CHINAR SHADE : PROF. MEEM HAI ZAFFAR AND SHAIVA PHILOSOPHY OF KASHMIR

( Prof. Meem Hai Zaffar )

( Prof . Daya Krishna )

( Avtar Mota With Prof, Zaffar )

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 ) .

A careful study of this translation clarifies some basic concepts of Shaiv Darshana, Trika Mat of Lal ded , Unity of Mankind as propounded by Nund Ryosh and Humanism of Kashmiri Sufi poets .The book is a peep into Kashmir’s glorious past that holds a great promise for the future .

(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 .)