[Reader-list] Lalleshwari and Kundalini Yoga

Tue Apr 21 21:21:48 IST 2009

*Lalleshuri and Kundalini Yoga*

* *

*By:  Jawahar Lal Bhat*

Lalleshuri [ lalleshwari ]followed Trikka or Kashmir Shaivism which adopts
Laya Yoga popularly known as Kundalini Yoga in Kashmir in her spiritual
advancement and liberation. In her immortal poetic compositions (Vaakhs)
besides laying down a moral code she has prescribed definite regulations for
the realization of the divine in ones own being. In order to understand the
Vaakhs of Lalla one has to be acquainted with the Kundalini Shakti and its
importance in the awakening of human spirit in accordance with Kashmir
Shaivism.  Kundalini is believed to be a source of infinite energy (Shakti)
in the form of a coiled serpent seated at the lower end of the spinal cord
around the genital part of the human body (Swayambu). The energy is aroused
and brought up to the crown of the head, the highest seat of cosmic energy
centre (Sahasrara) considered the abode of Lord Shiva, through deep
concentration of mind, mantras and yogic exercises especially Pranayama.
According to this Yoga there are six Chakras (Muladhara, Svadhishthana,
Manipura, Anahata, Visudha, and Ajna) or centers of cosmic power in the
human body. The Kundalini Shakti, when aroused travels up through these
chakras and reaches finally to Sahasrar Chakra which is located at crown of
the head inside the brain where it becomes one with Lord Shiva, the ultimate
goal of all spiritual seekers and a source of unlimited joy and achievement.
According to Kashmir Shaiva Philosophy Lord Shiva is the principal deity
controlling the universe. The lord has two aspects, Shiva and Shakti though
the two are the same, the two sides of a coin. Man's spiritual goal is to
establish identity of the two in his own being. Since man is unable to
control the waywardness of the mind and shed the shackles of worldly
attachments and thus goes on living many lives without performing the actual
purpose of life. The unnerving task here is to experience the truth of life
and get detached from the glamour of actual life and virtually die before
death to the worldly attractions. Laya Yoga or the awakening of Kundalini is
a way of attaining this goal. The wavering mind is controlled by
concentrating on a vital energy centered in the body called Susmna Nadi and
thus the uneven movement of Prana and Apana is brought to uniformity by the
practice of breath control (Pranayama). The Susmna nadi extends from the
Muladhara right up to Sahasrara in the crown of the head along the spinal
cord. It is through this subtle mystical corridor that Kundalini Sakhti
rises upwards to meet her consort Shiva in that thousand-petalled lotus of
Sahasrara. Within these two extremes are six centres of energy called
chakras or lotuses as indicated above. There are also two other Nadis
running parallel to the Susmna. These are Ida and Pingla. Prana flows
through Ida while apana flows through Pigla. The inhalation and exhalation
of breath are kept in perfect balance through the practice of yoga. All the
Nadis join at the two eyebrows' junction called Triveni, symbolic confluence
of Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati. The Kundalini Shakti which normally lies
dormant is awakened by yogic exercises and it cuts its way through the six
chakras to meet her consort Shiva in Sahasrara. Prana goes upwards while
Apana downwards. To attain this spiritual goal, man has to control five
Pranas, ten Indriyas and their controller, the wavering mind. This is done
through Abhyas or Yoga practice. It is here that the seeker enjoys the taste
of the Amrit flowing from Shashkala or the digit of the moon. Lalleshuri
(Lalded) has described her personal achievement of arousing Kundalini and
enjoying the overflowing Shashkala in the following Vaakh:

* *

*Shie van chaetith shashkal wuzem, Prakrath henzem pawnie seitee, *

*Loleki narie wanlij buzem, Shankar lobum tami sietee.*

Lalleshuri reached her desired goal and enjoyed the nectar trickled from
Shashkala after she crossed the rugged path of six forests indicating the
six Chakras as mentioned above. She says it was the result of her heart
stirring devotion, deep concentration, sustained breath exercise and
bringing under control all worldly desires and senses that she reached her
goal. She says precisely, "The whole world shrunk for me in the inhalation
and exhalation of my breath and while I roasted my heart in the heat of the
love of my Lord, I found Him." By the concentration of mind mental
fluctuations, false knowledge, all kinds of illusions and conditions
analogous to sleep are brought under control, a stage in which the soul
sours beyond the three Gunas: Satva, Rajas and Tamas.

*Tsitta-twaruge vagi hyath ro'ttum, Tseylith milavith dashinaaddi vaav,*
*Tavay sheyshikal veyglith vatsham, Shuunyas shuunyaah miilith gav.*

Lalleshuri says she reined in the fast running steed of her mind, i.e.
controlled the overpowering senses and by constant practice and meditation
succeeded in bringing the proper alignment of wavering Prana through Nadis
till she achieved the final goal of guiding the Kundalini Shakti to its
destination, the crown of the head. It's here that she enjoyed the nectar of
the mystic moon (Sheshkal) which came overflowing upon her whole body and
the void merged with the cosmic void i.e. she became immortal and an
integral part of the supreme soul which is the ultimate perfection of the
individual soul to become one with the cosmic soul or Parmatama. Lalleshuri
gives a lucid description of her mystic experience in her poetic
compositions which goes to her credit as besides a highly accomplished
Yogini she was a celestial poet with a definite mission of not only
achieving her own liberation but also setting a precept for the coming
generations to follow.

*Lall bo chayas suman baghe baras, Wuchum shivas shakti meelith te wah*

*Tati lai karem tath amrit saras, Zinday maras mai kaream kyah. *

* *

Lalleshuri describes her extreme ecstasy upon her realization of the
ultimate reality and says that she entered the garden of beautiful flowers
indicating the abode of Shiva on the crown of her head. There she saw Shiva
and Shakti mingled into one, the most coveted stage of all Yogis and the
final stage of Kundalini Jagran. She enjoys the scene, takes deep into the
lake of overflowing divine nectar and becomes eternal, one with the supreme.
She achieved this all by experiencing virtual death to worldly desires
before the actual death. This is a stage for the saints of high order to be
quite unconcerned about their body and its needs as the purpose of body for
them is over as they've become one with the absolute. So for Lalla also the
purpose of the existence of her mortal frame has finished having achieved
its eternal purpose of merging with the ultimate truth i.e. Lord Shiva, so
she claims to be dead though living in the eyes of the people outside. She's
absorbed completely with her lord and has little care about her body needs.

*Dokh chen traivith mokh wuch haras, Taile dezei parma saras manz thah*

*Chal zanun chuey naar bhava saras, chukh zan kad tul shah maaras baal.*

Lalleshuri calls the Kundalini Shakti seated in the form of a serpent at the
base of the spinal cord a Shah-Maar (Royal Serpent) the source of unlimited
energy and liable to be awakened and made to travel upward by sustained
devotion. She calls upon the devotee to lift the massive lid, allegorically
a big mountain off the container of the Shah-Maar (the dormant Kundalini
Shakti) i.e. awaken it by the power of devotion and controlling all the
worldly desires and body pleasures as these are the worst enemies of all
devotion and development in the path of spiritual advancement. Lalla calls
upon the seeker to shun all worldly fears and surrender completely to the
wishes of the Lord and dive deep into the celestial waters of His blessings
present at the crown of head, the abode of the lord.

*Lalli Guer bramande pethe kane vuchum, Sheshkal vaechem paadan taney*

*Gyaneke amrite prakrath barem, loobey morum ande wand taney. *

* *

On her ultimate achievement of establishing Shiva and Shakti in her own
being through arousing the Kundalini Shakti and bringing up to the crown of
her head Lalleshuri was astonished to see her master (Guru) seated on the
top of her head while the overflowing Sheshkal had flooded her whole body
till it had reached her feet which indicates that she was filled with the
divine nectar or Amrit or in other words she had got awakened fully about
all the secrets of the universe and everything had unfolded clearly before
her and nothing had remained unachieved for her holy person. She had
naturally shed all the worldly desires especially the ego, which is the
worst enemy in the path of spiritual development. It also indicates the fact
that the Guru is the ultimate lord for all purposes for a seeker and there
remains no need to approach anything else for development whatsoever except
the spiritual master.

*Pranas saety lai yali karem, Dyanas thavnam ne roznas shaai*

*Kayas andar soruy vuchum, Payas povum te kaedmas graai*

Lalleshuri describes her personal experience after she had reached the
highest stages of her awakening. She virtually lost all the consciousness of
her personal self by experiencing all the contours of the cosmos in her own
person. She got clear awakening of all the divine secrets and there remained
nothing unrealized for her. Here she again indicates to her ultimate divine
realization through the practice of Pranayama and the subsequent awakening
of Kundalini Sakhti to its highest stage which opens all the doors of
awakening for the seeker. Lalleshuri says there remained no need to go in
for any further meditation or Sadhna as she had experienced all her soul's
content in her own body temple after washing her body in the celestial
waters of the overflowing Shashkala from the crown of her head.

*Pawan te praan somuy dyuthum, Meelith roodum sheri khor taaen*

*Dhih yali mothum adhe kyah motum, Na kuni pavan tay na kuni praan.*

On achieving higher concentration in meditation the seeker does not find any
difference between the normal respiration and the practice of Pranayama as
the normal respiration becomes such a controlled process that the body does
not require any normal breathing as with the impact of the meditative
process almost all the normal functions of the body cease to be and the
whole system is controlled by a higher regulation. This is a stage when the
whole body is reduced to nothingness and the head and the feet virtually
club into one. When the existence of the body is reduced to a naught with
the impact of the full awakening there is no inhalation or exhalation of
breath as the self has lost its individual identity having merged fully with
the supreme.

* *

* *

*Jawahar Lal Bhat*

*B-3 Ashiana Apartments, Sector-46, Faridabad (Haryana)*

*Email- bhatjl1 at gmail.com*

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