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Yoga / Hindu : Shaivite (Shiva)

14th Century

Kashmir (India/Pakistan)
(Indian Subcontinent)

Lalla

Timeline (14th Century)

Poems by Lalla
Books

Lalla, Lalla poetry, Yoga / Hindu, Yoga / Hindu poetry, Shaivite (Shiva) poetry, poetry, poetry

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Lalla, also affectionately called Lalli, Lal Ded, Lal Diddi ("Granny Lal"), or Lalleshwari, was born near Srinagar in Kashmir in northern India.

Little is known with certainty about her life, other than hints that come to us through her poetry and songs.

She was a young bride, married, tradition says, at the age of twelve. After moving into her husband's family home, she was abused by her mother-in-law and ignored by her husband.

A story is told about "Lalla's Lake" -- one day when returning from the well with a clay water jug on her head, her husband lost his temper over her delay and struck the jug in his anger. The clay vessel broke but, miraculously, the water held its shape above her head. This becomes an important symbol of the heavenly nectar that rains down from the crown.

Finally, Lalla could endure no more mistreatment and, in her early 20s, she left. She became a disciple of a respected saint in the Kashmir Shaivism tradition of yoga and she took up the life of a holy woman dedicated God in the form of Shiva. Lalla began wandering about, village to village, going naked or nearly naked, and singing songs of enlightenment.

Lalla's songs are short, using the simple, direct language of the common people, yet she touches on complex yogic techniques and the most elevated states of awareness.

The name Lalla can be translated as either "seeker" or "darling."

Lalla is deeply loved by both Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir today, even amidst the terrible fighting ravaging the land. There is a saying that in Kashmir only two words have any meaning: Allah and Lalla.

Poems by Lalla

	A thousand times I asked my guru
	At the end of a crazy-moon night
	Coursing in emptiness
	Dance, Lalla, with nothing on
	Day will be erased in night
	Don't flail about like a man wearing a blindfold
	Drifter, on your feet, get moving!
	Dying and giving birth go on
	Fool, you won't find your way out by praying from a book
	Forgetful one, get up!
	I hacked my way through six forests
	I made pilgrimages, looking for God
	I searched for my Self
	I trapped my breath in the bellows of my throat:
	I traveled a long way seeking God
	I, Lalla, willingly entered through the garden-gate
	If you've melted your desires
	Intense cold makes water ice
	Just for a moment, flowers appear
	Meditate within eternity
	O infinite Consciousness
	One shrine to the next, the hermit can't stop for breath
	Playfully, you hid from me
	The soul, like the moon
	The way is difficult and very intricate
	There is neither you, nor I
	To learn the scriptures is easy
	What is worship? Who are this man
	When my mind was cleansed of impurities
	When Siddhanath applied lotion to my eyes
	Word, Thought, Kula and Akula cease to be there!
	Your way of knowing is a private herb garden

Recommended Books

	The Ascent of Self: A Reinterpretation of the Mystical Poetry of Lalla-Ded, by B. N. Paramoo Amazon.com
	Holy Fire: Nine Visionary Poets and the Quest for Enlightenment, Edited by Daniel Halpern Amazon.com
	I Lalla: The Poems of Lal Ded, Translated by Ranjit Hoskote Amazon.com
	Lalla: Naked Song, Translated by Coleman Barks Amazon.com
	Lalleshwari: Spiritual Poems by a Great Siddha Yogini, Translated by Swami Muktananda Amazon.com
	Naked Song, by Lalla / Translated by Coleman Barks Amazon.com
	Poetry for the Spirit: Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty, Edited by Alan Jacobs Amazon.com
	The Soul is Here for its Own Joy: Sacred Poems from Many Cultures, Edited by Robert Bly Amazon.com
	Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women, Edited by Jane Hirshfield Amazon.com

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Lalla

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Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

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the Poetry Chaikhana