Lord Basava
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Shree Basava (also known as Basaveshwara or Basavanna) is known as the reviver of the Veerashaiva (Lingayats) religion in India. He brought on a social transformation, often referred as "revolution," in that he changed the lower caste people into a higher thinking of God or Shiva. He is said to have been a mystic by temperament, an idealist by choice, a statesman by profession, a man of letters by taste, a humanist by sympathy and a social reformer by conviction.
Basava was also a part of "Bhakti Pantha" of 12th century and one of the main figures with his contemporary lingayata or blessed people sect of Hinduism. He and his followers with Allama defined a new way of looking at God and life with numerous "Vachanas" (sacred hymns).
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Early Life
Born into a brahmin family residing in the small town of Bagewadi in the area that is present day northern Karnataka, India in 1131, Basava grew up in a strict, religious household where he was made to wear a sacred thread known as the Janivara. In childhood, he was also able to perform many complex religious rites. After the death of his parents soon after, he rejected Upanayana ceremony and ritualism, claiming those who performed the rituals had no "true insight." By sixteen years old, Basava had rid himself of the Janivara and subsequently, all brahmin traditions.
Religious Development
He left Bagewadi and spent the next 12 years studying Sangameshwara, the presiding deity of Sangama, at the then Shaivite stronghold of Kudala Sangama. There, he conversed with more conservative brahmin scholars and developed his spiritual and religious views in association with his societal understanding. His views included believing there is only one true, perfect God, Shiva, and additionally, the priests of Shiva, known as Jangamas, deserve utmost respect. He believed people who were in search of a false god needed to be shown the right way. He preached equality among humankind and condemned all barriers of caste, creed and sex, fighting against the caste system. He is also known as Krantikari (revolutionary) Basavanna for his revolution in the social system of the 12th century.
After marrying the daughter of his maternal uncle and also acquiring a second wife, Basava became a minister in the court of King Bijjala, who ruled 1157—1167 at Mangalaveda. There, he established the Anubhava Mantapa, a spiritual parliament to openly discuss Veerashaivism, which attracted many saints from throughout India. He believed in the principle 'Work is Worship'. It was at this time that the Vachanas, simple and easy-to-understand poetic writings which contained essential teachings, were written. Below is one of the thousands of Vachanas that were produced:
- The power of knowledge destroys ignorance;
- The power of light dissipates darkness;
- The power of truth is foe of all untruth;
- The sharana's experience of god is the sole cure of worldliness;
- - Lord Kudala Sangamadeva
Basava created much controversy by actively ignoring the societal rules associated with the caste system, which he wished to abolish. By allowing untouchables to have lunch at his residence and praising the historic marriage of a Brahmin woman and an Untouchable man, orthodox members of King Bijjala's court went to the King with such stories, some true and some false. Bijjala, afraid of a possible uprising in orthodox society, ordered the newly married couple to harsh punishment. Basava was deeply disturbed by this turn of events and blamed himself for the couple's demise. He left Kalyana in 1167 A.D. for Kudala Sangama and passed away in the same year.
Philosophy
Basava said that the roots of social life are embedded not in the cream of the society but in the scum of the society. It is his witty saying that the cow does not give milk to him who sits on its back, but it gives milk to him who squats at its feet. With his wide sympathy, he admitted high and low alike into his fold. The Anubhava Mantapa established by Basava laid down the foundation of social democracy. Basava believed that man becomes great, not by his birth but by his worth to the society. This means faith in the dignity of man and the belief that a common man is as good a part of society as a man of status.
He proclaimed that all members of the state are labourers, some may be intellectual labourers and others may be manual labourers. He placed practice before precept and his own life was of rigid rectitude. Basava brought home to his countrymen the lesson of self-purification. He tried to raise the moral level of the public life in the country and he insisted that the same rules of conduct applied to the administrators as to the individual members of the society. He also taught the dignity of manual labour by insisting on work as worship. Every kind of manual labour, that was looked down on by people of high caste, should be looked upon with love and reverence. Thus arts and crafts flourished and a new foundation was laid down in the history of the economics of the land.
Basava formed peoples' committes representing various vocations such as agriculture, horticulture, tailoring, weaving, dying, carpentry etc. All vocations were regarded as of equal value and the members belonged to all sorts of vocations. Thus Jedara Dasimayya was a weaver, Shankar Dasimayya a tailor, Madival Machayya a washerman, Myadar Ketayya a basket-maker, Kinnari Bommayya a goldsmith, Vakkalmuddayya a farmer, Hadap Appanna a barber, Jedar Madanna a soldier, Ganada Kannappa an oilman, Dohar Kakkayya a tanner, Mydar Channayya a cobbler and Ambigara Chowdayya a ferryman. There were members of the fairer sex such as Satyakka, Ramavve, Somavve with their respective vocations. The curious thing was that all these and many more have sung the vachanas (sayings) regarding their vocations in a very suggestive imagery.
Views on Basaveshwara today
The Times of India in its issue dated May 17, 1918 paid a glowing tribute to Basava:
- "It was the distinctive feature of his mission that while illustrious religious and social reformers in India before him had each laid his emphasis on one or other items of religion and social reform, either subordinating more or less other items to it or ignoring them altogether, Basava sketched and boldly tried to work out a large and comprehensive programme of social reform with the elevation and independence of womanhood as its guiding point. Neither social conferences which are usually held in these days in several parts of India, nor Indian social reformers, can improve upon that programme as to the essentials. The present day social reformer in India is but speaking the language and seeking to enforce the mind of Basava."
The movement initiated by Basava through Anubhava Mantapa became the basis of a religion of love and faith. It gave rise to a system of ethics and education at once simple and exalted. It sought to inspire ideals of social and religious freedom, such as no previous faith of India had done. In the medieval age which was characterized by inter communal jealousy, it helped to shed a ray of light and faith on the homes and hearts of people.
The movement gave a literature of considerable value in the vernacular language of the country, the literature which attained the dignity of a classical tongue. Its aim was the elimination of the barriers of caste and to remove untouchability, raising the untouchable to the equal of the high born. The sanctity of family relations and the improvement in the status of womanhood were striven for while at the same time the importance of rites and rituals, of fasts and pilgrimages was reduced. It encouraged learning and contemplation on God by means of love and faith. The excesses of polytheism were deplored and the idea of monotheism was encouraged. The movement tended, in many ways, to raise the nation generally to a higher level of capacity both in thought and action.
In honour of this Basava, President of India Abdul Kalam inaugurated Basaveshwar's statue on April 28, 2003 in Parliament of India in New Delhi.
References
- Prophets of Veershaivism by Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswami.
External Links:
- Basavanna's Vachanas at www.vicharamantapa.net (http://www.vicharamantapa.net/vachana/basava/basava1.htm)