Basava (also known as Basaveshwara (Kannada:ಬಸವೇಶ್ವರ) or Basavanna(ಬಸವಣ್ಣ) 1134–1196) was a philosopher and a social reformer. He fought against practice of caste system and rituals in Hinduism. He is also called as "Vishwa-guru". His teachings and preachings go beyond all boundaries and are universal and eternal. He was a great humanitarian. Basava advocated a new way of life wherein the divine experience was the center of life giving equal opportunity to all aspirants regardless of the gender, caste, and social status. The cornerstone behind his movement was the firm belief in a universal concept of God. Basava has a proponent of monotheistic concept of formless God. Lingayatism or Veerashaivism is a Hindu religious sect in India. ... According to popular view, and one backed by historical and literary evidence, the Lingayat or Veerashaiva sect was founded by Basavanna in the 12th century. ... Basaveshvara Shree Basava (also known as Basaveshwara or Basavanna) is known as the reviver of the Veerashaiva (Lingayats) religion in India. ... Allama Prabhu(ca 1150) was a mystic Veerashaiva saint and poet of the 12th century. ... Akka Mahadevi (ಅಕ್ಕ ಮಹಾದೇವಿ) was a prominent figure of the Veerashaiva Bhakti movement in the 12th Century Karnataka. ... Channabasavanna was Basavannas nephew and one of the foremost Shivasharanas of the 12th century. ... In Lingayat theosophy, the Ashtavaranas refer to the eight virtues that act as shields or coverings protecting the devotee from extraneous distractions and influences of Maya. ... Shatsthala The concept of Shatsthala or six Phases/States/Paths is pivotal to the Lingayat philosophy. ... In Lingayat theosophy, the Panchacharas denote the five codes of conduct to be followed by the devotee. ... Virasaivism is a religious movement of Hinduism in India. ... Virasaivism is a religious movement of Hinduism in India. ... Virasaivism is a religious movement of Hinduism in India. ... Karana Hasuge by Channabasavanna is one of the most important works of the Veerashaiva faith. ... Mantra Gopya is a work by Veerashaiva saint and mystic Allama Prabhu. ... Shunyasampadane are collected works of various Veerashaiva saints. ... Vachanas are a form of Kannada poetry and, according to the 20th century scholars, closely linked to the social revolution lead by Basaveshvara, Allama Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi. ... Genera Many: see text Agamas or Agamids are the Agamidae family of lizards, containing more than 300 species in Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. ... There are multiple meanings of Kashi: Benares (a. ... Ujjain (Hindi:उज्जैन) (also known as Ujain, Ujjayini, Avanti) is an ancient city of central India, in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River. ... Kedar is an another name for Lord Shiva, one of the three major gods of Hindu religion, the other two being Brahma and Bishnu. ... Kudala Sangama in India is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. ... Basavakalyan is a town in Bidar District of the state of Karnataka, India. ... Ingaleshwara is a town in Bijapur district of Karnataka state, India. ... Srisailam is a Jyothirlingam (Hindu shrine to Shiva) located in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India. ... Ulavi is a town about 75 kms from Karwar (via Kumbarawada) in Karnataka state, India. ... Yedeyur is a town in Tumkur district of Karnataka state, India. ... Basavana Bagewadi in India is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. ... Solapur is a district in Maharashtra, India. ... This article is about the religion Shaivism. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for mark. ... Anubhava Mantapa (Kannada: ಅನುಭವ ಮಂಟಪ) was an academy of mystics, saints and philosophers of the Veerashaiva faith in the 12th century. ... The Indian caste system describes the social stratification and social restrictions in the Indian Subcontinent, in which social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous, hereditary groups often termed as jātis or castes. ... The Lingayatism/Veerashaivism is founded by the Panchacharyas. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... Basava, writing in Kannada Categories: | ... Alfonso II of Aragon, an Occitan troubadour Basava, writing in Kannada Categories: | ... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social classification, that evolved due to the enormous diversity in India (where all three primary races met, not by forced slavery but by immigration). ... Hinduism (known as in modern Indian languages[1]) is a religious tradition[2] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ...

A true visionary with ideas ahead of his time, he envisioned a society that flourished enriching one and all. In addition to being a great mystic, Basava was the Prime Minister of the Southern Kalachuri Empire in South India and originated a literary revolution by introducing Vachana Sahitya. Basava 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. Many great yogis and mystics of the time joined his movement enriching it with the essence of divine experience in the form of Vachanas (Lit. sayings - sacred hymns in Kannada) that define a new way of looking at God and life. Look up mystic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This name is used by two kingdoms who had a secession of dynasties from the 10th-12th century AD, ruling over areas in Central India (west Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan) and were called Chedi or Haihaya (Heyheya) (northern branch) and the other Kalachuri (southern branch). ... The geographical south of India includes all Indian territory below the 20th parallel. ... Vachana sahitya (Kannada:ವಚನ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ) is a form of Kannada poetry, which evolved in the 12th Century C.E., as a part of the Veerashaiva movement. ... Vachanas are a form of Kannada poetry and, according to the 20th century scholars, closely linked to the social revolution lead by Basaveshvara, Allama Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi. ...

Basava's path later gave birth to a new religion (or "Sampradaya") called Lingavanta Dharma or Lingayata. Other synonyms for lingayata are: Basava Dharma, Sharana Dharma, Vachana Dharma. In Hinduism, a Sampradaya is a tradition of disciplic succession serving as a spiritual channel and encompassing a common philosophy embraced by many schools, groups, or guru lineages (called parampara). ...

Early life

It is believed that Basava was born into a Brahmin family (there are contesting views on his caste) residing in the small town of Basavana Bagewadi in the Bijapur district of northern Karnataka, India in 1134, Basava grew up in a strict, religious household where he was made to wear a sacred thread known as the Janivara. He did not accept the Janivara. He rejected the religion based on agamas, shastras, and puranas which were written in Sanskrit and was not reachable to common people. He did not accept the ritual rites. But Vachanas are basically essence of Vedas written in simple spoken Kannada language. Common people could easily understand the content of any Vachanas. The term Brahmin denotes both a member of the priestly class in the Hindu varna system, and a member of the highest caste in the caste system of Hindu society. ... Bijapur (Kannada: ವಿಜಾಪುರ) is a district in the state of Karnataka in southern India. ... , Karnataka (Kannada: , IPA:  ) is a state in the southern part of India. ... Events Baalbeck taken by Genghis Khan House of Brandenburg begins when Albrecht the Bear is made head of the Nordmark St. ... Upanayana, sometimes known outside India by the name, sacred thread ceremony, is a Hindu rite-of-passage ritual. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... “Kannada” redirects here. ...

The Great Religious Development

He left Bagewadi and spent the next 12 years studying Sangameshwara, at the then-Shaivite stronghold of Kudala Sangama. There, he conversed with 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; additionally, he created people who perform social services like removal of untouchabilty, superstitiousness, confusions, temple culture, and priesthoodness. 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. This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... In South Asias caste system, a Dalit; often called an untouchable; is a person of shudra; the lowest of the four castes. ... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social classification, that evolved due to the enormous diversity in India (where all three primary races met, not by forced slavery but by immigration). ... For other uses, see Creed (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Indian caste system describes the social stratification and social restrictions in the Indian Subcontinent, in which social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous, hereditary groups often termed as jātis or castes. ...

Basava Statue in Bangalore

Basava started his career as an accountant at Mangalaveda in the court of Kalachuri king Bijjala, a feudatory of the Kalyani Chalukya. When Bijjala acquired the power at Basavakalyana, by overpowering Tailapa IV(the garandson of Vikaramaditya VI, the great Chalukya king), Basavanna also went to Kalyana. With his honesty, hardwork and visionary mission, Basava rose to the position of Prime Minister in the court of king Bijjala, who ruled from 1157—1196 at Kalyana (presently renamed as Basavakalyana). There, he established the Anubhava Mantapa, a spiritual parliament to openly discuss Lingayatism, which attracted many saints from throughout India. He believed in the principle 'Work is heaven'; kayakave kailas one step ahead of Ravindranath Tagore's '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: Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 789 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,677 × 2,035 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 789 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,677 × 2,035 pixels, file size: 1. ... Kalyani may refer to: Kalyani (rāga), a rāga in the Carnatic music of South India Kalyani (well), a type of ancient Hindu bathing well Kalyani, West Bengal, a town in the Nadia District of West Bengal Basavakalyan, a town formerly called Kalyani, in Karnataka state of India Western... The Chalukya dynasty (Kannada: ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರು) was a powerful Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th century C.E. They began to assert their independence at the decline of the Satavahana empire and rapidly rose to prominence during the reign of... Events Births September 8 - King Richard I of England (died 1199) Leopold V of Austria (died 1194) Hojo Masako, wife of Minamoto no Yoritomo (died 1225) Deaths August 21 - King Alfonso VII of Castile (born 1105) Agnes of Babenberg, daughter of Leopold III of Austria Sweyn III of Denmark Yury... Events Spring, London, popular uprising of the poor against the rich led by William Fitz Osbern. ... Basavakalyan is a town in Bidar District of the state of Karnataka, India. ... Vachanas are a form of Kannada poetry and, according to the 20th century scholars, closely linked to the social revolution lead by Basaveshvara, Allama Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi. ... This article is about the art form. ...

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, Basava caused orthodox members of King Bijjala's court to go 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 be harshly punished. Before punishing the couple Bijjala asked Basava to agree with caste system; but Basava strongly opposed caste system and said, both Haralayya and Madhuvaras were lingayats and the rules of caste system of Vaidika Dharma are not applicable to them. With Vaidik influence, Bijjala did not agree Basavanna's ideas; and asked Basavanna to be silent and accept the punishment to couple or leave Kalyana. The "Being punished" Danda-gonda Basavanna left Kalyana with heavy heart and marched towards Kudala Sangama. He left Kalyana in 1195 A.D. for Kudala Sangama and en route to Kudala sangama, he preache the people about the humanity, morality, honesty, simplicity, and the dignity of labour, equality among all human beings, human rights etc. Being a perfect yogi he released the bonds of the body and soul and took nirvana (Lingaikya) in the year 1196 in response to the call from Almighty. Events Priory of St Marys, Bushmead, founded. ... Events Spring, London, popular uprising of the poor against the rich led by William Fitz Osbern. ...

Philosophy

Tha aikya linga of Basava at Kudalasangama

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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1152 × 864 pixel, file size: 301 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Basava Lingaikya Mantapa (Final resting place of Basaweshwara) at Kudalasangama. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1152 × 864 pixel, file size: 301 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Basava Lingaikya Mantapa (Final resting place of Basaweshwara) at Kudalasangama. ... Kudala Sangama in India is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. ... Anubhava Mantapa (Kannada: ಅನುಭವ ಮಂಟಪ) was an academy of mystics, saints and philosophers of the Veerashaiva faith in the 12th century. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ...

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, which was looked down upon by people of high caste, should be looked upon with love and reverence, he argued. Thus arts and crafts flourished, and a new foundation was laid down in the history of the economics of the land.

Basava formed people's committees representing various vocations such as agriculture, horticulture, tailoring, weaving, dyeing, and carpentry. 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 women followers such as Satyakka, Ramavve, and 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.

Basavanna's Vachanas

• ullavaru shivalaya maaduvaru naanena maadali badavanayya,

enna kaale kamba dehave degula shirave honna kalashavayya

Koodala Sangama Deva kelayya sthavarakkalivuntu jangamakalivilla

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.

The Lord of meeting rivers - his insignia of all his vachanas - Kudalasangamadeva in Kannada. Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ...

Views on Basaveshwara today

The Times of India in its issue dated May 17, 1918 paid a glowing tribute to Basava:
The Times of India, often abbreviated as TOI, is one of Indias leading daily newspapers, owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...

"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 sect 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. But the spirit soon disappeared after the intermarriage that Basava facilitated came to an abrupt end when the couple were punished for the same by the King. The dream of the classless society was shaken and Basava soon realised the meek picture and left for Kudala Sangama and a year later died. Many believe that it was through self-annihilation, because of the agony caused by the failure. Anubhava Mantapa (Kannada: ಅನುಭವ ಮಂಟಪ) was an academy of mystics, saints and philosophers of the Veerashaiva faith in the 12th century. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ...

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 of 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. However, the sect failed to bring about a completely classless society. Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple gods or deities. ... For the Celtic Frost album, see Monotheist (album) In theology, monotheism (from Greek one and god) is the belief in the existence of one deity, or in the oneness of God. ...

Honours

In honour of Basava, President of India Abdul Kalam inaugurated Basaveshwar's statue on April 28, 2003 in the Parliament of India in New Delhi. The President of India (Hindi: Rashtrapati) is the head of state and first citizen of India and the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces. ... Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (Tamil: ) born October 15, 1931, Tamil Nadu, India, usually referred to as Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam ^) was the twelfth President of India, serving from 2002 to 2007. ... is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sansad Bhavan, The Parliament of India The Parliament of India (or Sansad) is bicameral. ... , This article is about the urban region that is the capital of India. ...

Basaveshwara is the first Kannadiga in whose honour a commemorative coin has been minted in recognition of his social reforms.The Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh was in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka to release the coins. Kannadiga is the term for a native speaker of Kannada. ... This article is about monetary coins. ... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the Government of India. ... This article is about the Prime Minister of India. ... For other uses, see Bangalore (disambiguation). ... , Karnataka (Kannada: , IPA:  ) is a state in the southern part of India. ...

Basava's social reforms are the subject of the play Taledanda by Girish Karnad. ^[1] Girish Karnad (Kannada:ಗಿರೀಶ್ ಕಾರ್ನಾಡ್) (born [[1938 May 19, 1938]]), is a contemporary writer, playwright, actor and movie director in Kannada language. ...

References

1. Prophets of Veershaivism by His Holiness Mahatapasvi Shri Kumarswami.

See also

• Bhakti movement
• Kalachuri kingdom
• Akka Mahadevi
• Allama Prabhu

Bhakti movements are Hindu religious movements in which the main spiritual practice is the fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. ... This name is used by two kingdoms who had a secession of dynasties from the 10th-12th century AD, ruling over areas in Central India (west Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan) and were called Chedi or Haihaya (Heyheya) (northern branch) and the other Kalachuri (southern branch). ... Akka Mahadevi (ಅಕ್ಕ ಮಹಾದೇವಿ) was a prominent figure of the Veerashaiva Bhakti movement in the 12th Century Karnataka. ... Allama Prabhu(ca 1150) was a mystic Veerashaiva saint and poet of the 12th century. ...

External links

• Basava: The Great Socio-Religious Reformer
• Sri Danamma Devi