The Glory of Kashmir Valley

This dialogue is between Janamejaya, the great grandson of Arjun and Vaishampayana, the disciple of Vyasadeva. Vaishampayana is telling Janamejaya about glories of Kashmir valley. This conversation is found in Neelamat Puran.  

यैव देवी उमा सैव कश्मीरा नृपसत्तम |

आसीत् सरः पूर्णजलं सुरम्यं सुमनोहरम् ||   12

कल्पारम्भप्रभृति यत् पुरा मन्वन्तराणि षट् |
अस्मिन् मन्वन्तरे जातं विषयं सुमनोहरम् ||   13

O best amongst the kings, the goddess Uma resides in the valley of Kashmir. Formerly, this valley was an enjoyable, heart-enrapturing lake for six Manvantaras since the beginning of the Kalpa. In this Manvantara, this region became a beautiful valley.

शालिमालाकुलं स्फ़ीतं सत्फ़लाद्यैः समन्वितम् |
स्वाध्यायध्यानेनिरतैर्यज्ञशीलैर्जनैर्युतम् || 14

तपस्विभिर्धर्मपरैर्वेदवेदाङ्गपारगैः |
क्षत्रियैः सुमहाभागैः सर्वशस्त्रास्त्रपारगैः || 15

वैश्यैः वृत्तिपरैः शूद्रैः द्विजातिपरिचारकैः |
देवतायतनोपेतं सर्वतीर्थमयं शुभम् || 16

Filled with rows of rice-fields, fully thriving and endowed with good fruits , this valley is inhabited by the people who perform sacrifices and are engaged in self-study and contemplation. Virtuous ascetics well-versed in the Vedas and the Vedangas live here. Highly prosperous Ksatriyas adept in the use of all the arms and weapons rule this valley. Here Vaisyas are engaged in earning the means of livelihood, and sudras are engaged in serving the twice-born Brahmins.  It is bedecked with the holy temples and the holy places. This valley is very auspicious.

पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि तानि तत्र नराधिप |
ऋष्याश्रमसुसंबाधं शीतातपसुखं शुभम् || 17

0 protector of men ! all the sacred places, which are on the earth, are present in this Kashmir valley. It is thronged with the hermitages of the sages. This auspicious place is pleasant in both hot and cold seasons.

अधृशं परराष्ट्राणां तद्भयानामकोविदम् |
गोश्र्वनागादिबहुलं दुर्भिक्षातन्कवर्जितम् || 18

Unconquerable by the enemy-kingdoms, ignorant of the fears born of them, rich in cows, horses. elephants etc. it is devoid of the fear of famines.

अदेवमात्रिकं रम्यं पुण्यं प्राणभुतां हितम् |
सवसस्यगुणोपेतंह्यनातन्कं बहुप्रजम् ||   19

Not dependent on rains, enjoyable, holy, beneficial for living beings, endowed with the qualities of producing all grains, it is devoid of dangers and is thickly populated. 

स्त्रीभिश्र्च सुकुमाराभिर्देवालयसमश्रियम् |
दुष्टैः भुजन्गशार्दूलमहिषक्शैर्विवर्जितं || 20

Due to the presence of tender ladies, this valley possesses the grace like that of a temple . It is devoid of evil serpents, tigers, buffaloes and bears.

ब्रम्हघोशधनुघोषनित्योत्सवसमाकुलम् |
केलिप्रायजनाकीर्णं नित्यहृष्टैः जनैव्रितम् ||  21

Always full of festivals and twanging of the bows and the sounds of the Vedic recitals, it is crowded with ever- sportive men and is surrounded by ever happy persons. 

उद्यानारंभसंबाधं वीनापटहनादितम् |
नित्यशौण्डजनोपेतं संतां हृदयवल्लभम् || 22

Full of gardens and pleasure-groves and resounding with the sounds beautifully sounding musical instruments and flutes, it is always crowded with people fond of drinks and is dear to holy men.

नानापुष्पफ़लोपेतं नानादृमलतौषधं |
नानामृगगणकीर्णं सिद्धचारणसेवितम् || 23

Laden with various types of flowers, fruits, trees, creepers and medicinal herbs, it is full with hosts of wild beasts and is enjoyed by the Siddhas and the Caranas.

कश्मीरामण्डलं पुण्यं सर्वतीर्थमरिन्दम |
तत्र नागहृदाः पुण्यास्तत्र पुण्याः शिलोच्चयाः || 24

तत्र नद्यास्तथा पुण्याः पुण्यानि च सरांस्यपि |
देवालया महापुण्यास्तेषां चैव तथाश्रमाः ||  25

O controller of the enemies, the holy region of Kashmir is possessed of all the sacred places. There are sacred lakes of the Nagas and the holy mountains; there are holy rivers ; there are highly sacred temples and also the hermitages attached to them.

Notes :

1. There is further description of Kashmir in Neelamat Puran. 

2. Manvantara is a period equal to lifetime of one Manu. 

     

     1 day of Brahma = 1 Kalpa

     1 Kapla = 14 Manvantaras

     1 Manvantara = 71 Daivayugas

     1 Daivayuga = Satya yuga + Trata yuga + Dwapara yuga + Kali yuga
     1 Satya yuga = 4 * Kali yuga
     1 Trata yuga = 3 * Kali yuga
     1 Dwapara yuga = 2 * Kali yuga

     1 Kali yuga = 432000 solar years (human years)

Life of Brahma is 100 "Brahma years". Life of universe is same as life of Brahma.

3. Janamejaya is son of Maharaj Parikshit. Parikshit is son of Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu is son of Arjun. Arjuna is one of the Pandavas and a son of Kunti. 

4. Neelamat puran is one of the upa-puranas and has 1453 Sanskrit verses.

5. Sidhaas and Caranaas are living beings on higher planetary systems of the universe.

Links

Kashmir 
History of Kashmir
Kashmir Conflict

Shikshaashtakam

|| शिक्षाष्टकम् ||

चेतोदर्पणमार्जनं भवमहादावाग्नी निर्वापणम्
श्रेयः कैरवचन्द्रिका वितरणं विद्यावधूजीवनम् |
आनंदंबुधीवर्धनं प्रतिपदं पूर्णांमृतस्वादनम्
सर्वात्मस्नपनं परं विजयते श्रीकृष्ण संकीर्तनम् ||   

Glory to the Śrī Kṛṣṇa sańkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sańkīrtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious. 1

नाम्नामकारी बहुधा निजसर्वशक्तीस्
तत्रार्पित नियमितः स्मरणे न कालः |
एतादृशी तव कृपा भगवन् ममापि
दुर्दैवं इदृशं इहजनि नानुरगः ||

O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Kṛṣṇa and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by chanting Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them. 2

तृणादपि सुनीचेन तरोरपि सहिष्णुना |
अमानिना मानदेन कीर्तनीयः सदा हरिः ||

One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. 3

न धनं न जनं न सुन्दरीम्

कवितां वा जगदीश कामये |
मम जन्मनी जन्मनीश्वरे
भवताद् भक्तिः अहैतुकी त्वयि ||

O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service birth after birth. 4

अयि नन्दतनुजा किंकरम्
पतितां मां विषमे भवाम्बुधौ |
कृपया तव पादपङ्कज
स्थित धूलिसदृशं विचिन्तय ||  

O son of Mahārāja Nanda, Kṛṣṇa, I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death and place me as one of the atoms of Your lotus feet. 5

नयनं गलदश्रूधारया
वदनं गद्गद रुधया गिरा |
पुलकैर्निचितं वपुः कदा
तवनामग्रहणे भविष्यति ||  

O my Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly when I chant Your holy name? When will my voice choke up, and when will the hairs of my body stand on end at the recitation of Your name?  6

युगायितं निमिषेण
चक्षुषा प्रावृशायितं |
शून्यायितं जगत् सर्वम्
गोविन्द विरहेण मे ||

O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence. 7

आश्लिष्य वा पदरतं पिनष्टु मां
आदर्शनान् मर्महतां करोतु वा |
यथा तथा वा विदधातु लंपटो
मत्प्राण नाथस्तु स एव नापरः ||

I know no one but Kṛṣṇa as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly in His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord unconditionally. 8