Mata
Roopa Bhawani
The
woman who unshackled from the social norm and attained Parabhairav!
- Uma Kant Kachru
History is as old as when it began to be documented
and thus has its recorded influence. On the other hand, folklore and mythology
have no time stamp, yet they have a formidable influence on our socio-cultural
lives. Kashmir has had a unique distinction of having an equitable contribution
from women from time immemorial in social and spiritual development of the
society. Mythology tells us that in the beginning of Kalyug, when the Bhairav
Tantras and Kashmir Shaivism were lost, Lord Shiva appeared on Kailash
Parbat as Srikanthanath and taught Rishi Durvasa the theory of Bhairav
Tantra. To dissipate the thought, Rishi Durvasa created mind born children,
one of whom was a woman who was named Ardhatryambaka (Source: Kashmir
Shaivism – Secret Supreme by Swami Lakshman Joo). Thus, from the ancient
times, woman has been on an equal pedestal with the man in every aspect of life
in Kashmir.
Much has been written about Alakh Ishwari Mataa Roop
Bhawani as the mystic saint. I will, therefore, refrain from repeating this
aspect. It is important for us to reflect on her another side of life which is
her feminine persona.
Being influenced by the practices of Trika Darshan,
popularly called Kashmir Shaivism, Kashmir saw an equitable role from men and
women without any subservience. This has been a formidable influencing factor
in shaping the socio-cultural system of the society. This, perhaps, is the
reason for many women spiritual saints considerably impacting the social ethos
of the Hindu society in Kashmir. Two most important names that had resounding
influence were Laleshwari or Lal Ded in the 14th century and Alakh
Ishwari Mata Roopa Bhawani in the 17th century. Both were Shaivite saints.
Having lived three centuries apart, there are striking differences in the ways
they propagated and influenced the followers of their times. While in Lal Ded’s
time, the Muslim influence had impacted the society through, both soft and violent
conversion to Islam, freedom of expression was relatively easy. Her thought
process influenced across the sects. Added to that, Lal Ded’s Vaakhs were in
the common Kashmiri language that became popular amongst both, Hindus and
Muslims. Her influence spread thin and wide.
However, situation three hundred years later in the 17th
century was completely changed in the valley. The socio-cultural scenario was
far different from that of Lal Ded’s time. The Hindu Brahmans had
systematically been suppressed through multiple genocides, mass killings, forced
conversions, destruction of their sacred temples and scriptures, reducing the
community to a humiliated lot. The social fabric was predominantly Islamic with
Kashmiri Hindus having become a week, suppressed miniscule minority. They
practiced their faith with low profile. Besides, the Islamic fanaticism, terror
and torment had caged the, once open, society into orthodoxy. This,
particularly, took a toll on the women. Child marriage, deprivation from
education and male dominance relegated her to home chore and child bearing.
Intellectual pursuit, that once was an equal opportunity to her, got buried
under the slogging home chore.
In this social milieu was born a baby girl, Roopa, in
the family of a spiritually elevated Brahman, Madhav Joo Dhar who lived in down
town, Khankah-e-Sokta, Safakadal in Srinagar. There are variations in the dates
quoted by different writers about the year of her birth. It ranges from 1621 to
1625 CE. Little is known about her early childhood except that she was
attracted towards the spiritual practices her pious father was engaged in. She was
graced with Shaktipaath and showed the ascetic tendencies at an early age.
However, the innings of love, care and fondling of parents was short-lived as
she was married and sent off to the difficult terrains of in-laws at the tender
age of seven. It is here that the life of Roopa Bhawani takes a major turn. The
intellectual incompatibility led to harassment from the in-laws, forcing her to
take the unheard-of step in those days. Despite taboos, Roopa Bhawani
demonstrated the courage to unshackle herself from the restrictions of the
social system of that time and boldly walked out of the marriage. In this, she
was whole-heartedly supported by her father who welcomed her back. This
incident talks volumes about the family’s progressive outlook despite
unfavourable social conditions.
Being a woman of substance with spiritual leanings,
Roopa Bhawani took little time to get initiated into the study and practice of
Trika Darshan under the guardianship of her father, Madhav Dhar. He very early
realised that she was on the path of sainthood and guided her to her
destination. Soon she left the warmth of her parental abode and wandered from place-to-place
practicing, meditating and preaching for long stretches of time. Having the knowledge
of Sanskrit, facilitated her study of the Shaiva scriptures. The divine
enlightenment fountained forth into poetic expressions in her and, like Lal
Ded, she started preaching through her vaakhs. Unlike Lal Ded, the times
had advanced to the extent that Roopa Bhawani’s poetic outpourings were in
manuscript form and hence got preserved and compiled as Rahasyopadesa which
is a collection of 146 vaakhs. Roopa Bhawani acknowledges in this vaakh
that Lal Ded and her father are her first Gurus:
“I have placed my
teachers, Lal and Madhav
In my cleansed, purified
mind
Reduced to nothing, I
have become
The Supreme Self, a part
of Brahma”
(Excerpted
from the book – The Mystic and The Lyric by Neerja Mattoo)
In her long life which
spans almost a century, Roopa Bhawani was a wanderer. She didn’t stay at one
place. She demonstrated healing powers, of which there are many household
stories. For instance, the story of the well at Vaskur shrine dug by a blind devotee
on her command got him his eye sight on completion of the task. Her wanderings
and the temporary abodes became places of pilgrimage for her devotees. Vaskur,
Manigam, Lar, Chashme Sahibi and her birth place at Safakadal, Srinagar are the
shrines visited even today by her devotees. Her day of Nirvaan is observed as
Sahibi Saptami, twice a year. One on Magh Krishna Paksh Saptami in the winter
and the other in Pitra Paksh.
Roopa Bhawani’s life is
an example of a woman who defied odds, broke social clutches and followed her
intuition to attain the state of Parabhairav in her lifetime.
