Mysticism in poetry a study of Laldeds Vaaksh and Nund Rishis shruks

Abstract

The research explores mysticism in the poetry of two medieval Kashmiri poets, Lal Ded and Nund Rishi. Lal Ded was a 14th-century mystic. She was born into a Brahmin family and is a follower of Kashmir Saivism. Shaikh-Ul-Alam was born in Kulgam, Kashmir. His parents called him Nund, which means the pious one. Nund Rishi s ancestors belonged to the Suryawanshi clan of Rajputs from Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, but his parents embraced Islam at the hands of Sufi. Mysticism is a process to divulge the mysteries of the Divine, providing aim and objective to human life. It is to recognize the essence of the Supreme Self in the mortal frame by uncovering the veil that separates the baser self from the Supreme Self, leading to oneness. newlineThe research involves the critical analysis of the poetry of Lal Ded and Nund Rishi and studying their poetry by drawing upon their religious ethos. Forms of mysticism are found in all major religions of the world. The path to embark on the spiritual enterprise differs from mystic to mystic. So, the research focuses on the embedded religious philosophy in the vaakhs and shruks that foreground the mystic quest of the poets. The poets under the study belonged to different cultural traditions, but one common thread that connects the two is the use of mystical poetic sensibility. This commonality is a bridge across barriers that divide different cultural traditions. The inception of medieval Kashmiri Literature, started with Lal Ded, and Nund Rishi was the spiritual heir of Lal Ded. The mystical poetry of Lal Ded and Nund Rishi is in the form of vaakhs and shruks that promote oneness, peace, love, and brotherhood. newline newline