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Veera Shaivism
Veera Shaivism is one of the most dynamic of modern-day Shaivite
schools. It was made popular by the remarkable South Indian
brahmin Shri Basavanna (1105-1167). Adherents trace the roots of
their faith back to the rishis of ancient times. Veera,
"heroic," Shaivites are also known as Lingayats,
"bearers of the Linga." All members are to constantly
wear a Linga encased in a pendant around the neck. Of this
practice, Thavathiru Shantalinga Ramasamy of Coimbatore recently
said, "I can say that Veera Shaiva worship is the best form
of worship because Sivalinga is worn on our body and it unites
the soul with the Omnipresence. We are always in touch with Lord
Siva, without even a few seconds break." Followers are also
called Lingavantas and Sivasharanas.
Like the sixteenth-century Protestant revolt against Catholic
authority, the Lingayat movement championed the cause of the
down-trodden, rebelling against a powerful brahminical system
which promoted social inequality through a caste system that
branded a whole class of people (harijans) as polluted. Going
against the way of the times, the Lingayats rejected, Vedic
authority, caste hierarchy, the system of four ashramas, a
multiplicity of Gods, ritualistic (and self-aggrandizing)
priestcraft, animal sacrifice, karmic bondage, the existence of
inner worlds, duality of God and soul, temple worship and the
traditions of ritual purity-pollution.
Veera Shaiva tradition states that Basavanna was a reflective and
defiant youth who rejected much of the Shaivism practiced in his
day, tore off his sacred thread, yajnopavita, at age 16 and fled
to Sangama, Karnataka. He received shelter and encouragement from
Ishanya Guru, a Shaivite brahmin of the prevailing Kalamukha
sect, and studied under him at his monastery-temple complex for
twelve years. There he developed a profound devotion to Siva as
Lord Kudalasangama, "Lord of the meeting rivers." At
age 28, Basavanna arrived at the insight that the brotherhood of
man rests on the doctrine of a personalized, individual Godhood
in the form of Ishtalinga ("chosen, or personal
Linga"). This spiritual realization gave rise to the central
Veera Shaiva belief that the human body is to be revered as a
moving temple of the Lord, to be kept in a perpetual state of
purity and sublimity.
Near the completion of his studies at Sangama, Basavanna had a
vivid dream in which the Lord Kudalasangama touched his body
gently, saying, "Basavanna, my son, the time has come at
last for your departure from this place. There is Bijjala in
Mangalavede. Carry on your work of building a just society from
there." Having received these inner orders, he journeyed to
Mangalavede and sought service in the court of Bijjala. He rose
to become chief officer of the royal treasury, minister to this
maharaja in his troubled Shaivite country at odds with Buddhism
and Jainism. This position led to the swift spreading of
Basavanna's revolutionary message of a new, visionary religious
society.
Basavanna wedded two wives, taking on the householder dharma,
strengthening his teaching that all followers-not only
renunciates-can live a holy life. He gave discourses each
evening, denouncing caste hierarchy, magical practices,
astrology, temple building and more, urging growing crowds of
listeners to think rationally and worship Siva as the God within
themselves. Here Basavanna lived and preached for twenty years,
developing a large Shaivite religious movement. The function of
gathering for discourse became known as Sivanubhava Mandapa,
"hall of Siva experience."
At age 48 he moved with King Bijjala to Kalyana, where, joined by
Allama Prabhu, his fame continued to grow for the next fourteen
years. Devotees of every walk of life flocked from all over India
to join with him. Through the years, opposition to his
egalitarian community grew strong among more conventional
citizens. Tensions came to a head in 1167 when a brahmin and
shudra, both Lingayats, married. Outraged citizens appealed to
King Bijjala, who took ruthless action and executed them both.
The unstable political situation further disintegrated, and the
King was shortly thereafter murdered by political opponents or
possibly by Lingayat radicals. Riots erupted and the Lingayats
were scattered far and wide. Basavanna, feeling his mission in
the capital had come to an end, left for Sangama, and shortly
thereafter died, at the age of 62. Leaders and followers
transferred the institutional resources created in the urban
Kalyana to the rural villages of Karnataka.
In spite of persecution, successful spiritual leadership left a
legacy of sainthood, including many women saints. If Basavanna
was the faith's intellectual and social architect, Allama Prabhu
was its austerely mystical powerhouse. The doctrines of these two
founders are contained in their Vachanas, or prose lyrics. Veera
Shaiva spiritual authority derives from the life and writings of
these two knowers of Siva and of numerous other Sivasharanas,
"those surrendered to God." Roughly 450 writers of
these scriptures have been identified. The Vachanas, "what
is said," scorn the Vedas, mock ritual, and reject the
legends of Gods and Goddesses. The authors of these verses saw
formal religions as the "establishment," static
institutions that promise man security and predictability,
whereas they knew that religion must be dynamic, spontaneous,
freed of bargains extracted in exchange for salvation. These
scriptures reject "doing good" so one may go to heaven.
Allama wrote, "Feed the poor, tell the truth, make water
places for the thirsty and build tanks for a town. You may go to
heaven after death, but you'll be nowhere near the truth of our
Lord. And the man who knows our Lord, he gets no results."
The Vachanas are incandescent poetry, full of humor, ridicule and
the white heat of Truth-seeking, bristling with monotheism,
commanding devotees to enter the awesome realm of personal
spirituality.
These poems, written in the Kannada language, are central in the
religious life of Lingayats. Here are some samples. Ganachara
wrote, "They say I have been born, but I have no birth,
Lord! They say I have died, but I have no death, O Lord!"
Basavanna exclaimed, "Lord, the brahmin priest does not act
as he speaks. How is that? He goes one way, while the official
code goes the other!" Allama Prabhu said, "Then, when
there was neither beginning nor nonbeginning, when there was no
conceit or arrogance, when there was neither peace nor
peacelessness, when there was neither nothingness nor
nonnothingness, when everything remained uncreated and raw, you,
Guheshvara, were alone, all by yourself, present yet
absent."
Ironically, in the centuries following these days of reform,
Veera Shaivism gradually reabsorbed much of what Basavanna had
rejected. Thus emerged temple worship, certain traditions of
ritual purity, giving gifts to gurus, and the stratification of
society, headed up by two large hierarchical orders of
jangamas-resulting in the institutionalization of the crucial
guru-disciple relationship, which by Veera Shaiva precept should
be very personal. Efforts were made to derive Veera Shaiva
theology from traditional Hindu scriptures such as Agamas and
Sutras-a need rejected by the early sharanas. To this day, by
rejecting the Vedas, Lingayats continue to put themselves outside
the fold of mainstream Hinduism, but in their acceptance of
certain Shaiva Agamas, align themselves with the other Shaiva
sects. Veera Shaivites generally regard their faith as a distinct
and independent religion.
The original ideals, however, remain embedded in Lingayat
scripture, which is of three types: 1) the Vachanas, 2)
historical narratives and biographies in verse and 3) specialized
works on doctrine and theology. Among the most central texts are
Basavanna's Vachanas, Allama Prabhu's Mantra Gopya,
Chennabasavanna's Karana Hasuge, and the collected work called
Shunya Sampadane.
The monistic-theistic doctrine of Veera Shaivism is called Shakti
Vishishtadvaita-a version of qualified nondualism which accepts
both difference and nondifference between soul and God, like rays
are to the sun. In brief, Siva and the cosmic force, or
existence, are one ("Siva are you; you shall return to
Siva"). Yet, Siva is beyond His creation, which is real, not
illusory. God is both efficient and material cause. The soul in
its liberated state attains undifferentiated union with Siva. The
Veera Shaiva saint Renukacharya said, "Like water placed in
water, fire in fire, the soul that becomes mingled in the Supreme
Brahman is not seen as distinct."
True union and identity of Siva (Linga) and soul (anga) is life's
goal, described as shunya, or nothingness, which is not an empty
void. One merges with Siva by shatsthala, a progressive six-stage
path of devotion and surrender: bhakti (devotion), mahesha
(selfless service), prasada (earnestly seeking Siva's grace),
pranalinga (experience of all as Siva), sharana (egoless refuge
in Siva), and aikya (oneness with Siva). Each phase brings the
seeker closer, until soul and God are fused in a final state of
perpetual Siva consciousness, as rivers merging in the ocean.
Veera Shaivism's means of attainment depends on the panchachara
(five codes of conduct) and ashtavarana (eight shields) to
protect the body as the abode of the Lord. The five codes are
Lingachara (daily worship of the Sivalinga), sadachara (attention
to vocation and duty), Sivachara (acknowledging Siva as the one
God and equality among members), bhrityachara (humility towards
all creatures) and ganachara (defense of the community and its
tenets).
The eight shields are guru, Linga, jangama (wandering monk),
paduka (water from bathing the Linga or guru's feet), prasada
(sacred offering), vibhuti (holy ash), rudraksha (holy beads) and
mantra (Namah Sivaya). One enters the Veera Shaiva religion
through formal initiation called Linga Diksha, a rite for both
boys and girls which replaces the sacred thread ceremony and
enjoins the devotee to worship the personal Sivalinga daily.
Lingayats place great emphasis on this life, on equality of all
members (regardless of caste, education, sex, etc.), on intense
social involvement and service to the community. Their faith
stresses free will, affirms a purposeful world and avows a pure
monotheism.
Today Veera Shaivism is a vibrant faith, particularly strong in
its religious homeland of Karnataka, South-Central India. Roughly
forty millionpeople live here, of which perhaps 25% are members
of the Veera Shaiva religion. There is hardly a village in the
state without a jangama and a matha (monastery). On the occasion
of birth in a Lingayat family, the child is entered into the
faith that same day by a visiting jangama, who bestows a small
Sivalinga encased in a pendant tied to a thread. This same Linga
is to be worn throughout life.
(Courtesy: http://members.tripod.com/~lingayat/veerashaiva.html)
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Prasanna Kasthuri
Copyright © 2003 [Soorya Dance Company]. All rights reserved.
