Poet: Basavanna

Translator: A K Ramanujan

Source: Speaking of Siva, Penguin Classics

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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I don’t know anything like time-beats and metre

nor the arithmetic of strings and drums;

I don’t know the count of iamb and dactyl.

KuDalsangamadeva, as nothing will hurt you

I’ll sing as I love.

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Basava, also known as Basaveshwara and Basavanna, played a pivotal role in Vachana Sahitya during the Kalyani Chalukya and Kalachuri dynasties in 12th century Karnataka. Despite his Brahmin caste background, he vehemently opposed gender and social discrimination, superstitions, and rituals. Basava introduced the Ishtalinga necklace for all, promoting devotion to Shiva regardless of birth. As finance minister under King Bijjala II, he utilized the state treasury for social and religious reform. He established Anubhava Mantapa, a ‘parliament’ for individuals from diverse backgrounds to engage in spiritual and existential discussions, emphasizing his philosophy centered on valuing the living human experience over static structures like temples. Basava's sharana philosophy emphasizes the body as a temple (Kayakave Kailasa) and as an instrument for honoring the divine.

Poet: Sule Sankavva

Translator: Susan Daniel

Source: Women Writing in India, edited by Susie Tharu and K. Lalitha, Oxford University Press

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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In my harlot’s trade

Having taken one man’s money

I daren’t accept a second man’s, sir.

And if I do,

They’ll stand me naked and

kill me, sir.

And if I cohabit

with the polluted,

My hands nose ears

they’ll cut off

with a red hot knife, sir.

Ah, never, no.

Knowing you I will not.

My word on it,

O Nirlajjeshwara

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Sule Sankavva, a distinctive figure among the Kannada vachanakaras, represents the sole recorded instance in this tradition of a sex worker who embraces the Bhakti path. She transcends her experiences in her profession, using them to convey transcendental mysticism through the lens of her worldly endeavors. Sule Sankara is recognized by her vachana signature in which she addresses Shiva as "Nirlajjesvara", the Lord Who Is Without Shame. Stressing the significance of loyalty to one's Kayaka (vocation) and vows, she places their importance on par with other moral principles. Emphasizing honesty as a crucial virtue, Sankavva advocates for the pursuit of one's Kayaka, irrespective of societal judgments, with an unwavering commitment driven by purity of heart and mind, free from fear and doubt.

Poet: Kalavve

Translator: H. S. Shivaprakash

Source: I Keep Vigil of Rudra, Penguin Classics

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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They say –

All those are high born

Who eat sheep, fowl and tiny fish,

They say –

All those are low born

Who eat the cow that rains on Shiva

Sacred milk sanctified five times.

What the Brahmins had eaten adorned the grass

And a dog licked it up and went away.

What the cobblers had eaten adorned the grass –

Now the Brahmin’s ornament

In other words

Bags are made of cow’s hide

For ghee and for water.

Senseless Brahmins who drink

Ghee and water from such leather bags

Thinking it sacred

They can’t escape utmost perdition.

The master of Urilingapeddi

Doesn’t approve of such men.

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Kalavve, among the earliest Dalit women poets in Kannada, firmly stood for the principles of Kayaka Siddhanta, emphasizing selfless work over selfishness and greed in her verses. Her poetic expression strongly condemned practices like animal sacrifice under the guise of pleasing the gods and spoke out against casteism. Vrata, or religious observance, held significant importance in her compositions. Although only 12 of her verses are extant, they encapsulate her staunch stance against societal injustices and her advocacy for selfless devotion through righteous actions.

Poet: Ayadakki Marayya

Translator: S.S. Bhoosnurmath and Armando Menezes

Source: Sunya Sampadane Volume 4, Karnataka University, Dharwad

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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One who's engaged in work

Must even forget the Guru's sight ;

The Linga-worship he must forget ...

Even if the Jangama stand in front,

The obligation must be snapped.

Since such work is as good as Heaven,

Amaresvaralinga Himself

Must do it.

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Ayadakki Marayya, a contemporary of Basavanna, had the humble responsibility of gathering spilled rice outside Basavanna's house. Legend holds that Marayya and his wife, Mahadeviyamma, a Dalit couple from Maharashtra, arrived in medieval Karnataka, influenced by Basavanna's teachings. The stories chronicled in the Sunya Sampadane emphasize the deep spiritual bond between Marayya and Mahadeviyamma, a recurring theme in this tradition. Research has uncovered 809 Vachanas authored by Marayya and 69 Vachanas by Mahadeviyamma. Revered among devotees dedicated to Kayaka (service) and Daasoha (charity), Marayya epitomized the belief that work is akin to heaven. Writing under the signature Amareshwaralinga, his 32 vachanas delve into the philosophy of Kayaka, underscoring the importance of dedicated service in his life's principles.

Poet: Maritande

Translator: H.S. Shivaprakash

Source: I Keep Vigil of Rudra, Penguin Classics

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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If I am a thief at night

That would be a shame

To the master who gave me the picklock

If I enter houses

When people are forgetful

That would be a shame

To my expertise.

I wake up the forgetful,

Show them their riches

Then bring out my own riches, O Father

Lord of Mara, the love god

Foe of Mara.

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Maritande, a professional burglar known for targeting the houses of the affluent, sustained his livelihood by pilfering and spending the loot until he was apprehended by Bijjala's security guards. Around 1160 AD, during the time of Basavanna, the transformative figure in Maritande's life, Basavanna advocated for leniency on his behalf. This plea led to a change in Maritande's life as he transitioned from a burglar to a devoted Sharana. Influenced by this attitudinal shift, Maritande began writing vachanas, with only a few properly attributed to him. Notably, his vachanas drew on the imagery of his former profession, freely incorporating elements of burglary into his poetic expression.

Poet: Akka Mahadevi

Translator: H.S. Shivaprakash

Source: I Keep Vigil of Rudra, Penguin Classics

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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To him with no death,

No decay

No form

To the Beautiful One

I have given myself, O Mother

To him with no place

No end

No space

No signs

To the Beautiful One

I have given myself, O Mother

To him with no clan

No country,

To the peerless

Handsome One

I have given myself, O Mother

For this reason

Channamallikarjuna, the Handsome One

Is the man for me.

These wasting, dying men —

Take them away

Throw them into the oven!

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Born in Udutadi near Shivamogga around 1130, Akka Mahadevi, the prominent female Vachanakara, left an indelible mark on Kannada literature with her 430 Vachana poems, alongside two short writings, Mantrogopya and Yogangatrividh. While she composed fewer poems compared to other saints of the movement, her contributions are highly regarded. Acknowledging Shiva, whom she addressed as 'Chenna Mallikarjuna,' as her husband in the 'madhura bhava' or 'madhurya' form of devotion, Akka Mahadevi asserted her identity as a woman only in name, dedicating her mind, body, and soul entirely to Shiva. Her pursuit of enlightenment is documented in simple yet intellectually rigorous poems. Her verses delve into the renunciation of mortal love in favor of an enduring love for God, and she imparts insights into the demanding methods of the path to enlightenment, advocating for practices such as overcoming the 'I,' conquering desires, and mastering the senses.

Poet: Allama Prabhu

Translator: S.C. Nandimath, Armando Menzes, and R.C. Hiremath

Source: Sunya Sampadane Volume 1, Karnataka University, Dharwad

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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When neither Source nor Substance was,

When neither I nor mine,

When neither Form nor Formless was,

When neither Void was nor non-Void,

Nor that which moves or moves not,

Then was Guhesvara's votary born.

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Allama Prabhu, a revered poet and the patron saint of the Sharana movement in medieval Karnataka, was born in the 12th century in Shivamogga district of Karnataka. He played a pivotal role in reshaping both society and Kannada literature. Recognized as part of the "Trinity of Lingayatism" alongside Basavanna and Akka Mahadevi, Allama Prabhu channeled poetry to critique rituals, challenge social norms, and promote moral values, particularly emphasizing devotional worship of Shiva. Details of his early life are a mix of historical accounts and legendary tales. Allama Prabhu, known for his mystic and cryptic style, composed over 1,300 hymns, spreading his transformative message through spontaneous vernacular songs and Sandhya Bhasha, a coded language rooted in Vedic and Upanishadic traditions. His Ankita, or the signature he used for himself in verses, was Guhesvara, and his poetic expression staunchly opposed symbolism, occult powers, temple worship, and ritualistic practices.

Poet: Devara Dasimayya

Translator: A. K. Ramanujan

Source: Speaking of Siva, Penguin Classics

Performed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

For Bhakti Republic with Amit Basole

Radio Azim Premji University, 2023

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To the utterly at-one with Siva

there’s no dawn,

no new moon,

no noonday,

nor equinoxes,

nor sunsets,

nor full moons;

his front yard

is the true Banaras,

O Ramanatha.

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Devara Dasimayya, also known as Jedara Dasimayya, was a prominent figure in Vachana literature, hailing from the village of Mudanuru in Karnataka. He worked as a weaver and lived during the rule of the Kalyani Chalukyan ruler Jayasimha II. Basaveshwara, among the most prominent of the Veerashaiva poets, praised Dasimayya and his wife Duggale in several of his vachanas. Composed approximately 100 to 150 years before Basaveshwara, Dasimayya's 176 vachanas are noteworthy for expressing profound philosophical ideas in a concise form. Dasimayya's vachanas touch upon themes of conjugal discipline, gender equality, and the significance of charity. Dedicated to Ramanatha (Shiva), these vachanas have earned him admiration from the Devanga community, a widespread group of weavers in southern India who consider him an avatara purusha, an incarnation of the divine.