Rupa Bhavani, Kashmiri ascetic

The Kashmiri saint-yogini known as Rupa Bhavani (1620-1720)(literally, ‘form of the Goddess’) described her spiritual experience thus:

I dashed down into the nether regions [of the spiritual body] and brought the vital breath up;

I got its clue out of earth and stones; then my Kundalini woke up with nada [loud noise];

I drank wine by the mouth.

I got the vital breath (and) gathered it within myself.

 

In Hindi and in Kashmiri, Rupa also means silver, which forms the basis of the following exchange between Rupa Bhavani, the elderly Hindu yogini, and the (much younger) Muslim mystic, Shah Sadiq Qalandar (b.1689 - d.unknown). Sadiq addressed Rupa thus in Kashmiri:

If you come toward me [ie. accept Islam] I will convert you, who are raph [meaning ‘silver’ and ‘yogi’ in Kashmiri] to gold.

To which Rupa replied:

If you come to me [ie. accept Hinduism] you shall become makti [meaning ‘pearl’ and ‘liberation’ in Kashmiri].

Bibliography

S.L.Sadhu, Rupa Bhavani (New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, 2003)

Triloki Nath Dhar, Rupa Bhawani (life, teachings and philosophy) (Srinagar, Kashmir: All India Saraswat Cultural Organization, 1977)

Biographical notes from John Noyce, Saints, Sufis and Yogis. 3rd ed. Vol.3. Q-Z (lulu, 2016)