#Basavanna

[majestativa]

How can I believe or trust this burning thing, this heart?

— Basavaṇṇa, Speaking of Śiva, transl by A. K. Ramanujan, (1973)

[waiting-eyez]

[Why Get Angry]

Why Sir, do you get angry at someone? Who is angry with you? What are you going to gain by it? How is he going to lose by it? Physical anger brings dishonor... mental anger disturbs your thinking. How can the fire in your house burn the Neighbour's house without engulfing your own?

(Basavanna)

[pandaemoniumpancakes]

The rich will make temples for Śiva. What shall I, a poor man do? My legs are pillars, the body the shrine, the head a cupola of gold. Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers, things standing shall fall, but the moving ever shall stay.

Basavanna, ‘820.‘ in Speaking of Śiva, trans. A. K. Ramanujan. 

   omnia quae videntur perire mutari (Seneca, from Epistulae 36:11.)

                        ❧

   “Every soul is immortal. That is because whatever is always in motion is immortal, while what moves, and is moved by, something else stops living when it stops moving. So it is only what moves itself that never desists from motion, since it does not leave off being itself. In fact, this self-mover is also the source and spring of motion in everything else that moves; and a source has no beginning. That is because anything that has a beginning comes from some source, but there is no source for this, since a source that got its start from something else would no longer be the source. And since it cannot have a beginning, then necessarily it cannot be destroyed. That is because if a source were destroyed it could never get started again from anything else and nothing else could get started from it—that is, if everything gets started from a source. This then is why a self-mover is a source of motion. And that is incapable of being destroyed or starting up; otherwise all heaven and everything that has been started up would collapse, come to a stop, and never have cause to start moving again. But since we have found that a self-mover is immortal, we should have no qualms about declaring that this is the very essence and principle of a soul, for every bodily object that is moved from outside has no soul, while a body whose motion comes from within, from itself, does have a soul, that being the nature of a soul; and if this is so—that whatever moves itself is essentially a soul—then it follows necessarily that soul should have neither birth nor death.” (Plato, from Phaedrus, 245c-245e, trans. Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff)

                        ❧

   “6.23 The Master said, “The wise take joy in rivers, while the Good take joy in mountains. The wise are active, while the Good are still. The wise are joyful, while the Good are long-lived.”

   commentary: This is a famously cryptic passage. A somewhat neo-Daoist-flavored interpretation of the first two lines is provided by Bao Xian: “The wise take joy in actively exercising their talent and wisdom in governing the world, just as water flows on and on and knows no cease. The Good take joy in the sort of peace and stability displayed by mountains, which are naturally nonactive and yet give birth to all of the myriad things.” The precise meaning of the last line is particularly problematic. It is unclear why only the wise (and not the Good) should be joyful, for instance. As for “the Good are long-lived” statement, some commentators attempt to reconcile it with the premature death of Yan Hui by understanding it metaphorically: it is the reputation or beneficial influence of the Good person is long-lived. Others reject this strategy, arguing that—the isolated counter-example of Yan Hui aside—the Good are long-lived because they are calm and free of desire for external things. All of these interpretations are quite speculative.” (Confucius, from Analects: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries, trans. Edward Slingerland)

                        ❧

   “The world is but a perennial see-saw. Everything in it—the land, the mountains of the Caucasus, the pyramids of Egypt—all waver with a common motion and their own. Constancy itself is nothing but a more languid rocking to and fro. I am unable to stabilize my subject: it staggers confusedly along with a natural drunkenness. I grasp it as it is now, at this moment when I am lingering over it. I am not portraying being but becoming: not the passage from one age to another (or, as the folk put it, from one seven-year period to the next) but from day to day, from minute to minute. I must adapt this account of myself to the passing hour. I shall perhaps change soon, not accidentally but intentionally. This is a register of varied and changing occurrences, of ideas which are unresolved and, when needs be, contradictory, either because I myself have become different or because I grasp hold of different attributes or aspects of my subjects. So I may happen to contradict myself but, as Demades said, I never contradict truth. If my soul could only find a footing I would not be assaying myself but resolving myself. But my soul is ever in its apprenticeship and being tested. (Michel de Montaigne, from ‘III.2. Of repenting’ in The Complete Essays, trans. M. A. Screech)

[blahblahblaw18]

The Sound of Familiarity

I was sitting in the Global Reading Room in our university and working on my history assignment. sitting, there plying at my keyboard, taking down notes, underlining important points and highlighting keywords when my mind randomly starts buzzing with the tune of some long-forgotten music. At first, it is a faint hum of the tune and then it became more and more pronounced. Taaanaanna na na na na... 

and then it grew louder and louder and then so loud that it is no longer in my head, it has forced itself out of the shackles of my mind and is now resonating out of my laptop. the faint, intangible hum has wriggled out of my body and is now a song. like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon. and it now presents itself before me, the butterfly of the song, flashing the wings of its ostentatiously beautiful lyrics on the faded screen of my laptop.

"Akkare Maathadi Pooje Maadi Anthovne Maadevaaaa... Ughe! Ughe! Elu Male Myaleli Kunthanavva...."

What is the name of the song? ...what is it? is it elu male myaleli...? no, it doesn't seem like it. must be hange kuniro hinge kuniro? And i glance at my screen, scenes from a film keep changing in quick succession. the image of a distinctively strong man of dusky complexion, ruffled hair, and stern expressions is constant in all photos. Shivanna. and then like the apricity of the morning sun, enveloping the body in a blanket of warmth, my mind is embraced tightly with memories from a past, long lost and forgotten. they hug me. and i scramble to hug them back, it is a long, tight embrace. 

"Beta zara is taraf aajao" 

"en akka? - uh haan didi-"

And like a tree recoiling at the strike of lightning, i crack back into consciousness. I move aside to let the didi sweep the carpet underneath and i am pulled out of my lucid dream and yanked back into reality. I glance out of the window and I see the flagpole- the silken flag majestically fluttering away. Elu male myaleli is still resonating from the laptop as i continue to stare at the flag. for once, this feels like my flag. my flag, my country, i belong here. This place, this college, the people, the trees, the building are all mine. it is my college and this is me. 

[vilcart]

"ನುಡಿದರೆ ಮುತ್ತಿನ ಹಾರದಂತಿರಬೇಕು" ಎಂದರು- 12 ನೇ ಶತಮಾನದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಥ ದಾರ್ಶನಿಕ, ಸಮಾಜ ಸುಧಾರಕ, ಕವಿ, ರಾಜನೀತಿಜ್ಞ - ಬಸವಣ್ಣನವರು, "ಬಸವ ಜಯಂತಿಯ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು"

"Your Words Should be like Pearls" said Basavanna- A great 12th Century philosopher, social reformer, poet and statesman, "Happy Basava Jayanti"

[non-beingnary]

[reflection-of-artistry]

[shinymoonbird]

🕉️  MUSICAL 63 NAYANMARS  🕉️

 # 1. AANAAYAR - Musical Periya Puranam of Kesava Mudaliar 🕉️

🌟 Ram MohanK In Arunachala - @RamMohanABvideos  🌟

🌟 In search of Sri Ramana and Arunachala Grace 🌟

🕉️

Periya Puranam - The Lives of the Sixty-Three Saivite Saints

The Periya Puranam in Tamil and Siva-bhakta Vilasam in Sanskrit are great devotional and spiritual classics which attract many aspirants, right from the 12th century Basavanna of karnataka and saints like Ramalinga vallalar and Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi of recent times.  Countless spiritual seekers are inspired by these scriptures.

In the past 1000 years, apart from numerous prose works on the lives of the 63 Saints based on the Periya Puranam, many poets have also composed melodious poems.

Of these, Kesava Mudaliar’s simple composition covering the core incidents of the 63 Saints’ lives, is being presented in these videos. An English gist of the poems is also added to convey the meaning of the poems. The Tamil verses from Kesava Mudaliyar's original print (published in 1865) is also reproduced as it is in the videos.

All songs have been rendered in their original musical notes (Raagam & Taalam), with great devotion and dedication by Ms.Mylai Divya Sundar of Chennai.  

It is intended to post 2 or 3 videos per week (a video for each of the 63 Saints). Therefore, the whole project may last a few months (with in-between breaks for other videos that may come up). 

Finally and most importantly, these video are the dedicated hard work of a co-bhakta of Bhagavan Ramana, who compiled all the ingredients of the videos AND of Ms. Mylai Divya Sundar for her devoted renditions. I have only put the skin, so to speak, over the real flesh and bones! Hope viewers will derive immense devotional benefit from this Series.

# 1. AANAAYA NAAYANAAR

Audio: Aanaayar from Tiru Thondar Puranam rendered by Ms. Mylai Divya Sundar.

🌟

Aanayar, a siva bhakta tended his cows feeding them with Panchak-shari* playing on his flute. Once he saw a bunch of Kondrai flowers that reminded him of the Lord Parama-siva. He played his flute with due melody and Nature itself melted with that music, Parama-siva and Parvathy too melted and fell in his net of devotion.

Aanayar was blessed by Lord Siva praised by Kesava**, to play the music in Kailas.

🌟

The Panchakshari* Mantra (or the "five-syllable" mantra  referring to the five syllables of na, ma, śi, vā, and ya. It is associated with Shiva's mantra, Om Namah Shivaya, which also contains these syllables.

Kesava** - the name of the author of the poem is mentioned, at the end of all poems.

🌟

[lildwbnt]

The vachanas of Basavanna (12th Century)

The rich will make temples for Shiva. What shall I, a poor man, do

My legs are pillars, the body the shrine, the head a cupola of gold.

Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers, things standing shall fall, but the moving ever shall stay.

Look here, dear fellow: I wear these men’s clothes only for you.

Sometimes I am man, sometimes I am woman.

O lord of the meeting rivers I’ll make war for you but I’ll be your devotees’ bride.

Don’t you take on this thing called bhakti:

like a saw it cuts when it goes

and it cuts again when it comes.

If you risk your hand with a cobra in a pitcher

will it let you pass?

[infantisimo]

the thing about me and my distilled contempt for the city of bangalore is that whenever someone mentions they love nagarjun . .

i always wonder are you talking about nagarjun the maithli poet?

or nagarjun the madras-born actor popular in telugu, tamil and a few hindi films, you know the one with the moustache?

or the other nagarjun the 3rd century buddhist philosopher fellow who possibly was an advisor to the satvahana kingdom?

it will never be - and i emphasise this vehemently - that nagarjun restaurant in bangalore. god damn that city. kempegowda, shishunala sharifa, basavanna and ferdinand kittel would be *hawk-thhoo* at what that city has become.

i was there for the duration of 2020 lockdown and more recently a few months ago, when sleep had deserted me and i was not to be trusted with my welfare. the only thing that kept me alive was spite – yes, dear reader – spite; that my corpse must not be found in bangalore. that this city must not have the pleasure of my last breath.

and here i am, breathing still.

i won, bangalore lost. loser city.

[majestativa]

You can make them talk if the serpent has stung them.

— Basavaṇṇa, Speaking of Śiva, transl by A. K. Ramanujan, (1973)

[kungseyesfr]

"The body is a moving temple, my legs are pillars" - Basavanna Indian Mystics

We worship our body as temple but we forgotten about the one who is enshrined in the temple. So we know only the empty temple. We go on worshipping the temple (body), but the God living in the temple is forgotten. We must worship our body as the shrine of God. The body in itself is nothing. It is luminous because of something that is beyond the body. Glory in the body is not in the body itself; it is a host. The glory is because of the guest. If you forget the guest, it is sheer indulgence. If you remember the guest, loving the body, celebration the body is part of worship...

Your body is a temple of God - Jesus

[dekhoebarjogottake]

রহস্যময় য়গন্তির উমা মহেশ্বর মন্দির | History of Yaganti Basavanna Temple Bengali

রহস্যময় য়গন্তির উমা মহেশ্বর মন্দির | History of Yaganti Basavanna Temple Bengali#yagantitemple #yaganti #andhrapradeshtourism

[pooma-satsangam]

GOSPEL OF GURU BASAVANNA

தமிழில்

There are no two or three gods. There is only one GOD, who is the Creator, Protector, and Dissolver of this Universe.

This mortal world is the Creator’s Workshop and it is real.

Human life is very valuable. One should not harm one’s own body which is a means to attain God.

God is the supreme soul. He doesn’t come into the cycle of birth and death. However great a human being is, he cannot be called ‘GOD’.

God is formless. We cannot feed him, clothe him. Needy man is the face of God. By serving living beings we can serve God.

The differentiation of caste, creed, and race is not God-made, it is man-made.

He alone is holy who is blessed by God.

Do not suppress senses but sublimate them.

How can there be a religion devoid of compassion? Compassion should be at the root of religious faith.

Unless the pride of caste, class, race, and sex is gone, how can one be a devotee of God? One should forsake all traces of “I” and “mine”.

To me, all the lovers of God are one such is my faith. There is not the slightest doubt in me about this. There is no high born or low born for me.

The chakora bird aspires for the dawn of moonlight. The lotus aspires for the dawn of sun’s rays. The bumbling bee aspires for scentful nectar. My heart aspires for Lord Kudalasangamadeva’s remembrance.

My tongue is filled with Thy nectar of Thy name. My eyes are filled with Thy beautiful frame. My ears are filled with Thy boundless fame. My mind is filled with Thy contemplation. Oh, my Lord Kudalasangamadeva, let me be a bee at Thy lotus feet.

Clay is the first need for pottery (to prepare a pot). Gold is the first need for a goldsmith (to prepare ornaments). Guru is the first need for the Divine path. Devotees’ (Sharanara’s) association (Anubhaava) is the first need to know our Lord Kudalasangamadeva.

Some have a notion that building temples or arranging grand celebrations is being very religious, but Basavanna says:

The haves make temples for Shiva.

Ayya, what can I do?

I am poor.

My legs are pillars, my body the temple,

and my head the golden pinnacle.

Koodalásangamadeva,

listen,

the sthavara comes to an end

but the jangama does not.

The rich can build temples. My body itself is the shrine, with legs as pillars and head as the golden tower. The temple that is built is stationary. My body moves. It is with me wherever I go. That is why it does not perish. What is made of matter perishes. The soul, the spiritual, is everlasting. That this body itself should be made a holy shrine is a message of immense value. We should be able to see God in this temple of our body. Basavanna never attached importance to outward form of worship, rituals, and religious observances.

குரு பசவண்ணாவின் உபதேசம்

இரண்டு அல்லது மூன்று கடவுள்கள் இல்லை. இந்�� பிரபஞ்சத்தின் படைப்பாளர், பாதுகாவலர் மற்றும் அழிப்பவர் ஒரே ஒரு கடவுள் மட்டுமே உள்ளார்.

இந்த மறைபொருள் உலகம் படைப்பாளியின் பணியிடம் மற்றும் இது உண்மையானது.

மனித வாழ்க்கை மிகவும் மதிப்புமிக்கது. கடவுளை அடைய, ஒருவரின் உடலுக்கு தீங்கு செய்யக்கூடாது.

கடவுள் உயர்ந்த ஆன்மா. அவர் பிறப்பு மற்றும் மரணத்தின் சுழற்சியில் வரமாட்டார். எவ்வளவு பெரிய மனிதனாக இருந்தாலும், அவரை ‘கடவுள்’ என அழைக்க முடியாது.

கடவுள் உருவமற்றவர். அவரை நாம் உணவு கொடுக்கவோ, உடை அணியவோ முடியாது. தேவையுள்ள மனிதன் கடவுளின் முகம். உயிரினங்களுக்கு சேவை செய்வதன் மூலம் கடவுளுக்கு சேவை செய்யலாம்.

ஜாதி, மதம் மற்றும் இனம் போன்ற வேறுபாடுகள் கடவுள் உருவாக்கியவை அல்ல, மனிதன் உருவாக்கியவை.

கடவுளால் ஆசீர்வதிக்கப்பட்டவர் மட்டும் புனிதர் ஆவார்.

உணர்ச்சிகளை ஒடுக்காதீர்கள், அவற்றை உயர்த்துங்கள்.

கருணை இல்லாத மதம் எப்படியிருக்க முடியும்? மத நம்பிக்கையின் அடிப்படையாக கருணை இருக்க வேண்டும்.

ஜாதி, வர்க்கம், இனம் மற்றும் பாலினம் ஆகியவற்றின் பெருமை இல்லாமல், ஒருவர் எவ்வாறு கடவுளின் பக்தராக இருக்க முடியும்? “நான்” மற்றும் “என்” என்ற அனைத்தையும் விட்டு விட வேண்டும்.

என்னால் கடவுளின் அனைத்து காதலர்களும் ஒன்றாக இருக்க முடியும், இது என் நம்பிக்கை. இதற்கு எனக்கு சிறிதளவு சந்தேகம் கூட இல்லை. எனக்கு உயர்ந்த பிறந்தவரோ அல்லது தாழ்ந்த பிறந்தவரோ இல்லை.

சகோரா பறவை சந்திர வெளிச்சத்தின் உதயத்தை ஏங்குகிறது. தாமரை சூரியனின் கதிர்களின் உதயத்தை ஏங்குகிறது. பசும்பொன்னி தேன் மணத்தை ஏங்குகிறது. என் இதயம் கடவுள் கூடலசங்கம தேவாவின் நினைவுகுறியை ஏங்குகிறது.

என் நாக்கு உமது பெயரின் தேனீட்டத்தால் நிரம்பியுள்ளது. என் கண்கள் உமது அழகிய உருவத்தால் நிரம்பியுள்ளன. என் காதுகள் உமது அளவற்ற புகழால் நிரம்பியுள்ளன. என் மனம் உமது தியானத்தில் நிரம்பியுள்ளது. ஓ, என் கடவுள் கூடலசங்கம தேவா, உமது தாமரைக் கால்களில் ஒரு தேனீ ஆகட்டும்.

கும்மியால் மட்பாண்டம் தயாரிக்க முதன்முதலில் தேவையானது. தங்கத்தை வைத்து நகை தயாரிக்க முதன்முதலில் தேவையானது. குரு தெய்வீக பாதைக்கு முதன்முதலில் தேவையானவர். பக்தர்கள் (சரணார்களின்) கூட்டமைப்பு (அனுபவா) நமது கடவுள் கூடலசங்கம தேவாவை அறிய முதன்முதலில் தேவையானது.

சிலர் கோவில்களை கட்டுவது அல்லது பெரிய கொண்டாட்டங்களை ஏற்பாடு செய்வது மிகவும் மத போற்றுதலாகக் கருதுகிறார்கள், ஆனால் பசவண்ணா சொல்கிறார்:

பெரியவர்கள் சிவனுக்காக கோவில்கள் கட்டுகின்றனர்.

அய்யா, நான் என்ன செய்ய முடியும்?

நான் ஏழை.

என் கால்கள் தூண்கள், என் உடல் கோவில்,

மற்றும் என் தலையை பொற்கூம்பு.

கூடலசங்கம தேவா,

கேளுங்கள்,

நிலையானது முடிவடைகிறது

ஆனால் ஜன்மம் இல்லை.

பணக்காரர்கள் கோவில்களை கட்ட முடியும். எனது உடலே குளம், கால்கள் தூண்களாகவும் தலையை பொற்கோபுரமாகவும் கொண்ட கோவில். கட்டப்பட்ட கோவில் நிலையானது. எனது உடல் நகர்கிறது. அது நான் செல்லும் இடமெல்லாம் என்னுடன் இருக்கிறது. அதனால் அது அழியாது. பொருளால் ஆனது அழிகிறது. ஆன்மா, ஆன்மீகம், நிரந்தரமானது. இந்த உடல் ஒரு புனித திருக்கோவிலாக மாற்றப்பட வேண்டும் என்பது ஒரு மிக பெரிய மதிப்பு வாய்ந்த செய்தி. இந்த உடலில் கடவுளை காண முடியும். பசவண்ணா வெளிப்புற வழிபாடு, சடங்குகள் மற்றும் மத அனுஷ்டானங்களின் முக்கியத்துவத்திற்கு முக்கியத்துவம் அளிக்கவில்லை.