Sayings of Basavanna

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The Current Edition of "Sayings of Basavanna" written by Dr. Masti Venkatesa lyengar has linked the presentation of the 426 of Basavanna's Vachanas as enumerated in English by our grandfather Sri Masti Venkatesa lyengar, with the Kannada original, and for the first time, has given a diacritical reading of the Kannada Vachana also, the aim being that the contents would enable reading of the original verses by readers who cannot read or write Kannada as a language.

A special acknowledgement must be made at the outset, to the effort put in by Dr. S.L. Srinivasa Murthy, scholar and a renown researcher, for carrying out the daunting task of correlating Masti's English text to the original in Kannada verse. Special thanks are also due to Sri Manjunath of Lakshmi Mudranalaya who organised the first stage DTP work.

In the Masti Library, MVJK Trust found handwritten information of Masti seeking approval (18,27-8-1957; 20-10-1957) aftrer selecting 555 Vacanas for the Central Akademi from a Kannada book by Prof. S.S. Basavanaļa - "Basavannanavara Şatsthaļada Vacanagaļu" followed by brief replies written underneath each other and overleaf by Dr D.V.G. (23-8-1957), Professors V.K. Gokak (28-10-1957), Da. Ra Bendre (28-10-1957), A.N. Murthy Rao, Adya Rangacarya (13-9-1957), C.K. Venkataramaiah (30-9-1957), S.J. Nandimatha (18-9-1957) and R.S. Mugaļi (8-9-1957). (Scans given in Annexe). It is not clear how work on this selection progressed thereafter. The 1983 Edition is presumably, the collection selected off the 555 to 426 Vacana rendered into English by Masti published by the Basava Samiti in 1983 by invitation, and later by MVJK Trust.

Sri Hardekar Manjappa brought out Masti's book (1935) as a serial in 10 parts in his Journal "Sarana Sandesa"; from Madras (Chennai) The Hindu' published a review by "C.R.S." on 25th September. He also reprinted Masti's book in his Journal on 23-12-1935.

Masti has given quite a few English renderings of other Vacana Sarana compositions in his book "Popular Culture in Karnataka" (Pub. 1937 excerpts given in Annexe),. He quotes more than 30 composers with a note that he had prepared the manuscript in 1931.

During 1975-76, the prestigious Group 'The Basava Samiti' of Bengaluru, brought out the elite and scholarly 'Basava Journal' under the Editorship of Dr. Siddaiah Puranik, Director of the Publications Section and a renown researcher. Sharing his enthusiasm with that of the Samiti President Sri Basappa Danappa Jatti, he brought out Masti's work "The Sayings of Basavanna" as a serial in the "Basava Journal" (Vol.4 April 1980; Vol. 5 No. 1 July, No.2 Oct. 1980; Vol.3, Jan 1981 could be traced details on the whole series are missing.).

The Basava Samiti itself, later published the entire series as a book as well. Dr. Jatti has thanked Masti :- "..... We feel proud to publish these Sayings of Basavanna in English garb as the translator has given us the benefit of his profound scholarship, great erudition and consummate artistry in these translations....'. For this Edition of his book, Masti has given a longer Preface. Several changes are apparent : Instead of preceding or following the rendering with 'footnotes', titles are given evincing the feeling evoked by the Vacana, groups of Vacana.

The present Edition has maintained its fidelity to the Basava Samiti publication, which was later reprinted under the banner of M.V.J.K. Trust.

It is fortuitous that the book came up for reprinting just amidst the Celebration year of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Masti. Trustees, of MVJK Trust, volunteers, service providers are all delighted to be participants in such a momentous period of activities related to the Life and Works of Masti. It is hoped that the presentation of the Vacana in the Kannada original and its diacritical script will help the book to reach reader groups over to much wider circles.

In his hunt for earlier literature, viz. the Masti lectures and the first two editions of Sayings of Basavanna, Dr S.L. Srinivasa Murthy says he was privileged to have received help from many elder researchers, teachers and friends. MVJK Trust joins him in extending grateful thanks and acknowledgements to all of them:

Dr B. Nanjundaswamy, renown researcher, in the Medical Fraternity of Pandita Taranatha Ayurvedic Hospital, Tumkur, provided his unpublished article on Masti's book, extracts of "Sarana Sandesa", and the review in "The Hindu".

Sri Vemagal Somaskhar, who provided the link to Mahatma Gandhi.

Dr. C.U. Manjunath gave his copy of the first book (Ed. 1935) he had purchased in his schooldays; (unfortunately slightly damaged).

The late Dr. M.M. Kalburgi was instrumental in getting photocopies of all the material needed via his student Dr. S.S. Patil, now the Principal of Sri Santivira Art and Commerce College, Bijapur - Vijaya Pura. Dr Patil's thesis for his Ph.D. was on the Sayings of Basavanna.

Basavanna was the great leader of the Virasaiva movement for reform in Hinduism which arose in Karnataka in the twelfth century A.D. Some members of the Virasaiva community now-a-days prefer to call the leader Basaveswara and seem to think that "Iswara" indicates higher status. The feeling is not correct. Basaveswara is merely the sanskritised form of Basavanna. "Iswara" and "Anna" both mean Lord or Master. The leader was Basavanna to his colleagues and followers, and it is most appropriate to refer to him by that name. Born a Brahmin, Basavanna when still a lad, renounced the superiority implied by that birth and joined a school which had begun reforms in Hindu Society. He joined service under Bijjaļa, then king at Kalyana, grew to hold high position and became prosperous. He did not treat his possessions as personal property. He was a munificent giver and spent his all in the service of the followers of his faith. In language now current he acted as only trustee of his property. He was humble of heart and held himself as lower than those who might have been considered as the lowest of the congregation. He knew only one God and no other. He led a blameless life and was an example to all who knew him. He practised complete surrender of body, mind and wealth to God and knew the bliss which is the portion of those whom the love of God has blessed.

But the protagonists of tradition and reform came to violent clashes after some years. The leaders of the movement left Kalyana; Basavanna went to Kudala Sangama; Bijjaļa was assassinated; and Basavanna's life ended in Kudala Sangama, how is not known for certain.

There is some quantity of writing about Basavanna produced by persons, some of them near contemporaries, some of a later time, but most of it is of the style of purana. Fortunately however, Basavanna made a record of his experience, as devotee and seeker after truth, and of the thoughts that came to him in the course of his activities as the leader of the movement. It seems to have been a practice of serious-minded persons in the movement to make a record in a few brief sentences of the spiritual experience they had passed through. These records are called "Vacana" sayings. The Vachanas attributed to Basavanna number nearly a thousand. Some of them seem to be the work of others interpolated but most are the Master's own words, for the tone and the manner and the content bear the stamp of of the great mind which was his. The Vachanas which are clearly authentic bring before us the picture of a great leader who is intensely human, noble of nature, inherently modest, yet courageous in action, aware of his human weakness, strong in his reliance on God, very lovable, very kindly, ever striving after good. This book gives a selection from these vachanas in translation.

Basavanna's vachanas contain teaching which is extensive and covers wide ground. They tell the individual how to make his life good, useful and beautiful. They tell society how to realise a happy life for all and not for the few. They instil faith in a Supreme Being, benign and merciful, supervising the life of the world. They teach men to face the hardships of life with courage. Their language is simple and beautiful and the beauty is such that the sayings are as great as literature as they are as wisdom. They can stand as the equal of any great teaching in the history of religion here or elsewhere.

The main points of the teaching may thus be stated:

1. Man needs God.

2. The idea of God should be high; lesser ideas of godhead should be eschewed.

3. Complete surrender of the self to God is the hard but sure way to final bliss.

4. Taking life in the name of God is evil.

5. Caste should go.

6. Personal property should go.

7. Woman should have a status equal to man's in society.

8. The least of men should be given the highest teaching, and the masses helped to a better life.

9. So, the highest teaching should be available in the people's language.

10. Astrology, horoscopy, superstition, are all inconsistent with real faith in God.