A History of Kashmiri Literatureby Trilokinath RainaSahitya Akademi, 2002

Rupa Bhaawani (1625‑1721)
Rupa Bhaawani is the second well‑known mystic poetess of Kashmir. She was born to 1625 (some say 1621) and died in 1721. This yogini with a mastery of Sanskrit, Persian and Hindustani was well‑versed in Vedanta, Upanishads and Shaivism, and was adored for her saintliness and sayings by Hindus and Muslims alike, so much so that when she died the Hindus wanted to cremate her while the Muslims insisted on a proper burial, like what happened when Kabir died.
Coming from a Kashmiri Pandit family at Nawakadal, Srinagar, she suffered the agony of an early marriage like Lal Ded. Her father, Madhav Joe Dhar proved to be her spiritual mentor in that period of spiritual anguish as Sidh Shrikanth was for Lal Ded. He introduced her to a Muslim fakir called Sayyed Kamal. Eventually she decided to leave home and meditated for 12 years at Chashma Sahibi, after which during her sojourn over the valley she spent many years at Manigam, Laar and Vaaskur. She rose to great spiritual heights. The Dhars called her the spiritual head of the group and she was known as Alkeshwari (Divinity of the Lock of Hair) for she wore her long hair unkempt and Alak Ishwari (Incarnation of the Invisible). Her death anniversary in mid‑winter is celebrated every year (7th of the dark fortnight of Magh).
Her vaakh have come to us to the usual oral tradition. No authentic collection is available with commentaries like Grierson, Barnett and Temple's on the Lal vaakh. A manuscript in the Sharada script about 200 years old, which was with Ram Chand Dhar, former librarian of the Research Department, is now with the Alkeshwari Trust. As Kachru says, " The recent collection of her sayings in Hindi, entitled Shri Rupabhauani Rahaysopadesha (the
mystery of the spiritual teachings of the divine Rupa) is the most detailed text available. It provides the lexical meanings and commentaries on the vaakhs with the divided into four parts. viz, salvation. knowledge, ecstacy of self‑realization and divine happiness. The vaakh are not identical in structure; they vary from three to seven lines, the last line being the refrain."
Her vaakh are difficult to understand for various reasons:
They present an esoteric mystical experience.
Their language is at many places completely Sanskritized, thus not intelligible to the layman.
The imagery and diction is not as effective as in Lal Ded.
To quote Prem Nath Bazaz (Daughters of Vitasta) “The language is archaic; there are double and occasionally more meanings to what she said. The expressions are obscure, unintelligible, mystical and esoteric. The devotees, afraid to incur the saint's displeasure, refuse to explain the sacred secrets: probably they themselves know precious little of what they recite or contemplate in blind admiration."
Her vaakh reveal the influence of both Kashmir Shaivism and Islamic Sufism; and explain the mystic symbolism of her yogic practices. According to her, non-attachment and dissolution of 'self’ or ego are the essentials of realization:
Selflessness is the sign of the Selfless;
Bow down at the door of the Selfless.
The selfless are the highest authority -
The kings of the time and wearers of the crest and crown..
As a tailpiece, an example of her profundity combined with ready wit is provided by her conversation with Shah Sadiq Qalandar:
He: Come to me (i.e. become a Muslim) and your rwoph (silver) will become gold.
She: Come to me (i.e. become a Hindu) and you will become mwokhta (pearl)
Mark the puns: rwoph is her name: It also means 'silver', mwokhta means both 'pearl' and 'salvation'.