On this Basava Jayanti, it is important to revisit the life and message of Shri Basavanna — not through the distorting lenses of colonial and Marxist narratives, but through the prism of Sanātana Dharma itself. Far from being a mere ‘social reformer’ as modern academia labels him, Basavanna was a towering Ādarsha Bhakta and philosopher who rejuvenated the spirit of Bhakti and Dharma in 12th-century Bhāratavarsha.
Rooted firmly in Shiva Bhakti, Basavanna’s mission was aadhyatmik, not political or social. His divine Vachanas — soulful prose-poems — reflect a deep longing for Śiva, ethical living (Dharma), and pure devotion (Bhakti), not materialistic class struggle or political agitation.
Today, there is an urgent need to reclaim Basavanna’s true legacy from Marxist misinterpretations that wrongly depict him as a proto-socialist revolutionary. Basavanna was not a political activist; he was a Shivasharana — a seeker surrendered wholly at the feet of Bhagavan Shiva.
A Life Anchored in Shiva Bhakti
Basavanna’s life revolved around devotion to Koodalasangama Deva, a manifestation of Shiva. For him, Istaliṅga the personal Liṅga worn by each devotee — was the living symbol of God. In one of his famous Vachanas, he declares:
“ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮದೇವಾ, ನೀವೇ ಸತ್ಯ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ನೆನಹೇ ಸತ್ಯ.”
“Koodalasangamadeva, nīve satya, nimma nenahē satya.” (Koodalasangama Deva, You are the Truth; remembering You is the Truth.)
This was no social slogan. It was a timeless assertion of Vedantic reality — that Brahman (Śiva) alone is satya, all else is transient.
Another Vachana speaks of building temples not with stone but with love and humility:
ಉಳ್ಳವರು ಶಿವಾಲಯ ಮಾಡುವರು, ನಾನು ಮಾಡುವೆನು ಶರಣರ ಒಲುಮೆ.”
“Uḷḷavaru śivālaya māduvaru, nānu māduvenu śaraṇara olumē.” (The rich build grand temples for Shiva; I shall build the temple of love for His devotees.)
Here, Basavanna elevates Bhakta Seva (service to devotees) over external rituals, echoing the Upanishadic spirit of inner realization over outer pomp.
Dharma, Not Socialism
A persistent myth promoted by Marxist historians is that Basavanna was an early “social reformer” fighting against feudal oppression. This is a gross misrepresentation. Basavanna’s call was for inner purification, not political rebellion.
His emphasis on Kayaka (work with bhakti) and Dasoha (seva) were aadhyatmik principles, not political ideologies. Basavanna proclaimed.
“ಕಾಯಕವೇ ಕೈಲಾಸ.”
“Kayakave Kailasa.”
(Work itself is Kailasa, the abode of Shiva.)
Unlike Marxist materialism, which views labor as a means of economic revolution, Basavanna’s Kayaka dignifies work as a sacred path to liberation (Moksha). Work was not a class weapon but an offering to Bhagavan.
Similarly, Dasoha was about Ishwara Arpana (offering to God) through voluntary sharing, not forced redistribution. His words remind us:
“ಉಣ್ಣುವಾಗ ಲಿಂಗವ ನೆನೆ, ಇಟ್ಟಾಗ ಜಂಗಮವ ನೆನೆ.”
“Uṇṇuvāga liṅgava nene, iṭṭāga jaṅgamava nene.”
(While eating, remember Shiva; while offering, remember His devotees.)
Such teachings resonate with the Hindu ideal of Yajña — selfless acts done as divine worship — and are in sharp contrast with the coercive materialism of Communism.
Inner Purity Over Outer Ritual
Basavanna was critical of hollow ritualism but never rejected Dharma itself. He sought to cleanse the Antahkarana (inner being) through Bhakti, as this Vachana explains:
“ಮುಟ್ಟಿದರೆ ಮುಚ್ಚಳವ ಹೋಗುತ್ತದೆ, ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಮುಚ್ಚಳವ ಹೋಗದು.”
“Muṭṭidare muccaḷava hōguttade, manasina muccaḷava hōgadu.”
(Outer impurity is cleansed by washing, but the impurity of the mind goes only by devotion.)
He did not call for the abandonment of religious life, but its purification and spiritualization — entirely within the framework of Hindu thought.
Why Basavanna Is Not a Marxist Icon
To compare Basavanna to Karl Marx or any modern political thinker is a profound injustice. Marxism is atheistic, denying the very existence of Īśvara. Basavanna, on the other hand, dedicated every breath to Śiva.
Marxism preaches class struggle; Basavanna preached universal love through aadhyatmik realisation. Communism seeks equality by force; Basavanna sought spiritual equality through realization of the Divinity in all beings (Sarva Bhūta Ātmā Bhāva).
Thus, to cast him as a social reformer is not just inaccurate — it is a deliberate adharma against his sacred legacy.
The True Legacy of Basavanna
Basavanna’s Anubhava Mantapa — often simplistically described as the “first Parliament of democracy” — was in reality a Dharmic Sabha, a gathering of Shivasharanas engaged in Satsanga and Atma Vichara ( aadhyatmik inquiry). It was not a social platform but a aadhyatmik one.
On this Basava Jayanti, it is our duty to honor Basavanna as he truly was — a saint (Mahatma), a visionary (Drashta), and a devotee (Bhakta) of the highest order. Let us not reduce him to the confines of 19th-century socio-political ideologies that are alien to Bharatiya thought.
As Basavanna himself declared:
“ಕಲಿಸಿ ಕಾಣೋ ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮದೇವಾ, ನಿನ್ನ ಶರಣರ ಸಂಗವೇ ಮೋಕ್ಷ.”
“Kalisikaṇo Koodalasangamadeva, ninna sharanara sangave moksha.”
(O Koodalasangamadeva, the company of Your devotees itself is Moksha.)
May we seek the Sangha of great Bhaktas like Basavanna, and walk the path of Bhakti, Dharma, and Divine Love — not the godless paths of materialistic ideologies.
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