MASTER ZINDA KAUL AND A PHOTO OF TULIP GARDEN OF KASHMIR

                                                                            

Tulip Garden of kashmir

Photo Autar Mota ..

I am adding some lines of Master Zinda Kaul ( 1884 -1965..Fondly known as Master Ji ) to this photo . Master ji's poetry reflects the deep influence of Lal Ded , Parmanand, Shamas Tabrez , Maulana Rumi , Surdas ,kabir and Vedanta upon his mind .
                                 

Master ji was  a mystic poet. He was also   respected as  a Spiritual Guru by   a large number  of his friends and admirers . He struggled all along his life with so many odds of existence . Master ji composed poems in kashmiri , Urdu , Persian and Hindi language.
Some say that his kashmiri poetic collection "Sumran " was born after the death of his young son. That book won him the prestigious  Sahitya Academy Award. What a punishment is it for a father to outlive his son ? Composed in 1944,the below mentioned  poetic  lines  are from his  collection " Sumran ". I have tried to render the lines to simple English....... .

Yuchh Puchh Ma Haar Byaakhaa Hyaathh Yooer Vaati kaanchhaa

Tuss Chhaa kammi Nishaanun Bhaer Bhaer Khazaan Vessiye

Dolaan Kohan vanan Munz Sholaan Chhi Gulshanan Munz

Zotaan Chhu Taarakun Munz kaaetyaah Nishaan Vessiye ..

Vaaleinj Munz thhavunn Gotchh haavunn Thhovum Athhuss Pyaaeth

Raah kas chhu kor me paanus nokhsaan paana vessiye,

Haavun chhu Raavaraavun Chaavukk samar chhu Khaaemi

Thhaavaan Chhi Chhaava Baapat Baanun Ti Thaana Vessiye

 ( Master Zinda Kaul )

Lose not your faith and Trust Friend ,

Someone may drop in with another token of love .

His tokens are abundant and

So are his treasures always full .

Unnoticed lie these tokens in hills and jungles .

In flower beds they bloom dazzlingly .

Among stars these tokens keep sparkling

And so many other signs stand for them .

Should have been Hidden inside the heart ;

But I Put him on display on my hands .

None to blame now , I put myself to this loss Friend .

To make a show of the fortune is to lose it,

And this Eagerness within to show off leads to imperfection only,

For this reason  Friend, 
While cooking ,
Food is brought to perfection

by putting a lid over the cooking pot............
                                                                              

   ( A sketch of Master Zinda kaul By Prabhakar Maachvey Photo Source .Prof Arvind Gigoo )                                                                    

                                                                 ( Master Zinda Kaul )


                                                                                    

                                  (   Master Ji's wife Photo source .Prof. Arvind Gigoo )
                                                                                

        ( Master ji with his Grand Daughter outside his residence  Source .Prof. Arvind Gigoo)

                                ( Master Ji's handwriting ... Soruce Prof. Arvind Gigoo )

              ( Family Tree Of master Ji .. Balkrishen  Grandson  of Master ji was son of Janki Nath .. Photo source Prof. Arvind Gigoo )..

          ( Master ji's Handwriting in Kashmiri ..Source Prof. Arvind Gigoo ) 

 I add  some more lines of Master ji ..............

Kaansie Praraan Daari Pyaath Yuss

Vaansi  Haarey  Dhaari  oush

Aabshaaruk   Tuss   Hawas   Kyaah

Shalmaarus Kyaah  Karrey.

( Master Zinda Kaul )

He who has been waiting for some one at the window,
And waiting With Tears running down his eyes since an age , .
For what should he cultivate a  desire to see the beautiful  Waterfall !
What joy shall a visit to the Shalamar garden bring him ?



I have fond memories of master ji's poems and my  mother. She would keep singing some poems in kitchen while cooking food for us. I mean poems like:

Az vaaite boozum mol myon 
Kossam vatan vatha-raavaessiyi

( I heard,  He will arrive Today
My father, My teacher, My Guide, My Guru, 
Let me   cover his path with flowers..)
        Or
Sumran pannien Ditcheinum
Premuk nishaana vessiye

(Some memories he passed on to me,
Some symbols of his Love and affection..)
       Or
Tarvaen Tchhe karra Naav 
Kaanh massa taariv Apour
(The ferry is about to move,
Should any one like to move across the river?)

 These lines would move her to tears. She kept wiping them  with the border of  her saree. And helplessly, i watched her from a distance . 

Late Mohan Krishen Tikoo (Mohinder Nagar , Canal Road,  Jammu ) writes..

" In 1958, Nilla-Cram Cook, alongwith Prof PN Pushp and BP Sharma came to see this great soul of Kashmir. I too was in the room present at that time. Masterji ex­plained some of his poems.

Tears were in her eyes. Later she wrote a book. “The way of the Swan” Po­ems of Kashmir”. This work contains six poems of Masterji translated by her. Before taking leave, she enjoyed Kashmiri-tea with Kulcha."


In October 1915, when Gurudev Tagore visited Kashmir, Master ji had a close interaction with him. A poetic meet was held in the house of Pandit Anand koul and Gurudev appreciated master ji's poems . These poems were  translated into English and given to Gurudev in his house boat by Pandit Anand koul.

( Avtar Mota 17.05.2014 )

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