Pre- eminent in more ways than one
poet, philosopher, interpreter of Indian culture and spirituality, patriot and revolutionary but above all supreme seer and prophet of Lingayat.
We have abandoned Ishtalinga therefore abandoned Power. Linga is the Father the infinite energy and power looms up in the vision of man in various aspects and infinite forms. Each aspect creates and marks an age.
In our age the the Lingas characteristics is knowledgefull shakti and masterful strength. Everywhere the Mahalinga in the form of Ishtalinga and emanating energy from it is at work remoulding, creating . Linga is pouring His spirit in to the old and whirling into life of new.
Lingayat is not just a path , not a group of people nor a figure of speech not a fiction of mind . It is mighty power being poured by Mahalinga and joined with the Shaktis of millions of units of humans .
The ideal here is not spirituality which withdraws us from life but conquest of life by the power of Linga which is within us which is extension of Mahalinga or Shunya Mahalinga.
Our intense aspiration for the Divine should merge with ardent love for Lingayat and Guru Vachana without any contradiction.
Once Ishtalinga and Guru Vachana are accepted almost overnight, how very different we become from what we had been as individuals. We used to be just almost confused persons , most ignorant and inert. Now we become conscious and alert, our lives acquire a meaning , an aim , a purpose.We used to move in traditional ruts, dul and desperate. Instead of that our lives now become cohesive and oriented , a life of the present that faces the future with new duties and invigorated confidence .
Three clear objectives.
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1. Keep the ideal of Lingayat as an Independent relegion.- decolonization from sanatan. Strengthen the image of Lingayat heroes. It is not a negative current of dislike against other paths but a positive, constructive light which enhances life . Life enhancer
2. Make Vachanas sacred scriptures.
Vachanas are
Mouth piece of Mahalinga or paramatma. Lingayat can, should and will become a great universal religion.
It is not a cry of revolt and despair but the gospel of humanity where man cross his physical, mental and species identity. It is assurance of hope and success for individual and society. It creates the progress of world with democratization of communities, societies and countries.
3. Involve people from every caste, community, every religion and country.
4. Nurture consciousness which sustains humanity rather than laydown commands for society & codify the lives of people. Societies should be united around the Basava philosophy of humanism.
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Sri Basava did not place entire reliance on non- violence nor did he preach a gospel of Ahimsa.
No doubt he said” sakala jeevatmarige lesu or for the well-being of all lives”. To protect life, sharanara sangha, Lingayata, nation and the honour of the women he does not prevent from use of force and violence.
5. It is not sufficient to worship or pray Ishtalinga or even to do Ishtalinga yoga regularly without revealing and formation of Mahalinga or its symbol Ishtalinga within ourselves. Once it is formed within us it becomes creative force and starts producing results as per the desire of sharana. Such a sharanas life becomes effective and fulfilling in the society and he stands out as a divine person among the people.
6. A sharana will use three instruments to reach the people. They are teaching, example by living and influence. He will not impose himself or his opinions for the passive acceptance of the innocent mind but sow the seed within the receptive hearts and mind which will grow under the fostering of mahalinga within. Sharana works to awaken the light of linga and sets the divine force in motion in the people. Sharana is not much a teacher but a presence pouring the linga consciousness and its light and power, purity and bliss in all those who come across him with aspiration to lead a life of fulfillment.
7. Faith is necessary.
Faith is of two types; one is born out of experience.
Second type of faith exists even before the experience .
Faith is what is witnessed by the innermost or deepest most consciousness of an individual within even before the object of faith becomes manifest.
Men of great actions, discoverers,inventors and creators proceed by faith till they produce proof. They do not stop even if they meet with failure.They go on in spite of disappointment until they achieve their goal for something in them tells that, it is the truth and the thing that must be followed and done. Faith motivates and guides man’s will power and strengthens desire to succeed.
Faith is most necessary for spirituality, religion and to bear dreams for life and for life’s fulfillment. A faithless man is a Godless man. Like a fruit without seed and a seed without germination power;a non creative infertile person. A man of faith is a motivated , confident and brave man. God lives in the heart of every man of faith.
Bhakti- Devotion: It is an irreversible commitment for total surrender and self offering to what is greater than the human beings. It is not an experience, it is the state of one’s psyche or the state of what is commonly known as heart and soul. Devotion is possible for only those whose psyche is awakened and their mind is enriched with goodness. There are two aspects of divine or truth, one aspect is personal and the other is impersonal. It is a mistake to consider only impersonal aspects of the divine to be true or important. This lop sided view of divine creates a void and sense of incompleteness in the being, those who disregard personal divine ignore something which is profound and essential for life’s completeness and it to be imbibed with all life’s riches. Prophet Sri Basavanna says “ I am poor without Bhakti”. Bhakti is adoration, divine love, worship and self offering to Ishtaling the embodiment of Mahaghana linga.
8. Lingayat is a distinct civilization.
Lingayat scholars who believed in a distinct Lingayat civilization have been sidelined or belittled on the ground that Lingayata neither has a separate country or the people belonging to Lingayat practice completely separate cultural practices from sanatana. Some even claim that at best it may be considered a reformed version of shaivism which is nothing but Sanatana or Hinduism. When we rely on the considered opinion of scholars and rational Lingayat voices based on their knowledge of history of Lingayatism and consciousness one will say indeed Lingayata has evolved as a distinct civilization right from its dawn. Soon after founding of the path in Basavakalyan in mid 12th century the king Bijjala embraced Lingayatism and Sri Basaveshwara the founder prophet of the path assumed the prime ministership of the kingdom. Soon majority of the people of the kingdom accepted Lingayata, even people from at least 52 kingdoms of Asia in those days migrated to Kalyan the capital city of Chalukyas and later of the Kalachuris to live and follow the path of Basaveshwara. This kingdom occupied a geographical area nearly twice the size of the entire Europe .
In fact this was unquestionably one political state or nation which was the home for the entire population which followed one religion , one culture and one political dispensation; democracy and diverse groups of people following one way of life. In fact this kingdom of Lingayatas was in continuous existence from around 1160 CE – 1187 CE with the capital at Kalyan and in its second spell Lingayata kingdom was established at Vijayanagar in 1336 CE and the Lingayat kings belonging to Sangama dynasty ruled almost entire south India till 1485 CE for almost 150 years. Vijayanagara empire was one of the glorious chapters in the entire history of India. Thereafter many small Lingayat kingdoms like Mysore, Keldi , Bilgi etc ruled south India for many years. Therefore a major part of south India was Lingayat land for 250- 300 years. The premise of the scholars (Radha kumud Mookerji & others ) in order” for a group identity to take shape as a nation or a civilization the fundamental and indispensable factor is the possession of a common country , a fixed definite abode “ is fully satisfied in the case of Lingayat. Unique Vachana literature, anthropocentric divine, temple free worship and Ishtalinga yoga along with promotion of knowledge based progressive society, sharan culture, collectively lend support to the position that Lingayata is indeed a living civilization that placed a premium on truth, critical inquiry and self confidence. Lingayata is nearly an unbroken consciousness and living experience of millions of people at least for 900 years or for a millennium. Many scholars with deep understanding of civilisational forces have considered the role of cultural nation to be more important than the role of nation state. They propose that cultural unity and veneration to be a more powerful civilisational force than political territorial nationalism of European type. Today Europe is neither a nation state nor a civilisation for they have subjugated their political nationalism to the European Union and their cultural nationalism to the practices of the basic instinctual universe of living beings.
People living in entire Lingayat land which includes land area of central India and major part of peninsula extending from Bay of Bengal in the east to Arabian Sea in the west practise Lingayatism and its culture and they have veneration and strong cultural unity growing uninterrupted for past 8-9 hundred years as an independent civilisation. The civilisational evolution of Lingayat is one of the most important component contributor for the survival and dynamism of Indian civilisation which fact seems to have escaped from the vision of Indic scholars and thinkers.
9. What is the fundamental virtue for Lingayat
Sincerity and surrender; sincerity to the Lingayat cause & surrender to Ishtalinga.
A sincerity which must become total and absolute that alone is protection for a Lingayat in life. To be sincere is to have will that is true will . If you only think and aspire and do the things inconsistent with aspiration and follow your desire, expose yourself for other influences then it is not sincerity. To be sincere, open and straightforward one needs spiritual endeavor, which means to keep introspective self vision that is to be a unwavering Ishtalinga Yogi
A sincere person will not think one thing and say another, or hides his defects or deny the existence of divine Ishtalinga as supreme power. A perfect sincerity comes when at the centre of being there is consciousness of the divine presence of mahalinga.
Surrender means at any moment whatever may happen the being has given himself completely to the will of the divine presence of linga consciousness within and wants only the divine will to succeed in whatever he does in whatever circumstances and at whatever time. Surrender is complete when aspirant serves according to divine will and sacrifices his body, mind and all possessions including ego for the divine cause.
10. The development of aspiration begins with the entry of a person into the path. The experience gained while progressing in the path raises the state of one’s conscious being to a higher state in which the embodied divine consciousness and the universal shunya mahaghana linga consciousness reach each other and work together in unison and transform the person into divine power house of knowledge, wisdom and action. His deeds will transform the world into heaven. He becomes a sidhapurusha. The power of aspiration of heart, the force of will , the concentration of mind the perseverance and energy we apply determine the intensity of the aspiration. It is the zeal for the achievement of divine result and eagerness to attain mahaghana linga consciousness devour all our desires , sins and dissolve the ego which breaks up our limited mould and hurls in to universal consciousness or into shunya. The man surpasses the largest and highest individual self and the nature itself as whose part he was.
11. Lingayat land and unity of people:
From river Narmada to Kaveri from Bay of Bengal in east to Arabian sea in the west, entire central and south India excluding some areas of Tamil Nadu extend the Lingayat land. Our forefathers from the 12th century have been shaping the formation of our people in this land into religious, cultural and political units. As a consequence of it originally people belonging to diverse shivite, vaishnavait and other denominations residing mainly in Dravid India have grown today as a major Indian unit of separate civilization and culture known as Lingayat. It is an organic growth over 900 years and not just a wish, aspiration and dream of some person written on paper. It is a living reality. It has a continuity of life and growth unbroken for the past 900 years. It has grown out of this soil, has its roots grown deep and wide and struck strongly in it.
Because of it’s formation originally from the people of diverse sects and sections, dissimilarities and differences within its fold exist even now. But the things which unite them are their faith in Sri Basavanna, Vachana literature and Ishtalinga and faith in scientific thinking , progress & strong aversion to blind faith.
A civilizational and cultural unit is not marked out because it’s people have no subdivisions and diversities among themselves but because they, as whole, present a more homogeneous unity among themselves than they have in common with others. They differ immensely with others in their way of life, common thinking, social behaviour and perception of life and spirituality.
12. Political history of Lingayats.
( ref material)
( Modern historians for ref:1. Hiremallur Ishwaran- There was no Lingayat before Basaveshwar.
2. Prof. V.V. Sangamad- Basaveshwar the founder of Lingayatism.
3. M.R. Sakhare. Panchyachyaras are not the founders of Lingayat.
4. Dr. P.B. Desai. Basaveshwara and his times, yugyatra Bharatiya sanskruti, published by Mysore university. In these two books he says Basaveshwar is the founder of Lingayatism.
5. Gail Omvedt. In his article Schouten 1995, claims Basavanna is the founder of Lingayatism.
Books in Sanskrit language on Basaveshwar.
- Vrushabha purana- by Shankardhy of kanchi ( modern kanjivaram. ) Contains 43 chapters, 4714 verses. Each chapter begins with sentense srunutvam kesavamatya. This book is sponsored and published by Kesavamatya Chief Minister of King Kumara Mancha of Kandakura Reddy family. In this book the author offered obeisance to Siva, Manchanna Pandita, Mallikarjun Pandita, Kinnari Brahmmayya, Elesvara ketayya, Haradattachyarya, Bibi Bachaya and Kandakura Reddy family. This family founded by Vema Reddy in Kandakur. He along with Mallaya fought with Bahamanis and drove out them from Srisailam . They were the staunch devotees of Srisaila Mallikarjuna. They built steps to temple and patalganga . He was given the title Agastya to Mlecha ocean, Pallavditya, Basava Sankara.
Prolaya Nayaka & his brother Kapaya Nayaka and Prolaya Vema Reddy formed confederation to oppose Mohamedan invaders.
- Brief biography of Sri Basavanna is seen in Sivatatva- Ratnakara by Keladi Basavaraja.
- There is mention of Basavanna in Nandyagam ( not available)
Stock of people which formed Lingayat.
Early Rudraworshipers.
From them 2 groups were formed.
a . Puranik saivism. b . Non Puranik saivism
From Puranik saivism formed popular worshipers.
From non Puranik saivism again two groups are formed . They are
I . Atimarga. II. Mantra marga.
From Atimarga following 4 . groups are formed.
- Pashupatha saivism.
- Lakula.
- Kalamukha.
- Lingayat. From Mantra marga again 2 groups are formed. a. Kapalika. b. Saiva sidhanta. The Kapalika ended up being 3 groups. They are. I. Aghori II. Kaula iii. Trika. From saiva sidhanta . Came Tamil saiva sidhanta some of whom joined Lingayata. ( Ref: Shri Sainath Maharaja Trust Dapoli Maharashtra. Wikipedia ). Apart from the groups belonging to the soil of south and central Indian regions Brahmins from Banaras and other pats of India, Kashmir Saivas , people from Orissa, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu Kerala and Andhra also joined Lingayat streams. Many of them were from different depressed castes, artisans and land tiller those who were denied entry in to temples , religious functions and rituals those who were considered lowly outcasts barred from entering main areas of villages and towns were given entry in Lingayatism. About more than 2 lakhs of people from all over Indian subcontinent came to Basavakalyan and settle here the capital Kalyan and surrounding villages and town
Because of great revolutionary path for the progress of entire humanity came in to existence for the first time in entire human history great mass of people including kings, soldiers, generals, political strategist, visionary leaders and statesman came to Kalyan and joined Lingayat.
Among the notable leaders who joined in early days of founding Lingayatism in 12 th century are.
- King of Kashmir who came to be known as Sharana Molige Marayya along with his queen joined the path
- King Ohil of Gujarat.
- King Animisha of Pattadakallu.
- King Brahmmayya of Kovuru.
- King Brahmmayya of Rakkasa.
- King Charamarasa of Kerala.
- King Sakalesh Madarasa.
- King Kesiraja of Kodanguli.
- King Mallarasa of Kallukere.
- 10.King Bijjala of Kalachuri dynasty successor to Chalukya dynasty of Kalyan. (Reference material above)
Political history of Lingayats:
Prophet of Lingayatism Sri Basaveshwar himself was Prime Minister in the court of Kalachuri King Bijjala. His father-in-law Baladeva was also PrimeMinister in earliear Chalukya kingdom, brother of Baladeva Sivadeva was also Minister in the court of Chalukyas. Father of Sri Basava himself was the ruler of Bagewadi autonomous town within the kingdom meant only for the residence of people belonging to priestly class . These township were called as ‘ Agrahara’ . kings were required to give only grants to such towns without exercising any of their power on them. The grand parents of Sri Basavanna from his maternal side were belonging to famous Desai family of Ingaleshwar Bagewadi, this was also political family infact the Prime Minister Baladeva and Sivadeva another minister of Chalukyas were both brothers of Madalambika the mother of Sri Basavanna. Therefore it is not difficult to imagine Sri Basavanna had the deep knowledge of politics and its significance in sustaining and growth of religion.
In early days after the informal formation of Lingayatism in early fiftys of 12 th century at least 10 known and many more unknown kings joined the Lingayata and came to stay in Kalyan. They are
1.Molige Marayya the king of Kashmir along with his queen.
2. King Bijjala of Kalyan
3.King Ohil of Gujarat.
4. King Animisha of Pattadakallu.
5. King Brahmayya of Kovur.
6. King Brahmmayya of Rakkasa.
7. King Charamaras of Kerala.
8.King Sakaleha Madaras.
9.King Kesiraja Kodanguli.
10. King Mallarasa of Kallukere.
All these kings knew the importance of political power in any activity including religious and cultural.
LINGAYAT SCHOLARS
Should know:
Breaking India forces.
Critical Race Theory.
Muslim grievances.
Kashmir
Gender & LGBTQ + issues.
Critical Caste Theory
Critical Dalit Theory.
Dalit heritage month.
Black heritage month.
Dalit lives matter.
Black lives matter.
US legal concept of protected caste system.
STEM : science technology engineering & maths.
Data used to train Artificial Intelligence algorithms.
Role of Indian billionaires & intellectuals sponsoring some of Harvard s research.
We can no longer trust our academic institutions to produce non- ideological independent evidence based source of knowledge upon which we can relay to form public policies to enhance our lives.
Idealogical capture.
Bartering truth to critical social justice ideology.
Gender affirmation surgery.
Cognitive liberty.
Wokeism , critical social justice.
Critical Race Theory.
Helen Pluckrose & James Lindsay s Cynical theories.
Douglas Murrys Madness of crowd.
US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
New moral orthodoxy academic spear.
Global far left army of knowledge workers.
Theories.
Aryn/Dravidian
Varna & Jati.
Term casta was brought in India by Portuguese
Indian Marxist intellectuals imported
American theories like orientalism, Post colonism & Subalterism
Blame
Post colonism – colonized victims..
Subterism – blame Indian Brahmins.
Pc unified Indians in countering foreign colonizer
Subterism became divisive foundation of break India force.
Weaponising victimhood.