PRAZNITCH HUNDH GAASH… (‘Splendour Of Recognition' )
By Prof Meem
Hai Zaffar.................( A conversation
with the author )
Yesterday i met Prof. Zaffar after he sent
a message ' Avtar Ji , collect your book. I am packing up . My assignment at
Jammu Central University is over. I would have personally come but I don't have
my own vehicle to move about over here.'
I met him and collected the book . I am
beholden to Prof Meem Hai Zaffar( Ghulam
Mustafa Khwaja ) for gifting me his latest book' Praznitch Hundh Gaash'
--Splendour Of Recognition'. It is a wonderful Kashmiri translation of Acharya
Kshemraja 's Samskrta Sutras. Twenty Sutras translated into Kashmiri that comes
in Devnaggri and Nastalik script simultaneously .This double script gives the
book a broad based readership. A great attempt to reach the constituency of
expected readers. All the Sutras are with detailed commentry in Kashmiri that
simplifies them for a layman who is not well versed with Kashmir's Shaiv - Darshana .The orginal Samskrta text of
Acharya Kshemraja is titled, 'Pratibhigyan-Hridayam' .
We sat over a cup of tea and talked about many issues.
Prof. Zaffar has
done his graduation ,post graduation and doctorate in philosophy. Well-known
philosopher and eminent scholar Prof Daya Krishna of Jaipur University has been
a Guru for his doctorate .He worked under his guidance . Prof Daya Krishna (1924-2007) taught at the US and
later at Jaipur University . He has authored some monumental books on Indian
philosophy, western philosophy and aesthetics. Long back, I borrowed
Prof Daya Krishna's book 'Indian Philosophy - A Counter Perspective' and
read it twice. Prof Daya Krishna's wisdom , strength of his argument and
his scholarship was revealed to me through
this book.
It was Daya Krishna who introduced Prof Zaffar to Shivsutras of Rishi
Vasugupta.
"When i read those sutras, i changed my priorities. I studied Hindi and
Samskrata." He informed me.
I told him that history is not being taught in proper perspective to our
younger generation.
They are ignorant about our real icons and their contribution. There has been
unbelievable and glorious contribution of our ancestors to aesthetics, art,
literature, medicine ,drama, music, poetry , logic , grammar, and spread of
Buddhism in Himalayas and across the Pamir mountains.To this he said:
" You are right. We must teach correct history to our children. Where
shall they understand 5000 year old link that we keep talking about if we don't
educate them about our past and our real icons. We need to know our
roots."
He is of a firm belief that not only Shaivism but the ancient intellectual and spiritual traditions
are ingrained in the DNA of every Kashmiri. According to him:
" It is in our conduct, logic, art, poetry , behaviour and thought
process. "
I spoke to him about some Scholars in Italy ,Germany , France and Poland and
their contribution towards spreading knowledge of Acharya Abhinavgupta . To
this he said :
" It looks both unfortunate and satisfying. Unfortunate for we feel no
need to know it and satisfying that we produced scholars whom world acknowledges
as great contributors. I can't describe the depth of the knowledge and
scholarship of many people including
Italian scholar Dr Raffaele Torella in so far the works of Abhinavgupta are
concerned. I can name some more as
Dr Jaffery S Lidke , Dr Oscar Pujol, Bettina Sharada Bäumer and Mark
Dykowski . We have Prof. Navjivan Rastogi, Dr Radha Vallabh Tripathi, A N D
Haksar, Dr Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani , Dr Mira Rastogi, Dr Rajnish Kumar Mishra
, Prof. Kapil Kapoor and many more."
About kashmiri Sufi poets , he said:
"Let me tell you frankly that we have not owned Sufi poets of Kashmir.
Study them and you find most of them illiterate; a carpenter, a blacksmith, a
Labourer, a Band saw help, Yet profoundly humanistic in approach. They jumped
over their tight fences and not only peeped into other arenas but went far
ahead. They owned and propagated our glorious Shaiv-Darshna , Bhakti -Vaad and
Islamic Tassavuf thereby strengthening the concept of 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukhina'
. The Shunyata or nothingness that they talk about is Rig Vedic in its thought
and content . Avtar ji, you will be surprised to know that Samad Mir writes
about Turiya( pure consciousness of the fourth state ) in his poetry. And We
have not understood the core message of Lal Ded and Nund Ryosh. "
For a layman, Kashmir Shaiv Darshana appears too difficult to comprehend . I
tend to belive so. He disagrees.
" It was not taught to common man in his language. Every body felt
proud of this heritage but a few knew what this really was . It is a great
civilizational link to our past . It has a great promise for our future . Every
individual and every Society needs to know its roots . It gives a sense of
historical continuity. '
Frankly speaking, i am not sure about any other person studying Shaiv
Darshana seriously in Kashmir presently. May be there are some people , i don't
know but to me, such chances appear remote. To this query , he replied as
under:
" Yes there are some more people in Kashmir who know what is Kashmir's
Shaiv Darshana . They have done good study of Vedanta and Acharya
Abhinavgupta's philosophy. Dr Maroof Shah is one such person whom I know. He is
a veterinarian yet with such diverse interests."
And about Swami Lakshman joo , he said :
" Yes I have met Swami ji. I took one delegation to his Ashram Possibly
in 1985 or 1986. Now I regret why i didn't meet Swami ji earlier. He was a
great sage and scholar. Unusual combination. A torch bearer of Kashmir's
ancient wisdom."
Coming to the book , the Sutras of the
book under review have been translated into easily understandable
Kashmiri language with simple commentaries. For instance Sutra 6 …
‘ Tanmayo Maaya Pramaata ‘ ... A shrunken Chita or mind takes
birth in Maaya Jala or illusions created by the visible phenomenon .
Prof Zaffar clarifies that the source and summary
of our mind is Shiva himself who happens to be vast and boundless
by nature. To bring it to a shrunken state is to get it attached to Maaya Jala.
It is also a fact that our mind is the creator of Maaya Jala or
webs of illusions . And then Maaya is also an energy that creates seen objects
in this universe and also makes them visible . And It
is mind alone that feels this Maaya and experiences it. But should the mind be
made to run after the visible? Can a human being recognise himself by looking
only at the visible. Can a human being experience the real and
unending happiness unless he knows who he is ? Doesn't he need to
experience the unseen or the invisible ? These are some questions
that get linked to this sutra .
Let us see how he deals with Sutra 15 ..’ Bal- Laabhe VIshvam aatamsaat Karotee’
..When life gets power of the Chita or mind , it tends to
engulf entire world . Prof Zaffar clarifies that when mind comes to
know its real nature , the living creature gets a feeling that he
is an inseparable part of this entire universe . At that stage ,
none is your own and none a stranger . It is a strange
feeling of being engulfed by the entire creation of Shiva. At that stage , the
mind of the individual is nothing but clear light.
Prof. Zaffar’s beautiful explanation to Sutra 18 in the light
of Acharya Utpaldeva’s ‘Pratibhigyan Kaarikaayi” , Acharya Abhinavgupta’s
‘Tantrloka” and “Atharveda” is convincing and
illuminating. For this Sutra , he also uses poetic lines of Sufi poet
Shamas Faquir ( Joi Manz Basith chhu Dariyaav or The big river hides in a small stream) and saint poetess
Lal Ded ( Adha Lal Ba Vaatches Prakaash Dhaam or Then I Lala arrived at
the place of Illumination ) .
(Avtar Mota )
PS
(1)
Sometime back , fraiend sent me a print out
of Prof Meem Hai Zaffar’s
write up on Lal Ded . It was published in *SUTRA "
Journal’s March 2016 Issue. I quote
from the last para of Prof Zaffar’s write up on Lal Ded ..
“ Illusions are the part and parcel of this worldly life, that is why we call this world Mayajala (web of Illusions). The more one is spiritually evolved the less illusions will he or she entertain. The ultimate illusion is that of individual existence, 'Aham' or 'I am'; this is the branch upon which one is standing and even the most evolved persons are not inclined to cut this branch, apprehending that in case of a fall, he or she will hit the ground. But Lal Ded the saint poetess of Kashmir, the Avtar of Kashmir has all the spiritual powers to cut even the branch upon which she is standing as she has realized that there is no ground to hit. She transcends all particularities and her message is absolutely universal. No doubt its form that is its linguistic expression is particular, as it is expressed in Kashmiri language, but it’s Kernel, that is its essence transcends all particularities.”
( *Sutra Journal, a publication on Asian art, Yoga and Indology, covers a wide range of topics related to Indic and South Asian traditions .This prestigious journal is co-founded by Vikram Zutshi, Virochana Khalsa and Lea Horvatic. On its Board , the magazine has a distinguished panel of co editors that include Debashish Banerji, Ph.D, Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, Philip Goldberg, Dr. Jeffery D. Long, Dr. Stuart Sovatsky and Dr. Richard C Miller .)
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.