Lal Ded of Kashmir had a discourse with Guru (Three discourses with Guru)

[The three discourses should be read together, A, B, C]

A)    Nabisthans Chet Zal Wani

Nabisthans chet zal wani

Brahmasthaanas shishroon moakh,

Brahmandas chiiy nad behwani,

Tawi hoo gav turoon ta haah gav tote.

 

Nabisthans= Gut, Abdomen; Chet = Brain (in the abdomen); Zalwani = Warm; Brahmasthaanas= Cerebrum, large brain; Shishroon= Cold; Mokh= Face; [Cerebrum controls thoughts and actions, it controls perceptions of touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight.]

Brahmandas= Cerebellum; Nad= Sublime tube in hinder brain; Bhawani= Flow of hormones (released from Ductless glands) of the brain. [Cerebellum controls movement, balance and motor control] Below the cerebellum is the Medulla, which controls breathing, digestion and heart rate. 

Tawi=that is why; Hoo gav turoon = the cold air that we breathe in; Haah gav tote= the exhaled air is hot. [At the navel region is the Place of the Sun, where Prakriti glows as hot as fire; from here hot breath rises to the throat. At the crown of the head is the Place of the Moon, from here cool nectar down the naaddi-s flows, thus haah is hot, and huh is cold.]

When Lal Ded told this Vakh to her Guru-

The master Sid Moul (Guru) was happy over the originality and creativity of Lal Ded. He in his heart of heart attributed it to the idea that "the younger people show more powerful activity in the memory-related areas of the brain than the elderly do". The Guru strongly urged Lalla to condition her brain and body to experience a state of ecstasy.

Then she explains, "The abdomen or the Gut has a brain of its own just like the larger brain in the head. This system sends and receives impulses, records experience and responds to emotions, the nerves in the lining of the abdomen are highly inter-connected and have a direct influence on things like the speed of digestion, the movement and contractions of the different muscles and the secretion of various juices in the abdomen."

The brain in the Gut plays a major role in human happiness and misery. Nearly every substance that helps run and control the brain has turned up in the Gut. That is why she says that the brain in the Gut is very sensitive so it should be kept warm.

Secondly the neurons in the cerebrum of the brain proper are to remain cool. The Neurons in the sense organs of the brain are required to create the necessary impulse for the emission of the celestial waveband, which is required to synchronize with the waveband that the Almighty Lord is emitting and is spread up in the universe as a thin tenuous web-like thing to acquire the mingling with the Lord and His grace. Thirdly the hormones released by the Ductless glands produce an important role in the realization of ecstasy and spiritual bliss. The air in the breath plays an important role in bringing chemical combinations in the internal metabolic activity of the cells in the brain and other parts of the body. That is why Hoo the 'inhale' and Haa the 'exhale' are cold and hot, respectively.

B)    Hai Gura Parameshwaraa

Hai gura parameshwaraa

Bavtam tee yi chei andrie veiud chuy

Doshwii wopadaan kandi-puraa

Huh kav turoon ta haa kav tote

Hai gura=O Guru; parameshwaraa =calling her Guru as God; Bavtam tee= tell me; chei chuy andrie veiud = you know the secret truth; Doshwii wopadaan= Both Praanas arise; kanda-puraa= from the navel region; Huh gao turoon= why is huh cold; haa gao tote = why is haah hot.

Lalla confirms that the Guru is Parmeshwar. She addresses her guru Sid Mol to give her true knowledge, which is a natural flow of the AUM –the seed of inner experience.

 

Lalla requests her Guru "O! Guru, you are as a god to me. Tell me, you know the secret truth. Both Pranas arise from 'Kandipura', the place of the navel region. Kindly tell me as to how the two components of breath in this body complex, "inhale" and "exhale", are cold and hot." Both the ‘Ha-Ha and Hoo-Ha’ are ‘Pranas’ inhaling and Apana (exhaling) forces of life in the yogic processes. The short breath is cold, and the long breath is warm. Why so?

Lala wants to understand how the two components of breath in this body complex, the ‘inhale and exhale are cold and ‘hot.’

The revered Guru Sidh then explains:

Guru Sidh explains that in Tantra Yoga, there are ten primary energy channels, referred to as "gates," through which the soul and vital energy leave the body at death. The three most important channels are Sushumna, Ida, and Pingala, which run through the spine and affect our physical and spiritual well-being.

Sushumna, (or Brahma Nadi) the central channel, is associated with spiritual awareness and remains dormant in most people. When activated through practices like pranayama, chanting and meditation, it can lead to enlightenment.

Ida, the left channel, represents feminine, introspective energy and is symbolized by the moon. It governs mental energy and emotions.

Pingala, the right channel, symbolizes masculine, active energy and is associated with the sun, driving physical work and outward focus. Together, these energy channels reflect the dual nature of existence and play a crucial role in balancing the body and mind.

Pingla nadi weaves in and out through the rest of the chakras and eventually ends in our right nostril. Pingala Nadi is where Prana originates.

The Ida and Pingala represent the basic duality in existence. It is this duality which we traditionally personify as Shiva and Shakti, or simply the masculine and feminine aspects of you. It is based on this that life is created. Without these two dualities, life wouldn’t exist as it does right now. In the beginning, everything is primordial (embryonic), there is no duality. But once creation happens, there is duality.

 

C)   Sidh Maali Sidho Sedh Kathan Kan Thav

Sidh Maali Sidho Sedh Kathan Kan Thav

Che doh barith kaal soran kya.

"Balko" tohi ketho dhen raath barev

Kaal aav kuthaan kariv kya

Lal Ded in one of her rare discourses, with, her teacher 'Sidh Mole' says, O Sidh! Since you have attained liberation and your mind shines out in its purity and wisdom, please take me under your fold. I am helpless and I am burning in the love of the Lord, to dissolve in the sea of Bliss. The time is running out, and it is difficult to keep pace with it. Life is short-lived and then she urges the children, who were watching her meeting with the Guru nearby, not to waste their time unnecessarily. They should try to make better use of the time available as hard times are following and there is no way to rescue. Thus, she conversed heart-to-heart with her master. This eased her mute pain.

 

When Lal Ded heard the loud call of the Boat woman of Anchar Lake

(The four Vakhs that combine the spiritual allegories, and tales that deepen the flow of ideas)

 

Anchaar Hanzani Hund Gyome Kanan

Anchaar hanzani hund gyome kanan

Nadir chiv tai haieev maa

Tee booz trukaiv tim rood vanan

Chainun choi tai cheeniv maa

Anchaar=a Lake in Kashmir; Hanzani=a boat lady; Hund Gyome Kanan=heard a loud call, kan means ear; Nadir= a vegetable that grows in a lake, lotus stem; Chiv=are in my possession; Tai Haieev Maa=may you buy; Tee=that; Booz=heard; Trukaiv=intelligent people; Tim=they; Rood Vanan= wise continued saying; Chainun Cho Tai Cheeniv Maa =may feel if you like to.

(Lalleshwari was a wonderful artist capable of creating situations far above human notions. Another meaning of 'wanan' is forest, but this meaning does not appear to fit here).

 

Here’s a refined connection of the four Vakhs that integrates the spiritual allegories, and tales that deepen the flow of ideas:

One day, Lal Ded heard the call of a boatwoman on the shores of Anchar Lake, offering "Nadir," the lotus stem, for sale. The neighbours who overheard this ordinary transaction were struck with a deeper meaning: Is anyone willing to buy fleeting, momentary worldly pleasures? The simple call awakened them to the impermanence of physical delights, making them reflect on the pursuit of higher peace and contentment. The cry stirred in them the desire for renunciation, clarity of thought, and inner tranquillity.

 

Aanchari Bichari Vechar Wonoon

Aanchari bichari vechar wonoon

Pran ta ruhan haieve maa

Pranas buzith mazza chahoon

Nadir chui tai haiew maa

Aanchari Bichari= blessed lady of Anchar lake; Vechar= expression to a new idea; Wonoon=said; Praan=Onion, allegorically the exhale and inhale; Ruhoon=bulb like from Garlic family- allegorically soul, or Rooh; Haieve Maa=may you buy; Pranas Buzith Mazza Chahoon= The intake of momentary pleasures of the world like "Nadir' the stem of Lotus flower is quite different to Roohn or sense of experiencing the existence of soul.

Lal Ded, in her wisdom, took this reflection further. She compared the lotus stem to the pleasures of the world—sweet but fleeting. In contrast, she spoke of “Garlic” and “Onion,” vegetables with a bitter taste but great nourishment, symbolizing the soul’s exhale and inhale—the vital breaths that connect one to the eternal. Here, Lal Ded teaches that instead of indulging in worldly joys, one should seek the deeper experience of life—the exhalation and inhalation of breath, which brings us closer to the rhythm of the cosmos and reveals pure existence, consciousness, and bliss.

 

Laachari Bichaari Pravad Karoom

Laachari bichaari pravad karoom

Nadir chiv tai haieve maa

Pheerith dubara jan kya wonum

Pran ta ruhoon haieve maa

Laachari=poverty driven; Bichaari= shortage stricken; Pheerith Dubara=refers again; Jan=good; Wonum=said.

As Lal Ded reflected on the boatwoman’s call, she felt a surge (a rush) of elevation and clarity. She recognized that just as the stem of the lotus is temporary, so too are the pleasures of this world. She exhorted (pressed and encouraged) others to turn inward, to "purchase" not fleeting delights, but the essence of the soul, symbolized by the garlic—the inner spirit and breath that carries the potential for liberation. Through the disciplined practice of breath control (Praan), we begin to tame the mind and access the spiritual knowledge that flows from a state of eternal peace, purity, and bliss.

Praan Ta Rohoon Kunooi Zonoom

Praan ta rohoon kunooi zonoom

Pranas buzith lab na sadh

Prans boozith kenh ti naa khaizai

Twai labam sooham saadh

Praan= garlic, Onion, allegorically exhale and inhale; Rohoon= Garlic allegorically 'soul' which realises the salvation; Saadh= A person who has attained liberation is called 'Sadh' or Sidha. A sidha is a person, without a cast, unaffected by smell, without sense; of taste feeling, hunger, pain or sorrow, joy, or old age, enjoying unbroken calm. During a moment of illumination, one must keep completely fast, to attain; spiritual vision, as such the Sadhak enjoys, infinite existence absolute truth and pure delight.

Finally, Lal Ded describes the profound unity of breath and soul she experienced—an unbroken calm that transcends (goes beyond) words. In moments of divine illumination, hunger, thirst, and the distractions of the body dissolve. The soul, freed from the weight of worldly burdens, rises to merge with the universe. True liberation comes only by elevating the higher spirit over the lower elements of existence. With deep meditation and concentration, the seeker taps into the divine energy, igniting a fire within the body that burns away all distractions, leading to the thoughtless state where the soul grasps ultimate reality.

This connection reinforces the transition from worldly pleasures to the soul’s journey toward divine realization, guided by breath, meditation, and self-discipline.