Allama : On Worship

In the evening, I happened to broach the topic about Allama with a friend, about Allama's concept of the god. My friend mentioned that "Basavanna" was a Brahmin and discussion took a diversion where I commented that today's "devotees" would not find Allama's teaching palatable. Just like Buddha's teachings are not palatable to a budhdhist; Shankara's teachings are not palatable to a follower of "Advaita" philosophy.

While turning the pages of "Allama Prabhu - a study in philosophy with translations of poems" by Basrur Subba Rao, I stumbled up on the very lines of the topic we discussed. Quoting excerpts from the book AS-IS.

- madhukara

Allama's worship

Worship, as commonly understood, means reverence or homage paid to an icon or deity deemed to represent God. But Allama's God is a mystic entity, referred to by a word 'Guheshwara'; an intensely personal vision of transcendental divinity. The traditional features of ritual worship are missing: there is no abhisheka or arati to perform because Allama is against idol worship, no hymns to sing because his God is unnameable, no eulogies to voice because his God is beyond attributes, no entreaties to plead because Allama does not beg God.

Allama converts worship of the linga outside the body into worship of the Linga within. In his view, to worship a linga outside means to deny the Linga within, it is spiritual death:

When eyes are turned outwards at a god outside,
darkness falls in the heart inside,
the soul flees, the body falls........

ಉದಯ ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೂಜಿಸ ಹೋದರೆ ಹೃದಯ ಮುಖದಲ್ಲಿ ಕತ್ತಲೆಯಾಯಿತ್ತು
ಹಾರಿಹೋಯಿತ್ತು ಪ್ರಾಣಲಿಂಗ, ಹರಿದು ಬಿದ್ದಿತ್ತು ಸೆಜ್ಜೆ.....
ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿ: ಉದಯ = ಮೇಲೆ ಏರುವ; ಉದಯ ಮುಖ = ಬಾಹ್ಯ ದೃಷ್ಟಿ, ಬಹಿರಂಗ ಪೂಜೆ

Allama is also critical of worship aimed to secure material benefit. To him, such bhakti is false because the bhakta is thinking of himself, not God. The false bhakta gets a false prasada - the gift he craves for is returned to him like an unworthy (anarpita) present.

Allama gives new significance to the word prasada: the true prasada is not what the Linga bestows on the bhakta, but what the bhakta offers to the Linga. The true prasadi offers himself / herself as prasada like the fruits, flowers and leaves which 'sacrifice' themselves on the shivalinga.

Chennabasavanna echoes the thought succinctly:

Life itself is prasada. The prasada embodies the prasadi,
The prasadi is the prasada .....

...ಪ್ರಸಾದವೆ ಪ್ರಾಣವಾಗಿ, ಪ್ರಸಾದವು ಪ್ರಸಾದಿಯನೆ ಅವಗ್ರಹಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿಪ್ಪುದು,
ಪ್ರಸಾದವೂ ಪ್ರಸಾದಿಯೂ ಏಕವಾಗಿದ್ದಡಾನು.....

Shila (ಶೀಲ)

Shila is a list of 64 acts, both recommended and prohibited, which Virashaivas are required to follow.

Allama is dismissive of shila. He considers these rules as meant for showmen, for those who are incapable of looking within themselves:

The bhakta incapable of knowing the Linga
takes to shila .....
ಲಿಂಗದ ಹೊಲಬನರಿಯದೆ ಭಕ್ತ ಶೀಲವಂತನಾದ...

In another vachana, Allama calls shila mere sound, just idle chatter. To him, observance of 'do-and-don't' rules may display religiosity for public consumption but confers little spiritual merit. Allama's objections to religious acts, observances and conduct arise because, in his view, these practices connect the devotee to the 'outside' - to icons, idols and society, not 'inside' to the Linga.

Renunciation

Renunciation of egotism and material possessions is a key tenet of Basavanna's faith. Renunciation is a form of worship. Allama says 'until you are covered with the ash of renunciation, there is no true shila'. Basavanna reminds that material possessions do not belong to the individual but to society and must be returned to society - an echo of the Isha Upanishad: kasyas vid dhanam? - Whose wealth is it?

Brotherr! Body, mind and wealth
are barriers to the Lord.
They are not yours, they are not mine
Onwership is mere delusion.....

ತನುಮನಧನವೆಂಬ ಕನ್ನಡ ನೋಡಿಯ್ಯಾ,
ಎನ್ನದೂ ಅಲ್ಲ, ನಿನ್ನದೂ ಅಲ್ಲ, ಬರಿಯ ಭ್ರಮೆಯ ಮಾತು.
(ಟಿಪ್ಪಣಿ: ಕನ್ನಡ = ಗೋಡೆ, ಅಡ್ಡಗಟ್ಟು)

Of all renunciations, giving up feelings of superiority born of high caste or learning is the supreme goal of the sharana. Basavanna, though born a Brahmin and despite having acquired mastery of the Vedas and Shastras during his long study at Kappadi Kudala Sangama, was a man of extraordinary humility. Some preach for others to practice; Basavanna preached what he practised: most of his devotees were Dalits: cobblers, sellers, water carriers, boatmen, fishermen, basket weavers, rope makers,weavers, firewood sellers, water carriers, cattle herders, drummers, minstrels, tillers of the soil, ironsmiths - the lowest of the low, poorest of the poor. Basavanna called them all brothers. Truly, he was a people's saint.

It is significant that according to Harihara's Basaveshvara devara ragale the only sharanas who remained by Basavanna's side at the end and witnessed his passing away were Bachayya, Kakkayya, Mulige Marayya and Madivala Machayya - all Dalits by modern India's rules for classifying human beings.