A modern Day Saint from Kashmir

Kashmir has been blessed with saints some regarded as spiritual stalwarts for ages. However not many of us realize that the world & society we take for granted is amiable so far because of the sacrifices and guidance of such saints (Maha-atmas). This has been perceived by close devotees of three stalwarts – Swami Anand Ji, Swami Lakshman Ji and now Shri Poshkar Nath Koul – that they gave up their lives to avert calamities for population at large. Bhagwan Gopinath Ji’s anecdotes as a protector (Desh-rakshak) are known at large.

This site is dedicated to Shri Poshkar Nath Koul (Poshbub - known as Daddyji amongst his devotees) who left us just before MahaShivraatri (Herath) in 2009. Though we hear about following what the saint says not what he does, Daddyji’s life is exemplar in today’s world. He was a maryada purushottam (par-excellence) proving to be the epitome of spiritual accomplishment while leading the typical family life (grehasti) of a Kashmiri Pandit. Having established his spiritual status at a young age, he accomplished any obligations to his parents/siblings, married and had a family while continuing to be the spiritual beacon. In fact, his relation to his devotees is personified by his appellation of (elder/big) Bada-Daddy(ji). True to that, they saw Him as a father (/grand-father) figure. Not only would He identify members of this larger family i.e. Ashram but He would relate to each member in the appropriate manner – giving as much attention to a child’s query as any other serious discussion. Moreover, He could enter discussion on any topic at hand, delve in it appropriately and invariably steer it towards attention on God.

For His closest disciples, as a teacher He took pains to guide them through thick and thin and never giving up. His interaction with people was always respectful & when necessary tactful. I recall an incident where He presided over a religious function. His followers were singing bhajans / leelas, for sometime when he noticed other people indulging in petty side-discussions instead of praying at the festive time. When this continued, He asked the vocalist to sing: Yim leelay chun tohi layak (these leelas are not appropriate for you), instead of other way around. If some of us failed to perceive his nuances, Daddyji would not hesitate to signal overtly. Taking it to an extreme, His leadership in the successful agitation for Tirathraj LokBhawan (Anantnag), depicts yet another pinnacle of his personal traits. Today’s generation can imbibe a lot from Him to restore the mannerisms that our culture has been identified with.

Perhaps what Daddyji will be remembered the most for through the generations, are his profound leelas. Be it an extempore for a mixed language satsang (singing Shri Krishna my lord ji, kaasum dwayat tey hate ji!) or an esoteric (Man che tari yeli zeer bum voyum, luli lalnovum mye Naryan) or the more popular ones (like sukh te sampada); a devotee can find a leela for any bhakti level in Posh Dael. So strong is it’s appeal that this collection has sold through three editions in paper back. As a visionary, he saw the need for several publications and gave us:

- First Kashmiri Ramayan released on a Ram Navmi at Shri Ram ChanderJi Temple, Srinagar.

- First Mahimnapaar (Shiv Mahimnastotra) in Kashmiri verses with commentary.

- The popular audio cassettes of Posh Dael and Bhawani Sahastranaam.

The Posh Dael audio cassettes launched in early eighties not only were the fore-runners to the boom in recorded Kashmiri music but also gave a common thread for it’s listeners.

The only outwardly indication of his stature apart from his appealing countenance, perhaps was his big sindoor tika, which adorned him every single day, whether it be the terrorist infested days in the valley or a day he had to spend in hospital. This could be a symbolism for never forgetting God. His pragmatic approach was appealing e.g. he questioned why we consider visiting temple during some periods (e.g. mourning) wrong - if one eats without hesitation, why hesitate for God’s darshan. A strict vegetarian, he indirectly inspired several people to follow suit. However, contrary to the impression of a sattvik / spiritual diet, he would eat onions or tomatoes on occasion. I look at this being a sign for us to follow the essence of rituals / practices.

Going back to where we started, it is my belief – reinforced by listening to some prominent personalities – the world as a whole improves when any person progresses spiritually and vice-versa. So the responsibility of human good is a collective one with progressively increasing sizes of the unit. On one end, a kul-taruk /kul-deep elevates his family / clan while on the other end of the scale, a wise king promotes welfare of his subjects at large.

Now that we are deprived from Kashyap-mar, the spiritual footing that even saints from across the country would come to Kashmir to leverage is out of reach. Far from being able to undertake the rigors of ascetic’s life, our life now is generally selfishly governed. In a world where competing in rat races at best or merely struggling for survival has become the de-facto way of life, many of us end up overlooking the purpose of the life. The key then is establishing the balance between the various facets of our lives.

Daddyji often advised in his discourses:

Na chodo ghar, na bhoolo Har,

Karam kar zidagani mein,

Raho duniya mein is tarah,

Jaise kamal rehta hai pani mein!

Easier said than done, you say. But this is in effect the message from Chapter II of Sri Bhagwat Gita: let the senses be involved in the world’s affairs but keep your mind unscathed.

In their renditions, some professionals / artists are seen to skip the last stanza of Daddyji's bhajans including those from Posh-Dael. Please demonstrate the requisite etiquette, follow the copyrights and when permitted, use the whole bhajan to not only convey the complete sentiment but also provide listeners a reference to continue to benefit from.