Hindi short stories titled ‘Rishton Ke Maheen Reshe’ authored by Ms Ashma Kaul has been published recently in the year 2025 by India Netbooks Private Limited, Noida-201301.

Asthma Kaul was born in Srinagar, Kashmir and educated at Delhi University. She retired as a Gazetted Officer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. She has to her credit ten collections of poems and a collection of Mini short stories, besides the present book. Her book, ‘Jannat-e-Kashmir’, has been translated into English. Moreover, she has edited a collection of poems titled ‘Inder Danush Kavita Ka’ and has received many awards for her publications. Ashma Kaul grew up in a joint family where relationships were valued, and due emphasis was placed on maintaining their sacredness, as opposed to the fragility of relationships in modern nuclear families. For her, the intimacy of blood relations matters greatly in human life, and he who is blessed with the love of a father, mother, and siblings is very fortunate. 

The present collection contains 24 short stories, most of which are centred on family life and the value of interrelationships. The very first story, Aankhen, reveals the central character's attachment to her mother’s watchful blue eyes, the loss of which leaves her despondent. ‘Yatra’ reminds me of Urdu poet Zafar’s couplet, “Umre daraz mang kar laye the char din; do arzoo mein cut gaye, do intezar mein.” The central character of this story yearns to travel with her husband, but her wish remains unfulfilled. At last, her son decides to take her to the USA, but unfortunately, she leaves for her eternal journey before going with her son. In the short story ‘Grahasti’, a mirror is held up to society, which brags of providing security to the women of India. It also reflects the fragile relations between life partners as the husband disowns his beloved for no fault of hers. ‘Adrishya Dewar’ is a sad reminder of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir valley. A Pandit family visits their ancestral home in the valley after 30 years, and, to their surprise, is received with love and affection by the people there, who also show remorse for what happened in 1990. Another story reflecting the present-day social crisis is ‘Doodh Ka Qarz’, where the parents are abandoned by their children due to incompatibility. Abandoning elderly parents has been a dominant theme in many of the author's short stories. ‘Niyat’ and ‘Pyari Ki Ardas’ also have a similar theme.

‘Amma Ka Roothna’ revolves around longing and expression of love; ‘Badi Bahu Kamla’ paints the train of misfortunes faced by a woman in her life; the cycle of Karma is shown in ‘Samay Ka Khel’ where during youth, the father has no time for his children and later when he grows old, children have no time for him, and ‘Maan Ki Chita Ke Phool’ depicts altruism and selfless love of a mother. Atonement by an alcoholic gambler, who mortgages his son for inability to pay his debt, is portrayed in ‘Prayshchit’; ‘Waham’ is a story based on superstition; ‘Faisla’ proves the adage that blood is thicker than water, and ‘Yadon Ke Anmol Dastavez’ throws light on a steel trunk which contains many old, priceless letters. Furthermore, ‘Maan Ki Aakhri Khwahish’ highlights the reaction of elder son at the death of his mother as he carries a grudge against her that she loved her younger son more than him; in ‘Garbpaat’ communal riots cause abortion of a pregnant woman; ‘Dhal’ is a story based on inferiority complex and incompatibility; while in the story ‘God Bharai’ the wish of an infertile woman is fulfilled and surprisingly, she is duly supported by her in-laws. The story ‘Pareeksha’ sheds light on the cost a woman pays for pursuing her studies after marriage, to the point where her children feel completely neglected, and the family is disrupted. 

Ashma Kaul's stories feature a variety of themes and characters.  Her diction and style are simple, direct and vivid. She weaves the story with finesse and chooses her characters to support her thoughts and ideas. Her stories are didactic, conveying a hidden message to the reader without overburdening them. I feel that she has a bright future ahead in her endeavours, and if she persists, she will make a name for herself.

*****   

   

   

U-Turn: A Saga of Agony & Ecstasy: Dr Gauri Shankar Raina – Deepak Budki

 

           U-Turn: A Saga of Agony & Ecstasy 

           – Deepak Budki

Kashmir has, of late, produced many fiction writers both within and outside the Valley. The latter were forced to settle outside Kashmir due to the rise of militancy in the early nineties. Nevertheless, the writings of both groups are like two sides of the same coin: one depicts the suffering of people living in the Valley, and the other portrays the nightmare migrants endured during and after the exodus. Many of them are vitriolic in their outpourings, depicting the pain and tribulation their community has endured over the last thirty-five years. 

Gauri Shankar Raina's collection of short stories titled 'U-Turn and Other Stories', published by Niyogi Books, New Delhi, in 2025, is a valuable addition to this series. He has penned these short stories in Kashmiri. At the same time, Pankaj Bhan, an English academic and editor of the journal 'Meeras', published by Kasheer Foundation, has eloquently and comprehensively translated them into English. 

Born in Srinagar in 1955, Dr Gauri Shankar holds a doctorate from JLN University and is a well-known writer, playwright, translator and filmmaker. He started writing during his school days and adopted the pen name 'Mast'. He is proficient in Kashmiri, Hindi and English with around two dozen publications in Hindi and Kashmiri to his credit. Professionally, he remained associated with Doordarshan Srinagar. 

The book 'U-Turn' contains twelve short stories, predominantly set in Kashmir and focusing on its culture before and after militancy. He has consciously refrained from hyperbole and evaded narrating horrifying events of the militancy era to maintain a secular undercurrent and continue the thread of togetherness of Kashmiris called Kashmiryat.  

The first and a significant short story 'U-Turn' deals with the most topical subject, environmental degradation, especially of Dal Lake, besides the apathy of the State Government and bureaucracy towards tackling this grave problem, which frustrates a sincere, honest and internationally acclaimed environmentalist, A R Bhat, who undergoes a bout of depression and ultimately seeks an escape route.

As a Botanist, I have witnessed this phenomenon with a heavy heart during my long stay in Srinagar. I have watched the silting of Dal Lake, quarrying in the foothills of Shankracharya, and encroachments in Pahalgam, Gulmarg, and Sonmarg right under the noses of politicians who were expected to protect them. Even the mountains of Amarnath and Vaishnodevi have been disfigured under the pretext of temple tourism.

'A Journey by Bus' is a story of love at first sight between two young co-passengers on a day-long bus journey from Jammu to Srinagar that, unfortunately, ends in a fiasco, thereby highlighting the disadvantages of stratification in Hindu society. The writer also presents a panoramic view of the picturesque hill stations en route.

Another story is titled 'Babuji's Miracle', which deals with a social evil prevalent in our country called land and property grabbing by gangsters who have political clout, and therefore, the police and judiciary are ineffective against them. A person whose property is under siege cleverly tricks the usurper by clandestinely circulating a rumour that the earmarked property is haunted, as ghosts are said to inhabit it. This forces the grabber to give up its claim on it. 

The short story 'Boarding Card' again reflects the orthodox and conservative nature of Kashmiri Pandit society, as in 'A Journey by Bus'. A handsome young Kashmiri man working at the Airport falls in love with Lora, a model from Berlin seeking a break in Bollywood. He wants to marry her, but his family disagrees. Later on, he learns that she is suffering from Mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer and may not live long. He, in turn, informs his parents, and the same conservative parents advise him not to ditch her and instead marry her. She, however, decides to go and join her mother in Berlin.

'He and She' is a story set in modern life, with fragile bonds shadowed by material gain. It narrates a love affair that bears no fruit; the two get separated, the girl becomes an event manager, while the boy remains a poor artist. After a long time, he is commissioned to present a programme in Mumbai, where he meets the same girl in the garb of the event manager, but she refuses to recognise him. This prompts him to reconsider the relationship and accept a colleague's pending proposal.

'Interlude' is a story about a thanatophobic person, Shibanji, who undergoes a surrealistic experience that opens the door to his subconscious and unconscious mind. He confides in his close friend, who, too, is greatly worried, yet reassures him. While preparing for his inevitable death, he tries to expedite the nominations on his bank accounts and pension papers. Surprisingly, after some time, he recuperates, and his friend feels happy to see him again in good spirits.

'Mannequins' is an impressive, thought-provoking and symbolic story. It is a story of an uprooted Kashmiri migrant, Vinod, who is forced to move along with his ailing wife from Jammu to Chandigarh and finally to Delhi in search of shelter and employment, besides the availability of AIIMS, where he wants his wife with a terminal illness to get proper medical attention. Being skilled in draping mannequins, his employer once ordered him to get a mannequin from a distant market. He thinks about the mannequins, which to him are inanimate idols, yet when draped and beautified, they attract customers. He is led to a store where he faints, and later, after recovery, he carries the mannequin to his shop. On reaching the shop, he receives a message that his wife, Prabha, is in serious condition. He rushes to his house, takes his wife to AIIMS, tries to console her, but all along he thinks of Death and His justice and prays that his wife should be relieved from the unbearable pain.

In the story 'Home Coming', the writer recounts the journey of Kashi Nath, who visits Kheer Bhawani (Abode of Goddess Ragñya) along with other Kashmiri Pandit devotees. He is seen by his Muslim neighbour, who insists that he should stay with them for a few days. He and his son enjoy the neighbour's hospitality. While he visits his old house in the neighbourhood, his neighbour returns to him all the precious things he had recovered from his house and preserved, and his son goes on an errand with the neighbour's son. He does not return in the evening or the following day, which makes his father anxious. Fortunately, he returns the day after, accompanied by a policeman who informs the parents that he was rounded up by the police, suspecting him to be one of the miscreants, and only after verification has he been released and brought here for handing over to his parents. This relieves Kashi Nath, who wastes no time in leaving the Valley the next morning.

'Reverie' reflects a person's emotions as he remembers his partner, who departed from this mortal world long ago.  

The next story in the book is 'The Shroud Maker', a poignant tale of a master craftsman who earns his livelihood as a tailor and focuses on educating his children. A known, respectable social worker persuades him to sew some shrouds for the disposal of the dead. He accepts the gratuitous work but loses his clientele as a result. People get angry about him doing that kind of job. He is ostracised and forced to leave the place for good. After a long time, the equation changes when his daughter returns to the same place as the District Magistrate.

'The Umbrella Man' is yet another touching story in which a starving man, abandoned by his employer and friends, takes up a low-grade occupation repairing umbrellas against the wishes of his acquaintances. Later, due to militancy, his family is uprooted, but his daughter pursues her goals and gets a job in a foreign bank, which totally changes their status. She carries her father with her to the astonishment of all who looked down upon them earlier. The woes of Kashmiri Pandits, refugees in their own land, are very effectively narrated in this story by the author.

The last story in the book is 'Cave', in which a group of archaeologists is on an expedition to unearth the secrets of a cave in Kashmir, but heavy rains prevent them from doing so. As one of them, a Kashmiri Pandit, walks down the hill, which is brimming with water, he is overwhelmed by the scenery as he visualises how the Valley must have looked when it was Satisar lake, thus mentally exploring his own past.     

  

Shankar's short stories mostly revolve around human travesties and the endeavours of their protagonists to overcome adversity. His characters are strong, analytical, and often spiritual, and they exude a 'never give up' attitude. In Mannequins, he has highlighted the fact that Kashmiri Migrants concentrated on the education of their children at the expense of their own health and comfort.

The writer remains optimistic about the future of Kashmir and its syncretic culture. He often experiences nostalgia for life in Kashmir and reminisces about his past. Most of his recollections find mention in his stories like description of an abandoned house in 'Boarding Card', the view of Vitasta (River Jhelum) in the evening with floating lighted earthen lamps, crossing the river by shikaras (boats), a bird's eye view of Habbakadal (A bridge in Srinagar bubbling with life) in 'The umbrella Man', visit to abandoned house, sudden public demonstrations and police excesses in 'Home Coming',  life in the refugee camp in Delhi in 'He and She', life in one-room Barsati given to him as refugee in Delhi, and purchase of Himachal apples in 'Mannequins'. 

The writing style is very smooth and captivating, further underscoring the dexterity and artistry of the original Kashmiri language. The author remains a passive narrator, neither imposing himself on the text nor using melodramatic expressions to describe situations that otherwise could have led him to do so. In the end, I congratulate both the author for such excellent fiction and the translator for a beautiful translation. 

*****   

DEHATI-A SYMBOL OF PASSION AND PATRIOTISM – Deepak Budki

 

DEHATI-A SYMBOL OF PASSION AND PATRIOTISM

                               – Deepak Budki

There are many unsung poets and writers in Kashmiri literature; Gangadhar Bhat ‘Dehati’ is one of them. He contributed to both Urdu and Kashmiri, though Kashmiri was his mainstay. During his lifetime, he was not able to publish his writings, which, however, were done posthumously by his worthy son Kuldeep Kumar Bhat by compiling, editing and publishing his combined collection of poems in Kashmiri and Urdu titled ‘Sontuk Partav’ in 2024.

   Gangadhar Bhat was born in Murran, Pulwama, on 7th February 1917. After completing his Post-graduation (Hon’s) in Urdu and B.Ed., he took to teaching in the State Department of Education in 1943, with a short stint on deputation as editor of Dehati Duniya from 1951 to 1954. He also obtained a Prabhakar degree in Hindi. Gangadhar started writing when he was just 14 years old and a student in the 9th class; his first short story was titled ‘Khooni Tamanna’, which was published in the Daily Martand, Srinagar. He adopted the pen name of ‘Dilkash Kashmiri’ but soon changed it to ‘Dehati’. From 1938 onwards, he remained associated with the Weekly Desh owned by the great social reformer and freedom fighter, Kashyap Bandhu. 

Dehati wrote Urdu and Kashmiri short stories, poems (ghazals, nazms and Qata’at), dramas, and essays on social and political topics. His ghazals are mostly continuous and, like his nazms, deal with his favourite subjects such as existence, struggle, equality, justice and patriotism. A few couplets are reproduced here:

1) Gahe chum qatre bapat tamblawan,

        Gahe baer baer thawan paymane myonuy

2) Wachus peth yemen zindagi khaetch kadith dub,

        Paekh shrakh seenus, buthyan zan peyekh rub.

3) Athe khur yem waey Taemsey daulath gaye qurban,

             Matche khash Yem dyut Taemsey ade tothev Bhagwan.

4) Pritchyomus me wantum chu kya zindagi mul,

             Awezan dopun che akis aami dawe.

In the poem ‘Myaen Shaeyri’, he writes about what drove him to write poetry:

        Hyatechi talkhyev dup ban tche shaeyir,

  Dukhav daadev dopum zev tche metchrav. 

Dehati’s literary endeavours came to fruition at a time when the Progressive Movement was at its zenith. Hence, he was deeply influenced by it, and even though he continued writing beyond the 60’s when Modernism replaced Progressivism, he remained insulated from the latter. His writings depict the patriotic fervour prevalent at his time (Watan Son, Myon Yaar, Hum Dushman ka Munh Toden ge), as well as the pain and pestilence, poverty, and helplessness of the peasants and labourers, and their exploitation by the zamindars and the capitalists (Shael Tarakh, Jande te Dyaar). He also focused on the social evils of his time. Mehjoor and Azad, his contemporaries, influenced his Kashmiri poetry. He believes that only the destruction of established systems can create a new ideal egalitarian society. He uses words such as Tongue, Fire, Revolution, Progression, and Self-respect as symbols of the pursuit of justice and equality in society. It can be noticed in his Urdu poem, ‘Hamari Duniya’, an excerpt of which is reproduced below: 

               Aag laga do is duniya ko,

Jis se ho jaye ujyala,

Raj yahan hai andhyare ka,

Bhook, Ghulami, Bemari ka,

Sadti hai makhlooq khuda ki,

Tehkhanon men, zindanon men…

Raj yahan karta hai moorakh,

Gyani khata dar dar thokar…

Nirbal yaan par khoon rote hain,

Anndata marta hay bhookhon…

The situation remains unchanged to date. As regards the tongue, the poet believes that your speech must stand for truth even if it drags you to the gallows. 

Zev gaye suye pez yues pez kath kare,

Paezi khaetre yus darus peth mare.       (Zev)

He wrote against people's superstitious behaviour and religious rituals, as well as God’s indifference to the plight of the common masses, as in ‘Soen Khuda’. However, this did not mean that he was anti-religious, as he has written some beautiful poems on Lord Krishna, Herath (Shiv Ratri), Bhagwan Ke Darshan, Bhajan, etc.

             Ashan sanyev chav sontuk wav,

Chukh bael beye tchael dillek aamtav,      

Suey toshnavan beye aaye Haerath.  (Haerath)

Dehati has also written poems on some great men of the past l, such as Shri Bhat, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, G M Sadiq, Patrice Lumumba and Pt Deendayal Upadhyay. His translations from other languages include Tagore’s Bengali poem (Zenun te Harun), Iqbal’s Urdu poem (Ram) and Boris Pasternak’s Russian poem (Ehtejaj). Dehati’s elegy on the death of his daughter, “Boe Lekhus Name’ is both melancholic and poignant. A similar atmosphere is created in the poem titled ‘Vedwah’ (A Widow). On Mahatma Gandhi’s death h,e hawrote beautiful, heart-rending poem, ‘Theher Kahan Bhage Hatyare’. 

One thing that characterises his poetry is his Optimism. Despite dwelling at length on vice prevailing over virtue in the modern world, he firmly believes that with the advent of independence and democracy, things are going to change for the better (Jamhoor, Nuv Farhad, Woh Shubh Garhi, Navyug ki Prabhat).

Dehati’s style is his own. He has a firm grasp of both languages, but his command of Kashmiri is complete. In his Urdu poetry, he frequently uses Hindi words, which at times seem unnecessary. 

*****

         

LAL-DED REVISITED-Jawahar Lal Bhat (Review by Deepak Budki)

LAL DED REVISITED-Jawahar Lal Bhat

                       — Deepak Budki

Kashmir, often called Resh-Vaer, has been an abode of many Rishis and Sufis. The valley has stood as an epitome of a multicultural and multi-religious ethos, the foundation of which was laid by some renowned visionaries. Since time immemorial, it has been a seat of learning and discourse on human existence and the purpose of life. Philosophies such as Shaivism, Tantra, and Trika were propounded by great thinkers, including Somananda, Vasugupta, Utpaldeva, Abhinav Gupta, and Lakshmanadeva. On the other hand, Kalhana pioneered historical research in the subcontinent, a tradition followed by Jonaraja, Srivara, Prajya Bhatta, Shuka, and the rest. With the advent of Islam in the valley, a syncretic ideology was propagated by both Hindu and Muslim seers who emphasised worship of one God through devotion, called Bakhti-Marga or Sufism, rather than through academic pursuit and study of scriptures, called Gyana-Marga. Sufis and Saints like Nund Rishi, Rupa Bhavani, Arni Maal, Parmanand and Krishen Joo Razdan came forward to guide people towards their ultimate destiny. The most outstanding among them, Lalleshwari (Lalla Arifa) of Padmanpore (Pampore), is revered equally by both Hindus and Muslims. The famous quatrains of this fourteenth-century mystic poet, called Vaakh in Kashmiri (Vaakh is derived from the Sanskrit word Vakya, meaning 'sentence'), have ever since been filling the air with the fragrance of divine and celestial lyric. These short, pithy, moral aphorisms, carried through word of mouth for many centuries in the past, often distorted, interpolated and mutilated, in the absence of a written word, so much so that it became difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Kashmir has an age-old tradition of singing and playing music in places of worship and at personal functions such as weddings. At the beginning of a singing or dancing session, a singer generally starts with the recitation of a few Lalla Vaakhs, which are regarded as a good omen. Well-trained singers often sing these quatrains as a separate genre with utmost devotion.

In the recent past, several scholars have made commendable efforts to collect and explain Lalla Vaakh, and various books have been published from time to time. Mention of such scholars is made briefly in the present book. Still, many poems may have been lost, while some have been substituted. The latest collection of these quatrains has been attempted by Jawahar Lal Bhat, an English teacher by profession, who, after extensive research and verification of their genuineness, has included 244 Lalla-vaakhs in his book entitled ‘Lal Ded Revisited’. The book stands as a testimony to his lifetime achievement. What gives this book an edge over others is that it is written in English, a language read and understood worldwide. The commendable job done by the author is that these Kashmiri vaakhs are printed in three different scripts, viz. Roman, Devanagari, and Nastaliq, for the convenience of different readers, with a brief translation at the end of each vaakh.

Last but not least, each vaakh has been further elucidated in light of its contextual significance and its religious and spiritual background to make her philosophy intelligible to the reader. The foreword to the book has been penned by an eminent Kashmiri scholar, T N Dhar ‘Kundan’, who has aptly set the tone with dexterity. In the introductory chapters, Jawahar Lal Bhat discusses the life and works of the great mystic poet Lalleshwari, fondly called Lal Ded by Kashmiris. Proud of her Brahmanic descent, the Yogini was revered by both Hindus and Muslims alike. Lal Ded believes that the universe is controlled by the Supreme Lord, who has no religion, caste or creed, and therefore, people should seek refuge in Him and attain the said goal through self-realisation (V-111):---

Shiv chuy thale thale rozaan,

Mo zaan hyund ti Musslman;

Truk ay chukh ti panun paan parzaan,

Soy chaey Sahibus zaenie zaan.

(The presence of Shiva can be felt everywhere, in every object and creature. How stupid it is to discriminate between individuals—Hindus and Muslims! If you are truly sensible, recognise yourself. It will help you achieve the eternal truth- the Supreme Lord)

The author sets many myths about Lalla’s life at rest. However, he confirms the ill-treatment meted out to her by her husband and in-laws, which she herself mentions in a few vaakhs besides the ridicule, jeering and fun poked at her by the public (V- 54 & 105). These acts drove her to seek peace and enlightenment through worship of Shiva, the absolute, at the feet of her Guru, Shri Sidh Sri Kanth, known as Sedh-Mol. She strongly believes that only a good teacher (Guru) can show us the right path, and one must choose the right Guru to attain salvation in life (V-202-209). In vaakh 206, she writes:--

Guraey mol tay guraey maejey,

Guraey divan nyaetren gaash;

Yem tchaeris maeris vastir laegiy,

Chuy punyaes bhaegiy te papan nash.

(The Guru is both mother and father to his disciple. It is he who gives his eyes the spiritual sight and clothes his bare self with celestial garments. The Guru is the participant in the returns for his good deeds and a crusader for all sins committed by him.)

Lalleshwari acknowledges that she learnt the truth about existence only through discourse (V-18) and believes that most of us are led astray because we choose the wrong skills and paths to reach the absolute (V-20). She further forbids people from wasting time on rituals such as chanting mantras or counting rosary beads (V-26). As regards spiritual attainments, she says that God blesses some without asking, others are bestowed with spiritual powers after hard work and labour, while still others, despite achieving the objective, let it go to waste due to negligence (V-98).

In V-29 & 85, Lal Ded highlights the ephemeral character of life and material acquisitions, which have to be abandoned ultimately. In this connection, the poetess says in Vaakh-165;

Kus mari tay kasu maran,

Mari kus tay maran kus;

Yus Har Har traevith ghar ghar kare,

Adhi suy mari tay maran tus.

(Who will die? Who will be killed? One who is always worried about the interests of himself, home and family and forgets the name of the Lord, would certainly die and be killed for sure.)

In contrast to Sanyas, Lal Ded believes that a seeker need not give up their Grahast Ashram (normal family life) to seek union with the Absolute. Yet she wants a human being to give up sensual pleasures, material wealth, and ego in pursuit of a better spiritual experience through suffering and the awakening of the soul, reflecting Hindu philosophy. In Vaakh-123 she says;

Traishe bochche mo kraish na vun,

Yani tcheye taane sandarun deeh;

Phrath chon daarun te paarun,

Kar vopkarun suy chuy krey.

(Don’t torture your body by refusing it food and drink to appease the gods. Feed it whenever it needs. Hell, expensive clothes and delicious food can’t make you better. Help others in their need; there is no better worship.)

Lalleshwari believes in maintaining a moderate lifestyle coupled with contentment (V-99). In some vaakhs, she uses the Socratic method of dialogue by asking questions and seeking answers to reach the goal of life (cf. 102-103, 237-238). 

According to Lalla, the awakening of the soul and self-realisation are essential for attaining salvation from the pain of the continuous cycle of births and deaths. Her teachings are strewn all over her quatrains like gems of pearl, which the author has tried to make a rosary of. As per the author, “Lalleshuri was one of the leading expounders of Kashmir Shaivism, the internationally renowned philosophy depicting oneness of man with the absolute. As a poet and an ascetic, she sang in an easily intelligible word the terse principles of Kashmir Shaivism, Yoga and Tantra, henceforth limited within the corridors of highly educated scholars and saints of yore.” Further, she relates her ecstasy when she watched Shiva and Shakti together in their heavenly abode as per V-177.

In vaakhs 215 to 221, she has highlighted the importance of ‘OM ’, which she considers pivotal to life, as it represents the basic sound of life (Naad) that sustains the world. In Vaakh 215, she says;

Omai akuy achchur porum,

Suy ha mali rotum wondus manz;

Suy ha mali kani paeth gurum ti tchurum,

Aises saas ti sapnis soen.

(I chanted repeatedly the unique divine word OM and saved it lovingly in my heart with my persistent dedication and love. I was just ash and by its divine grace got transformed into gold.)

Lalleshwari’s similes and metaphors, which enrich her poetry, are drawn from normal life. At times, she uses common items like the Kangri and charcoal made from Chinar leaves as symbols to convey her viewpoint, so that the commoner can quickly and vividly understand her philosophy (V199). It is one of the reasons her poetry became very popular and is still quoted today, despite its many archaic words. 

The exegesis at the end of the book, in the form of ‘Notes’, is exhaustive. For the sake of convenience, the author has classified the quatrains into seven groups and arranged them accordingly, though their order may not be chronological. It has been done to link vaakhs with similar dispositions and bring out their unity through this linkage. The groups are: i) Personal celestial experience, ii) The essential purpose of life, iii) The concept of Universal Lord, iv) On Pranayama and Kundalini Yoga, v) Guru Saadhna, vi) On the divine syllable ‘Om’, vii) Miscellaneous. 

It may not be an exaggeration to say that the book is a direct result of the author’s faith, devotion, and hard work, and will hopefully be well received by the reading public, especially those who want to understand her philosophy and the ancient thought of Kashmiri sages.

*****