Lord of the Cave

LORD OF THE CAVE

(Translations of Allamaprabhu’s Vachanas)

Dr C.R.YARAVINTELIMATH Professor Emeritus Karnataka University, Dharwad

DEDICATED TO THE FOND MEMORY OF MY BOSOM FRIEND DR. M. M. KATLBURGI WHO BECAME A VICTIM OF iNTOLERANCE

BLESSINGS

Allamaprabhu, a great spiritual gardener, grows the crop of divine wisdom in the fertile field of his mind—clean and contented. His rich harvest is profound peace. He shares his bliss with all those he meets – seekers, sages and commoners. His sayings are thousands; all possessing the lyrical grace of poetry. They contain the mystical experiences of his union with the divine and his philosophical visions of the world and life. Moreover, they abound with great thoughts and universal messages that make human life on the earth rich and beautiful. Hence, the noble sayings of Allama must be made available to many a people of the world. Only with this lofty intention this fine translation is accomplished by Dr Yaravintelimath. Though a Professor of English, he is deeply interested in the lives and teachings of Sharanas, of whom Allama is the most honoured. As he is well acquainted with their philosophy, mysticism and moral outlook, his translations are of much weight. He has done the rendering so carefully that the essence of the original is almost retained intact. His efforts deserve all appreciation. Shri Siddheshwara Swamigalu,Jnana Yogashrama , Bijapur 1-1- 2016

FOREWORD

Allamaprabhu was a Yugapurusha, a mystic messiah come to save mankind. A man of robust nationalism and dynamic personality, his impact was epoch-making. He was the Absolute incarnate, who, though in body, was without the taint of the body; who was imperceptible and intangible; who, transcended both thought and speech; who, standing cast no shadow, and moving, left no foot-prints behind. A rare phenomenon, indeed! He was most unorthodox and seemingly perverse in both preaching and practice of the doctrine of Veerashaivism. His Vachanas which reflect his most complex paradoxical personality are an enigma. Inlaid as they are with out-of-the way imagery, obscure symbols, esoteric allegories and baffling riddles are a hard nut to crack. There is an expression in Kannada, ‘enterde’, which speaks of the eight-fold courage of a brave heart. It comes in apposite to my need to describe someone who dares to translate the vachanas of a mystic of Allamaprabhu’s height into English (or into Kannada itself by way exegesis). They are not everybody’s cup of tea. I myself fancied translating Allamaprabhu’s Vachanas, which altrenatively meant , translating Shunyasampadane . Having read a couple of the simpler vachanas, I presumed that Allamaprabhu was not that difficult, after all! It is well that I came to know that Dr Yaravintelimath had attempted it and brought it to completion. But he cast on me the onus of writing a Foreword to his work. ‘If this is Allama, I would have none of him’,I said as the proposal to translate him myself stood before me. But the herculean challenge which I had circumvented came round to face me again. Well, I must confess my inability to do justice to the task. If the esoterics of Allamaprabu were of the following type “Who knows, if not your Sharanas, The flames of green grass; The seeds of stone; The reflections of water; The smell of the wind; The sap of fire; the taste of sunshine; The light within oneself, O Guheshwara?” (L. O. C, V. 615), it would not have been such a daunting challenge. You may think of sand particle as the ‘seeds’ of stone; of the pulp of a green mango being sweetened by sunshine; and do many another brain-acrobatics to wrestle with the rest of the Vachanas to wring some sense (that seems ‘sense’ to sensible people) out of it. But what do you do, if fronted with a Vachana like this? “Devotion consists in worthiness. Prasada consists in food, Achara in Anachara. Righteousness consists in unrighteousness, happiness in sorrow. Vow consists in renunciation, rigid observance in vocation and Non-violence in violence! O Guheshwara,

Your Shaarana , not having any of these, is happy!” (L. O. C, V. 522) We propose to present Allamaprabu to the world as the greatest intellectual among the Sharanas, and as the crowning glory of Karnataka’s mystical genius. Such seemingly ‘perverse’ Vachanas as the one quoted above baffled me. I throw up my hands in a defeatist gesture. Nor am I able to interpret a line like “The dawn of fiction is the trace of resolution”. (L.O.C. V. 221) In moments like these I feel an immense sense of relief that my former disciple ( now a Professor Emeritus in his own right) took over the burden on himself, almost intuitively, I should say, and has discharged the responsibility, without a sense of weariness and without a sense of doership, nay, with a sense of triumph and a job well done. Let sleeping dragons of allegories, crocodiles of obscure symbols, hydra-headed serpents of brain-teasing riddles lie, one can still enjoy many delightful moments, spending in the sun-lit areas of Allamaprabhu’s Vachanodyana (Vachana-Garden), where there are : Vachanas characterized by music and melody, like “The word they speak is the Linga Effulgent and the sound they make is the Supreme Principle. When palate and lips conjoin in the mouth, what comes out transcends Nada, Bindu and Kala. Even though they speak, Guheshwara’s Sharanas are not impure” (L. O. C., V.1463); Vachanas containing pleasant similes and metaphors, like “Like the gold that has eaten colour; like the ghee that has eaten butter; like the word that has swallowed sound; like the flower that has eaten fragrance; Sangana Basavanna is in Guhjeshwaralinga without being under any obligation. Tell me, O Madivala Machayya, how does Sangana Basavanna’s practice of piety fare?”(L.O.C., V 1375) and “A running river’s body is all legs. A burning fire’s body is all tongues. A blowing wind’s body is all hands. Your Sharana’s body is all Linga, O Guheshwara! (L.O.C.,1608);

Vachanas that satirize the fake devotees, like “What use of those who pour water for bath, O Sir? They are only bearers of marks, O Sir.

There are disguisers who do not have faith in the Linga and love for the Jangamas, O Sir. The devotion done with due respect to the robe is not the essence of the good. Guheshwara does not like it, O Sir. (L.O.C., V. 126) and “They toil and moil throughout the day for food. They toil and moil throughout night to appease their passions. On seeing those who have got their head shaved, they too get their head shaved. On seeing those who eat, they too eat. They visit holy places, and talk of the eight-fold offering and the sixteen-fold service. But not knowing the secret of getting the hidden treasure, all those, well-versed in the six-fold Sthala, passed away, O Guheshwara! (L.O.C., 1604); Vachanas that condemn superstitious practices and observances of vows and Sheela, like “It is like villagers offering rice and oil, saying – ‘O Mother Mari, come and save my son’s head’. They call him a Bhakta who worships the Ishtalinga in his hand with wild leaves and flowers. But he is no true Bhakta. He alone is a true Bhakta who worships himself as Linga, with his own heart flower.” (L.O.C. V.407) and “He who observes the vow of offering milk will be born a cat. He who observes the vow of offering horse gram, will be born a horse. He who observes the vow of offering holy water will be born a frog. He who observes the vow of offering flowers

will be born a bee. These practices are outside the scope of the six-fold Stage. Guheshwara does not like those whose devotion is not true.” (L.O.C., 120); Vachanas soaked in devotion, like “Wherever you look, you see a creeper called Basava. If you pick it up, lo! there is a cluster of Lingas! Pick up the cluster, it brims over with the juice of devotion! Who can make it a myrobalan? Who can make it shine outwardly? Because Gurubasava made clear the Linga on my palm, it’s through you that I have known the great stature of Guheshwaralinga. All other worlds are paltry things in my eyes! (L.O.C., V.974); Vachanas that contain the pearls of wisdom, like “If you do practice till you die, when will you fight? f you do prayer all your life, when will you realize yourself? If you go on word-chopping till the meaning is exhausted, when will you realize Truth? Having come to perform a particular function, and accomplished it, why the obligation of the mortal world? Look, the fruit filled with nectarine juice drops suddenly from the stalk. See the illustration. All pioneer saints, including Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, Having attained the Truth in Guheshwaralinga, are free from care. (L. O. C., V. 1581) and also Vachanas that speak volumes for Allamaprabhu’s moral and social concerns, and those that speak of the altered situation, sound relevant even to this day, like “If in Kritayuga the Guru used the cane to teach wisdom to his pupils, I deemed it good grace, O Sir. If in Tretayuga the Guru scolded his pupil to teach him wisdom,

I deemed it good grace, O Sir. If in Dwaparayuga the Guru held out a threat to his pupil to teach him wisdom, I deemed it good grace, O Sir. I wondered at the injunctions You prescribed from time to time, O Guheshwhara! (L. O. C.,V. 52) Considering the enormity of the task, I must say Dr Yaravintelimath has done a good job of it. But, in all humility, he makes a modest claim, -- “No doubt, I have done my best, but I fear my best may not be good enough to do justice to the stalwart of a Sharana.” True, try how so one may to do justice, it is very difficult to do full justice to the mighty mind. There is a saying in English, “None but the brave deserve the fair”. In the same strain, but with a slight twist, I would like to say, “None but the brave-hearted Yaravintelimath deserves the maid of honour and the grace of Guheshwara, the Lord of the Cave.” Thrice blessed be he!

Dr G.B.Sajjana, Professor of English and Principa(Rtd), Bijapur

TRANSLATOR’S WORD “Much have I travelled in the realms of gold And many goodly states and kingdoms seen; Round many western islands have I been Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told That deep brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne: Yet did I never breathe its pure serene Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold.” That is John Keats, one of the English romantic poets, who expressed his surprise and joy on discovering Homer through Chapman’s translation of Homer. More or less similar was my joy on discovering the deep browed and sky-bodied Allamaprabhu’s high stature through the scholarly exegesis Prabhudevara Vachana-Nirvachana by His Holiness Shri Siddheshwara Swamigalu of Jnana Yogashrama of Bijapur. Had I not come upon that matchless commentary, I dared not have ventured on the up-hill task of translating Allamaprabhu’s Vachanas into English. For opening my eyes to the wonder of wonders in the realm of Vachana Literature as well as for his grace abounding in the form of ‘Blessings’ to this book, I bow with deep reverence to the holy feet of the Abhinava Allamaprabhu whose words are soft, sweet and full of the light of wisdom. Dr. G.B. Sajjan, whose initials G.B.S. remind one of the paradoxical personality of the world famous dramatist George Bernard Shaw, is my un-winking Animisha. He is an authority on the English Grammar and Usage. Homer, it is said, nods at times. It may be true. But never have I seen Dr Sajjana nod in his writings. H is always alert, and always correct. It is my good fortune that he has favoured me with a learned Foreword to this book. I owe to him a deep debt of gratitude. Shri Aravind Jatti, the President of Basava Samithi, Bangalore is the one who can make the impossible possible, who has spread the message of the 12th Century Sharanas and Sharaneyas all over India and abroad through a mammoth project of translating 2500 Vachanas culled from various sources into 25 Indian languages, including English. He is every inch a Sharana committed to the noble cause of creating awareness about Vachana literature and Sharana culture among the people. He has been a great support to me in all my undertakings. Whenever I approached him with my begging bowl for alms, he offered himself whole. His encouragement is my Spurthiya Tavanidhi, an inexhaustible store of inspiration. I place on record my heartfelt thanks to him and all the office bearers of Basava Samithi for bringing out this book. Dr. Gurulinga Kapse happens to have been my late brother Siddayya’s bosom friend. Though I miss my brother, I have great comfort in having Dr. Kapse in my brother’s place. He is a man of few words, but when he opens his heart, the effulgent Linga shines there. He has been with me throughout this project, giving me timely advice and right guidance. It is he who was instrumental in getting His Holiness Shri Siddheshwara Swamiji’s “Blessings”. I acknowledge his support, both moral and spiritual, with a deep sense of gratitude.

Dr. B. V. Mallapur, the editor of Allamaprabhudevara Vachagalu, Vol. 2 in the series of Samagra Vachana Samputa (2nd ed. 2001) published by the Pustaka Pradhikara, Govt. of Karnataka, Bangalore, deserves special mention here. Despite his dwindling health, he cleared all my textual doubts. I made this popular edition a working text for my purpose. His guidance and encouragement have always stood me in good stead. Words fail to thank him. Another Kannada scholar who has proved a ready reference is Dr. Veeranna Rajur, who, amidst his busy schedule, could spare his valuable time for me whenever I approached him for the biographical details about the Shivasharanas and the Puratanas. Because I am surrounded by such scholars as he, I found my work less laborious and more enjoyable than it could have been. I thank him for all his help. One more person who has won my heart is the dutiful Dr.Hanumanta Melinmani. He is helpful to each and every one. Helping is his nature. Call him any time of the day, he is present before you. Tell him to do any work within his capacity, it is done instantly. Versed in computer skills, he gave the final, almost professional, touch to the D.T. P done by me rather unsystematically. The fountain-head of inspiration for all my work is my family--my wife, children, grand-children, son-in-law and daughter-in-law. But for their willing co- operation in all matters, I could not have accomplished this nerve-racking work. I do not know how to express my irredeemable indebtedness to them. Out of 1636 Vachanas, I have translated 1633, leaving out 3 Vachanas—1311, 1321, and 1432, which are incomplete with some words and lines missing. I have taken the reading “ Nijavanarita” in the opening line of V. 637 from Vyoma Mmurthy Allama Prabhudevara Vachanagalu edited by Dr.R.C.Hiremath and Dr. M.S. Sunkapur (Kannada Adhyana Peetha, Karnataka University, Dharwad, 1976), for the “ Nijavanriyada” word (found in my working text), which goes against the spirit of the Vachana. I have spared no pains to make the translation sound natural and true to the original as far as possible. This translation has given me more satisfaction than my earlier attempts—Vachanas of Women Saints and The Essential Chennabasavanna. Fully aware of my limitations as I am, I do not make any tall claims. No doubt, I have done my best to do justice to the Vachanas, but, I fear, my best may not be good enough to do justice to the stalwart of a Sharana of Allamaprabhu’s height. Hence I crave the indulgence of the reader to take kindly to the work and to make the necessary suggestions to improve the translation, which will be taken care of in future. Finally, I thank the printers Shri……… and the cover designer Shri…….for their neat job.

‘Chaitra’ Dr. C. R.Yaravintelimath , Nirmal Nagar Professor Emeritus, Dharwad- 580003 Karnatak University 8-2-2016 Dharwad ,

CONTENTS

Page Blessings….. Publisher’s Word…………… Foreword……………. Translator’s Word…………. Abbreviations………. Introduction…………. Translations Part I-- Shatsthala Vachanas……… Part II -- Additional Vachanas…….. Notes and Comments……….. First line Index of Kannada Vachanas Bibliography….

Abbreviations

A.P. : Allamaprabhu, B.Virupakshappa A.C.A. : Anupama Charita Allamaprabhu by Basavaraja Puranik (Kannada) E.C.B. : The Essential Chennabasavanna (Trn.), C.R.Yaravintelimath F.O.L. : The Frolic of the Lord, (Trn.), B.S.Naikar

L.O.C. : Lord of the Cave (Trn.) C.R.Yaravintelimath P.L. :Prabulinga Leele, Chamarasa (Kannada) S.S. : Shunya Sampadane (Translation Vols. I--V) T.P. Towards Perfection (Trn.), C.N.Hiremath (Translation of Tipperudraswamy’s Paripoornadedege ) V.W.S. Vachanas of Women Saints (Trn.), C.R.Yaravintelimath

INTRODUCTION

Allamaprabhu, a Colossus among Shivasharanas In the spiritual history of the world, Allamaprabhu’s is a very great name. A man of extraordinary intellect and rare Yogic powers, his impact was outstanding. His personality, which is at once incisive and comprehensive, can enliven all ages and all climes. Though born in 12th century Karnataka, he is not of an age, nor of only one region. Truly speaking, “He was not of an age, but for all time”* like the world renowned Shakespeare. We can say of Allamaprabhu that never has a man turned so little mystic experience to such great account. Likes of him are rare to be found in spiritual history. It is said that Allamaprabhu is the only biographer of Allamaprabhu, since it is his own writings that give a clue to his enigmatic personality as well as biography. He was a mystic with a rare searching intellect. He possessed original and independent thinking power that could amaze any rational man of any time. So amazing was Allamaprabhu’s mystic experience coupled with a rare inquisitive spirit. His robust rationalism and dynamic personality lent immense strength to the Veerashaiva religion of his time. The socio-religious revolution that took place in 12th century Karnataka has no parallel in the religious history of the world. Religion had been for ages a monopoly of the privileged few. But as a result of the socio-religious revolution led by Basavanna, who was the Prime Minister and Chief Treasurer of King Bijjala, religion became the proud possession of the common man. The great seer that Allamaprabhu was, he exercised a powerful influence on Basavanna in carrying his will to greater heights of mysticism. He played a key role in that revolution. I. Allamaprabhu’s Life:

Regarding Allamaprabhu’s life history, we are faced with many difficulties. No doubt, abundant material about his life is available, but all that is either in the *Ben Jonson, “To the memory of my beloved Mr William Shakespeare”

Puranas and legends or in the poetical works of writers of later days. Since they lack a sense of history and make abundant use of allegory, the actual historical facts remain shrouded in fiction. His Vachanas, too, do not provide adequate material. Following are the sources for Allamaprabhu’s biography, though scanty: Harihara’s Prabhudevara Ragale (13th Century); Chamarasa’s Prabhulinga Leele (1430 A.D.) Guluru Siddhaveeranna Odeyaru’s Shunya Sampadane (1480) Yelandura Hareeshwara’s Prabhudevara Purana (1600 A.D.)

We can depend upon Harihara’s Prabhudevara Ragale and Chamarasa’s Prabhulinga Leele to sketch the life of Allamaprabhu as they are comparatively ancient and authentic.

Early life: There are two different versions of Allamaprabhu’s early life till he meets sage Animisha. In Prabhudevara Ragale by Harihara, Allamaprabhu is called Allayya. Allayya is the son of

Nagavasadhipati, the head of a school of dancing and music at Balligave situated in the present Shikaripura taluka of Shimoga district in Karnataka state. The boy Allayya was interested in playing tabour, a double-headed drum. As Allayya attains proficiency in the art of playing tabour, he attains maturity in age too. Youth lends extra charisma to his handsome figure. He looked like a rival to Kama, the god of love, and came to be called Abhinava Kama ( modern Kama), as he could pierce through the hearts of young girls without using the arrows of flower, which are the conventional weapon of Kamadeva. The grown up Allayya takes up the worship of the village deity Goggeshwara and worships Him daily by rendering tabour service. One day he meets Kamalathe, a lovely girl, the daughter of Dhanadatta, a famous merchant of the village. In beauty, Kamalathe surpassed Rati, the goddess of love as Allayya did Kama in charm. Hers is a bewitching beauty, no doubt. Kamalathe’s vow was to render dance service to Goggeshwara daily. On listening to the tabour music produced by Allayya, Kamalathe loses her heart to Allayya even before seeing him. When Allayya sees Kamalathe’s dance performance before Goggeshwara, he too falls for her tantalizing looks. Mind meeting mind, their love attains consummation in marriage. The blessed couple spend a few days enjoying conjugal bliss born of nectarine love. But fate interfering, their conjugal life suffers sudden breach. One day all of a sudden Kamalathe dies of high fever within a few days of their marriage. The sudden death of Kamalathe comes as a bolt from the blue to Allayya. Being unable to bear the pangs of separation from his beloved Kamalathe, Allayya goes almost mad. He loses interest in life. Leaving the house, he goes out of the village and comes to a flower garden situated on the outskirts of the village. Not knowing how to while away time, he sits downcast on a mound and listlessly scratches the ground with his toes. His toes feel some hard substance touch them. When out of curiosity he digs up the ground a little deeper, he notices the tip of a golden pinnacle. Then he runs to the village head and informs him of what he had seen in the garden. The village head rushes to the spot with some servants. He orders his men to dig up the ground. As the servants dug deep, they found an ancient Basava temple buried underground. The temple’s door was closed. None was prepared to come forward to open the door lest some bad thing should happen. But Allayya, having lost his beloved wife, has lost interest in life too. So he comes forward to open the door, come what may. Allayya, smearing all his body with sacred ash and muttering Shiva’s sacred name, boldly breaks open the door. As he enters the temple, he sees a rare sight-- an effulgent Shivalinga, and turning to his left, he sees a sage sitting in Yogic posture holding his Ishtalinga on his palm. The sage was deeply absorbed in Animishayoga, gazing on the Ishtalinga without batting an eyelid. This open-eye Yoga is called Animishayoga. Hence the name Animisha for the sage. Allayya could also see there a lamp burning without oil and wick. In that light, the sage’s figure could be clearly seen: open eyed, with Rudrakshi round the neck, snake ornaments in the ears, the white teeth shining bright and three bold ash marks on the forehead. It looked as though the sage held his breath only in his eyes since his whole body had been reduced to skin and bone with no animation. The sage seemed to beckon to Allayya to go near him. Allayya, approaching the sage, gazes on him. The sage mustering all his yogic power transferrs it to Allayya. Then Allayya takes the sage’s Ishtalinga and holds it in his hand. The moment Allayya takes the sage’s Ishtalinga, tremendous energy passes through his body and a rare divine light pervades it. At the same time the sage’s body separated from the Ishtalinga crumbles down. It looked as if the sage was waiting for this moment, i.e., for the arrival of a proper disciple to bestow his Linga and breathe his last. With

14 the blessings of Animishayogi, Allayya no longer remained the love-lorn, crest-fallen youth Allayya that he was, following the death of his Kamalathe. He became an enlightened Shivayogi with a well-defined goal before him—the redemption of mankind. He became Allamaprabhu. From here commences Allamaprabhu’s spiritual journey. According to Chamarasa’s Prabhulinga Leele, Allamaprabhu’s name is simply Allama. His mother is Sujnani and father Nirahamkara. They are a pious Jangama couple in Balligave. Allama is a born ascetic. According to Chamarasa, Allama is none else than an incarnation of Lord Shiva Himself descended to the earth to defeat Maye, who is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati’s Tamas aspect. The young Allama is a cynosure of the entire village. As a boy, he used to sport with hand- ball and wheel. From his very childhood he is inclined towards other worldliness and shows signs of becoming a great Yogi in future. When he attains maturity, his parents want to make his marriage, but refusing to enter into wedlock, he runs away from home in search of the ultimate truth and a Guru who could guide him on his path towards perfection. Wandering here and there, he comes to Banavasi, a village in the present Karwar district in Karnataka state, which is famous for an ancient temple of Lord Madhukeshwara. Mamakara Bhoopala happens to be the king of Banavasi. Maye, meaning illusion, is an only daughter of the royal couple Mamakara and Mohini. She has, at the behest of Goddess Parvati, come to the earth to defeat Allama by enticing him into her trap of sensuality. She is matchless in beauty. She daily goes to Madhukeshwara temple to worship the deity Madhukeshwara by rendering dance service. One day, when Maye was engaged in dancing before Lord Madhukeshwara in the temple, Allama comes there with his favourite instrument tabour, the double-headed drum. He too begins to play the double-headed drum with superb skill. Then Maye challenges Allama to defeat her. Allama accepts the challenge. Maye dances beautifully turning her hands gracefully, accompanied by gestures of artistic gazing, turning her neck in conformity with her gazing. She swivels her waist in accordance with the turning of her neck. She balances her leg in harmony with the oscillation of her waist. Thus did she dance in the style of Ratidevi. Maye dances with her dexterous legs and palms, shining fingers, tinkling anklets, and clanking bracelets. She galvanizes her body into rhythmic motion and creates bodily symphony. She turns her hands dexterously, swirls and sways bewitchingly and electrifies the onlookers by ogling at them. Thus did she dance like a swan. Maye danced so fascinatingly that nobody who saw her in those graceful movements could escape her charm, the very snare of Kama. At the same time Allama played upon his drum rhythmically by thumping, thudding, slapping and rattling it. He played upon it so well, surpassing Maye in her dexterous rhythmic movements, that all the onlookers were struck with wonder, and Maye shook with nervousness. It looked as though “ Lord Prabhuraya took the guise of a human being with pretty face, shining denture, effulgent eyes, beautiful body cuts, delicate hands and feet and serene look.” (F.O.L, p.23) As Maye listened to the mesmerizing drum playing by Allama , she was transported to a different world with joy like a peacock, enjoying the sound of thunder in the clouds of a full moon day. Maye forgetting her mission, fell in love with Allama instead of defeating him in the challenge. Burning with love for Allama, she longed for his company. She sent for him. When she saw him from close quarters, she felt the arrows of Lord Manasija (Kama) pierce her body. Then her friends, using all their tactics, got him appointed as her dance teacher and made him stay in the palace.

At that time Goddess Parvati sends Vimale, her confidante, to remind Maye of the task assigned to her. When Vimale comes to know of Maye’s languishing for Allama, she tells her not to lose her heart for Allama who is no human being. Maye does not listen to her. On the other hand, she asks her to arrange for a secret meeting with Allama. But Allama does not yield to her amorous desire. She makes one more attempt to tempt him but to no avail. All her attempts to mesmerize Allama failing, Maye bewails her plight: “Alas! Is the game over? Are my secret desires nullified? Did I fall into the toils of Lord Kama and become a butt of ridicule for the people?” ( Ibid., p.43) On seeing Maye suffer inwardly, Vimale advises her to worship him, instead of picking up a quarrel with him. Maye says “Yes” to her friend, but she does so with a divided mind. Then Allama said to himself: “Let me grant her desires provided she transforms her amorous love into spiritual love”, which she does not do. Allama, throwing away the drum, goes off. Maye and Vimale follow Allama and meet him in the forest. There Maye, instead of gently and gracefully praying to Allama to accept her, threatens to possess him by force. She says egoistically, “I have trodden on the chest of Lord Hari, played in the lap of Lord Shankara, sealed the mouth of Lord Brahma., converted the whole army of mortals and the dwellers in the dark into my slaves.” “I can arrest the sages, the spiritual apprentices and experts who are clad in mere loin cloth, who have bald pates and matted hair and who fast or feed on only roots and fruits.”(Ibid.,p.45) In rejoinder, Allama tells her not to think lightly of others, not knowing their beginning nor end and to go back. Maye some times becomes soft and at other times harsh. She seems to become humble and wants to know her defect. Allama says that she is all dross. Even iron can turn into gold, when it comes into contact with Parusha. He finally says that she is incorrigible for she is no metal but shards of a mud pot. Then Maye makes a last desperate attempt to embrace Allama; but Allama eludes her embrace, and vanishes into thin air, saying, “Can you ever hold the void in your arms? Then try and see.” Thus Allama proves a scourge to Maye. And so he declares: “When Maya trampled down Brahma and Vishnu, When Maya fooled and teased the Rudragana and the Pramathagana, When Maye was married to the forehead-eyed, the five-faced, and the ten-armed one; When Maye ate gods and demons, chewing again and again, When despite pride of penance, eighty-eight thousand sages yielded to Maya, Look, O Guheshwara, I was a scourge to Maya.” ( Lord of the Cave,V.1404) After having vanquished Maye, Allama wants to redeem suffering mankind. So he sets out in search of the devotees in need of his grace. The first person he meets is Goggideva. In Prabhulinga Leele, Allama meets Goggideva (Goggayya) before meeting Animishayogi, who becomes his mentor later. Goggideva is a farmer devoted completely to farming. Allama is pleased with his devotion for agriculture. So he wants to show him the right path of spirituality. He says to Goggideva:

“No agriculture will stop violence to living creatures. Do you attain the grace of God, get rid of sorrow and death by pursuing this agriculture? There is no end to the sorrow of mortals. My philosophy is beyond all these things.” (F.O.L., p.64) Allama adds that one cannot escape sorrow or death, if one practices devotion after hurting even a single living creature. So he tells Goggideva to become an agriculturist like himself, treating his own body as a garden. Allama is gardener of a different kind. He explains to Goggideva how to cultivate the garden of his own body, which is ridden with weeds and thorns. One of his Vachanas corroborates this view of spiritual agriculture. “I have made my body a garden, my mind, a spade; I have dug up the weeds of illusion, broken up the clogs of worldliness; Tilled the earth and sown the Brahma seed. The thousand-fold lotus is the well, My breath is the pulley. I have let flow the water from my subtle nerve. To keep out the five bulls of sense which might ravage the crop, I have put the fence of patience and poise. Keeping awake day and night , I have protected the tender plants, Look, O Guheshwara. “ (Lord of the Cave, V.1229)

Goggideva says that he cannot understand whatever he has been telling him. He wants that Allama should explain his points more clearly. Then Allama gives Animisha’s example. In order to teach Goggideva what true devotion is Allama cites Animisha’s yoga as a model. He picks up a clod of earth and shows a golden pinnacle buried under earth. Allama digs up the ground with the help of Goggideva. As they go on digging deeper, they discover an ancient temple in which is seated Animishayogi in Yogic posture. Allama experiences a mixed feeling of joy and wonder, and he is drawn towards Animisha as an iron needle is drawn towards the magnet. It looks as though he has stumbled over a huge treasure of which he had been in search for a long time. He looks “like a poor man tumbling upon enormous wealth, like a lame man recovering the use of his legs; like a blind man getting his eye-sight and like a man chancing upon the very creeper which he has been searching for.”(F.O.L., p.65) In Animishayogi, Allama recognizes his Guru. Forgetting himself, Allama approaches Animisha. As Allama stands before him, Animisha’s eyes are riveted on the Ishtalinga in his palm so fast that he looks like Bringinatha, who, rejecting the mutable mortal status, has immersed himself in Shiva-consciousness. The Ishtalinga being charged with divine force shifts to Allama’s palm. Along with that the vital energy of Animisha also merges into Allama’s body. That very moment Allama becomes a totally enlightened Shivayogi. Goggideva who has been witnessing all this is wonderstruck and says to himself: “This man must be God Himself, otherwise he would not have accepted Animishayogi as his mentor” “… Great Sire, you would not have earned the grace of Animishayogi without your spiritual greatness.” (Ibid., p.66) Thus Goggideva praises Allama full-throatedly, saying :

“O you are the mentor of humanity!” (Ibid., p.67) Goggideva starts practicing devotion as instructed by Allama. Allama, who has now become Allamaprabhu through the grace of Animishayogi, continues his sport of enlightening the devotees, who are in need of his spiritual succor. Allamaprabhu’s meeting with Animishayogi is a turning point in his life. By Animishayogi’s grace, a yogi that Allama was, becomes a Sivayogi. And sets out to redeem the devotees who are groping in the darkness of ignorance. Harihara brings in the Animisha episode after the death of Kamalathe. But Chamarasa brings it after Allama has vanquished Maya , and after Basava and other Pramathas have descended to the earth and the early life of Akkamahadevi has been described, that too by way of an illustration of Shivayoga before Goggayya. Many think that the entry of Kamalathe into the life of Allamaprabhu is a blot on the immaculate character of Allamaprabhu. Chamarasa is one among such persons. Although poets like Chamarasa tried to erase this episode from the life of Allamaprabhu, it has crept into the Introduction to Prabhudevara Teekina Vachanagalu and into the end portion of the Introduction to the Shunya Sampadane of Shivagana Prasadi Mahadevayyagalu as well as into Bhairaveshwara Kavyakathamani Sutra Ratnakara. There are no two opinions regarding the fact that it is with the Animishayogi incident that Allamaprabhu’s march towards spiritual perfection begins. But the editors of Shunya Sampadane are of the opinion that Allamaprabhu must have met Animishayogi in the final stage of his Yogic pursuit. Before meeting Animisha yogi, Allamaprabhu must have mastered all types of Yoga—Hatha, Raja, etc., and gone far beyond, but had not attained perfection as yet. Also he must have travelled throughout the length and breadth of India as a vagrant monk, and met several seekers. But none of them seems to have given him complete satisfaction as he was in quest of the Ultimate Truth. The only one who bestowed supreme experience was Animishayogi. From Animishayogi Allamaprabhu realized the glory of Shivayoga. Allamaprabhu’s meeting with Animishayogi in the Shunya Sampadane is as follows: “When grace favours, sod turns into gold, look, O Sir! When grace favours, stone turns into alchemic stone, look, O Sir! The fortune that I have sought years and years back appeared today before my eyes, look! After having seen a gem in a temple buried in earth, can I remain the same that I was before, O Guheshwara? (L.O.C., V.1351) The gem is none else than Animishayogi himself. He continues in the same lyric strain to describe its effect on him: “Like the creeper I sought so long being now entwined about my legs; Like the longing of my heart being now within my grasp; Like a poor man stumbling over a treasure-trove; I, coming with a seeker’s tireless steps have seen the inconceivable, O Sir!

I have seen the supernal light in the splendour of which is bathed my whole being, within and without, look! I have been saved, O Guheshwara, seeing my Supreme Master with his gaze of unfathomable wonder concentrate on the emblem on his palm, which has lost its trace, look! (Ibid.,V. 821). After having found his ultimate goal, Allamaprabhu prepares himself for divine grace. One of his Vachanas describes what kind of initiation it was: “If the master invisible should appear before your eyes— the un-uttered prayer, the untouched touch of the hand and head, the un-smeared ash-mark, the un-heard whisper of spell in the ear, the holy bath with water from the pot that never overflows, and the initiation without the Agama ritual— should take place, then you have the Linga that cannot be worshipped, and a bond that never binds, O Guheshwara, make me fit to receive Your fitting grace. (Ibid., V.1074) In this way Jnana-Lingopadesha takes place in a unique manner. Animishayogi transmits his un-utterable experience to Allamaprabhu’s heart through his eyes. A single look is enough to bring about tremendous change in the bring of Allamaprabhu, who has already felt the presence of the Divine Force through his constant efforts at Yogic practice. It can be rightly described as the meeting of the mutes! At last the Linga on Animisha’s palm is transferred to Allamaprabhu’s hand. “When the Linga that cannot be seen has come to my palm, I cannot speak. What a wonder! When Guheshwaralinga, who is without form and without bounds, has assumed form, I am short of words, I can say neither Yes nor No.” (L.O.C.,V.60) Then he says: “All tremor of the body being gone, My mind is caught up in You, O Sir! My vision itself becoming my life, All thirst is quenched, O Sir!

My heart which is at peace Is caught up in the Void, O Guheshwara ! “ (Ibid., V.100) Now Allamaprabhu has become an accomplished one, a care-free one, who has known Reality; a powerful one, who has vanquished death; a blessed one, who has attained the Bliss Supreme; a perfect one, who inhabits the Void, and “the Supreme Lord who walks without legs, who touches without hands; who tastes without tongue; who begs with a bowl of love for the Supreme” (Ibid., V.449) This is one of the principal stages in Allamaprabhu’s spiritual progress. Henceforth he will utilize his fund of divine experience (Anubhava) to help the needy spiritual seekers. His march became a Path, his speech a sacred spell. His way of leading them to higher and higher planes of consciousness has no parallel. He meets each at his/her own level. II. Spiritual Wanderings:

After getting initiated at the hands of Animishayogi as described above, Allamaprabhu, who is now a perfect Shivayogi, begins his tour of redeeming the devotees. Incomparable is the beauty of his going: Whatever he touches is alchemized ; whatever he sees is consecrated; whatever he hears is transformed into spiritual discourse. Those who hold conversation with him are immediately saved. He sanctifies the world as he passes by. Wherever he treads, all that turns into a pilgrim place. The waters he touches become holy waters. All those, who do him devotion with bowing head, are sure to unite with the Ultimate. It is curious to note that he meets each one at their own level. With Muktayakka, who is mourning inconsolably for her departed brother Ajaganna, it is one way; with Siddharama Shivayogi, who is a master builder of tanks and temples, it is another. The way he shows the right path to Gorakha who was blinded and swollen with pride of his occult powers is yet another. i) The Muktayakka Episode:

The first person Allamaprabhu meets during his spiritual tour round the country is Muktayakka, a great Shivasharane who is bewailing the sad demise of her brother Ajaganna, who was also her Guru and a true Shivayogi of the highest order. Ajaganna is her elder brother. Holding as he did his Ishtalinga in his throat, he was vowed to silence. His practice of Shivayoga was hid from the eyes of the world. When his secret devotion became manifest, the word OM came out, and with the Word, his breath too parted from his body. Thus he attained Lingaikya. Muktayakka is plunged in deep grief. When Allamaprabhu sees her crying : “I have now become as one Who blinks between light and dark. Then how can I save myself, O brother? I am a doubting person unable to discriminate between light and darkness.”(V.W.S., V.853) Remembering the silence of her brother and asking how she should forget him, Muktayakka grieves and cries incessantly. Tossed between light and darkness, she mourns in a heart rending manner, and at the same time wonders at the glorious height of Ajaganna:

“Look, O mother, How he manifests his colours, Sitting before my eyes! He moves about in a hueless hue. I am amazed at this Yoga Of Ajaganna, O mother! “ ( V. W. S., V.862)

“He tied the bells of space To a doll of water and gave it to a doll of space to fondle. He placed on the throne of fire a doll of camphor. he fire melted away and the camphor remained” (V.W.S., V.875)

Muktayakka grieves as if her grief would have no end at all. In accordance with Veerashaiva philosophy, death is a great festival to the Shivavasharanas. But Muktayakka, who is completely drowned in grief, is unable to rise above the normal level. Her mind is so much shaken and unhinged that she is on the point of going mad and losing her poise and spiritual experience – whatever little she had gained in the company of her brother, a mystic messiah. It is a great pity that what sorrow should have been sung away, she is adding to it by crying her heart out. Another Shivasharane Satyakka makes light of her unreasonably deep mourning. And asks:

“Are devotees heirs to afflictions? Why weep away the pain that could be sung away? The devotees of Shambhu Jekkeshwara Will not approve this infatuation of Muktayakka.” (V.W.S., V.977)

At such a critical moment Allamaprabhu, who is eager to uplift her from her depressed state of mind arrives there. The dialogue that takes place between the two great mystics forms the discourse of the highest order on the necessity or otherwise of a Guru for self-realization. Muktayakka has been endowed with spiritual knowledge. So the ignorance in her seems to be totally odd and out of place. Both indulge in bandying words, and that too enigmatic words. When Allamaprabhu asks who she is in enigmatic terms, Muktayakka too answers in the same enigmatic strain. “O who are you who lean upon your palm holding your disheveled head, and thread the pearls of tears? Tell me…. Your grief, it seems, is without sorrow, your lamentation is without grief in Guheshwaralinga. Tell me, O mother, who you are.” (L.O.C., V.725)

To this apparently enigmatic question, Muktayakka gives no less a riddle-like answer: “If you ask who I am and what mark Of identification I have, What can I say, O Sir? There is no illusion in my body, No error in my will, No mark of identification, if you ask. Without parents and born of no woman, What can I call myself the witless one. I am the younger sister of Ajaganna, Who was a shining light, sans head, sans abode.” (V.W.S., V.858) Muktayakka is labouring under the illusion that her Guru and brother is dead and gone, and she is left with no guide to lead her towards the Ultimate. And her error of illusion takes several forms such as: 1) A belief that Form is real and the Formless a myth; 2) A conviction that without the presence of a Guru the spiritual goal is unattainable; 3) The silence-bound state of her brother at the ecstatic state was possible to none else; 4) Such a state of silence alone is a sure sign of beatific attainment and to express it in words has limitations. She is thus caught in a web of errors. For that Allamaprabhu remonstrates her as follows: “Tell me, should you mourn for the self gone back to Self. who is neither conscious nor unconscious? Tell me, should you grieve? The word that says destruction awaits the disembodied soul is wrong , look! To Guheshwara’s Sharana Ajaganna, who has united with the Ultimate, There is no duality, not within nor without, look.” (L.O.C., V.834)

But Muktayakka who is in the strong hold of duality fails to catch the inner meaning of these words. To her, only the physical form is real. Allamaprabhu makes further efforts to dispel the deep settled darkness in her mind: “To say you have seen is the error of your eyes; To say you have not, is the ignorance of your awareness. To say you have parted is utter ignorance.

Once you know the taint of illusion like sight and un-sight, union and separation, listen, O mother, there is no parting from Guheshwaralinga .( L.O.C., V. 1039) Still the stupour in her mind is thick and draws an iron curtain of ignorance before her eyes. So she asks: “If you say that He is in the body of my body, And in the mind of my mind, Can the ordinary ones understand it? If you say ‘He is without’ What does it mean, When he cannot be seen but by worshipping? As long as the mind remains vexed, the formless Linga cannot be realized. Because there is none who can install Him in my mind and make Him manifest, I am bewildered by the silken knot knit by my Ajaganna. (V.W.S., V.871) Muktayakka persists that a Guru is required to heal her heart’s sickness and to enthrone the Supreme in the heart. Then what Allamaprabhu tells her to lift herself up, comes very near to the doctrine of the Bhagavad Gita, the Song Divine: “Uddharedatmanatatmanam…”-- “One should lift oneself up by one’s own efforts”-- Ch.VI, V.5) When Allamaprabhu says to Muktayakka,“If you know yourself, your knowledge itself is your Guru” and asks her, “ Would it not suffice, if you, knowing your own self by intuition, absorb yourself into the Supreme? Where is the need of a Guru who shall reveal the essence of the Supreme?” ( S.S. Vol.I, Ch.II, p.131), Muktayakka does not meekly give up her stubborn stand. So she says: “One may be a Guru oneself, Yet like my Ajaganna, One needs must attach oneself to the Guru.” (V.W.S., V.869) Muktayakka is adamant and refuses to accept Allamaprabhu’s point of view. She fails to understand his true self. We notice in her an egoistic attempt to win her own point by logic and inference. It is Allamaprabhu’s habit to rouse the mind of the devotees he comes across in the course of his tour, to appreciate the uniqueness of their personality, to reveal to them the secret of Shivayoga in the end. That is why, on this occasion also, instead of directly blessing Muktayakka, he fights a sham duel of words with her in order to bring out her spiritual attainment. For a while, both bandy words about. For Muktayakka, her brother Ajaganna , who taught the secret of Shivayoga without wielding words, seems

23 to be a greater Guru. So she taunts Allamaprabhu who trades in words to communicate his mystic experience, which is, in fact, incommunicable. So she asks Allamaprabhu: “You are not yet free from the need of words. How then do you preach to others what they should do? You are not free from the body’s needs Why then this mystic discourse with me, O brother? Unless one becomes ‘That’, How can one tell others about ‘That’? Mark, if my Ajaganna can manifest his knowledge, He does it without expressing it. (V.W.S., V.877) To this Allamaprabhu replies in his own way saying that although Shivasharanas use words to communicate their mystic experience, their words are not mere words. They are fully charged words, emitting light; they are the effulgent Linga itself: “The word they speak is the Linga effulgent, And the sound they make is the Supreme Principle. When palate and lips conjoin in the mouth, what comes out transcends Nada, Bindu, and Kala’ Even though they speak, Guheshwara’s Sharanas are immaculate, listen, O fool!” (L.O.C., V.1463) Allamaprabhu, who has no guile in his heart, finally shows his compassionate nature to Muktayakka: “If one knows oneself, all speech is the Supreme Truth, look! If one forgets oneself, all speech is illusion, look! The words of a Shivayogi, who has known and forgotten, are nothing but spiritual discourse. If I enquired you, it was to know your mind’s vexation. My mind has no spot, no stain, look! Because you are our Guheshwara’s child of mercy, I opened my mouth. Is there anything different, Tell me, you fool? (L.O.C., V.1219) On hearing the affectionate words of Allamaprabhu, Muktayakka’s heart melts. Her illusion is dispelled and she sees light. Now she begins to see the very image of her departed brother and Guru Ajaganna in Allamaprabhu. Then she cries out in ecstatic joy: “Yes, yes, the glory of Shiva’s devotees is not visible to any. Is it possible to describe in words the state of water consumed by iron,

that of turmeric consumed by the hot sun, and that of the camphor consumed by fire? There is no wisdom to know it, nor mind to remember. I say ‘Hail!’ to your glory that embodies my father Ajaganna.” (V.W.S., V.855) As soon as Allamaprabhu’s grace dawned on Muktayakka, her life took a different turn. Her former pride and conceit were gone. Now she shines like a light that has fed on light and become light itself. The illusion-ridden and egoistic aspirant that Muktayakka had been, became, in the presence of Allamaprabhu, the camphor consumed by fire. From here Allamaprabhu goes to Sonnalapur to meet Siddharama Shivayogi, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

ii) The Siddharama Episode-- meeting of two mighty spirits:

After having assuaged Muktayakka’s grief, instructing her in the mystic way, convinced her, through and through, of Ajaganna’s greatness and fixed her in a space less trance, Allamaprabhu proceeds towards the city of Sonnalige, the present Solapur in Maharashtra state. On seeing the vanity fair of the world there Allamaprabhu ridicules: “What shall I call those who throng to this vast market spread on the earth? Varied trade is conducted here, varied are the commodities, but nothing is bought or sold. It is only a vain sport. I am amazed to see how the half-mad Shiva has created this quite mad world. O Guheshwara!” ( L.O.C., V.1270) While travelling, Allamaprabhu had heard about Siddharama Shivayogi of Sonnalige whose fame as a Karmayogi had spread far and wide by then. Siddharama had become a great person through his dedication to social service. He had the reputation of being an incarnation of Lord Shiva, a god with a forehead eye. Though Siddharama had become a great yogi, Allamaprabhu saw in him imperfection like a speck of black dot as in the face of the moon in the form of egoism. Though he was an ascetic, he had entangled himself in a greater Samsara by following Karma Marga. Allamaprabhu wondered at Siddharama , who, being afraid to have a wife and children, had turned his back on life, and was after popularity. He wondered also at the fact that Siddharama was keen on the achievement of reputation as a philanthropic sage, and therefore, having left behind the small family, had embraced a large family. For his extended family comprising the family of the world, Siddharama was building big water sheds, temples, installing idols therein for their worship and arranging mass marriages. Really he was caught up in a wider snare of Maya of worldly reputation. His spiritual imagination had come to

25 dwell upon rocks and he had turned into a stone cutter, for he, who, erecting a building, calls it a temple, is only a stone cutter and not a spiritual expert. He said to himself: “If this be the fate of Siddharama an ascetic of the highest order, what about other poor ordinary mortals?” Allamaprabhu found fault with Siddharama’s building of temples and tanks. So he says that it was foolish to build a temple for God who was present everywhere and that installing idols was also wrong, for the builders of temples and installers of idols were sure to go to perdition. “You build a stone house and make a stone god. If stone falls down on stone, where should that god go? Arch hell awaits those who install a Linga.” (L.O.C., V. 212) Allamaprabhu ridicules Siddharama for opening alms houses for the poor and for building water tanks for the thirsty: “By feeding the poor; bytelling the truth; by making water sheds for the thirsty, and by building water-tanks, one may go to heaven but not attain God’s Reality. One ,who knows our Guheshwara Linga, gets no reward. (L.O.C., V.767) He finds no virtue in building tanks and says that it is the height of ignorance and nothing else: “What shall I say of the prowess of a mason who gets tanks built? Look how much trouble he takes to draw out water by digging the earth! What is this ignorance of cutting stones and cementing one to another? This way of life is a wonder to me, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.1136)

He asks the labourers who were engaged in building a tank where their master is: “O You crude hewers of stone, where is your Guru , that big stone cutter? Call him here.” (L.O.C. ) “What happened to the half-wit who does not know how to wash the pot inside before filling it with water? Will you tell me? How is he who seeks water not knowing how to shed all attachment to water? Pray, tell me. How is mason Ramayya who builds tanks, neither surveying the site nor knowing

the water source? Pray, tell me. What sort of a fool must Siddharamayya be, who does not know the towering height of our Guheshwara? Pray, tell me” (L.O.C., V.1024)

Infuriated by Allamaprabhu’s unpleasant comments on their master’s achievements, Siddharama’s men began to throw stones at him contemptuously and rushed to him with the intention of attacking. But Allamaprabhu could not be cowed down by them. He stokes their anger still more by continuing his attack on their master: “Very good. Your behavior is in keeping with your profession. Otherwise you would not have yelled and shouted like this. Your master’s advice has made you quarrelsome.” ( F.O.L., p.73) Then the labourers warned Allamaprabhu in angry tone: “Try to speak with us in civil language. If you comment on our master, that will be your ruin.” (Ibid, p.73) To this Allamaprabhu rejoined, insulting them still further: “You are hilly people. Would you mind bringing your master here so that I may understand his nature and save him from this worldliness.” (Ibid.,p.73) Enraged by his unwarranted comments on their great master, the masons began to yell and cry, and also tried to clasp him in their arms. Try how so they might to grapple him, they could not succeed in their attempts . The more they tried to catch and bind him, the more flabbergasted did they become. Allamaprabhu, who was being sportive by playing hide and seek with the crude masons, sometimes appearing, at times disappearing before them, stood smiling: “If you speak the truth, none likes it, look, O brothers! The world praises nothing but untruth. On seeing the builder of tanks, if I call him Mason Ramayya, why should they, in anger, hurt the body which the Linga has blessed? Because our Guheshwaralinga is perfect in the world, if the pain inflicted upon His devotees recoil upon the offenders, Allayya simply smiles!” (L.O.C., V.1577) As they could not seize hold of him, they began to hurl stones at him. Those stones did no harm to him, who was an incorporeal being. All the stones aimed at him fell down a few inches short before him in heaps without hurting him in the least. They thought that Allamaprabhu would be buried in the heap of stones hurled at him. But instead of being buried under the huge heap of stones and boulders, Allama stood safe over the heap of stones with the same mischievous smile on his lips. There was no end to hissense of the ludicrous. He manifested himself in multiple forms to their greatest amazement. When the injury intended to be inflicted on Allamaprabhu recoiled upon the ignorant masons, they ran crying to Siddharamayya and

27 complained—“ Lord, when, some sorcerer was railing at you with a loose tongue, we all, hearing the affront to our Guru, would not keep quiet and so tried to hurt him, hitting with stones, but the blows, not touching him, came back upon us from all directions.” When Siddharama heard the complaint, not knowing that it was Allamaprabhu who was to be his own saviour, yielded his mind to anger: “Let him be what he please— Brahma, or Vishnu, Indra or Chandra, The injury done my devotees Is injury done to me”. (S.S.Ch.3, V.15) Unable to control his fury, Siddharama opens his forehead eye. Siddharama’s fury makes Allamaprabhu blush. He says that Shiva’s achievements simply make him laugh, it brings a smile to his lips to know that once He burnt the triple town and another time burnt the god of love and earned the title Kamari (destroyer of the love god). When Allamaprabhu sees the world enveloping onrush of the great fire from Siddharamayya’s fore head eye , he says that that world destroying fire would not hurt the Shivasharanas, that if the Shivasharanas got angry, none could stand before them and that it would do nobody harm but their censurers: “For the forest fire, the forest is the target. For the water fire, the ocean is the target. For the body fire, the body is the target. For the fire of total destruction, all the worlds are the target. For the fire of anger rising in the hearts of Shivasharanas, those who censure them are the target. Yet, listen O Guheshwara, I am no target for your illusive massive flames.” (L.O.C., V.1071) Allamaprabhu with the grace of his feet nullifies the flames shooting from Siddharama’s forehead eye within no time. Having absorbed the great fire from the forehead eye in the sole of his foot, he declares that he would open the eye of fire in his sole: “Is it right to fight with Shivasharanas with the support of Hara’s grace that you have got? For every wonder monger, there are greater wonder-makers, lo! If you open your forehead eye, another will open an eye on the sole of his foot. Guheshwara’s Sharanas are beyond compare.” (L.O.C., V.1606) The innocent people of the world, who had thronged there exclaimed: “See this fool, not knowing the nature of the grand Sire, has invited His wrath on himself. And started burning the innocent individuals. True indeed is the saying that ‘a poor man’s anger costs him his teeth” (F.O. L.,p.75) Then Siddharama , seeing the great fire embracing the eight directions in a blaze of light, swallowing and engulfing earth and sky, blazing with a puff both the animate and the inanimate, draining the seven seas dry, breaking the shell of the Cosmic Egg by its onrush, as the fourteen worlds shrink as if the deluge had come before doomsday and all the gods,

28 including Hari and Brahma, are running crying towards Kailas to seek Shiva’s help, realized in his wisdom that it was Shiva who had raised that world destroying fire and that the person standing before him smiling was none else than an incarnation of Shiva. Now that Lord Shiva, who would not manifest Himself even if the devotees do hard penance in the forest, had come walking to him upon His feet, Siddharama, repenting for his folly, resolved to catch the formless, investing with form, and place Him in his heart: “With my brow’s coolness will I spray the feet of Him who has set the sole’s anger in the mind, and the mind’s anger in the heart. With my brow’s nectar will I clear the heart of Him who is called Kapilasiddha Mallikarjuna. (S.S.I, Ch.3, V.34) Siddharama found Allamaprabhu far superior to the Lord Kamari, who is all fire and no compassion. He prayed to Allamaprabhu to forgive him his fault: “Sorry, O Ocean of Compassion, all fault is mine. I was deluded by the glitter of Maya and therefore, unable to understand you. Kindly forgive my fault and lack of imagination and bless me.” (F.O.L., p.76) And he fell prostrate at Allamaprabhu’s holy feet, saying: “When once my head has touched Thy feet, O Lord, why do you look in me for good and ill, virtue and vice? ‘The servant’s sin sits on the Master’s head’. O God Kapilasiddha Mallikarjuna, Save me, save me, protect me.” (S.S.I, Ch.3, v.37) Thus Siddharama pleads for mercy in various ways: “Look you, Kapilasiddha Mallikarjuna! Unclasp my hands and fling me away, I will not leave Thy feet! Chop me limb-meal and scatter me about, I will not leave Thy feet! Let my body perish, I will bear Thee Aloft upon my soul!” ( Ibid.,v.42) Allamaprabhu who is all compassion lifts Siddharama up affectionately. Then Siddharama requests Allamaprabhu to go to his holy house and enjoy his hospitality. To that, Allamaprabhu refuses to go to his holy house, saying, “ Let us perform our devotion where we are and enjoy the fruit , without going anywhere.” But when Siddharama insists, Allamaprabhu reprimands him as follows: “When the Master visits his servant’s house, He must receive Him with steadfast faith, look! But if , at the sight of the Master, The servant spits fire, where is the bond of servant and master?

Committing mistakes often times, If you say you mend yourself, an you be absolved of all errors? Go Siddharamayya away, you fool, How can you recognize the devotee of Guheshwara?” (L.O.C., V.1409) Then Siddharama admits his grave fault and pleads that further testing will be an unbearable torture to him. So he, laying himself at Allamaprabhu’s mercy, leaves everything to him. Be it slaying or saving: “Lord, my burden is Thy burden! My loss and gain are Thine. Do not , Father , harshly nag me, For Thy nagging is my death! O Kapilasiddha Mallinatha, I’m at Thy mercy, to slay or save!” (S.S. I., Ch.3, V.59) When Siddharama thus surrenders himself totally to Allamaprabhu , falling to his feet weeping incessantly, the latter compassionately cups up his head and , lifting, says: “Seeing you still wander in the world outside, I kept quiet. But now that your repentance touched my heart, I made haste towards you. Now that you sob and are scared, and are prostrated at my feet, tears from your eyes are as water to wash my feet! Now our Guheshwaralinga, Seeing your present state, lifts you up.” (L.O.C., V.1635) With these words, Allamaprabhu wipes the tears from Sidharama’s eyes and clasps him and further heaps praise over him, calling him a perfect Yogi, who has conquered all sense and death, who is like a wild fire in this world’s forest, who is unattached to attributes, who has quelled the pride of Maya, who is without parts, or stain, and a yogi who does not move between this world and the other. Then Siddharama, placing Allamaprabhu on the throne of his heart’s lotus, does obeisance to his feet, renders him the sixteen-fold service, does him worship and receives the holy water from his feet and feels the highest joy. Further, a discourse on Yoga, Shivayoga, mind control, Shivadvaita, Ishtalinga and Pranalinga takes place. Then Siddharama asks about the subtle difference between Ishtalinga and Pranalinga. Allama explains: “Tell me who knows the difference Between Ishtalinga and Pranalinga? The word ‘without’ appears before the word ‘within’. The word ‘within’ appears before the word ‘without’. Lest Linga-consciousness, possessing the mind, should fall a prey to distraught thought, having focused his sight on the form

enthroning both mind and will, both thought and sight, The Sharana got unwinking gaze and became unaware of ‘In’ and ‘out’. In order that Pranalinga’s tranquil face should make him glad, he holds up a glass that reflects Pranalinga’s face. If you would be ever absorbed in Guheshwara, you should hold on to your Sign, and yet lose yourself within that Sign, O Siddharamayya!” (L.O.C,. V.945) Further Allamaprabhu addresses Siddharama, throwing more light on the practice of Shivayoga: “Clinging to Ayatalinga, you must find Swayatalinga, O Siddharamayya ! Clinging to the Swayatalinga, you must find Sannahitalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to Sannahitalinga, you must find Mahalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to Mahalinga, you must find Jangamalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to Jangamalinga, you must find Shivalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to Shivalinga, you must find Gurulinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to Gurulinga, you must find Acharalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to Acharalinga, you must know the beginning , middle and end of the Six Sthalas. Sangana Basavanna ,Guheshwara’s devotee possesses the secret of the Six Sthalas : How the Six Sthalas were consecrated into that unity which occupies the palm. Come, let us ask him about it, O Siddharamayya!” ( L. O.C., V.905) Then and there only both decide to meet Basavarajadevaru and set out towards Kalyana. iii) From Sonnalapur to Kalyana:

Accompanied by Siddharmayya, Allamaprabhu , leaving Sonnalapura, set out towards Kalyana to see Basavanna, whose fame had spread far and wide, and at whose hands Allamaprabhu wanted Siddharama to be initiated into the Ishtalinga worship. Allama could have bestowed the Ishtalinga on Siddharamayya but he preferred and desired that Basavanna should bless him. The holy city of Kalyana had earned the reputation of being an abode of heavenly bliss owing to the presence not only of Basavanna but also of the cohorts of Lord Shiva. Both enjoyed their journey as everything they saw delighted them extremely. The road from Sonnalapur to Kalyana was paved with the bliss of devotion, as Basavanna had taken utmost care to provide the necessary facilities to the travelers, besides growing shady trees on both sides of the road. They observed the altruistic arrangements made by Basavanna, and, at the same time, praised his devotion to duty as the Prime Minister of King Bijjala. Allamaprabhu went on enlightening the devotees whosoever he met on the way. At last they arrived at the holy city of Kalyana:

“…a trove of all kinds of wealth of this mortal world, the shining abode of the heart’s lotus- shell to the earth, a mirror to the Goddess of Learning , a casket filled with all manner of righteousness, ocean of Truth, regarded as a new Kailas…”(S.S.II, p..70-71 ) At the sight of this great holy city, their hearts are filled with joy and devotion. They do their obeisance to Kalyana as it is the dwelling place of Lord Basavaraja. Allama praises the city because it glowed with Basavanna’s light: “In the platter called Kalyana, filled with devotion’s oil; the moment the light of Basavanna touched the wick called right conduct, the splendour of Shiva flashes and shines bright. In that splendour do shine innumerable devotees; …………………… …………. Look! Siddharamayya, I am saved by the sight of my most worthy Basavanna in Guheshwaralinga.” (L.O.C., V.1067) There cannot be a holier place than Kalyana. Kalyana is Kailas incarnate. Standing before the gate of Kalyana, they see a stone inscription which praises the glory of Kalyana as: “the pinnacle as it were of the fourteen worlds; the dwelling place of the true, the pure at heart, the deathless and the self-realised, the great seers and eminent Shivayogis; those who have gained experience of God; those who have Sivalinga as their breath of life; those who are united with Shiva Prasada and Padodaka.; the well-versed in Shivachara; the accomplished in Shivagama, the followers of the Shiva faith.” ( S. S. II, pp.77—78) In size it is twelve leagues, with three hundred sixty gates. The fort surrounding it is forty eight leagues in circumference. The holy house of Basvaraja is soverign among the two hundred eighty five thousand and seven hundred seventy holy houses of the servants of god. An inscription of the five-syllabled mantra adorns the gates. A flag flies on top of the Nandi pillar. There is a holy room meant for Linga worship with a capacity to accommodate 196000 devotees and a pool to wash the holy feet of Guru, Linga and Jangama. (Ibid., pp. 78--80) Walking along the wide streets of Kalyana, they enjoyed the sight of arched gates and multi-storied mansions, shops, lanes, and reached the residence of Basavanna. When they stood before the magnificent holy house of Basavanna, the citizens of Kalyana wondered who they might be to look like the embodiments of Lord Indumouli (the phenomenal as well as noumenal (abstract) aspects of Lord Shiva himself). At that time, Basavanna was engaged in Linga-worship and Hadapada Appanna was keeping the door. Not knowing who the strangers were, Appana ran to Basavanna’s Pooja room and informed him of the two strangers one of whom, clad in Jangama dress, had struck awe and wonder in Appanna’s heart. So he humbly requested Basavanna to go and fetch in the strangers. As Basavanna was deeply involved in Linga worship, he did not like Appanna’s interrupting the Linga worship. His mind was so much riveted upon the Linga that he would not listen to Appanna’s plea, but told him to welcome the guests himself. Moreover, Basavanna felt that there was no need to accord any formal welcome to those strangers, since his body itself was Bhakta and his breath itself Jangama. He had a very strong feeling that there was no difference between the Jangama seated in his heart and the Jangama standing outside his house:

“On the hand of the body was the Karasthala, In the hand of the breath, the Jangamasthala: When Shivalinga is worshipped with a sense That they are not different, Then lo! Paramananda-Sukhasthala! The body is Bhakta, Jangama the breath, Which shall I say is greater? Which less? When Kudala Sanga’s sharanas come, There is no room for ceremony: Bid them be gracious and come in, Appanna.” (S.S. II, V.2) Then Appanna went back, and reporting all verbatim, begged them to be gracious to come in without expecting any formal reception from Basavanna, as he was engaged in Linga worship. To this humble submission by Appanna, Allamaprabhu, wondering what kind of Linga worship it could be while the Jangama was standing outside, remarked: “When mind is merged with mind, and body with body, f they say no welcome is needed, and no formal ceremony is needed, and yet come to welcome, it’s a fault, indeed! What is this oneness in words where there is Linga in the hand? Our Guheshwara does not step in where such be as boast that they are this or that before they actually are.” (L.O.C., V.1443) Then Appanna went back and reported to Basavanna that the visitors refused to step into the house of one who would not go to welcome the elders, when they had come and were standing outside: “O Sangana Basavanna, Such men as do not go To welcome elders when they come, Basavapriya Kudala Chennasangama’s sharanas Chastise, Refusing to step into their house.” (S.S. II, Ch.5, V.5) After hearing Appanna’s words, Basavanna once again sent back Appanna to receive the visitors, conveying his message: “Him call I Jangama who Enters the Bhakta’s house, a master, Claiming him to be the lord Of all his riches, life and honour, Accepts all that he is and has

And that sanctifies Bhakta. ………… What need to fret When to your own house you come? When the master comes to his own house, I a mere keeper of the door Of Kudala Sanga’s Sharanas, Say neither Yes nor No!” (S.S.II, Ch.5, V.6) Then Appanna returning to where the stranger had stood, submitted humbly to Allamaprabhu all that Basavanna had told him and requested him to treat Basavanna’s holy house, his wealth and breath as all his own and to do the grace of entering the house. But Allamaprabhu gave his own and true definition of Bhaktha and Jangama and flatly refused to enter the house, saying: “He is not a Bhakta who has simply surrendered his wealth and breath and honour…. He is not a Jangama who entering the house of such a Bhakta accepts his prostrations, eats food to appease his appetite, asks money to gratify his passions and walks away, praising, if they give him money, or blaming, if they do not give him money…” (L. O.C. V. 1407)

Allama bluntly refused to enter the holy house of Basavanna, saying that he would not enter the house of such lukewarm devotees as are puffed up with pride and work up devotion with some purpose: “…Our Guheshwaralinga does not like those who wear their pride, and care not who have come and how great they are .” (L.O.C. V.1305) Then Appanna ran back and told Basavanna that the strangers seemed to be some great persons and that they were adamant, and also begged him to go himself to receive them. Just at that time Chennabasavanna arrived and remonstrating said to Basavanna that it was not proper on his part to send a messenger to receive a persons of Allamaprabhu’s and Siddharamayya’s stature when they were standing at the door: “When Koodala Chennasangayya’ sharanas Prabhu and Siddharamayya Have come and are standing at your door. Even if eyes do not see, Should not your heart see, Sangana Basavanna?” (E.C.B, V.996)

As soon as Basavanna heard these words from Chennabasavanna, his senses fainting, he could not see clearly before him as tears bedimmed his eyes, and prayed to Chennabasavanna to go and allay Allamaprabhu’s anger: “What shall I do? In vain am I lost! What shall I do? In vain am I damned? …………….” (S.S. II, Ch.5,V.14) “My piety is as if A monkey picked nine gems And flung them into a water-pool! Look now, Chennabasavanna, Go and fetch Kudala Sangama in And I will place your sandals on my head And dance.” (S.S.II, Ch.5. V.15) Then bowing to Basavanna, Chennabasavanna requested him to go with him to invite the great Sharanas outside. Arriving at the place where the Sharanas were standing, they fell prostrate to Allamaprabhu’s feet. When Basavanna tried to touch Allamaprabhu’s feet, he could not find them. Then he realized that it was beyond his power to reach Allamaprabhu’s feet, as the great Sharana was ethereal in essence, and admitted his fault that he ruined himself through pride. He repented, laying bare his heart before Allamaprabhu. “Talking to others, I remark The Static and Dynamic Linga are one. But having said it, I falter yet, I am not sincere. ………….” (S.S. II, Ch.5, V.36) And again he implored Allamaprabhu : “My father Thou, and my mother too; Thou also all my kith and kin. Save Thee I have no kindred … O Kudala Sangama Lord Do with me as Thou pleasest!” (S.S.II, Ch.5, V.37) Basavanna further said that he was prepared to give his all –his body, mind and money, should he want them. To this Allamaprabhu asked Basavanna when all things-- animate and inanimate like Meru Mounts, Silver Mounts--belonged to the Pramathas and the earth belonged to the Creator, what did he have to give to be a Bhakta? He also added: “If the body is dedicated, it is treachery to the Guru; If the mind is dedicated, It is treachery to the Linga. If wealth is dedicated, It is treachery to the Jangama.

It is sheer ignorance To say that one has become a Bhakta by dedicating such perishable things as body, mind and wealth to the imperishable. Do the perfect Sharanas approve of your saying that you became a Bhakta by serving sweetmeats to your masters? Tell me, O Sangana Basavanna, To become a Bhakta of Guheshwaralinga, what and to whom have you offered? (L.O.C., V.1230) Then Basavanna said that he could not understand Allamaprabhu’s meaning of devotion, and begged him to forgive him for his faults. Allamaprabhu would put all the devotees who he liked most to the acid test before accepting them. After removing the dross from the hearts of the devotees, Allamaprabhu would bless them heartily. Therefore, Allamaprabhu pretended false anger and reprimanded them to open their eyes to their faults. Then he would embrace them whole-heartedly. With his pretended anger being allayed, he said to Basavanna that it was just because he was his most beloved devotee that his anger shot up on seeing him fail in his duty as a Bhakta and embraced him, saying: “No censure for the harlot, Though she stays with lots of men. Should a married woman look upon another man than her husband’s face, the whole world calls her an impure woman. If a devotee, who does devotion only for fame and name falls, nobody takes note of it. Should a true and holy devotee trip, it cannot be endured. It is just because you have been Guheshwara’s devotee since time began and from farther back, my heart grieved, look, Sangana Basavanna!” (L.O.C.,V.1591) Siddharama who recognizes the greatness of Basavanna through Allamaprabhu extols his eminence and also requests Allamaprabhu to do the grace of entering the holy house of Basavanna without tarrying any longer. Allamaprabhu is pleased and contented now. So he praises Basavanna’s glory in various ways and in glowing terms, calling him the eternal, the immaculate, , timeless and all pervasive, un-divided-microcosm, the form of true consciousness, the sovereign ruler of the Shiva-discipline, enriched with all kinds of practice, an embodiment of Brahma through attainment of the Six Sthalas, whose entire body is Linga, etc., and made obeisance to him himself. As Allamaprabhu and Siddharamayya enter Basavanna’s holy house known as Great House (Mahamane), Allamaprabhu shows to Siddharamayya the grandeur of devotional atmosphere prevailing in the Great House. III. The Marulashankara Episode: A ruby dropped on the road:

Blessed by Allamaprabhu, when Basavanna’s devout heart burst with joy, the former pleased with the latter’s spotless piety, moved slowly along with Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, Siddharama; countless other Shivasharanas walked, amidst triumphal shouts: “Hurrah! Hurrah!” towards Basasvanna’s very spacious palace. Basavana’s campus was expansive as well as holy and was greater and holier than Varanasi. He had earned a lot of merit by gathering a large number of sharanas. Some he knew personally and some he knew not personally. But all were blessed by Basavana’s grace and pleased with his selfless service. One such person as dwelt on the holy campus and yet Basavanna did not know of was Marulashankaradeva. Allamaprabhu, an ethereal Jangama, himself a wonder of wonders among Shivasharanas, noticed another wonder on Basavanna’s campus. He saw a Sharana in the guise of a marula (simpleton) emerge from the Pit of Prasada, containing the left-over food of the Shivasharanas. Marulashankara, who had been living in it for nearly twelve years incognito, on seeing a holy person of Allamaprabhu’s stature among the throng , rose slowly from the Pit. As the needle, glad to see the lode-stone, rises slowly from its place, Marulashankara, forgetting himself slowly moved towards Allamaprabhu. Although all saw him, none cared to know who he was and how great he was. It is curious to note that even Basavanna who had harboured innumerable Sharanas in his palace and in whose vicinity the simple Sharana had been living for several years, did not know him. But it is Allamaprabhu who could recognize the eminence of a simple person in the guise of a fool. As soon as Allama entered the abode of Basavanna, he saw Marulashankaradeva, who had ennobled himself and conquered the stain of worldliness by lessening his sins and been meditating day in and day out, by the side of the hearth. Seeing Marulashankara, Allamaprabhu stopped abruptly and, turning to Basavanna, said that he saw a wonder in his courtyard. Then Basavanna prayed to Allamaprabhu: “O God of gods, pray can there be A sandal-tree above a sandal tree? Alchemic stone above alchemic stone? Or any food above ambrosia? O Prabhu, Kudala Sangama Lord, If you have seen a greater miracle, Then pray tell me.” (S.S.II, Ch. 6, V.5.) Then Allamaprabhu said that true devotees are like a precious treasure hidden from the eyes of common men and like an alchemic stone turning into ordinary stone at the sight of sinners. “None can see the ruby lying On the road nor the hoarded treasure. Can the mortals find the life-restoring herb? Sharanas appear as ordinary persons Like the alchemic stone appearing as mere stone to the eyes of a sinner. O Sangana Basavanna, behold the majestic stature of Marulashankara, our Guheshwara’s Sharana!” (L.O.C. V.1395)

As soon as Marulashankaradeva approached Allamaprabhu, he fell prostrate at his feet and Said: “Ah, How lucky I am indeed! Today I saw my guru; my wishing-tree of good luck, the treasure trove of my liberation!” (F.O.L. p.86) Allamaprabhu wondered at Basavanna who did not understand Marulashankaradeva who lived in the guise of an innocent man, like gold hidden in rock and like oil hidden in sesame. He told him also: “Dear Basava, this foolish Shankaradeva is one among the innumerable great souls, who have come to seek shelter under your tree of devotion. He is simply incomparable. You are indeed very lucky to have all these believers at your door.” (Ibid., p.88) At the same time turning to Siddharama, Allamaprabhu said: “The innocent Shankara is the essence of enlightenment; the quintessence of divine knowledge and embodiment of righteousness and tranquility. He is incomparable indeed.” (Ibid., p. 87) When the greatness of Marulashankaradeva was driven home to the Sharanas, they showered praises on him, saying— “He knows no pride; nor is aware of existence or non-existence of the body; is rich in gifts of grace of Linga and Jangama; has grown into a part of the Absolute.” (S.S.Vol.II, p.223) Allamaprabhu was the chief among the Sharanas whom Marulashankara praised before merging in the Void: “O Shuddha, Siddha, Prasiddha, Prasanna Prabhu, Shantachennamallikarjuna Lord, You alone know The greatness of Prabhudeva, whose Greatness is greater than your own greatness: But how can I? Your mercy, O your mercy!” (S.S.Vol.II, Ch. 6., V.38) “O innumerable great saints Prabhu being chief among them, I’ve made obeisance to your holy feet, And, silencing all speech As camphor is consumed in fire, I’ve merged in your holy feet!” (S.S.II. Ch.6., V.39) Marulashankaradeva was a wonder both in life and in death for his exit from this world was nothing short of a miracle, as he united with the Ultimate along with his body. Attracted by the great religious revolution started by Basavanna, Marulashankaradeva of Kalinga (present Orissa) came to Kalyana and stayed there twelve years at the great Pit of Gifts where the left-overs of the Sharanas’ meal-plates were piled up. That food was the most sacred food which could heal all kinds of diseases and destroy all sins and free people from the fear of the cycle of birth and death. People visiting Basavanna’s place must have seen him, but none took notice of him, the reason being he was in the guise of a simpleton. Marulashankara was not an ordinary person. He was a Ganeshwara, a member of the chief cohorts of saints. That he was versed in the Prasada lore needs no explanation, since he could experience Divine Grace in the crumbs of the Sharanas.

That Marulashankara waited for the arrival of Allamaprabhu who would grant him the bliss of uniting with the Ultimate, even as Ahalya waited for the arrival of Shree Rama who would deliver her from the curse of her husband that had turned her into stone, speaks volumes for the greatness of Allamaprabhu as a savior of the anxious devotees. With all his spiritual perfection attained being hidden from the eyes of the world, it seems,Marulashankara lacked in something, and that is knowledge to attain the principle of Shunya. This is exactly what Allamaprabhu did for him. Allamaprabhu taught the highest spiritual lesson to Marulashankara, who could perform the impossible, conquering his senses, mind and body, merging in the Void along with his body. Thus Allamaprabhu helped mankind attain eternal happiness by playing with some, by speaking to some, by making some speak out, by seeing some, by scolding some, by chastising some, by singing to some, and by blessing some. Within a few seconds of seeing Marulashankara, he granted him eternal bliss, the result of mystic experience of aligning with the Divine Principle, which is not possible for others to achieve even after innumerable births. The underlying purpose of Allamaprabhu’s unraveling the greatness of Marulashankaradeva was to show to Siddharama the greatness of Basavanna from whom Marulashankara was to receive enlightenment in respect of Ishtalinga and Pranalinga. IV. The President of Anubhava Mantapa:

At Basavanna’s Great House, discussions on spiritual experiences were taking place frequently. The august assemblage of Sharanas meant for holding high level discourses on matters pertaining to spiritual experiences was called Anubhava Mantapa (Hall of Experience), an academy of mysticism. The door of the Anubhava Mantapa was open to all Shivasharanas irrespective of the different professions they followed and they could share their experiences, doubts, confirmations and seek clarifications too. The community of Shivasharanas consisted of all kinds of people cutting across caste and class. It was, indeed, a casteless society. Allamaprabhu’s arrival at Kalyana gave a new dimension to the Anubhava Mantapa. Basavanna, who had been waiting for the arrival of a person of Allamaprabhu’s stature, was immensely pleased, when Allamaprabhu, along with Siddharamayya, stepped into the Great House to the delight of the asankhyata Sharanas who had gathered there. Basavanna’s chjoice at once fell upon Allamaprabhu for the President of the Anubhava Mantapa. That we come across frequently the mention of asankhyata mahaganagalu in Shunya Sampadane not only points to the size of the assembly but also tells us of the status of the Sharanas participating in the spiritual discourses held there regularly. Prominent in that galaxy of Sharanas were Allamaprabhu, Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, Madivala Machayya, Hadapada Appanna and a few others. As president of the Anubhava Mantapa, the subject that Allamaprabhu threw open for discussion was Ishtalinga, its origin, true form and need. But he made the Siddharama instance an excuse to discuss the most fundamental element of the doctrine of the Six Sthalas. It may be remembered that Allamaprabhu had promised Siddharamayya, before setting out for Kalyana, to get him initiated into the Ishtalinga worship at the hands of Basavanna and to get the explanation of the Karasthala (Ishtalinga), which embodies in itself the Shatasthala (the Six Stages). But somehow Siddharama had no chance to discuss the nature and significance of the Ishtalinga with Basavanna although some time had elapsed since their arrival in Kalyana.

At the Anubhava Mantapa, Siddharama found an opportune time to get to know the origin and nature of the Ishtalinga and get himself initiated into the Ishtalinga worship after a thorough discussion of the nature of, and the need for, the Ishtalinga. Siddharamayya’s life hitherto had been one of a philanthropist -- building temples, digging tanks and wells, and free water sheds for travellers. Also he had spent his time in meditation, contemplation and Yogic practice(trance). He was unfamiliar with, rather indifferent to, the idea of the Istalinga, and that ignorance had become a problem for him. The Sharanas could not think of a person without Ishtalinga on the body accompanying Allamaprabhu. So they, objected, particularly, Chennabasavanna, to Siddharamayya’s entering Basavanna’s Great House first and Anubhava Mantapa afterwards. At first Allamaprabhu too seemed to support Siddharama’s stand that there was no need of the Ishtalinga, which was only an expression of the outer aspect of the self when the inner self had realized the Ultimate. And asked: “What need of the Ishtalinga for Siddharama, through whom Linga itself breathes? Why need outward worship for a consciousness illumined by the Light Divine? Why set boundaries of duplicity or triplicity for one who has transcended all bounds? Does one who can walk across the ocean ever need a boat? What need of a stick for one who can scale the sky?” (S.S.Vol.III, Ch.x, p.195) To this Chennabasavanna replied convincingly: “Even supposing that the Linga breathes through his body, does it express itself in its outward actions? And what are these actions directed to? And is the inner light in him capable of being transformed as outward action? The existence of the individual as body, life and spirit betrays the boundaries he has set himself. And what is the meaning of these natural boundaries? Have they any meaning at all for a complete being?” (Ibid., p.195) Chennabasavanna explained this with the help of the analogies of kite, sun and moon: “Although the kite is flying in the sky, The link of that kite and its string is down below. Although the sun and moon travel all space, Look, they certainly have a link with the Golden Mount! Is there a place of rest in space for one, Who, spurning the earth, flies to the sky? O Prabhu, let go of the talk That boundless Siddharamayya, Living amidst our Kudala Chennasangayya’s Sharanas, Is beyond all bounds.” (E.C.B., V.917) When all the Sharanas unanimously declared that Siddharama must have Ishtalinga on his body, if at all he wanted to attain consubstantial union with the Linga. Finally, Siddharamayya was made to feel guilty of his ignorance and folly. He also felt disgusted with his past practice of Shivayoga and the activities prompted by it. He had built temples, and dug tanks and wells, which had earned him the reputation of a philanthropist. His ignorance of Ishtalinga worship had bound him to the wheel of rebirth. He was then fully convinced that his past life had been the tale of an idiot signifying nothing. He felt completely lost without the protection of the Shivasharanas. When Siddharama was ready for initiation into the Ishtalinga worship, Allamaprabhu requested Chennabasavanna , who was the right person to officiate, to

40 bestow on him the Ishtalinga which should qualify him for practice of the Shatsthala doctrine. Accordingly, Chennabasavanna bestowed the Ishtalinga on Siddharama, who expressed his gratitude to his spiritual teacher Chennabasavanna and also to Allamaprabhu who was mainly responsible for getting him entry into the assembly of Shivasharanas as well as into the Ishtalinga -lore. “………. O Kapilasiddhamallinatha, because The path that Thy Sharana Chennabasavanna has shown I‘ve found to be the real path, I say Hail! O hail! Again and again, To Chennabasavanna. (S.S.Vol. III, Ch.11, V.54) “……….. O Kapilasiddhamallinath, By the grace of Prabhu, Thy Sharana, I have been saved.” (Ibid., V.53) “Lord, the Linga I have got By the grace of Basavanna , your arch Sharana, is now lodged in me, O Lord! By your Sharana Basavanna’s grace All about me the Linga prevails— By his grace I have become The Undivided one Himself, O Kapilasiddhamallinatha Lord, I say again and again Hail! O hail! To Basavanna, Thy most loved Sharana.” (Ibid., V.52) Thus Allamaprabhu becomes instrumental in getting revealed to the assembly of Sharanas the intricacies of Lingayoga (Animishayoga) through the episode of Siddharama at the Anubhava Mantapa.

V. Correcting the wrong notions about Kayaka-Dasoha: After the discourse on Ishtalinga and its nature and origin, the topic of Kayaka-Dasoha came up for discussion at the Anubava Mantapa. Kayaka-Dasoha formed the main core of the Sharana religion. That is why almost all devotees were Kayaka-Dasoha bound. Some practised Kayaka-Dasoha without knowing its full meaning. Also there were some misconceptions about Kayaka-Dasoha. Allamaprabhu put the Sharanas on the right path by correcting their misconceptions about these most important aspects of the Veerashaiva religion. One day a serious discussion about Kayaka-Dasoha was going on in which Aydakki Marayya took active part. Aydakki Marayya and his wife Lakkamma were a devout Kayaka-Dasoha bound couple.

Marayya’s daily routine was to pick grains lying in the courtyards of Sharanas and do Dasoha out of the grains collected for the day. One day Marayya sat forgetting his duty, as he was seriously involved in the discourse going on at the Anubhava Mantapa. Marayya pleaded that Kayaka was compulsory for all Sharanas. His view was that Jangama should be overlooked, even if he came and stood before him, and even God should not be exempted from doing Kayaka, which indeed is a means of self realization: “One who is engaged in work Must even forget the Guru’s sight. The Linga worship he must forget. Even if the Jangama stands in front, The obligation must be snapped. Since such work is as good as Kailas, Amareshwaralinga Himself Must do it.” (S.S. Vol.IV, Ch.14, V.1) But Allamaprabhu, who would not accept this view of Marayya about Kayaka , said that instead of ignoring the trinity of Guru, Linga and Jangama, when absorbed in Kayaka, one should realize the trinity through one’s Kayaka. He also said: “You should know the other Thing Through what you do. Both faith and knowledge should unite. When faith has joined with knowledge, You must attain the Ultimate Reality in Our Guheshwaralinga, Shedding the stark illusion of the Void, O Marayya!” ( L.O.C., V.1462) When Allamaprabhu observed thus, Maarayya realized his mistake and belittled his own practice of Kayaka, saying that he could not attain liberation by spending for nothing what he had earned by hard labour, and that with his consciousness being smothered, he could not enter the greater than the greatest Reality. As he was not aware of the passing of time, engaged as he was in the heated discourse on Kayaka-Dasoha, he was late for his duty of collecting grains for the day. So his wife Lakkamma came to the Anubhava Mantapa to alert him: “Your work is held up, go my lord! We must with a pure heart, gather rice From the dung-hill side And offer it, earnestly To Marayyapriya Amreshwaralinga; Go, Marayya, and be quick about it!” (S.S.IV, Ch12, V.11) Then Marayya lost no time in going to Basavanna’s courtyard, and picking up a large quantity of rice-grains, which had been dropped there on purpose, and brought them with him. On seeing so much of rice-grains collected by her husband, Lakkamma told him to go back and to throw the excess quantity of them where he found them, for they were not collected with greed-free hands, and greed did not become a Shivadevotee:

“This greed is for kings; What has a Shiva devotee, my lord, To do with such? …” (Ibid., V.14) Then Marayya realized that Kayaka (devotion) that was not done with a pure heart would go down the drain. So he went back and threw away the excess collection. And with a small quantity of rice gathered that day, they served food to all the saints whom they had invited to their home. It was a wonderful feast, each having whatever his heart desired! Allamaprabhu expressed his joy and wonder in eloquent terms: “It suited the vow of each. It suited the desire of each for food. Did you, Basavanna, See the large munificence? It was a wonder, indeed, to Guheshwaralinga!” (L.O.C., V.909) The humble couple made obeisance to the holy feet of Allamaprabhu and other innumerable Sharanas whom they had invited. That day before going to the holy house of the Aydakki couple for Prasada, the topic of Kayak-Dasoha was discussed threadbare in the august presence of Allamaprabhu, and it was resolved that Kayaka, whatever it be, should be done with a pure heart and pure hands, which meant the heart should be free from ego and the hands free from greed. Such Kayaka was linked up with triple dasoha. Allamaprabhu, with the help of Basavanna and Chennabasavanna removed the error from the minds of many to whom Kayaka was just physical labour. He emphasized that it was dedicated work. Some Sharanas like Molige Marayya wanted to go to Kailasa by doing Kayaka. But that was wrong. Kayaka was not a means to achieve anything else. In fact, it was an end in itself. The instance of Molige Marayya and Mahadeviyamma brings home this point. One day, after distributing golden sticks among Shivasharanas, by turning the bundles of faggot into golden sticks, just to show to Basavanna that they are not poor, though they live by selling faggots and that no devotee of Shiva can be poor, Molige Marayya expresses his heart’s desire to unite with the Ultimate to his more enlightened wife Mahadeviyamma. Then Mahadeviyamma reasons with him that it is not necessary to go out to meet the Ultimate, which is within oneself and “To go to heaven, as the price Of piety, is labouring for a wage.” Mahadeviyamma makes it clear that Kayaka is not a means but an end in itself. What is more, we notice in the Kayaka bound Sharanas purity of wealth and fearlessness about life. Because Molige Marayya’s devotion (Kayaka) mocked Basavanna, who wanted to test the former’s integrity, Basavanna, admitting his error, said : “Who can master, sir, Untainted gold, and a fearless life? If comes by a treasure by accident, There is none to refuse; If it comes by gross mistake, There is none to say, “This is a fraud!” Freedom from greed and fear belongs,

O Kudala Sangama Lord, To none else but Thy devotees, So dear to Thee!” (S.S. Vol.IV, Ch.13, V.6) Thus the word Kayaka-Dasoha assumed a multiplicity of meanings, when it was discussed openly from different points of view in the presence of Allamaprabhu. On whatever subject was discussed at the Anubhava Mantapa, Allamaprabhu, its President, left his authoritative stamp, removing all misconceptions about it. The next topic that came up for discussion after the concept of Kayaka-Dasoha was the inter-relationship between Guru, Linga, Jangama and Kayaka-Dasoha.

VI. Inter-relationship between Guru, Linga, Jangama and Kayaka-Dasoha: Whenever devotees went wrong in their practice of devotion to the Guru, Linga and Jangama through Kayaka-Dasoha, Allamaprabhu corrected them and put them on the right path. Nuliya Chendayya, whose Kayaka was making ropes, refused to take back his Linga that had slipped into the stream while cutting grass for rope. Even when Lingadeva, assuming human form, urged him to take Him back, he told Him to go back, as he did not need him to pursue his Jangama Dasoha. However, when Madivala Machideva, mediating, pleaded for Lingadeva, Chendayya agreed to take back Lingadeva, but soon on the pretext of his not performing his duty properly, dismissed him. Then the issue came up before the Sharanas assembled at the Anubhava Mantapa, where a heated discussion took place. Allamaprabhu and Basavanna sought the help of Chennabasavanna to resolve the problem of inter-relationship between Guru, Linga, and Jangama and Kayaka-Dasoha. Certainly Chennabasavanna’s role was decisive on that occasion. He asked Chendayya: “What if it is known that Jangama is the Supreme? Is not Linga the body of the Jangama? Is not Jangama the conscious energy of the Linga? Is enjoyment of life in all respects possible for the disembodied soul and for the soulless body? Can you have a tree without soil? Can you have fruit without a tree? Is there flavour without fruit? This is the order to know it. The body itself is the soil, linga the tree, Jangama the fruit and its taste, Prasada. Therefore, in Koodala Chennasanga, Linga with a form is the body of the Jangama, O Prabhu!” (E.C.B., V. 859) When Chennabasavanna explained thus the bond between Guru, Linga and Jangama, Allamaprabhu appreciated him wholeheartedly, and exhorted Chendayya, saying that there was no Linga without Jangama and no Jangama without Linga, since both are linked together on the basis of the Kayaka-Dasoha principle: “Conduct is Linga, and the awareness of that conduct is Jangama.

The body is Linga, its energy Jangama; The service of that Jangama is Linga, Rendering of that service itself is Jangama, O Chendayya, Be saved by the grace of Chennabasavanna who has narrated this so as to suit Madivalayya’s Kayaka as well as to please our Guheshwara’s Sharanas. (L.O.C., V.869). Also Allamaprabhu emphasized the indispensability of Linga to a Kayaka bound devotee as follows: “They call him a worldling who has lost the Linga on his body, and call him a devotee who has the Linga on his body. They know not the way of Linga in Anga Can a body, without Linga, move even for a moment in the world? A string of births awaits the man who has lost the Linga, But not the one who has it on his body, O Guheshwara !” (L.O.C., V.703) Then Chendayya, realizing his folly, accepted Allamaprabhu’s verdict in favour of the Linga whose parting from the body of a devotee would render him a physically and spiritually handicapped being. It was also made clear that the service (Dasoha) rendered by a cripple would not be accepted by the Jangama, who actually is the Linga’s mouth. The Sharana community assembled at the Anubhava Mantapa was both above caste and gender, since men and women of all castes and classes participated in the high level discourses that took place there. All enjoyed equal rights as devotees. So Allamaprabhu admired Basavanna’s philosopher’s stone-like devotion that had attracted all sorts of people and had purified them. Basavanna had made it clear that there was no distinction of male and female in the matter of pursuit of salvation. Women devotees like Akka Nagamma, Neelambike, Gangambike, Akkamma, Rayamma, Satyakka, and several others were members of the Academy of Mystics ( Anubhava Mantapa). One day Allamaprabhu flung a surprise to the Sharanas saying that a young and brave female devotee, that too, ‘a sky-clad one’, would soon make her appearance there. And they all sat in yawning expectation of the arrival of Mahadeviyakka.

VII. The Acid test of Mahadeviyakka : Mahadeviyakka was a born ascetic like Allamaprabhu. Born at Udutadi, a town in the present Shimoga district and the capital town in those days of King Kausika, her parents – Sumati and Nirmal -- were Siva devotees, and were influenced by the Sharana way of life. In fact, she was supposed to be a Rudrakanya, a heavenly maid, a pure portion of Goddess Parvati, come down to earth with a mission. Her mission was to prove her superiority over Allamaprabhu, who was a pure portion of Lord Shiva. She received her initiation at an early age,

45 and coming of age, she blossomed into a beautiful maiden. Her Guru must have been a spiritual teacher, who bound her in wedlock to Chennamallikarjuna, the Supreme Divine, and imparted to her a Godward bent from her childhood. Once she had tasted the joy of union with Lord Chennamallikarjuna, all worldly pleasures seemed dry and insipid to her. One day King Kausika, while returning from the hunt, caught sight of Mahadeviyakka, who had come out along with other ladies of the town to watch the King’s retinue pass with pomp, and was soon captivated by her divine beauty. Returning to the palace, he sent his messengers to Mahadeviyakka’s parents to seek their consent to give their daughter in marriage to him. Her parents flatly refused the proposal, as he was a Jaina (a Bhavi) and marriage between a Jaina and a Veerashaiva was out of the question. But a King’s word could not be easily dishonoured. Mahadeviyakka was on the horns of a dilemma, with death for her parents staring her, on the one hand, and marriage with a Bhavi, meaning death of her faith in Veerashaiva religion, on the other. So she consented to marry the king much against her will but on one condition that he would become a Veerashaiva. Although the infatuated Kausika initially agreed to her condition, later he committed breach of promise. Mahadeviyakka too giving no scope for further negotiations, refused to marry the king, and left Udutadi, shedding all worldly attachments, including her clothes. Then King Kausika was flabbergasted at her strange and shocking behaviour. Her parents and friends did their best to dissuade her from leaving Udutadi in that fashion, snapping all bonds with her parents and friends, but to no avail. Those who knew her well broke into praises, but many condemned her rash action. Mahadeviyakka did not care for either. She braved the onslaughts of criticism and expressed her indifference to both praise and censure in a Vachana of hers: “Having built your house on a mountain top, why fear wild beasts, O Sir? Having built your house on a sea shore, why fear froth and foam, O Sir? Having built your house in the bazaar, why blush at words of abuse, O Sir? Being born in this world, should praise or scorn come to you, you should be cool and collected, allowing no thought of anger to darken your mind, listen, O Chennamallikarjuna Lord! (V.W.S., V.253) Thus Mahadeviyakka braved the world and rough weather, and crossing over rivers and hills, and travelling through the length and breadth of Karnataka, at last she reached Kalyana, hoping to meet a Guru who could guide her on her further spiritual journey. But she had proved her purity of heart and chastity of character even before entering the gate of Kalyana. Allamaprabhu, who knew Mahadeviyakka’s coming well in advance, sent Kinnari Bommayya to test her chastity and to find out whether she was free from the impurity of passion before she would enter the holy town. Mahadeviyakka did not expect this kind of welcome, but she endured it. Kinnarayya tested her through and through with a spirit of awe and reverence. She showed him how she had burnt Kama to ashes in the fire of impassion and austere devotion. To enter Kalyana, one had to be passion-free. Unless one has shed all greed

46 and lust, and is pure within and without, one cannot enter Kalyana. As Mahadeviyakka had burnt Kama and other wayward leanings, she could enter Kalyana without any fear. Praising the glory of Basavanna, she entered his Mahamane (Great House), and then came to the Anubhava Mantapa, the Hall of Experience, where she saw Allamaprabhu and Basavanna amidst innumerable Sharanas. When Mahadeviyakka introduced herself to the august assembly, Allamaprabhu, seeing her come in stark naked state, asked her: “O woman, In lusty bloom of youth, why come you here, pray, tell me? Our Sharanas see red at the word woman. If you can tell your husband’s identity, you may come and sit. Or else, you may go. If you want the pleasure of our Guheshwara’s Sharana’s company, tell me who your husband is, O mother. (L.O.C., V.958) “Look, mother, all discourse with women is poisonous food. Pray, tell us, who your husband is.” (Ibid. , V.1114) To this stunning question shot at her, the dauntless Mahadeviyakka answered boldly so as to silence the gathering of the wise, that her husband was none else than Lord Chennamallikarjuna , for whom she had made penance for endless time: “O Lord Hara, I did penance from time immemorial So that you alone should wed me. My people who were sent for marriage negotiations, Sent me to the Wearer of the Moon. They smeared sacred ash on me And tied a wrist band So that I should be his, O Chennamallikarjuna !” ( V.W.S., V.334) “ I love the beautiful One, The formless One, who is beyond death or dissolution. The beautiful One, the fearless, dauntless One, Who is past birth…. Chennamallikarjuna is my groom. All other husbands in the world are Naught to me!” (S.S. Vol. IV, Ch.16, V.23) When Mahadeviyakka told them of her husband’s identity in unmistakable terms, Allamaprabhu told her that she should have the clothes on her body, since, it seemed, she had not yet shed her bodily shame, as she covered her body with her tresses. Then she replied calmly:

“What is the necessity of clothes for one, who has surrendered oneself to the omnipresent? I have surrendered myself to the Lord Supreme without divorcing my mind from my body. Why do you talk of womanhood and desire (sex) when you see me? I have come here to listen to the sharanas’ words. Why should the sharanas be angry with me?” (F.O.L., p.98) Then Allamaprabhu spoke in refutation of whatever she had spoken. How can there be marriage between form and the formless? So long as the natural taint of the body and sense is there, one cannot attain realization. So he said: “Destruction awaits form, not the formless. Tell me how the form and the formless get together? It is a bond that cannot be bound. As long as there is the natural taint of body and sense, You cannot reach Guheshwaralinga listen, O mother!” (L.O.C., V.1493) No doubt, Mahadeviyakka possessed a body with form, but that body was without any gross elements in it. It was as good as being bodiless. She explained how her body did not trouble her as it was without the fangs of poisonous passion: “Good Sir, mark, If you can remove the fangs Of a snake and make it play, The snake’s company is welcome. If you can understand Your contact with the flesh, Your association with the flesh is good! Just as a mother turns into a demon, The passions of the body turn wild, O Chennamallikarjuna, Do not think that Those whom you loved Had a body. (V.W.S., V.340) She also said that on seeing the holy feet of Basavanna, Chennabasavanna and Allamaprabhu, her body became as naught and her life became part of the Void and her consciousness returned to her. But Allamaprabhu, who does not accept her view of purity of body, says that if she simply says that her body is pure and tranquil, and like camphor-on-fire, Reality will not be within her grasp and asks her to explain how to merge in the Absolute which does not bear merging with: “O mother, What is the way of merging in the Absolute which does not permit merging with? In the way you spell it out, there appears some flaw in it. Tell me how to merge in Him and yet keep Him apart.” (L.O.C., V.1128)

Mahadeviyakka is of the opinion that there is no difference between form and the formless, as there is no difference between solid and liquid ghee, between lamp and light, between body and self. She also says that she has attained a disembodied state by merging with the bodiless Chennamallikarjuna. But Allamaprabhu refutes Mahadeviyakka’s claim that she has already attained a bodiless state which is only a state of consciousness. So he asks her further: “Is there any instance of a corpse announcing its death? Is there any instance of the hoarded treasure calling out? Is there any instance of curdled milk becoming sweet? This kind of speech will never please Guheshwaralinga.” (L.O.C., V.1293) To this Mahadeviyakka’s rejoinder was: “Yes, dead corpses have cried out, hidden treasure has cried out, and curdled milk , when condensed proved sweet: do you make sure of it in Lord Mallikarjuna.” (S.S.IV, Ch.16, V.35) “A body that is dead awakes when, having dreamed in an oblivious state, it tells its dream. The hoarded treasure rises to call to him whose due it is. The curdled milk, hardened to ghee grows sweet again. Why seek a fault here in, O brothers of Chennamallikarjuna, God of gods.” (S.S.IV, Ch.16, V.37) Then Allamaprabhu overjoyed to accept Mahadeviyakka’s answer and expressed his boundless joy as follows: “The body has assumed woman’s form. The mind is one with the spirit of the thing. You came with a purpose and you have achieved that, O my sister! You have shed the sense of twain in Guheshwaralinga, sister mine.” (L..O.C., V.695) When Allamaprabhu praised her thus for transcending the sense of twain, Mahadeviyakka announced that she had become united with the Ultimate, being free from the sense of twain: “While still in body’s company, I have become Linga’s companion. Transcending the company of both , I have attained peace.

After forgetting the cluster of words , What if one lives An integral life? Once I am joined to Lord Chennamallikarjuna, I do not recognize myself As anything.” (S.S.IV, V.42) Basavanna too praised Mahadeviyakka in glowing terms in as much as she had conquered Kama and was wedded to the Destroyer of Kama was indeed a bold being and a true man: “….. Hear me, O Mother: Shiva loves A union where the woman becomes man. If you unite yourself With Kudala Sangama, you must Without a sense of difference be a valiant man: that is so.!” (S.S.IV, V.43) Acknowledging Mahadeviyakka’s greatness, Allamaprabhu too joined Basavanna in praising her once again: “Behold the state of being where the gaze of the eye fixed upon the Linga on the palm is returned to itself! Behold the True Force that has achieved awareness of Itself through the dawn of Self-Experience! Existence without difference, the emotion that has grown beyond self-love, self-seeking self-respect. She is made by herself, Behold, O Chennabasavanna, I say Hail! O hail! to the majesty of Mahadeviyakka in Guheshwaralinga.” (L.O.C., V.724) Then following the stalwart Sharana like Allamaprabhu, all other Sharanas, including Chennabasavanna, Siddharama, praised her. Afterwards Mahadeviyakka requested Allamaprabhu to tell her about her future course of life and where her unitive state would be: “The mind is intimately absorbed in joy divine; Where then, will ever be for me the dissolution into Thee? Where, then, Lord, will there be My union with Thee? Tell me, Chennamallikarjuna Lord, The place where I shall attain The Absolute, with supreme joy and peace

Overflowing my mind.” (S.S.IV, Ch.16, V.70) On Mahadeviyakka’s asking what would be the place, time and circumstances of her consubstantial union with Linga, Allamaprabhu informed her of the very time, place and attainment of the Union as follows: “Shedding the twain sense of You and Me, when you can climb the highest peak of the great Trikuta mount, you become yourself, look. You can see the Absolute Void. You can see in that Trikuta mount A plantain-grove hidden from the eyes. If you can enter the area of that grove, You’ll see the glow of bright light. To that you go, O mother! Then the highest peak becomes your own in Guheshwaralinga.” (L.O.C., V.1313) Mahadeviyakka then saluting and greeting everybody, sought their blessings. Having been enthused by the enlightenment she had received from them, she bowed down to them once again, and bade them farewell: “….. You, the countless number of saints, have assembled here, To send me to my husband’s house. I’ll conduct myself so well as to please Basavanna. Being wed to Chennamallikarjuna , I’ll bring laurels to you But never a straw. All of you, pray, may stay back. Hail!, O hail! I bow to you.” (V.W.S., V.346) After having bade farewell to all the Shivasharanas, Mahadeviyakka turned her steps towards the holy mountain of Shreeshaila, where she attained the unitive state. She merged in the Divine Consciousness that was in the human form of a Jangama, who, saying, ‘Come, my daughter, who have come here after shedding the bond of birth’, drew her to Himself into an embrace. Thus she attained her unitive state. It seems she merged in her own Guru Allamaprabhu, who was none else than Chennamallikarjuna Himself. At Kalyana, all praised her full-throatedly.

VII.The Second Round of Allamaprabhu’s Spiritual Tour: After having preached the supreme knowledge to Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, and Madivala Machideva, made all the Sharanas perfectly content and sent Mahadeviyakka to Shreeshaila the holy mountain, where she was to merge in Chennamallikarjuna , and sent back Siddharamayya to Sonnalapura where he was to seek his salvation through practice of Shivayoga learnt from Basavanna and Chennabasavanna, Allamaprabhu left Kalyana with the

51 intention of undertaking a country round tour. He moved about different places, mountains, valleys and caves with a motionless movement, which cannot be verbalized. However, Allamaprabhu himself tried to describe it as follows: “What shall I say of him, how speak of him, who walks without steps and moves without motion? What shall I say of him, how speak of him, who makes the impossible possible? What shall I say of the undivided glorious one? The movement of Allayya, devotee of Guheshwara, who is beyond time, is hallowed to the world.” (L.O.C., V.1278) In the course of his wanderings, Allamaprabhu first visited Ponnambanatha and had a discourse with the persons whom he faced there. All kinds of persons were there: some were dedicated to true devotion, some had embarked on the path of right conduct; some were engrossed in Shivalinga worship. He liberated all of them while still alive. Then he wandered along the coast of the eastern sea until he reached Rameshwaram, where he met Ramanatha, who offered him worship. From there he saw the southern sea, and then he moved to the western coast and visited Gokarna, the seat of Mahabaleshwara. From there he made his way towards the northern sea and visited Somanathalinga in Sourashtra. There he granted release from birth-bonds to all those who saw him, heard him and saluted him. From there he went to visit several places of pilgrimage and sixty-eight bathing places in which he had a dip in order to sanctify them. He received worship from those bathing places and turned them into pools of pure Ganges water . Wherever he went, he sanctified all the places. Then he went to the Himalayan mountain range where he visited holy Kedara. Roaming over one lakh and a quarter mountains, he made his sojourn there and saw a large number of caves. At last he saw a very vast cave. Therein he sat in the lotus pose and did meditation. Controlling his breath, mind, reason, knowledge and thought , he stayed in that will-less condition for a long time, oblivious of the world outside. Finally, he realized the Void of voids, becoming void himself. He was in a state of trance beyond the reach of words: “The five-faced one, incarnation of Panchabrahma, form of Primal OM, is peeping over the gem of the serpent coiled round the ten armed one! In the consubstantial union called tranquil trance, with nectar filling the moon-stone pot, the Pranalinga shines and yet the pot remains un-broken, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.272) Thus he attained consubstantial union with Parashiva. Then in the light of the brilliant illumination he got, he saw millions of cosmic eggs and seized all of them and became one of them. He merged in all that he saw indivisibly. That was the result of his integral union with Parashiva. One of Allamaprabhu’s own Vachanas describes this integral yoga of his:

“This world and the other world are where he is; The sky and the Meru are where he is; All the worlds are where he is; The true, eternal and pure principles are where he is; Space and the outer space are where he is; The self-reliant Guheshwara is where he is.” (L.O.C., V.370) While he stood still in that condition, he intuitively understood that the time to end his sport had come, and perceived through his inner eye that Basavanna had constructed the Throne of Void for him and was anxiously waiting for him. Then immediately he started towards Kalyana. It was a rare throne. Hadapad Appanna’s Vachana describes the throne in matchless terms: “With mosaic stone of eight-petalled lotus-flower A bright –white structure was raised For the throne of the Absolute, Of moonstone-built. If you open and look through the western door, Strange is the view. A single pillar made Of one-pointed will; thereto A light wherein numerous pictures lodge. In that splendour, upon the crown Called Brahmarandra, strings Made from five kinds of pearls Are let droop, and between corner and corner Tassels of nine gems are tied. Over it goes a black cloth Tying all round festoons of rustling leaves And harmonizing the ten airs into one, Allaying the air of divine joy, Making the stilled air into a pillow; Making joy into a square seat for spring; Making the tones resounding in the nine nerves Sweet to parrot, cuckoo, bee; Spreading mango-sprouts soft to the touch Which is the highest peace, Making a loop-hole of the northern door, A flight of steps of early yoga And a real threshold of the western door, Built cloisters of the seven vices And the five senses, And cancelled greed and lust of flesh, Making an upper floor of the upward wheel. Lighting the lamps of sun and moon,

Seeing a golden pinnacle of the Great Light Over the dome of self-awareness. My Supreme Guru Basavanna built A throne of the Absolute, The Void of voids, forever still In Lord Basavapriya Kudala Chennasanga.” (S.S.V, Ch.17, V.26) After having built the Throne of the Void, Basavanna waited with bated breath and eager expectation twelve years for Allamaprabhu’s arrival. His fellow Sharanas like Chennabasavanna, Siddharama, Madivala Machideva, Hadapada Appanna and others, foretold the coming of Allamaprabhu. Basavanna’s inner consciousness too told him that Allamaprabhu was about to make his appearance soon. Chennabasavanna felt that Basavanna’s expectation would not be belied: “Mark you, Basavanna: without fail, Even as your heart is, so your luck. Mark, you Basavanna: ‘The seeker cannot miss Whatever he has sought,. Hear me, Basavanna: Prabhudeva, Lord Kudala Chennasanga’s Sharana Is bound to come, to quench The ardent aspiration of your heart!” (S.S.V, Ch.17, V.35) Basavanna too saw auspicious omens of Allamaprabhu’s coming: “My palm is itching and my eyes are throbbing. May be the saint is coming to my house? May be the Ancient is coming to my house? Now that the dream I dreamed Is realized And Jangama is coming to my house, I will worship Shiva before Thee, Lord Kudala Sangama!” (S.S.V, Ch.17, V.38) Arrangements were made in Kalyana to welcome Allamaprabhu with all the pomp:-flags and festoons were set aloft in Kalyana ; the eight door stalls and all the royal streets held up Vyasa’s arms; carpets were spread from the eight doors. Basavanna was agog with expectation of Allamaprabhu. Strange was Allamaprabhu’s movement. There was no motion in his walk, nor foot prints where he stood. He looked like Parashiva clad in tattered clothes. At last, Allamaprabhu came to Kalyana, “Like the fulfilment of desire; Like hidden treasure come to one’s door; Like a bee come searching for the scent.” (S.S.V, Ch.17, V.43) Basavanna told others how Allamaprabhu looked like: “See how he looks and how great he is! Look at his mortal and immortal sides! Look at the glory therein

The mortal and immortal are one! Look at him, greater than the great! Even as a moulded form, winkless both eyes. All of a sudden, he walks. O Kudala Sangama Lord, this great Prabhu have we seen!” (S.S.V, Ch.17, V.47) Allamaprabhu came incognito, with disheveled head and tottering steps; like an aged person out of wits; with bumps upon his brows; clad in tattered clothes, out at elbows and down at heel; with boils and cuts all over the body, oozing puss and blood, and saliva running from his lips. It was the most loathsome sight of a perfect cripple ever seen by any man. Basavanna described his loathsome appearance to Chennabasavanna and others present there as follows: “With tousled head and staggering gait, A bump upon his brow, his wink-less gaze Upon the image on the palm, All notion of the outer world was lost; His eye gashed as if somebody’s blow Had struck him; staring eyes And lacerated ears: Dripping with oozing streams of blood, And spattered with windblown dust and rain; Weals on his back; his left side bare and bruised; Scratched over with thorns; his arm-pit cleft: As those that watched beheld him thus, They were aghast; an unclad wretch, His haunches dripping smutty filth; Emaciated with hunger, and scarce steady for his broken knee; Flowing with blood of a fresh wound, With his instep sprained; In severe pain From dislocation of skin-bone joints; Wounds in his stumbling, shattered toes; A perfect cripple with a crushed hip— Lo, Chennabasavanna! How soiled Lord Kudala Sangama’s outward form. How strange! Behold a sight That is awful to the eyes!” (S.S.V, Ch.17, V.48) Like his looks, his behavior also was strange. To the ignorant mass, he looked a dirty beggar, a perfect cripple, but to the discerning eyes of the true devotees like Basavanna and a host of like Sharanas, he looked Parashiva sporting with Himself. Standing in front of Basavanna’s Mahamane, Allamaprabhu was appearing and disappearing, frolicking, some time looking a child and at another time an old man. Madivala described his frolicking as follows:

One time a child, frolicking another time; Now an old man, and now a crazy one; Now seen in a flash, now vanishing; If gazing at the world he is amazed, Being where he is, he shows himself ahead; But when his followers Come running now and then to speak to Him, He too comes running close to them. Raising his head, he sees Basavanna’s palace: Nandi bowers Covered with delicate workmanship Upon each corner of the roof, And also the platform on the upper storey, He nods his head for joy: Lord Kalideva, Circumambulating Basavanna’s palace stands Before the gate!” (S.S.V, Ch.17, V.59) While thus Allamaprabhu was standing, staggering in front of Mahamane, Basavanna recognized the true Jangama in disguise. Basavanna’s ardent devotion helped him recognize Allamaprabhu, though he was in the disguise of a filthy beggar. He received him into his holy house with due formality, and took him straight to the hall where the Throne of Void was erected. The Throne of Void was constructed and erected with all the care and ardent devotion. Before the feet worship commenced, Basavanna, bowing to Allamaprabhu requested him to do him the grace of ascending the Throne. When Allamaprabhu ascended the Throne, the devotees assembled there stood spell-bound, to see the Void occupy the Void. Then Basavanna exclaimed: “There was in the perfect Void A headless elephant. The elephant came and, swallowing Another elephant, was itself destroyed. Behold the inner without difference. The outer without support, When the bodiless Supreme assumes His seat Upon the Throne of petal less flower, It is a wonder to all the worlds! I say Hail ! O hail ! to the holy feet Of Prabhudeva, Lord Kudala Sangama’s Sharana.” (S.S.V, Ch.18, V.3) Other Shivasharanas joined Basavanna in praising Allamaprabhu, and participated in the feet worship that followed with divine gaiety. Meanwhile, one lakh ninety- six thousand Jangamas who were waiting for food outside the Mahamane as usual, felt annoyed at Basavanna’s neglecting them in preference to the filthy and ugly looking person whose outward form to all appearance was loathsome and shocking. They staged a protest, and being angry with Basavanna, walked away, crying foul. Their contention was that it was wrong on the part of Basavanna to give undue importance to a beggar and to offer him the Throne of Void,

56 considering him Parashiva incarnate while many among them, they thought, were fit to occupy it. They charged Basavanna with many omissions and commissions and became angry with him. In fact, Basavanna was a Jangama-Prani, treating them as if they were his life-breath. Obviously, Basavanna was much disturbed by the insufferable behaviour of the Jangamas. On seeing Basavanna being disturbed, Allamaprabhu tells him not to bother about them as they are all fakes: “They are but a throng of bodies gathered for the sake of food. How could they know of Linga’s worth? How could they know the news of God who lives in body with its frets and fevers? They talk like intoxicated ascetics who have drunk wine. How can they know Guheshwara’s majesty? (L.O.C. V.700) Then after Allamaprabhu had performed the Ishtalinga worship, Basavanna performed Allamaprabhu’s feet worship with due ceremony.

VIII. Allamaprabhu’s Grand Feast: testing of Basavanna’s devotion Allamaprabhu here seized an opportunity to teach Basavanna a very valuable lesson of shedding egoism, for now and then Basavanna was seen getting blown up with pride. The pride of arranging food for one lakh and ninety-six thousand Jangamas daily had gone to his head. With the same conceit, now he offered to serve food to Allamaprabhu, who was an extraordinary Jangama . So after the foot worship of Allamaprabhu, Basavanna requested him to do the grace of accepting food: “Lord, Lord, Exalted grace, ……….. Thou only art within The movements infinite of those Who, moving come, In the infinite movements melt. I serve to Thee The courses made for Thee. May’st thou accept them, Lord, Kudala Sangama.” (S.S.V.Ch.18, V.28) But Allamaprabhu, who was ever well-fed and content, had no appetite for material food, as he had destroyed hunger and thirst for such things. Moreover, he would not touch anything that was tainted with egoism. Having come to a great devotee’s Great House, how could he go without partaking of the food prepared with utmost care and devotion? So Basavanna forced him to partake of food. Even then Allamaprabhu bluntly refused to take food and said: “… today there cannot be food for Guheshwara in your house, mark, O Sangana Basavanna! “ (L.O.C., V.1244)

Basavanna did not give up hope of persuading Prabhu to accept food. Allamaprabhu knew that it was wrong on the part of a Jangama to refuse food at a devotee’s house for there was no such code that prescribed fast or prevented a Lingavanta from taking food. A Lingavanta should offer first to Linga the enjoyments of sense day and night and then take them himself. The reason why Allamaprabhu refused food is that there was no true devotee to serve him. Anyway Basavanna continued to urge Allamaprabhu to partake of food. “…O glory ever satisfied, Do you with a good grace accept The meal prepared for you And bless me, O Prabhu…..” (S.S.V, Ch.18, V.39) After some time, he was convinced that Basavanna could serve him food, and got ready to eat. At the same time, once he made up his mind to eat at Basavanna’s, his Linga became very impatient. He gave expression to his Linga’s impatience to take food as follows: “…I am not one who follows a code that prescribes fasting. Is there any code for a Lingavanta that he should not eat. One should accept day and night the eight-fold enjoyment which should be offered first to linga. Because there were no Bhaktas that serve what they can by Kayaka, I did not open my mouth. My happy hunger has increased , on hearing ‘I’m to do and serve’ O Sangana Basavanna.” (L.O.C., V.1361) Since all courses were ready and were waiting to be served, Prabhu’s feast began on a grand scale. Strange was the hunger of the Prabhu who embodied fourteen worlds! The Master’s hunger was novel to the world. The formless God assuming form was taking food to appease the inner hunger. He was all mouth. His universal mouth was turned in all directions. He ate as if the heavens had opened their mouth. Basavanna, with the help of Madivala Machideva and several others, brought food in big and small baskets, winnowing fans, and pots. Whichever way food was brought and served , in that direction he would open his mouth and take it all. He ate non-stop. Should you halt for a second, chaff, rice-water, broken grain, and all were gone in no time. All the devotees in Kalyana brought varieties of courses from their holy houses and served Him, standing in a row. Anybody would have gone broken-hearted to see the way the Jangama devoured food, both raw and boiled. But Basavanna, mustering all his courage went ahead with a resolution to appease Prabhu’s hunger, howsoever ravenous he turned to be. He was least scared to see his stock of food grains dwindle. He was ready even to offer his body itself, if it came to that: “If I am scared because The courses may give out, Thy curse upon me, Thy saints’ curse!

If dishes fail to come in time of need And I am scared, with heart a-quake, I am not worthy of Thy devotees! When dishes do give out, I offer my body itself. Should I fail to provide unto the end— Be witness Father Madivala Machayya’s feet— Let Kudala Sangama spurn me!” (S.S.V., Ch.19, V.12) The food articles that came to account were turned to food within a split second and were served up without count. Lo, whatever was served, before it was seen, was consumed! It was not within any body’s power to keep count of the quantity of food consumed by Allamaprabhu. Tons and tons of food articles of all varieties were collected and cooked. One’s imagination simply staggers to note the quantity of food articles brought there: ten tons of pudding of green gram; eighteen tons of husked gram bread; twenty-five lakhs of off-season mangoes; numberless plantains; eighty tons of cashew-nuts; a large quantity of congealed ghee; lots jack- fruit; eighteen barrels of cream of milk; limitless dried dates; fresh milk cakes were served to the strange God whose hunger knew no satiation: “Things touched with the hand dissolve in the hand; Things touched with the eyes dissolve in the eyes; Things touched with the tongue dissolve on the tongue. The lackeys who serve are tired, but then The feasting God does not know! How to describe the loss I bore Through my conceit that I would entertain A God come hiding in Himself The cosmic eggs? …. (S.S.V, Ch.19, V.17) Now Basavanna was really scared. So he sought Madivalayya’s advice: “…Tell us, Madivalayya, if you know, the way To satisfy Lord Kudala Sangama.” (S.S.V, Ch.19, V.17) Madivala Machayya, who had been with Basavanna all the time, knew no solution to the problem, but felt that something was wrong with Basavanna’s devotion. He feared that it was Basavanna’s conceit that he could feed Allamaprabhu, who was actually cosmic belleyed and asked him whether he had gone mad and gall had mounted to his head to hope to serve food to the God to his heart’s satisfaction, who held within his stomach as many as fourteen worlds. Expressing his inability to solve the problem, he, however, passed on the buck to Chennabasavanna. Then Basavanna , crestfallen, approached Chennabasavanna: “.. When the indescribable Absolute Sat on the invisible throne, Sangamanatha, splendorous to see,

Got up and went away. All things, As they were served, vanished to naught, And such successive dish Was never seen again… What shall I say Of this uncommon happening? What way to describe this miracle? Tell us, Chennabasavanna, if you know, The way to satisfy Lord Kudala Sangama. (S.S.V, Ch19, V. 20) Though young in years, Chennabasavanna knew the right answer to Basavanna’s uncommon problem. He knew that the hunger of ethereal Allamaprabhu could not be satisfied with material food. He knew that self offering is the greatest of offerings. He also knew that Allamaprabhu should be offered pure food untainted with egoism, that it was Basavanna’s conceit that had caused all the trouble, and that unless Basavanna shed his conceit that ‘I can do, I can serve’ , his offering would not be worthy of offering. Serve he might any quantity of food to Allamaprabhu, it would not suffice to appease the strange hunger of that God-like man. As long as offerings are charged with egoism, God’s hunger cannot be satiated. God always loves conceit- free love and devotion. So Chennabasavanna offered his suggestion that Basavanna should offer himself whole-heartedly to Allamaprabhu, if at all he wanted to satiate his strange hunger: “Yes, the earth with nine continents, The round world five hundred billion miles wide, Is all hid in this one universe. What shall I say of the madness Of His Mastership who presumes To serve food to the Absolute Who has incorporated in himself Fourteen such worlds? If you would like to have the key To Koodala Chennasanga’s content, You should be the main course And I the side dish. There is nothing higher than this; Mark, Sangana Basavanna.” (E.C.B., V.915) Basavanna felt indebted to Chennabasavanna, as his advice opened his eyes to his gross error. He came to know that the darkness that had possessed his body was dissolved, and the pride that had filled his heart was gone. He realized that no offering could be worthier than the offering of one’s own self, that is, total surrender of one’s self. Falling prostrate at Allamaprabhu’s feet, Basavanna submitted himself whole--wealth, breath and ego. With all the traits of his body being shed; the pride of Maya being cast off; the immense platter called mind being washed clean, both Basavanna and Chennabasavanna together offered to Allamaprabhu the food of peace. Moreover, now they fully knew what they were going to offer was god’s own

60 gift. Overcome with humility, Basavanna became speechless. It was Chennabasavanna who spoke on behalf of Basavanna: “They say that Anga is a plate For Linga: it is not so…. I shed the traits of body, Cast off the pride of Maya; have washed the immense platter they call mind; set up the six-centre stand; Arranged the bowls of every carnal sense; Lighted the lamp stand of the intellect; I held all other aids of faculty. I served the dish of joy of piety, And ghee of modesty and good sense, I brought and placed the fresh milk cake Which has the wondrous taste of flawless Peace, I serve into Thy plate Basavanna as the main, and me the side dish: Partake of the feast, O Kudala Chennasangama Lord.” (S.S.V, Ch.19, V.29) He also added this important rider to his theory of offering: “…O Lord, Whatever you have given is offered to you, O Sir! Feast and grand feast are for the good of all saints. Because you do not have hunger, nothing is offered to you, O Kudala Chennasanga!” (E.C.B., V.624) In fact, what they offered was ‘a well-filled measure of food, made of the senses cooked in the fire of enlightenment’. Being immensely satisfied with this kind of pure spiritual offering, Allamaprabhu praised Basavanna without reserve as follows: “My body was purified today, O Basavanna! My mind was purified today, O Basavanna! My devotion and strategy for salvation Were purified today, O Basavanna! All these were purified , O Basavanna! For our Guheshwaralinga you became ground and origin both.” (L.O.C., V.1236) Then Basavanna pleaded with Allamaprabhu to forgive the Jangamas who had gone in protest, as in the eyes of the all pervading divine, there is no room for fault finding. Now Allamaprabhu being all compassion forgave them, and his heart’s content became the heart’s content of one lakh ninety six thousand Jangamas, who were pleased with Basavana’s artless devotion, as they were filled with the pure devotion offered to Allamaprabhu. Since Allamaprabhu was the absolute void containing innumerable billions of universes, his getting

61 satisfied meant all creatures in the universes were satisfied. Chennabasavanna ‘s following Vachana endorses this strange phenomenon: “… Taking Basavanna’s Prasada, Allamaprabhu became content. Deriving from the food consumed By Allamaprabhu, became content for one Lakh six and ninety thousand ones, the entire animate and inanimate world became fully content.…” (S.S.V, Ch.19, V.82) Thus ended the grand feast of Allamaprabhu with the contentment of all the animate and inanimate things in the fourteen worlds, as also with the eradication of ego from the heart of Basavanna. Basavanna’s ego was a sort of blood clot that blocked the free passage of devotion in his heart. Then Allamaprabhu praised Basavanna as a true Bhakta as follows: “See the age’s enthusiasm! For the five forces, there are five Prime ministers. A Sharana alone knows their ups and downs. Having found his Self, the Sharana does not beg of the six systems, nor does he requite the three, nor is he accessible to Vedas, Shastras, Puranas, Prosodic tomes and dictionaries. As there is no Guru, Linga, Jangama, nor Padodaka -Prasada on their body, as these five have become one, all living beings offer their salutations; all creatures address him with deference; all souls pray to him for room; all the fourteen worlds cry victory to the feet of Basavanna, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.1481)

IX. The Final Instruction: After the successful ending of the grand feast of Allamaprabhu, Basavanna starts praising him. Moreover, he wants to hear from the grand master more about Guru, Linga, Jangama, Padodaka Prasada and the Shatsthala. But Allamaprabhu urges him to stop praising him, and further he refuses to give any person any more instruction. He says that silence is better than talking and discoursing since everything originates from silence and dissolves in silence. Basavanna who has descended to the earth, along with seven hundred seventy saints, in order to redeem mankind by preaching and practicing the principles of Guru, Linga and Jangama and to guide the people by his own example, has achieved his objective. In fulfilment of his noble objective, he has established the kingdom of Shiva on the earth. So Allamaprabhu

62 tells him that it is high time he concentrated on his salvation, i.e., the attainment of the Ultimate Truth through meditation: “What use singing in praise, unless you meditate on what you are in time and eternity? You fools, can you attain by praising the Absolute that is called ‘The Silent Brahma’? From time immemorial Basavanna, along with seven hundred seventy immortal saints, came down upon this earth with a purpose. The mission why he came is fulfilled. Listen, you all assembled here, you should attain Reality by understanding for yourselves. Henceforth, Our Guheshwaralinga knows no motion in form!” (L.O.C., V.764) And further Allamaprabhu exhorts Basavanna and all other saints saying that the time is ripe for their realization of Truth: “If you do practice till you die, when will you fight? If you do prayer all your life, when will you realize yourself? If you go on understanding till meaning is exhausted, when will you realize Truth? Having come to perform A particular function, and completed it, Why the obligation of the mortal world? Look, the fruit filled with nectarine juice drops suddenly from the stalk. See the illustration. All pioneer saints, including Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, having attained Truth in Guheshwaralinga Are free from care.” (L.O.C., V.1581) Although Allamaprabhu said that there was no need of any more discussion, discussion did continue for some more time at the Anubhava Mantapa. However, he made it clear that he was not competent enough to speak on the Linga. In his opinion, Basavanna alone was a competent authority on the Linga. In fact, Allamaprabhu openly admitted that he had learnt about the origin and nature of the Linga from Basavanna only. In Kalyana he saw the creeper of Basavanna spread everywhere, and clusters of Lingas suspended from every creeper from which the juice of devotion dripped: “Wherever you look,

you see a creeper called Basava. If you pick it up, lo! there is a cluster of Lingas! Pick up the cluster, it brims over with the juice of devotion! Who can make it a myrobalan? Who can make it shine outwardly? Because Gurubasava made clear the Linga on my palm, it’s through you that I have known the great stature of Guheshwaralinga. All other worlds on worlds are paltry things in my eyes!” (L.O.C., V.974) Then Allamaprabhu pronounced that the time had come for them to part, as also related to them the circumstances of their end, besides telling them about his own Ultimate state: “Time has lapsed; only parting is left. Listen, O Basavanna, The Real is united with Reality. In Kaliyuga, the true sharanas will be no more. You go and join Sangayya at Kappadi. O Chennabasavanna, go and attain the Ultimate Reality at Uluve. O Madivalayya, unite yourself with the Great Absolute. Soddala Bacharasa and all other Sharanas should attain the Ultimate Truth in space-less trance . All of you who are prepared to go, Penetrate your way into the Linga, and proceed to Kailas along with your body. This sacred counsel meant for you will not prove false. As for me, the final peace lies in entering the plantain grove, where I should unite with the Ultimate Truth. This is Guheshwaralinga’s order for all of you.” (L.O.C., V.847) Thus Allamaprabhu, having told the innumerable saints, including Basavanna, of the way of their ultimate trance, bade them farewell, and set out towards the plantain grove at the Shreeshaila Mountain. Like all other saints, Allamaprabhu also had fulfilled the mission for which he had arrived. After having achieved the god ordained purpose, there was no need for him to be bound to the mortal world. As an individual, he had rendered the greatest service to mankind. Transcending the limits of the mortal world and the bounds of the body, he was moving towards Shreeshaila, a holy mountain to which place he had earlier directed Mahadeviyakka. Whosoever he met on his way he went on redeeming. While passing through the thick forest, he met first Goraksha, a Hathayogi. He was a great aspirant with intense practice of Yoga to his credit to conquer the physical body. His hard practice had made his body

64 adamantine. Allamaprabhu, seeing the diamond-bodied Goraksha, mocked at him; mocked at his achievement. And told him to stop his Yogic tricks: “O stop it, The Yoga of trickery and fraud with roots and fibers is no Yoga! O stop it, To have the trance of the body and senses is Yoga! The real and natural is Yoga, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.640) Goraksha said that he had conquered death. Indeed, the look and shine of his body seemed to proclaim the truth of his statement. It appeared that his body was not made up of flesh. It cannot be gainsaid that Goraksha had gained such unique power by his yogic practice. When Allamaprabhu continued to belittle his achievement, Goraksha got wild. Approaching Allamaprabhu, he handed over his sword to him and told him to strike and test the worth of his body. “Is that so? Right, then get ready to receive the blow”, said Allamaprabhu. Then Goraksha swelling his body and enlarging his chest, stood before Allamaprabhu with his chest and head up, inviting him to strike. Allamaprabhu, flourishing the sword, struck Goraksha hard, once, twice, thrice… Every time he struck, the sword rebounded with a clinking sound, but it least hurt the body. Goraksha was standing there, smiling with an air of superiority. Goraksha was proud of his achievement; proud of having made his body a diamond. But Allamaprabhu, instead of expressing his wonder and admiration, broke into peals of laughter, and asked him: “Is this all you have achieved?” Goraksha expected Prabhu’s full-throated praise, but what he got annoyed him. Then Allamaprabhu returning the sword, told Goraksha to strike him a return blow. But Goraksha who knew what would be the effect of his powerful blow on the adversary, hesitated to deliver a return blow. So he advised Prabhu not to submit his body to his fatal blows, fearing that his body might not survive the blow, which meant nothing but death. Allamaprabhu seemed not scared and worried at all. He said to Goraksha with the usual smile on his face: “Don’t worry, Goraksha, strike me with all your might.” Then Goraksha, mustering all his power, delivered blow after blow to Allamaprabhu’s body with no effect whatsoever. Goraksha’s sword made no clinking sound nor did the body resist the blows. Strange to see, the sword passed through the body as though it was all void. Wherever he struck the body, it passed through and through, receiving no résistance. Every time he pierced through the body, it was a smooth passage. The body sustained no wounds, strike he might how so hard. Goraksha got tired of striking, but Prabhu was not in the least hurt. It was a big puzzle to Goraksha. Discomfited Goraksha threw away the sword and fell prostrate at Allamaprabhu’s feet. Then Allamaprabhu lifting him up compassionately, said to him: “O Goraksha, do you understand what real attainment is? Why should one labour so hard to make one’s body adamantine? Know that one’s body should not become a diamond; it should become space. It should become Linga, the Great Void.” Then Goraksha with all humility prayed to Prabhu to reveal the secret of the bond of Linga and Anga. Then Prabhu revealed to him the secret of Nirvayalu Samadhi (trance in space), the Samadhi that would lead one to a state of void: “When consciousness has ceased to say ‘Wonder has seized me’, what sort of knowledge is it now?

When you say ‘I am not’, who is this ‘I’? When you ask, ‘Who am I’, Who was this ‘I’ before? Tell me what is this chain of births fashioned by ‘I’ ness, which proclaims ‘I am the consciousness’? What is the reason why we toil, cleaving to the word that says: ‘Silence is Brahma’, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.660) Allamaprabhu continued his instruction to Goraksha: “Disappearance of ‘I’ leads to a state of Void. Do not boast of your bodily achievement. The sense of ‘I’ will lead to the wheel of births. When you destroy ‘I’ ness, the difference between ‘I’ and ‘You’ disappears automatically, and you attain the state of Void. Follow the path of Linga to attain the state of Void.” Following this spiritual instruction, Goraksha got himself initiated into Linga worship. The diamond-bodied Goraksha attained the stature of a sky-bodied being by meditating upon Lord Allamaprabhu, just as a wasp becomes a bee by constant merditation upon it, and , in course of time, united with the Void.

X. Prabhu Enters the Plantain Grove: After guiding Goraksha to his destination, Allama standing before its main entrance, he thought that time had come for him to leave his body. Also he reflected upon his achievements in his life and felt satisfied with them. He felt that his mission on this earth had been fulfilled. When he was at the actual physical plantain grove, he thought of his body as a plantain grove, infested with all sorts of wild beasts and full of passions, like lust, anger, pride, envy, infatuation. He knew that by now he had vanquished all those passions and wanted to attain the true trance in space. His following Vachana not only expresses his achievements as a great Shivayogi but also hints at his final merger into the Void, which will be like the Void merging in the Void: “I see no one who can conquer the vast plantain grove of body: The seven seas of Samsara surround it. In the vast forest of the cycle of births, the poisonous rain of the five senses pours. A huge tiger of anger is roaring. The elephant of the eight-fold pride are stamping about the street. As the rain of fire called lust is pouring, Large snakes of envy are belching fire. The child of sin called greed is chewing the cud. The counter-shafted rain called triple pain, is pouring incessantly, preventing your stepping out. Hills of ego have fallen across the way. You can look in the face of fear of ghosts called the five elements.

The monster Maya devours raw flesh. The well of sexual pleasures cannot be used. The creepers of infatuation entangles the feet. The sharp-edged sword of covetousness cannot be unsheathed. Gods, demons and men, not being able to enter such a plantain-grove, have gone crazy, and run away. Those who have eyes on their soles, and Those who have eyes all over bodies, have lost their heads. But I have entered this plantain-grove, and have fought my way through Untouched by thorns, I have conquered the plantain-grove. Staying in the Ultimate trance called Guheshwaralinga, being possessed, I am more tranquil than tranquility.” (L.O.C., V.1111) Thus having entered the plantain grove of body and conquered it, Allamaprabhu, himself a laser beam of light, merged in the effulgent light called Guheshwaralinga, like camphor uniting with fire. When the news of Allamaprabhu’s uniting with the Ultimate Truth reached Kalyana, all the Sharanas paid their homage to the great departed soul, each in his own way. Basavanna to whom Allamaprabhu was a perfect Jangama, as great as the Linga, “whose wideness is the wideness of the world, the wideness of the firmament” sang away his sorrow as follows: “He who is as great as Linga Has lost his sense! He who is as great as Jangama Has lost his motion! He who is as great as Prasada Has lost his form! He who is as great as Discipline Has lost his limbs! He who is as great as Consciousness Has lost his action! When, in Lord Kudala Sangama, Prabhudeva Attained the Ultimate, Sangana Basavanna’s soul at once Went after him. (S.S.V, Ch.21, V.13) Chennabasavanna too expressed his sense of bereavement in the following Vachana, which speaks of his high reverence for the matchless Sharana: “O You, an incomprehensible one, Come within the compass of my experience.

O You, resting place of my consciousness! O You, who are the desire of my will! O You who are the height of my true self! O You, who are the Mount Meru of my tranquillity! O You, who are the glory of my mind! O Linga, where has your motion vanished? O my Supreme Guru, where has your name become nameless? O Prabhu, you are like camphor consumed by fire in Koodala Chennasanga!” (E.C.B., V.762) Allamaprabhu is no more now but he has left behind him a valuable treasure of Vachanas which are the guiding light to travellers on the path of spiritual pilgrimage.

XI. The Veerashaiva Doctrine as reflected in Allamaprabhu’s Vachanas Allamaprabhu has stated in one of his Vachanas that he has written one hundred sixty billion Vachanas. May be, it is an exaggeration. But it is true that he wrote a large number of Vachanas, a considerable number of which were lost in the holocaust following the assassination of King Bijjala. When the helpless Sharanas were hunted down by Bijjala’s army, carrying the huge bundles of Vachanas, some on their heads and some on their backs, the bewildered Sharanas ran in haste in order to save their skin. In the transit, it is likely that many valuable bundles might have been damaged beyond deciphering, and some even lost. Thanks to the efforts of Chennabasavanna, his mother Akka Nagamma and several others, who staked their lives to save the Vachana corpus, whatever has reached us today is certainly a precious gift of the Sharanas to mankind. As of now, 1636 Vachanas of Allamaprabhu are available in Allamaprabhudevara Vachanasamputa Vol. II, in the Samagra Vachana Samputa published by Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara (Govt. of Karnataka),Bangalore. They contain the quintessence of Veerashaiva Philosophy. The Concept of Linga God (Void): Before time was, there was Linga in the form of the Void; it was undivided Linga, that is, Nishkala Linga, invisible, without a second, without parts, spotless, inclusive of the entire Void, which is existence, consciousness and bliss. By an impulse of His own, putting forth the power of his Consciousness, He created myriads of macrocosms and microcosms, and breathed Jeeva (life force) into them. While giving them form, He made them captives to death and destruction. Without involving Himself in their pleasure and pain, freedom and bondage, he has since made them play as if he were their (puppet) Master. Some Jeevatmas realized their limitation of birth and began to hate the corporal consciousness and achieved freedom from the snares of the world. While they were waiting for the advent of the Supreme Spirit, It appeared in the form of Guru. The Guru, who is in essence Parashiva Himself, removed the triple impurity by the three-fold initiation and saved them. Coming in the form of Linga, He received their worship on the palm. Coming in the form of Jangama, He poured Himself into their body and soul through preaching. The same Undivided Supreme Spirit, bestowing His grace upon them, made them one with Himself. Basavanna, Chennabasavanna and Allamaprabhu, regarded as incarnations of the existence, consciousness and bliss of that Undivided Supreme Self, descended to the mortal world in order to sanctify the entire world.

In the beginning there was the Void. The universe being a transfiguration of that Void, the Ultimate Reality, it ultimately merges into it: “ Having sown the seed of Void in the field of void, the crop of Void was grown! The Void, becoming Void, merged in the Void. The life is Void, the will is Void. The Void, becoming Void, merged in the Void. Those who worshipped You earlier, have already merged in the Void, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.639) Allamaprabhu considered a Sharana to be the creator of the universe, because it was Sharana who, embodying the Supreme Spirit as he did, gave form to the Void: “One Sharana gave form to the Void. He lodged devotion in that form, and made that devotion face Enlightenment. He caught enlightenment and made it face the Linga. He made that Linga penetrate his body, and put his whole body in the trance of deliverance. Attaining deliverance, if I became impenetrable, making me vibrate with devotion He drew me towards him. Having seen your Sharana Sangana Basavanna’s feet, and bowing to them , I have been saved, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C.,V. 1379) It is clear from the above Vachana that the Void assumed form at the behest of a Sharana who was no less than the Supreme Spirit. The Sthalas: The word Sthala admits of double interpretation—one, Parashiva or the Ultimate Reality and the other, a stage in the spiritual ascent. The Sthalas hold a special significance in Veerashaiva philosophy. The Six Sthalas: Bhakta, Maheshwara, Prasadi, Pranalingi, Sharana and Aikya—are, as it were, the very heart and soul of the Veerashaiva philosophy. Prior to that, there is another set of Sthalas called preparatory Sthalas put in an ascending order: Pinda Sthala (Pindajnana Sthala), Samsaraheya Sthala and Mayavilasavidambana Sthala. Pinda Sthala: The Pinda Sthala is the first stage in the aspirant’s ascent to the Divine. Allamaprabhu has pointed out with appropriate illustration that God is imminent in Pinda, that is, the embryo: “Like the spark in a stone; like the reflection in water;

like a tree in the seed; like silence in sound, is your kinship with your devotee, O Guheshwara!” ( L.O.C., V.1) “Like the treasure hidden in the earth; like the lightning hidden in the cloud; like the mirage in the void; like the light hidden in the eye; Is your majesty, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.4)

Samsaraheya Sthala: The phenomenal world (Prakriti) consisting of dichotomies and a multitude of souls (Jeevatmas) was inherent in the heart of Divine Consciousness of Parashiva (Supreme God) before its manifestation. The Jeeva, as it comes to know of its real nature, realizes that he is not the gross body but pure soul(Atma). Atma existed even before the Creation. Then it constituted Nada, Bindu and Kala. He is Nirbhaya (fearless) in that state. As He transcends birth, life and death, He is Kshayarahita (without decay). As He is the source of all Vedas, He is Omkaraswarupa (logos incarnate). As He is beyond Time, He is Urdhvamukha. As He existed before Parashiva assumed the name Guheshwaralinga, He is Nirmaya (without Maya ). When Atman hidden in Pinda (embryo) comes to know of His true nature, he begins to feel disgusted with His condition. Samsara means the cosmic process of taking birth, existing and dissolving. Going round in this circle without hope of release is Samsara. Allamaprabhu has vividly pointed out the nature of Samsara and the pathetic condition of the Jeevatma caught in the snare of Samsara: “See, how the dogs who come to feast on the carcass of Samsara, wrangle! See, how the carcass laughs as the dogs wrangle! Look, the Linga called Guheshwara is not there! (L.O.C., V.46) In this Sthala, Allamaprabhu points out that Samsara is loathsome, that it is mean and contemptible. He suggests that the aspirant should practice meditation on the self, shedding his fondness for sexual pleasures. Samsara is a mega play of Maya (Illusion) which should be shunned by the suffering Jeevatma. Mayavidambana Sthala: Knowing the real nature of Maya, the aspirant should pull himself out of her grip. The Vachanas of Mayavidambanasthala emphasize the need for vanquishing Maya by snapping its snare. Prakriti coming into contact with the triple attributes—Satva, Rajas and Tamas—seems to be a ‘vanity fair’ of diverse names and forms. To the wordly eye, the illusive glamour of Maya looks like a grand sumptuous feast. The seeker should shun all the temptations spread before him by Maya. Allamaprabhu compares Maya to a harlot: “On the tip of a buffalo’s horn,

there are seven hundred seventy wells. There is a spring in each well, and in each spring a harlot, look, O Sir! And around the neck of that harlot, I see seven hundred and seventy elephants climb, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.38) Further the aspirant should concentrate his energy on controlling the monkey mind. Maya, time and Karma are the deadliest enemies of a devotee. He can conquer them by surrendering himself to the feet of the Absolute. The Shatsthala: The grace of the Guru makes its appearance in the disciple by way of Mantra (sacred spell). It is believed that the unmanifest Mantra of the Guru takes the form of Linga. By whispering the sacred spell into the disciple’s ears, the Guru lets his grace pervade the disciple’s body. By placing his hand on the disciple’s head, the Guru transfers his spiritual energy to his disciple. The Linga bestowed by the Guru functions as Acharalinga in the nose, as Gurulinga on the tongue, as Shivalinga in the eyes, as Jangamalinga in the touch, as Prasadalinga in the ears, and as Mahalinga in the heart. The Bhakta-Sthala: Allamaprabhu describes the characteristic features of Bhaktasthala in three of his Vachanas. Devotion for Guru, Linga and Jangama is the main characteristic of this sthala. Before becoming a Bhakta, one is a Bhavi (worldling). Once a person becomes a Bhakta, he should shed his bonds with all the worldlings: “Do not listen to the speech of a traitor to his master, who, after making a Bhavi Bhakta, still harps on his previous impurities. Do not listen to the speech of a traitor to the Linga, who names the nameless Linga. Formerly, the Guru was without a name; the Linga without a name; and the disciple was without a name. Not knowing this, three-fold Sthala, they were lost, O Guheshwara. (L.O.C., V.64) One becomes a Bhakta by receiving initiation into the ecstatics of the Ishtalinga at the hands of the Guru. The Bhakta should destroy the wheel of birth and death. If the Bhakta’s wheel of births is not destroyed, both the Bhakta who receives the initiation and the Guru who gives him the Linga will be condemned to hell: “…If you become a Bhakta and yet your births and rebirths do not cease, let the devil take both— the master who gave instruction and the disciple who received it, and let Guheshwara get lost.” (L.O.C., V.65)

To light the lamp of knowledge, one has to pour the oil of devotion into the platter. Humility is the badge of honour a Bhakta should wear, and humility comes by destroying the ego. Basavanna, who considers himself smaller than the smallest of Sharanas, is identified with this Sthala. The Maheshwara-Sthala: The Bhakta-Sthala comprises a living faith in the grace of Guru, Linga and Jangama. That faith, maturing into a settled conviction, forms an outstanding feature of the Maheshwara- Sthala. That is, the faith shown in the Bhakta-Sthala becomes an unshakable certitude. A Maheshwara is a monotheist. He believes that the Linga is an embodiment of the Absolute, and worships nothing but Linga. His faith in the Linga is unshaken, come what may. Allamaprabhu lashes out at those who cannot remain steadfast to the worship of one god: “Those who do not know how to ride the given horse but ask for another, are neither brave nor bold. The three worlds labour and sweat, carrying the saddle on their back, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.127) In addition to unswerving faith, perseverance is another feature of the Maheshwara . The sense of his being one with the Linga grows from strength to strength, from day to day. For his steadfast faith in the Linga, he is prepared to stake his life. Moreover, he cannot endure any censure of the Linga, and is ever ready to defend his faith even at the cost of his life. The Prasadi-Sthala: Avadhana(attention) is its first characteristic. Steadfast sincerity is another characteristic feature of a Prasadi. When a Bhakta dedicates his body, mind and wealth to Guru, Linga and Jangama respectively, he gets them back, being purged of the triple impurity--Anava, Maya, and Karmic. Anything offered to Guru, Linga and Jangama with sincerity and without covetousness becomes Prasada. It is of three kinds—Shuddha, Siddha, and Prasiddha. He should offer everything to Guru, Linga and Jangama with a sense of self-surrender before it is tainted by the contact of his mind and sense organs. So long as craving persists, its transformation into Prasada cannot take place. So Allamaprabhu says: Make your offering before it is touched by the flesh; before it is touched by the mind; before hunger seizes it. Before you place it in the hands of your master, make your offering. The fire in the left hand and the hay in the right hand. The hay gets kindled by the fire in the hand of the partaker of Your grace, O Guheshwara! (L.O.C., V.165) A devotee should offer his body, mind and money to the Linga before the Linga demands. The Linga does not ask anything of a Bhakta.

“If one give alms before being asked, it is true devotion. Do Linga and Jangama ever ask anything? No Prasada for those who ask and for those who expect others to ask, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.157) Those who do not offer the triple to the triple are no Prasadis. Some commit the gross mistake of considering Guru, Linga and Jangama as one, and make offering to only one , ignoring the other two. For such devotees, there is no Guru, no Linga, no Jangama, and no Prasada: “Alas, they suffered much simply saying that Linga and Jangama are one . The triple conduct consists in offering the triple to the triple. If Linga is in one place, Jangama is in another place, And Prasada in yet another place, where is Prasada, O Guheshwara?” (L.O.C., V.158)

The Pranalingi-Sthala: Inward-looking and self- experience are the chief traits of this Sthala. In this stage, the aspirant’s vision becomes clear. Till now, the eyes perceived and experienced the outer joy. But here it tends to move inward. Here the body becomes a temple in which the Absolute in the form of Linga is seated. The vital breath (Prana) worships the Linga with the flower of Sadvasana (right aspiration). Here the devotee is convinced that the Absolute is the subtlest of the subtle, indivisible and omnipresent. Here the body and breath are made pure by being purged of the six-fold passion and the eight-fold pride. The following Vachanas throw light on the above mentioned characteristics of this Sthala. “I was amazed to see the mortals of the mortal world install a god in the temple! I was amazed to see them offer daily worship to the eternal and partake of the food! O Guheshwara, Your devotees have gone away leaving behind the Linga.” (L.O.C., V.176)

“When the body itself is a temple for god why seek another temple? Nobody said the body and god are separate. If you turn into stone, O Guheshwara, what shall I be?” (L.O.C., V.213)

“The radiant Light of knowledge shines within the subtle and the gross. Transcending all the petals of light, the moon dawns in the sunlight that has swallowed the shadow. Within no one’s power is it to speak of the harvest in the realm of the ocean. When a servant devoured his master, the majesty of Guheshwara, crossing the fourteen worlds, swallowed the outer and the inner.” (L.O.C., V.274)

The Sharana-Sthala: A Sharana is one who has surrendered his all to Guru, Linga and Jangama, and has cut off all bonds with the world. He is fearless and free from care. Having snapped his vital link with the mortal world, he is independent. The following Vachanas testify to the truth of this statement: “Both form and the formless states are forms. One is invocation, another, dissolution. One is perplexity, another, tranquility. Your Sharana who is devoid of both perplexity and tranquillity, is free from care, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V. 359)

“A Sharana does not accept the world, nor does the world accept the Sharana. The fourteen worlds are hidden in the belly of a Sharana. Your Sharanas are the Great Absolute devoid of both awareness and forgetfulness, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.369)

“The alchemic stone has no value. Prana, which is pure ever, needs no purifying. Taste knows no taint of orts. Happiness knows no unpleasantness. Your Sharana is free from the cycle of birth and death and the bond of Karma, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.455)

In this Sthala, the bond between Sharana and Linga is like that between husband and wife. Here the Sharana is wedded to Linga Lord. “Bhakta is an impure person,

Lingaikya is a vow-breaker. The phrase –Sharana-wife and Linga-husband applies to one who possesses all properties, and who has shed the pleasures of the functional organs. O Guheshwara, Your Sharana has no fear of any kind, birth or death! He is free from the bonds of Karma (L.O.C., V.523)

The Aikya-Sthala: The Absolute (Linga) has pervaded the entire body of the Sharana. Since Linga is his Lord (husband), and he has surrendered all his—body, mind and wealth—to the Linga, he has no independent will of his own left. At-one-ment is the true mark of this Sthala. In the oneness obtained here, there is no separate identity to engage in observation, expression or hearing. What remains is only the Light Supreme. Allamaprabhu, who has lived in this stage and experienced the light of Aikya, has written some Vachanas which explain the characteristics of this Sthala more clearly. The following Vachana describes the state of a Sharana who has attained oneness with Linga: “The care-free one who has known Reality; The great one who has vanquished death; The glorious embodiment of the highest; The blessed one who has attained the bliss supreme; The perfect one who inhabits the Void; The self-begot incarnation; The calm one who has attained the perfect poise, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.637) The characteristics detailed in this Vachana incidentally portray the attainment of Allamaprabhu himself.

XII. Allamaprabhu’s Social Awareness: Allamaprabhu reached the Aikya state very early in life, and stayed in it for long. But he realized that as long as one possesses body one owes an obligation to the society in which one lives. He also realized that one’s spiritual perfection should not be confined to the individual only, and that it should benefit the society as a whole. Though he did not live among the masses, unlike Basavanna, he did support all the welfare projects launched by Basavanna. As the President of the Anubhava Mantapa, he stood by Basavanna in his total revolution meant for the upliftment of mankind. He was with Basavanna when he pleaded the cause of woman’s freedom and equality. The Vedic religion had treated woman inhumanly, depriving her of all the opportunities to develop herself socially as well as spiritually. It had treated her as an impurity and kept her outside the sphere of all religious activities. Considering her Maya, it thought she would be an obstacle to man’s spiritual progress. Again it was the Vedic religion that denied her status on a

75 par with man. Allamaprabhu thought that woman was not Maya; it was man’s own desire that dangled always before his mind. So he said: “They say gold is Maya, Woman Maya and land Maya . But gold is no Maya, neither woman is Maya, nor land Maya. The desire dangling before one’s mind alone is Maya, look, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.72) It is neither gold, nor woman, nor land that comes in the way of man’s spiritual progress. It is, in fact, the desire that possesses and pollutes the mind. This new thinking about woman paved the way for improving her lot by giving her freedom of speech; freedom of thought and action, and freedom of practicing the religion of her choice. During the Vedic period and down the ages, woman was denied the sacred thread which was a mark of purity and sanctity and a license to pursue the study of religious texts. The new religion opened the door of opportunities to woman by allowing her to undergo Linga initiation. Thereby women got the right of getting invested with the Ishtalinga and were allowed to seek salvation through spiritual practice. As a result of this innovation in the field of religion, a large number of women reached the highest stage in the scale of spiritual perfection. Most of them were from the downtrodden and deprived class. They rose to such a spiritual height that women like Mahadeviyakka and Muktayakka could even challenge Allamaprabhu, when no man dared to stand before him. But for the whole-hearted support of Allamaprabhu, the socio-religious revolution would not have been successful. In 12th century Karnataka, superstition, which was rampant, was a menace to both individual and society. Allamaprabhu had no patience with superstitious persons. So he mercilessly lashes at them, whenever he gets an opportunity. And he does it with the heart of a compassionate father, intending to redeem them. He criticizes the worshipping of mud, stone, tree, winnowing pan, visit to places of pilgrimage, observance of vows and rigid rules (Sheela). He argues that when God is in the body, and is worn on the body in the form of Ishtalinga and is worshipped in the palm, there is no need for worshipping the idols installed in temples. When the courtyard of a devotee is as sacred as a holy place, there is no need to undertake a pilgrimage to so-called holy places. “It is like villagers offering rice and oil, saying— ‘O Mother Mari, come and save my son’s head.’ They call him a Bhakta who worships the Ishtalinga in his hand with wild leaves and flowers. But he is no true Bhakta. He alone is a true Bhakta who worships himself as Linga, with his own heart flower, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.407)

The common run of people and fake devotees toil and moil during the day for eking out their daily bread and for appeasing their passions at night. They hardly find any time for thinking about God. They blindly imitate others in doing perfunctory things. Some even practice the Six-fold Sthala, not knowing its right path. Also they resort to superstitious practices like getting one’s head shaved, and taking a dip in the so-called holy ponds. “They toil and moil throughout the day for food. They toil and moil throughout night to appease their passions. On seeing those who eat, they too eat. They visit holy places and talk of the eight-fold offering and the sixteen-fold service. But not knowing the secret of getting the hidden treasure , all those well-versed in the Six-fold Sthala, passed away, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.1604) Allamaprabhu dislikes observance of vows and rigid rules and criticizes the blind practitioners of vows and rigid rules as they are bound to go to hell: “They do not know how water came to be discriminated as river water, well water and tank water. How can those who are Sheela bound and are born blind, and observe vows and rules one after another, besides uttering swear words, know You, O Guheshwara?” (L.O.C., V.326) Allamaprabhu further ridicules such ones as keep vows of milk, ghee, gram, water, flower, etc., and says that these false devotees are going to be born next time as cat, horse, frog, and honey bee respectively: He who observes the vow of offering milk, will be born a cat. He who observes the vow of offering horse gram, will be born a horse. He who observes the vow of offering holy water, will be born a frog. He who observes the vow of offering flowers, will be born a bee. These practices are outside the scope of the Six-fold Stage. Guheshwara does not like those

whose devotion is not true.” (L.O.C., V.120) Worshipping of petty deities like Mari and Masani, supposed to be graveyard goddesses, was quite common when religion had become a dark house of superstitions: “Here and there people talk each naming one god: god of fire, god of burning coal; goddess Mari, godess of the graveyard, and begging god, O Sir. By worshipping You I became Child-less and birth-less, and falling into the Void of voids, I lost myself, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.545) Allamaprabhu pities those who are wasting their life, which is a precious gift of God. People are after material things, not knowing why they are brought into this world. They are after such things -- gold, woman and land—as lead one to perdition.Their greed for such things knows no bounds. Millions of people lay down their lives for the sake of material wealth. But there is hardly any time left for them to think of God. There is not even a single person who is willing to die for the sake of God, who is their saviour. “Millions died, desiring worldly things; millions died, being victims of temptations; millions died for woman’s sake; millions died for land’s sake. But none do I see that dies for Your sake , O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.91) Knowledge without action is useless. People become literate and read tomes after tomes of knowledge, and acquire abundant knowledge. They read holy scriptures, learn them by rote. Also they are proud of their acquisition. But they do not know what true knowledge is. Not knowing what it is, they talk of it, and even debate over it non- stop. Mere talking philosophy will not lead one to salvation. Those who boast of their dry as dust knowledge are ruined by their pride and fake knowledge. “They are puffed up with pride of having known all Shastras. They use their elder’s instruction of Monism in learned debates. But they do not know their gain and loss. They do not know what is true devotion and right way to deliverance. And yet they enter into debate over devotion, the right way to deliverance. They become a prey to Mari, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.69)

Educating the youth, it seems, was a problem in the past too, as it is in the present. From age to age moral norms and values are seen falling gradually. As such, the bond between Guru and Shishya (disciple) has shockingly changed from bad to worse. Through the ages moral values have deteriorated. In the Kritayuga, a disciple used to look upon his Guru with awe and reverence and serve him with utmost humility. If a pupil committed any mistake, he would be corrected by his Guru using the cane, and it was the practice of the time. Such corporal punishment by the Guru was regarded by the disciple as a matter of great grace. In the Tretayuga, Guru gave instruction to his pupils by chiding them. Guru’s chiding was regarded as a great grace. In the Dwaparayuga, the Guru taught lessons to his disciples by brow-beating them.The Guru’s brow-beating the disciple was taken in the right spirit, and it was indeed a great grace. But coming to the Kaliyuga, we find altered relation in an altogether altered situation. It is the disciple who enjoys the highest privilege, and instead of the disciple saluting the Guru, the Guru has to salute his disciple! It is the effect of the Kaliyuga in which moral values have totally deteriorated and turned turtle. The situation is worst. The Guru has lost his esteem and position. If a teacher chides a student, let alone beating him, complaint is lodged against him by the student and parents. It is made a public issue. Allamaprabhu is pained to notice such altered situation in society. So he deplores the loss of moral norms and values: “If in the Kritayuga, the Guru used cane to teach wisdom to his pupil , I deemed it good grace, O Sir! If in the Tretayuga, the Guru scolded his pupil to teach him wisdom, I deemed it good grace, O Sir! If in the Dwaparayuga, the Guru offered threat to his pupil to teach him wisdom, I deemed it good grace, O Sir! If in the Kaliyuga, the Guru bowed down to his pupil to teach him wisdom, I deemed it good grace, O Sir! I wondered at the instructions You prescribed from time to time, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.52) In modern times, teachers themselves are greatly responsible for the deterioration of moral values, as they have lost their high image which, in the past, used to command respect. They have failed to set high models before their pupils through their own examples. For that, they needs must be free from blemish, which, unfortunately, they are not. For any society to develop, its members should be men of sterling character. They should maintain their character by reeemedying their defects in the form of the six-fold enemy: desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy. There is a triple town of demons in our body which needs must be burnt before attaining salvation: “When there is a triple town called body, mind and wealth, what is it that you call ‘Sheela, Sheela’. Unless your body is smeared with ashes

By burning the triple town, There is no Sheela, look, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.1544) Allamaprabhu laughs at the Sheelavantas whose devotion is not genuine. A true devotee does not bother about Sheela. What is most important is his integral devotion. Just as a woman, who is denied true conjugal happiness turns into a harlot, a devotee, who is not sincere in his piety, turns into a Sheelavanta. Allamaprabhu lashes at such fake devotees in the following Vachana: “A woman, who does not know true sexual pleasures, became a harlot. A devotee who does not know Linga became a worldly ritualist. Is there happiness for this harlot? Is there any goal for this ritualist? Look, O Guheshwara, how these perished.” (L.O.C., V.1587) Allamaprabhu criticizes those learned scholars whose inner conduct is not in keeping with their knowledge and garb. They are well-read, no doubt. Outwardly, they look devout, but they are actually beggars, who beg at the door of rich people. In fact, they are no more than door- keepers at rich persons’ door. They are Laxmi’s watch dogs: “Those who are well-read in Veda, Shastra, Purana and Agama, and don the outer garb of Vibhuti and Rudrakshi, are elders observing rules rigidly. They are like the mud doll that waits at the door of those who give them food and clothing. If you ask why, it is like this: “The elders versed in Veda, Agama, and Shastra are servants waiting at the door of him who is elderly in wealth,” it is said. So all elders are door keepers at Goddess Laxmi’s door, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.1636) Allamaprabhu does not like those who find fault with the thing given to manage. Whatever task is entrusted, he should complete it without complaining and without grudging. He, who cannot ride a given horse, can never manage any job- horse. So in Allamaprabhu’s eyes he is good for nothing; he cannot accomplish anything in life. “Those who do not know how to ride the horse that is given, but ask for another, are neither brave nor bold. The three worlds labour and sweat carrying the saddle on their back,

O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.127) Allamaprabhu’s social awareness speaks of his genuine concern for community development. There is no point in arguing that he, living in isolation, did not care for the society around him, as his sole object was self-realization. The fact that he toured round the country to redeem mankind is enough to prove that he was genuinely interested in the welfare of common humanity. XIII. The Glory of Bedagu: Poetry,-- which affects metaphysics; which perplexes the minds of its readers; which is nice speculation of philosophy; which is a composition characterized by ‘strong-lines’, hyperboles, allegories; which is woven of “big words, fustian phrases, jingling terms”; which is “is close-packed and dense with meaning”; which is ”something to be chewed, and digested ” at leisure; which will “not give up its meaning on a first reading”; which seems to be “obscure because of an overdose of metaphysics”; which “makes demands upon the reader and challenges him to make it out”; which “at its best has the ease and artistic sincerity which comes from being able to take for granted the understanding of the readers”; which “tends to be brief and is closely woven”; which is “famous for its abrupt personal openings in which a man speaks to his mistress, or addresses his God or sets a scene, or calls us to mark this or that”; in which ‘I’ and ‘You’ merge into ‘we’ ; which is ‘a spiritual meditation’; which is marked by ‘wit and conceit’; which contains “a conversation between the Self and the super-Self (Supreme Self), between beloved and lover(wife and husband)”-- which answers the above description is the “Metaphysical Poetry” of 17th century England. More or less, the same characteristic features may be noticed by diligent readers in the Kannada literature known by the famous name ‘Vachana’ literature produced in the 12th century. Like the Metaphysical Poets, Shivasharanas too indulge in ‘nice speculations of philosophy’; but the philosophy the Sharanas deal with is the philosophy of Veerashaiva religion. They deal with the subtle bond of the Jeeva (individual Self) with the super Self as well as with the relation between microcosm and macrocosm. The Jeeva coming into contact with the worldly body gets polluted and loses all knowledge about his true nature, that it is a part and parcel of the Supreme Self, and that God is its Father and heaven, its true abode. Sharanas trace the journey of the enlightened self that has shorn its connection with the world and longs to unite with the Absolute, passing through the forest of worldly life. Like Metaphysical verses, Sharanas’ Vachanas are also ‘strong-lined’ compositions in the sense that they are argumentative in structure. In the metaphysical musings that the Vachanas

81 are, the reader is held to an idea or a line of argument. They are ‘strong-lined’ also because most of them are ‘strenuous’ and ‘masculine’. What distinguishes Metaphysical poetry from other English poetry is its ‘fondness for conceits’. Vachana writers too used conceits in an abundant measure. Conceit is a simile in which ‘heterogeneous ideas are yoked together by violence’. Sometimes a conceit is confined to a line; at times it looms large in a poem. We find the same phenomenon in Vachanas also and the entire poem/Vachanas tends to become a conceit. Conceits are not for ornament in Metaphysical poetry. So also in Vachanas. Indeed, they are an integral part of the compositions. That Metaphysical Poetry is difficult to grasp is a general complaint which applies to a large portion of Vachana literature, especially to Allamaprabhu’s Vachanas. Difficulty, in fact, is not a demerit in itself. Allamaprabhu is the most metaphysical of Vachana writers. Naturally, a great many Vachanas of Allamaprabhu are mystic or metaphysical musings/riddles. They are so intricately woven that they are at once conceits, allegories and riddles (Bedagu) and all rolled into one. In most of Allamaprabhu’s Vachanas, riddles ride before all other elements. So we see a cavalcade of Vachanas embedded in riddle (Bedagu). And these riddles account for the esoteric quality of Allamaprabhu’s Vachanas. The images that wax into symbols in the course of unwinding of Vachanas are aplenty. The imagery is very striking. Oft recurring images/metaphors/symbols are:-- Void, Guru, Linga , Jangama, temple, village, river, tank, plantain-grove, garden plot, thief, beast, carcass, dog, fire, rain, sky, lake, lotus, tree of life, etc. The Void which represents the Ultimate Reality symbol resounds with multiple meanings. The Linga is a rich symbol standing for the Void, whereas Jangama is another form of the same absolute Void. Guru is yet another symbol standing for one’s inner awareness. A Temple has ample use for Vachana writers. It stands for the human body. A village with all its arrangements is a mini world and, at its most, stands for the cosmos. Plantain grove is a complex symbol which stands for the human body. All Sharanas make use of this evocative symbol. A Garden plot is another evocative symbol which also represents the human body. Carcass is a symbol for Samsara, i.e., worldly life with a maze of Maya as well as the wheel of birth and death. Thief stands for mind, which steals many things without the knowledge of Jeeva. Dogs are worldly beings who feast on the rotten carcass of Samsara. The Beast is Jeeva shrouded in ignorance. Allamaprabhu is a master composer of esoteric (riddle/Bedagu) Vachanas. His corpus of Vachanas abounds in esoteric Vachanas. In the esoteric Vachanas, the writer uses images charged with symbolic meanings. He uses a special kind of code language which could be decoded by only those who are trained in the school of mystic writers. Sharanas’ God- experience is beyond the reach of ordinary language. So they are compelled to press into service a unique code. Allamaprabhu, a spiritual Colossus, resorts to the code language of mystics, to give expression to his God-experience. His Vachanas, by and large, are characterized by Bedagu . The following few Vachanas serve as useful illustrations for Allamaprabhu’s riddle-like Vachanas in which Bedagu reigns supreme. In some Bedagina Vachana, the figure hyperbole draws our attention as in : “If a doll of wax catches fire, water itself would grow thirsty! Dig, O, dig a well! The one who dug the well died.

The well dried up. So all the three worlds got lost, O Guheshwara! (L.O.C., V.30) Doll of wax means the human body, which is perishable. When the fire called Time catches it, water-like(fluid) mind feels thirsty because of the heat of sensuality. The Jeeva, who is proud and fond of body and mind, wants the water called Peace. To get that tranquil water, he is digging a well. Strange to see! By digging the well, his thirst increased, without being able to get sufficient water to drink, despite hard labour. This is the state of Jeeva everywhere. So Allamaprabhu says to himself: “Dig, O dig a well!” He who digs the well is sure to die of more thirst. In course of time, the well goes dry and the body dissolves. The make-believe water of happiness dries up. Therefore, the life of the people of the three worlds goes to waste. All this is nothing but the magic sport of Maya. Sometimes we meet surrealistic images also in Allamaprabhu’s allegories as in: “A pint-size cow has a gallon-size udder. She has horns as high as a palmyra tree! Search for her has been going on for six days, But it is three days since she has vanished! Come, come, let us seek her, O Guheshwara who make the impossible possible.” (L.O.C., V. 48 ) Allamaprabhu is one of the most enlightened of the 12th century Veerashaiva mystic Sharanas whose Vachanas are a rich treasure of mystical lore. He describes here the spiritual plight of an aspirant by using an intricately worked out imagery. In this enigmatic Vachana, he relates the case of a worldly trafficker. Here Jeeva, the individual self is compared to a cow with two big horns, namely, Ahamkara (pride) and Mamakara (worldly love), and a gallon-size udder which is filled with worldly desires (Vasanas). Such a Jeeva is fond of the body and its pleasures. As it wanders aimlessly in the worldly forest, the light of divine knowledge in it is out. This description of the spiritual ignorance of the aspirant in the initial stage of his spiritual pursuit by means of a riddle makes the Vachana a fanciful conceit. This element of the esoteric is what makes him the most metaphysical of the 12th century Sharanas. Samsara is the cosmic process which is a cycle of births and deaths. This is graphically depicted in the following Vachana with a striking opening: “See, how the dogs, who come to feast on the carcass of Samsara, wrangle! See, how the carcass laughs as the dogs wrangle! Look, the Linga called Guheshwara is not there.” (L.O.C., V.46) So long as Jeeva, the individual self, keeps on rotating in the circle of births and deaths, he has no chance of liberating himself, nor can he hope to realize his identity with the Supreme Self. Worldly life is a dead body, because it is unconscious of the indwelling Absolute. Where there is a plethora of carnal pleasures, from there the Absolute takes to heels. The worldlings, who relentlessly pursue carnal pleasures, are likened to the dogs that quarrel day and night for

83 the sake of carnal pleasures. Dog and carcass are hard images that grow into fluid-like symbols as the Vachana progresses and unwinds itself, and the complex nature of the images makes it an enigmatic riddle at its best. Into the following riddle does Allamaprabhu weave the metaphysics of the formless taking on Form, and wonders at the skill of the ingenious Engineer that God Almighty is: “Who is the engineer who has made this doll of clay, dressed it in a colorful fabric of water, tied to it a jingle of twinkling bells in various states of life; provided air and fire, adorned it with decorated leaves and set it playing? When this form has been tied to the formless pillar, nd has made the divine dwell therein, there is no room for one and two, O Guheshwara.” (L.O.C., V.16) In another Vachana of his, Allamaprabhu compares the human body to a plot of land, whereas Basavanna compares it to a temple. Allamaprabhu emphasizes the need to cultivate the plot of land: to till it, to make it ready for sowing seeds of virtuous action by unweeding it, to water it daily, to tend the plants in it with care, to fence it to keep away stray cattle and birds. Striking images in this Vachana , besides plot of land, are cattle, pulley, fence, etc. The images taken from agriculture connect earth and heaven, the material and the spiritual, and the mortal and the immortal. The comparison between the human body and a cultivable plot of land is enlarged into an extended metaphor, making the entire Vachana an allegory. Here is one more example of intricate structure: “The thieves in the wood are looking for Kadavasiddha Swamy, clad in deer-skin. Their torches are out, and they cannot see anything. Still they seek. The gluttons do not know who they are. The sots and amorists are drunk with the wine from the lips of women and are asking for the wine of gods. The knowing Haruva, holding in his hand his head severed, has been drinking the blood of perverted spiritualism, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.33) Through a series of intricately woven images, Allamaprabhu describes the sad plight of those worldly drunkards whose thirst for carnal pleasures is insatiable and of those who have a wrong notion about spiritualism. “A unique parrot was born in the sky. She built a nest with pomp and ceremony. Of that one parrot were born five and twenty.

Brahma became a cage for that parrot, Vishnu its victuals, and Rudra her perch. When it swallowed its young one Right in front of those three, The visible disappeared. How is it, O Guheshwara?” (L.O.C., V.15) In this Vachana, Brahma stands for the gross (physical) body, Vishnu for the subtle body, Rudra for the causal body, and the sky for the Void. The Parrot is Self (Jeeva). The Self born of the Supreme Self (Void), while descending to the earth, possesses three houses (bodies) –the gross, the subtle and the causal. The Self is under the impression that the gross house is its permanent residence. Passions of the subtler body become its food and makes the causal body its perch. Darkness surrounding the gross body has confined it to worldly indulgence. When Maya swallowed the Self, the visible world disappeared. “An ogress has two children; she has five more in the cradle. When the ogress breeds like this, alas, what of her brood! As I rock the cradle and sing a lullaby, the cradle swallows the ogress! Lo, what is this, O Guheshwara?” (L.O.C., V.14) The literal meaning of the Vachana is plain. But to get at its allegorical meaning, it needs must be decoded. The Ogress is Maya and this world is Maya’s creation. So it is often called Maya Prapancha. The two children of Maya are Mind and Intellect. The five children are the five sense organs. The human body is the cradle. The senses are fed on passions. The more they are fed on sensual pleasures, the more hungry do they become. Their hunger is insatiable. They dance to the tune of Maya. ‘I’ is Jeeva. Finally, the body swallows Mother Maya. As long as Jeeva is under the influence of Maya, it cannot realize the Ultimate Truth. Only when Maya is destroyed, is it possible for Jeeva to attain liberation. “A temple outside the village. In that temple is a female Shaiva beggar, look! She holds a needle in her hand; On the tip of that needle are fourteen worlds. I saw an ant dev our the beggaress, the needle, and the fourteen worlds, O Guheshwara!” (L.O.C., V.431) This Vachana presents a wonder of wonders. The holding of the fourteen worlds by the needle on its tip is the first wonder whereas the devouring of those fourteen worlds by the tiniest of creatures is the startling wonder of wonders. The universe is a village. The temple situated on the outskirts of that village is the human body made of the five elements. The female beggar is the Jeeva dwelling in the body. The needle in the hand of the female beggar stands for the mind, which, though invisible, is the most powerful of organs in the body. Its power is amazing. It can create and destroy any thing within no time. The fourteen emotions –

85 five concerning the five functional organs, five concerning the five sense organs, and another four concerning the heart. The ant stands for Jeeva’s awareness, the awareness of its true nature and origin, that it is Shiva the Supreme Self Himself. When it is purged of its impure knowledge, the screen of ignorance obstructing its vision gets torn. The Vachana is packed full with dense meaning. We come across such amazing riddles as this most frequently in Allamaprabhu’s Vachanas. See, here is one more wonder. “A head-less body devoured the world. The bodiless head devoured the sky. When the body and the head were separated, the mind started wandering around! If space devoured both body and head, I devoured Guheshwara, leaving no trace behind.” (L.O.C., V. 400) ‘Headless body’ means ignorance, which is not aware of the existence of Parashiva, and which is not aware of its own existence and of the existence of Parashiva. ‘Bodiless head’ means true knowledge that knows what is true and everlasting; and that it is Parashiva who is everlasting and not the inert body. As long as this dual sense – ignorance and knowledge—lasts, the mind functions and is alive. As long as the mind is active, one knows not what is bondage and what is freedom. The ‘Sky’ is the Void, the Supreme Self, which is Absolute. When the Void devours both ignorance and knowledge, nothing remains except the Void, the Absolute. When ‘I’ devours ‘You’, nothing remains except Guheshwara. In the Void, there is no room for either impression –one, negating the existence of God, or the other, asserting the existence of God. Likewise, there is no room for the world or Jeeva outside of Parashiva. An aspirant should go beyond these dualities where only pure Void exists. The Void which Allamaprabhu seeks is one in which there is no difference between ‘ I’ and ‘You’ and Guheshwara. When ‘I’ devoured Guheshwara what remained was mere Naught, i.e., Void, the Absolute Void. Thus Allamaprabhu, who is a master of Bedagas, offers in his enigmatic allegories a bonanza of Bedagu, a frequent phenomenon in the Vachana literature of the12th century. Conclusion: Allamaprabhu, the mother of all wonders, whose exit from this mortal world was as mysterious as his entrance, was a Colossus among the Sharanas. His Vachanas reveal to us the mighty personality of one who is -- ‘as great as Linga’; ‘as great as Jangama’; ‘as great as Prasada’; ‘as great as Discipline’; ‘as great as Consciousness’; who is poor men’s fortune; and who crossing the plantain-grove of Samsara safe,

dwelt in the Ultimate trance of the Linga. On hearing of Soddala Bacharasa’s consubstantial union with the Linga coinciding with Allamaprabhu’s merging with the Void at the holy hill of Shreeshaila, Basavanna expressed his deep sense of sorrow as well as general conviction that Sharanas, attaining Ultimate Trance in the Linga, do not die: “No death for any of ours; they know not death; what is called death is not for those who are one with the Self and risen in the Linga. There is no other place except the Linga.” (S.S.V, Ch.21, V. 17) What is true of Soddala Bacharasa is also true of Allamaprabhu, the mightiest of mystics. So let us join Madivala Machayya in saying Hail to Allamaprabhu: “Look at the Ultimate, Forsaking his allegiance to the eight forms And dwelling in the Void of voids! Look at the mighty Energy Becoming itself, when it had tied The ten winds till they moved no more, And squeezed and burnt them up! Look how he has become Existence—Consciousness—Bliss, After his constant faith, being ripe, Had left its stem! O Lord Kalideva, I say again and again Hail, O hail! to Prabhudeva’s majesty.” (S.S.V, Ch.21, V.15) Indeed, Allamaprabhu was the most radical of all Sharanas. His motion was beyond the reach of the common man’s understanding. While others abided our question, he was free, like William Shakespeare, another mighty Colossus among English dramatists to whom Matthew Arnold, an English poet-critic of great reputation, paid a splendid tribute, which, with due justification, may be paid to our mighty mystic Allamaprabhu too: “Others abide our question. Thou art free. We ask and ask—Thou smilest and art still, Out-topping knowledge…” *

* ‘Shakespeare’--Fifteen Poets (O.U.P. Madras, 14th Impression, 1994), p.462.

TRANSLATIONS

PART-I SHATSTHALA VACHANAS

PINDASTHALA 1)* Like the spark in a stone; like the reflection in water; like a tree in the seed; like silence in sound is your kinship with your devotee, O Guheshwara.

2) As the fire in stone does not burn, as the tree in the seed does not rustle, so Guheshwara does not show His majesty to any, nor does He allow it to spread out. Only he knows it who has tasted the joy of mystic experience.

3) As the fire in water does not burn it, water is cool, as water should be, look. If you want to go to its root to know more of it, it is not water. Who knows the one who has a caste and yet stands above caste. He is himself inside and outside. Your majesty does not show itself, Look, O Guheshwara. *These serial numbers correspond to the serial numbers in Allamaprabhudevara Vachnagalu, Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara, Govt. of Karnataka, Begaluru.

Like the treasure hidden in the earth; like the lightning hidden in the cloud; like the mirage hidden in the Void; like the light hidden in the eye, is your majesty, O Guheshwara.

PINDA JNANASTHALA

5) When there was neither source nor substance; when there was neither pride nor prejudice of ego; when there was neither form nor the formless; when there was neither that which moves nor that that moves not, Your devotee was born, O Guheshwara.

6) When there was neither Nada nor Bindu, then Ganeshwara called Nirbhaya was born. When there was neither birth nor death, then Ganeshwara called Akshaya was born. When there was neither reading nor learning, then Ganeshwara called Omkara was born. When there were neither aeons nor ages, then Ganeshwara called Urdhwamukha was born. When even Guheshwara Linga did not exist, then Ganeshwara called Nirmaya was born.

7) Sir, when the earth did not stand widely spread on the back of water-tortoise, elephant and the hood of a serpent; when there was no sky above; when there was no trace of either moving wind, or fire burning bright; when there were neither trees nor hills; when there was neither grass nor wood; when there were neither aeons nor ages; when the big fourteen worlds did not exist; when there were no heads of the three worlds, who said they had realized the truth, inconceivable was the way the tranquil Guheshwara appeared through will-power

8) Sir, because you are formless and illusion-less--- when there was neither sky nor light, when there were no assemblies to bear witness, when neither that which moves nor moves not took form, created the earth, stimulating the latent power of the ground. The seven seas surrounded the earth thousands of million miles vast, Time that is eighty-six millions, ninety-seven years old came into existence. Likewise, the Brahma Egg dawned on the earth, sixty-six million galaxies of stars, twelve galaxies of effulgent light, and fourteen worlds were made to appear. I saw you become the protector of the people crowding the world, and of eighty-four lakhs of creatures, as also the cause of life and death to all things in the world. I saw your true greatness. I say Hail, O hail! to Your holy feet, O Guheshwara.

9) Look, the one without head has a body without intestines! This husband has a disembodied woman as wife! To these two was my mother born. I held the hand of my own mother in marriage, and yet I was blameless, Look, O Guheshwara!

10) Tell me what You were before I could realize myself. That you had Your mouth shut, I saw it with Your eyes. When I realized myself, You spoke to me. Now that you have spoken to me, and I have seen it with my own eyes, I feel shy, look! The bond between you who see me

91 and I who see You is common, look! I came to know of Your charming beauty. O Guheshwara!

11) Look, how I came to know that I was a fool to get caught in the trap of illusion! Look, how I came to know the Linga! Look, I came to know that Guheshwara who came into being for His own sport is carel-ess and form-less, look!

MAYAVILASA VIDAMBANASTHALA

12) This world knows not what seed there was before the body was. The senses are not the seed, nor the self. Dream of delusion has swooped upon us. None of this is conscious, Look, O Guheshwara.

13) With the Big Egg breaking up, the cosmic consciousness self undergoing transformation became self-conscious. Forgetting their true selves the ignorant mass of people are toiling and moiling to seek husbands’ husband. I saw a wonder in this world. The reflection swallowed the mirror in the hand of a child. The darkness that swallowed the light of day and night merged in Guheshwara Himself.

14) An ogress has two children. She has five more in the cradle. When the ogress breeds like this, alas, what of her brood? As I rock the cradle and sing a lullaby, the cradle swallows the ogress. Lo, what is this, O Guheshwara?

15) A unique parrot was born in the sky. She built a nest with pomp and ceremony. Of that parrot were born five and twenty. Brahma became a cage for that parrot. Vishnu its victuals, and Rudra its perch. When it swallowed its young one in front of those Three, the visible disappeared. How is it, O Guheshwara?

16) Who is the engineer who has made this doll of clay, dressed it in a colourful fabric of water, tied to it a jingle of tinkling bells in various states of life; provided air and fire, adorned it with decorated leaves, and set it playing? When this form has been tied to a formless pillar, and has made the divine dwell therein, there is no room for one and two, O Guheshwara.

17) This body has twenty-five heads, seven breasts, eight faces, fourteen mouths, hundred and twenty tusks. After taking out the fire from the heartand fondling it, swallowing sound, subduing colourful feelings, the mother swallowed her son. And the son gave birth to his own mother. Lo, the breast on the palm has swallowed the glory of Guheshwara!

18) A merchant of Jambu Isle, collecting his commodities, set up his stall in the womb of mother earth. Stricken with parching thirst, he drank up the seven seas. The more he drank, the more thirsty did he feel. He was dismayed at his unquenchable thirst. A child, carrying upon his back

his own mother’s corpse, goes about mumbling her name. Lo, the shape of mother earth has swallowed the glory of Guheshwara.

19) The scope of reason’s knowing is but stony earth and airy heaven. Lo! The thirst, born of water, asks for water! She is dead inside, and yet plays outside. Guheshwara stood there, watching it!

20) Both the earth and the sky are born of one mother. There is nothing great about it, to the one who does not perceive greatness. There is nothing mean about it, to the one who does not mind it. If the mind perceives that Great Thing, can anything equal it, O Guheshwara?

21) The three-eyed one played the game of hunting, flinging the noose called Brahma, setting the trap called Vishnu, and dangling the temptation of gold, woman and land. Holding out the grass of desire, feeling no disgust, you made a kill, O Guheshwara!

22) If I say Brahma is great, Maya swallowed him. If I say Vishnu is great, Maya swallowed him. If I say Rudra is great, Maya swallowed him. If I say oneself is great, Maya swallowed oneself. Everything is Your Maya. Tell me, O Guheshwara, does she limit herself to any one?

23) Maya chased all the gods, and Left them in the midst of goddesses.

O Hara, see the abode of Maya. O Shiva, see the abode of Maya. Twice eighty millions of Pramathas, those who have eyes in the soles of their feet, those who have eyes all over their bodies, Rudras who have Nandi for their mount. All these form the garland worn on the feet of Maya, look, O Guheshwara!

24) What is this show within a show? The court of Brahma is blown up and shattered to pieces. Vishnu, shouting , ‘Move aside, move aside!’, goes straight, and, swallowing the unborn Aja, hides himself in the loins of Rudra. What shall I say of the image of the rootless tree, reflected in a waterless shadow, O Guheshwara?

25) See how the sight of Rahu, swallowing the deer in the moon, plagued people, as and when the eclipse occurred. The head of one and the belly of another plagued people as and when that phenomenon occurred. Today one bull, swallowing another bull, has come to the earth. What shall I call this galaxy of suns, O Guheshwara?

26) In a dense forest in the heart of village, five corpses are lying . Because its relatives are many, they keep coming and mourning. The corpse burns not, nor the forest ceases to burn. The bier alone is burnt to ashes, O Guheshwara !

27)

If a deer, following the heels of a tiger, goes to graze, I wonder at the sight. If anyone wants to go to the den of an ogress to sleep, I wonder at the sight. If anyone wants to go to the house of Death to sleep and return alive, I wonder at the sight, O Guheshwara!

28) A tree grew in the valley of the heart. It grew tall, spread its branches wide all around, and bore fruits. It gave, whosoever asked of it, a variety of fruits. Those who desired its fruit Fell into the well. I laugh at the sight, O Guheshwara!

29) I saw a headless trunk come and swallow the earth, stretched five hundred millions of leagues. I was amazed, mindless that I was, at that sight. The earth broke into nine continents then. Did any see that head, O Guheshwara?

30) If a doll of wax catches fire, water itself would grow thirsty! ‘O dig, O dig a well!’ The one who dug the well died. The well dried up. So all the three worlds got lost, O Guheshwara!

31) The monkey sitting on a tree, jumps up to its top, and swings from bough to bough. O sir, this is a wonder! If you hold out your hand, it will swallow you whole. If you call out to it, it will come and stand still. But if you challenge it,

96 it will disappear, O Guheshwara!

32) Elements mingle with elements and make a marvel. The ember burns out, and water thirsts for water. What a wonder! When fire enters the wind, I see the wind blow faster, O Guheshwara!

33) The thieves in the wood are looking for Kadawasiddha Swamy clad in deer skin. Their torches are out and they cannot see anything. Still they seek – The gluttons do not know who they are. The sots and amorists are drunk with the wine from the lips of women, and are asking for the wine of gods. The knowing Haruva, holding in his hand his head severed, has been drinking the blood of perverted spiritualism, O Guheshwara!

34) This sky-blue bird is a pet parrot in the hands of my son, who has shot the sky-arrow to spread the dream-world around? It is beyond comparison! Three worlds were created in waking , dream and half-awake states. What shall I say of your Maya, O Guheshwara, the light of the world!

35) Darkness has enveloped the sea of life. Thousands of troubles afflict the dark self. Does the Void hit by a thunder-bolt have any colour? A dream world is spread before our eyes. The more the bee feeds on fragrance,

the more hungry does it become! Does the one with no body have any contact with another body? Lo, what is this! The innocent Jeeva knows not the taste of sky-fruit. Can he have the pleasure of drinking the milk of a magic cow, O Guheshwara?

36) Given paper and pen, Maya wrote down auspicious and inauspicious occasions. If the doll of lac is draped in flame, the flame enhances its beauty. The parrot flying in the sky swallowed the cat in the cage, and escaped Rambha’s embrace, look, O Guheshwara!

37) In the wide and deep waters of the sea, a black fisherman cast a net. Look, what fish he has caught! It has five knowing heads, five heads that do not know, and another five that are black. When the black fisherman went home. shouldering the net, I saw the flush of joy in his eyes, O Guheshwara!

38) On the tip of a buffalo’s horn, there are seven hundred and seventy wells. There is a spring in each well. And in each spring, a harlot, look, O sir! And around the neck of that harlot, I see seven hundred and seventy elephants climb, O Guheshwara!

39) Is it a tiger-headed deer, or a deer-headed tiger?

For the two have only one body. No, it is neither tiger nor deer. Close by, another beast is chewing the cud, look. If a headless body browsed on dry leaves, the leaves disappeared, O Guheshwara!

40) None knows him who comes without invitation, and goes away without permission! None of the beings born then and only for that day knows him. None knows that the Linga called Guheshwara went away without taking food.

41) Sun-rise is birth, and sun-set death. Lo, all water-born creatures perished! Darkness shrouded the three worlds. Tell me, O Guheshwara, what does this wonder mean?

42) Look, the legs are wheels; the body is a loaded cart. Five men drive the cart. There is no harmony among them. If it is not driven according to its desire, the axle will break, O Guheshwara!

43) People bother about others’ riches. People worry about others’ poverty. Why this botheration? What for this worrying? It’s all Maya’s doing. It’s meaningless. Maya kills human beings, and triumphs over them, O Guheshwara!

44) Our people sowed seeds in the garden,

And the servants of Death came to look after the garden. This transitory life was spent gaining nothing. The fire that Guheshwara kindled in us was good for warming the house, not for cooking food.

45) O irresolute mind, you have made grief your food. What is this string of Maya? You do not know the darkness settled in your eyes. The beauty of light is fading, O Guheshwara!

Sutra : Thus he who has been scoffing at the sport of Maya (Maya Vilasa) is made to realize that he is very close to Maya. When the thought that he is in no way different from Maya occurs to him, and knows that he himself is Maya-ridden, he stops scoffing at others and starts scoffing at his own disgusting condition. Thus follows the state of feeling disgusted with worldly life, that is, Samsara Heyasthala.

SAMSARA HEYASTHASLA

46) See, how the dogs who have come to feast on the carcass of Samsara, wrangle! See, how the carcass laughs as the dogs wrangle! Look, the Linga called Guheshwara is not there.

47) The froth and foam of a flowing stream touch the floating wood. the pain and pleasures of this ocean of world do affect the creatures that swim in that ocean. Because the formless has taken on form, it cannot escape dissolution, O Guheshwara!

48) A pint-size cow has a gallon-size udder. She has horns as high as palmyra tree! Search for her has been going on for six days, But it is three days since she has vanished! O You Guheshwara,

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who make the impossible possible, come, come, let us seek her,

49) I saw a monkey come and kiss the carcass of an elephant, O Sir. I saw a harlot in the wood call and keep men for her pleasure, O Sir. I saw dogs wrangle in a deserted village, O Sir. What does this riddle mean, O Guheshwara?

50) If a high caste person goes and builds a house in the colony of pariahs, his caste is not tainted, look! If all his caste persons refuse to see his face, all other high caste persons support him. When an enquiry was made, taking him for an outcaste, the taint of caste disappeared, look, O Guheshwara!

SUTRA: Unless one places oneself in front of oneself, one cannot see oneself separated from the affliction -ridden world. For example, just as he who wants to see his face holds up a mirror in front of himself, so also he who wants to know his true self places himself in front of the Guru. This is realized in the Gurukaruna Sthala that follows.

GURUKARUNA STHALA

51) Look at my grief caused by my failure to grasp the Unseen, while refusing to seize the Seen! If only one sees the already seen and clasps the master’s feet, he too can see the Unseen, O Guheshwara!

52) If in Kritayuga the Guru used the cane to teach wisdom to his pupil, I deemed it good grace, O Sir.

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If in Tretayuga the Guru scolded his pupil to teach him wisdom, I deemed it good grace, O Sir. If in Dwaparayuga the Guru offered threat to his pupil to teach him wisdom, I deemed it good grace, O Sir. If in Kaliyuga the Guru bowed down to his pupil to teach him wisdoms, I deemed it good grace, O sir. I wondered at the injunctions You prescribed from time to time, O Guheshwara!

53) O Sir, if you are my master and I your disciple, purge me of the properties of the senses; wipe out the Karma of my body; invest in me life’s natural qualities; install yourself in my body, breath and heart. And do me the grace of resting on my palm, O Guheshwara!

54) One chased, another fled and the third seized. There is nothing new about this game of chasing and fleeing. A cow that swallowed a ruby got the feeling of ‘I am Brahma’. That which had form became formless. That which was formless assumed form. How to deny it? How to accept it? It’s beyond understanding, beyond perception. With body and breath merging in the Linga, do me the grace of assuming form, and occupying my palm, O Guheshwara.

55) Does anybody seek the Seen, instead of the Unseen? That which is greater than the Great has Itself become the Guru; has Itself become the Linga;

102 has Itself become the Jangama; has Itself become the Prasada; has itself become the Mantra; has itself become the machinery. has Itself become the embodiment of all knowledge. When That, which embodies all, sits upon my palm, I shall be henceforth passion-free, O Guheshwara!

56) A musk-deer has come and roams about, O Sir. Infinitude Itself has come here and stands still, O Sir. I know not what spirit has possessed me, O Sir. I saw the holy master seated in the heart-lotus, and worshipped Him. Then I came to know of Him as a great master of repute, O sir. I saw all bygone births vanish in Guheshwaralinga!

57) Using oil, wick and lamp, wave the light, O Sir. Bone, flesh, body and breath – all became life-less. How did the sight reach the heart, running that far? If you knew the Linga by touching It, lo, the light faded! I came to know that realizing It is not easy, O Guheshwara.

58) No one can speak what lies beyond the world below. The sky is the limit to our experience above. No one knows the light within the lamp. Our Guheshwara revealed to me the pastness of the past and the futurity of the future.

59) Where is the cuckoo and where the mango tree? What is the bond between the two? Where is the myrobalan grown on the mountain and where the sea salt? Yet both taste similar. What is the bond between them, O Sir? Where are You and where I? And yet we have met.

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What is the bond between Guheshwaralinga and me, O Sir?

60) When the Linga that cannot be seen has come to my palm, I cannot speak. What a wonder! When the Guheshwaralinga , who is without form, and without bounds, has assumed form, I am short of words. I can say neither Yes nor No.

61) No bond for the Sharana, who has met the Begun, O Sir. Why tell him, who has done cruel deeds in billions of lives, about the beauty of contact? The corporal senses of the Sharana, whose body has come into contact with the Linga, are exempt from the tyranny of time, O Sir. Guheshwara did not tell any other person about the beauty of the pleasant contact.

62) Does each of the following behave differently: the camphor that is in fire, the salt that is in water, and the disciple in the holy hands of the master ? Do they not lose their identity, O Guheshwara?

63) If one goes to find out the bond that binds master and disciple, oneself becomes the master , oneself the disciple, and oneself the Linga. When Linga is placed on your disciple’s palm, his will becomes pure, O Guheshwara!

SUTRA: The true disciple, who by the grace of the master, got an internal bondestablished with the Linga, set through his conduct an example of integral bond between Linga and Anga. Thus through his conduct, he paved the way for the Bhaktasthala.

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BHAKTA STHALA

64) Do not listen to the speech of one who is a traitor to his master, and to him who, after making a Bhavi Bhakta, still harps on his previous impurities. Do not listen to the speech of a traitor to the Linga, who names the nameless Linga. Formerly, the Guru was without a name, the Linga was without a name, and the disciple was without a name. Not knowing this three-fold Sthala, they were lost, O Guheshwara.

65) If you do agriculture and yet, you do not have rice at home, then why take the trouble of cultivating land? If you do the job of a merchant, and yet cannot run your own house, then why all the drudgery of commerce? If you serve a master, and yet, do not have the pleasure of the eight-fold pleasure, then why the trouble of serving any? If you become a Bhakta, and yet, your births and rebirths do not cease, let the devil take both— the master who gave instruction and the disciple who received it, and let Guheshwara get lost.

66) If a crow that goes to the Mount Meru Does not get its complexion changed to a golden hue, then isn’t a grassy hillock better? If one gets perturbed after worshipping You, isn’t the earlier deity better ? O Guheshwara, if one dies even after worshipping You, are not others better than You?

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67) A son was born to a black ogress. He is filling in the heaps of bodies and emptying them, O Sir! I would call him a devotee , who, taking resort in a celestial angel, could chop off the nose and breast of the ogress, and vomit all the morsel he had bitten, but could not swallow, O Guheshwara!

68) Those who are in the court of a king and those who are in the court of God Indra— all these important ones enjoy royal and celestial pleasures. They think that all that is their Guru’s grace. But they do not know what is true grace, what is deliverance and what is detachment. I was shocked to see such ways, O Guheshwara!

69) They are puffed up with the pride of having known all Shastras. They use their elders’ instruction of Monism in learned debates. But they do not know their gain and loss. They do not know what is true devotion, and right way to deliverance. Yet they enter into debate over devotion, and the right way to deliverance. They become prey to Mari, O Guheshwara!

70) Behold, the lady has five faces and fifteen bodies! The mortals staying in the house of that woman, do not know who they are. Not knowing You, O Guheshwara, they simply babble what they list.

71) Oil is different, and wick different. But both joining, it became light.

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Merit is different, and sin different. But both together became body. You should not exceed the limit, but you do exceed; you can’t help gratifying the wants of the body. It can’t brook even a minute’s delay. He alone is God, who could do devotion, before his body, shedding all natural impurities, dissolves into Void, O Guheshwara!

72) They say gold is Maya, woman Maya and land Maya. But gold is no Maya, Neither woman is Maya, nor land Maya. The desire dangling before one’s mind alone is Maya, Look, O Guheshwara!

73) If one enters into a forest for fear of a thief, will not a tiger eat him? If one enters into a snake hole for fear of the tiger, will not the snake swallow him? If one becomes a devotee for fear of Kala, will not his Karma kill him? What shall I say of themask -wearers, who have, thus, entered into the jaws of Death, O Guheshwara?

74) Serpents are five, but the body and teeth two. I saw the corpse of a person, who died of snake-bite, move about. Can there be devotion, where this truth is not understood, O Guheshwara?

75) It is the nature of all to die where they are born. It is but natural that all have their stocks of merit and sin. What if Shiva’s devotees, born in the great Veerashaiva religion,

107 practice Agama principles? They are great mystics. So what? Is theirs the way of the world? What shall I say of the ignorant idiots who say the way of Shivasharanas is worldly, O Guheshwara?

76) If a house is built in a deserted forest, lo, forest-fire caught the forest. Where did the owner of that house go while the house was being burnt? On seeing the burnt house collapse, the owner of the house is sorrowing and suffering, On seeing the place from which your love has fled , I left it, feeling disgusted, O Guheshwara !

77) “ The Smaller than the smallest, the greater than the greatest”,-- This statement of the Shruti is a lie. Is there dissolution where the Linga is? Guheshwara is nowhere but in the hearts of his devotees.

78) The earthen lamp is there; the wick is there. But how can there be light without oil? Guru is there, Linga is there. Till the light of learning dawns into the devotees’ heart, how can there be devotion? How can they be integrated? Hearing the saying -- “I am That”, if one does not practice Dasoha, I reject him, O Guheshwara.

79) One can draw a splendid portrait of a person, But can one draw his life-breath, O Sir? One can do initiation according

108 to the Agama ritual. Can devotion be iducted, O Sir? You have embodied life-devotion. You are where these virtues are. Where they are not, you are not there, O Guheshwara.

80) Though born before the husband, the wife became junior to her husband. Hearing that his wife is born to his own parents, when the husband sleeps with her , a child is born! If the mother lifts and fondles that child, what is it that embraces her? On seeing the mother-wife serve her husband, Guheshwaralinga was pleased with that devotion.

81) This is not as before. If it is so, how could it be? If it is not so, how could it be not? All my various longings are fulfilled. Guheshwaralinga has drawn me to his heart.

82) Bath to the body and food to the soul— these must be done As long as there is breath in the body, devotion must be done to the Linga called Guheshwara.

83) Not looking back at the old trodden path, I was pleased to find a new path. When the memory of the old way of life was erased from my mind, the new path looked pleasant. The properties of both sire and son merged in the Linga-will. In the integrated practice was seen the true form of worship. When I, abandoning one, adopted another, it became right devotion to our Guheshwara.

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84) A father’s good conduct is a model to his children. A Guru’s good conduct is a model to his disciple, they say. They do not see any higher model, look. The model of the principle lagged behind. They cannot see higher model screened as they are by darkness, look. How do they know the path of spiritual pursuit and the secret of devotion, O Guheshwara.

85) Talking about monism, I became a deluded person, O Sir. Talking about Brahma, I became a deluded person, O Sir. Talking about the Void, I became prey to weal and woe. In the presence of Sangana Basavanna, I fell a true devotee, O Guheshwara.

86) When a maid young in years was to be wedded to an old man, her five friends formed the wedding party. When the bride-groom occupied his seat, the moon-faced maid came and held his hand. When a wise woman winked at the maids in the wedding party, all of them readily became his wives. The distance to the goal was short, but the path was forked into many ways. What shall I say of the certainty of the Essence, O Guheshwara?

87) On seeing God and devotee, you say ‘Hail, O hail!’ again and again. Your devotion dissolves into water! As long as one is sure to die, can there be consubstantial union with the Linga, O Guheshwara?

88) “To touch the feet of the Linga,

110 getting up in the early hours; to see the face of the Shiva devotees at early dawn— This makes life worthwhile, look!” Thus says the scriptural word. I do not want those who do not live up to this, look, O Guheshwara!

89) Staying under a constantly rustling tree, how to avoid the noise, O Sir? How to discomfit the chief queen, and how to knock down the arrogant wife and trample over her head, O Sir? Because you have defied the primeval wife, you cannot stand firm on the ground of devotion. I laugh at the sight of all the practitioners who have been fooled thus, Guheshwara!

90) O Guheshwara, I was pained at the loss of those conceited fellows, who are puffed up with sudden pride for having become devotees— with all their rites not understood, their functions still un-abated, their grandeur un-diminished, their ire un-subdued, their pain un-abated.

91) Millions died, desiring worldly things; millions died, being victims of temptation; millions died for woman’s sake; millions died for land’s sake. But none do I see that dies for your sake, O Guheshwara!

92) Because Basavanna was born at the beginning, his grace is there for one and all— the snake people of the snake world; the great saints of the mortal world; the great gods of the divine world too.

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O Guheshwara, I swear by you, Basavanna’s grace is for you and me too.

93) Filling an iron pot with a chemical solution, if gold can be made, it is alchemy, look, O brother! If the Linga comes and dines at your place, and your body becomes a graced body on that account, the impurities of Karma cannot taint you, look! The primeval Prasada does not get stale, look! O Guheshwara, Your devotee is tested gold— neither freezes in the moon, nor melts in the sun.

94) When I held the Linga, so much trusted and so much loved, I was engulfed in love. It was as if a box of camphor were bruised. My eyes were opened when I came into contact with those who had experienced the Linga, look, O Guheshwara!

95) Born in the heart-lotus, a little bee flew out and swallowed the sky, O Sir! In the wind of its wings, three worlds turned topsy- turvy. When the cage of a five-coloured swan was broken, the bee fell to the ground. O Guheshwara, I found a key to the riddle of Truth’s dawn.

96) There is Guru who showed Linga and life-breath as being one. As a witness to this, there is Jangama. I was amazed at the ignorance of those who, on seeing these three, say they are different entities,

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O Guheshwara.

97) O Archer, who make a bow of sugar-cane, and hold an arrow dipped in fragrant water, you can shoot the Linga by name Guheshwara, absorbed in my mind.

98) If I say, ‘Do not see’ why do the eyes not see? If I say, ’Do not hear’, why do the ears not hear? If I say, ‘Do not taste’, why does the tongue not taste? If I say, ‘Do not smell’, why dies the nose not smell? If I say, ‘Do not touch’, Why do the skin not touch? When I spoke, knowing this subtle distinction, speech and action blended harmoniously. Because I loved Guheshwaralinga, self-esteem and shame got bored and tired.

99) One long and strong beam and two pillars. Lo, the house is ready! And then, burning that house in crackling fire, I made it spacious for Linga and Jangama. Having shed birth, I stand in the open, O Guheshwara!

100) All tremor of the body being gone, my mind is caught up in You, O Sir! My vision itself becoming my life, all thirst is quenched, O Sir! My heart which is at peace is caught up in the Void, O Guheshwara!

101) I saw the heart conceive and the hand give birth. I saw the ear drink up the smell of camphor.

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I saw the nose swallow the light of pearls. I saw the hungry eyes devour diamonds. I saw the three worlds hide themselves in a blue sapphire, O Guheshwara!

102) The beauty of the legs is in the hand, and the beauty of the hands is in the eyes. If you ask the reason, the eyes themselves are the reason. Thought is hid in speech, and action in a mirror. O Guheshwara, they do not know the reason. Tell me, what is the reason?

103) Staying in the ocean of nectar, why worry about the cow? Dwelling on the Meru Mount, why worry about sifting gold ash? Dwelling in the Guru, why worry about philosophy? Dwelling in Prasada, why worry about liberation? Having the Linga on your palm, why worry about any other thing, O Guheshwara?

104) Claiming they know the Gospel, all elders perished. They say life-breath is Linga. Fools, they do not know the mind itself is the Great Linga. One who knows Ishwara himself becomes Ishwara. What is called Guheshwara is not different.

105) I say Karma is transitory. I speak out of the arrogance of knowledge, and practice what I speak. Having accompanied me and settled down on my palm,

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You do not merge in the Void, nor do You let me merge in the Void, O Guheshwara.

106) If I asked for reward every day, my husband was surprised, O Sir! When I worshipped and sang prayers, with the fire of enlightenment being kindled within me, my husband was surprised, O mother! Having given up the gains of worship, I became calm and care-free, O Guheshwara.

107) See, mother Anger comes forward to lift up her child Desire. If one can pick up the child that has no duality, he alone is a Lingaikya, O Guheshwara.

108) Unless the mother becomes barren, the child cannot perish. Unless the seed perishes, the plant does not die. Unless the name perishes, the rigid rule cannot fail. Unless one incurs loss in business first, the desire for profit does not cease. Unless the fruit of worship ripens, worldliness does not cease, if one wants to attain Linga’s Essence in Guheshwara.

109) If a mountain catches cold with what do you cover it, O Sir? If the very space goes naked, with what do you clothe it, O Sir? If a devotee becomes a worldling, what comparison can I give, O Guheshwara?

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110) With the hope of salvation after death, if one starts worshipping god, what can that god give him? O Guheshwara, Your devotee, being free from death and pain, is without cleft and breach.

111) Cutting the shadow of water, swallowing the Meru Mount, and stopping the mouth of Goddess Sharade, when a water canal swallowed the produce of a dark cloud; Having swallowed death, the Shiva path was laughing. While the husband was mounting the back of his wife, the pitchers of those who were fetching water from the river broke up. While a thorny bush was chasing and thrashing warriors, the maid with a loose braid of hair, united with a beggar. While a small measure was swallowing a huge elephant, a water snake swallowed the sea, and a child sitting quiet, got up and swallowed several people, and a mother-in-law, having slept with her own son-in-law, gave birth to a monkey, and that monkey swallowed the nearby snake charmer. While a frog, holding a serpent tight, was pushing it down its gullet, around its neck appeared white and red marks. Guheshwara’s devotee, like the camphor light brightening before his eyes, became calm and care-free.

112) A holy house with a canopy, the stone floor, a pillar, a pinnacle, and a foundation stone.

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In the house resounding with nine sounds, colourful rays meet and merge in one another. When the army of Cupid’s millions of warriors, with no heads on their shoulders, are engaged in a mad dance , the battle-ground swallowed all of them, and the devotee triumphed over the enemies, O Guheshwara!

SUTRA: In the Bhakta Sthala, a devotee, through his good conduct, attained union with the Absolute. Such a devotee displays his steadfast faith in the triple, and that becomes Maheshwara Sthala, which is as follows.

MAHESHWARA STHALA

113) O Agama Purushas, your Agamas became hollow. O Learned ones, you lost your face, when your learning became all ignorance. O Veda Purushas, you perished, believing Vedas to be gods, when they were waylaid. O Purana Purushas, you became corrupt, all of a sudden, when your Puranas became thoughtless. O Shastra Purushas, you perished , not knowing that God is Bhakta-bodied, when your Shastras were washed away in the flood of the great orthodox ways. It was said earlier: “Where there is Shiva, there is Maheshwara”. O Guheshwara, who are eternal, true, and dwell within, Your Sharana is thus eternal, true and dwells within.

114) I saw fire kindled in the hole of a rock. I saw a deer, grazing grass, and a tiger play together. I saw all the dead play. Tell me, O Guheshwara, where will devotion be hence?

115) Does an ugly person become handsome, if he remembers a handsome person?

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Does a handsome person become ugly, if he remembers an ugly person? Will there be no poverty, if the rich are remembered? ‘Remembering the ancients, one can feel that the object of his life has been achieved’, they say. Guheshwara does not like such ones as have no steadfast devotion in them.

116) No cause, no effect, for your deeds. Then why say you have become devotees? You eat the orts of the five, you cannot recognize the face of the five women. You do not know how to break yourself loose from the three shackles. Look at their delusion, O Guheshwara, who say they have realized the Linga, holding on to the body.

117) On seeing it is dawn, they grieve for the belly’s sake. On seeing it is dusk, they pour for Linga’s bath, O Sir. No rigid regulation for Linga. Day has one regulation, and night another. No regulation for Linga. The body pulls in one direction, the inner being in another, and the Linga called Guheshwara in yet another direction.

118) They are weary worshipping again and again, with holy water, leaves, flowers, incense and light. They do not know what it is and how it is. As the saying goes: “Are people foolish, or the crowd in the fair?” all worshipped the Linga, but realized nothing. They disappeared, O Guheshwara.

119) Pouring holy water for bath, they ask for reward, O Sir.

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That reward goes to the water, not to them. Worshipping with flowers and leaves, they ask for reward, O Sir. That reward goes to the trees, not to them. Offering food, they ask for reward, O Sir. That reward goes to the eighteen kinds of grains, not to them. O Guheshwara, what shall I say of all those unjust fellows, who, offering Linga’s things to Linga back ask for reward?

120) He, who observes the vow of offering milk, will be born a cat. He, who observes the vow of offering horse gram, will be born a horse. He, who observes the vow of offering holy water, will be born a frog. He, who observes the vow of offering flowers, will be born a bee. These practices are outside the scope of the six-fold stage. Guheshwara does not like those whose devotion is not true.

121) The house had protection against fire, and yet it was burnt, O Sir. I had a conch shell with a rightward twist, and yet I lost my high position, O Sir. I had one-faced Rudrakshi, and yet I had troubles, O Sir. With all these possessions, I could not achieve anything, look, O Guheshwara.

122) Like a fisherman feeling pain

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when a thorn pricks his leg, like a corpse going to a butcher’s house, and weeping there; like a thief feeling sad when a cup is missing, a cunning person’s devotion is false. Our Guheshwara will not be pleased with the worship of a cunning devotee.

123) Look, a sea of sorrow for a grain of pleasure! Look at the way one claims to have had the pleasure of intercourse, though transitory! If one wants to get the hidden treasure by pledging one’s soul, one will miss the invitation of heaven, O Guheshwara!

124) If a thief who has stolen death goes away far beyond any body’s reach, his imperishable articles are spread all over and are made available to see here and there. Look, people are looking for devotees’ fellowship everywhere. All the practitioners, who were trying to realize their objective, perished, not knowing the impenetrable, O Guheshwara!

125) As long as there is the wheel of birth, one cannot be without pangs. As long the body is there, the states of youth, old age cannot leave it. As long as the memory called Guheshwara is there, one cannot give up the Linga.

126) What use of those who pour water for bath? They are only bearers of marks, O Sir.

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There are disguisers who do not have faith in the Linga and love for the Jangama, O Sir. The devotion done with due respect to the robe is not the essence of the good. Guheshwara does not like it, O Sir.

127) Those who do not know how to ride a given horse but ask for another are neither brave nor bold. The three worlds labour and sweat, carrying the saddle on their back, O Guheshwara!

128) They play with a life-less corpse, O Sir. They give form to the one who is formless and beyond comparison. They decorate the body without head, O Guheshwara!

129) O, look at the elders who are neither pioneers, nor those who have realized, nor achieved. O, look at the elders, who are prey to the passions of the body, mind and sense. The ritualists, who do not know Guheshwara, jeer at those who are absorbed in the thought of Shiva.

130) The language that knows no depth, and the speech that is replete with rhetorical words -- the speech of those who use them is a lie, O Sir. Those who know more than one language, do not know finer speech. They say: “Sharana is wife, and Linga husband.” But it is a lie. I am ashamed to see such persons, O Guheshwara.

131) In the town of Amaravati,

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there is a pleasure garden ruled by Indra the God of gods, O Sir. Go there, O Cupid. Do you have infatuation? You have cast your charm on all worlds. O Cupid, know Guheshwaralinga.

132) I have seen those who perished for the sake of land. I have seen those who perished, being victims of ignorance. I have seen those who perished, being victims of lust. But I do not see any who have made you the object of their pursuit, O Guheshwara.

133) Talk, talk, talk—lo, there is a flood of talks! All was washed away in that flood. Devotion dissolved in the water; It was washed away in the flood. As long as there is death, where is the pleasure of devotion, O Guheshwara?

134) Does fire ever feel cold? Does poison have any taste? Tell me. Do the eyes screen anything? Tell me, O Linga. Does an invader know any piety? Does a robber have any feeling of pity? Your devotees, as the triple worlds know, are free from addiction, O Guheshwara.

135) All the people of the world declare a person Linga-Bhakta. But they do not know what a Linga-Bhakta is. Is Linga-bhakta a proud one? Is Linga-Bhakta a finite person? He is a lifeless picture and a belly-less Jangama. I say all others are false, O Guheshwara.

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136) They call themselves true devotees. I am shocked to see, O Guheshwara, those who worship the Linga calling themselves devotees without, however, shedding the impurity of earth and water, of fire, air and sky, of sun and moon, and of the self.

137) He is a Linga-Bhakta, who brings to his Jangama the harvest of Linga and spends it out grain by grain, untainted by the taint of others, and undefiled by his own, and leaves alone the harvest of the sun. Guheshwaralinga dwells in such a Bhakta.

138) Who knows the eternal truth about the triple and the untruth about the triple? If one can take the triple Prasada offering it first to the triple, I call him the lord of the triple; I call him brave; and I call him bold; I call him a pure Prasadi in Guheshwaralinga.

139) Listen not to the word of the vow-breakers, who say—‘after Linga has been installed on the disciple’s body by the holy Guru, who first whispers the primeval spell ‘OM’ into the disciple’s ears, and then installs the Linga— that Linga dwells in Prana’. Does Linga dwell in the filth of excretion, urine and flesh? Does Linga dwell therein instead of Prana? He alone has the Prana-Linga bond, who can install Prana in Linga. Does our Guheshwaralinga like those who do not do this?

140) Have no association with the thief who goes beyond the Jeeva within the body.

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Concentrate, each one of you, on your object. There is none to mourn the death of Guheshwara, if He is killed.

141) Alas! O triple Jeeva, You failed to reach the Three- in-One! Carrying the pot of Bindu, they are playing fast and losing lustre, O Sir! O serene Guheshwara, the triple worlds perished because of the five.

142) Not knowing the secret of Nishyunya who is seated in the eight-petalled lotus of the heart, the self deceivers, who feed on bazaar news, talk of Pranalinga. What shall I call those forlorn persons who look for Linga to gratify their body’s hunger, O Guheshwara!

143) When there was no Linga-worship, You drank poison. When there were no evening offerings, You ate at Chenna’s house. When Chitra Gupta knew nothing about Kanchi town, You lifted it up. You hid all the fourteen worlds in your little belly, Prana, Apana, Udana, Samana airs were hid in your hair-holes, O Guheshwara!

144) Lo, the fourteen worlds are hid in the black iris of the eye ball! Like the string-puller of a puppet show, making a play within a play, see, how Guheshwaralinga, the tranquil spirit, sits above!

145) As the leaves and fruits within a tree manifest themselves according to the tree-time,

124 the natural qualities of Hara will manifest themselves according to Hara’s will. When the play is on, He is Umapathi; when the play stops, He is Swayambhu.

146) Can a shard reflect an image like a mirror? Strange looks the behavior of a person in the company of a fool. I was in trouble when the pleasure of sight touched me. Guheshwaralinga alone is firm. All others are infirm and impure.

147) Do not shoot, do not shoot, O Cupid! Why do you waste your arrow? Lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy— aren’t they enough for you? O stupid Cupid, Can you burn those again who have already been burnt in the fire of separation from Guheshwara?

148) If the wife is a devotee, the husband should not worry about impurity. If the husband is a devotee, the wife should not worry about his caste.

149) I shall show fire to fire. I shall fix my mind in the light of nectar. I stay ever in the Brahmasthana, O Guheshwara.

150) The amazing devil seizes on the triple world, O Sir! In that amazing world, one planet always enjoys itself, O Sir! A diamond-bodied Yogi dwells in the city of Khagarandhra. That is the abode of Guheshwaralinga, look!

151) When fire appears in a thick forest,

125 we cannot see any distant objects. All battle-brave warriors are displaced. Around the fort of mist is built a bastion of pleasure, and eight elephants in eight directions stand guard. When Guheshwara’s devotee reached the Aikya Sthala, every thing became possible.

152) What use disowning the five-fold sense organs, and the seven elements? What use deriding desire, anger, greed and sensual pleasures? The sin of having killed all these will affect you later, O Guheshwara.

153) Is the Linga within or without? Tell me, if you know? Is Linga to the left or to the right? Tell me, if you know. Is linga infront or at the back? Tell me, if you know. Is Linga gross or subtle? Tell me, if you know. Is Linga Prana or Prana Linga, tell me, if you know Guheshwaralinga.

154) The body is dedicated to your worship. The mind is dedicated to your meditation. The breath is dedicated to the joy of intercourse with You. Thus having dedicated body, mind, and breath to You, Your devotee is a true Lingaikya, who is detached and without addiction, O Guheshwara.

155) Who knows that it is body for body, mind for mind, and breath for breath? Saying that-- It is far; It is near,-- they perished, O Great God Guheshwara!

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156) Does not a perfect Yogi in his high majesty, Like the high flying wind, swallowing the elements in speech, spit them out? What else does he do? The master made this globe of earth. Burning the entire village; the name swallowing the rule and the village swallowing the ruler, and saying, ‘ Guheshwara, Guheshwara’, it disappeared!

SUTRA: Thus in the Maheshwara Sthala, a devotee attains union with the Absolute through steadfast faith in the triple. If you ask about the secret of merging with the Absolute, it is revealed in the Prasadi Sthala that follows.

PRASADI STHALA.

157) If one can give alms before being asked, it is true devotion. Do Linga and Jangama ever ask anything? No Prasad for those who ask, and for those who expect others to ask them, O Guheshwara.

158) Alas! They suffered much simply saying that Linga and Jangama are one. The triple conduct consists in offering the triple to the triple. If Linga is in one place, Jangama in another, and Prasada in yet another place, where is Prasada, O Guheshwara!

159) When they feel hungry, they pour water for Linga’s bath, O Sir! When they feel thirsty, they make an offering to Linga, O Sir!

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What is this bond of Bhakta? What is this bond of Sharana? What is this bond of Linga? If Guheshwara sees the devotion that is not done to the Linga and the offering that is not made to the Linga, He will knock it out.

160) Where is Pranalinga for those who sell Prana? All those who worship the Ishtalinga observe a rigid rule. Where is Prasada for a butcher, O Guheshwara?

161) Not knowing how to wash the inside of a pot, they wash the outside and drink from it, O Sir. Not knowing Padodaka and Prasada, they are perishing on the path they have come along, O Guheshwara!

162) The food prepared remained as it was. The hands that offered it were showing it. They think they offered it to the Linga. The feeling that ‘I offered’ did not go. But they say the Linga ate what they had offered. It is they who ate, but alleged that You ate, O Guheshwara!

163) Those, who pleased the Linga, worshipped Him, each in his own way, and got what they wanted. There are none who could eat the left-over of the Linga. These are as innumerable as the grains of sand on the banks of the Ganges. Being always after boons, they perished, O Guheshwara.

164)

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He is a Linga-Prasadi, as he can seize on the light without seizing it, knowing the form hidden in the light, without separating Form from that formless Great Light. He is a Samaya-Prasadi, as he has shed the impurity of caste as well as doubts regarding caste. He is an Accha-Prasadi, as he derides all illusions. Basavanna alone is an Accha-Prasadi in Guheshwaralinga,

165) Make your offering before it is touched by the flesh; before it is touched by the mind; before hunger seizes it. Before you place it in the hands of your master, make your offering. The fire in the left hand and the hay in the right hand. The hay gets kindled by the fire in the hand of the partaker of Your grace, O Guheshwara!

166) What is given with heart is Prasada, what is given without heart is food. He who gives first to Linga and then takes the left-over is a Prasadi. Therefore, Prasada is for such a Bhrutyachari and not for others, O Guheshwara.

167) I call him a Linga-Prasadi, if he does not suffer from mental ailment. I call him a Jangama-Prasadi, if he does not suffer from physical ailment. I call him a Samaya-Prasadi, if he is not tainted with worldly contact. Thus I call him an Accha-Prasadi, if he has a bond with the triple-Prasada. Look, O Guheshwara.

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168) If one can be called an all tranquil devotee, he should offer the lust and anger that attend him. The throne placed on the tip of the blade’s end should not go back! Where is the difference of will, if an offering can be made, before the flow of the thought of Shivachara does not cross the limit, O Guheshwara?

169) Hark, O Prasadis, You call yourselves Accha-Prasadis repeatedly. We find what you say is a lie, O Sirs. You forgot how to make an offering to Linga, before the wind starts blowing , and the sky gets old. Look, O Guheshwara, it’s a loss to the elders who go away, throwing away the leaf from which they eat.

170) Linga is born from God-Experience. Jangama is born God-Experience. Prasada is born from God-Experience. In the abode of God-Experience, Guheshwaralinga is blissful beyond comparison.

171) The wind of mental disturbance blew up. The light of knowledge was put out. Not finding the path in darkness, sorrow settled and peace of mind departed. Knowledge of all arts is the master! That master touching good sense, the master’s grace, falling into the heart of a disciple, became Prasada for the master and food for the disciple. But the worldly one’s life is an arch hell! Because of ignorance worthy offering became unworthy, O Guheshwara.

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172) The feeling relating to a thing can be offered, but not the thing. Food can be offered, but not Prasada. O Guheshwara, Your devotees, seeing the past, offer what is to come.

173) What remains after Guru-Linga, holding the glorious food in the plate of light, has feasted, is Prasada. Thus placing such a glorious Linga in one place, and making the Linga feast on the glorious food, if one can eat the remaining food, he is a Prasadi. If you want to ask and know about the mode of offering and taking Prasada, kindly ask me, O Guheshwara.

SUTRA: Thus in the Prasadi Sthala, a devotee attains union with the Absolute through attentive devotion. If you ask about the secret of merging in the Absolute through God-Experience, it is revealed in the Pranalingi Sthala that follows.

PRANALINGI STHALA

174) Unless one knows, having entered the plantain-grove, the way to come out of it; unless one catches hold of the thin air and makes it solid, there is no Shiva light. Can Shiva light dawn for nothing? Unless the six illusions and the eight prides perish, there is no Shiva light. Can Shiva light dawn for nothing? Linga is where there is no pride and envy and where there is no sorrow and worry. Guheshwaralinga is no fiction.

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175) Listen, you, who do not see what is before you, owing to the five senses— sound, touch, form, taste and smell, the seven fundamentals and the eight prides, speak of Linga in the Vachana. As long as your desire for the world does not cease, the subtle Shiva-path cannot be attained. What if the speech mellows, and the mind does not mellow, O Guheshwara?

176) I was amazed to see the mortals of the sublunary world, install a god in the temple! I was amazed to see them offer daily worship to the eternal and partake of food. O Guheshwara, Your devotees have gone away, leaving behind the Linga.

177) The devotees who are trusted and loved are hollow. Though their body touches the Linga, their mind does not. They assemble at a place and talk and talk, each about his experience. Did not the earlier mystics know the expanse of Experience? If the bliss of Guheshwaralinga touches the heart, where is rebirth?

178) If you create one kind of god in your heart and worship another in the mind, can the body achieve anything? They toil and moil in vain, look. They search for the ox they have mounted. Where did they go away, O Guheshwara?

179) If you tie a packet of food to the belly,

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can hunger be appeased? By donning Linga on the body, can you become a devotee? If a piece of stone is placed on the bush, can that stone become the Linga, the bush a devotee and the one who placed it a Guru? I feel ashamed to see such persons, O Guheshwara!

180) When skin supports bone, and Prasada becomes soil to the tree of life, it is not Pranalinga! What is called Pranalinga is very difficult to achieve, look! What is called Pranalinga is a matter of utter shame, look! If mud is applied to a broken pot, does it stick, O Guheshwara?

181) Why take trouble to prove that Ishtalinga and Pranalinga are one? If Ishtalinga leaves the body, Pranalinga does not, look. O Guheshwara, your devotee knows the secret bond between Ishtalinga and Pranalinga.

182) He, who calls others vow-breakers, is himself a vow-breaker. For the vow to get spoiled, is it sour milk? Can the body survive once the vow breaks? As long as there is breath in the body, that breath itself is Pranalinga, look, O Guheshwara!

183) I saw Linga in the light of Anga. I saw Anga in the light of Linga. I searched for the bond between Anga and Linga, and saw it.

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Lord Shiva is here only in this body. Those of you who know this secret, keep it to yourself. If you can see it before your body perishes, can there be another dwelling place for Guheshwaralinga?

184) To lay it down after worship, what is this? To worship what cannot be worshipped, what is this? It is not something that comes and goes away. Body is the seat, and breath the Linga., O Guheshwara!

185) The intellect,trying to know the Linga, got tired. If the Sign is shown, how can they not believe it? Remembering the great Almighty that leaves no space unoccupied the disciple surrenders himself to the master. Because ignorance has descended on the disciple, the master bestows the Sign on him. If one can know that Sign, what is called Guheshwaralinga dwells within oneself.

186) You talk distinctly of connection and dis-connection. What is connection? What is dis-connection? Tell me, if you know it. Body-connection, , Jeeva-connection, and breath-connection – If one knows this triple bond, he alone shall be deemed a connected one, O Guheshwara.

187) The sun and the moon becoming lack-luster, we do not know what the airs— Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samana, Naga, Koorma, Krikara, Devadatta and Dhananjaya—are To the one who says he has known the Primeval OM, a well of joy appears in the sky! Don’t ask where those who have experienced this joy earlier are.

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The Linga called Guheshwara Himself has seen them!

188) The anus is the abode of Adhara nerve centre; it is made of the great element called earth; square in shape; its seat is the four-petalled lotus; the four letters ava, sha, sha, sa; golden in colour; its presiding deity is Brahma. The genitals are the abode of Swadhisthana nerve centre; made of the water element; semi-circular in shape; its seat is the six-petalled lotus; six letters are there—ba, bha, ma, ya, ra, la; green in colour; its presiding deity is Vishnu. The navel is the abode of Manipuraka nerve centre; made of the fire element; triangular in shape; its seat is the ten-petalled lotus; ten letters are there—da, dha, na, ta, tha, da, dha, na, pa, pha; sanguine in color; its presiding deity is Rudra. The heart is the abode of Anahata nerve centre; made of the air element; hexagonal in shape; twelve petalled lotus is its seat; twelve letters are there—ka, kha, ga, gha, gna, cha, ccha ja, za, jna, ta, tha; blue in colour; its presiding deity is Maheshwara. The throat is the abode of Vishuddhi nerve centre; made of the sky element; circular in shape; the sixteen petalled lotus is its seat; sixteen letters are there—a, aa, I, ii, u, uu, r, ru, lr, lru, e, ai, o, au, am, ah; white in colour; its presiding deity is Sadashiva. The middle of the eye-brows is the seat of Ajna nerve centre; made of the mind element; dark in shape; the two-petalled lotus is its seat; two letters are there—ham, ksham, ruby-like in colour; its presiding deity is Shreeguru. Brahmarandhra is the abode of Unmani light; the thousand-petalled lotus is its seat; it is like OM in shape; Guheshwaralinga is ever lodged therein.

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189) They do not know the basic seats of power— Adhara, Swadhisthana, Manipuraka. In the heart of the eight-petalled lotus is a subtle Nala. Are there any who know more than this? Is there anything more than this to know? Knowing the mellifluos sound emanating from the Brahmarandhra which is in the thousand-petalled lotus, and seizing on it is Pranalingi, O Guheshwara.

190) What is it that stands above Adhara Linga, Navel, heart, the middle of the eye-brows? What is that immaculate line that has no adjunct? What is it that is called Guheshwara, who is beyond the fragrance coming from the flowery eyes?

191) Like a king cobra, it is exceedingly amazing! The navel lake is the abode of the eight-petalled lotus. Having drunk the nectar oozing from the nine-petalled lotus facing upward, they say they have become Shiva Yogis. Guheshwara is attainable through Pavana Yoga.

192) Some perished chasing the wonder of lights. Some made mistakes. Linga disappeared into the accumulated drops, Like water-drop merging in drop Pranalingi stood filled up with the Linga in Guheshwaralinga.

193) God appeared in the body in the form of water like Jeeva. His abode was made in the body called Shivapura. Controlling his breath, Jeeva worships Pranalinga

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with a garland of fragrant flowers, in the beginning and the middle places of Shiva temple with nine doors. Guheshwara dwells therein only.

194) There is a Shiva temple with a pinnacle. In the middle, it has two pillars. Who are the three will-worshippers? Who are the persons with divine experience? Who are the worshippers? Who knows its state and progress, O Guheshwara?

195) My legs became pillars, my body temple, my tongue a bell and my head a golden cupola— what is this, O Sir! My voice became a throne for the Linga. I lived without disturbing the installed Pranalinga, O Guheshwara.

196) A motionless canopy over an immovable throne. Within the inner shrine, a five-jeweled pinnacle with all its rays stilled. Upon it one million shining domes. In a nine colored building of flowers too strange for words, the majesty of Guheshwara, having absorbed all motion, even of skyey beings, transcends the moving and the still.

197) If the static Linga, bathing it in the holy waters fetched from the world of truth, is worshipped with flowers of the world of gods, the conduct of the ten worlds is spoiled. The lords of the three worlds become silent. Guheshwaralinga becmes static for the static.

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198) For the Pranalinga, the body is the dwelling, the galaxy of stars in the sky is the bathing place . Lo, it is worship with fragrance without flowers! The sound ‘Shiva, Shiva’ comes from the lotus of heart. Look, Guheshwara, this is non-duality.

199) This body is made of the five elements— earth, water, fire, air and sky; the four inner senses— mind, intellect, attention, and ego; the three properties— Satva, Rajas and Tama. They do not know where Pranalinga is amidst all these. Once they know the abode of Atman, they will allow poise and good conduct to settle within them, and will know Guheshwaralinga dwelling in the thousand-petalled lotus.

200) Shoulder, hand, throat, head, mouth, chest— these visible places are the spots of outer clothing. Inside there are four places— Brahmarandhra, middle of the eye-brows, top of the nose, and Adhara. Linga is worn in the Brahmarandhra, Jangama in the middle of the eye-brows. Prasada on the tip of the nose, Anubhava in the Adhara and in the eight-petalled lotus, all are worn. Therefore, Guheshwara, Your devotees always wear the Linga.

201) In Adhara, Brahma dwelt; in Swadhishtana , Vishnu;

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in Manipuraka, Rudra; in Anahata, Ishwara; in Vishuddhi, Sadashiva and in Ajna, Maheshwara who is beyond compare. I saw all these born and brought up in the Void, wearing the Linga called Void, O Guheshwara.

202) If we go up along Adhara, Linga and Kundalini, we find Brahma in the heart-lotus; Vishnu, in Nala; Rudra, on the tip of Nala; Ishwara, a little above the eye-brows; Sadashiva, in Brahmarandhra and the all absorbing Shiva in Shikhagra. The tranquil Guheshwaralinga existed long before time and the timeless existed.

203) Do not worship in the morning, look. Do not worship in the evening, look. Forgetting day and night, you should perform worship. Show me such as worship like this, O Guheshwara.

204) Whatever the body enjoys suits the Linga. It is like getting the bundle of hay cut by wild fire leaving neither the bundle of hay behind, nor grass before. Up to a point, it pays to talk of Anga and Linga as being separate. But Lingaikya is different, O Guheshwara!

205) I was amazed to see a bodiless form on the tip of my mind! In the innermost recesses of my soul, I saw with amazement Guheshwara’s own Allayya become one with Animisha!

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206) If the pleasure of the mind is brought to the eyes; if the pleasure of the eyes is brought to the mind, the mind would feel ashamed. When transposition takes place, it augurs breach of vow, O Guheshwara.

207) One kind of Linga for me, another for you and yet another for every house. This is the order of the day. Alas, devotion is washed away in water! Can the Linga not touched by a chisel ever touch the mind, O Guheshwara?

208) I saw a swan build a nest in a pipal tree. In that nest, a girl was playing swing. With the swing being cut, if the girl fell down dead, Pranalinga could be seen there, O Guheshwara!

209) The stone born of the earth and the idol born of a mason, became Linga on account of sacred spell. What shall I call those utter vow- breakers, who worship the child born of these three, O Guheshwara?

210) People worship stone as God. Look, stone cannot be God. Alas, you went astray! It’s like suckling a baby yet to be born, O Guheshwara!

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211) I saw a monkey tied up at the main gate of the triple city, mocking every comer. When the king came with his army, the monkey broke them up at a stroke and swallowed them. That monkey has a body, but no head: he has legs but no footsteps; he has hands but no fingers; a true prodigy, indeed!

Before any one calls him, he calls them. I saw him climb up the forehead of the elephant in rut, born in his womb, and sway and play in the dust raised by winds.

I saw him flaunt his body, throwing it up high in the sky. I saw him play with a ten-headed serpent in a basket . I saw him blindfold the eyes of five virgins. I saw him trample over the forehead of a lion that wanders in the ten streets.

I saw him raise the lion’s eye-brows. I saw him grow from wonder to wonder, holding a ruby in his hand. Nothing was added, nothing was deducted. Guheshwara’s majesty cannot be seen by those who have no bond with Pranalinga.

212) You build a stone house and make a stone god. If stone falls on stone, where should that go? Arch hell awaits those who install a Linga, O Guheshwara.

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213) When the body itself is a temple for god, why seek another temple? Nobody said body and God are separate. If you turn into stone, O Guheshwara, what shall I be?

214) Lo, possessing a body, you are obliged to a stone god! All of you who possess bodies fail to know the great Void. Plucking false flowers and worshipping with them a false god, they became victims of sorrow, O Guheshwara!

215) A well, measuring a man’s height in depth was dug in the sky, look! A beast came and drank its water. When the beast fell into the water, I took it out with the help of an arrow of fire, look! I saw the beast that died at one shot laid its next step. With the eyes leaving their imprint on the palm, the pleasure of intercourse became certain. I saw today the certainty of Linga being Prana, O Guheshwara!

216) If you go to worship the Linga at dawn, it becomes dark in the heart. Pranalinga flew away, and the thread of the casket of Linga being cut, the casket dropped down. Look at the trouble of those fake devotees who waver between wearing and not wearing Linga, O Guheshwara.

217) Bringing a piece of stone lying on the ground, I make Ishtalinga out of it, and put it on the palm of the eight-fold body.

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If it falls to the ground, I am lost, alas! They do not touch me, calling me an unrighteous person, look! How do the vow breakers will know the mystery of remaining untouched and the feeling of being unbroken, O Guheshwara?

218) In the face of night, was hidden a broken garland of nine gems. In the face of day, was hidden a tree with nine leaves adorned with curious design. If the tree is fed with that garland of gems, Pranalinga has the joy of eating it in Guheshwara!

219) It is dark over the hand that holds the Linga, O Sir! It is dark over the eyes that see, O Sir! It is dark over the heart that remembers, O Sir! It is dark here, O Sir. But Guheshwara remains on the other side, O Sir!

220) Having built a house in the forest, it is like not having any shelter. It is like handing over to the wind the lamp burning amidst water. O Guheshwara, Your devotees, like the Linga, are strangers to the triple world.

221) The dawn of fiction is the trace of resolution! Not knowing the secret of controlling breath, talking of Pranalinga makes one worldly, and talking of Jangamalinga makes one other worldly! Linga is neither self nor divine. He is Absolute. Yet these worldly people are not ashamed to take the name of Guheshwara, look!

222)

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Night has a bond with the day, they do not know. Day has a bond with the night, they do not know. Their doing is useless; their talking is useless. They are creatures of airy nothing. It is not within their power to know the Sign of consciousness called Guheshwara.

223) Who knows the Experience of Shiva Yoga? It is the dream of a dumb person. The path to take are three, and the path not to take is one. They say they have done, making one into nine. Unless they say they have done, making nine into one, the three-faced darkness, becoming one-faced, will not stop troubling them. Where is the bond of Pranalinga for them, tell me, O Guheshwara?

224) Those who practice Yoga postures do not keep quiet. Do they not die who smear their body with sacred ash, and hold their breath? Forgetting the True but holding on to the untrue, they passed away, O Guheshwara!

225) He is distant from the guess of those who say they have seen the Absolute sitting on the tip of the light’s end in the mind’s darkness. To those who say they have seen, each in his own way, Guheshwara is a dream Linga.

226) They cook on the oven and eat what should be cooked in the head. As long as one eats from the oven, smoke becomes thick. I am disgusted to see this, O Guheshwara.

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227) When rain-clouds poured over the northern country, there was famine in that country! All creatures in that country died! I look for You in the cremation ground where they were cremated, O Guheshwara!

228) None but he who has crossed the stream of biting cold, should drink from the well of joy! To the one who can, there is alchemic stone as well as iron piece. None but your devotee should drink from the stream flowing down the Shreeshaila Mount, O Guheshwara.

229) How do you know the ways of Yoga in the matter of burning the fire, washing the water and catching the sky by trampling over the air. Know for yourself the plantain-grove that is within you. The Linga called Guheshwara is not fiction, look!

230) Why the talk of divine experience for those whose thirst for sexual desire is not yet quenched? The so- called great elders are mere talkers! The essence of Linga philosophy called Guheshwara cannot be seen by the multifaceted persons.

231) A Karmi says everything is subject to Karma. A devotee says everything is subject to the Linga. A dualist says everything is myth. I take those, who believe in the triple, for Your self, O Guheshwara.

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232) Like a thousand petalled flower which, though born in water is untouched by water, one should , though born in this world be unattached to the world. Why tie a casket to the neck, if the body itself becomes a seat and the mind itself, the Linga, O Guheshwara?

233) Some keep the Linga in the fold of their hood, each according to his faith. Some tie it round their neck, each according to his faith. When I went to worship the Linga, keeping it on my palm, according to my faith, it slipped into my mind. I am no pursuer of Linga worship, nor am I different from the Linga. Guheshwara’s Allayya himself knows it.

234) If I become a devotee and You a God, do we see both of us harmonized into one? Do we play to the tune of moon and sun, joining earth and sky? You ask Ganga, seated in the knot of Shiva’s hair and Gouri seated in the lap of Shiva, whether they do not feel bad to eat widow-food, if the Linga called Guheshwara breathes His last on my palm.

235) The light reflected in water swallowed the Mount Meru. The distant element was hid in the essence. I saw them sprinkle fragrance, chopping the heads of the five in town. The assembled court of Brahma dispersed, and terrible Rudra’s retinue broke up, O Guheshwara!.

236)

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At the word Pranalinga, the mind blushed with shame! Should life breathe pass out, the body drops down. Should the Linga be brushed aside, the mind blushes with shame! The Absolute cannot be described in Guheshwara’s name.

237) The devotee’s body that has turned into Linga from top to toe, cannot be consigned to the fire, nor can it be buried in the earth. Lo, the affliction of worldly life! In the un-struck sound does the formless dwell. If any talk of your devotee very lightly, the arch hell awaits them.

238) Milk in the mouth of Hari, and butter in the hand of fire, a child of the mountain is running about. Lo, call him in; let him drink the milk of spiritual bliss. Lo, call him back, who is returning, mounting the elephant of the lord of gods. What shall I say of the Jeeva who climbs up the mountain of ecstasy and enjoys the bliss of supreme Shiva consciousness, O Guheshwara!

239 I saw Maya stand in the way I was going. She misguided me, pointing to a different place. The senses of Guheshwara’s devotee are trouble brewers.

240) Who can see the twin moons through their winkless eyes? Who can, holding the sun and the moon in their hands, make an offering to the Linga instead of to the fire? Your Prasadi, who partakes of the left-over food offered first to the Linga, is ever vigilant,

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O Guheshwara.

241) The whispering swing, when mounted at a run, swings without touching in such a way that you will not return to the sea of life. Lo, what is this loud and sonorous sound of the bee sitting on the back of a swan? That sound flows uninterrupted. Do the embodied beings ever know the food that is to Guheshwara’s liking?

242) There was a five coloured tree. it had five leaves and bore five fruits. In another five places in the order of the five flowers. He is none but the Linga called Guheshwara Himself, who could eat that fruit.

243) On the edge of the heart-well a plantain grew. Look, how a serpent came to eat its fruit. If the serpent could survive, with the plant perishing, Guheshwara was tranquil., look.

244) There is a ten-petalled lotus in the navel circle. It appears on the head of an elephant in rut. Juicy roots of all varieties grow in the meeting place of three letters— A, U, Ma. Drinking to my heart’s content the nectarine juice of those roots, I became blissful, O Guheshwara.

245) Lifting up the breath from the navel circle, fix it in the Sushumna circle. A cow is there in the Sahasrara circle, which is the privy chamber of the lord of the triple world. To none but he who can milk the cow,

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killing her first and breaking the pot, can have milk, look! The milch cow is barren, but the barren one is giving milk! The calf kicked the wise elders in the mouth. Guheshwara, who is without duality, is tranquil, look!

246) The divine cow of the palace belonging to the black head is giving milk. One who milks her has no legs and hands. The calf is four finger tall. He who can milk her and drink the milk is God Himself, O Guheshwara!

247) In the subtle Nala of the sky circle, one Bindu was uttering –“ I am He, I am He”. To me, who has drunk the sea of nectar to my heart’s content , You became my dwelling, O Guheshwara.

248) To a cow that has no udder, her head itself is the udder! Drink to your heart’s content, look. Drink to your heart’s content, look. If one can drink milk, after having died, he is the Linga called Guheshwara Himself, look!

249) When the thing that is on the earth was understood, the ocean of passions was burnt up. Having known the two horns as one, cutting the air, sighting the nectar, and filling it to the brim, I offered it to the lord of life. I became happy partaking of that Prasada, O Guheshwara.

250) Cutting the raw sunlight, cooking it

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in the boiling water of hot breath, Your devotees are bowing to the Linga. They gave it to none, nor did they pour it to any. The beggars came to beg. Your devotees tied the left-over Prasada in the fold of their apron, O Guheshwara!

251) The elders are cooking food, going to the Trikuta Mountain with the fuel of sound. As the mountain does not burn, the food cannot be cooked. As there is no offering, there is no Prasada, O Guheshwara.

252) The moon-stone mount has a bond with water. The sun-stone Mount has a bond with fire. The alchemic Mount has a bond with alchemy. How does the blend take place? Guheshwara knows how to prepare food and eat, bringing water and fire to the boiling point.

253) With the body being outside and the graced food inside, how is it that your mind does not blush? If Prana is offered food through the Linga, it amounts to breach of vow, O Guheshwara.

254) Thinking that food became pure by being offered to Ishtalinga, they offer it to Pranalinga! But they do not know that it is only deadly poison. None knows the beginning or the end of Ishtalinga and Pranalinga. Therefore, your devotees, O Guheshwara, not knowing the past, miss the coming bliss.

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255) The un-divided super-self has no taint of the partite or the impartite. He is nowhere but within himself. The hollow elders seek the Void in hollow space. Tell me, O Guheshwara, are You in that hollow?

256) Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dhyana, Dharma, Samadhi— these are the eight parts of the eight-fold Yoga. With the dissolution of the body, one kind of Yoga is possible, with the body, another is possible . Of the two, uniting with the Linga along with the body is supposed to be a superior kind of Yoga, O Guheshwara.

258) The awakening of the navel centre is the real awakening of Jeeva. Look at the majesty of the tranquil middle nerve. It beams with delight as it reaches Brahmarandhra. I saw it rise upwards. What is this twinkling star, O Guheshwara?

259) To the horse called sound, Vishnu is the rein. The sun and the moon are its stirrups and Brahma, the saddle. When the rider Guheshwara was supposed to possess form, He was without form.

260) I saw in the thousand and eight petals, the gem in the hood of Vasugi dazzle, with Khechari angels wearing breeches. As all the fearful demons

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drew aside and went ahead, I saw fragrance fill the mind. As I was united with You with glad countenance, the thousand cows fumbled at the entrance, O Guheshwara.

261) In a town called Pancheekrita, there are ten colonies and four streets. I saw a snake there. I saw elephants in rut play in herds. The mind was frightened, look. For three queens, there were twenty-four attendants. Willy nilly, it dawned, O Guheshwara.

262) In a well of water is a pot of ghee. It tastes neither bland nor sweet. Gold is untainted by the alchemic stone. I saw the uninvited Ultimate become pregnant without intercourse! Lo, it is the food of awareness and the bliss of oblivion! Therefore, the triple worlds perished, O Guheshwara!

263) If looked within by mistake, it appeared as if imprinted in the mind. When the place was searched, there was nothing to see. Like the foot stroke of a swimmer, the sense of doership leaves no trace, O Guheshwara.

264) Who fed butter to the formless and nameless child, and gave it a name? Look, how the word blushes! It tormented much all the mystics who did not know Guheshwara.

265)

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Like a live ember, you were close by me, O Sir! I saw the light of fire. So I saw You, O Guheshwara, who are the Supreme Seer.

266) If there is no harmony between the body’s speech and conduct, then where will be its Ultimate goal? Meditation and silence belong to the doubting nature of the body, O Sir. Your devotee brims over with right knowledge and is blissful beyond compare, O Guheshwara.

267) On the sharpest point of earth, water, fire, air and space, there are twenty-five villages and sixty-four towns. Crossing the fifty-six streets, they say they can see the formation of thirty-six towns. Having read the legible inscription of fifty-two letters, they cannot know the Jeeva that passes through the southern gate. Who can, if not Your devotee, see the burning light on the sharpest point of the western air? How can the ignorant people of the world know it, O Guheshwara?

268) All know that grass burns to ashes, if fire touches it. Know for yourself that there is fire in the grass itself. The fire swallowed water, and the water fire. The earth swallowed everything, including the sky. Know for yourself, you, who are grass-bodied, the majesty of Guheshwara, if you can!

269) The Vedas are no witness for the Linga. The Shastras are no witness for the Linga.

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The word is no witness for the Linga. Your devotee used it, hiding it in his body, O Guheshwara.

270) If fire touches Pranalinga, it appears in the sky. If water touches Pranalinga, it assumes a formless state. Then it soars up to Brahmarandhra. See it, letting illusion not cloud your eyes. For anybody, it is impossible. None can know it. What is it? Tell me. It is sheer Maya, O Guheshwara.

271) Lo, the mango tree, in the middle of a village, swallowed the sun and the moon! Lo, the sacred spell of the immortal cohorts exceeded millions of Brahma’s worlds! To the one sporting in the Ultimate knowledge filled in the mind, Pranalinga looked immaculate, O Guheshwara.

272)

The five faced one, an incarnation of Panchabrahma, the gem of the serpent coiled round the ten armed one! In the consubstantial union called tranquil trance, with nectar filling the moonstone pot, the Pranalinga shines, and yet the pot remains unbroken, O Guheshwara.

273) Unimaginable is the light in the eyes! Indescribable is the sound resounding in the ear! Incomparable is the taste on the tongue! Immeasurable is the peace of the inconceivable central nerve Sushumna. The tranquil Guheshwara, the thief of the mind, is everywhere , in the minutest particles of dust,

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in hard wood and tender grass,

274) The radiant light of knowledge shines within the subtle and the gross Transcending all the petals of light, the moon dawns in the sunlight that has swallowed shadow. Within no one’s power is it to speak of the harvest in the realm of the ocean. When a servant devoured his master, the majesty of Guheshwara, crossing the fourteen worlds, swallowed the outer and the inner.

275) Your devotee knows that Pranalinga is the transcendent supreme; that it is the perfect Shiva present in the minutest particles of dust and wood and grass; that it is the countless imperishable one that can penetrate the innermost part of the heart. Because he knows that he himself is the Supreme Light, shining over the halo of the primeval OM, your devotee is beyond compare, O Guheshwara!

276) When the string snapped and the bow broke, what could the arrow do? O Brothers, look, time is over, and rigid rule is thirsty. What is the reason? Tell me, O Guheshwara.

277) No sooner did the frog devour the sky than Rahu the serpent devoured the moon and the sun. The blind caught hold of the serpent. Therefore, O Guheshwara, I learnt the Truth without letting the world know it.

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278) Tell me, if you know, the secret of the ashes left behind the burnt water. Tell me, if you have seen the ash of the burnt Void. Tell me, if you have seen Guheshwara’s stature from air to the Absolute.

279) Look at the way it stands and yet does not stand. It comes and yet it does not come. It arrives and yet it does not arrive. Bindu devoured sound. Is there anything greater than the great Linga? Should you look for Guheshwara in another place, when he, swallowing the earth with its nine continents, is in incomprehensible unitive trance?

280) Remembrance is not in the remembering mind. Desire for the body has already ceased. What shall I say of the greater than the great Absolute that devoured the mind. It is self-born. I was amazed to see the tranquillity that is beyond the reach of remembrance and understanding. The care-free Absolute cannot be described in any way. I did not look for Guheshwaralinga in another place. (I found Guheshwaralinga within myself)

281) The mystic experience of Ishtalinga, Shiva lore and god conduct called calm content— these three joining , the inner eye of consciousness opened, the innumerable cohorts of countless worlds brim over with Linga sense. Taking instruction from the sky principle, one enters the kingdom of mystic devotion and sees there the holy place of Linga and

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a lake of nectar, wherein the tree of good sense is in full bloom. From there, one moves up to the holy house of Supreme Bliss. There Pranalinga, who shines in the western light of happiness , is seated on the throne of primeval sound. Guheshwara says, “Hail, O hail!” to the holy devotees who, passing from the southern door to the northern door, have taken position to worship the Undivided Whole.

282) In the bower of the mind’s secure home, the splendour of the eternal immaculate Light and the experience of Shiva Yoga were seen as one. O Guheshwara, Your Sharana was blissful beyond compare.

283) When Abhava occupied the Adhara, Rudra, the Swadhisthana, Mrida, the Manipuraka, Sadashiva, the Vishuddhi, Shantyateetha, the Ajna, Guheshwaralinga dwelt at the meeting point of voids.

284) That is the peak of the Mandara Mountain, the pointed tip of the Brahma nerve, the dwelling place of Pranalinga, the bestower of boons. What shall I say of Him? Look how the Sharana burnt himself playfully, and as he was being watched, became one with the Absolute. What shall I say of the Great Absolute, O Guheshwara?

285) O, all the enlightened elders, get together, and put Pranalingi’s experience

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to an alternative test and see its true colour. The heart-lotus of the lake is filled with fragrance. The light of his supreme knowledge exceeds that of Supreme Brahma. The mystery of Guheshwara, absorbed in the gem of a man, devoured the Meru Mount and the sky.

286) There was a well on a palm tree. A rabbit came and nibbled the grass Grown on the edge of the well. Thy curse, O Guheshwara, these mortals do not know how to make Prasada of their Jeeva along with the body.

287) A sweet sound is heard above the seven beats, the rush of the gross and the subtle and of heaven , on the one hand, and the clamour of the throng of Rudras who match the Ganga sands, on the other. As I was seeing, the sky-wide praise of Shiva, the least loud became the most loud . Guheshwara is undivided and tranquil.

288) I saw a baby on the left side. I saw it being lulled to sleep. The baby, lulled to sleep, died on the spot. The sound called Guheshwara died out there and then only.

289) Brahma devouring Vishnu, and Vishnu devouring Brahma, the majesty of the Lingaikya called Guheshwara, hidden in the Brahmanda, exceeding the hundred leaves and thousand petals, stopped the leaf in the hands of Chitra and Gupta.

290) Who is it that chopped off the ten heads, and putting them into a Dhara pot,

158 brought them to the earth? Who is it that seized on the moon and the sun, and putting them on the sea shore, rendered them non-functional? On seeing the huge Mari Goddess enter the village that has lost its existence, I went to enquire about her, and thereby merged in you, O Guheshwara.

291) The pillars fixed in between the eye-brows of the one without beginning, to which the five horses were tied, broke up. The eight elephants ran away! The sixteen subjects were clamouring. Guheshwaralinga , resting in the heart of the hundred petalled lotus, was silent.

292) I saw the fire burn in water. I saw a mango tree grow in the sky. I saw a wingless bird devour the Void, O Guheshwara!

293) In the head of a deer was the tongue of Void! Lo, what is this clamour in the presence of Aghahara? The earth, going after the air of the sky was hid in the light of fire and water, look! Controlling the mind’s functions, and devouring the outward show of the world, the devotee became tranquil and serene in the Linga called Guheshwara.

294) As long as I have dealings with the mind that whirls and hovers, I cannot know the path of Shiva. I know not the dealings with the world after having known the truth about Guheshwaralinga.

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295)) The mind’s feet go that way, and the body’s this way. Remembering the loveliness of divine experience, my motion was lost. On seeing the happy sign in the face of the Linga, my attention was distracted. The Lingaikya called Guheshwara was absorbed in the Linga there only.

296) What is this? Fragrance is there, but no going and coming. If the Void is struck by a thunderbolt, none would remain there to burn the corpse, O Guheshwara!

297) Behold, to a rootless tree, a flower without fragrance was born, and the formless air seized it! Behold, a bird perched on a branch without tree, being unable to see sideways, the eye in the forehead opened itself. Having drunk to his heart’s content the nectar of the bliss eternal of the Perfect, the devotee received Guheshwaralinga in the Western nerve .

298) All memory is dead; all errors are burnt. Awareness, forgetting everything, lost its sign. What should we seek, motion or mind? The body, having perished, is lost in the Linga. The light of the eyes is lost in the light of dawn, O Guheshwara!

299) I heard the crow of a rooster devoured by a cat. I saw a black cuckoo come and swallow the sun. The casket burnt leaving only the sacred Shiva-thread. The word called Pranalinga committed breach of rules. None can trace the footsteps on the water.

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The Guheshwara sound is neither here nor there.

300) When Animishanatha is within, why this sign of awareness? Who is the devotee that worships, and who the god that gets worshipped, if the front becomes back and the back front, and You become I, and I, You, O Guheshwara?

301) Being hurt completely, I do not know the pain, O Sir. I do not know I am alive; nor do I know I am dead, O Sir. Because I possessed Guheshwaralinga, my body changed into Linga.

302) Know for yourself the One who is no Pinda, no Pada, and no Form. Knowing that Pinda is Kundalini power, Pada is Swan, and Bindu is the un-struck, I was united with Guheshwaralinga.

303) Because I do not possess body, I have no contact with other bodies. Because I have no contact with other bodies, I made no attempt to explain the other. Because I did not explain the other, I became detached, O Sir. This is the glory of your name, O Guheshwara.

304) If you want me to remember, what shall I remember, when my gross body itself became Kaila, the mind Linga, and the subtle body, the casket? Is there any God, if I want to remember one? Is there any devotee, if I want to see one? Guheshwaralinga was absorbed in the Void.

305)

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Neither ’I’, nor ‘You’, nor ‘Other ‘is there. When one knows oneself, nothing remains to be known. Sharana, having known the mystery of Linga, has forgotten his own self, and is without a will of his own, O Guheshwara.

306) The bee sitting on a tree evolved instantly into a full-fledged bee, look! The Self is full, the Supreme Self is full, Everything is full, look! The bee, bowing to the Linga called Guheshwara, was awe-struck, look!

307) When Linga is lodged in the heart within, the outside becomes free from care, O Sir. The body seeks its own happiness, and the heart seeks Supreme Bliss. Therefore, the body is no good, Guheshwara is all peace, O Sir!

308) When Linga has withered on Anga, and Anga in Linga. the mind being full, happiness has withered. Where is the binding of a rigid rule for the God who has no name, O Guheshwara?

309) When time and eternity became one, when moon and sun became one, when earth and sky became one, Guheshwaralinga became serene.

310) What is this –Linga is on Anga, and Anga on Linga? What is this --awareness is on the mind, and the Sign on awareness? I am where You are, and You are where I am.

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Is there such a thing as You and I? No gap is there between You and I, O Guheshwara.

SUTRA:

Thus in the Pranalinga Sthala, a devotee attains union with the Absolute through God experience. If you ask about the secret of merging in the Absolute through enlightened conduct, it is revealed in the Sharana Sthala that follows.

SHARANA STHALA

311) The stupor of illusion has clouded over them, who are suffering from the pangs of separation. They do not know that the formless is their true state. Look at their affliction of giving Him a name and calling Him by that name , O Guheshwara.

312) How can one who knows not the past know the future? Alas! The creatures born at dawn have perished at sunset! The embodied creatures of the past went the way they had come. The Linga called Guheshwara is not for any such, O Sir!

313) A tree grew in the middle of water. An ape came to eat the leaf of that tree. A thing of wonder on the horns of that ape! Unless that wonder wears out, one cannot become a Sharana, O Guheshwara.

314) The awareness of a Nemastha was lost in the business of the world. A devotee’s awareness was lost in appeasing Guru, Linga and Jangama.

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A Jangama’s awareness was lost in begging. Thus no body got God-experience from Agama practices. Your Sharanas are unprecedented, O Guheshwara.

315) When hungry, can any eat a thorny leaf? What use for a king’s wealth, if it is not used in time of need? Can sandalwood be ground on a brick instead of on a grindstone? Does amorous talk of Rambha suit a maid servant? Does an enlightened person talk with an ignorant person? If a cuckoo sings in a lake, does not a crow perching on the branch of a tree caw? It is like the earthen pot breaking, when one goes with it to milk a barren cow in time of famine, O Guheshwara.

316) What is this darkness before the eyes? What is this forgetfulness before the mind? Battlefield within and coquetry without! What is this foot-worn path, O Guheshwara?

317) Does our Guheshwaralinga like those who, not knowing God’s will, roll in the pit of urine, like a dirty pig that rolls daily in bath-room water, and talk nonsense?

318) It is like two dogs sniffing each other’s mouth, and barking and biting for sexual rivalry. Look, how in the Kali Age, people come together! The master knows not the depth of his disciple, nor does the disciple know the depth of his master. The so- called devotees do not mix with true devotees,

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and the so- called Jangamas do not mix with true Jangamas. Therefore, in the Kali Age, what shall I call the children of an ignorant mother who give instruction, O Guheshwara?

319) A wilderness grew in the sky. In that wilderness was a hunter. The hunter caught a deer. Unless the deer is killed, the hunter will not die. Does awareness come for nothing, O Guheshwara?

320) I wanted to look inside, but did not do so. I wanted to look outside, but did not do so. What is knowledge? What is ignorance? Why do people weep in the house of a hunter who traps and kills beasts, O Guheshwara?

321) With those who have no truth in them, one should not speak even once in a thousand times; nor once in a lakh times, nor once in a million times. Let fire take them; let Goddess Mari fight with them. One should not speak with those who are not Sharanas, O Guheshwara.

322) In the belly of fire, a sky coloured harlot is there. To that harlot are born three children. Lo, what is this wonder— The three worlds, being crazy about them, are wonderstruck? To none but a Sharana, who, removing the black screen, can mingle with bright Ultimate Reality,

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is it possible to attain the Supreme Principle, O Guheshwara!

323) A serpent charmed by a worldling, entered into bondage. The mind’s darkness doesn’t desert, nor its deceit. As Truth played with untruth, Void sustained injuries. As long as Jeeva retains, its contact with the body, the cycle of its births will not cease, O Guheshwara.

324) Not knowing how to grasp, the Vedas were lost; Not knowing how to master, the Shastras were lost; Not knowing how to fulfil, the Puranas were lost; Not knowing themselves, the elders were lost. Their own intellect ate them. Then how can they know You, O Guheshwara?

325) O You Brothers, melt and see the black solid substance. In that black substance is hid a gem. Look, that gem baffled all those, who claimed to know how to test it. All enlightened elders were perplexed. None but those who can make that black thing white and deface it, know the height of Guheshwara, look!

326) They do not know how water came to be discriminated as river water and well water. How can those who are Sheela bound and are born blind, and observe vows and rules one after another, besides uttering swear words, know You , O Guheshwara.

327)

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The attraction of the word Sheela’s illusion affects us like the gathering of children. The gaudiness of the words that cannot be expressed and heard is for nothing. As there is no Linga for those, who seek the pleasures of the body, the Sheela called Guheshwara afflicted us beyond limits.

328) Having built a house in a deserted village, if one wanted to live there, a black cobra bit him, look! The un-seen elephants in rut were moving freely in each and every lane. If you understand what Chitra and Gupta have written, that deserted village looked laid waste, O Guheshwara!

329) Letting the superiority of knowing all go to his head, if one does something unbecoming, his sense of superiority meets with defeat. Do those, who are busy gratifying their addictions, ever know the Self? Going after lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy, they look like a cow that develops friendship with a pig. Then how do the illusion-ridden ones know You, O Guheshwara?

330) The secret part, blushing, sought the cover of cloth. All the elders who claim to know the Ultimate Truth, were perplexed on the spot. If one tries to get cotton after converting it into cloth, it is lost once and for all, O Guheshwara.

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331) When an enlightened gem was created on the earth, the aspirants went in search of it. It cannot be seen by diving half in water. If the search is made in water with full concentration, it can be seen from afar, look. The wisdom of the valiant, who wanted to seize it by approaching it, was lost in the manner of their approach, O Guheshwara!

332) A formal disciple to a formal master, a formal Linga and a formal Jangama. If one becomes a worldly servant to the formal master, by taking formal Prasada, both lose their path, like the two blind ones who go about each holding the other’s hand, O Guheshwara!

333) They say they have forged a bond with Linga and Jangama. Who comes first, master or disciple? They do not know who is born first, look! Therefore, O Guheshwara, they do not know any kind of bond.

334) If the secret of destruction of the triple town is known, having burnt lust and fed the fire of sacrifice, what if one becomes a Yogi? what if one becomes a Bhogi? I would call them elders who have given up food, and who have forgotten addiction in Guheshwaralinga.

335)

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Are there elders in the world who call themselves great— saying, ‘I am great, You are great’? What happened when such discrimination as great and small was made? He is a Sharana in whom the words great and small disappear, O Guheshwara?

336) The elders, who are occupied with Nama and Nema vows do not know the primal faith. What is it that comes in the way of understanding the subtle thing? Does the Void suit the shadow form, O harmless Guheshwara?

337) The body gets into the trap set by a slothful Jeeva. If the Jeeva could snap its connection with the illusion-ridden world, it would be rid from that trap. If one could come out victorious by defeating worries, one would be called a mystic Sharana, who knows Guheshwara.

338) Part perished as devotion was born in it. Part perished as devotion was not born in it. Part perished by touching the Linga. Part perished by not touching the Linga. What is this? How is this? One cannot know it at all. Caught between these two speeches of ignorance, the three worlds caught fire, O Guheshwara!

339) A Sharana should not move about so freely, like a whirlwind that fells down trees,

169 but as gently as a cool breeze, mixed with fragrance. If he were to move about, he should move about becoming a Jangama straight. If he were to stand up, he should stand up straight and become a Bhakta. Those who cannot become Jangamas by moving gently and those who cannot become Bhaktas by standing up straight— what shall I call these who are lost to both, O Guheshwara!

340) Look, the entire earth was inundated with water when dark clouds poured down incessantly. Numerous suns rose in the eyes of dark night, in the dazzling light of which people lost their way, look! Unless that pitch dark night is done to death by being hacked to pieces, those numerous suns will not die, O Guheshwara!

341) Bathing themselves and washing the feet first, they pour for Linga’s bath. Is a devotee Linga, or Linga alone a devotee? What is Linga? Tell me, if you know. Not knowing the bond with Linga, they perished, O Guheshwara!

342) They know not true conduct. They know not their deficiency. They toil and moil for nothing, calling themselves wise. If they claim to have become wise, not knowing the beginning and end of the motherless God, I blush, O Guheshwara.

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343) One path for Jangama, another for Bhakta. It won’t do, it won’t do. Lo, conduct went wrong! Guheshwara holds the secret bond of Jangama with Bhakta, and a Sharana knows it.

344) No use circumambulating tree and temple. No use bathing in lakhs and lakhs of rivers. No use shouting at the top of one’s voice climbing up the peak of Mount Meru. If one can arrest the motion of the mind that runs this way and that, the Linga called Guheshwara looks nothing but utter brightness.

345) They know not what it is; They know not how it is. They say they have known the Ultimate. They say they have got rid of ignorance. If we say we have known one face, there are three. Unless the three faces are seen as one, one cannot be called a Sharana, O Guheshwara.

346) At the touch of alchemic stone, baser metals of different kinds turn into gold, look! All those, who make alchemy are, like the gold touched by alchemy. It is not within the power of Hari or Brahma to become alchemic stone. All gods and demi-gods got stuck in the temptation of your boon. Our Guheshwara’s Sharanas were like alchemic stone.

347) If the fog of illusion covers a mango tree, will not its flowers and unripe fruits fall down?

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I won’t touch the fruit that grows fat, drinking that dew, look, O Guheshwara.

348) If you snap worldly connection, will Shiva knowledge be far away? Is it mere deception? Is a Sharana, who knows that Guheshwara moves, avoiding the sun, a worldling?

349) Maya devours him first who says he has known himself. If the awareness within you is different from you, you are already away from the Linga, look. If integrated ignorance can be separated, surely will awareness dawn within oneself, O Guheshwara.

350) He, who knows happiness, is not happy. He, who knows sorrow, is not sad. He, who knows both happiness and sorrow, is not wise. If any knows the sign of the dead before they are born, it is Guheshwara.

351) To a figure in the mirror, that mirror itself is all – creation, existence and dissolution. Why the figure of the mortal world is not there, O Sir? In that world is creation, existence and dissolution— what sort of Karma-bound creatures are these? One’s mode of passing through the triple state is not like others’, look! To a true devotee, the palm of the visible master is the place of creation, existence and dissolution— what is this mode of Karma? There is no other mode of attaining deliverance than the one fixed by Guheshwara,

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which is the Linga mode.

352) As long as the mind’s oblivion is in the body, how can there be awareness? When one bears two mountains, how can the shackles binding head and legs break? O Guheshwara, because your Sharanas have trod the path of no return, they became blissful.

353) If the world says anything about a Sharana, he should not retort. Whatever else others may say, he should not take it as against himself. Elders should be like an anchored ship, O Guheshwara.

354) Whatever ripens demurely is not ripe. Whatever ripens without being demure is not ripe. Whatever ripens out of disgust is not ripe. Whatever ripens without feeling disgusted is snot ripe. Whatever ripens lazily is not ripe. Whatever ripens without being lazy is not ripe. Whatever ripens naturally, without being demure, without feeling disgusted, without being lazy is ripe truly, O Guheshwara.

355) Having accepted whatever fell to my lot, Having accepted whatever did not fall to my lot, I attained a state that nobody got. That state being gone, I came to know that I am You, O Guheshwara!

356) All those hordes of flesh, assembled for the sake of food, talk about the Linga. All those who live in flesh

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talk fretting and feeling feverish. You talk as it pleases your heart. Where is Guheshwaralinga for you?

357) They know neither time nor eternity. They know not two is hidden in one. They know not the secret of the three is hidden in two. They know not the breach of the three leads to six. His is not the vulgar speech that says He is six. If the height of Guheshwara is known, there is nothing; if not known, He has many faces.

358) No happiness to a harlot; no Shiva path to a Sheelavanta. One should not observe rigid rules. One should not practice Saheela. To the one who knows Guheshwaralinga, true chastity consists in remembering the true Thing.

359) Both form and the formless states are forms— One is invocation, the other dissolution. One is perplexity, the other tranquillity. Your Sharana, who is devoid of both perplexity and tranquillity, is free from care, O Guheshwara!

360) Listen,You brothers, who, boasting of crossing a stream in full spate, board a boat. If a crocodile in the stream devours the boat, you cannot reach your goal. Row your boat with care. If you pulled the oar in midstream, the boat would not sink, but those who are on board the boat would die. Unless one knows its inside and outside thoroughly, one cannot become a true Sharana in Guheshwaralinga.

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They know what is already known. How can they know what is not known, O Sir. Is awareness common? What cannot be known, no one can know. If the Linga called Guheshwara is not understood, He is Two; if understood, He is One.

362) You say you know. Tell me how you came to know. Do they, who know, ever say they know? Your Sharanas, having known what should not be known, are as if they do not know, O Guheshwara.

363) One, who knows half, possesses natural properties. One, who possesses medium knowledge, is a disguiser. One who possesses super knowledge is the highest climber. Even the highest climber should not know, O Sir. One who has no knowledge is an ignoramous, a nameless one. Your Sharana, O Guheshwara, does not fit in any of the these four types.

364) Unbearable is the sight of the eyes to the Linga. Does a Sharana talk with those who live in flesh? O Guheshwara, Your Sharana knows neither conduct nor speech.

365) Who can reach the distant top of a tree, O Sir? The majesty of the tranquil Void and the Great Absolute that appears to the inward eyes beyond limits, did not show as different. Even if It were visible, It couldn’t be caught hold of. Who can milk the cow that does not co-operate? Guheshwara is not in the three worlds.

366) Worshipping the Linga even with faith and love, definite knowledge did not dawn on him.

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Is he Linga or his breath Linga? Which is Linga? You enlightened ones, tell me, please. Your Sharana has no body contact. He is not an addict in the matter of physical contact; he is impassive. His is bodiless company, O Guheshwara!

367) As long as a feeling, that I am a seer is in me, do you ever like me? The world perished owing to doubt. Your Sharana is-- like the reflection eaten by the mirror; like the water drunk by iron; like the tamarind devoured by the scorching sunlight, O Guheshwara!

368) Appeasing hunger, swallowing saliva, having had a restless sleep, reclining on a bund, I enjoyed myself, seeing You again and again. Owing to the pangs of separation from You, I was all awake with eyes wide open, O Guheshwara!

369) A Sharana does not accept the world, nor does the world accept him. The fourteen worlds are hidden in the belly of a Sharana. Your Sharanas are the Great Absolute devoid of both awareness and forgetfulness, O Guheshwara.

370) This world and the other world are where he is. The sky, the Meru and the Mandara mountains are where he is. All the worlds are

176 where he is. The true, eternal and pure principles are where he is. Space and the outer space are where he is. The self reliant Guheshwara is where he is.

371) On the Konkana island, a monkey was born. He devoured the sages engaged in penance; he trampled over nine Natha Siddhas; knocked down the heads of all the enlightened elders; slept in the basket of a serpent, ,that is monkey’s enemy; killed Yogis and Bhogis brutally; cried aloud, treading on cupid’s enemy. A cat devoured a cock along with its paws and beak; surpassed all the enlightened elders, who know the light of the sun; being fed to surfeit on the feeling of ego, it got perverted. Because ego did not understand cock and monkey, the spread paws being contracted, not knowing death, devoid of body and sense feeling— The Lingaikya himself became a Prana Purusha. One, who swallows all knowing all this, is Supreme Shiva Yogi—who knows no destruction; knows no way to birth; knows no Jeeva of Bhava. Therefore, Your Sharana possesses the power of Linga, O Guheshwara.

372) What knowledge is it, if one knows not one’s own self? What forgetfulness is it, if one forgets one’s own self? Those who know and those who forget themselves are your own reflections, look, O Guheshwara!

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373) Unless you part from the mind tainted with Maya, Unless you shed the perplexity of the body, knowledge does not dawn. Does knowledge dawn for nothing? If you want to know Guheshwaralinga, know yourself, O fool!

374) Jnana Chakra: To the glorious Supreme Bliss, who moves in the effulgent light and splendor of knowledge; The Supreme Reality, Supreme Knowledge, and Transcendent value, higher than the Highest; Beyond utterance and beyond thought, too deep for words— The lofty, the Incomparable and Sublime; The knowledge of the Absolute is His; the Super Light is His ash-mark, Panch-Brahma is His face; the firmament is his cloak and the sky, His cap; The Microcosm and Macrocosm are His ear-rings; The Source and Substance are His arm-rest, and Un-struck sound is his girdle; Non-duality is His Yogi-garment; The Incomprehensible is his Yogi-sandals; The Unmoving is His bowl, and the Immeasurable is His staff; The Inconceivable is His gesture; The Unimaginable is His alms; Acceptance is His journey, and halting, His stay. To him who has set up His tranquil throne in the hermitage of peace, brought the water of the Invisible from the well of sublime depths, and poured it in the auspicious light, upon the Infinite Pranalinga, for His bath. Interior space is his sandal paste, and exterior space, His rice grains; the higher and the lower are His bilva leaf and flower; the immaculate is Linga ritual; the Infinite Light is his worship; the Eternal and Spotless is the waving of incense and light for Him , and

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all the worlds upon worlds are His gifts. The way of life is His offering; the Ultimate Principle, His holy water; the Undivided is His areca nut; the Concentrated will, His betel- leaf, and the pure Shaiva discipline, His lime. To Him who has accepted Veele with conscience, the fulfillment of Mahalinga is His grace, and right knowledge, His joy. To Him who is the blessed company of the Uninhibited and the unfettered by error, the path of Delight is opportunity, and Silence, realization. The matchless Absolute is His resting place, and the Formless is His goal. To Him who, ascending the mountains of the triple abode, with His breath rising upwards from the still base, penetrates the plantain-grove of the flesh; To the Glorious One who moves about where Here and Hereafter are one, farther than where the light of the Absolute is— Beyond understanding, and tranquil is the consummation of the Ultimate Knowledge ; O Guheshwara, to the Glorious Sharana who has realized the Reality, I say, Hail, O hail!

375) The three worlds groaned out of pain, the pain of a scorpion that did not sting and the pain that did not spread. If the juice of the leaf of a tree that did not grow was applied, the pain disappeared, O Guheshwara!

376) If you know yourself, there is nothing else to know, look, O Brothers. I say awareness is absorbed within your own self. If one can be vigilant within oneself, without entertaining any other thought, Guheshwaralinga is absorbed within oneself.

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The net of Maya is world-wide. No age can remove it. It cannot be fooled—this is how it exists. Taking birth after birth, the creatures in the world fall into its net. When the rope of the net was in the hunter’s hand, loosening the loop of the net, The Sharana stood freed, Greeting the Linga— ‘Hail, O hail!’, and shedding the body’s adjunct, the Sharana stood in the Great Light. Bestowing on whosoever asked for, the power to shrink to less than an atom, and placing the Linga in the middle of the mind, the Sharana became happy. To the disembodied Linga, the Sharana without Prana, having merged in Guheshwaralinga, is not different from the Linga.

378) Above the temporal world, there is the Supreme Principle. Instead of beingspoken of as–It exissted here, It existed there, It existed everywhere. The moment natural properties withered, true knowledge dawned. Your Sharana knows the Supreme Truth that is present everywhere, O Guheshwara.

379) Born in the body, it was nourished by Illusion. Because of not knowing oneself, it was born instantly. It was a thing of wonder, look! The moment the self was known as being omnipresent, it merged in the body itself, O Guheshwara.

380) Listen, You brothers, who show devotion to the one who is birth-less. Suffering yourself from wordly afflictions, how do you show devotion to the birth-less one?

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Unless one becomes birth-less, one should not practice true devotion, O Guheshwara!

381) Listen, you fools, who say you have shed the Bhavi: Aren’t your body properties of the Bhavi? Aren’t your mental properties of the Bhavi? Aren’t your Prana propertiesof the Bhavi? All these, holding on to the Bhavistate, became a burden to the earth. By worshipping a Bhavi, O Guheshwara, my wheel of births came to a standstill.

382) In the fruit of a tree grown out of the seed of Bhavi, a tree of devotion sprouted! In the fruit of the tree of devotion, a tree of Sharana sprouted! In the fruit of the tree of Sharana, A Sharana , a destroyer of his own clan, took birth in one and the same womb. Having taken birth in this world, The Sharana became a plague to his own clan. Bhavi-Bhakta, abandoning the cool shade of the Bhavi tree, merged in the Void on the spot. What else to say: when Sound and Drop perished, what other state is there for the worldling, who has become a worldling to a worldling, knowing the Linga called Guheshwara, O Bhavi!

383) Tying a band to its forehead, smearing it with sacred ash, and showing the Linga to it, sister Mayadevi sang a lullaby to the new-born baby. The string of lullaby snapped, the cradle dropped, and the baby died. Only Guheshwara remained.

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384) Can we seek the way of the Sharana, who is born into awareness, and whose forgetfulness is gone? Can we describe his state? Your Sharanas, O Guheshwara, are like the dream of an infant.

385) They wear the Linga because of the bond between master and disciple. Imprisoning you, they reign supreme. On seeing this pretence, I grieved, and said, ‘Alas, alas!’ They don’t know the path the Sharanas have gone by. I seized the everlasting head, O Guheshwara!

386) After perplexity has found room in the body, ignorance comes to stay in awareness, look! If the perplexity of the body is known as meaningless, Lord Guheshwara Himself stays in the body, look!

387) For the master called sunlight, the disciple called shadow. For the tranquil Linga, Void is the casket, the air, the sacred Shiva thread and light, the throne. Letting not my mind wander here and there, I poured for Linga’s bath, and became happy, O Guheshwara.

388) With the properties of the corporal senses withering, after the nine nerve centres have been penetrated, what more remains to be achieved? What more? When there is neither merit nor sin, what more remains? What more? When there is neither heaven nor hell, what more remains? O what more? When one becomes happy, penetrating Guheshwaralinga,

182 what more remains? O what more?

389) No static structures that reject the earth; no pilgrimages that disregard the waterholes; no sacrifices that reject the fire; no rigid regularities that disregard the air; no meditation and silence, rejecting the sky. To the one who understands Guheshwaralinga, there is no need of any such thing.

390) If one regards the earth as mere matter, then why bow to the installed Linga and others? If one regards water as mere matter, then why go to take a dip in holy pond? If one regards the fire as mere matter, then why perform sacrifice and cremation? If one regards the air as mere matter, then why do meditation and observe silence? If one regards the sky as mere matter, then why practice reciting the Mantra? If one regards all these as inert matters, then why become a slave to Fate? The high souled one, who knows this truth about Guheshwara, is no slave to Fate.

391) You don’t want to look back at the path you have come along, my child. What wonder is it? Drop does no good. Guheshwara knows the way you have come along, my child.

392) If the body, born of the earth, merges in the earth, it speaks of the glory of the earth, look! If the body, born of water, merges in the water, it speaks of the glory of water, look! If the body, born of fire, merges in the fire, it speaks of the glory of fire, look! If the body, born of air, merges in the air,

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it speaks of the glory of air, look! If the body, born of the sky, merges in the sky, it speaks of the glory of the sky, look! If the body, born of the Linga called Guheshwara, merges in Linga, it speaks of the glory of the Linga, look!

393) The Supreme Soul is the sire of all the worlds, and the sire of all the gods and semi-gods. In birth after birth, you are my sire. In the formless tranquillity, O Guheshwaralinga, you are my sire.

394) As our elders went their way, they gave us one thing. For those, who did not follow their way, where is Linga? Where is Jangama? Where is Padodaka-Prasada? Mixing with those, who were not spiritualists, they missed reaching their goal. Trusting You, O Guheshwara, I merged in the Void.

395) To attend the wedding of a primal Sharana, all the people of all ages and aeons went in a procession. Those who were in the nuptial party were fools. The bride-groom’s news is too much for words. The wedding pandal cannot be removed; and the bedecked plank does not fade. Those, who came to attend the wedding bathed in bliss, and having eaten the wedding feast, went away. Not knowing the meeting of the Linga husband and the Sharana wife, the world was vexed. If its mystery were known, the glorious one, who embodies the word called Guheshwara, would become naught.

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396) I was as if the fire in the tree burnt the tree, O Sir! I was as if the fragrance in the open air oppressed the nostrils, O Sir! I was as if the doll of wax was eaten up by the flame, O Sir! Worshipping the Linga called Guheshwara, I made the wheel of time stand still, look!

397) By contact with the five, I came into this world. By contact with the five, I stayed in this world. These five went away, each its way, without company. I remained alone. I saw the eternal immaculate formless Absolute called Guheshwara.

398) When untruth becomes truth, when illusion becomes reality, one should be detached. Indulgence in sexual pleasures makes motion and the mind dull. On this earth are the eight-fold luxury items and the five- fold holy houses. Mortals and gods and demigods have come carrying the load of spices. The luxury items perished; the holy house was desolated; and the town was troubled. The holy house being burnt, Guheshwara became houseless, a calf of the street!

399) When an evil mind was born in a good mind, forgetfulness entered the mind, and made Jeeva a victim of the wheel of births, look. When undivided knowledge was installed in the mind, Jeeva stood freed from the wheel of birth, O Guheshwara.

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A headless body devoured the world. A bodiless head devoured the sky. When body and head were separated, the mind started wandering around! If space devoured both body and head, I devoured Guheshwara, leaving no trace behind!

401) Because your Sharana, forgetting ego and deriding physical properties, knew himself to be both this and the other, the feeling that ‘I am He’ became firm. Because the self- begot knowledge possesses the light of the Great Glorious Linga, Your Sharana is beyond compare, O Guheshwara.

402) They bestow Linga on a person, lest his body should perish. It is impossible to bear the Linga. He who wore it, went ahead. All those who had worn Lingas earlier, became its parasites. Do they, who wear the Linga now, attain the happy state, O Guheshwara?

403) Who are the persons that became happy at the sight of the heap of abundant harvest, unsown and ungrown? It can’t be described, nor can it be heard. Your Sharana, instead of measuring attributes, measured the heap of merit, O Guheshwara.

404) I do not see the devotees who have got Bhavi in the heart, Bhakti in the body, and Prasada in the fellowship of the self. I do not see such Lingaikyas.

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Do they become Sharanas by shedding the physical and spiritual properties moving about in the heart? Do they become Prasadis by extending their giving hand at the sight of those who have already eaten? O Guheshwara, Your Sharana knows the triple secret— the secret of the heart, body and soul’s fellowship.

405) Having given up worldly infatuation, my mind became free from worry. I do not know what clung to me, O Sir. I do not know what possessed me, O Sir. Because the spirit called Guheshwara has possessed me, I do not know what I am.

406) Being born on the earth, Jeeva tastes the kiss of a serpent. Blithe spirit swallowed nail, wrist, face and thirty-one heads, look. The child of Uttarapatha hid in the body of Ishanya, innocent of the language that has swallowed the fellowship of self-realization! The forgetfulness seated in awareness, and the awareness seated in forgetfulness swallowed the three -time worship of Guheshwaralinga.

407) It is like villagers offering rice and oil, saying: “O Mother Mari, come and save my son’s head.” They call him a Bhakta who worships the Ishtalinga in his hand with wild flowers. But he is no true Bhakta. He alone is a true Bhakta, who worships himself as Linga with his heart-flower, O Guheshwara.

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A false god is sitting in a false seat. Worship Him without torturing your body. To worship Ayatalinga, fix your mind on it. After passing the thread through the eye of a needle, if the thread is forgotten, stitches will come off, O Guheshwara!

409) A picture was drawn on three canvasses. The picture on the first canvas was indeed like a picture. The picture on the second was coming and going. The picture on the third canvas went away not to return. O Guheshwara, Your devotee is beyond these forms!

410) Once Linga settles down on the body, knowledge soon settles in Prana, look. The duality of outside and inside, both becoming one, disappeared, as I remembered You, O Guheshwara.

411) In the past, three hundred sixty ages passed; in future, three hundred sixty ages will pass. Still Sharana has been plucking flowers; still the basket of Guheshwara called Unnata is not full. He is still plucking flowers. They do not know that Mount Meru is bigger than Kulagiri. All gods, including Hari, Hara and Brahma do not know your glory, O Guheshwara.

412) Listen, you ritualists, who, staying in the shade of the great Mount Meru

perform rites pertaining to spirits. What is it to pour for Mahalinga’s bath? What is it to offer leaves and flowers to the fragrant Linga? What is it to wave incense and light to the Linga fed on nectar? Who knows the width and depth of Guheshwaralinga?

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413) If I go to pluck a flower, I can’t get it. If I pour sacred water into a pot it can’t be filled to the brim. If I go to worship, worship can’t take place. What is this wonder, O Sir? He is not one who, having known once, forgets. He is not one who is dazed. Such is the Sharana’s mind, which is also Guheshwara’s.

414) To perform Linga worship, when a Sharana took flower in his hand, it disappeared in the hand itself, while he was looking at it. That flower does not eat manure. Its eyes are free from the taint of desire. Sleep does not blacken its eyelids. It does not grow in the light of the sun and the moon. The Sharana worshipped Pranalinga, offering the Linga enlightened flowers, O Guheshwara.

415) The firmament is the water pot; the sky, the holy water in it; the sun and the moon are the flowers; Brahma the incense; Vishnu, the light; and Rudra, the offered food, look! This is the worship of Guheshwaralinga, look!

416) When He dwells in the lotus of a lake, why the vow of offering the red lotus? What is this rigid rule of plucking flower without touching it? Your Sharana, O Guheshwara, plucks fragrance without touching it.

417) O Sir, I blushed at the sight of those who perform external worship, plucking the outside and worshipping the outside.

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Having entered and seen Animishalinga, when I worshipped Linga in the flower of my mind, shame being gone, I became free from doubt, O Guheshwara.

418) I saw a flaming Linga in the temple of lac, and no one there to worship god. Where did the illusion, wrapping round the systems of the Uttarapatha, go? I saw the fire in the tree burn the tree itself. But the Linga called Guheshwara remained there only.

419) Show me, O Guheshwara, the bath that does not touch the mind; the offering that does not touch the body; the worship that does not touch the will; the sight that does not pierce the heart; the dwelling place of Linga where air does not enter.

420) The flower is one, the sacred water one; the food is one, the Prasada one; the mind is one, the Linga one; the lamp is burning eternally. The unfading halo, and the independent worship— are all one and the same for the Sharana. But others, to whom the Indivisible One became two, perished, not realizing their aim, O Guheshwara.

421) When the mind itself has become Linga, who else is there to remember, O Sir? When the will itself has merged in You, who else is there to long for? Illusion being gone, when the true one has been realized, who else is there to know, O Guheshwara?

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422) A lake in the sky: All wash their face in that water, and pluck flower. Pouring for Linga’s face wash and bath, and worshipping, if they go away, alas! they cannot escape the arch hell! What shall I say of the shame of the Pramathas of the divine world, O Guheshwara?

423) Bath is needed for an impure body. Why bath for a pure body? Is there sensual passion in a Linga-born Sharana? Your Sharana is inconceivable, imperceptible and beyond proof, O Guheshwara!

424) If I want to pour for Your bath, Your body is pure and clean. If I want to worship You, You are being worshipped with sky-lotus uninterruptedly. If I want to wave joss-stick and lamp, You yourself are effulgent light. If I want to make an offering to you, You are ever fed to your heart’s content, hence eternally contented. If I want to worship you with the eight-fold offering, You are transcendental, O Guheshwara!

425) For the union of love, why need a bed? Does he, who is mad of love, know any shame? Why the perplexity of worship to Sharana who knows You? Does pure gold need a touch-stone? Does Guheshwaralinga need a Sign?

426) I saw the head of one who bears the burden of the ignorant world come facing me. I saw the head of one who wears matted hair walk away. I saw the head of Khanda-Kapali being cut.

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I saw all devotees die and fall to the ground. O Guheshwara, I saw You die and become Linga!

427) If I say I have known You truly, do You agree to it? If I know You, forgetting me, I say it is Your own form that I see. I will remain integrated with You, like the reflection in a mirror without division, O Guheshwara!

428) Because a Bhakta has no birth, he has no existence. Because he has no existence, he knows no dissolution. Because he goes back from where he has come, he is eternal, O Guheshwara!

429) When a bee came, I saw fragrance run away! Tell me what wonder it is. When the mind came, I saw the brain run away! When God came, I saw the temple run away, O Guheshwara!

430) The stage is only one, the pillar is only one. God is only one, the temple only one. O Guheshwara, I regard your respected Sharanas as God.

431) A temple outside the village: In that temple is a female Shaiva beggar, look! She holds a needle in her hand; On the tip of that needle are fourteen worlds. I saw an ant devour the beggaress, the needle and the fourteen worlds, O Guheshwara!

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If the heart is stolen by the heart, it augurs ill for the heart, look! If the body is filled with pleasure, the body suffers from some want, look! If one thinks awareness brings happiness, it augurs ill for that awareness, look, O Guheshwara!

433) The letter ‘Na’ becoming Nandi, ‘Ma’ becoming great, ‘Shi’ becoming Rudra, ‘Va’ becoming swan, ‘y’ becoming awareness, ‘OM’ becoming Guru, connection becoming dis-connection, both becoming one, Guheshwara got bound up with the Linga!

434) I saw wonders beneath the sky-wide canopy, erected over a bower as wide as the world. I saw the Truth of truths. I saw Guheshwaralinga Himself become dawn in the sublime sky.

435) One single day included past infinity and future infinity. Who has seen and known the Great One, who embodies that one day and speaks? Not knowing the limit of the Linga, all the pioneers, all those who have realized the Absolute and the endless line of elders simply passed away, O Guheshwara!

436) Did I ask those, who are being born repeatedly, not to be born? Did I ask all those, who are taking worldly pleasure, not to take it? Did I ask all those, who are perishing in total destruction,

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not to perish? Did I ask all those, who matured after knowing Guheshwara, not to stay on this earth?

437) As long as there is substance and source, there will be formality. If both become one, it becomes Shivachara. If that Shivachara becomes a permanent passion, it becomes Brahmachara. If Guheshwara is understood, it becomes Anachara.

438) I am burnt like the dry wood that has fought with fire, O Sir. You cannot make another rope out of a burnt one, O Sir. Such is the way of your Majesty, O Guheshwara.

439) I heard a dead hen crow. I heard the rustle of a thick mango tree I saw dark night become bright day. I saw people, getting up early in the morning, lose their way. I do not know what it is, O Guheshwara!

440) Once a person is absorbed in the Supreme Principle, why the illusion of having known something else? With awareness being made one’s own, when oblivion perishes, why the thought of ‘who I am’? Why the anxiety of uniting again, when, uniting with Guheshwara, difference disappears?

441) To a wife who dies today, a husband who dies tomorrow, O mother! A baby born every minute grew soon into a helping hand, O mother! With oblivion devouring awareness and sign,

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only Guheshwara survived, O mother!

442) Your Sharana’s state is like that of a person, who has taken medicine that makes one mad. You should not ask for details about Shivajnana. If you try to remember it, claiming to have known it, it goes further away. If you presume you have forgotten it, it won’t leave you. Your Sharanas, O Guheshwara, who know You well, are extremely happy.

443) In a desolate place free from dust, a person without sight saw a pearl! A person without hands threaded it, and a person without neck put it round his neck! Does decoration to a person without body suffer any loss, O Guheshwara?

444) When I remembered without longing, I got an unimaginable person, look! When I remembered beyond imagination, I got bliss beyond bounds of will, look! When I came to know the Linga called Guheshwara, my ego disappeared, look!

445) Ever since this earth has ceased to be, a resplendent sphere has come into existence. In that sphere dwells a harlot, look, O Sir! One, who has no head, visits her daily. One, who has no intestine, has become a go-between, look! When one who has no hands and legs embraces her, I am amazed at the sight, O Guheshwara!

446) If one can dwell in the Supreme Principle, he cannot eat, nor can he go without eating food. The source called Guheshwara is born six months after the death of His mother.

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447) If one can move about, keeping on moving is good, O Sir. If one can move about without motion, and if one can stay still being motionless his joy is self-begotten in Guheshwaralinga. I regard them as worshipful world-wide.

448) One’s conduct should transcend conduct, O Sir. One’s speech should transcend speech, O Sir. One should unite with the formless. One should practice such devotion as would cause the cycle of birth and death to cease. One should be as if one did not know oneself, O Guheshwara.

449) O Guheshwara, show me the Supreme God, who walks without legs; who touches without hands; who tastes without tongue; who begs with a bowl of love for the Supreme.

450) Show me, O Guheshwara, the Glorious Ones, whose eye and hand are the beggar’s staff; whose ear is the grace of all the ancient saints; who have attained fulfillment of the body by eating the alms of the mind.

451) Show me once, O Guheshwara, the persons who have cut the guts of the eyes; who have roasted the kernels of the heart, and who have known the beginning of the Word.

452) Adipurana, Vedapurana, and Himapurana are finite. The Supreme Power that supports them is infinite. Lo, the mind devoured the sky! Adi devoured Veda; Veda, the Self -Begotten.

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Your Sharana, who embodies the Supreme, is free from the tyranny of time and the bond of Karma O Guheshwara!

453) When the mind is filled with the Absolute, and the Absolute with the mind, there is neither merit nor sin; there is neither happiness nor sorrow; neither time nor Karma; neither birth nor death. Look, O Guheshwara, Your Sharana is the Great Glorious!

454) An elephant was caught in a trap. That trap got burnt, but the elephant survived! Lo, what is this-- God died and goddess perished, but I survived, O Guheshwara?

455) The alchemic stone has no value. Prana needs no purification. Taste knows no taint of orts; Happiness knows no unpleasantness. Your Sharana is free from the cycle of birth and death and the bond of Karma, O Guheshwara!

456) After drinking nectar, I felt hunger increase. Having found the alchemic stone, one’s poverty increased . I saw one die after eating the fruit of the life-reviving plant. Having achieved all, I felt as if I had achieved nothing. Having realized the True, I survived, O Guheshwara.

457) Drop containing nothing; a child without sire;

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one born of no mother; one who goes without motion; the innocent one whom the three do not know— show me the place of such a one, O Guheshwara.

458) Is the source seed known for celibacy? Is awareness known for celibacy? Is the dawn of knowledge and ignorance known for celibacy? O Guheshwara, only the happiness of Your Sharanas is celibacy.

459) The world grieves claiming to have buried shadow. Can shadow ever leave a bodied creature? If you rage at the thief and curse him, standing afar on the other shore, will he die? These people do not know the secret of the stitches of Will. Does our Guheshwaralinga come to us just for the wishing?

460) Laying the child of knowledge to sleep in the cradle of ignorance, tying it with the ropes of Veda and Shastra, Mother Illusion holds and rocks the cradle, singing a lullaby. Unless the cradle breaks, the ropes snaps and the lullaby stops, the Linga called Guheshwara cannot be seen.

461) At the wedding of dwarfs, rascals beat drums and nose-less women carry holy pitchers on their heads With he-hoes and loud shouts, the nuptial party assembled and cheered. Why do they rage over flowers and betel-nuts? All the three worlds are at the nuptial party. Not knowing Guheshwaralinga, what does all this fuss mean?

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462) It is Light, look! It is a hoarded treasure, look! It is poverty of livelihood, look! It is Prasada, look! If Prasada is partaken, it is total destruction, look! It is Guheshwara, look! It is Illusion, look!

463) Do all the neighbours know the thing born in water and buried in the earth. I was amazed at the lamp that is placed in the draught of the wind and yet not extinguished. When the five children of a woman, while playing children’s game, have fallen into a well that no one knows. Where is wisdom other than this? O Guheshwara, I blush with shame at the sight of the enlightened elders who do not know You.

464) Do not show me those with the pride of caste; those with the pride of stubbornness ; and those with the pride of learning. Do not show me their elevated position. Do not show me their sublime pride. Do not show me any other persons than those, who, shedding quietism and self command, and arresting the mind running in ten directions, have merged in the Linga, O Guheshwara.

465) The Vedas are mere words to be read. The Shastras are mere gossip of the market. Puranas are nothing but the discourse of rogues. Logic is nothing but a fight of rams. Devotion is nothing but a profitable show. Guheshwaralinga

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466) Placing the corpse of hypocrisy on the gallows of greed, these elders of the earth wore themselves out, look. Seeing the elders go about led by greed, Guheshwara felt disgusted, look!

467) All the enlightened elders on the earth are acting foolishly, look. Filling attractive matter in a pot of fog, they cook and eat without fear, and sell the same stuff, look. Not finding the life-reviving plant, all those, who are a dead- weight to the earth and do not know Guheshwara, became victims of death.

468) Holding the creator of the world in hand, a Jangama, who goes visiting from house to house like a thievish dog, should not bother a Bhakta, nor should he beg of a Bhavi. If you win the heart of a person by teasing, you look like a blood hound that opens its mouth for a rabbit, O Guheshwara!

469) Lo, your mouth being genitals, your hands being the senses, the morsels you put into your moth are the seed of creation, look! When your preference is for sensual passion, why non-dualism for you, O Guheshwara?

470) Can a person be called a Jangama

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by tying jingle bells to the knee and by wearing the garb? Missing them, he is no Jangama, look! They do not know how to become a Jangama from within. Guheshwara is the Great Absolute that is beyond the reach of such disguisers.

471) Listen, You Brothers, I will tell you what the characteristics of the Jangama Sthala are: Unstitching the stitches of the three, one should change three into six; and taking out the kernel of the six, put it into one. Removing the veil of the five, breaking the seal of the three, one should make the three faces into one, without staying firm in the four. I was amazed at the sight of those, who, not knowing this mystery, wander about, look, O Guheshwara.

472) One should not listen to those who turn day into night, and night into day; who turn good conduct into bad conduct and bad into good; who turn a Bhakta into a Bhavi and a Bhavi into a Bhakta, O Guheshwara!

473) Where is wish-fulfillment for those, who, flaunting the Linga on the body, long for a sumptuous feast? Whence is the Linga? Whence the Jangama? Whence Padodaka-Prasada? They all missed reaching their goal by playing a wrong game, Thy curse on me, O Guheshwara.

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If the Linga worn in the arm-pit makes a bundle of cloth its home, if the Linga worn on the palm causes a bad sore. if the Linga worn in the mouth causes mouth ulcer, if the Linga worn on the body harbours sin; if the Linga worn on the head heralds death of the brain; if the Linga worn in the throat causes throat sore, then why the talk of Guheshwara for you?

475) You talk of awareness repeatedly. Is awareness so common? Unless you see and know the past step, you should not know the present one. Unless the next step is traced, the foot cannot be laid firm. Unless one, leaving the earth, plants oneself in the sky and becomes lightning , one cannot be oneself. Tell me, can Guheshwara be realized for nothing?

476) Innumerable are there who boast they chased and seized, when all they have done is to slip, stumble and roll down. Those who boast they seized it, bit the dust. He, whom I held prisoner, became my co-prisoner, O Guheshwara!

477) As long as the body’s properties, which are its source and substance, are there, what does absence of difference mean? As long as one knows not oneself, one is a child of falsehood that follows desire, what shall I call those who blush at your name, O Guheshwara?

478) Listen, you say you don’t touch meat and wine? What are the eight-fold pride, if not wine?

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What is the intercourse with Samsara, if not meat? He is a Lingaikya in Guheshwaralinga who has rejected these two.

479) Listen, all of you, who go your way: There is big Mari where the three roads meet. In the mouth of that Mari are three bodies. It rains poison all around. The solid darkness in the mouth of a bison obstructs the vision. A tiger with five mouths is yawning. Unless you vanquish all these, Guheshwara cannot be seen.

480) Should I say the Jangama is great, he became small by begging for alms. Should I say the Linga is great, It became small at the hands of a sculptor who shaped It. Should I say the devotee is great, he became small through the fraud of body, mind and breath. Thus in these three, there is neither peace nor highest truth. Tell me, O Guheshwara, who knows the Great Absolute?

481) All Bhaktas became cooks. All Jangamas became parasites. What is this? How is this? One cannot know it. He is a Bhakta whose body’s property has ceased to be. He is a Jangama whose life’s property has ceased to be. All others are false, I say, O Guheshwara.

482) All those, who talk, being puffed up with pride of knowledge,

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483) Claiming to be universally worshipped, they speak and act. But they do not know how to get rid of the bond of birth, look. The wheel of birth and death trample over them to death, look. Claiming to know the word knowledge, they speak and act. But they do not know the secret of silence. Guheshwara laughs at them, look.

484) The people of the world, being possessed by a spirit, speak as it pleases the spirit. Disguising themselves in the saffron robe, why should they let lust trouble them? What shall I say of those mortals, who, wearing the cloak of an elephant, bark like a dog, O Guheshwara?

485) They do not know what it is and how it is. They simply talk of Brahma lore. Not knowing how to burn the triple town in the fire of the forehead eye of Rudra, they are burning them in the fire of Cupid’s eyes. Not knowing how to conquer Cupid’s properties, trampling over earth and sky, standing on the top of the Nilgiri mount, they are playing on a swing that makes no sound. All those who claim to know You wore themselves out, O Guheshwara.

486) All the clouds in the sky burst open on the earth.

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The earth drank water till it got tired, and all plants grew up. How do the perverted lustful persons, who receive with passionate desire the gift of plants nurtured with too many desires, know of Linga, O Guheshwara?

487) As long as the tree is there, do the leaves stop rustling? As long as the body is there, does passion cease to be? As long as the clue is there, can impurity be washed away, O Guheshwara?

488) With the power of knowledge, some want to conquer those who are ignorant. Sitting on the swing of mere words, poor fellows, fall down kicking about and shouting. He, whose judgement of the body is ripe, should not flaunt his knowledge. The bliss born of the strange touch of Linga should bear fruit. Guheshwara burns with anger, if He sees the haughty fellows in whom awareness has not dawned, but, wearing the cloak of duality, they simply boast.

489) I have seen those who perform sacrifice, but I do not see any who can stop the smoke. I have seen those who can walk long distances, but I do not see any who can devour the legs. I have seen those, who, in the battle field, roaring chop off the heads of enemies, and advance. But I do not see any, who, holding the chopped head, dance, O Guheshwara!

490) Can the weight used to weigh gold ever be equal to gold in value?

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They are not ashamed to say they have become Linga, look! Like the iron blade used for making a hole in a wall for burglary, the previous elders failed to know about Linga. Tell me, O Guheshwara, who else know Linga?

491) One, who has too many words, resembled rustling trees. One, who is silent, resembled stone. One, who is angry, resembled fire. One, who is quiet, resembled deep water. One, who says he does not know, resembled a beast. Therefore, I have not seen any who, claiming to have known or not known, but has destroyed the sign of awareness, resembles the Linga called Guheshwara.

492) What if, you fool, speak and hear of the creation, existence, and dissolution of Nada? What if, you fool, speak and hear of the creation, existence and dissolution of Bindu? What if, you fool, speak and hear of the creation, existence and dissolution of the middle petal? What if, you fool, bearing the load of the vast sky, air, fire and earth, speak and hear? Being absorbed in Guheshwaralinga, as I do not know their existence, they do not exist for me.

493) If you tell the blind that there is a road that takes him to the next village, how can he know it? Tell me. How can a coward who flees the battle ground win the battle? Tell me. How can the one possessing the five senses know the tranquil Absolute called Guheshwara?

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494) When the clouds in the sky burst, a big tank was filled to the brim. That tank has three bunds. There are ten wells inside and five outside. When nine inlets were opened, the whole sky was inundated. What shall I say of the shameless ascetics, who, drunk with the water from that tank speak fearlessly, O Guheshwara?

495) They see only form and not the formless. They see only the gross body’s convenience, and not the subtle body’s. They see only rituals and not the thought related to them. They see only Your Sign, and not You. They perished not knowing how to unite with You, O Guheshwara.

496) They wear one face at night, and another during day. The body wears one face, the Jeeva, another. They know not wisdom, look! To them, Pranalinga is an illusion, look! Therefore, the three worlds perished, O Guheshwara.

497) What of the limitation of those who labour under the illusion of will? What of their limitlessness? They are skilled wordsmiths that sport with beguiling speech. But they do not know the secret of Guheshwara.

498) O, the Impossible One made possible, O, One of extremist character, O, Lingayya, should You get worshipped at the hands of those who get hurt and die?

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It’s a shame, look, Guheshwara!

499) If the limited light is placed into the unlimited darkness, there is light as well as darkness! What a wonder it is! They do not fear each other! I was wonderstruck to see both elephant and lion eat together, O Ghuheshwara!

500) What do you know of philosophy? What are you going to see after death? O man, today is everything. Shivachara is not like talking. It’s a complicated knot, look, O brothers! It’s neither idle talk nor street talk. It’s a drop of nectar got from union with the Linga for a night. It fetches pleasure today and welfare tomorrow, O Guheshwara!

501) What is this--earth, water, fire, and air are growing in the sky? Look at the foolish men, who claim to have known the Great Absolute! They do not know the Great Absolute called Guheshwara, who is dispassionate and cannot be known by the deciding intellect.

502) All things can be known, but not death. All arts and all dimensions can be known, but not death. For Hari, Brahma, Kala, Kama, Daksh and others, death is certain! Even for great men, death is certain! Good God, this world knows no death ! Only for that great glorious man, whose mind, forgetting this world

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is fixed in Linga, there is no death. Look, the knowledge of the half- wits, who do not know death, brings great loss, O Guheshwara.

503) O man, who possess the body that dies as soon as it is born, tell me, what difference does it make to you, if you get yourself called God? If God also dies, what is the difference between god and mortals? For gods there is heaven, for humans, the mortal world; but for Guheshwara’s Allayya, there is no world whatsoever.

504) Nothing is visible anywhere. The Void is oppressive. Darkness shrouds the sphere of arrows. The axle of the sun’s chariot broke! On seeing the cool state of the moon’s world become victorious, the elders lost their path, O Guheshwara!

505) That all the sages, including Sanaka, Sananda, and all those whose bodies are ash- smeared are true and eternal is false. What is true is that all of them died, O Guheshwara.

506) Adi Brahma died after the end of twelve ages. After Adi Brahma all the fish- kind perished. After all the fish-kind suffered dissolution, Ganeshwara called Asahasra, Ganeshwara called Akshaya, and sixty million Akshayas and such several Rudras suffered dissolution. But Guheshwara never knew any dissolution!

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Whether they move in the sky, or move on the earth, or wear sign and garb, death does not respect any! Death does not respect even the sages like Sanaka and Sananda. But your Sharanas do not yield to death, O Guheshwara!

508) Brahma who desires and conceives is a vow-breaker. Vishnu fell dead. Rudra is a thoughtless indiscriminate person. Indiscriminate elimination of all will be attributed to You, O Guheshwara.

509) All great men who make the impossible possible possess foggy body. They are imprisoned in the elephant cage! Eating orts, they come to speak of Brahma fearlessly. Does the Supreme yield to figurative speech? They do not know the secret of the sea of bliss. Your Sharana is neither an entertainer, nor an ort- eater, nor an imprisoned person, O Guheshwara.

510) At the beginning of the three ages, gods, demons and humans, toiled and moiled. Whatever be their dross, they are all vicious. They are ostentatious persons of all varieties, whom lust, anger, and greed won’t leave. Who can give medicine for an incorrigible sore? O Guheshwara, what is this? They are elders whose outside hue is attractive like that of a bottle gourd.

511) Those who claim to have known matters of several ages,

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do not know the trifling death that occurs every day. Because I have taken resort in You, the grass grown in my mind, to which the senses are the gate way, dried up, O Guheshwara.

512) Rudra was a Ganeshwara; Bhadra was a Ganeshwara; Shankara was a Ganeshwara. The earth is the seat, and the sky, Linga. Guheshwara resembled such Linga. One, who begged for Ballala’s bride, was a Ganeshwara. One, who begged for Shiriyala’s son, was a Ganeshwara. One, who begged, holding Brahma’s skull as a bowl, was a Ganeshwara. One, who sported wearing Vishnu’s bones as ornaments, was a Ganeshwara. Neelakantha was a Ganeshwara. All these are hid within our Guheshwaralinga.

513) I call those who belong to heaven, the world of gods, vow-breakers. I call all mortals traitors to Bhaktas. I call all those, who have got divine pomp and Gana title, sleepies like Kumbhakarna. If I come across infinite Sheelavantas, I would call them labourers, as they do not know what a Lingaikya is, O Guheshwara.

514) Hari does not know his way; Brahma knows no future. Rudra, forgetting account, is counting beads. Ishwara is engaged in controlling breath; Sadashiva is labouring under the illusion of will— These five children are born of one egg. How do they know You, O Guheshwara?

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Body died but Maya survived. They do not know the joys and sorrows of these two, look. All the elders passed away, achieving nothing, look. They do not know how to remove the darkness spread before their eyes, look. They do not blush at the word Guheshwara, look!

516) Not knowing the way of immortality, the world became barren. Not knowing the way of the body, Yoga was spoiled. Not knowing the way of contact, Sharanas failed. Not knowing the way of the Linga, Bhakta became a Sheelavanta. Nobody knew the Linga called Guheshwara, who, in the beginning, middle and end, was hidden behind awareness.

517) Not willing to remain unknown, You became known. Becoming known, You became the Sign, alas! For formality’s sake, all elders assembled and imprisoned You, O Sir! Alas! You accompanied death, O Guheshwara!

518) Where is awareness for the ignorant? Where is oblivion for the wise? Does he who claims to have known, listen to others? When they labour under thick illusion, does wisdom issue out of learned discourses? Unless impurity is washed out, and doubt removed, how can the subtle that is before us appear to us? Your Sharana, O Guheshwara, is the luster born out of the womb of light.

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Because something devoured night, the night is not there. Because something devoured the day, the day is not there. Because something devoured awareness, the awareness is not there. Because something devoured body, the body is not there. Because something devoured Jeeva, the Jeeva is not there. What is it that death does not devour, O Guheshwara?

520) Washing the feet again and again, you drink that water. Are you suffering from stomach pain? If you are an Accha Prasadi, why do you leave the plate uneaten? All those became vow-breakers by worshipping You. But, O Guheshwara, I have been saved by worshipping You!

521) If you pour for bath, you become possessed . Pioneer Ganas are all spirits. Veerabhadraganas are all Brahmarakshasas. All Ardhanareeshwaras, finding fault with children, plagued them, and thereby filled their belly. Lingaikya does not constistute any of the above four, O Guheshwara.

522) Devotion consists in worthiness, worship in purity. Prasada consists in food, Achara in Anachara. Righteousness consists in unrighteousness, happiness in sorrow. Vow consists in renunciation, rigid observance in vocation and Non-violence in violence! O Guheshwara, Your Sharana, not having any of these is happy!

523) Bhakta is an impure person.

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Lingaikya is a vow-breaker. The phrase—“Sharana wife, and Linga husband” applies to one who possesses all properties, and to one who has shed the pleasures of the functional organs. O Guheshwara, Your Sharana has no fear of any kind, birth or death. He is free from the bonds of Karma.

524) What is called Bhavi is falsehood. What is called Bhakta is instruction. What is called Sheela is resolution. What is called equanimity is impurity. Your Sharana is not bound within these four. He is limitless, O Guheshwara!

525) One god in village, another in a holy pond; the third in forest and the fourth in the fold of one’s own garment . When water mingled with water, Void with Void, man became a tranquil god! Linga is the name of infinity. Then what of Guheshwara?

526) Because the Linga called Guheshwara does not stay firm in my mind: I keep on moving about, owing to the body’s defects; I keep on remembering , owing to the mind’s infirmity. I keep on trying to know as the will is defective, and go on chattering for want of words!

527) He is no Bhakta, who has falsehood. He is no Jangama, who has pain. He is no Sharana, who has greed. O Guheshwara, Your Sharana can shed greed, falsehood and pain.

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Wearing the cloak of greed, if words change their form and spirit, how can you know the Sharana path, O Sir? Unless you destroy the three mountains that are on the top of the three, how can you know the Shiva path? I was wonderstruck to see all those, who, sitting in the nether world, claim to have trampled the Brahma world under their feet, but are weighed down under the burden of the wheel of birth and death, O Guheshwara.

529) What if the body is naked, unless the mind is clean? What if the head is shaven, unless the will is empty? What if the body is smeared with sacred ash, unless the sensual passions and the like have been trampled under foot and burnt? Guheshwara, You being witness, I say ‘fie, fie’ to the words that mask greed!

530) What if one is naked and smeared with sacred ash? Is he a celibate? What if one, being well-fed, forgets addictions? Is he a celibate? If one’s will is naked, and mind sky-clad, that is natural deliverance, look, O Guheshwara!

531) What matters how one is, if one knows the Sharana bond, O Sir? Not practicing what one understands is contrary to the spirit of devotion. Listen, O brothers, the Sharana is no parasite, as he moves about, knowing the way of Linga and shedding oblivion. The taint of impetuosity of joy coming from contact with Guheshwara’s Sharana is against the spirit of the world.

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532) A tree was born in a land without soil! It bore eight flowers of the colour of thunderbolt. The fruits that appeared on the branch ripened at the root! Unless one eats the fruit fallen loose from the stalk, in a place none has seen, he is no Sharana, O Guheshwara.

533) There is impurity in meditation. There is impurity in silence. There is impurity in telling beads. When the Linga called Guheshwara was understood, impurity disappeared on its own.

534) One should be bald without using any blade and without cutting the hair. Then, what is bald--body or head? Is taking birth bald or not taking birth bald, O Guheshwara?

535) What is this— reaching the place of tranquillity, hunger disappeared? You have got several names, and varieties of forms. Stop it, stop it! Our Sharanas attained Your state. This and that name do not suit You. I do not want You to assume various forms and names, look! You are nameless, O Guheshwara!

536) I became free from the bond of the wheel of birth and death. Having known the transitory nature of the world, I do not want to return to it. The worldly business does not cease, look! By overstraining yourself, do not spoil and shorten your life-span.

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Do not get fooled by the worldlings. O Guheshwara, beg tranquility of me.

537) The fire in the village burnt in the forest, and the fire of the forest burnt in the village. Put out, O, put out the flames spread in four directions. The world-wide fire was put out at the glance of Lord Shiva’s eye. Tens of thousands of gross bodies died countless deaths, O Guheshwara!

538) Of all kinds of bliss, the bliss of heart is the most beautiful.! Of all kinds of companionship, the companionship of a Sharana is the most beautiful. Knowing the secret of immortality is charming for the fools who are born with a perishable body, O Guheshwara.

539) The horn of Aja, the creator of the universe broke. The moon and the sun of the earth fell to the ground. If the sun does not rise, it will be sun-set. The village being burnt, silence reigns there. What is this miracle? God died, Goddess met with destruction and I have been saved, O Guheshwara ?

540) He alone is a pure Sharana, whose body can rest in the Linga; if equality can rest in peace; if his mind can rest in knowledge; if his will can rest in the will-less state, look, O Guheshwara!

541) He is a powerful watchman: he broke the hands and feet of water; he chopped off the nose and ears of fire;

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he beheaded the winds, and nailed the sky on the gallows. He is, indeed, a powerful watchman! He destroyed the king and his two ministers: He is indeed a powerful watchman! He closed and locked the nine doors, and killed nine thousand men till he was left alone, O Guheshwara!

542) What if one conquers body’s pains, if he has not severed Maya’s head? What if one severs Maya’s head, if he has not known the root of knowledge? What if one knows the root of knowledge, if he has not become one with himself? Is there any limit to the stature of the Sharana who has become his own self, O Guheshwara?

543) Alas! A monkey, that came playing, devoured an ascetic engaged in telling beads! A rabbit of the next lane told it not to do so. As the ascetic advanced, both the monkey and the rabbit were devoured, O Guheshwara!

544) The earth, the sky, the moon, the sun and the galaxy of stars are all far beyond, look! The Sharana is no man, no God, no illusionist. The Linga has lodged in him; he is glorious beyond measure. Gods and demons are all caught in Your boon. He is neither within nor without the lake, listen, O Guheshwara!

545) Here and there people talk, each naming one god: god of fire; god of burning coal; god of goddess Mari;

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god of the grave yard and begging god, O Sir. By worshipping You, I became childless and birthless, and falling into the Void, I lost myself, O Guheshwara!

546) If Cupid’s hands were broken, infatuation was confounded. All vicious ones, yielding to temptations, pulled each other about. Alas! Alas! Who has seen You? For the friendship that knows no depth, death is celebration! Not knowing Guheshwara, battle grounds made sound.

547) As the people of Kalyana know, and as the army of Sharanas knows, I went out hunting. O brave warriors, look at my hands! O elders, look at my hands! Hunting a big game, I succeeded in catching it. Having laid down my helmet, coat of mail, etc., I have come to Guheshwaralinga. O, look at my hands!

548) Whatever was pleasing to the demons perished. I do not want it, whatever boon you may grant. What I want is not in your hand to grant, O Guheshwara.

549) The elders, who were called great car-warriors and superior warriors became fools! God Mahadeva died; Brahma bore his own corpse; Lord Vishnu held the fire brand; Gange and Gouri became widows! I was amazed to see it,

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O Guheshwara!

550) The poets of the past are the children of my maid servant. The poets to come are the infants of my mercy. The poets of the sky are the babies in my cradle. Hari and Vishnu are the babies on my arms. You are the father-in-law, and I am the son-in-law, O Guheshwara!

551) The cohorts of God say ‘I am an outsider and do not belong to heaven’. True it is. The true gentle devotees say, ‘I am an outsider and I do not belong to them.’ True it is. Let them be inside the fourteen worlds. I will be inside You, O Guheshwara.

552) They do not know what the deadly sins are: Fetching a Bhavi, making him a Bhakta is the first sin. Bowing to such Bhaktas is the second sin. Regarding them as Guru is the third sin. Partaking of Padodaka-Prasada from such Guru, Linga and Jangama is the fourth sin. Worshipping of Guheshwaralinga by these Bhavis is the fifth sin.

553) Being called one who is beyond understanding and beyond cognizance, how did You come to the hands of all and sundry? Are all fingers wound up? Did the holy water and sacred leaves dry, O Sir? Resting on my palm, You don’t talk to me. If I remove your teeth, are there any elders to protect You, O Guheshwara?

554) He won’t call himself one who has mastered

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the six nerve centres identified with six colours— white, yellow, gray, green, black, and red. He won’t call himself one, who, though well-fed, is yet hungry, and one, who, though married, is a celibate. He won’t call the Linga this and that. He won’t talk of the experience of uniting with the Linga. How can the broken pots know glorious height of the Un- broken, O Guheshwara?

555) Alas! The monkey that came playing climbed up the pandal. The eyes of those who came to see it went blind. The teeth of those who swallowed butter fell off. What is this wonder? Tell me, O Guheshwara.

556) If it rains fire, you have to be water. If it is deluge, you have to be wind. If it is the Great flood, you have to be the sky. If it is the flood heralding the doom of the world, you have to give up yourself and become Guheshwaralinga Himself.

557) If a red feathered arrow were shot at the deer standing on a rocky hill, it would hit that deer. The deer died at one shot, alas! The string was cut and the bow broke. Where did the deer disappear, O Guheshwara?

558) I am not God. Are You God? If You are God, then why don’t you take care of me? I come and pour for your bath a handful of water with love. When You are hungry, I serve You a morsel of food. Look, I myself am God, O Guheshwara!

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O, listen, you, Nischala Prasadi, who take regularly the left-over of the given. What is the given? What is the left-over? What is given is body and what is left-over is Prana. If you can take it, Knowing it as being worthy, you will get our Guheshwara.

560) When water is seen in a hole in the rock, if one can drink that water, without removing the rock and without touching the frog, it is Yoga. If you are wise, know it for yourself. This is a sign of the Yoga to be learnt: Like a frog in the rock, eating the food prepared without burning any fuel, O Guheshwara.

561) A rootless plant grew in shade without water. A headless deer came and ate it. A blind man saw that deer, and a hunter without hands shot that deer. Being taken to a country without fire, when it was baked, it was offered to the Linga, O Guheshwara!

562) Tell me, who made the distinction of ‘You’ and ‘I’. It’s ignorance to say ‘You’; It’s yielding to illusion to say ‘I’. If the bliss of being one can be realized without distinction of You and I, that bliss is offered to You, O Guheshwara.

563) What shall I call this mind which toils for nothing, and which, staying at the ten doors of twenty-five principles,

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suffers? When one knows oneself, one is not a stranger to oneself, O fool! If the butter of the grand-father is swallowed by the grand-son, what to say of the child’s bliss, O Guheshwara?

564) Can I offer You sound? It’s the left-over of the ear. Can I offer You touch? It’s the left-over of the skin. Can I offer You form? It’s the left-over of the eye. Can I offer You taste? It’s the left-over of the tongue. Can I offer You fragrance? It’s the left-over of the nose. The Linga called Guheshwara, having shed the distinction of the left-over, is the luster within the Light.

565) Unless hunger is appeased, he is no Prasadi. Unless thirst is quenched, he is no partaker of Padodaka. Unless sleep ceases, he is not free from the wheel of birth and death. Unless fire and air stop functioning, he is no Pranalingi. Therefore, where is Guheshwaralinga for each and everyone?

566) Within the Pinda world and the Brahma world, there are several clusters of worlds. Keeping the powerful ones, but devouring the heads of weaklings, walking straight in the country, removing the water in the pond, letting no pot break in midstream, cooking the food of the sky, eating along with my wife,

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I became happy, O Guheshwara.

567) Who knows the satisfaction coming from Supreme Bliss? It won’t come on its own, look! As keeping his Self in Linga, Your Sharana can stay in moderate happiness; holding the Other in his mind, shedding the illusion of the here and the hereafter, he is a Supreme Prasadi, O Guheshwara.

568) Making curry of Gangadevi, and cooking food of Gouri, boiling the vegetable of Bhakta, adding to it the spice of God, cooking the rice of Rudra, making the additional dish of Ishwara, the ghee of Sadashiva, with Brahma as the tripod, and Vishnu as the plate, if I get up to eat, my hands and feet broke, O Guheshwara.

569) Why the doubt about eating and dressing in You? Does fire eat anything? Does the earth ever dress itself? When did You eat? When did I see You eat? You need not fear that You are going to die of smoke. without eating food and clothing your body. Don’t fear, O Guheshwara, You are shameless!

570) On the Meru Mount, there are ten heads. All the worldly people are praising it. I ate food, cooking it in the nectar of knowledge. I say, ‘Hail! O hail! to the odd-eyed wearer of the moon, adorned with sacred ash. Let them beg for the garland of the moon in the city and town of Indra and Agni. The Undivided tranquil Guheshwara gets

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the satisfaction of having eaten from a broken skull.

571) The disciple’s Prasada is offered to the master born of the disciple’s devotion. It’s disciple’s Prasada that is offered to the master, not the master’s to the disciple. Therefore, the master’s instruction is the food, and it is worth offering. Most worldlings wore out, having eaten Prasada greedily. Fie, fie! The installed Linga became a slave to those whose speech is impure.

572) If I want to peep in and see , He is tranquil inside. If I want to see His outside, He is tranquil outside too. No cow in the field, and no calf at home! But there is butter in the Nelahu . --Is it true? Eating the kernel of a coconut without breaking it is a magic, O Guheshwara!

573) If one can eat without being hungry, if one can beg without worldly infatuation, it’s the secret of the bond between Linga and Anga. If one can move about without motion, if one can stand still, it’s the secret of the bond between Linga and Anga. Their conduct is holy; their speech Supreme Principle. I regard them worthy of worship the world over, O Guheshwara!

574) If I want to eat, I don’t feel hungry. If I want to see, there is no replica. If I want to realize it, it’s like the reflection of light in water. It’s loss to utter, and stop uttering, Your name, O Guheshwara.

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575) What if one eats? What if one doesn’t eat? What if one has enjoyed the pleasure of contact? What if one has not enjoyed the pleasure of contact? He has no birth; he knows no death. Having survived death, he is free from care, O Guheshwara!

576) Truth is the Meru Mount without sky-cover. It is not surrounded by the sea of worldly life. Its existence is a mystery. It came into this world on its own. Sharana embodied the True Reality. When the food cooked with no provisions was served, not in a platter, satisfaction came from not eating it, look! Yoga without perfunctory action is fruitful. The devotion, devoid of true knowledge, not knowing Ayatalinga and Swayatalinga, perished, O Guheshwara!

577) Holding the doll of jaggery, kiss it anywhere, it tastes sweet. Kiss a well-ripe neem fruit, does it taste sweet? Those who said they knew all arts passed away without becoming worth offering, O Guheshwara!

578) It’s deadly sin to say Sharanas have offered— each his—their bodily properties to the Linga, who is impartite; who is without property; who is the Void of Voids. Keeping them in the bodies is a loss. It is the fruit of their previous deeds. The trace of these, not being gone, will trouble them in future, O Guheshwara!

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579) Look at the tranquil one— the beauty that is not seen, the word that is not uttered; the boon that is not asked for; the light of the un-fading moon. I got the joy of union without uniting. It is an obligation I did not expect. I became happy tasting the sweet not savoured by any, O Guheshwara!

580) Am I the Truth? Or are You the Truth? There is a common bond between us. How do I worship You as Pranalinga, O Sir? My Prasada is for You, and Yours for me. There is common Prasada for both of us, look, O Guheshwara!

581) There is a head above the head, lo! The head above swallowed the head below, lo! If one, being dead, can drink milk, and if one knows the links of the car—that is Yoga. Do you have in you, the joy a child finds in its dream, O Guheshwara?

582) Oblivion is hidden in awareness, and awareness in oblivion. If both perish, there will be the great Void. In saying—I myself am that Void, there is consubstantial state, O Guheshwara.

583) One has the intense passion of a gambler for Supreme Bliss, but lacks vigilance. Can he still win, even if he longs for it before he breathes his last? If a necklace of precious stones is cut, and all the stones lie scattered,

227 no one sells them at the price of ruby. The female snake swallowed the male snake first, and then the light. This is the illustration of Yoga, O Guheshwara!

584) When the wise people of the world hold the post of the Sharana Sthala(enlightened soul), speech swallows a ruby; caste swallows religion; regular observance burns illusions; the intellect wears the mark of sacred ash; and going beyond the trajectory of the properties, including Anima, and shedding illusion, the light shines, O Guheshwara.

585) Not being able to see the worth seeing Thing, this whole world was lost. If he could see the worth seeing Thing, he did not meet and did not part. Your Sharana knows the joy of the sight, of the union and of not parting, O Guheshwara.

586) If, by removing the latch of the hall of fourteen worlds, the impetuosity of thundering air could be appeased— one should see the resplendent Linga situated in the square room. Having swallowed the ruby, purified with the luster of Shivajnana, by removing the cover of thick ignorance, one should not spit it, O Guheshwara.

587) Being himself Linga, if he does not know what he is, when can he be a Sharana, O Sir? Once the abode of breath is known, one does not come to this world. Who knows its secret, if not your Sharana, O Guheshwara?

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588) What is this? The serpent devoured the sky, and the frog hidden in the stone of the serpent’s hood devoured the body of air and fire. I saw three breasts on the formless head. I saw a lamp in the hand of a child that eats and enjoys eating. What shall I say of death’s meaningless claim that he has taken away Sharana, the bodiless one, O Guheshwara?

589) Tell me, O brothers, how does the union of Shiva and Sharana take place? Shiva is the dynamic spirit, and Shakti, the intellect. Thus: He is a Sharana, if he knows that the dynamic spirit assumes the form of intellect, O Guheshwara.

590) A seed fell from the sky into fire. It sprouted without heat and blossomed . It plagued him who claims to have known . O Man, you don’t know this certainty. Know that Guheshwara is the Void.

591) If one wants to seek something, running about, it is the mind’s desire. If one wants to seek something, moving about, it is the air’s desire. It one wants to seek something, standing still, it is the body’s desire. If one wants to seek something within oneself, it is knowledge’s desire. If one can merge in the Linga without seeking it, he is a Sharana, O Guheshwara.

592) A tree of ten colours has ten leaves, ten flowers and ten fruits..

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If, assimilating them in the ten-fold Absolute, in ten ways of action, thought can be perceived, that body will be all Linga, O Guheshwara!

593) If Prana is not absorbed in Linga, and Linga is not absorbed in Prana, the thing called Prana Linga or Linga Prana becomes only a matter of a chink of doubt, and not a matter of Truth, listen. Shedding ten airs, if one can know that, he himself is Linga, that is, Prana Linga, O Guheshwara!

594) The body is an island; the mind is an island; satisfaction is an island; air is an island. Where these four islands meet, that is Your abode, O Guheshwara.

595) In the beginning, I saw the Shiva thread; I saw the casket lie in the street. Then I hid Pranalinga. With the body perishing, if I come toYou, there is no worse vow-breaker than I, O Guheshwara.

596) I did not say of what I am, nor did I show what I am. Then what shall I call what I have got, O Shiva? A serpent dwelling in the womb of Bhadrakali, having devoured the pot of alchemy, woke up and played, look! It is not a dream that, waking, denies the existence of a ruby in the hood of a hawk, O Guheshwara!

597) A parrot called Ananta, the infinite

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sat down on the palm of the Undivided one, and ate the scanty food of past, future and present . Also it read a countless number of Puranas, such intellectual stuff as Shastras, and regarded the word of mystics as Veda. To the purified self, there is no here and hereafter, when it holds the post of Nihsthala. Linga dwells in each cell of the Sharana, who has experienced the tranquil Guheshwara with no beginning, no middle and no end.

598) What is this throne in the palm? What does this throne on the palm mean? What is this waving of incense and lamp? What is this floor above the pinnacle, for the Sharana? What is this tranquility called Guheshwara?

599) Whom to show the wound made in the eyes? Can you give form to the happiness touching the heart? The height that he scaled was possible for him only. What can I say of the high eminence he has achieved, O Guheshwara.

600) If you say you know again and again, then why oblivion? The belief, that you know the Supreme Linga, is secure in you. You should know it in such a way That your knowledge of duality is torn to pieces, O fool! Staying within the Independent Absolute, if you say you know the Truth, know that the image is not small. Stop, stop! If you are a mystic, if you know Linga the Absolute, greater than the Great, know It in such a way that your knowledge of duality is torn to pieces, O Guheshwara!

601)

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Like one who grieves, falling in love with an image in the eye, I grieve, not being able to unite with the Linga that has filled my eyes, O Sir! What shall I say of the eagerness of excitement, O Sir! Should one seek the pleasure of intercourse without uniting? What shall I say of Guheshwaralinga’s fake attack?

602) If a white ant ate a piece of cloth, an iguana ate the sky. Light devoured darkness! The dead carried the living O Guheshwara!

603) If you put something in burning fire, you should not bother whether it is baked or not. If you smear yourself with the ash of that burnt thing, you will not be born again, O Guheshwara!

604) To the one who knows himself, there is no rival. To the one who knows not himself, there is a rival. The trace of awareness and forgetfulness disappeared. What a wonder it was! What is it? Wonder merged in wonder! Illusion devouring illusion, and following a worldling, Sharana himself became a Bhavi, O Guheshwara!

605) On a mound of live coal, there was a pillar of lac, O Sir. On the pillar of lac, there was a swan. The pillar burnt and the swan took to itself wings, O Guheshwara!

SUTRA: Thus in the Sharana Sthala, a devotee attains union with the Absolute through consubstantial union, which is revealed in the Aikya Sthala that follows:

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AIKYA STHAL

606) Do not listen to the childish talk that says: all those, who die and are born again, go to the world of gods. If one realizes the Self while alive, our God Guheshwara will be pleased.

607) Like pairing he-buffalo and horse; snake and raven; rabbit and dog; rat and cat; Lion and deer, is the co-existence of one who doesn’t have a matching partner. So also is the life of a mean-minded devotee, like giving rice and milk to a wild cat to eat; like decking a bald head with a wreath, listen , O Guheshwara!

608) It augurs ill to a Lingavanta to talk about the Linga. Look, it is an obligation! Look, word is under obligation! Breaking the pot of milk, is it ever possible to collect the spilt milk, O Guheshwara?

609) Lost in the pomp of word, they can’t look behind, nor before; They can’t know themselves. Therefore, all the three worlds perished, O Guheshwara!

610) The impetuous mind troubles me

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till it reaches Linga. It troubles me till it reposes its faith in the greatest of the great. It troubles me till the word called glorious Guheshwara maintains Its separate identity.

611) The red in the eyes of the learned engaged in discourses and the red in their mind, who do they not nag, O Sir? The Linga in the form of a Drop is seated in the heart-lotus, look! The Self being swallowed by Guheshwaralinga, I feel dissolved into the Void called Linga.

612) Not shedding the dual sense, and the desire for unworthy things not withering, will it do to say: What great thing is it to achieve Lingaikya Status? Will it do to say anything, without shedding the pride of pomp of words but keeping another thing before the eyes? Will the Linga come, if one, being bored in life, breathes his last, without dispelling the doubt of word called Guheshwara?

613) The ungrateful ones, drinking from the tank, praise the stream. They talk of Brahma the exalted. Being caught easily in the net of Pinaki, they do not know how to break the bond of birth and death. Why the talk of the Great Absolute for those elders, who, eating in the charity house of Rudra, talk rubbish, O Guheshwara?

614) The five elements mingled to make light. The five elements mingled to make camphor.

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What happened, tell me, when these two mingled, O Guheshwara, who are beyond the reach of word and thought?

615) Those, who have seen through the sense eyes, say they are two, O Sir! Rejecting the two, they say It is one, O Sir! As there is no desire, there is no fancy. As there is no dual sense, there is no desire. As there is no Guheshwara, there is no Void also.

616) Who know, if not Your Sharanas, the flames of green grass; the seeds of stone; the reflections of water; the smell of the wind; the sap of fire; the taste of sunshine; the light within oneself, O Guheshwara?

617) At least, those of you who know how to make a cot of rope and a necklace of shells, make them. I do not know this skill, O Sir. I know there are three gems on one palm tree. One gem yielded to the natural process of Creation- Existence- Dissolution. Another is valued highly in all the fourteen worlds. The third, being invaluable, merges in Guheshwaralinga. The rest is silence. It is said, “Silence is Brahma”.

618) There are three wells on the earth of the body. One who reached the first well became an embodied soul. One who reached the middle well yielded to the natural process of Creation-Existence-Dissolution.

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One who reached the uppermost well attained deliverance, while being alive. The Sharanas who have torn asunder the bond of obligation, without bothering to reach them, went beyond Para Brahma, into Guheshwaralinga.

619) A camel gave birth to three young camels. A fierce ant devoured darkness. A crane devoured a mountain. The burnt one woke up and sat, O Sir. The Ishta, leaving no trace, merged in Guheshwara, look!

620) Brahma assimilated the gross. Vishnu assimilated the subtle. Rudra assimilated the causal. Ishwara assimilated the bodiless. Sadashiva assimilated the immaculate. Vyomateeta assimilated the impartite. All these followers of the six-fold Sthala, assimilating the Void, became Void, look, Guheshwara!

621) Guheshwara is not on the earth, nor in the sky; neither in the fourteen worlds, nor outside them: I do not know what happened to Him, O Sir. Guheshwara was neither in the past nor in the present, nor ever!

622) I’m not one to be born, nor one to die. What is it, O Sir? How is it, O Sir? Once the Truth is known to one, can he be born again, O Guheshwara?

623) To say I have known is itself the Void. To say I have not known is itself the Void. To say that Guheshwara is in the very thought that forgets the sign of consciousness is also the Void.

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624) Lingaikya is like the shine of a new pearl. Lingaikya is like the radiance of light in a crystal pot. The relation of Linga and Anga in Lingaikya is like the bond between wind and fragrance, O Guheshwara.

625) Knowing more and more, knowledge became barren. Forgetting more and more, oblivion became barren. The word called Guheshwara became utterly barren.

626) For hunger’s sake, they offer food to the Linga. For thirst’s sake, they pour for Linga’s bath. There is no God, no Bhakta; neither ‘I’ , nor ‘You’; neither the worshipper , nor the worshipped, O Guheshwara!

627) Singing a billion Vachanas, my mind still longed for many more things. The mind did not know the Great Absolute, nor did the Great Absolute know the mind. Once the Linga called Guheshwara is known, all songs merged in one word.

628) To attend the wedding of the integral paramour, all the bride’s friends came, putting on their heads the wreaths of burning coal; smearing their bodies with the tamarind of Andaja, and clothing themselves with covers of flames— On seeing the bride’s friends come fast, the wedding feast was prepared in water. For the hollow bride, there was the bride-groom of illusion. The bride became pregnant without intercourse. The new-born baby got up and danced, and caught hold of the mid-wife.

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Do the three gods—one, two or three— know the glory of that Linga groom, O Guheshwara?

629) One person died; another bore him to the burial ground. Yet another person took both of them and set fire to them. Who is the bride groom? Who the bride? Death obstructed the wedding. Before the decorations could fade, the bride groom died. But Your Sharana knows no death, O Guheshwara.

630) To a master without feet, a disciple without head is a match. To a master without conduct, a disciple who commits breach of vow is a match. I look for the death both these met with in You, O Guheshwara.

631) One who wore the Linga in the arm pit was a Brahma. One who wore the Linga on his palm was a Vishnu. One who wore the Linga on his head was a Rudra. One who wore the Linga in his throat was an Ishwara. One who wore the Linga in his mouth was a Sadashiva. One who wore the Linga in his body-casket was beyond compare. All these merged in the Void by worshipping the Void. I worshipped the Eternal and became happy in the state in which the temporary vanished, O Guheshwara!

632) All the three worlds plucked external flowers, worshipped the external the Linga, and remained outside the Linga. When I went unaware to worship the Linga, my hand got stuck into the Linga! When I wanted to meditate on You with a firm mind,

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my body merged in the Linga, O Guheshwara!

633) For a Sharana, the resting place is not different. His is not the sight of knowledge or ignorance. His sense of awareness is independent, look. In the bodiless state, he is without the dual sense. Seized by consciousness, he ever carries out his sacred duties in his bodily state. In the Supreme state, oblivion does not set in. No wind enters, and no support of Brahmarandhra is needed. The life of sleeping and resting is disgusting, O Guheshwara.

634) In the mortar without water, there is a pestle without shadow. Women without bodies are pounding rice without grains, and are singing lullabies to the son of a barren woman. Under a flaming roof does the child of Guheshwara play.

635) Knowing, I did not remember the Linga; Forgetting, I did not worship the Linga. The Integral Absolute is already without a Sign. He has no master, and the master has no disciple. The disciple need not salute the master. No seed was sown in the Void; nothing was grown. Neither mowing, nor winnowing was done. The Linga called Guheshwara is already without a Sign.

636) There is no other witness to the witnessing Linga; No, not at all.

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What, if it is worshipped? What, if it is not worshipped? The sign of awareness called Guheshwara is already not there at all. What, if it is worshipped? What, if it is not worshipped?

637) The care-free one who has known Reality; The great one, who has vanquished death; The glorious embodiment of the highest; The blessed one, who has attained the Bliss; The perfect one, who inhabits the Void; The self-begot Incarnation, The calm one who has attained the perfect poise, O Guheshwara!

638) Listen, You false ones, who claim to have got rid of the Bhavi! Listen, You, who have been bound to the wheel of birth and death! Do not listen to the speech of the Bhakta, who says that no alms be given to the Bhavi, O Guheshwara!

639) Having sown the seed of Void in the field of Void, the crop of Void was grown! The Void, becoming Void, merged in the Void. The life is Void, the will is Void. The Void, becoming Void, merged in the Void. Those who worshipped You earlier have already merged in the Void. Trusting You, I merged in the Void, O Guheshwara!

640) O, stop it. The yoga of trickery and fraud

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with roots and fibers is no Yoga! O, stop it. To have the trance of body, senses and Jeeva is no Yoga! The real and natural living is Yoga, O Guheshwara.

641) Those who use literary and folk forms speak of what is in this world. Who knows what is beyond this world? They do not know where the Real is. How do those, who prattle like a flock of parrots, know You, O Guheshwara?

642) Having learnt the Alphabet, what is this scribing and erasing, as they do not know what is form and what is the formless? Guheshwara is serene in the beginning, the middle and the upper part.

643) He holds the Linga in his hand, but in his mind something else is there. His body is replete with falsehood. How can I call him a Sharana? His actions do not match his speech. The Real is without creation-existence-dissolution, and that is merging in the Linga called Guheshwara.

644) He sees the duality of things as it appears; He is not the one who has seen the Real. If I want to explain the other Supreme Thing, It can’t be grasped, unless one has gone beyond the Six-fold Sthala. Knowing knowledge, not forgetting the forgetful, not knowing the mystery of the light in the mind, they argued and perished, falling into the goddess Maari’s pit of burning coal, O Guheshwara!

645) Why enter into dry discourse with those

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whose talk has no meaning? Why talk of mystic experience with those who are interested in mere pomp and ceremony? The fifty-two letters of the Alphabet talked as they pleased. Why should the one, who has realized the Linga called Guheshwara, bother about what the letters talk among themselves?

646) If a fruit is made ripe by pressing, how can it be tasty? Simply, desiring, imagining and willing the Supreme Bliss is undoing that Bliss. Better it is to die than entertain such a feeling, look, O Guheshwara!

647) My mind was meditating on You, not knowing how to meditate. My hands were worshipping You, not knowing how to worship. My tongue was begging You, not knowing how to beg. The Supreme is not just in body, life and will. It pervades the whole world. It is what it is not supposed to be. What shall I say of this mystery? No one has bothered to know the tranquil Absolute that is in the name called Guheshwara.

648) Not knowing that they are the immaculate eternal, but knowing only the external meaning of ‘You are that’, the people of the world, died a dog’s death, Where is deliverance, if they read, not knowing themselves, the preaching’s of the dead, O Guheshwara?

649) Why the talk of the experience of the Linga bathed in waters of Supreme Bliss,

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for those in whom the thirst for sensual pleasures has not ceased? Are they elders who are eloquent speakers? To those who have diverse interests, the Linga mystery called Guheshwara does not reveal itself.

650) Guheshwaralinga is not on the earth, nor in the sky: He is neither in the fourteen worlds, nor outside them. They do not know anything about Guheshwara. Do not talk of what was in the Krita Age. Guheshwara did not exist then, nor does He exist now!

651) What is this search for the Absolute that is never sought for? What is this knowing of the known? What is the trace of knowledge that is not different from the knower? Look at the bliss of harmonious sound! Guheshwara is nothing but that!

652) Comparison, not knowing what to compare with, declared it was beyond compare. Awareness, unaware that it was hid behind knowledge, declared it higher than the highest. Meditation, not knowing how to meditate, was lost in its own meditation. What other knowledge can there be than knower, knowledge and the known. The ‘That Thou art’ and other statements, which the Veda regards as knowledge, are turned into falsehood, and are gone. All those who expound Brahma— dualists and non-dualists— as Being, Bliss and Consciousness stand routed and destroyed.

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Guheshwara comes and comes not; He joins and joins not; He is the tranquil Absolute!

653) Who knew the Linga that survived the dissolution of ages and aeons and cosmic worlds? Good God! They are all illusionists who trust the temporal! What do they know of God’s glory? Good God! Your Sharana knows the fire that disappeared, hiding itself in grass, O Guheshwara!

654) Vachana of the Time-wheel: All people of all worlds of all times know not the Thing that is only one. All say there are two things—the gross and the subtle. How can creatures made of the five elements, which are under the illusion that this person is not that and that one is different, know the greatness of the Absolute? Three hundred sixty moments make one Vighalige; Sixty Vighaliges make one Ghalige; Sixty Ghaliges make one day; Thirty days make one month; Twelve months make one year; Sixty years make one Samvatsara. Thus the wheels of time are returning in this order, look! The four ages of different spans are returning, look! Kritayuga lasted seventeen lakhs and twenty- eight thousand years; Tretayuga, twelve lakh and ninety-six thousand years; Dwaparayuga, eight lakh and sixty-four thousand years, and Kaliyuga, four lakh and thirty-two thousand years. Thus these four ages together make one long time span of forty-three lakh and twenty thousand years. When these four ages turn twenty-one times, it becomes the life-span of Indra, the God of gods and the same makes one Jaava of Brahma. When eighty-four thousand sages turn one thousand times,

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it accounts for one hundred years of Brahma, and that makes Vishnu’s one Jaavva During that one Jaava of Vishnu, Brahma takes four births and meets with four deaths. In Vishnu’s one day, all the fourteen worlds meet with dissolution. When such deluges take place eight times, Vishnu’s end comes. All these years added make Rudra’s one minute. In such Rudra’s one minute, when the seven nether worlds – Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Maheetala , Rasaatala, Talaatala, Paatala and the upper seven divine worlds—Satyaloka, Janarloka, Tapoloka, Maharloka, Svargaloka, Bhuvarloka, Bhooloka and others drown in the deadly deluge , only Rudra’s world remains. Such three hundred sixty days of Rudra make one year of Rudra. Such hundred million years make the maximum life-span of Rudra. Such many Rudras passed away. And on that day, Rudras called Pashupati, Shankara, Shashidhara, Gouripati, Mahadeva and Ishwara became Prathama Ganeshwaras, and enjoyed Taporajya. All those Rudras went in for austere penance. All those worlds existed together for some time. All met with dissolution. Then there was only Naught for some time. That too passed away. Then Kaalaandhara reigned for some time. That too met with dissolution. Then there was great resplendent Light. Such times are returning in this way, look. Such times, too, do not know Him. Such days, too, do not know Him. Such gods, too, do not know the immaculate, tranquil Guheshwara, who is beyond proof; beyond understanding; beyond perception, and beyond compare.

655) I do not know how many dissolutions have gone by in the past. I do not know how many dissolutions will take place in future. If one does not know what one is,

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that is dissolution. If one’s word turns against him, that is dissolution. Have any such dissolutions taken place in You, O Guheshwara?

656) You make the Great Absolute look tiny, if you try to express It in words, look! Guheshwara is the bliss born of detachment.

657) The expansive world that contains animate and inanimate things is the least; what are called four ages are the least; what is possible is least; what is impossible is least. To a Sharana who is pure, what is called Guheshwara is the least.

658) If he is blissful, he need not do anything. If he is blissful, he need not speak. If he is blissful, he need not worship. If he is blissful, he need not eat, O Guheshwara.

659) What came first—Sound or Drop? What came first—Body or Jeeva? You, who know the status and character of Body and Jeeva, tell us, pray, O Guheshwara, who came first—‘I’ or ‘You’? You who know it tell us, please.

660) When consciousness has ceased to say ‘wonder has seized me’, what sort of knowledge is it now? When you say ‘I m not’, who is this ‘I’? When you ask ‘who am I?’ who was this ‘I’ before? Tell me what is this chain of births fashioned by ‘I’ ness, which proclaims ‘I am the Consciousness’?

246 what is the reason why we toil, clinging to the word that says: ‘Silence is Brahma’, O Guheshwara.

661) The crop grown without soil; royal rice is the grand feast without a name; the milk of a cow not mated by a bull; there is none to churn the butter. I saw it and swallowed it. Like the dream of a child, what is called Guheshwara is the Void with no name!

662) I saw a deer as big as the earth graze running about. There were no strong hunters to cast a net. If I want to run and catch it, only its head appears. Yet there are none who say they could catch its head. On seeing the deer run about, leaving aside ordinary nets, if the hunter cast a strong net, the deer took to heels out of fear. When the hunter held in his hand an arrow, intending to shoot it through its head, the deer fled, crossing over stream and valley, climbing up and down the mountain, and hid itself behind a tree, standing on the plain. Approaching the deer, when he hit it, the string snapped and the bow broke. Carrying it to a fire-less place, food was prepared by baking it. The dead deer melted away, leaving the carcass. Your Sharana came to the kitchen that was right opposite him, O Guheshwara!

663) As long as there are intestines in the body, hunger will not cease. Taking out the intestines, I put them on the eyes, and cooking the very intestines, I offered them to the Linga.

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What shall I say about this offering, O Guheshwara?

664) A deer of six colours appeared and disappeared. It was moving about freely in the three worlds. Along the stream, it came slowly to solitude. In saying ,’I ‘ am He, ‘I’ am He, it surpassed the here and the hereafter. I shot the deer with an arrow that was an integral part of the invisible bow. Cooking the Sign in my hand, I offered the food cooked in the all pervading heat. I became happy with that Prasada, O Guheshwara!

665) For the child called Serene, the earth is the cradle. If the mother called Nijaikya came to suckle and butter the child, and the wind came to sing a lullaby, the sky, lifting up the child, fostered it! The three worlds do not know how to tell the innocent mother that the child needs hunger and thirst called Tranquility and Serenity, O Guheshwara !

666) Like a chirping bird sitting in a tree, I was listening to my own sound. None knows it; none knows it. It was known and forgotten, O Sir. Guheshwarayya was absorbed in Himself, like the hailstone, fallen into a pond!

667) Linga was not bound to the three. It did not manifest itself in the six. It was not seen in the eight, nor did it stay in one. What shall I call It? How to describe It? It did not perish in the body, nor did It survive in Jeeva. The Word could not grasp the Linga called Guheshwara.

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668) When the wind goes to sleep, the sky sings a lullaby. When the space is tired, toiling hard, tranquility gives suck to the babe. When the sky becomes silent, the lullaby stops. Guheshwara exists as if He were not.

669) Lo, the mind is conditioned! Where the unconditioned mind stays, there stillness reigns. Where the sense of bliss reaches a point, there ecstasy dwells. Guheshwaralinga being absorbed in Himself, His resplendent light blazes bright!

670) The child sucked its mother’s breast to its heart’s content. But when asked its name, it assumed the form that is beyond compare, O Sir! When the pupil in the eye devoured the dark, the illusion, clad in various colours, disappeared. When the complex of colours devoured different colours, the majesty called Guheshwara was devoured by Reality’s perfection.

671) Lo, the coconut plant placed on the palm devoured the wind in the sky, O Sir! The ruby studded in the pillar devoured nine billion Brahmas, O Sir! The Cosmic Egg, devouring several birds, merged in the Void, O Guheshwara!

672) The remembrance at the sharpest point of the mind

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has stayed both birth and death, and knowledge, dawning, transcends a million suns. What shall I say of the Absolute that absorbs, in the Void of knowledge , the dawn of self-experience, O Guheshwara?

673) There is no room for will, and all words are dedicated to Him. There is no room for speech, and no limit to space, as soon as the word Guheshwara is heard in the heart.

674) No remembrance in the mind that remembers. No desire in the body. How can I call the Absolute, that has surpassed the remembering mind, great? The Reality that remains undivided became self-absorbed. I was amazed to see the serene that has lost memory, O Guheshwara!

675) When light devoured darkness, I was alone inside. Shedding the visible darkness, I became Your target, O Guheshwara.

676) Trying to seek the one whose wheel of birth has stood still, he became one such himself. It cannot be said; it cannot be heard. It is as it was! Does an ignorant one know the perfect knowledge got from the self-begot self-experience, O Guheshwara?

677) I saw in my dream an elephant, as big as the world,trample over me.

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Tell me, what it is. Tell me, how to describe that great glorious Absolute. To forget the Linga called Guheshwara, having known It once, is like a cart running over an aloe plant.

678) A rock in the sea, a well struck by a thunderbolt! The daughter of an ogress standing on the shore died in the forest. The writ that cannot be erased should not be written, look! When breathing stops, the light amidst water shines, look! Big Maari goddess devoured me, seizing hold of me in the town that has no beginning, no end and no middle, O Guheshwara!

679) Did the bee drink the nectar, or did the nectar drink the bee? Did the Linga become Prana, or Prana become Linga? You alone know the distinction between the two, O Guheshwara.

680) When a pot of butter was placed on fire, the pot melted, but the butter remained solid! The bee was there, but not the fragrance! The fragrance was there, but not the bee. Sharana’s self was there, but not its form. Guheshwara was there, but not Linga!

681) I saw eighty-four lakhs of elephants lay eggs. I saw a flea devour an elephant, when it went to play. When a woman went to play with her, I saw Chandramati play with her. I saw a fly devour the sphere of the earth. Tell me, if there are any who have seen the Linga called Guheshwara.

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682) Tell me, before the omnipresent Absolute could take a form, who showed to you the union with the great Absolute? No proof do I know of it! Can you say of Pranalinga that it is apart? Making consciousness your own self, if you could destroy oblivion, your Sharana is beyond compare, O Guheshwara!

683) If a hill of camphor catches fire, does its charcoal remain at its bottom? Is there a pinnacle of sunlight for a temple of mist? If you shoot the hill of burning coal with an arrow of lac, can you find that arrow again ? Once you know Guheshwaralinga, will you meditate on Him again?

684) Should you look for resort in the good-hearted ones in whom there is no trace of ego ? Should you look for reason in them? Should you seek resort in those whose body has merged in the Linga? Should you seek reason in them when the Real called Guheshwara stays in them?

685) I did not chase Him in order to reach Him. Having reached Him, I did not return. What shall I say of Him, O Linga? How to describe Him, O Lingayya? Having realized the Truth, I did not take birth again, look, O Guheshwara!

686) The falsehood that contains truth meets with death.

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The truth that contains falsehood, likewise, meets with death. The mind that contains both also perishes! The knowledge that contains the mind also perishes. Does the Reality that contains enlightenment perish, O Guheshwara?

687) I saw It without body and stood still. I saw It without a feeling of wonder again and again, and was wonderstruck. I saw and knew the Linga called Guheshwara without form.

688) My mind saw the Absolute and seized It. As I gazed and gazed on the Absolute Linga, my mind was turned into the Absolute. It was absorbed in the Absolute. How shall I describe the state of being transformed into silence, O Guheshwara?

689) There was no difference between ‘I’ and ‘You’ in the past, nor is there any difference between the two in the present. Sharana is not one who has got the Saalokya state, nor one who has got the Saamipya state, nor one who has got the Saarupya state. As he has become Guheshwaralinga Himself, he is neither bodied nor disembodied.

690) The beauty of the necklace of black beads merged in the beauty of the speech, which is as colourful as a painted hand. A wife clad in the light of thunderbolt, on seeing the heroic deeds of a brave person, felt detached as if she’d not seen him at all. The beauty of the Linga called Guheshwara devoured the creation of the earth.

691)

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Speech spoiled conduct, and conduct, speech. The trace of the will stood ashamed of itself. The consciousness of Guheshwara became utterly barren.

692) O Sir! staying in Reality, I was without conceit, and beyond self-consciousness. If I wanted to see, I could not see. If I wanted to hear, I could not hear. What shall I say, O Guheshwara, the immaculate light spread everywhere!

693) The sweetness of the body and the joy of intercourse crystallized in the nails of a beautiful woman! The hill of moon-stone had the secret satisfaction of having tasted the drop of nectar. The oblation of flesh dispelled the illusion of the beautiful moon-stone hill. Indra’s vehicle Airavata devoured the sixteen shades of the moon’s luster. The face of the nail devoured the majesty called Guheshwara!

694 I cannot but taste the sweetness of the wondrous Void as the wondrous ecstasy! I cannot find the word to say –‘I do not see’. Having dispensed with the Sign and known Knowledge very well, I blush to say in plain speech— ‘I merged in Linga’, O Guheshwara!

Thus ends the Aikya Sthala of The Shatsthlas, written by Allamaprabhudevaru.

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TRANSLATIONS PART-II ADDITIONAL VACHANAS

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The multi-coloured water-begotten tree has no branches, but has grown flowers. A fruit appeared in the open! The maiden of Jambu Isle held in her hand a blossomed head that swallowed the carrier of Indra. The undisturbed airs and postures in Brahmarandhra make Shivayoga. Yoga in Guheshwaralinga is like the light of the camphor fire, which swallowed the words churned off the soul that bears witness. (L.O.C. V.1201)

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Additional Vachanas

695) The body has assumed woman’s form. The mind is one with the spirit of the Thing. You came with a purpose, and you have achieved that, O my sister! You have shed the sense of twain in Guheshwaralinga, sister mine.

696) Whatever is done in the body of a Lingaikya, who having destroyed all difference of being embodied and disembodied, abides in Reality, is Linga’s work. Whatever is gained of mystic sense by one who has attained the dissolution of mind and oneness with Linga is loss of knowledge stored in word, look. For the Shivayogi who is absorbed in himself, Guheshwara being witness, all sense of twain is undone.

697) Linga should be worshipped as long as the body exists. As long as the Linga is there, offering should be made, leaving no chink. When the body perishes, the sense of Linga should not wither. This is how Guheshwaralinga exists.

698) As long as the body’s conduct adds to the Linga’s luster, all food items should be offered first to the Linga, and then taken. Forget Reality the day you merge in Kappadi Sangamanatha. Guheshwaralinga being witness, Basavanna, do not partake of Prasada, unless it is offered first to Linga.

699) They ask for the body a big plateful of rice. For the Linga, they ask a small cupful rice.

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They make the body look great, and the Linga, small! At home, they prepare rice in a big pot, but offer it to the Linga in a small bowl. What shall I say of these pot-faced persons, O Guheshwara.

700) They are all but a throng of bodies gathered for the sake of food. How could they know the Linga’s worth? How could they, who live in body with its frets and fevers, know the tidings of God? They talk like drunken ascetics. How can they know Guheshwara’s majesty?

701) When the body’s shine is absorbed in the Linga, The Sharana is without the body’s doubt. When the luster of breath is withered in awareness, there is no need of the traffic of words, look. Moving, the Sharana moves not; speaking , he speaks not! Hear, O mother, Guheshwara’s devotee needs no Sign!

702) The Linga is in the body’s hand, and attachment, in the mind’s hand. How can that be, O Sir? Outside, it shows as Sign. The body does not agree with the body, and the mind, with the mind. How can I call you Pranalinga, O Guheshwara?

703) They call him a worldling, who has lost the Linga he had on his body. They call him a devotee, who wears the Linga on his body. They know not how the Anga could lose its Linga. Can the body without Linga move even for a moment in the world? A string of births awaits the one who has lost the Linga, but not the one who has it on his body, O Guheshwara!

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704) Do not see the face of those broken-pots , who, having lost the Linga they had worn on their body, bow to the installed Linga. Because: Such person’s devotion is like a harlot, who, leaving her own husband, bows to others’ husbands. Do not show me the face of such sinners, who are guilty of the five mortal sins, O Guheshwara!

705) If you want to clasp the Linga with your body, you cannot do so. If you want to clasp It with your breath, you cannot do so. If you want to clasp It with your heart, you cannot catch It. If you want to clasp it on the edge of the subtle body’s mind, you cannot catch It. Look, the disembodied Absolute, transcending the will, lies beyond the farthest reach of the enlightened face! Tell me, O Siddharamayya, by what means do you stay Guheshwara’s Sharanas?

706) None can see the union of one who is at one with the Linga absorbed in himself. None can see the glory of the Real Linga trance, purged of the taint of will and other impurities, after the impurity of the heart, settled at the end of breath, has been shed like husk. O Chennabasavanna , I have been saved by seeing Sangana Basavanna’s height in Guheshwaralinga.

707) The Linga of the body is the Linga of the mind. The Linga of the mind is the Linga of the will.

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The Linga of the will is the service of Jangama. This service is the integral Reality itself. Once you have understood how this should be, if anyone comes seeking to know your stand, you should explain it instantly. O Chennabasavanna, do please explain it to Chandayya the nature of the bliss begotten and the essence of the integral Linga in our Guheshwaralinga!

708) Basavanna knows the discipline, embodied in the Anga, is the Linga. He knows the consciousness , shining within the mind, is Jangama. He knows he himself is the union of these two. He knows the service rendered by one is Linga and Jangama. Listen, O Chandayya, you have to understand Sangana Basavanna’s stand in our Guheshwaralinga!

709) Basavanna made right conduct his own in his body. He made breath his own in his conduct. He made Linga his own in his breath. He made Jangama his own in Linga. He made Prasada his own in Jangama. He found the Essential in that Prasada. He made service his own in the Essential. Having lost himself in service, he dwells in undisturbed tranquillity. We must consider ourselves most fortunate. Let us go and pay homage to the holy feet of Sangana Basavanna, who dwells in Guheshwaralinga, and feel gratified, O Siddharamayya.

710) Linga in Anga and Anga in Linga. See that the union of Anga and Linga does not cease. You who are enlightened say ‘O God, O God!’.

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Hold fast to the Linga, those of you who know Him. To say, “Die first and then unite with the Linga”, is there any other place than the Anga for Guheshwaralinga to dwell? Tell me.

711) While the great Linga is dwelling in the body, saying, ‘The Linga has fallen off’, the gross minded ones, who do not know Guheshwaralinga, bury the body and perish.

712) Linga in Anga and Anga in Linga! There is no other union than the physical, look! Because it is said: “Shiva is Linga Sthala, Jeevatma, Anga Sthala. Both Linga Sthala and Anga Sthala are united. So also Shiva could unite with the Linga before your body perishes. Guheshwara is nowhere else, look!

713) Is a woman’s breast Linga? Is a measuring pot Linga? Is the whetstone Linga? Are a goat’s droppings Linga? Do the pioneers like it? Do the ancients approve of it? They are your devotees. In Guheshwara, having shed the illusion of the mind, Basavanna alone has known Jangama, the timeless perfect majesty.

714) Before him, who partakes of the Prasada of good companion, placing on the palm called detachment above the six and thirty-fold Anga, and offers to the Linga, the detachment called ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, there is nothing but Void, the Void of voids, O Guheshwara!

715) Body’s passion merged in right conduct;

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The rites of the right conduct merged in my faith in Linga. The practice of the Linga rites concealed my faith in the Linga. The Master encircled the glory of right conduct. My whole body possessed the Master. My faith in the Linga pervaded the whole body. Attention concealed my faith in the Linga. Good sense overcast the attention. Great knowledge hid good sense. In that Great knowledge stood the Reality of Supreme bliss. When supreme nectar overflowed the Reality, the first dam burst. With the first dam bursting, the nectar in that dam entered the middle dam. Then the nectar of the first and the middle dams mingled and entered the last dam. When the three dams burst, the Supreme State contained that enormous water. Bowing to that Supreme State, I partook of Padodaka, but failed to know myself, look, O Guheshwara!

716) When the passionate lover of the flesh knows not the passionate lover of the Ling, and the passionate lover of the Linga knows not the passionate lover of the flesh, The Anga itself is Dindunala, and the Linga Itself Nava Surala. When detached, it did not appear, but when it appeared, it did not surprise. I rolled it up and kept it outside, O Guheshwara.

717) What shall I call him, an embodied one, who has a body. Look, he is the peerless one, who has absorbed the six! Look at the trusty blest, who lives with the three seams burst, controlling with his will

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the motion of his eight-fold self! Look at the One who is beyond understanding, who has gone beyond the six and thirty principles and farther! Because of Basavanna, I’ve seen the greatness of Marulashankara, the Supreme Prasadi, who has absorbed the very being of Allayya, our Guheshwara’s Sharana!

718) Behold the glorious one, who is neither embodied nor disembodied! Behold the peerless disembodied one, who has turned his body into conduct, and conduct into body! His conduct is his Self; his conduct is his very breath! I beg you before Guheshwaralinga: “Give me your conduct as alms”, O Chennabasavanna!

719) The disembodied mystic experience has free memory, and uninhibited bliss of a good heart. Guheshwara is ever serene, look!

720) Do all those, who wear out in the world called body, know Shiva? Do all those who are caught in the noose of desire called mind, overcome the wild fire of illusion? I say, “Hail! O hail!’ to Chennabasavanna, who has shed all doubts in Guheshwaralinga.

721) Look, Basavanna has dried his corporal being in Linga; got rid of all the body’s bonds and doubts, and lives without doubt. Look, Basavanna has shed all sense of life, and lives at one with Reality, free from all doubts.

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I dwell free from all care, in Basavanna’s innermost heart. I, an independent seer, dwell in Basavanna’s outer body. Perishing , I remained alive in Basavanna. Basavanna has made his true home in my innermost heart. Look, we both should not be torn apart. Look, Chennabasavanna , Guheshwara’s Sharana Sangana Basavanna and Prabhu have shed the illusion of being two and remain as one, without illusion.

722) Body contact is the worst of diseases. A casket on the chest is a peg fixed into the heart. The arm-pit is home to stinking perspiration; The throat is home to sore mouth and the mouth is home to white leprosy. The palm is a pit without a plant in it. The head is a cloth-ring to be placed under a pot. All are infected! Do not listen to the childish talk of the shameless ones, who tying everything to the wet peg, go to suspend it from a dry peg, O Guheshwara!

723) Do you not recognize the Linga, who abides near your courtyard gate? Behold in Guheshwaralinga the way Marulashankaralinga, the disembodied immaculate Brahma, has made his home in the Prasada pit, O Sangana Basavanna.

724) Behold the state of being where the gaze of eyes fixed upon the Linga on the palm, is returned to itself! Behold the True Force that has achieved awareness of Itself through the dawn of Self Experience! Existence without difference,

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the emotion that has grown beyond self-love, seeking self-respect. She is made by herself. Behold Chennabasavanna, I say. ‘Hail! O hail!’ to the majesty of Mahadeviyakka in our Guheshwaralinga.

725) O who are you, who lean upon your palm holding your disheveled head and thread the pearl of tears? Tell me. O, why this pining grief— a bee that tastes the scent of a dry Champaka bud? Tell me. If I say one, it is two. If I say two it is one. What is this ignorance within awareness? Tell me. Your grief, it seems, is without sorrow; your lamentation without grief in Guheshwaralinga. Tell me, O mother, who you are.

726) Do not fear; do not hesitate. O fool, who have gone away and who have remained? The God, who has one face, and the God who has several faces are one and the same. Look, He has many names but his function is but one. Does the Absolute dwelling within the heart depart from the body? Listen, O Sangana Basavanna, there is no room for parting in Guheshwaralinga.

727) Guheshwaralinga existed long before islands and continents came into being; long before fire and air appeared; long before the sun and the moon came into being.

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728) For a myriad number of ages and aeons, Guheshwaralinga held His breath, long before the sphere of the Egg-born things came into being; long before any islands existed ; long before the sun and the moon existed; long before the three gods were born!

729) When the Big Egg was turned upside down, the Linga came into existence. Out of that Egg came four long hands . Out of those hands came a Sharana. When that Sharana uttered the word ‘service’, what a miracle it was, look, O Guheshwara!

730) If you say the Linga is hid in the heart, He is not worshipped by the mind! If you say He stays in your outer being, He is not bound by outer acts! If you say He is lodged in Consciousness, your reason cannot reach Him. Pray, tell me how can you see the Will-less Void? Tell me how to be happy by uniting with Guheshwaralinga, knowing Him well, O Sangana Basavanna?

731) Not within the heart of hearts, nor in the outer being, nor in any corner of the universe. I do not know what happened. I do not know how it happened. Because: “There is naught inside, naught outside, naught, naught, naught in all directions. The Supreme State is all naught, independent, without doubt or dispute.” Therefore, the Void called Guheshwara

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is neither here nor there. He is nowhere.

732) If you can, and yet not, be the middle, the tranquil and the upper, spending the money the very day it is earned, and preparing the balance sheet of past and future, this is the way to merge in the Void, look! If you can capture a person, who is not under any body’s control, those two elders will yield to you. When those two elders yield to you, everything becomes possible for you. When everything becomes possible for you, it is the only sign of having merged in the Void. Believe this. If you do not believe, I’ll give Chennabasavanna’s word as surety, O Guheshwara.

733) The day’s words cannot be known the very day. Then who knows of ages and floods of the past? Who knows of ages and floods of the future? Who else knows by probe and test that Basavanna was the Linga-Sharana at the dawn of time? Chennabasavanna the self-begotten seer alone knows that Basavanna became the beginning for the glory of Linga, Jangama, Prasada in Guheshwaralinga.

734) When there was no first Drop, where was life? How did that life come to shape the embryo? If one knows this, I would call him Guru; I would call him Linga; I would call him Jangama. Or else, I would call him man, look, O Guheshwara!

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735) Leaving that day as it was, and leaving this day as it is, Appanna adopted a different way. Imitating neither the ancient nor the modern, destroying ordinary modes Appanna became a different person. Having gone deaf and mad, having lost propriety and pride, dispersed Appana became pure. Discarding addition, subtraction and multiplication, Appanna became countless. Holding in the mouth the glorious Absolute, and Reality’s majesty, Guheshwara’s Sharana, Sangameshwara’s Appanna became caste-less, will-less, shame-less, and birth-less.

736) I came that day soon after you came. All doubt of day after day was torn to pieces. You became a devotee, and I, a Jangama. That itself was a body for what is called Guheshwaralinga.

737) Once upon a time, O Basavanna, when there was no water on the earth, you laid your foot on the earth , Did not the water bursting forth rise to your chest, when you took back your foot suddenly? Getting up angrily and moving to the other side, when I looked at the other side, were not the seven seas hid in your tiny foot? How to give and how to take that water? Your Padodaka is the holy water for my Guheshwaralinga’s bath, look you, Sangana Basavanna.

738) Do the rivers that have merged in the sea ever return? Does the camphor that has caught fir

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assume its former form? Can the fragrance merged in the air be used for application? Does the Sharana , Who, knowing Linga, has merged in the Linga, take birth again, O Guheshwara?

739) Alas! Alas! Taking food became a practice. Alas! Alas! Dinner became light tiffin. Alas! Alas! Mystic experience lost its way. Alas! Alas! Not knowing the sixteen-fold experience, people perished, O Guheshwara!

740) In the Universal, Eternal, Immaculate, Impartite formless resplendent Linga, the Linga of Antaratma was born. In that Antaratmalinga, Jeevatma was born. Antaratma is the Guru; Jeevatma is the disciple; Paramatma is the Linga. This is a famous statement, look: The seed within the Linga is Jangama. Jangama’s light is Guru. The formless form of that Jangama is Linga. Paramatma Himself, in the form of breath, is Jangama. Because of not knowing that the three— Guru, Linga , Jangama—are one, Brahma’s future became bleak; Hari went astray; Rudra went into deep trance. How can the children of these three know Your magnitude, O Guheshwara!

741) In the great Absolute, and by the unconceivable, eternal, immaculate, boundless imperative , undivided perfect divine light, the Supreme Soul was created. By that Supreme Soul, the inner individual soul was created. By that inner individual soul, Jeevatma was created.

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In these three souls, the inner individual soul and Jeevatma are fettered. The Supreme Soul alone is freed from fetters. One, who knows this secret and is without doubt, is known as the driver of this machine called Brahma world in Guheshwaralinga!

742) Behold the food prepared by a devotee. Myriad million creations of Brahma became food provisions; Real joy became the heat, and all taste became ghee. While all these courses were being served as natural, the elders who had come for the meal commenced eating, look! When the Great Glorious one came, all food items disappeared, and only the plate remained. When that plate was placed in the tranquil upper region, the firm glorious Prasada was ready, O Guheshwara!

743) Know the beginning of ‘A’, and the end of ‘Ksha’. Know the beginning of Veda and Panchaka. Did Vibhuti, Bhasita, Bhasma, Kshaara, Rakshe— these five bearing the five names , like riches , etc.,-- take birth in Your mouth? Tell me, O Guheshwara!

744) Lo, learning letters by seeing them, you put together several letters! Lo, the great Absolute is neither conditional nor unconditional, look! Guheshwarayya Himself in the first sphere, the middle sphere and the uppermost sphere.

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745) It takes countless ages to fetch holy water, O Sir! It takes infinite ages to fetch flower, O Sir! So no worship for the Absolute Linga. No meal for godly Siddharamayya; No Prasada for the Sharanas, O Guheshwara!

746) The great Absolute absorbed him: who bringing water, forgot to bathe; who bringing flowers, forgot to worship; who bringing food, forgot to offer it, and who on seeing Linga, forgot himself, O Guheshwara!

747) Listen, you very old pariahs, who are called Accha Prasadis and Niccha Prasadis! Where is Prasada for those twin-losers, who say that the womb that is touched to enjoy, and the slippers worn on the feet to walk are two different entities, O Guheshwara?

748) If you say-- Shiva is both ignorance and knowledge, will those who know Shiva be pleased? If you say— You are both Shiva and Shakti, will the great mystics be pleased? Not knowing who you are, if you say Brahma is all other things, will Guheshwara approve your impure word?

749) The rat running about in the loft, entered into the eyes of the cat that was waiting to pounce on it. Neither the rat nor the eyes of the cat could see Guheshwaralinga.

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750) The mind, chasing, clasped the Linga. The eyes fixed their gaze on the Linga. Guheshwara’s Allayya, who knowing himself, forgot himself, merged in Guheshwaralinga.

751) Can the cooked food be cooked again? Can the burnt pot be burnt again? To the supreme Shivayogi, burnt in the fire of knowledge, is there double impurity of birth and death? Because it is said: “No need to burn the burnt thing again; No need to cook the cooked food again. No need to burn the body burnt in the fire of knowledge.” To the great glorious Sharana, who being united with our Guheshwaralinga, has shed duality, there is no rebirth, look!

752) When atom meets atom, and the Absolute meets the Absolute, just as leaves and fruits appear in course of time on a tree, the sporting nature of Shiva manifests itself at the behest of Shiva. If you can know that Shiva Himself is both dynamic spirit and consciousness, where is the difference between Shiva and Shakti, O Guheshwara?

753) Like two beasts, coming from different directions, sniffing at each other’s mouth, there is no bond between Master and Master, and disciple and disciple. There is no bond between devotee and devotee. Listen, you dirty pigs, who give instruction in this Kali Age: If one is a Master to the husband, is he father-in-law to his wife?

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If one is Master to the wife, is he father-in-law to her husband? If the husband is Master to his wife, are these two born to the same father and mother? He is no Master, if he performs initiation ceremony without knowing this subtle difference. He is no disciple, if he does not know the caste of this light. If the initiation is done, knowing the subtle difference, the bond between Master and disciple will be like the meeting of fire and camphor, O Guheshwara!

754) One should not fall into the confusion that it was because of the touch of the Guru’s hand that the original state above the invisible instruments of sense was purged. It is not within the Guru’s reach; but only within the disciple’s hand to wipe out the writ of the five-fold sense and to script there on the Linga-writ. Knowing the secret of offering food cooked by a worldling, in such a way that a bhakta does not see it, if you can purify Prasada’s former state, and give it shape, it will not do. I say, Hail! O hail! to our Chennabasavanna, the godhead risen from Guheshwaralinga, one independent of the other, thus: “The disciple without Guru, and the Guru without disciple.”

755) This child Advaita by name, on touching my palm, transformed me to itself, all thoughts of ‘ me and I’ withered away. No other thought do I know. When I myself have come to seek shelter under you to know my past from you, how can I know the glory of Basavanna? Guheshwara being witness,

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Sanganabasavanna is shining within your heart! O Chennabasavanna , make me, but once, understand the greatness of Basavanna.

756) If the taste enjoyed by the lips, and the pleasure enjoyed by the stomach are offered to the Linga, they become deadly poison, look! Food is no Prasada and Prasada no offering. To the Sharana who knows this, there is no need of right conduct. To the Sharana, who does not adopt right conduct, there is no need of Linga. This is the majesty of the Sharana who has no Linga: Awareness, coming from the wealth of Shiva lore, is of a different trace! A great wonder that shines in the pot of awareness, binding hand and foot, and trampling over the practice of the manifest world! He tastes not the offered Prasada with the feeling of discrimination. He does not go the wrong way, leaving the true one. O listen, you who worship, creating the Linga that does not exist: You are no worshipper. Where is the word that says, Guheshwaralinga does not exist for those who die and take birth again ?

757) The countless Brahma Illumination called myriad million lights; the Glorious Illumination, the All-pervading; the absolute light that cannot be seen; the Reality of the self-begotten bliss; the Eternal Truth, Immaculate Form, beyond Nigama Himself being all light, beyond the reach of Hari and Aja, became the source of all sports.

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Guheshwaralinga became greater than the Great.

758) Anadigananatha’s disciple is Adigananatha; Adiganannatha’s disciple is Adhyatmagananatha; Adhyatamagananatha’s disciple is Atmagananatha. Atmagananatha’s disciple is Vyomasiddhagananatha. Vyomasiddhagnanatha’s disciple is Basavagananatha. Basavagananatha’s disciple is Animishagananatha. Animishagananatha’s disciple is Allamaprabhugananatha. Thus the peerless Linga, who has descended from the timeless , has arrived at my palm, appropriating the name Guheshwara, look, O Siddharamayya!

759) O timeless person Basavanna, though time and illusion are before you, they say they do not see you! O the First Person Basavanna, though gods and demons are before you, they say they cannot see you! O Nada Purusha Basavanna, sound, spells and the five great instruments are before you, they say they cannot see you! O Veda Purusha Basavanna, though the Vedas, Shastras, Agamas and Puranas are before you, they say they cannot see you! O Imperceptible Person Basavanna, though all those who have eyes on their soles, all those whose bodies are all eyes, all those who are bull-riders, and all the cohorts as countless as the sand in the Ganges are before you, they say they cannot see you! O Unseen Basavanna, though the seer Manu, gods, demons, and humans are before you, they say they cannot see you! O Proof- less and Measure-less Basavanna, though all those who need proof are before you,

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they say they cannot see you! O the Omniscient Basavanna, though all these are around you, they say they cannot see you! Thus all kinds of persons, not being able to see you, try how so much they may, by attaining, penetrating, worshipping, thinking and praising, they are being born, existing and perishing by You only! Therefore, All innumerable devotees, who have got devotion for our Guheshwaralinga have been saved by saying -- ‘Basavanna, Basavanna, Basavanna’.

760) Time is the son of the timeless. The beyond is the son of time. The sky is the son of the beyond. The air is the son of the sky. The fire is the son of the air. The water is the son of the fire. The earth is the son of the water. All creatures are born of the earth, O Guheshwara!

761) Before time, while a Sharana was installing the Supreme Principle that has no invocation and no dismissal, a female deer was born. In that beast, all creatures possessing the five organs and all who form groups of five, are being born , existing and perishing. Sharana alone knows the sport of that Supreme Principle, O Guheshwara.

762) How to compare the resplendent Light that is in the heart- lotus of a timeless Sharana? When the five types of musical instruments thundered, the water became the foundation stone, the earth, the pedestal; the sky, the Linga;

276 the seven seas, the holy water; the clouds, the pot of holy water; the rainy season, the holy bath! After washing the plate of the winter season, the food of the summer season was served in it; the ghee of all fragrance was poured over it; the Supreme was served as an additional dish. Drawing the curtain of light and darkness, the Linga was fed; Its hands were washed in the waters of knowledge; the betel leaf of will was offered; the sandal paste was smeared on the Linga’s body; and afterwards the Linga was dressed in the clothes of air. Thus when Guheshwaralinga was dressed full, from top to toe, where was the room for pouring for His bath?

763) Listen, O brothers, who talk of mystic experience again and again! What is called Experience is an ox, that too a missing ox; The ox is one span tall; its horns a cubit. It is eight days since it is missing. It is sixteen days since I saw it. I saw it graze day before yesterday. The young rice saplings were planted yesterday. The ox called Guheshwara is within you. Lo, seek Him for yourselves!

764) What use is singing in praise, unless you meditate on your origin, unless you know what you are in time and time-lessness? You fools, can you attain by praising the Absolute that is called ‘The Silent Brahma’? From time immemorial Basavanna, along with seven hundred seventy immortal saints, came down to this earth with a purpose. The mission why he came is fulfilled. Listen, you all assembled saints, you should attain Reality by understanding yourselves. Henceforth, Guheshwaralinga knows no motion in form!

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765) He knows that Pranalinga is divine experience beyond the Supreme. Saying: “He is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest”, he found Him in dust particles and grass and wood. Saying: “Without His behest, nothing moves, not even a blade of grass”, he knew that Linga is perfect Sadashiva. Thus, because, looking into his heart, he realized that He is innumerable, immutable Lord, Your Sharana is beyond compare, O Guheshwara!

766) O Sangana Basavanna, till then do not speak so. Have you a separate body called Sign to hide in? As for me, the palm-name, the plantain-grove called body and the illusion called Guheshwara do not leave me.

767) By feeding the poor; by telling the truth; by erecting water sheds for the thirsty; and by building water-tanks, one may go to heaven after death, but not attain God’s Reality. One who knows our Guheshwara gets no reward.

768)

It is not the word of study, nor the word of Shastra experience. It is not the inner word, nor the outer word. Unless you know its utmost limit,

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what is the use of having Experience? Look, Siddharamayya, Guheshwaralinga is beyond compare.

769) If one bows to the staff used in practice, can it help him in the coming war, O Sir? If one worships the Ishtalinga by touching It, what of the doubt lingering in the mind? What is called Linga is in detachment. What is called Jangama is under shelter. If you say Linga and Jangama are one and the same, what of the impending dissolution, O Guheshwara?

770) Not knowing the way of immortality, the whole world became empty. Not knowing the way of the body, all ascetics became broken-pots. Not knowing the way of contact, Sharanas became broken-pots. Not knowing the way of Linga, the devotee became a Sheelavanta. Alas! No one knows that Guheshwaralinga is screened by awareness in the beginning, middle and end!

771) Does he, who wears the nectarine moon, eat gruel? Who is Shiva? Who is a meat-eater? Can we say He ate, being hungry, Choliyakka’s orts? Who snatched away the milk bowl from a child? O Guheshwara, Do not the three worlds know that you love devotion?

772) Like the detachment of one without mystic experience, like the hero without weapons, like the blind without eyes, is the six-fold stage without mystic experience .

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The Jangama without God-Experience is like the lame without legs. The Shiva worship by one, who knows no Experience, is of no use. The Linga worship by one, who has no Experience, is like picking up dust and smearing it all over the body. Therefore: For devotion , detachment, deliverance, Veerashaivism, and Jangama, Experience is needed. One should not take Padodaka of the ascetic, who has no Experience. Those who partake of the timeless Padodaka Prasada from a true devotee, who is righteous, and has Experience, attain deliverance in the true Master Guheshwara, O Chennabasavanna.

773) O Sir, winnowing the corrupt prides of the eight-fold body; enjoying the eight-fold enjoyment; spending the eight-fold wealth; knowing the eight-fold devotion and the eight-fold cover, penetrating and knowing the eight-fold secret Sakeela, on seeing the eight-fold Achara being performed, unflinching faith stayed in Reality. The true devotee burning like the bliss that has form, is shining in the heart of a true Sharana. Assimilating the thirty-six Principles, embodying twenty-four Sthalas, holding the rosary of one thousand and twenty-eight sacred spells, embodying twenty-four Sakeelas; Saying: “The Bhakta embodies all gods, and all gods dwell in the Bhakta”. Just as ghee is hidden in milk, so also Panchacharamurthy stays in the form of Acharalinga, look! Likewise, Guheshwaralinga stays in the heart of His devotee, O Chennabasavanna.

774) Look, O Sir, the Linga -Murthy that is Impartite Naught knows no Agama, nor has He studied the Veda.

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The Linga-Murthy that is Impartite Naught is not versed in Logic or Grammar, look! The Linga-Murthy that is Impartite Naught is not versed in Shastra or Purana, look! The Linga-Murthy that is Impartite Naught is neither a pleader nor a preacher, look! The Linga-Murthy that is Impartite Naught is neither a moralist nor a reputed person, look! The Linga-Murthy that is impartite Naught is neither passionate nor impassionate, look! The Linga-Murthy that is Impartite Naught has neither female form nor male form, look! The Linga-Murthy that is Impartite Naught has neither name nor place, look! The Linga-Murthy that is Impartite Naught does neither good nor bad things, look! The Linga-Murthy is no doctor of dog or cock, look! The Linga-Murthy that is Impartite Naught is neither a glutton nor a drunkard, look! Thus, Chennabasavanna, who is Impatite Naught , is a resplendent light shining in the hand, eyes, and the face of Sangana Basavanna, who has shed dual and different names, O Guheshwara!

775 You should not partake of Padodaka from the Jangama whose conduct is not good, O Sir. You should not regard the Jangama, whose conduct is not good, as God. Because it is said, “Not all earthly creatures have right conduct”, the sin of the person, who takes Padodaka and instruction from the anonymous person of no good conduct, will not wash, and in future, he shall not escape terrible hell, look, Guheshwara!

776) O Sir, proving the two opposites to be false, with the help of his perfect great light in the form of primal conscious force, and winnowing them, knowing his own primal right way, and

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knowing within the right way, the Veerashaiva Sharana, who is free from all burden, and who is timeless, seeing with the eye of self-experience the great awareness in the light of perfect knowledge; that very great awareness becoming Linga, that self-experience becoming the disciple, Guheshwaralinga, who is self-luminous, beyond the Supreme, impartite Absolute Linga, shines in Basavanna’s heart, which is adorned with several petalled lotuses— Eight-petalled, four-petalled, six-petalled, ten-petalled, twelve-petalled, sixteen-petalled, two-petalled, hundred-petalled, thousand-petalled, one lakh-petalled and a million-petalled, more resplendent than the light of an infinite number of suns and moons, look, O Chennabasavanna!

777) O Sir, a million sages, with their jewelled crown adorned with the wreathes of snakes, are there. But they do not know the whereabouts of Shiva. Rudras in the garland of skulls are one million. But none knows the whereabouts of Shiva. The sages clad in elephant skin are a million. But none knows the whereabouts of Shiva.. Those Manu and other sages fixed on the bone-weapon Khatvanga are a million. But none, including Gange, Gouri and Bhringi, knows the whereabouts of Shiva. But Your Sharana Sangana Basavanna knows the whereabouts of Shiva, O Guheshwara!

778) The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither one-faced nor two-faced, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither three-faced nor four-faced, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither five-faced nor six-faced, look!

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The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither seven-faced nor eight-faced, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither nine-faced nor ten-faced, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither Jeevatma nor Antaratma, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither awake nor asleep, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither universe nor light, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither air-walker nor land-walker, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither a paramour nor a thief, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither proud nor stiff, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga-Murthy is neither a devotee nor a liberated person, look! Thus Guheshwaralinga is the light hidden in the light of Sangana Basavanna who has shed the sense of twain , Look,O Chennabasavanna!

779) Look, O Sir, shedding ego and spending one day among Shiva devotees is better than doing penance, standing on one’s head for a million years. The fruit of seeing the sun with one’s face turned upward for a billion years cannot be equal to seeing the face of Shiva devotees who practice religion with right conduct and in rue manner, look! The fruit of praying to all gods for one million years cannot be equal to a Sharana’s greeting another Sharana for one day. The fruit of bathing in sixty-six million rivers for one million years cannot be equal to the bathing of a true devotee, Jangama and Shivasharanas for one day. The fruit of performing Chandrayajna and other rigid observances for one million years cannot be equal to a day’s Prasada of Guru- Linga-Jangama, look! The fruit of reading the Veda, Agama, Purana, Shastra and Mantra for one million years cannot be equal to the discourse of Shivabhaktas held one day, look! The fruit of performing Maha Yoga for one million years cannot be equal to the meditation of holy Guru-Linga-Jangama. The fruit of giving in charity sixteen types of alms for one million years cannot be equal to the satisfaction got by a Shivayogi in following true religion, look!

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All actions are not equal to the activities of Linga-Jangama worship, look! The fruit of all enjoyments got from the performance of Yoga cannot be equal to the Bhrityachara done by falling prostrate to Guru-Linga-Jangama, look! The Yoga that lets Prana into Brahmarandhra cannot be equal to the bond with Pranalinga, look, O Guheshwara!

780) O Sir, staying triumphant, trampling down lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride, envy, hunger, thirst, sorrow, birth and death; worshipping infinite sports of Shiva with the eight-fold worship and the six-fold service; giving up the desire for reward-state-deliverance; Staying with firm will in the inner-enlightenment and outer right activities; embodying the earlier said true— Bhakta- Maheshwara-Prasadi- Pranalingi-Sharana Sthalas; being an eternally contented Being; higher than the highest, absorbing thirteen Sthalas, and holding eight hundred and sixty-four rosaries of Mantra; issuing from twenty-four wombs with form, Mahalinga , assuming the Veda form, dwells in one form. Showing no difference , like light joining light, becoming resplendent light, shines with sports of consciousness in the heart of the Reality that abides in the Impartite Linga-Murthy Guheshwaralinga , look, O Chennabasavanna!

781) O Sir, the Impartite Absolute Linga is neither the deed nor the cause, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither the one who divides nor the one who penetrates, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither the sinner nor the impure one, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither the dualist nor the monist, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a Kaataka nor a Keetaka, look!

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The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither mine nor thine, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither one who resolves nor one who dissolves, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is an observer of neither right conduct, nor wrong conduct, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a go-between nor a relative, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither one who is without character, nor one who has taken to the wrong path, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither one with caste nor one without caste. Today Guheshwaralinga shines on the tip of Basavanna’s excited state of mind, look, O Chennabasavanna!

782) I would call him Sadguru, who has infatuation for Linga-rites, look! I would call him Sadguru, who has firm faith in knowledge and action, look! I would call him Supreme Jangama, who has love for feeling and action, look! I would call him a true Sharana, who has passion for the three rites. Thus I would consider those Sharanas, who follow the right path of Guru-Linga-Jangama, to be the abode of liberation for Guheshwaralinga, look, O Chennabasavanna!

783) O Sir, the Impartite Absolute Linga neither moves nor stands still. The Impartite Absolute Linga thinks neither right nor wrong, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither scheming nor wicked, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga neither stirs nor stands still, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither worldly nor measurable, look!

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The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither countable nor uncountable, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither in parts nor in whole, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither with antecedents nor without antecedents, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither fulfilled nor unfulfilled, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a bearer of tales nor a bringer of rifts, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a magician, a charmer nor an ugly one, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a fool nor a cunning one, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither free nor bound, look! Thus Guheshwaralinga is a shining light in the heart of awareness of Sangana Basavanna, who has shed all duality, look, O Chennabasavanna!

784) O Sir, having shed the noose of desire of the sense organs , functional organs, and sensual organs; making with firm mind the statement— ‘Do as you say, and say what you do’; and assimilating the earlier said thing-- Sadbhakta- Maheshwara- Prasadi- Pranalinga—Sthalas; Becoming the incarnation of Supreme Contentment and Firm Bliss, Luminous Guheshwaralinga dwells in the hearts of Shivasharanas. With self-sport of Consciousness, absorbing thirteen Sthalas, holding the rosary of six thousand Mantras; issuing out of twenty-four wombs of Sakeelas; showing no difference, like water mixing with milk, dwelt the Impartite Absolute Guheshwaralinga, assuming the form of Prasada-Linga in meditation.

785) O Sir,

286 when there was the feeling of neither the One Single Principle nor diverse principles; neither Prakriti nor Purusha; neither the Individual Self nor the Supreme Self; when there was nothing; the Void congealed to become a single Drop. When that Drop sat on the three-lettered pedestal, the primeval Sound Omkara was produced. Assuming form, a Sharana was born out of that Drop. Out of that Sharana, Prakriti was born; Out of that Prakriti, the world was born. Now that I know, through Basavanna’s grace, the glory of Guheshwara’s Sharana Chennabasavanna, who, transcending the world and all its affairs, dwells in Reality, I say,’ Hail! O hail!’

786) O Sir, giving up all ways of active life, including the triple body, the triple-life-machine, the triple soul, the triple-condition, the triple-property, the triple-mind, the triple-trouble, the triple-time, the triple-Karma, the triple-will, the triple-impurity, the triple-corporal sense; staying in the earlier said Sadbhakta-MaheshwaraSthalas; shining in the form of the eight-fold attentive integral bliss, with the sport of the Conscious Absolute, and embodying all principles, including Anga Principle, Linga Principle, Shiva Principle, Supreme Principle, etc., besides absorbing the Sixteen Sthalas; holding the rosary of four thousand and three hundred Mantra beads, all the organs, like body, mind, life-breath and will, partaking , at the same time, of Padodaka, oozing from twenty-four mysterious wombs, with the power of the speech of Hara Guru called Padodaka-Prasada, like the light of Chennabasavanna with one whole form showing no division, what was expected stood installed in the form of Shivalinga, the Impartite Absolute Guheshwaraligna, Look, Chennabasavanna!

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787) O Sir, I call him the Guru of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, who has shed the desire of the body, look! I call him the Linga of the Practitioner of all rites, who has shed the desire of the mind, look! I call him the Shat-Sthala Jangama, who has shed the illusion of will. I call him the Unobstructed, Unsupported Immaculate Sharana, who has left the world of life-breath, look! I call him Guheshwaralinga, who has triumphed over the world of the four-fold noose, look, Chennabasavanna!

788) The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither poor nor rich, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither evil-minded nor good-minded, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither wicked nor virtuous, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither evil-hearted nor good-hearted, looked The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither ignorant nor wise, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither evil-intentioned nor good-intentioned, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither with form nor without form, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither offered nor un-offered, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither one to be invoked nor one to be discharged, look! Thus, He is Guheshwaralinga Himself dazzling in the hand and eye of Sangana Basavanna, who shines, shedding duality, O Chennabasavanna!

789) Diksha Guru, Shiksha Guru and Jnana Guru make the triple Gurus. Kriya Linga, Jnana Linga, and

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Bhava Linga make the triple Linga. Swaya, Chara and Para make the triple Jangama. These nine are linked together in Achara Linga. The three Lingas called Kriyagama, Bhavagama and Jnanagama make another set of Lingas. The three Gurus called Sakaya, Akaya and Prakaya make another set of Gurus. The three Jangamas called Dharmachara, Bhavachara, Jnanachara make yet another set of Jangamas. These nine are linked together in Guru Linga. The three Gurus called Kayanugraha, Indriyanugraha, Prananugraha make yet one more triplet. The three Lingas called Kayarpita, Karanarpita, Bhavarpita make yet another triplet. The three Jangamas called Shishya, Shushrusha and Sevya make yet another triplet. These nine are linked together in Shiva Linga. These three Sthalas shape the Kriyamarga of Anadi Bhakta. Jeevatma, Antaratma and Paramatma form the triple Linga. Nirdehagama, Nirbhavagama and Nashtagama form the triple Guru. Adi Prasadi, Antya Prasadi and Satya Prasadi form the triple Jangama. These nine are linked together in Jangama Linga. Diksha Padodaka, Shiksha Padodaka and Jnana Padodaka form the triple Linga. Kriyanishta, Bhavanishta and Jnananishta form the triple Guru. Pindakasha, Bindwakasha and Mahadakasha form the triple Jangama. These nine are linked together in Prasada Linga. Kriya Prakasha , Bhava Prakasha and Jnana Prakasha form the triple Linga. What is taken becomes Prasada; what remains stagnant becomes food; and Animate and inanimate properties

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form the triple Guru. Bhaanda Sthala, Bhaajana Sthala and Angalepana Sthala form the triple Jangama Sthala. These nine are linked together in Mahalinga. The action that takes place in these three Sthalas lies beyond the pale of Unbegun Jangama. In all there are four and fifty Sthalas. Bhavanasthasthala itself assumes the form of Primeval Guru Sthala. The remaining three Sthalas embody eighteen Guru Sthalas. The Ishta Mahalinga, who assumes the form of Kriya-Guru-Linga-Jangama is seated in the lower stratum. Sparshanodaka, Avadhanodaka ,Guru Padodaka, Aapyana Prasada, Samaya Prasada, Guru Prasada, Adi Prasada— all these shine as integral Niccha Prasada, look! JnanaShunya Sthala itself assuming the form of Jangama Sthala contains eighteen Chara Sthalas, and in the saucer bearing the water-mark of Ishta Mahalinga, Parinamodaka Nirnamodaka, Jangama Padodaka and Nityodaka as also Samata Prasada , Prasadi Prasada, Jangama Prasada, Sadhava Prasada, Jnana Prasada , Sevya Prasada – all these shine integrally as Accha Prasada, look! The very Sthala, that does not know self and other, assuming the form of Primal Linga, embodies eighteen Linga Sthalas. Aapyayanodaka, Hastodaka and Linga-Padodaka, Prasada devoid of the taint of the five senses, Prasada, devoid of the taint of the four-fold functional organs, Linga Prasada, Antya Prasada, Samaya Prasada— All these shine integrally in the high dome of Ishta Mahalinga, which is in the form of Jnana- Guru-Linga-Jangama, look! The Jangama-Bhaktas, who being the very natural Bhaktas, receive such Padodaka Prasada as of Linga-Jangama, are linked together in respect of Prasada-Padodaka. The Padodaka received by these

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becomes Karma Jala in the eye, Vinaya Jala in speech, and Samata Jala in the heart. The same triple water, changing its form, became both liquid and solid ghee, and Shuddha Prasada of Tyaganga for Ishta Mahalinga, Siddha Prasada of Bhogangas for Pranalinga, and Prasiddha Prasada of Yoganga for Bhavalinga, O Sir! Thus the triple Prasada-Padodaka assumed the triple form: Sharana’s Shuddha Prasada became Accha Prasada on the tongue, Siddha Prasada became Samaya Prasada in the foot, O Sir. Not knowing the true form of Tirtha-Prasada of such Jnana-Linga-Jangama, who assumed the form of a Sharana, one can take the Tirtha Prasada of Kriya-Jangama-Linga. Do not show me those ignorant ones, who say that he cannot take the Tirtha-Prasada of Jnana-Linga-Jangama, O Guheshwara!

790) The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a follower of Dharma nor believer in Karma, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither dis-embodied nor embodied, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither angry nor free from anger, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither greedy nor free from greed, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither infatuated nor free from infatuation, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither proud nor free from pride, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither envious nor free from envy, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither one who says ‘Yes, it can be done’, nor one who says ‘No, it cannot be done’, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither healthy nor unhealthy, look! Thus, It is Guheshwaralinga himself the Supreme Linga, shining in all parts of Sangana Basavanna ,

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the King of kings, who has shed duality, look, Chennabasavanna!

791) O Sir, just as the fire hidden in the stones, equal in light to that of the nine precious stones, is beyond the reach of burning activities; Just as in all countries, including Kuntala, the mirage born of sunlight manifesting itself in the form of horse, elephant, deer, etc., appears but eludes grip; Just as in the tip of the writing style, pen and pencil, all letters of the alphabet are hidden; Just as in varieties of clothes, all colourful varieties are hidden; Just as in the heart of a dumb man, all names, form and action are hidden; Just as in the mind of a skilled writer, meaning, application and desires are hidden; Guheshwaralinga, who is invisible to the practitioners of different Yogas like Hatha and other Yogas, dwells incognito in the courtyards of true Sharanas, who are Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, Look, O Chennabasavanna!

792) O Chennabasavanna, Guheshwaralinga Himself is the Great Linga that shines through the whole body of Basavanna, who has shed duality. O Sir, the Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a pretender nor a boaster. The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither an observer of Sheela nor a deceitful pretender, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga wears neither a garland of skulls nor a garland of marble beads, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is clad in neither tiger skin nor elephant skin, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a destroyer of Daksha’s Yajna

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nor the enemy of the demons of Tripura , look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a rider of Nandi bull nor a receiver of praise from Bhringi, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga wears neither serpent nor moon, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a wearer of Gange nor dearer to Gouri, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a Yogi nor a Jogi, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a Shravana nor a renunciate, look! The Impartite Absolute Linga is neither a Kalamukhi nor Pashupata, look! Thus Guheshwaralinga is the resplendent light shining in all parts of Sangana Basavanna, who has shed duality, Look, O Chennabasavanna!

793) O Sir, the eye in which the True Thing rests surpasses all mysterious secret things, and is itself a great sight, a great union, a great consummation. Because it is said: The Great Eye of the Great Absolute, which, by Guru’s grace, has bond with the Ishta-Prana-Bhava Linga, is Guheshwaralingas’s great Prasada, Look, O Siddharamayya!

794) O Sir, my eight-fold body becoming the eight-fold worship; my eight-fold body and eight-fold sense becoming the sixteen-fold formality for Guheshwaralinga, who is Impartite Naught; becoming one by shedding the dual sense of Sharana-wife and Linga-husband, I became silent like a tree that has shed all its leaves; I became very profound in the mind by drowning in the sea of Lord Shiva, who is the Supreme Master of Mind,

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like the sea whose waves have subsided. Being the Void of voids, I have become still, like the space in the pot that has been destroyed. Becoming pure and open like a picture that has lost its canvas, by your grace, I will merge without fail in the void of the mental light of my Master Sangana Basavanna, Who, being pure immaculate Brahma is without parallel, wink-less, innumerable undisturbed bliss, eternal, immaculate, illusion-less, without support, without corporal formalities, eternally free, ever content without care, without desire, rich in true sixteen-fold merit. look, O Chennabasavanna!

795) O Sir, the Impartite Linga of Naught, who is fed on true graced food, conducts himself on the path of that Impartite Naught. He is not one to follow the path of worldly business tactics and cleverness. Having forged a strong bond with the Shiva-knowledge-action with the entire body, becoming the impartite Linga of Naught, if one could enjoy peace and happiness coming from eating the graced food in the plate of Linga, that is union with the Linga, look! A self-enlightened child was born in the landless pure mental field, look! That self-enlightened child went to the upper region, and having tasted the sky-born nectarine graced food, shedding name, form and action, wearing the cloak of impartite sport of Naught, putting on bright colour in the Somanala; golden colour in the Pinganala; the light of nine-fold knowledge in the Sushumnala, after taking the form called Guheshwara Prabhu, shining in the seven hundred seventy nalas in the light of true Prasada of Supreme Master Basavanna, and becoming mature instantly, attained the Impartite Naught for sure, look, O Chennabasavanna!

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796) O Sir, the stature of the Impartite Linga of Naught is like this: The Impartite Linga of Naught is neither with form nor without form; is not one with beginning or without beginning; He belongs neither here nor there; He knows neither joys nor sorrows; He has neither merit to his credit, nor sin to his discredit; He is neither a Master nor a servant; He is neither cause nor action; He is neither pious nor impious; He is neither one who is worshipped, nor one who worships, look! Thus Guheshwaralinga dwells in the heart-lotus of Sangana Basavanna, who shines, shedding all dualities, O Chennabasavanna!

797) O Sir, not knowing how to become the Serene Supreme Bhakta-Jangama of Naught, simply flaunting egoism and possessing triple impurity, they claim themselves to be Bhakta-Jangama. Can such ones as indulge in rites and rituals, visit Kashi, Kedara, Shreeshaila, Gaya, Prayaga, Shivagange, Kanchi, Kalahasti, Pampakshetra, and regarding Veeranna, Basavanna, Kallanna, Mallanna, cloaks, water-pot, plat-form, slippers, ashes, bell, Purana book, head of staff, gong and conch, day, week, star, the full-moon day, the new-moon day, the sun, the moon, fire, lamp, Gange, Gouri, Vigneshwara, etc., as gods, make deities of stone, mud and wood, and, putting them on some platform or in some corner, wash them, and then take the water in which they are washed as sacred water, and eat the left-over, be called god and devotee? Such unrighteous ones and untouchables should not be adored as Bhakta-Jangama-God. By worshipping a true Sharana,

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who is serene, free from burden, and follows Shivachara, does Shiva action and possesses Shiva knowledge, renunciation, and true devotion, if you partake of Padodaka-Prasada, the bonds of birth and action will break in Guheshwaralinga, O Chennabasavanna!

798) O Sir, to a true Shivayogi, the blue stone that is in the middle of the heart, looks like the lightning flash in dark clouds, turning to yellow and other myriad colours, because of its form of the mind-sky, and becomes the minutest of atomic particles like the brinjal-thorn in countless forms. To those who meditate on Linga, it appears on the lotus-like face, in the primeval form that has no beginning. If you ask how, it is like this: In the middle of the face is the eye; in the middle of the eye is the mind; in the middle of the mind, there is none other than the Self itself. It is Nijatarakabrahmashambhu, look! Thus does Siddharamayya, assuming the form of Nijatarakabrahmashambhu, rest in the heart-lotus of Guheshwaralinga, look!

799) O Sir, destroying the ten airs called Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, Samaana, Naaga, Koorma, Krikara, Devadatta, Dhananjaya, leaving aside the Hathayogas called Yama, Niyama, Aasana, Pranaayama, Pratyaahaara, Dhyaana, Dhaarana, Samadhi, as also inert Shiva Path. Knowing the sport that is illusion-free, care-free, the bliss that is without attributes; embodying the earlier mentioned Sadbhakta- Mahesha-Prasadisthala; the entire body becoming Linga, sporting in the form of mind in the heart of true Pranalingi,

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absorbing all principles of mystic experience; embodying all principles of mystic experience; embodying the fourteen Sthalas; holding the rosary of five thousand one hundred eighty beads, with twenty-four mysterious embryos like gold containing metal inside, by the Guru’s word that says “all those who touch me become like myself,” like silence being hidden in sound, Guheshwaralinga, who is Impartite Linga of Naught, dwells in the form of Jangama Linga, who is an embodiment of enlightenment. Look, Chennabasavanna!

800) O Sir, the disciple, who is re-born, having shed his past, is an incarnation of right discipline. Having been initiated into the Vedha-Mantra-Kriya Diksha, at the hands of holy Guru-Linga-Jangama; having known the glory of Ashtavarana and the treasure of all disciplines, the practice of hundred and one Sthalas, the link of two hundred sixteen Sthalas, he shopuld offer without guile to holy Guru-Linga-Jangama, his body, mind and wealth. Staying in the Bhakta Sthala , he should perform righteous deeds. Staying in the Mahesha Sthala , he should beg for true and pure alms. Offering what is got by begging, not by borrowing, he should practice true and pure conduct, and know the true devotion rooted in steadfast faith and harmony, as well as ten types of Padodaka and eleven types of Prasada agreeable to the timeless cult, and many other things, including attentive offering, get, through the kind grace

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of the perfect holy Guru-Linga-Jangama, the Sharana-hood of Accha Prasadi Sthala. Knowing the true faith lodged in true Guru-Linga-Jangama, he should offer to Guru-Linga-Jangama all the necessary things starting from the tooth-stick to the loin-cloth and waist-thread, and take back whatever they give with good wishes. Thus, when one becomes perfect inwardly, one should wash the hand and foot of the Jangama, the embodiment of the spirit of Swaya-Charaa-Para, who assumes the form of Guru-Linga-Jangama, and collect the foot-washings in a wash-basin, sprinkle it all over the new house, new treasure, pots and pans, new clothes, ornaments, all parts of one’s body, born of mother’s womb, vegetables, and all other things that seem to be proper, look! Then after that, he should wipe the soles of the washed feet of Guru-Linga-Jangama three times, and fill into a pot the water poured over the ten fingers, and cook food in that holy water. He should take heed that not even a drop of that sacred water is offered to any born of worldlings, who do not don the Linga. Then he should prepare Padodaka by bathing the two toes in sacred water with the help of his forefinger, and collect that water in a saucer, mix with that Linga-Padodaka a little sacred ash, sanctified by dipping it in the earlier collected Guru-Padodaka, and write the Primeval Letter twenty-one times in the Linga-Padodaka . Then the holy Guru-Linga-Jangama, remembering and muttering in his mind the sacred spell, smear his body with sacred ash, and perform his Linga- worship. After that the Linga-Bhakta, who wants to take Tirtha, should make a seat for himself

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right in front of the Jangama-Linga, and prostrating before him, should beg of His Holiness’s permission to worship him. Then taking his seat, he should perform the eight-fold worship, and render the sixteen-fold service, to the higher than the highest Jangama-Linga, seated in the left-hand lotus, write the Six-Letter spell, offer prayer, gaze on the resplendent Ishtalinga, dwelling in his heart-temple, hold the Parashiva Jangamadeva’s toes in his left hand, thinking that he is Pranalinga in the form of the true, conscious, eternal, perfect integral Supreme Light, should do him the eight-fold worship, and render the sixteen-fold service. Then he should say the Ishtalinga Primal Mantra once, circumambulate him once, sing the praise of the Jangama, remove the leaf and flower put on the toes, write the Primal Letter in the Padodaka , recollect the six-letter spell sixteen times. While worshipping the right toe, think that he is the true Un-Begun Guru; while worshipping the left toe , remember the five-letter spell five times, and think that he is the Un-Begun Linga. while worshipping the middle of the left toe, remember the nine letter spell once. After having worshipped them thus, wipe the toes dry, and apply sacred ash and adorn them with flower, circumambulate, and bow to them. Lifting up the saucer containing the Tirtha, say ‘Hail’ to the Jangama-Linga, and after he has taken it, he should get up from his seat, praising the Tirtha of the Jangama, who has assumed the form of Brahma, , who is higher than the highest, falling prostrate, beg of him permission to take the Padodaka and ,

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after taking his seat once again as earlier, he should take the Padodaka Tirtha as the Jangama has taken it. After that all other Bhakta-Maheshas should take it. Afterwards, removing the seat of the Linga-Bhakta, all the children who wear Linga , but are not initiated into the six-fold path, should offer Pada-Tirtha to their respective Lingas, but they cannot lift the saucer to their lips. Because: Shortly they are going to get initiated into twenty-one types of Diksha the sixteen-fold Sthala, the observance of the treasure of righteous deeds. Thus after all have taken the Tirtha, all Bhaktas and Jangama together finish the Tirtha, it becomes the ten types of Padodaka . After that: both Bhakta and Jangama together should consecrate the pots of food prepared in the Guru Padodaka, meditating on it, muttering Mantra in their mind, and other items like Tambula, etc. Then thinking that it is Shuddha Prasada, the Bhakta should serve it to all Bhakta-Maheshas, the cohorts of Sharanas, with great attention, fall prostrate in the middle of rows of Sharanas, and say, looking at all the Sharanas sitting on both sides, ”Hail to Masters! Be pleased to offer Prasada to your Linga”. Thus shedding the dual names of Bhakta and Jangama, he should be like water in milk and become formless, as long as the sport of silence lasts. I call that Jangama-Bhakta Accha Prasadi, who attentively observes the procedure of preparing Linga-Jangama-Padodaka-Prasada with seven types of devotion, as long as the sport of silence lasts in Guheshwaralinga, look, Chennabasavanna!

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801) O Sir, can I call him Guru, who fights for land? No, he is no Guru. Can I call him Linga, who fights for woman? No, he is no Linga. Can I call him Jangama, who fights for gold? No, he is no Jangama. Can I call him Sharana, who fights for the triple impurity? No, he is no Sharana. Knowing this, not having the taint of the triple impurity in state of mind and body, possessing honour, wisdom, merging in Linga- Jangama experience; knowing Shruti-Guru from self-experience, if one observe all Acharas, I would call him Supreme Guru-Linga-Jangama-Sharana in Guheshwaralinga, look, Chennabasavanna.

802) O Sir, the Sharanas of the mortal world should further know about right action, right knowledge, twenty-one Dikshas, including Ajna Diksha, the triple Sthala, the six-fold Sthala, ten types of Padodaka, eleven types of Prasada, sixteen types of Aavarana, the offered attentive services of secret links, the great Mantras, including Primeval Mantra, conduct and speech concerning the Linga-experience that comes from the treasure of righteous deeds, the right path of the six-fold Sheela, six-fold Vow, six-fold Nema— thus knowing their true form and glory from the immaculate supreme god incarnate Gurulinga-Linga- Jangama , should become immaculate once and for all ,

301 even as once iron has become gold at the touch of the touch-stone does not become gold again. The cohorts of Sharanas, including Bhakta, Maheshwaras, while pursuing the path of Swaya-Chara, Aadi-Anta Sthalas, sitting in the same row as others, in order to sanctify themselves, shedding, in the presence of Linga, the impurity of food tasting sweet, astringent, pungent, sour, bitter, salty, and nectarine, should offer to the holy Guru-Linga-Jangama Shuddha, Siddha, Prasiddha Prasada along with form , taste, contentment, muttering in mind the Great Mantra, and take back the great Prasada from the immaculate Linga-born Jangama; should shed the sense of duality by regarding themselves as Pranalinga. Whosoever he be, while enjoying the Prasada, sitting in the row of equality, and enjoying the pleasure of the sport of Supreme Shiva-Linga, saying to himself that the food served to him is more than he could eat, if he gives it , though with love, to one who has not undergone the triple-Diksha, he becomes an unworthy person. But if he does it out of ignorance of the right observance of Guru path, and the devotee who received it regards it as truly equal to Prana, the true devout Sharanas, who experience the bliss of the six-fold Sthala, should order the one who has given it not to repeat. Further, they should remove the bad qualities of him who has received Prasada and get him initiated at the hands of the right Master

302 into twenty-one Dikshas, including Vedha, Mantra and Kriya Dikshas, and the hand and head contact, and show him the fixed places of Ashtavarana in the Linga-body. Giving him the Prasiddha Prasada and Padodaka of the Un-Begun Jangama, and taking it back is the right conduct and right path for Guheshwaralinga, look, Chennabasavanna.

803) O Sir, the Impartite Linga of Naught is neither a mechanic nor a magician, look! He has no pedigree, no perplexity, look! He is neither a noose, nor is he bound by the noose, look! He is neither time-bound nor action- bound, look! He is perverted neither in body nor in mind, look! He is neither envious nor un-envious, look! He is neither a teller of beads nor a performer of austere penance, look! He is neither a Vaidic nor a worldly person, look! He is neither perfect nor reputed, look! He is neither happy nor unhappy, look! He is neither a sinner nor a short-tempered one, look! He is neither a ritualist nor a charitable person, look! Thus Guheshwaralinga, having shed dualities, is the light shining in the form of Basavanna’s Pancha Parusha, look, Chennabasavanna!

804) One should repose one’s body in the Ishta Mahalinga, who is an incarnation of the enlightened Jangama and who dwells in different parts of the body, including the lotus of the poised mind and merging the Ishtalinga in the fore head-eye which is two eyes made into one. Now this is consubstantial union with the Linga, look! Now that the Ishta Mahalinga being reflected in the eye-mirror appears two to the eye of the mind— this is Pranalinga.

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That Pranalinga holds in its two hands two breasts: now this is consubstantial union with the Linga, look! When one kisses the nectarine Primeval OM resting in the lovely face of Hara-Shiva-Brahma, who is an incarnation of beauty born of illusionary form and lines—and when Pancha Pranamas , including Nakara in the lovely face which is in the form of mental power kiss that Panch Brahma, consubstantial union with the Linga takes place. This is the law of Sharana-wife and Linga-husband. This is the way of offering the body to the Linga. Because He is reflected in Himself, and I am reflected in myself, there is nothing like I and You. It is Self becoming Self, like Void merging in Void, like speech learning to speak; When one’s true eye-sight is dissolved in Parashivalinga, it surpasses all secrets and mysteries. Only Guheshwara knows this. How can those who have gone blind know it?

805) As it is said, ‘the universe is all-eyes’; the whole world is Shiva’s eye. If the whole world is all-eyes, why were the eyes classified into best, better and worst? Listen, we will explain how: Being the eye of eyes, and becoming light to the world-eye, and not showing itself to any, the eye that sees the Ishta Maha Jyotirlinga, which is born at the glance of holy Guru’s grace, itself is the Linga-eye. That very eye which assumes the form of true religion is considered the best eye. O Sir, the eyes of birds, breasts, snakes and insects, etc., which are not made to perform dual function, which do not suffer from any eye defect, are considered better eyes. O Sir, the Ishta Maha Jyotirlinga becoming extrovert, It commits five deadly sins and as such is tainted with five impurities.

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Because the eye of the unworthy worldlings performs very easily the dual function, they are called skin-eyes (external eye). As they do not see themselves, they are called thick darkness, fish, poisoned eyes, the arrow of the blue water lily caught in the hands of love-god Manmatha, dark fire, deformed worst shining eye that censures the righteous ones who follow Shivachara. Because it does not have the benefit of the Ishtalinga, it is called the worst eye, look! The cohorts of true Shiva-devotees do not worship them. They offer neither holy water, nor sacred food. They do not hold any conversation with them, nor do they see nor touch the worldlings in Guheshwaralinga, look! O Siddharamayya!

806) Lo, there is milk in the bodies of animals of different and strange and multifarious colours , like white, yellow, green, gray, ruby-red, etc. and inside the milk, there are hidden curd, butter-milk, butter, ghee, taste, and energy; Like the pure water in shell turns into solid, at the sight of the flash of swati star, shedding its liquid state and becoming formless; Like in all seeds trees are hidden; Like in all trees seeds are hidden, the Impartite Guheshwaralinga of Naught, who is hidden in the hearts of all true devotees and Shivasharanas, does not appear to all those illusionists who toil and moil, because of caste, stubbornness, and fanaticism as also due to the eyes of Vedantis and practitoners of different Yogas, who possess dull souls, O Chennabasavanna.

807) O Sir, the Impartite Linga of Naught neither possesses nor does not possess attributes; is neither the Super- Being nor the Self-Being; is neither ‘Yes’ nor ‘No’, look! Says neither ‘I’ nor ‘You’, look! He is neither subtle, nor gross, look!

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He is neither one who goes after Yoga nor one who goes after enjoyments, look! He is neither one who does anything to others, nor one who does not do anything to others, look! He utters neither good words nor bad words, look! His touch is neither good nor bad, look! He is neither beautiful nor ugly, look! He knows neither good taste nor bad taste, look! He sells neither good nor bad, look! Thus, shedding dualities, Guheshwaralinga is the Supreme Light, shining in Basavanna’s hand, mind and heart, look, Chennabasavanna!

808) O Sir, if true action, perfect enlightenment takes place, I would call it good conduct and true devotion. If true devotion, true action, perfect enlightenment and true speech and conduct unite, I would call it Guru-Linga-Jangama , who is perfect blissful Supreme Brahma that appears far beyond time and time-lessness. Thus, the person who is without right conduct, good devotion, true action, perfect enlightenment and true speech and conduct distances himself from Guheshwaralinga, look, Chennabasavanna!

809) O Sir, burn, burn the life of him who does not speak the truth; who does not live the virtuous life; who does not practice true devotion; who does not perform good deeds; who does not attain perfect knowledge. Guheshwaralinga laughs on hearing the language of such disguisers, look, O Chennabasavanna!

810) If you ask about the state of the person, Who, knowing and forgetting all the Sthalas,

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including Sadbhakta, Mahesha, Prasadi, Pranalinga, Sharana, Aikya, and Niralamba Sthalas, shines in the Impartite Sthala of Naught, it is like this: Being hidden from the inert beings, who toil and moil, falling into the noose called the world of ignorant and illusionary Samsara, he does not appear to the eye, mind and will. He is the luminous cloud that is brightened by lightning flash in the skies of action, knowledge, will, embryo, drop, mind and greatness. There are seven seas, like sugar-sea, salt- sea, pungency-sea, curds-sea, milk-sea, ghee-sea, and sweet water sea and seven kinds of fire like, the digestive fire of the stomach; the fire that burns silently, the fire of lust; the fire of sorrow; the fire in water; the fire that destroys everything and the fire of intellect. As being free from the bond of those seas and the bond of birth, old-age and death, Guheshwaralinga assumes form for the Shivasharanas, but remains formless for the inert mortals, look, O Chennabasavanna!

811) Can there be gravity of Guru without right practice and true devotion, O fool? Can there be real Linga without right practice and true devotion, O fool? Can there be true Jangama state without right practice and true devotion, O fool? Can there be the Sharana state without right practice and true devotion, O fool? Can one attain true liberation in Guheshwaralinga, without right practice and true devotion, O Chennabasavanna?

812) The Guru who is without right practice and true devotion is a human being. Linga and Anga born to him are inert beings. The Jangama who mixes with these two and gives them food and takes it from them is a ghostly creature.

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The Bhakta who gives food to these— human being, inert being and ghostly creature-- and takes it back from them as Prasada, cannot escape the seventh hell. There is no liberation without right practice and true devotion towards Guheshwaralinga, look, O Chennabasavanna!

813) The Guru who has lived a virtuous life and practiced true devotion is higher than the highest Brahma, look! The superior disciple, who has taken three kinds of initiation from that Guru is the abode of liberation, look! The Linga-Jangama who is worshipped in the hand, mind and heart of the superior disciple is the immaculate supreme Shiva principle, look! Guhesshwaralinga being witness, for both of us, the lotus-feet of that Guru-disciple and Linga-Jangama is the holy place of liberation, look, O Guheshwara!

814) Shedding the seven addictions of seven elements, pounding life resolution-hesitation- desire- temptation to powder and winnowing them, tearing up sins and stains by staying a plain dealer in the earlier mentioned Bhaktasthala, and becoming ever the perfect integrated Supreme Light which is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, twenty-five principles , including eighteen Sthalas; holding in hand the rosary of two thousand five hundred and ninety-two beads, coming from twenty-four mysterious embryos as the saying –Guru becoming Guru at the touch of Guru—goes, knowing through Self Experience the experience of one hundred sixty crores of Vachanas, Guheshwaralinga, who is the Impartite Linga of naught dwells as Mantra Murthy, becoming Gurulinga, and shines like the resplendent light of flowery fragrance, look, O Chennabasavanna!

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815) O Sir, As when all souls become pregnant through amorous intercourse, there do not appear name, form and action called female and male. As youth is hidden in infancy; as old-age is hidden in youth; as the state of birth and death is hidden in old-age; as all enjoyments are hidden in the state of birth and death; what shall I say of how Guheshwaralinga, joining the impartite Absolute, who being Superbly holy, remains self-absorbed within true devotees and Sharanas, like the sun being hidden in clouds; like the treasure being hidden in the earth; like the sword being hidden in the sheath; like the juice being hidden in fruit, O Chennabasavanna!

816) O Sir, As in all grains, fruits, and flowers are hidden all varieties of juice, tasting sweet, astringent, pungent, sour, bitter, salty etc., as in the heart of sixteen-fold elephant are hidden all sorts of renunciation, dark ignorance in the form of disdain; as in the moon-stone is hid the water of the mind; as parents cannot see what dream s their children see ; as in all varieties of flower, like Karaveera, Surahonne, Jaaji, Bakula, Padari, Paarijaata, Molle, Jasmine, lotus, water-lily, Sampige, Darana, Pacche, Kasturi, Maruga, Bilva is hidden sweet-smelling fragrance; as in the ten-fold air, like Praana, Apaana, Vyaana, Udaana, Samaana, Naaga, Koorma, Krikara, Devadatta, Dhananjayya, are hidden all great sounds; like the humming of bees, the music of the lute,the peal of the bell, drumming , thundering, Primeval sound, roar of lion and Sharabha, Guheshwaralinga being hidden in true devotees and cohorts of Shivasharanas, does not appear to the inert mortals of the world, Look, O Chennabasavanna!

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817) O Sir, Trampling over the original egos of all worlds called ego and self-love; making them, steps; by wearing on all parts of the body— sacred ash, and Rudrakshi of the mind and sacred spell, knowledge, Kriya-Padodaka Prasada themselves became organs like body, mind, breath and will. Becoming smaller than the smallest particle; bigger than the biggest thing; making hundred and one Sthalas as clear as the myrabolan on the palm; holding in his hand a rosary of twenty-one thousand six hundred sacred spells; passing through two hundred sixteen secret wombs; assuming uniform, exhibiting no difference; like fragrance merging in fragrance, Guheshwaralinga, the Impartite Linga of Naught; becoming immaculate Linga of Diksha, Shiksha and Moksha, dwells in the heart of Sharana, who absorbing earlier mentioned Sadbhakta, Maheshwara, Prasadi-Pranalingi-Sharana-Aikya Sthalas, practices all these in the higher Niraalamba Sthala, look, O Chennabasavanna!

818) Can a Saatvika Sharana’s word prove ever false? It is the truth, the very truth. What is within us is the world of gods. What is outside us is the mortal world. Because we are outside these two worlds, let themselves be in these worlds, O Guheshwara!

819) Those who die enjoying the pleasures of the gross body are like pigs. Those who die enjoying the pleasures of the subtle body are like an elephant in rut. Those who die enjoying the pleasures

310 of the causal body are like a royal swan. If you ask how, it is like this: The gross body means: It is made of the seven elements and twenty-five principles. The happiness it gets is just a drop, whereas its sorrow is mountainous. The subtle body means: It is made of corporal senses. The happiness it gets is as little as a drop, but its sorrow is mountainous. The causal body means: It is made of the ten-fold principle. The Self that is made of only one principle of infinite sound, itself is the causal body. It is like the fragrance of the essence of divine nectar emitting supreme perfume. This body enjoys enormous pleasures without an iota of sorrow, look! Because it keeps fellowship with the Linga. If one should enjoy infinite bliss, one should know hundred and one spirits and stages of knowledge, beginning with Pindajnana and ending with ignorance, as clear as a myrobolan on the palm and stay in the higher stage of Jnana Shunya. Staying in virtuous practice; being rich in conduct and speech, never missing the path of Sthalas, including Pinda-Jnana and Guru’s grace, Our Sharanas stayed put, like a diamond weapon to the mountain of illusion called the six-fold enemy, the eight-fold pride, and the seven-fold addiction, look! Thus the inert Shaiva ritualists were lost, not getting the joy of experience of causal Absolute Linga, conduct, speech, and state and spirit, and being victims of the noose of illusion, time and lust called the six-fold enemy, the eight-fold pride, and the seven-fold addiction, as also not knowing the way of Guheshwaralinga’s Sharanas. This world also perished, look, O Siddharamayya!

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820) Having sought repeatedly, feeling exhausted, I am giving expression to my agony. Having searched incessantly and intensely, I am feeling as though burning all over. O Guheshwara, I cannot see the one who is just before my eyes!

821) Like the creeper I sought so long being now entwined about my leg; like the longing of my heart being now within my grasp; like a poor man stumbling over a treasure-trove, I, coming with a seeker’s tireless steps, have seen the inconceivable, O Sir! I have seen the supernal light in the splendour of which is bathed my whole being, within and without, look! I have been saved , O Guheshwara, seeing my Supreme Master with his gaze of unfathomable wonder concentrate on the emblem on his palm, which has lost its trace, look!

822) None, having known, have taken birth. None, having died, returned to life. You talk of the one who makes the impossible possible. What shall I say of the worldlings, Who, holding on to the body, talk of the bodiless, O Guheshwara?

823) There is no happiness, if known; No unhappiness, if forgotten! No loss, if died; no gain if lived! Not staying resolute with this decision; Not knowing the secret of meeting, by shedding the dual sense of I and You, they perished in the pride of mere ignorance, O Guheshwara.

824)

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Novel is the way of remembering You, knowing very well, like climbing up and down the blade of a knife to pluck flowers. None knows this except Your Sharana Chennabasavanna, O Guheshwara!

825) There is no discipline prescribed for the Sharana who knows; He needs no Linga who has the discipline. The movement of the Sharana without Linga is contrary to the way of the world, look! This is not manifest, look! He never longs for the thing in which the world does traffic. Because they cling to, and lose sight of, the true, and worship thinking that the non-existing Linga does exist , there must be discipline for them! For them who have this, there must be a Guru; Those who have a Guru must have the Linga too; And those who worship that Linga must have enjoyment in the world. Such traffickers in empty words have become the worshippers now. Tell me, O Sangana Basavanna, how can these wearers of the garb know that Guheshwaralinga is not there?

826) I was dazed when I forgot what I had known. Not knowing what it was, I stood simply there, saying, ‘Guheshwara, O Guheshwara!’

827) Because I do not know, I hold on to the Sign. Once known, what more remains to know? If the sign is given up,

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it goes against the faith; if not against knowledge. Guheshwaralinga exists on the twin petals, look, O Siddharamayya!

828) If sought, knowing, it is perversion of the mind. If sought, moving about, it is perversion of the air. If sought, standing still, it is perversion of the body. If sought within, it is perversion of knowledge. He alone is a Sharana, who merges in Guheshwara without seeking Him

829) The Self knows It, as the sight is seen behind the eyes; as the sound is heard behind the ears. When the eyes become blind and the ears deaf, all seeing and hearing activities stop. What is it that the self knows? What is the Sign called Guheshwara, O Ambigara Chowdayya?

830) To say you have known, the consciousness itself is ignorance. To say you have forgotten, the oblivion itself is ignorance. To say all form gets destroyed and all the formless is visible, shows a perplexed mind. The very thought of Guru disappears at the utterance of the word disciple. The very thought of Guru disappears at the utterance of the word Guru. When you say you have attained union with the Absolute in resolution,

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it shows defect in vigilance. If the Guru needs must be, it is for the normal relationship. Does it mean one needs him for supernal relationship? For the other there is Guru, but for the Self there is no talk of Guru.

831) Tell me how you know the magnitude of knowing the consciousness of forgetting ignorance or getting rid of resolution and doubt. To say you have known, is to leave knowledge far behind. To say you have forgot, is to leave the mind far behind. To say you have known and forgot, is far from all comparison! If you are tied up with Will-lessness, desire for Will will cling to you! How could you achieve the Yoga of the mind absorbing mind in our Guheshwaralinga? Tell me, O Siddharamayya.

832) Because you are wise should you speak a rude word? Does one who knows the truth, still have a sense of falsity? One should shed this dual sense of true and false. What is called community is wealth. Is it different from you? Once enriched with a universal sense, there is neither truth nor falsity, O Ghattivalayya: To say you have known is too leave knowledge far behind. To say you have forgotten is to leave the mind far behind. To say you have known and forgotten is being far from all, O Guheshwara!

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833) Trust Guheshwara’s Allama, Who, being bewildered, has lost his sign of identity; who did not go the way he had come; who is fed through the eyes, and is exhausted in the mind; who is burnt without fire; who is ever united with the Linga; who has taken without hands; and eaten without mouth; who has grasped without stomach.

834) Tell me, should you mourn for the self gone back to Self, who is neither conscious nor unconscious? Tell me, should you grieve? The word that says destruction awaits the disembodied soul is wrong, look! To Guheshwara’s Sharana Ajaganna , who has united with the Ultimate , there is no duality, not within nor without, look!

835) It is impossible for the conscious and beyond compare! Know yourself, O Sangana Basavanna, Marulashankaradeva who is fed on Guheshwara’s grace, look!

836) Knowledge cannot know it; then how does it hold on to the Sign? If I say I have known the integral Absolute, I should be the great consciousness myself, which has destroyed both consciousness and oblivion, and should be as if I do not know Guheshwaralinga, look, Siddharamayya!

837) Not seeing even the fringe of consciousness, no use making penance, no use

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standing on one’s head on a steep rock on the top of a mountain. Nothing works, if time does not favour. No use thrashing the body. No use circumambulating the earth. No use observing rigid rule, taking a dip in holy ponds. No use telling beads and doing meditation. It is said: “One song in praise of God is equal to one million worships. One time telling beads is equal to a million songs in praise; one time meditation is equal to telling of one million beads; onetime dissolution of the mind is equal to one million meditations.” By arresting the wandering mind, if it can be made to stand to attention, and attention can be made to dissolve, there will be eternal light! Then is there any need to seek Guheshwaralinga?

838) In order that the heart of consciousness should open, they conceived the need of a Guru. Should a disciple have a Guru? Should a Guru have a disciple? Where is the body for the Linga, whose motion has stopped? Tell me, O Guheshwara.

839) Oblivion in consciousness, and consciousness in oblivion! If remembered, after knowing and forgetting, the Linga will not dwell in oneself. Who can know the inconceivable Linga? Where is room for Linga in the traffic of giving and taking? Do the butter emerging from water, the fire appearing in the sky, and the bond between air and sound have any colour? Listen, O Sharana Basavanna, the glory of Guheshwaralinga should not be exhibited.

840)

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Unless awareness dawns oblivion cannot cease to be. Unless oblivion perishes, awareness will not be possessed. And when you have possessed awareness as your own, who is the Guru? Who the Linga? Which is great? Which, small? Tell me. If you get initiation, knowing and forgetting, what you have known in Guheshwaralinga, how can you attain the Ultimate Truth? Tell me ,O Madiwala Machayya.

841) Tell me, should you seek the Sign in the hands of those whose awareness is lost, whose ignorance is gone, whose illusion is disillusioned? Is there awareness in the heart of a true Sharana, who has become himself with his self being destroyed? The sublime state of Guheshwara’s Sharanas appears a doubtful thing to the eyes of those who have a body. It is certitude to those who do not doubt, O fool!

842) Who knows the Ultimate Truth that has stayed very firm, knowing both awareness and ignorance? Who else can conceive the Great Absolute that surpasses both will and will-lessness? As it is beyond will, it was not conceived. As it was conceivable to the mind, it was not remembered. There is no Sign for the knowable and No room for the forgettable. Your Sharana became perfect by destroying the knower, knowledge and the knowable, O Guheshwara!

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843) The formless cannot be seen . Then how to worship It? Form is liable to destruction. Then how to worship It? Form and the formless are not the cause of worship. Then how can the Lingavantas perform worship? What is the way of the Linga, O Sir? The holy master helped us understand the Linga that cannot be understood. One should worship the Linga, knowing both these, O Guheshwara!

844) O Sir, I will do offering and do worship without any feeling of obligation. Because You are the cause of whatever I do, I remained absorbed in You, Look, Guheshwara!

845) Those who do not know your greatness, call you Ardhanaareeshwara. Those who are your enemies call You Tripurvijaya. Those who are blind call you Kaamaari. Those who are unwise, call You Jataajoota Kotiteerthodbhava. Our Guheshwaralinga is no such multi-formed god!

846) Among our offerings who can tell which is worthy and which is unworthy? What you take after offering first is unworthy of offering. What you take without offering first is already unworthy. If You accepted what I offered as if not offered, then , O Guheshwara, Your Sharana is a partaker of your grace.

847) Time has lapsed; only parting is left. Listen, O Basavanna. The Real is united with the Reality. In Kaliyuga, the true Sharanas will be no more. You go and join Sangayya at Kappadi.

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O Chennabasavanna, go and attain the Ultimate Reality at Uluve; O Madivalayya, unite yourself with the Great Absolute. Soddala Bacharasa, and all other Sharanas should attain the Ultimate Truth in spaceless trance. All of you, who are prepared to go, penetrate your way into the Linga, and proceed to Kailas along with your body. This sacred counsel meant for you will not prove false. As for me, the final peace lies in entering the plantain-grove where I should unite with the Ultimate Truth. This is Guheshwaralinga’s order for all of you.

848) He devoured the world and the world devoured him The limitless swallowed the limited. Linga swallowed the name called Guheshwara!

849) There is no fear of Kala, the god of death, when you lay your body in the womb of the Ishtalinga, shedding the triple condition. When you fix your gaze on the Pranalinga resting in the eyes, there is no fear of Kama, the god of love. When awareness unites consubstantially with the resplendent Linga, there is no fear of Karma. The mortals, without trampling down the taints of Kala Karma, through the bond with the triple Linga, falling down under the feet of the three, became victims of immense sorrow. When the wind of sensual pleasures touched them, Hari came into ten births; Aja, coming into twenty-one births, lost his head. Indra’s body was spoiled. The moon became a T.B. patient. The sun became lack-luster.

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Great sages, incurring heavy loss, perished. Manu, Maandhaata and others became dull-witted. Gods, demons and humans expired. On seeing the fate of all these, our Sharanas, lest the wind of sensual pleasure should touch them, staying in Shaambhuvapura , penetrated the sensual wind with the weapon not blunted by the taint of sensual pleasure, and won victory over it. In Guheshwaralinga, they got infinite bliss.

850) Look, how state merges in state; Bindu, in Nada, and Kala is united with Kala! I have won the state of Guru, which means: “I am in Linga the wink-less one! Look, how, making ‘before’ and ‘after’ one, making past and future one, how he has assumed a form, becoming Linga and Jangama. I say Hail, O hail! to the holy feet of Sangana Basavanna, absorbed by Guheshwara!

851) He is the lord of the elders who travail, and travel from place to place, wearing the garb, being anxious for food. He is the lord of Kala and Karma. He is the lord of the superior ones, Who, holding the Linga, die none the less . O Guheshwara, Your Sharana Ghattivalayya is lord of those who talk of Allama as this and that!

852) I perform the eight-fold rite of worship and render the sixteen-fold service without constraint. Since all my works and deeds are dedicated to you, I have been at one with You, O Guheshwara!

853) Yes, yes, it is your modesty! Well done!

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Do they, who know, say they know? Should not the glory of Lingavantas be like this? Tell me, O Sangana Basavanna, who else other than you, upon this earth, knows how to appease Guheshwaralinga’s hunger?

854) Yes, yes, Basavanna! Can what you have said be said again? Look, truth to say, you are the person, Who, wiping the black stains from my heart, and making me stainless, have set me up, as if enthroned, in the utter Void! Go where Guheshwara’s great Sharanas are, and having counselled them, return, O Sangana Basavanna.

855) Yes, yes, the pious worship is all right as it causes enlightenment in the heart. Practice is the body for inward awareness. Awareness needs a body called practice for its house. But if you speak of the Lingaikya, who has attained union with the Linga, with his awareness and practice being in perfect interpenetration, as a slave of work, you will be guilty of the five deadly sins! It is because Guheshwara has grown intimate with your awareness, a slave to practice, he has become a captive of your soul. O Siddharamayya, come now and show your great trance of peace and happiness.

856) He is not the one to come within the compass of destruction. He is deathless, having won victory over destruction. He is not the one to link his body to an afflicted and distraught soul. Should I try to understand the subtlety that is there within his movements; what shall say of him, who is past

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the power to shrink to smaller than an atom, and him whose glory is unimaginable? He is no form of will, coming near shadow or agitation. Guheshwara’s majesty, which is a light within the Light, has blazed bright on Sangana Basavanna’s palm!

857) He is neither perishable nor survivable, nor going to his Ultimate Goal; he is beyond the reach of mind; beyond the sense of You and I; he is not one to yield to all other things but Him. Listen to me, O mother, do not say Ajaganna, Guheshwara’s own Sharana is either this or that.

858) I was longing for the taintless and formless Ultimate Truth, after seeing the condition of those who perish, survive and move about. I was walking without feet, and seeing without eyes, O Guheshwara.

859) I am, indeed, both form and form-lessness. Listen, that is the very truth; no doubt about it. Will is the breath of form, whereas knowledge is the breath of the formless. This is the sign for both states. He dwells in either, whichever the aspect be. Unless he is within that aspect pure, He is a stranger to Guheshwaralinga . Listen to me, O Sangana Basavanna!

860) The sky is born out of one egg; the earth is born of another egg; I saw a bird lay its young ones between the two. No soft plumage on the young ones. What shall I speak of their beauty, O Guru? The space shrank, and the Absolute void was made into a nest.

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I saw it eat fire, and milk sweet juice! Then the bird grew feathers and flew into the sky. I saw it unite with our Guheshwaralinga!

861) How do they know the glory of the Impartite, who could describe all kinds of colour appearing in the heart of the sky? How do they know the glory of the Impartite, who having taken shelter under awareness, and giving preference to the mind, have become victims of remembrance? As colour and name could not perish, the Impartite, that never was, occupied both the inside and the outside of the sky! Does speech become the high state that does not speak of Guheshwaralinga?

862) The bird that was flying in the sky, devouring that very sky, was sporting in a greater sky. Making room in the greater sky for the sky-bird that was swallowed by that sporting bird, Sharana, possessing the six-fold body, is like that sky. A Sharana is silent like the tree that has shed all its leaves. There is no such thing as Prana Linga and Linga Prana. There never was such a saying as this— “Like Linga, like Sharana.” I do not exist. You do not exist. Nothing else exists. The Linga called Guheshwara is the Absolute Void that is past care.

863) What need of a long pole for a person who could climb the sky? What need of a boat for a person who could cross the ocean ? Why put a limit to the limitless, who has gone beyond all limits?

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Tell Siddharamayya, who is limitless in Guheshwaralinga, what Linga is, O Chennabasavanna?

864) Are there trees and hills that transcend the sky in their height? Is there any form that transcends the formless? Is there any lordship that transcends Guheshwaralinga, O Sangana Basavanna?

865) Listen, O brothers, I will tell you what is good conduct and what is bad conduct: Keeping all food articles before and offering them to the Ishtalinga, and taking it back as Prasada and then letting it fall down for want of attention is bad conduct. Listen, you ritualists, who censure Prasada, and find fault with it , calling it good, bad, poisonous, sweet, sour , bland, deride and despise it. Good conduct is like a wick turning into light when touched by light. You cannot call those traitors to Prasada Shiva- devotees, who take food as Prasada once and another time censure it as the left-over. They are doomed to hell as long as the sun and the moon shine. Do not show me the face of those who sink and sail in the filthy hell, a wild hog’s pit, O Guheshwara!

866) Good conduct is of two kinds. Listen, I will tell you what good conduct is: When all the food articles are placed before the Ishtalinga, they should be consecrated. While offering it to the Ishtalinga, and eating that Prasada, if he can utter Shivamantra at every morsel, I would call him a Veera Maheshwara.

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In the matter of using prohibited things like tooth-pick and mirror, if one can make the Linga his Prana, that glorious person is rich in all disciplines of conduct. Understanding the triple face of such a glorious person, if one eats Prasada with grace, I would call him holy. I call that high-souled person the lord of the three worlds, O Guheshwara!

867) One should see Gurulinga through Acharalinga; Shivalinga through Gurulinga; Prasadalinga through Jangamalinga; Mahalinga through Prasadalinga. Guheshwara’s Sharana Sangana Basavanna knows the secret of the Ishtalinga on his palm, in which all elements, relating to the Shatsthala, are united. Come, let us hear him, O Siddharamayya!

868) As your body has been smeared with right conduct, you are freed from the body, look. As your heart is filled with awareness, you are freed from the mind, look. As you are integrated with offered contentment, every cell of your body has attained union with the Linga, look. Let alone the usage that says you are not delivered. Our Guheshwara knows that you, shedding the illusion of the Void, have torn the cloth of birth. Should you hide it in your speech?

869) Conduct is Linga, and the awareness of that is Jangama. The body is Linga, its dynamic spirit, Jangama. The service of that Jangama is Linga; rendering of that service itself is Jangama. O Chendayya, be saved by the grace of Chennabasavanna, who has narrated this so as to suit Madivala’s Kayaka as well as to please our Guheshwara’s Sharanas.

870)

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Look, O Chennabasavanna, you are not affected by either body or mind. You can make your body itself conduct. Because you can make conduct itself your body, You can live without body. In that you are matchless, look! Conduct is Aayata; Conduct is Swaayata; Conduct is Sannahita. As you have made conduct your life-breath, O Chennabasavanna, give me alms of conduct in my Guheshwaralinga.

871) If a person comes with conduct being lodged in him, and Jangama is not different from him, I would call him an earthly creature. If he is not a devotee, in rendering service, with some purpose , regarding Linga as Jangama, I would call him a giver of reward. He is a relative of Sharana, if he regards both the static and the dynamic as one. If not, I would call him a worshipper of the static. In Guheshwaralinga, Basavanna alone knows the tactile joy of the triple consummation.

872) You have become goat’s cousins and death to the wild trees. When Guru has placed the Sign in your hand telling you to realize It, look at these sheep that forget awareness and worship mere Sign, O Guheshwara!

873) One ,who having shed the triple impurity— Ana, Maya and Kaarmika— has become pure, is the disciple. One, who having wiped out the impurity of the illusion of body and breath, is the Guru. Between these two senses, can you tell which comes first and which, later? If the hand is blessed with the Linga,

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the mind needs nothing. If you beg in your mind, spreading the hood, the Linga on the palm can be easily realized. If the abode of God hides the glory of the abode of Guru, the sense gets perplexed. What is this, O Guheshwara?

874) If the black cobra called sleep, lying in the snake hole called Self, bit, the collyrium of those who had realized collyrium disappeared; the bell of those, who had Mastered the art of magic, fell off; The Mantras of those, who had Mastered the Mantra, were forgotten. I do not see any who have found a remedy for its poison. On seeing the people of the three worlds faint away on account of this Rahu’s poison, I ate the alms of Supreme devotion and became bald. Look, O Guheshwara!

875) Those with whom the Self keeps company are not conscious of the world outside. Those whose senses have become Linga have no taint of sensual pleasure. Those whose organs have turned into Linga have doubt regarding before and after. Those whose mind has become the house of Linga, have no doubt regarding the here and the hereafter. Those whose mind has found peace in the Great Linga, talk like the people of the world! If we call such great mystics worldlings, will not the resplendent Linga lodged in the heart laugh at us, O Guheshwara?

876) Unearthing the root of the Begun and the Un-begun, Basavanna made the difference between the two clear that

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Linga is the Begun and Jangama, the Un-begun. Basavanna explained how to un-tie the knot between body and soul. Look, Chennabasavanna, I have rejoiced in Guheshwaralinga on learning from Basavanna what is the Begun and what, the Un-begun, in me.

877) It was the cry when there was neither time nor eterne. On hearing the cry when there was neither Nada nor Bindu, I cried aloud! On hearing the cry coming from the heart of Ida, Pingala, and Sushumnala, I cried aloud! It was the cry of Allama coming across the field of Consciousness called Guheshwara.

878) Not being able to know, in the heart of their hearts, what is Begun and what is Un-Begun, people perish by worshipping other mean deities, thinking that the Primeval Deity consists only in external worship, look! What wrong is there? For children, their mother herself is Goddess; For the mother, her husband is the Lord God; For the husband, his master is the Lord God; For their master, his chief is the Lord God; For the chief, his king is the Lord God; For the king, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth is Goddess; For Lakshmi, Vishnu is the Lord God; For Vishnu, Rudra is theLord God; For Rudra, Ishwara is the Lord God; For Ishwara, Sadashiva is the Lord God; For Sadashiva, the all-pervading Shiva Is the Lord God; For the all–pervading Shiva, Mahalinga, the lord of earth and sky, Is the Lord God. Is there any Primeval Deity? Tell me, if you know, or else, hold your tongue. Therefore,

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all animate and inanimate things belonging to the six-fold system, worship such a deity that can bestow boon on them. What is wrong in that, when there is such a powerful deity? So what? All these deities, that get worshipped by them, cannot give joy to Prana. Being indebted to the six: earth, water, fire, air, sky and mind, applying sacred ash to their body, donning Rudraxi, doing Japa, Tapa, and Nema; Mastering the eight types of art: Eye-black art(Anjana Siddhi), Ghantica, Mantra, seeing distant sight, hearing distant sound, and entering other’s body—as a boon from the Linga, and giving them to those who ask for a boon, and bow to them who are senior to them. Then they pass for god to both their juniors and seniors. Can they be called gods, who are short-lived? Can they be called truthful, who punish their body? Can they be called devotees, who perish by living a life of falsehood? Can the frauds, who play many roles, be called eternes? They all die every day and are re-born every day. Because: Brahma’s one Jaava is Indra’s life-span; Vishnu’s one Jaava is Brahma’s life-span; Rudra’s one Jaava is Vishnu’s life-span; Ishwara’s one Jaava is Rudra’s life-span; Sadashiva’s one Jaava is Ishwara’s life-span; Sarvagata’s one Jaava is Sadashiva’s life-span; Linga-Sharana’s one Jaava is Sarvagata’s life-span; Tell me, if you know, is there dissolution for the Linga-Sharana? If not, keep quiet. Not knowing such Mahalinga and Sharanas,

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the six gods, especially Manu Muni, , gods, demons, and humans— all are toiling and moiling in search of the Almighty. Because: Brahma is seeking Him in the Veda; Vishnu, in worship; Rudra, in Japa; Ishwara, in Nema; Sadashiva , in routine formalities; Sarvagata, in the Void; Gouri, in penance; Gange, in austere practice. The sun and the moon are running round in search of Him. The seven Matrikas are seeking Him in “Om Patu Swaha”. The seven sages, including Satya Rishi, Dadichi, Gautama, Vashishta, Valmiki, Agastya and Vishwamitra, look for Him in Tapa, Yoga and Agama. The Absolute that cannot be got by these is— lusty without containing blood and seed, form without substance, an elephant without head, a lion without tail, and tranquil without sleep. Thus, if you can see deep by probing, you will find an eye over another eye. If you can open that odd eye, and see in the nectarine body, you will find Guheshwaralinga, the Absolute Void, tranquil and free from care.

879) When there was neither time, nor eterne; when there were no six goddesses; one Sharana, embodying the Six-letter spell and the Six-fold Sthala, lived, O Sir. With the sport of his remembrance, the Primeval Super Shiva lore, manifesting itself as five forces, merged in him, O Sir. For the same reason, Sharana’s super tranquillity manifesting itself as the maid of devotion, merged in him, O Sir.

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For the same reason, the Sharana’s divine light became Shadusthala Brahmi, O Sir. For the same reason, good speech , Linga’s Primeval Sound , the wheel of sacred spell, the lotus-action, sacred ash and Rudrakshi – all these are hid in him, O Sir. For the same reason, Your Sharana has been, for millions of years, called Pramatha Ganeshwara, O Guheshwara .

880) He is not one born of the intercourse of time and eterne. He is not one who enjoys the pleasure of intercourse. He is not one born of the intercourse of two persons. He is not one who grows and shines by the light of the sun and the moon. Long before Nada, Bindu and Kale were born, Your Sharana was born, O Guheshwara!

881) Before the fourteen worlds, time, fiction, Mantra, Tantra, reading, Nema, morning and evening prayer, trance, investiture, rites, water, sacrificial thread, were born, I saw a Sharana do devotion, O Sir. I saw in the embryo of that Sharana’s mind, the wives of the chief of Shadakhyas, not known to the world extended over two thousand eight hundred million miles, go with their breasts chopped, O Guheshwara!

882) Who knows Guru Sthala, Linga Sthala, Jangama Sthala, Prasadi Sthala, Padodaka Sthala which were there before time began? He showed what is time, and explained what is not time. He revealed the mystery of Nada, Bindu, and Kale. He showed the nature of what comes to birth, without being himself touched by birth. He prepared my heart, and then installed the true Linga there. Through Sangana Basavanna, Guheshwara’s Sharana, I came to know all the right lore.

883)

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Is there any difference between time and eterne? What you call Linga born in time and Sharana un-begun are so because He Himself made them so. Before the birth of earth and sky, before the mansions of the world came into existence, the time-less Absolute assumed a form for Its own sport; and that very form became now this form. Because Basavanna knows the beginning of my form, and the eternal nature of my form-lessness, I could attain by Baasvanna’s grace Guheshwaralinga’s majesty, Look, Chennabasavanna!

884) Tell me, O Basavanna, who knows Jangama is of time, and Bhakta, time-less? When you wore for your body the solid Energy, so that the eternal, formless Absolute, divorced from force, might not dissolve itself into Void, look, then did the Void acquire the name Para Brahma! When that Great Absolute assumed form for its own sport, you wore a body of Dharma, and lent a basis to that form. Because of you, O Basavanna, that form assumed the name of Shiva, who is the creator of the world. Because you conceived Jangama himself as Linga, O Basavanna, due to your presence , he became a representative, look! Look, Basavanna, because you worshipped Linga, holding It in your hand, It won reputation. Because you took Prasada, showing the right path, it earned a name. Therefore, it’s you who are the time-less Bhakta, and I have gone far beyond time-lessness. Our Guheshwara knows that I am what I am as you made me, look, O Basavanna!

885) They give each day a name, and call it Sunday, Monday, etc. But we do not know this. Basavanna, our Guheshwara’s Sharana

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has only three days.

886) He who offered the Begun to Anga and the Un-begun to Prana; he who offered his mind to awareness and lodged his self in the Formless; he who has become one with the Prasada of Peace; he who has become Prasada for his Prana; he who has become Prasada for his body; he who has become Prasada for his enlightenment; he who has become Prasada for his meditation. He is the Prasada and the one who enjoys what first the Linga has enjoyed, and the partaker of true Prasada in our Guheshwaralinga. He is Marulashankaradeva, O Sangana Basavanna, behold his height!

887) I saw the Begun, and the Un-begun too. I saw the Great Absolute and my own mind and the ground. I saw that which had come; I saw that which was myself and which was lodged in me. I saw you Madivala Machayya by Basavanna’s grace!

888) You showed me the Begun, and explained the Un-begun. You destroyed the here, and made the Here-after stand still. You showed me as one, making the Prasada of body, the Prasada of Knowledge and the Prasada of Will into one. You made me bide within the Bliss by embodying the Supreme. O Chennabasavanna, save me by telling me all about Sangana Basavanna— his antecedents and subsequent history!

889)

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What use , O Basavanna, is their doing worship, not knowing the Begun, and not enquiring about themselves to know who they were beyond the Un-Begun? If they go on doing practice till they die, when are they going to fight, O Basavanna? If they go on singing prayers till they die, when are they going to realize themselves, O Basavanna? Therefore, All the devotees of the mortal world, not knowing the truth, and not knowing themselves, perished by holding on to untruth and worshipping it. Are they all devotees, who went to Kailas along with their body,-- some by chopping off their head, and cutting the body to pieces; some others by pulling out their eyes; some by slitting their body; some by making food of their own son; some by taking their town, out of obstinacy, to Kailas along with them? Can they find the Shiva path? Does the wheel of birth cease for them? Is it a natural way to deliverance? No, not at all. Don’t do that. All the people of the mortal world became victims of mortal Samsara. All the gods of the world of gods became victims of gods’ Samsara. All Rudras of the Rudra world became victims of Rudra’s Samsara. All sages became victims of the Samsara called Penance. All those who held on to Jangama became victims of Jangama’s Samsara. All those who held on to Linga, became victims of Linga’s Samsara called rewards and states. Can all those , who thus became victims of Samsara, vanquish the wild fire of Illusion? Therefore, Alas, all the elders perished, not knowing that they themselves are the eternal true principle and making

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superficial use of the statement – “That Thou art”-- they died a dog’s death! If you read the names of all the dead (you can’t help asking yourself) what sort of deliverance is it, O Guheshwara?

890) The Linga of the Begun came to me through you. The time-less knowledge came to me because I thought of you. Your Pioneer saints themselves know that it’s through your grace that I came to know that Prana is Linga. O Sangana Basavanna, as Guheshwara will bear witness, I am simply an infant born of your grace!

891) I saw today, O Sir, Animisha, who showed me the Primeval Linga. I saw today , O Sir, Ganeshwara Of the Krita Age, called Skanda. I saw today, O Sir, Ganeshwara Of the Treta Age, called Neelalohita. I saw today, O Sir, Ganeshwara Of the Dwapara Age, called Vrishabha. I saw today, O Sir, Ganeshwara of the Kali Age, called Animisha Basava. I saw today, O Guheshwara, both those that saw me and those that saw You.

892) It was Basavanna, who brought the Linga of the Begun to the earth and built the Great House in this mortal world. When I went to see that House, it swallowed me, before I could enter it! It has one pillar, six beams, planks and rafter thirty-six. Its foundation stone has no support of earth or sky. It has nine locked doors. Another door spits fire! On top of a canopy propped on a pillar of pearl, is a pinnacle of ruby.

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The pinnacle point is of bright gold. To those who could see, it appears not. Ten servants move about there; two sentinels stand guard and watch the door; one maid servant moves about; one helps the Linga worship. one fetches ingredients, sniffing them carefully; and offers them; one cooks food on fire without flame; one pleases Linga and Jangama by ministrations and repast. If he eats food in a five-scooped plate set on a tripod, then the cohorts of Pramathas partake of the remnants of the offerings served to him. Once they enter it, they stay there as inmates, carefree. O Siddharamayya, how happy I was to see the Great House of Sangana Basavanna, Guheshwara’s Sharana!

893) What need to tell the body born of the Master’s seed in time that it is eterne? If one can break the bond that holds these two together— the body of time and the soul of eterne— and in his own Self understand himself; the truth is: ‘I am He’, look! To ask ‘Who am I?’ is wrong, look! O Siddharamayya, if you want to see the majesty of Guheshwara, it just cannot be, look!

894) Because you yourself were Guru in the beginning, Linga was born of you. Because you yourself were Linga in the beginning, Jangama was born of you. Because you yourself were Jangama in the beginning, Prasada was born of you.

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Because you yourself were Prasada in the beginning, Padodaka was born of you. Therefore, because you yourself were Guru, Linga, Jangama, Padodaka, you made Jangama your Prana, and became a person of good conduct. Therefore, being well-versed in every discipline, as you were the Prime Preceptor, O Sangana Basavanna, explain the essence of Linga to Chendayya in Guheshwaralinga.

895) When Hara in His sport, made time and space; made billions of Brahma’s eggs; made two- by-seven worlds and wore a garland of skulls of Vishnu, Brahma, gods and demons; and when His foot descending to the Rasatala, flooded the world with water, and all the worlds, touched by His hand and head , dissolved into the Void. In the light of true light, He uttered ‘I am He’; and when the thought of the Absolute became the mind, O Guheshwara, You were Linga; I was Jangama, and Basavanna, Bhakta!

896) None knows him who is without beginning and the ground and without proof and, who is without the bondage of the sea of life! None knows how the petal- eyes of the ten-fold ruby are spread all around! None knows how the Big tree has put on too many forms to accommodate the earth! None knows, having stepped into the inmost recess of the heart, to look at the star at the core of the lovely lotus. None knows how the sun and the moon have become the fragrance of eye-sight. None knows how the pomp-less form has grown so great in the wide open eyes.

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Beyond compare is the glory of my Master Basavanna, who dwells in Guheshwaralinga, like light in the sea.

897) Long before the beginning of space, you were Guru, O Sir. Long before the beginning of time, I was your disciple, O Sir. Before the twin thought of time and space, You and I have been Guru and disciple. I will not leave your feet till you remove my senses’ error and my mind’s ignorance! If you do so, I will take it as your grace. If not, still I will take it as great grace by being yourself. Thus, howsoever it may be, I will obtain Your grace by wearing out my body for you. O Guheshwara, this is how You are and work.

898) You assumed form by Yourself without having beginning, the creator and rituals. You became formless by Yourself through Your own sport. If you ask how, it is said: “He is perfect without beginning, the creator and rituals. He dissolves into the body created by Himself. So, O Guheshwara, You Yourself know the glory of Your sport!

899) He is not a devotee, who came holding on to time, nor is he a Maheshwara, who came holding on to time-lessness. He is not a Prasadi, who partakes of Prasada with the Ishtalinga. He is not a Sharana, who came holding on to the Linga, nor is he an Aikya, who came holding on to difference. He can obtain Pranalinga’s grace by giving the body of the Void to the Void of voids! I say “Hail, O hail! to Chennabasavanna in Guheshwaralinga.

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900) They talk of the temporal and the timeless force. Who knows about them, O Sir? The temporal took a form and the time-less took a name. It is neither temporal nor eternal . Look, the Absolute Force, without name or boundary, became the Conscious Force. I say, ‘ Hail, O hail!’ to the holy feet of Mahadeviyakka, who, with her inner light becoming the outer whole, dwells inseparably in Guheshwaralinga.

901) Before the Primeval Self-born was there; before neither attachment nor detachment was there; before neither stars nor planets were created; before Yoga and Karmas were created; before neither sky-dwellers nor earth-dwellers were created; before none was created; before neither sky nor wind was created; before neither the sea nor ritualists existed; before none of the things existed, Guheshwara existed, as though being unaware of Himself.

902) When I became You, nothing remained. How did that, which did not exist, come to exist? If one, forgetting the Self, merged in the Absolute, he is none but Guheshwara Himself.

903) Listen, you cohorts of Sharanas, about the stature of the One who assumed the form of the Primal Spell. Assuming the form of embryo in the womb of the Cosmic Egg, giving up bad ways--bad behaviour-bad conduct-bad qualities, Guheshwaralinga, who is Shunya Linga, shines in all— Guru-Linga-Jangama-Bhakta,Mahesha, Prasadi, Pranalingi, Sharana and Aikya, look, O Chennabasavanna!

904) I saw the Primeval Teacher in what is to come; I saw the Primeval Teacher in what is made one’s own.

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I saw the Primeval Teacher in what inhabits one. I say, ‘ Hail, O hail!’ to the feet of my Primeval Teacher Sangana Basavanna, who dwells in Guheshwaralinga.

905) Clinging to Aayatalinga, you must find Swaayatalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to the Swaayatalinga, you must find Sannahitalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to the Sannahitalinga, you must find Mahalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to the Mahalinga, you must find Jangamalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to the Jnanalinga, you must find Shivalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to the Shivalinga, you must find Gurulinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to the Gurulinga, you must find Acharalinga, O Siddharamayya! Clinging to the Acharalinga, you must know the beginning, middle, and end of the Shat Sthalas. Guheshwara’s Sharana Sangana Basavanna possesses the secret of the Six Sthalas. How were the Six Sthalas condensed into that unity which occupies the palm? Come, let us ask him about it, O Siddharamayya!

906) Basavanna gained experience of a worshipful Linga by becoming all forms of Linga— what is to come; what is made one’s own; what inhabits one. The Jangamalinga is breath. So he is breath-less. No one, except you, know the nature of Sangana Basavanna’s Achara. Explain it to me once, O Chennabasavanna!

907) With your help, O Basava, Guru became part of me.

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With your help, O Basava, Linga became part of me. With your help, O Basava, Jangama became part of me. With your help, O Basava, Prasada became part of me. Because you made me gain these fourfold things, you became our Guheshwaralinga’s joy, O Sangana Basavanna!

908) Having adored a thing, should you oppose it? Having worshipped a thing, should you forget it? Do they who know that Jangama is Linga, fail to know their secret bond? It is like fragrance blending with the wind. You have earned name and fame, O Basavanna. Do the Pramathas like your childish ways, hide and seek? Know it well that you are the most adored person, look, O Sangana Basavanna.

909) It suited the vow of each. It suited the desire of each for food. Did you, Basavanna, see the large munificence? It was a wonder, indeed, to Guheshwaralinga!

910) He is glad to stay in whatever state one’s heart shows. One should remain constant in one’s observances and vows. If one keeps a clean heart in these vows and observances, which one practices every day, one is not different from Guheshwaralinga, O Madivala Machayya!

911) When the Yogis, including those who have scaled the highest summit of Siddhi, are being worshipped in the six-fold manner in six columns; when the self-resplendent Light, that is beyond the reach of all, is shining out there,

342 why seek another light through Shivayoga? Thinking that it is the dazzling pomp of the over crowded court of the six Yogis seated in the six columns, the highest climbers of the Yogic mount do not take note of that Light. Because they are not the saviours that invade the three houses, surpassing the nine caves, shedding the obligation of the states of dissolution , motion and existence, on the analogy of the self-annihilating fly, you, withdrawing within yourself, merged in Guheshwaralinga, look!

912) Listen, you ignorant ones, who claim to have known the Six Chakras: They are: Adhara Chakra is related to the earth; Brahma is the presiding deity there. Clinging to Achara Linga, he moved about as Yogi! Svadhishtana Chakra is related to water; Vishnu is the presiding deity there. Clinging to Gurulinga, he moved about as Jogi! Manipuraka Chakra is related to fire; Rudra is the presiding deity there. Clinging to Shivalinga, he moved about as a Sharana! Anahata Chakra is related to air; Ishwara is the presiding deity there; Clinging to Jangamalinga, he moved about as a monk! Vishuddhi Chakra is related to the sky; Sadashiva is the presiding deity there. Clinging to Prasadalinga, he moved about as Kalamukhi! Ajna Chakra is related to the Supreme Principle; Parashiva is the presiding deity there. Clinging to Mahalinga, he moved about as Pashupati! Look at the corrupt ones, who, not knowing the triple bond among the Guru, Linga and Jangama, who are before them, claim to be content with the Six Sthalas, O Guheshwara!

913) There are six elements in Six Chakras, O Sir.

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There are six presiding deities called Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishwara, Sadashiva and the principle of Paramatma, O Sir. Look, I could call him Bhakta-Jangama, Who, thus, causing damage to these Sadakhyas that perform the six rituals, crosses over them, O Guheshwara!

914) The six systems practiced wrong things. They drank wine, ate meat. Lest any wrong should be done to the six systems, I became Guru, look, O Guheshwara!

915) Listen, you ignorant fellows who claim to have known the six Lingas well. If you ask how, it is like this: Acharalinga is related to Brahma; Gurulinga is related to Vishnu; Shivalinga is related to Rudra; Jangamalinga is related to Ishwara; Prasadalinga is related to Sadashiva; Mahalinga is related to Parashiva. Thus the six Lingas are related to the six systems. If you know your relation, pray, tell me. If not, please listen to me. Knowing the triple bond of Guru, Linga and Jangama, trampling over the six kinds of stone, one should be wonderstruck, staring at the Jangama, called Pramatha Shiva. Therefore, tearing up the ignorance called six and three, deriding the illusion called impurity of touch, and destroying the duality of Anga and Linga, I became detached, O Guheshwara!

916) Listen, O brothers, Who, claiming to have known the six Sthalas, co-dine: What if a person wears Linga on his body, unless he makes his Prana wear that Linga? What if one renders the sixteen external services to the Ishtalinga, unless one has firm faith in It?

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I laugh at the traitors to Linga, Who, not knowing the innermost secret of the satisfaction given to the Ishta, Prana and Bhava Lingas, by destroying the natural faculties of body, sense, mind and Prana, by turning the five corporeal senses towards Linga, by destroying the eight-fold pride, but holding the Linga in their hand, eat their fill, calling it co-dining, O Guheshwara!

917) Who laid fire in the heart of hail-stone? Look, how it lies without being extinguished and without burning ! I do not see any who can kindle fire by using the fuel of mind and air. Holding raw meat in their hands, they died of hunger. Rare are Pranalingis in Guheshwaralinga!

918) Whatever be the Kayaka, it makes no difference, O Sir! Whatever be the vow, it is one and the same, O Sir! No death, if a vital part is missed; no union, if a vow is broken. If they loiter like crow and cuckoo, they cannot escape the arch hell, O Guheshwara!

919) Whatever may be the caste, following the path of the ancients, offering my wealth, life-breath, and pride to Guru -Linga-Jangama, I shall eat the betel leaves from the mouth of the high souled ones, who have shed their ego. I shall wear their cast off clothes, and live by carrying their foot-wear on my head. I shall be the slave of slaves of those cohorts, O Guheshwara!

920) Whosoever he be, it is known that he is a human being, O Sir.

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Being a human being, if he does not possess an iota of Shiva-lore, it is as good as fostering a dog’s body. No pleasure in knowing him; no displeasure in forgetting him. If he lives, no gain; if he dies, no loss. There is no doubt about it.

921) If they make merry, saying that they got the impurity of the past, clinging to the disciple’s sense organs, removed by smearing his body with sacred ash and by the touch of the Guru, that impurity will not go. It is in the hands of the disciple to make the Linga free from impurity by removing the impurity, clinging to the five senses, and not in the hands of the Guru. If food is cooked in the union of the five sense organs and life-breath, screening it from the eyes of the Bhakta, it becomes food for the Bhavi. The Guru is without Linga, the Bhakta, without Guru— only Chennabasavanna knows such a stature of Guheshwara’s Sharana.

922) Alas, O Mind, you have forgotten your antecedents. What is this illusion of the mind, saying— ‘It died and parted’, after the Linga-the Absolute merging in the mind, and the mind merging in the Linga— has come to my palm? Is there death for the Absolute which has no birth? The Integrated Reality is self-contained and self-informed. What is this ignorance to say that It does not make manifest Itself. Stop saying I and You. It was possible for the self to remain self. What is this, O Guheshwara?

923) Thus,

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the great cohorts of the mortal world amidst the throng of devotees, accepting, after a thorough examination, observance of Marga Shaiva , offering to Para Shiva Guru –Linga-Jangama the conduct and speech of the gross body, leaving a pure flower in the trance of the transcendent, became impartite, look! Thus, knowing the ways and means of Marga Shaiva, finding satisfaction in it, knowing the functions surpassing all other functions, living as though not living, and dying as though not dying, offering to formless Para Shiva Guru, Linga, Jangama the fragrant conduct and speech, leaving a pure flower in the trance of thetranscendent function, became impartite and immaculate, look! Thus, look, they remained absorbed in themselves, in conduct-speech-joy-satisfaction of functions, transcending the functions of Marga Shaiva. Shedding name, form and act called Guheshwaralinga Prabhu, they attained the great Void in the light of Sangana Basavanna!

924) Look at the masters who promise to show future deliverance to the disciple , who hopes to get deliverance today or tomorrow! Having performed sacrifice, observed rigid rue, told beads, performed penance and eaten his fill, he told his disciple that he would get rewards. The master died, giving false promise, and the disciple died of hunger. He, who tells of past history, is a dullard; he who predicts future is a fool. He alone is wise, who tells of the present. The day one was born, ages and aeons were born; The day one died, ages and aeons ceased to be, What pleases one’s eyes is a golden thing. What please one’s ears are Veda, Shastra and Purana. What pleases one’s nose is fragrance.

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What pleases one’s tongue is taste. What absorbs one’s mind is Linga. What lies in one’s head is Satya world. What lies in one’s feet is the nether world. In between the two are twelve worlds. There are eighty-four lakhs of living beings called Andaja, Pindaja, Udbeeja and Jarayuja In one’s own self is the body. In one’s own self is life-breath. In one’s own self are merit and sin. In one’s own self are sound and silence. In a town called body, there are nine temples. On the tip of the pinnacle of that temple is Shivalinga. In the eastern part, are sun and moon. In the western part, is Parashiva; In the northern part, is Mahesha; In the southern part, is Rudra. That which appears embodied is goddess Upame, which is in the excited state, knowing the secret of the joint of the mind’s end of these five. If this embodied goddess be false, then where is the true one to come? When the earth dissolved, all enjoyments disappeared. When the water dissolved, all infatuations and illusions disappeared. When the fire dissolved, hunger and thirst disappeared. When the air dissolved, conduct, speech and energy disappeared. When the sky dissolved, life itself disappeared. Therefore, has any one seen the charcoal of the camphor that caught fire? Has anyone tied the salt dissolved into water again into a bundle and carried? Has anyone seen the splendour of the light extinguished by the wind? Not even Hari, Brahma or any other gods have seen such phenomena. A tree is born of the essence of soil. A leaf is born of the essence of the tree. A raw fruit is born of the essence of the flower.

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A ripe fruit is born of the raw fruit. Taste is born of the ripe fruit. There is nothing beyond taste. This is the law of nature. Where is the place for taste after the soil and tree have perished? Where is the place for life-breath after the body has perished. No place. Therefore, I saw the Linga called Guheshwara while clinging to the body, O Siddharamayya!

925) I was like the thought of the Chakora possessing the moonlight’s opulence; like the thought of an infant parted from its mother; like the thought of a snake caught in a trap; like the thought of the bee within the lotus that has closed its petals for the night; like the thought of an elephant in rut seeing a furious lion in his dream; like the thought of one remembering the loved one that is out of sight. In the pride of having undone the noose of Brahma and Vishnu’s enchantment, I did not know what it was . Carried away by the force of dissolution in Sangana Basavanna, I knew not what it was.

926) I will make you rich like Indra; I will make you shine like the moon; I will make you glow like ruby. You may not see it, O Sir. I know your trick of appearing and disappearing, O riddle-like tranquil Guheshwara!

927) Sugar cane can be short or long. Can sugar be so? A touchstone might be better or worse. Can pure gold be inferior or superior? When the doubt between ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ disappears, all is Guheshwaralinga, O Siddharamayya!

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928) He is no Bhakta, who labours under an illusion. He is no Jangama, who is looked after by the world. Listen, I shall tell you who are true Bhaktas and who are true Jangamas. If a person loves a Jangama, he should, bearing the ash mark and wearing Rudraxi, look like Shiva. Then, bowing to the Jangama, he should bring him home, and serve him food with pleasure. This is the characteristic feature of a Bhakta. Wherever he be, be he in forest or be he in town, if Lingavantas invite him to their place, he should have a mind to go there with pleasure. After the eight kinds of worship and the sixteen kinds of service to the Linga are over, and all due regular observances are done, he should partake of food at the Bhaktas’ house. This is the characteristic feature of a Jangama. Instead, if he stays in the house-holder stage, whatever he preaches makes him look like a wretched beggar. Therefore, because Our Guheshwaralinga knows such persons as fill their belly, being at the mercy of the world, He does not want them.

929) When fire was put in the oven, the smoke wound round the neck of Golaknatha; when the twisted hair of the one who is beneath the earth caught fire; Mareechi’s head was burnt; the wooden slipper of Rudra was ablaze ; the throng of gods suffered from excessive heat. Their wives ran about holding their braids of hair. I smeared my body with ash, look, O Guheshwara!

930) It is a miracle. Tell Guheshwaralinga where to find joy without body and will without life?

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931) This is all right. The spirit of Guheshwara is the same,-- whether It is a unit added to a full account, or a thief hiding behind an installed Linga, or a bird flying over an inlet of the sea.

932) I do not know whether it exists or not. I do not know what it is. It is like a thing made of five elements when a thing made of a single element touches it. I do not know what it is. Because Guheshwaralinga made that thing like Himself, I do not know what it is.

933) What can I do? What can I do? This is an elemental Linga made earlier of illusion. Feast was over before parting. Leavings sticking to the hand were gone before washing it. It had come into existence before I came into being. The Linga called Guheshwara was hidden within myself.

934) One thing is there between the two. Have you, O cohorts, seen it? Have you, O brothers, seen it? If you know it promptly in Guheshwaralinga, it is the Master’s Master, O Sangana Basavanna!

935) A child was born between the two. Neither the mother nor the father knew its birth. Giving a name, they were singing a lullaby. If it disappeared as it grew up, I blushed to see it, look, O Guheshwara!

936) When two are caught,

351 one of them should be shot dead. If one is killed, all others die automatically. If the captured two survived, when all others died, trusting the two I merged in the Void, O Guheshwara.

937) Naught was in the Naught. What we call ‘Naught’ is ‘Aught’, look! When we said ‘Aught”, it happened to be “Naught”. What we think is “Aught”, that ‘Aught” itself is ‘Naught”. In that “Naught” appeared a head. I saw three letters in that head. I heard a sound in that writ. Before the sound’s colour could make itself manifest, a five-headed monster yawned and devoured it. A monkey was born to her. I saw that monkey bite the neck of a buffalo. When that monkey, breaking the horns of that buffalo to pieces, scattered them, that monkey itself fell into the trap. Having burnt the forest, I entered the sky, and then obtained the Guru’s grace in Guheshwaralinga.

938) When there is no doubt, if you say there is doubt, it haunts you and stands before you, assuming a form. When there is no flesh, if you say there is flesh, it haunts you, becoming an illusive shape. If you say practice is essential for the static Linga, your doubt blocks your way. If only you know the secret of the Lord, who has dwelt in your mind, Guheshwara is not far, listen, you fool!

939) To a doubting one who said It did not exist, the Guru showed It as existing. Can the holy Guru,

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giving up his quality of dwelling in space, become one moving on the earth? Knowing the Great Linga once you trust Him, should there be hide and seek, O Guheshwara.

940) Her glance at me brought me to the mortal world, O Sir. Union with her spoiled my taste, and also plagued me, O Sir. When the root of her sight was snapped, I saw the triple town being laid waste. When a blaze was added to blaze, I saw It become cool. When a musk-deer devoured a black hunter, I saw his elderly wife lose her ear ring. After having won a battle of the brave in the fort of night, I saw a buried treasure, O Guheshwara.

941) By melting the solid flesh of the Ishtatanu, burning the ferocious enemies like lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy; destroying the vices of the body, arresting the wandering mind; offering all senses as an oblation to fire; wearing the splendour of wisdom; draping himself with the splendour of wisdom; covering himself with the splendour of wisdom; Madivala became rich in will-lessness and the knowledge of the Absolute. Because I covered myself with Madivala’s clean cloth of grace, I became pure, one with Reality, and free from all care. Therefore, O Sangana Basavanna, I have been saved by knowing your greatness through the grace of Madivala, who has been united integrally with Guheshwaralinga!

942) One’s body’s bath is the bath for the Ishtalinga. The sandal paste and rice applied to one’s forehead is meant for the Linga. The bunch of flowers worn by one is worship for the Linga.

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The six flavours like sweet, bitter, salt, acid, tuvara and tikta make an offering to the Linga; One’s tasted Tamboola is betel leaf for the Linga; The clothing for one’s body is the Linga’s clothing; The songs and music heard and the dance seen by one are entertainment for the Linga. Show me , O Guheshwara, one who, being rich in Linga experience, performs Linga worship through the worship of his own body!

943) Who knows the union with the Ishtalinga, The contact with Pranalinga and the consubstantial union with Shivalinga? The persons, who are rich in all characteristic qualities, are not equal to those who do not forget true Shivayoga. The persons, who have achieved perfection in sixty-six branches of learning , are not equal to them. Handsome Jayanta, Manmatha and Vasanta are not equal to them. Devendra, God of gods, who possesses enormous wealth, including wishing-tree, wishing-cow, wishing- stone and a firm throne, is not equal to them. The wealth of crores of gods, including Hari and Virinchi, who are above Devendra, is not equal to them . Vyasa, Daxa, and others, who are versed in Shruti are not equal to them. In Shambhu Yoga were all characteristic qualities, all wonders, all enjoyments, all eatables, all kinds of wealth, all states, all accomplishments, all ways and means, all powers of creation. All human beings and demons, who perform Prakriti Yoga and Manu and Mandhata, who do primeval Prakriti Yoga, are equal to grass. To Shambhava Yogis, who assume the form of sempiternal and true Shiva, as they know Guheshwaralinga, all Yogas are worth a straw.

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944) When the faith in the Ishtalinga grows, it becomes Aayatalinga. When the spirit of the heart enters into union with the Ishtalinga, it becomes Swaayatalinga. When the joy, beyond compare, of the spirit of the Ishtalinga that has penetrated the mind appears the same and completely fills one with ineffable peace, that is Sannahitalinga. The triple Linga, called Ishtalinga, Pranalinga, and the contented Bhavalinga, become Aayata, Swaayata and Sanahita on the triple Angas. With the destruction of the five elements of the sense organs, when they become Linga principles, and when , with the dissolution of the sense of Jeeva, one is supposed to be Paramatma, then it is Shadanga Yoga, look, O Guheshwara.

945) Tell me who knows the secret of the Ishtalinga and Pranalinga. The word ‘without’ appears before the word ‘within’. The word ‘within’ appears before the word ‘without’. Lest Linga-consciousness, possessing the mind, should fall a prey to distraught thought, having focused his sight on the form, enthroning both mind and will, both thought and sight, the Sharana got un-winking gaze, and became unaware of ‘In’ and ‘out’. In order that Pranalinga’s tranquil face should make him glad, he holds up a glass that reflects Pranalinga’s face. If you would ever be absorbed in Guheshwara, you should hold on to your Sign, and yet lose yourself within that Sign, O Siddharamayya!

946) Just because they worshipped Ishtalinga, steadfast faith could not grow roots. By worshipping multi-Lingas, they were bewildered. By worshipping a Linga other than the Ishtalinga , they became broken pots.

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By worshipping an installed Linga, they fell a prey to death. By worshipping a measure, taking it for Linga, they went away knowing nothing. By worshipping Guheshwaralinga, they went away, belonging neither here nor there, look!

947) Ishtalinga is the body’s Linga; Pranalinga is the mind’s Linga, look. Becoming Linga, the body knows not conduct, speech and motion. Becoming Linga, life-breath knows not the trace of nine tubular vessels. Becoming Linga, the mind lost memory. Becoming Linga, mystic experience became thoughtless. Becoming Linga, the Will became will-less. Becoming Linga, all actions know not the way of Marga Kriya. Becoming Linga, awareness got rid of forgetfulness. Becoming Linga, the heart knows not the outer part. Becoming Linga, the outer part knows not what internal purity is. Thus all parts of the body becoming Linga, all sense organs stopped functioning. Because the Absolute was lodged in the mind, perfection became complete. Then, in Guheshwaralinga , the link with Pranalinga became one’s own, look, Siddharamayya.

948) Listen, O shameless fellows, who say the Ishtalinga itself is Pranalinga. Tell me, what Linga is there for the Prana that leaves the body, while both the Ishtalinga and the body

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are being trampled and buried, O Guheshwara?

949) The holy master showed me this world and the other. The holy master showed me myself and himself. When the holy master showed me form and the formless, I saw them. When the holy master showed me Guru, Linga and Jangama as one, I realized the truth about them. Then Guheshwaralinga was on my palm.

950) Who shot the arrow at the triple town, making Ishwara a bow, Padmanabha a string, and Kamalaja an arrow? Who, trampling on the back of the moon and the sun, made the cloud rain gold? Gods, demons and humans, becoming a target to this arrow, fell dead. Then Guheshwara was in the Void of voids.

951) One should eat what one has to eat. One should touch what one has to touch. One should unite with what one has to unite. He is one, who, having eaten, dressed, seen, heard, told and left, does not take his leave, look, O Guheshwara.

952) All the fourteen worlds, born in the body of orts, belonging to a Chandala, say, “We know, we are elders, we are great and glorious.” But then they die. What is this? How is this? Barring Guheshwara, all others are victims of destruction.

953) Is there any fixed place for water? Does air have a head? Does sound have any end?

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Is there a separate and different master for the Jangama, who is the Master of masters? On hearing this word, I was wonderstruck, look, Guheshwara!

954) A beggar woman, carrying a water pot has a wrist band on her wrist, and chiming bells on her feet. When she came with certainty to unite with a burning beggar, a heap of thorns blocked her way! The sound of the wrist band, becoming silent, when she opened her eyes, the thorns had disappeared. Like the forest-fire that burns the dried grass, He destroys the properties of Prana. Is there any intimate triple will for Him? Sharanalinga is an integrated thing, O Guheshwara.

955) The fire in the water was drenched. The glow in the fire was hot enough. Know it for yourself, look. Darkness was hid in light. What is called Guheshwara united with the Linga itself.

956) There was a bed in water. A fire was kindled in that bed. What is this? How is it? What is the bond between the two? Have you sought it? Have you understood it? Have you pleased Him? Darkness was hid in the face of dawn. The name called Guheshwara ceased to be

957) Water is not holy bath, nor does Bilva leaf make worship. Incense is not fragrance, nor does bronze give light, nor do provisions make dedicated food. If you ask how:

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Good company itself is the bath; truth and righteousness are leaves and flowers; the burning of the eight-fold pride itself is the incense. Eyes themselves are the light. Contentment itself is the offering, look, O Guheshwara!

958) In the lusty bloom of youth, why come you here, pray, tell me? Our Sharanas see red at the word woman. If you tell your husband’s identity, you may come and sit. Or else, you may go. If you want the pleasure of our Sharanas’ company, tell us who your husband is, O mother?

959) The rising Bindu assumed form. The inner Bindu became formless. The upward Bindu became the Void of voids. The triple Linga merged in the Void, in Guheshwaralinga.

960) Lo, the creatures born at dawn died at sunset! Lo, the embodied creature went away the day they were born, treading the path they had come along! The Linga called Guheshwara is within the reach of no one, O Sir!

961) Myriads of Karmas—of venial and mortal sins— look, how they are washed off at the sight of a Shivasharana’s courtyard! Would you know why? Because Shiva dwells in the heart of a Shivasharana. Wherever Shiva is, there is Kailas. Because wherever Kailas is, the cohorts of Rudra dwell there. The eight and sixty holy places are there. O Siddharamayya, Guheshwaralinga’s eyes are pleased to have seen the courtyard of such a Sharana as Basavanna.

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962) Manu and other gods comparable to one another, being engaged in rendering limited service with Japa, Tapa, Mantra, and being content with praising high state, failed to know what Absolute Thing enveloped the universe; failed to know the all pervading resplendent Linga, which is of definite glory; which is higher than the highest; which is beyond understanding and will.

963) If they can beg without having any adjunct; if they move about without motion; if they can be motionless, that itself is the armour. That is the bond; their conduct is holy; their speech is truth; they are worthy of worship by the whole world, look, Guheshwara!

964) When a couple stands with their heart made one, like the sight of two eyes, uniting while seeing an object, there is offering made to Guheshwaralinga, O Sangana Basavanna!

965) The little talkative children are talking without experience. What is this deliverance of an ignorant silent person? What if one knows not, unless one knows what one possesses? Not knowing the Linga that is on their body, they perished, look, O Guheshwara.

966) The proverb that says-- “Till the haves open up their corn-pit, the life-breath of the have-nots is gone”-- suits me. In describing a thing in words, lot of time lapsed, O Sir!

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No end to your flow of words! Looking at one, it is as if sixty appear. The Shunya Throne is reeling round. My breath is going through the middle of my head. Guheshwara is hungry, O Sangana Basavanna , serve me food.

967) In a forest in the middle of a town, a plant grew with its roots up, and top down. When it was watered and nursed properly, it bore a fruit of essence! He who ate that fruit brought down with the help of a whip, got trapped in the terrible world of birth. He who ate the fruit borne by the root got tired and became an outcast, look, O Guheshwara!

968) In a bower of eight pillars with a niche built of rubbles, the seven girls who are possessed are waving the platter and lamp of ruby! While performing self-worship, not having any Chowri, not stirring the trinket on the forehead, not allowing the lips to strike each other, kindly come for Prasada, O Guheshwara!

969) How is it, O Sir? Eye in the forehead, disharmony in the heart, all your speech is devotion’s essence. How is this knowledge, tell me? How is this ego-lessness, tell me? Only in speech is forgetfulness of knowledge and Sign. How is the Ultimate State possible for you, tell me? How can you destroy the Sign and yet know it? Look, Madivala Machayya, Unless both are lost in Guheshwaralinga, there is no Prasada.

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970) For four and eighty lakhs of creatures, the land is one and the same; the water is one and the same; For both—one who is bound up with the world and one who is bound up with the Linga— the land is one and the same; the water is one and the same. The water became holy, only when touched by the passion-free persons. Refusing such holy water, they long for the water oozing from several pits, and go to waste. Why the seat of a Bhakta for them again, tell me, O Guheshwara?

971) Should you be kicked with the left foot, you should hold the right foot. Should you be kicked with the right foot, you should hold the left foot. Own your own fault, and beg them to protect you. And go and bring with you Guheshwara’s Sharanas.

972) What shall I call these ritualists, who touch the Linga on the left hand palm with the right hand? What shall I call the ritualists, who take birth after birth? What is the truth about them? What is the falsehood about them? As they do not know the hand that holds the Linga is their own, Guheshwaralinga was bewildered!

973) They call themselves the head of the rest house. How do they know the greatness of the rest house? Before the Begun and the Un-begun existed; before the Void, and the Void of voids existed; before Nada, Bindu and Kale were created; before Brahma, Vishnu and other gods existed; before the eight directions and nine continents existed,

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collecting in a bowl called enlightenment the Supreme nectar that was in the pond called Supreme Conscious light that was the serene and impenetrable Void of voids, with the hand called peace, offered it to the conscious Mahalinga, with the hand called Immaculate Good disposition. Tasting the conscious Absolute Prasada, and becoming perfect by passing through innumerable Brahmanda and Pindanda, if one could know one’s own stature, O Sir, I would call him the head of the rest house. Instead, the doggish humans, who, fighting for gold, land, woman, food, mud house and temple, are floating in the sea of births, are not fit to be the head of the rest house, look, O Guheshwara!

974) Wherever you look, you see a creeper called Basavanna, If you pick it up, lo! There is a cluster of Lingas! Pick up the cluster; it brims over with the juice of devotion! Who can make it a myrobalan? Who can make it shine outwardly? Because Guru Basava made clear the root of the Linga on my palm, it’s through you that I have known the great stature of Guheshwaralinga. All other worlds on worlds are worthless paltry things in my eyes.

975) You will have a bath through my body. You will have flower worship with the flowers bedecking my bun of hair. The strange sight of forms with variegated colours will be offered to you through my eyes. You will hear the music of five great instruments through my ears. The fragrance of pleasant smelling incense

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will be offered to you through my nose. The food with six tastes will be dedicated to you through my tongue. I will worship you with the clothes and ornaments touching my skin. Since you have come into my contact in my bed-room of bliss, what shall I call the Absolute, which, shedding the difference of ‘You’ and ‘I’, is self-absorbed, O Guheshwara!

976) In the earth of my heart was hoarded a treasure of Absolute lore. One Anjanasiddha called Holy Master came and trapped me, and making me drink the life-rejuvenating juice, taught me that art as clear as a myrobalan on the palm, O Sir! That Holy Master is your Sharana Animisha, O Guheshwara!

977) I saw a great light on my palm, O Sir! It looked like a holy abode of the Great Good! The luster of Guheshwaralinga’s eyes was waving lights to Sangana Basavanna, O Sir!

978) Basavanna has absorbed my body. Chennabasavanna has absorbed my mind. Madivalayya has absorbed my will. Thus, because these three have absorbed each, each one of these , I say again and again, Hail. O hail! to these three, your devotees.

979) Seeing the Linga called Prana on the throne of my heart, while worshipping, keep it covered in the palm of meditation with the enveloping worldliness, slowly disappearing in the Void, and the difference between You and I being shed,

364 when I saw the great giver Guheshwaralinga, I merged in the Ultimate Linga.

980) My very body is Chennabasavanna, O Sir, Madivala, my mind, and Sangana Basavanna, my life-breath. When I see the majesty of your devotees in all the parts of my body, I become extremely happy, O Guheshwara!

981) The oblivion of my mind has not perished. If I say, having forgotten once, known again, the ignorance seated in the heart of my knowledge is without gap. If a valiant one strikes with a staff, does it split into two? When the body that knows is one, and the body that forgets is another, where is the place for their uniting? Although an ant-hill has several mouths, the body in which a snake rests is only one. The difference lies in one’s own mind, not in the object, O Guheshwara!

982) To the lord of life-breath, who, having assumed form, is seated in my heart-lotus-- my enduring capacity is the purifying bath; my wealth of trance is the fragrance; my ego-less-ness is the rice grain; my good sense is the clothing; my truthfulness is the divine ornament; my trust is the essence; my divine knowledge is the light; my illusion-free state of mind is the dedicated food; my mind rid of sensual pleasures is the betel leaf; my silence itself is the bell; my not admitting an alternative is the circumambulation; my purity itself is the salutation.

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The service rendered from the bottom of my heart is the formality. Thus, offering the Pranalinga worship to our Guheshwara, I was oblivious of external action, look, O Sangana Basavanna!

983) When two became one, worship ended. When two became one, offering ended. When two became one, conduct ended. When two became one, attention ended. When two became one, there was no room for sound. Then is there room for any form, O Guheshwara?

984) If one has two eyes, I call him the four-armed God. If one has three eyes, I call him Maheshwara. If one has eyes all over, I call him Sadashiva. If your Sharana has eye on the sole of his foot, I call him Allayya, the glorious one beyond compare.

985) The forehead eye, which is the two eyes made one, is the mating place of Ishtalinga. The one becoming two is the Ishta- Pranalinga. That Pranalinga has two hands. Its eyes themselves are the breasts. When those two breasts were held, the two eyes and the privates together came to be known as Trikuta. In the heart of that divine town called Trikuta, when the Jyotirlinga became one, one should not have the passions of the triple body. If the passions afflict that body, it is like the dedicated food getting spoiled by the touch of a dog. That food of Jeevatma is not worthy of offering to the Linga. If you ask of their plight, it was like that of a born- poor person, who, being bewildered at the sight of a hoarded treasure, died an unfortunate death. Those, who, feeling disgusted at the sight

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of such an unfortunate death, did not allow the passions of the triple body to afflict them; and who did not fall into the hell pit of lust, being buried into the Linga, became disembodied and got endless bliss in Guheshwaralinga, look!

986) Who ran the plough between the two mountains, making a rope of bear, and yoking together a tiger and an ox? What is this roaring of the sea meeting the sea, of two, of ten, of six and of eight? The majesty of the tranquil state of the Linga called Guheshwara is like the marching of the lame, holding the hand of the blind?

987) Look at the foolishness of ploughing a well between two mountains, making a rope of a stream! Look at the boatman whose paddle has broken, while rowing a boat in the stream? The majesty of the tranquillity of the Linga called Guheshwara is like a mouse biting the ear of a cat, sleeping unaware!

988) What use is singing billions of songs? It is like a dog barking at the mountain. The mind does not trust the Absolute, nor does the Absolute trust the mind. Once Guheshwaralinga is pleased, billions of songs will be hid in one word of yours.

989) When the Linga moves about where the three meet, the sowing of the seed in the field is a matter of meeting of Hari and Hara. Placing of passion-free treasure is impregnation. The fruit of sowing the Supreme seed is deliverance.

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It is proper to know the impregnation ceremony by the charming Linga, and the worship of the Linga bestowed by the master with the lotus-heart. This is mysterious, O Guheshwara!

990) O Basavanna, Before we came, a good sign of who would come appeared! Can a deity on the Mount Mandara be greater than the deity of the house? Know this well in Guheshwaralinga.

991) O mind, where the unthinkable, undivided light is shining, now it is your reality. O mind, where the doubt of you, being gone, is appearing again, now it is your reality. O mind, if your real nature could be understood, that itself is Brahma lore; that itself is Ultimate deliverance. That itself is essence of natural devotion to know our Guheshwaralinga. O mind, get this ascertained without forgetting.

992) O mind, if you want to know your reality, I will tell you about it , listen: It is pure light, beyond description. What certainty appeared to you while searching for it, now it is the ground of your perfection; that itself is the display of your perfect enlightenment! O mind, be free from care, having sought and got the holy feet of our Guheshwaralinga in that apparent undivided light.

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993) Can a tree rustle without leaves? Can a tank without water have ripples? Can a dumb one utter word? How can an opportunist have realization? Like a mad monkey stung by a scorpion, talk not without forgetting yourself in our Guheshwaralinga, O Ghattivalayya!

994) Because they speak and act like commoners, can we treat the pure enlightened ones, who have attained Reality as commons? Can the seed of the Shiva lore that shines bright in the middle of their heart be hollow? Can a white ant eat the ember, even if it does not burn bright, O Guheshwara?

995) Proving the stone inscription, that says-- ‘Linga does not exist anywhere’-- false, Guru took it into his possession. The disciple showed non-stop that It exists wherever It is sought -- he is strong . Guheshwaralinga’s awareness exists behind the six-fold screen!

996) Unless the perfume is blended with the sesame, it cannot suffuse the oil. Unless Ishtalinga is planted firm in the body, the bond with Pranalinga cannot take place. Therefore, unless you are bound up with the Ishtalinga, you cannot have a bond with the Pranalinga in Guheshwaralinga, look, O Siddharamayya!

997) What if one sees everything? He is blind, who does not see himself. What if one hears everything? He is deaf, if he does not hear his own voice.

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What if one speaks everything? He is dumb, if he does not speak to himself. One should see oneself with truth. One should hear oneself with truth. One should speak to oneself with truth. This is one’s own ground, one’s own land, one’s own form, look, O Guheshwara!

998) Where there was nothing , he brought the feeling of ‘I’ and ‘You’. What use is talking profusely of Naught and Aught? If the Aught can be made Naught, that Naught itself is Guheshwara.

999) To the Supreme Lingaikya, who has dissolved the feeling of ego into the great Absolute which says nothing, is there any obligation of meditation and silence, O Guheshwara?

1000) There appeared in the Void containing nothing a colour that absorbed the mind. When that colour painted the Void beautifully, the Void assumed a form. The beauty of that form itself is Guheshwaralinga’s first canvas.

1001) Tying the five and lifting up the other five, meditating and seeing with firm mind, shifting the secret bond of body and breath, when lifted up to the air zone, nectar slid inside. Having swallowed it in the navel zone, if one knows how to lift it to the air zone, he is a Shivayogi in Guheshwaralinga.

1002) Ten corpses are lying in the forest of the eye-black situated in the middle of the five. Because the relatives are in a large number, those corpses do not burn , nor could the forest-fire be extinguished .

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The niche is still burning, O Guheshwara!

1003) Five camels followed five elephants. One ram was pulling nine thousand horses. Can a half-mad person know a full mad one? A shepherd, who was milking a sheep, put the milk on the oven to boil. But a cat came and drank it. The shepherd was weeping, keeping the butter before him, look, O Guheshwara!

1004) Unless you know the five senses, you cannot know the characteristic property of each one , because that property belongs to one image that has assumed the triple form. If you worship with no thought of merit, that is not alien to our Guheshwaralinga, look, O Chandayya.

1005) When a betel nut was placed on a wall, it became pregnant. A pillar in the living room gave birth to a male child. Ember was made outside and fire was kindled inside. O brother, while going your way, have you seen our missing calf? I saw cattle graze day before yesterday in the field sown yesterday. I saw someone cut the neck of the calf, but no blood appeared. I saw fire burn, but no ash was seen. Our Guheshwaralinga was wonderstruck to see it!

1006) Lo, the saying— “Aiming to do one thing, you finish doing another”— has come true. I have met the master face to face through the experience of your company. O Chennabasavanna, tell me the secret:

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How the instruction was the same to you and me, in Guheshwaralinga?

1007) Look, the saying— “Setting out to do one thing, you finish doing another”— has come true in my case, O Basavanna. Trying to test Madivala’s way, I have come upon your precedent. Coming to keep fellowship with your precedent, I have come to know my own precedent! That in the company of the great seers, the dual union can be achieved is a fact now. Therefore, O Basavanna, I always say, ‘Hail, O hail!’ to Guheshwara’s Sharana Madivala’s feet, look!

1008) Can one be two, and two be one? Should, at the time of consummation, a doubt arise? Not knowing the stature of the Jangama, who has come, should you, thinking of the past, long for this and that? If you can satisfy this worthy person, your one lakh and ninety-six Jangamas shall find satisfaction, look! Not knowing the majesty of the Linga called Guheshwara, you became a fool, O Sangana Basavanna!

1009) Ask me, O Guheshwara, if you can stay amidst four directions, keeping darkness in one direction, body in another, Vachana in the third, and taste in the fourth .

1010) I addressed three arrows to one bow. When one arrow was discharged, Brahma’s creation was tied. When another arrow was discharged, Brahma’s hands were pinioned . The last arrow, slitting the forehead of Rudra,

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got its head blade broken. At last, the bow, held by Allama, Guheshwara’s Sharana, was broken.

1011) Fifty-six houses in a town have only one key. Lest the secret of that key should be known to any, the like-minded ones saw it in their mind. Rejecting the fellowship of the link of the eighteen places, staying alone in the company of the good, not allowing the happy moment to get spoiled, Your Sharana Chennabasavanna remained outside the town, O Guheshwara.

1012) Only one mind: How to meditate on the triple Linga at one and the same time? Knowing again and again, one became Linga-wise. If the front is focused, the back remains un-noticed; if the back is focused, the front remains un-noticed. If you say one contains two and two, it is nothing but the illusion of your mind. Can you change the purpose-less Linga into a purposeful one? Can you change an independent Linga into a dependent one? Because I have known Your ostentation and smartness, Your Sharana is the same that he was before.

1013) On the tip of a thorn, four and eighty lakh towns were built. A head-less watchman kept guard on those four and eighty lakh towns. That head-less watchman’s sister was very clever in talk. Carrying on her head a pot without bottom with a coil of snake under it, she went to fetch water from a well without water.

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In that waterless well, grew a plant without roots. When that plant grew into a tree, a monkey without legs climbed it up; A blind person saw it; A lame person, holding a bow without strings , discharged an arrow without blade; which failed to hit the monkey, but wounded the embryo within its womb. Our Guheshwara was amazed to see it!

1014) Should I say one? It is two. Should I say two? It is one. What is this doubt of one and two? What is this indivisible union without indivisible instruction? Is there any difference between master and disciple, O Guheshwara?

1015) Not knowing the way of one, two, three and four, the world perished; the earth perished, look. All the fourteen worlds perished, look. There was expansion here; creation came to stay. The rule of Marari is very severe, look. The impartite Chennabasavanna bade Nada chakras, Bindu Chakras and Kala Chakras stay. Defying the condition of Kala and Karma, the impartite Chennabasavanna stayed in the will-less state. Within himself, Chennabasavanna became dawn, light dissolving into light, O Guheshwara

1016) None knows how one has become two: That one remained one only; became the triple, and was beyond the Veda; was filled to the brim; was confined to the region; was within the reach of devotion. The body supported it.

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It is in the form of the eight-fold idol. Having joined the other power like Maya, and the triple qualities, it has been called a multi-souled thing— sensual self, senses self, physical self, living self, and super self. Having mingled with the airs, including Prana; having carried the inert matters; having conceived the dual Karmas called resolution and hesitation; having entered into various wombs; worlds on worlds are toiling and moiling. All beings are desiring and seeking in various ways the kind of form intending to assume first. Thinking of, and saying, ‘Hail’ to Sangana Basavanna, who has mingled with It, as if not mingled, I have become pure, look, O Guheshwara!

1017) Who knows how one became two? Who knows the three within the two? Who can, recognizing the face of the three, do devotion together ? In Guheshwaralinga, Only Sangana Basavanna is one such.

1018) All those, who became victims of the doubt that says one is two, took various births. Alas! fighting for great and small, they got into bondage! Guheshwara has imbibed in Himself integrally the glory attained by embodying both one and two.

1019) I saw nine camels gather and lay three eggs! When an elephant went to play, I saw a flea devour it! Where a woman went to play, I saw one Chandramati. I saw a fly swallow the sphere of the earth. Tell me, is there any who has seen the Linga called Guheshwara?

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1020) They talk of the served Prasada. They talk of the left-over Prasada. Cannot a cat eat both the served and the left-over Prasada? He alone is a Prasadi in Guheshwaralinga, who knows the five-fold link of the served and the left-over .

1021) I call him a pure Sharana, who likes the flesh of the body. I call him a pure Lingavanta, who likes the flesh held in the fold of his garment. If one of these is not liked, creation and dissolution are inevitable. He alone is a Sharana who, liking the flesh of the body in the holy Guru Mahalinga, has become a pure worldling, O Guheshwara.

1022) O you, all humans, who have put on flesh, listen: Fate is plaguing the three worlds incessantly. Maya posed a hurdle to those who refused body’s ornament. Maya posed a hurdle to the six systems. So also to the elders who refused to have wife and children. Maya made all gods, including Mrida, Hari and Virinchi, play like a monkey, O Guheshwara.

1023) Look, how it lights up the body. Being with the body, it becomes the main stay of the body, and yet remains untouched by the body. Look, how it shines, being light to light itself! Look at the serene supreme spirit called Guheshwara.

1024)

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What happened to the half-wit, who does not know how to wash the pot inside, before filling it with water? Will you tell me? How is he who seeks water, not knowing how to shed all attachment to water? Pray, tell me. How is mason Ramayya , who builds tanks, neither surveying the site, nor knowing the water source? Pray, tell me. What sort of a fool must Siddharamayya be, who does not know the towering height of our Guheshwaralinga? Pray, tell me.

1025) Inside Pranalinga, outside Kayalinga. The mind does not blush at the mind. What is this? If two folds are one, that itself is the right path, O Guheshwara.

1026) The cobbler, who reads the Veda beginning with OM, cannot realize Vibhuti. The rogues, who read Purana, cannot realize Vibhuti. The sons of bazaar harlots, who read Shastra, cannot realize Vibhuti. Other than those Shivajnanis who know the bond between body and Linga, cannot realize Vibhuti. Keeping Vibhuti in the palm, mixing it with water, offering it to Linga, wearing it on the forehead, making bold marks, recalling the six letter spell, if he washes his hand, he becomes a traitor to Guru, a traitor to Linga, and a traitor to Jangama.

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You should not see the face of the sinners, who wash their hand after applying the sacred Vibhuti to their forehead. You should wear Vibhuti, regarding it as Shiva and Para- Shiva. Proof: “You should wear the three marks of the sacred Vibhuti mixed with water, sanctified by the six-letter Mantra.” Because the one who washes his hands, after having worn the sacred ash is not worthy of both the world of gods and the world of mortals. I swear by You and Your saints that our Guheshwaralinga Himself became Vibhuti, look, Sangana Basavanna.

1027) When the god called ’Om Namaha Shivaya’ is there, holding on to the body, do not be under the obligation of the stone Linga. Being trapped in the net of illusion created by the body and its maker, you all, who have bonded with the body , failed to understand the Great Absolute. If you worship falsehood by cutting falsehood, it will not fit into regular practice. Your Sharanas’ bond does not appear at all to the multi-faced one, O Guheshwara!

1028) The entire world became a dog, not knowing ‘Om Namaha Shivaya’. Not knowing themselves, if they do not practice as heard and told, they cannot escape a dog’s death. Then where is deliverance for them? Whatever is preached to them, it is of no avail, look, O Guheshwara!

1029) Are there any who have eaten the fruit along with the seed?

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Are there any who have realized Linga, Keeping the body’s properties? Unless the armour is torn, the weapon cannot pierce the body. Unless one knows that spirit, our Guheshwaralinga cannot be understood, look, Ambigara Chowdayya.

1030) Eating from the skull, playing in the forest, uniting with the spirit— lo, a person of strange story! Linga is both omniscient and nascent. Guheshwara alone is outside; all others are impure, O Sir!

1031) Read and read, the Vedas became debatable. Heard and heard, the Shastras became doubtful. Known and known, the Agamas became widespread. The querry –Who am I? and Who are you?— led to the dissolution of Brahma into the Void, O Guheshwara!

1032) O Hail to Shiva, hail! Is it the glory of the tranquil sun that hides behind the great sky? Or is it the glory of the intellectual light of Linga, with the ten airs being still? Or is the splendid white of the pearl of liberation whereof itself the process of liberation has ended. Or is it the stature of a creating machine shorn of all raiment, even the skin, refusing all constraints of rosaries? Or is it the glorious flame that rose from divine fire amidst vain discourse they had, not knowing its true worth? What majesty it is cannot be known. a strange thing appeared to Guheshwara’s eyes,

379 look you, Sangana Basavanna. .

1033) Unless you raze the Sign before the eyes; unless you raze the mind that is before the object of desire; unless the sense of doership ceases, there is no peace. Otherwise, O Aydakki Marayya, you cannot see Guheshwaralinga.

1034) Jyotirlinga in the eyes, Udbhavapratishtheya Linga on the palm, Amrita Linga in the Brahmarandhra. The cleft between the two must be bridged to know Guheshwaralinga, O Siddharamayya.

1035) When desired, the mind’s impurity was razed. When troubled, the mind’s impurity was razed. When touched, the mind’s impurity was razed. The sense of I merged in Guheshwaralinga.

1036) The wretched people, who cannot break the log in their eyes, who cannot break the begging bowl in their hands, who cannot see the treasure hoarded within themselves by penetrating, are laughing so loud as to show their teeth, look, O Guheshwara!

1037) Beyond compare is the beauty of Your going: Whatever it touches is alchemized. Whatever it sees is consecrated. Whatever it hears transforms all that into spiritual discourse. Those who hold conversation with You are instantly saved. You sanctify the world as You pass by. All the earth You tread on, turns into a pilgrim place. The waters You touch are holy waters.

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All those who do devotion to You, with bowed head, unite with You, O Guheshwara!

1038) Oh, I saw the hero without guts! Oh, I saw the lover without youth! Oh, I saw the valor without arms! Oh, I saw the fragrance without flowers. Oh, I saw in Guheshwaralinga, the name called Marulashankara.

1039) To say you have seen, is the error of your eyes. To say you have not seen, is the ignorance of your mind. To say you are united, is the ignorance of your awareness. To say you have parted, is utter ignorance. Once you know the taint of illusion, like sight and non-sight, union and separation, listen, O mother, there is no parting from Guheshwaralinga.

1040) Did you see Basavanna? Like the existence of the thread that moves the pupil of the eye; like the soft glow hidden in gold; like the flavor of the essence hidden in butter, bodiless form, Void without will, light that transcends light! O Sangana Basavanna, behold Marulashankaradeva in Guheshwaralinga.

1041) When there is one pillar, one temple, one god, can I call Your honoured Sharanas

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gods, O Guheshwara?

1042) Does one become a Bhakta by tying a Linga? Does one become a traitor, if he drops his Linga? If one wants to tie the Linga, is it in his hands? If one wants to drop the Linga, can it fall down? Can the earth bear its weight, if that Linga falls down? Once Pranalinga drops down, can life-breath remain? The tainted word that says Linga has dropped down is a cluster of illusion. Such a word cannot be heard. Ages after ages have passed away, but does Linga pass away? Do not listen to the word of the traitor, who blames saying Linga has fallen, look, O Guheshwara!

1043) Look, how he follows the master, seeing him come, going against the troubled waters! I have seen the wonder of his ceaseless charge, making gait, speech and energy one! The eye that does not wander far, the hand holding fast, the gentle, un-protesting wife, who does not say I do not want, and sinks between her husband’s arms: This is how they meet! It is mid-night, yet the bright day is around! On seeing him, whose service is so perfect, people from nook and corner throng. When he gave with liberal hand, rejoiced, and blessed all those

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who serve gazing on him to their heart’s content. See how the great one, who has shed the twain, has no wound on the body, and goes unscathed . Because the men who give are myriad, but the person who gives spontaneously is only one. I beseech the mercy of the great one, keep his feet upon my forehead. I say ‘Hail, O hail!’ to Basavanna, Guheshwara’s Sharana.

1044) Foremost in your mind was the ego of having brought from the remotest place to the centre of the town. Tell me, whence is this stark illusion of four and eighty lakhs Shiva temples? Can the creatures of this world ever house the Supreme Absolute? Thrust all your one lakh six and ninety thousand Lingas in your breast. O foolish Siddharamayya, you have forgotten that Guheshwaralinga has gone away avoiding you!

1045) I loitered around countless countries. I wore an ill- fitting cloak. I have to beg for alms of devotion, holding a hunger-less bowl. Guheshwara is hungry. Get up to serve food, O Sangana Basavanna.

1046) I failed to see the one who was before my eyes. The whole world perished, not being able to see the worth seeing. If one can see what one ought to see, there was neither union nor parting. Your Sharana knows, O Guheshwara,

383 the happiness coming from not seeing; not uniting; not parting.

1047) An eye to an eye; an eye in the eye; the eye itself is eye. The eye is a thread; the thread is Linga; that Linga itself is a mystery, more mysterious than mystery. More hidden than the hidden treasure. More secret than secrecy. None other than Guheshwara knows the power of the eye. How can the sore-eyed know it?

1048) The dust particle in the eye, the thorn in the foot, the doubt in the mind, are removed, when the mind called Guheshwara becomes tranquil!

1049) Unless the eye sees, the mind does not remember . What the mind remembers, the feet take one to it. Unless the feet move, no work can be done. Feet mean whatever you do. All that action is Linga. Therefore, all action without Linga, is like the festival of a household deity, which is not consecrated. Listen, you Chandayya, for our Guheshwaralinga, this is what purity means.

1050) He has no form, though visible to the eyes.

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He has no body, though the hand can seize Him. He has no motion, though He moves. He is not talkative, though He talks. He is no foe to those who abuse Him. He is no friend to those who praise Him. No rhetorical words can reach Guheshwara’s height.

1051) In the Kanakachala mount, a precious stone called the Lord of day was born. He is measuring time in a measuring pot called Yes or No. The measure being filled to the brim, the heart of the measure being full, and also the eyes of Guheshwara being full, everything became auspicious.

1052) Search they may, how so much, they cannot see the image in the mirror. It shines bright in the circle between the eyes-brows. Guheshwara dwells in those who know this.

1053) When the pearl in the sugar cane juice was broken, look, a blue glow spread on the eye-brows. They are crying , tying it in a diamond knot. Poets cannot know the two-fold mystery. None but Guheshwara’s self-experiments can know it.

1054) Sugar cane grows in black soil. It grows fat where water is plenty. Sleep increases, where poverty is. The combat will be on a large scale, where paid wrestlers are involved. Wisdom grows where there are elder Sharanas, who have surrendered themselves to Shiva. Our Guheshwara was astonished to see this.

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Hands and feet may grow apart, but the spirit that knows and touches is one. Even from a single drop of sap may grow numerous kinds of plants. Like that, O Siddharamayya, there is no sense of ‘You’ and ‘I’ in Guheshwaralinga.

1056) I saw in the light on my palm, the light of the great Linga. He seems to be a dweller of an auspicious house. Guheshwaralinga’s dwelling being very auspicious, His fame shone, and waved light to Sangana Basavanna.

1057) When the Linga on the palm is made known to the mind, and the Linga in the mind is made known to the whole being, where is room for sense of difference? Once harmonious union with Guheshwaralinga is achieved , there is no two, look, Chennabasavanna!

1058) When the Linga on the palm penetrated the body, it became Kaya Linga; When such great Linga penetrated Prana, it became Prana Linga; When such great Linga penetrated Bhava, it became Bhava linga; When such great Linga penetrated Jnana, it became Jnana Linga; Therefore, to our Guheshwara’s Sharana, awareness having shrunk and the Sign becoming perfect , the sense of one-self became nil, like the camphor consumed by fire.

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1059) An elephant died, being freed from the shackles of the sense of touch. A moth died, being freed from the shackles of the sense of sight. A bee died, being freed from the shackles of the sense of smell. An antelope died, being freed from the shackles of the sense of sound. A fish died, being freed from the shackles of the sense of taste. Thus, each animal perished because of one of the senses being excited. Being created at one stage of the five senses, mortal creatures, making room for oblivion, the infatuation and illusion of the body enveloping, became prey to illusion. Tell me, O Guheshwara, what is this wonder?

1060) To perform Linga worship, if the sense stretched its hand for flower, that flower merged in the sense, O Sir! The sixteen-fold luster and sixteen petals blossomed; the tree born of the male flower does take the manure of food; it does not know the eye of lust; sleep does not cloud its eyes. This flower, which is not fostered by being fed on the waves of the sun and the moon, grew, making Linga the soil, look! O Guheshwara, saying that the flower is never impure, Your Sharanas performed Pranalinga worship.

1061) Cutting the bundle of past deeds, I saw the door of Brahmarandhra, and also a pillar over that!

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Felling down that pillar, I saw the great glorious light, and the Linga called Guheshwara.

1062) The heap of my Karmas has melted away. The net of my sin passed by me. I do not want to stay in this world. I am burnt in its suffering. I have trampled on the head of Maya. I swear by You, O Guheshwara, I will not return.

1063) The body without taint of the past; life without the binding of sense; words free from churning; movement without motion. Your coming, O Guheshwara, has pleased Sangana Basavanna, look, Siddharamayya.

1064) While doing Kayaka, regarding work as life, where else is the pure source of knowledge? If your life is spent in practice only, where and when are you going to fight? To know Guheshwaralinga, rejecting the known, letting the already known wither, like the rice cleaned from the husk, the body should be pure, O Siddharamayya!

1065) A warrior, holding his severed head in his hand, visits several islands and groans! The wit-less is asking for news, requesting— Show him to me, those of you who have seen him. Tell me about him, those of you who have heard about him.

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The head, swallowing the head itself, went to several islands. O Guheshwara, the head has already disappeared!

1066) Look at the food called fiction prepared by the Bhakta. Infinite crores of the egg-born creatures became provisions; fickle passions became the heat; all desires became ghee. While all these items were being served, look, how the elders, who have come for meal, are eating! When the great one called Unalterable came, all the food items disappeared. Only the platter remained. When that platter was placed on the head, it became care-free, O Guheshwara!

1067) In the platter called Kalyana, filled with devotion’s oil, the moment the light of Basavanna touched the wick called right conduct, the splendour of Shiva flashes and shines bright. In that splendor do shine innumerable devotees. Can it be gainsaid that the spot where Shiva’s devotees dwell is the holy place, Avimukta? Can it be gainsaid that the land where Shiva’s devotees tread is sanctified ? Look, Siddharamayya, I am saved by the sight of my most worthy Basavanna in Guheshwaralinga!

1068) All those, who mastered the art of writing poetry, perished by grief. All those, who mastered learning, became witless.

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All those, who Mastered air, became ravens and crows. All those, who mastered water, became frogs and fish. All those, who mastered food, became spirits. But Basavanna, who realized the Guru, became Linga Itself, O Guheshwara!

1069) Unless one eats the flesh of a crow, he is no Bhakta. Unless one eats the flesh of a he-buffalo he is no Maheshwara. Unless one eats the flesh of a monkey, he is no Prasadi. Unless one eats the flesh of a dog , he is no Pranalingi. Unless one eats excretion, he is no Sharana. Unless one eats these five, he is no Lingaikya, O Guheshwara!

1070) All those, who eat food, pestering and demanding, belong to Brahma’s tradition. All those, who eat by pounding, belong to Vishnu’s tradition. All those, who gobble greedily, belong to Yama’s tradition. All those, who, not belonging to any of these, eat alms of devotion, belong to Your tradition, look, O Guheshwara!

1071) For the forest fire, the forest itself is the target. For the water fire, the ocean itself is the target. For the body fire, the body itself is the target. For the fire of total destruction, all the worlds are the target. For the fire of anger rising in the heart of Shivasharanas, those who censure them are the target. Yet, listen, O Guheshwara,

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I am no target for your illusive massive flames.

1072) I saw the Un-seen, I heard the Un-heard. I touched the Un-touchable. I attained the Un-attainable. I seized the Un-seizable. I fathomed the Un-fathomable. Saying, Hail, O hail! to your Sharana Ajaganna, I became pure, O Guheshwara.

1073) With the visible body and audible sound, Brahma is plaguing the world by censuring it, O Sir! Brahma is plaguing and pestering the world by mocking at it, O Sir! O Guheshwara, A Sharana alone can snap, realizing that he himself is Brahma, the roots of worldly life.

1074) If the Master invisible should appear before your eyes— the un-uttered prayer, the un-touched touch of hand and head, the un-smeared ash-mark, the un-heard whisper of spell in the ear. the holy bath with the water from the pot that never overflows, and the initiation without the Agama ritual— should take place. Then you have the Linga that cannot be worshipped, and a bond that never binds, O Guheshwara, make me fit to receive Your fitting grace.

1075) From lust, the flesh, from anger, the bones, from greed, all senses, all that is seen for thelure of eyes, falls into the trap of lust.

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Tell me, which is the place where Guheshwara conquered lust?

1076) How can one know the majesty of the illimitable one, who plucked the thorn in the eyes of Kama; who broke the bounds of the earth’s oil; who put out the sacrificial fire and severed Daksha’s head from the body? He is past understanding and beyond the bounds of comparison. Know yourself how great is Marulashankaradeva , who is Guheshwara’s Karuna Prasadi .

1077) Don’t call him Yogi or Bhogi, who slew Kama, the God of love; who burnt away the sacrificial fire; who knew the key to the destruction of Tripura, for he is a pure Lingaikya. In forgetting hunger, in conquering passions, Siddharamayya is Guheshwara Himself.

1078) He has no lust, no anger, no greed, no infatuation, no pride, no envy, no hunger, no thirst. Not occupied with sensual desire, or passions, he has already broken thed bondage of the world; has no merit, no sin, no conduct—good or bad. Your Sharana is perfect in right practice.

1079) Lust ate truth; anger ate wisdom; greed ate charity; infatuation ate up detachment; pride ate devotion; envy ate worthiness. These six enemies—

392 lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride, envy— cannot reach You. Country dogs called the six-fold bad conduct ate good conducts called truth, wisdom, charity, detachment, devotion and worthiness. Having no good conduct, I became country-less, look, O Guheshwara!

1080) I have seen those who were awestruck, having lusted, had their sight fixed, O Sir. I have seen those who were awe-struck, having conceived, had their sight fixed, O Sir. I have seen those who were awe-struck, having felt, had their sight fixed , O Sir I have seen those who were awestruck, having formed a form and had their sight fixed, O Sir. Having seen Sangana Basavanna, the premiere teacher, Guheshwaralinga settled permanently there only.

1081) Body being the difference of Twain, soul was one ; Body being a devotee, soul was Jangama; When the form assumed by me was Basavanna, and the knowledge gained by me was Guheshwaralinga, I was only remembering Him.

1082) Who knew that it was a body of body, heart of heart, and life of life? Thinking that Guheshwara is far, near, in here and out there they themselves are out.

1083) If there is a gap between body and breath, it is no Pranalinga, look. Having eaten worldly food, they are sporting , but do they ever become

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worthy of offering to Linga? How can he, who holds this stone Linga, know that stone? Like two persons coming, when one is invited, there is no stuff in their feeling, look, O Guheshwara.

1084) When body’s property was spoiled, worship also was spoiled. When Prana’s property was spoiled, offering too was spoiled. When Will’s property was spoiled, dual troubles ended. Therefore, Our Guheshwara’s Sharanas , transcending the rigid thought of eating the left-over of Linga, merged in the Brahma, which is un-divided oneness.

1085) Having attained deliverance whilst living, shedding body’s qualities, Sharana attained perfect enlightenment, look. O Guheshwara, Your Sharana became blissful beyond compare, as he did not know what is inside and what is outside, as he , rejecting both Dualism and Monism, achieved deliverance through perfection.

1086) Look, how foolish Siddharamayya is, who wants to burn again one; who has shed corporeal quality; whose pride of illusion is destroyed; in whom the trace of lust and anger is erased; whose body is dissolved in he Linga; whose eyes have lost their luster; and who is burnt in the fire of pangs of separation from Guheshwara.

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1087) Unlike those who possess body, He cannot be grasped. Unlike those creatures who breathe, He does not move this way and that. He cannot be gauged with eyes, nor can He be measured with ears. Guheshwara’s height cannot be reached by simply praising, look, Siddharamayya!

1088) Be they gods, be they givers, who came into this world in flesh, it’s difficult to conquer Maya, look. Karma chases and plagues those who aspire for the bliss of remembering God, by dispelling the darkness of the mind. If you remember Guheshwaralinga the less, forgetfulness shall mock you the more. O Sangana Basavanna, your fond remembrance of God is without a parallel.

1089) The mind that gets fixed in the love of body, should break loose in the eye’s goal. The taint of the eyes should be washed away in the love of the sight. With the mind’s taint being torn, the illusion of the will called Guheshwara should vanish.

1090) If one breathes one’s last, being afraid of body’s vexations, the cycle of births does not cease, nor does nature’s course stop. For obstinacy’s sake, they are prepared to die and unite with God. I was amazed at this talk of obstinacy. Possessing body, if one knows the death that does not die, Guheshwara Himself will not be far off.

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1091) Body’s pains are gone, when I do not take note of them. When I bid the breath’s sins be gone, they are gone. When the mind is pure, the stains of body and breath are gone. If you would know Guheshwaralinga, know Him within your own self., O Siddharamayya.

1092) Bathing for the Linga at the hands of the body, and feeding for the Jangama at the hands of Prana— these must be done. As long as one is alive, Linga must be bathed. As long as the soul called Guheshwaralinga is there , virtuous deeds must be done.

1093) When a stone drops upon the body, and the soul knows where it dropped; When they are put on fire, which feels the pain—body or soul, or both? For Guheshwara there is no other.

1094) What is offered in the body is no offering. What is offered in the soul is no offering, nor what is offered in the will and consciousness. Attention without thought of giving, and eating without forgetting-- that is an offering made without touching it. I’ve seen today Guheshwaralinga’s feast through Basavanna.

1095) It is not a figure made of body, neither of breath nor of spirit.

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It’s not a figure either of merit or of liberation. It’s neither of ages nor of aeon; neither of Shiva nor of Shakti. With what shall the figure match? Invisible body, blinding luster, glory incomparable, O Guheshwara, what shall I say of this bliss made visible for a cause?

1096) Body being spent from body, breath from breath, when one is free from care, thirst and hunger perish, look. Both longing for eating and disgust for food too cease. Satisfaction lies within one-self. Therefore, Our Guheshwara does not like to eat, look, O Sangana Basavanna.

1097) Listen, you Siddharamayya, Guheshwara’s own Sharana , no sense dwells in your body, nor will in your breath; no error dwells in your will, nor air moves through your nine veins. Your consciousness being lost in the Brahmarandhra, you are a Shivayogi. Having seen you, my wheel of births has come to a halt.

1098) When Reality is made possible with body having turned to body, mind to mind, and will to will, knowledge to the core of knowledge, without forgetfulness or deception. Then which is the essence, which the act; which is teaching, which revelation, I did not tell you , nor did you ask.

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If you wish to know the cause, there is no room for question or answer. Tell me, O Basavanna, where is the room to show or hide in Guheshwara?

1099) Is body a Lingaikya? No, stay. Is breath a Lingaikya? No, stay. He is a Lingaikya, who knows the bond between body and breath. He alone is the Master, who, having passed through nine doors, can stay at the tenth door, look, Guheshwara.

1100) As long as one walks about carrying the burden of the body, to say I have known Reality, is false. O Sangana Basavanna, if one knows Guheshwaralinga, one should be like a drop on the lotus-leaf, without taint.

1101) Bound to body, there is Linga still; Bound to Linga, there is body still; Bound to awareness, there is oblivion still; Bound to oblivion, there is manifest awareness still. How then Linga and Body have become one in you? Tell me. How have you become one with Guheshwaralinga, losing the names and fences that divide God and devotee? Tell me, O Sangana Basavanna.

1102) As long one lives holding on to body, who can defy the senses, tell me, O Chennabasavanna? Like washing dirt with water, washing the impurity of Karma with Karma, you freed me from the perversities of body in doing body’s Karma!

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You told me, O Chennabasavanna , Guheshwaralinga has no body.

1103) Be he Kalagnirudra, who was born with body; Be he Kamasamhari, who was born with body; Be he Parameshwara without a beginning, who was born with body-- none of these could gain knowledge. We saw you appear not wearing the illusive garb of body, though possessing body, in Guheshwaralinga, look, Chennabasavanna!

1104) As long as one possesses body, one must know through the association of Sharanas. So long as there is breath, one must tear off the bond with the wheel of births through awareness. As long as there is awareness, you must have the Sign called Guheshwara.

1105) Body being a false cloak, the mind, a house of Yoga, it is a figure made of the special link with sense. What shall I say of it? How can I describe it? It is a trance coming from the contact with joy. Both the cloak of heart and the care-free Brahma meet in Guheshwaralinga.

1106) Those who donned the cloak of flesh, be he Brahma, be he Vishnu,

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be he Ishwara, be he Rudra, with eyes on the sole of his foot, with eyes all over the body, and with Nandi as his vehicle, be he Gangadhara, be he Gouripati, would not let them go un-plagued, look. If I were in Kailas, donning the cloak of flesh, if cheap Rudras crushed me and trampled on me, getting up and shaking myself, I went to my master, and got the creeper of birth cut, look! Fearing the past birth, and rejecting the future in the other world, if I spent my life-span with derision, both merit and sin remained outside me. Crossing the sea of life posed by Guheshwaralinga, I saw the front door of the house of true Reality and entered it , bowing my head down.

1107) Entering the plantain-grove of flesh as I came wandering through the different rooms called senses in the cave called breath, it was day-break in the triple room of the Meru House, Guheshwaralinga, assumed a form, O Sangana Basavanna.

1108) Unless you shed body’s unreality, tear off the taint called breath, and true piety is made possible, the joy coming from Linga will never penetrate you. To say ‘I will give, and you take’, is sheer ignorance. None other than those ,

400 whose Sign being destroyed , truth alone remains, can serve food to our Guheshwaralinga, look, Sangana Basavanna.

1109) In the city called body, there is fire of the belly, and a sacrificial pit called hunger, thirst, food and drinks. All regular rigid rules and other things were poured into it as oblation, O Guheshwara!

1110) In the temple of body, breath is the god. Getting worshipped at the hands of local priests called sense organs, will not do for Guheshwaralinga.

1111) I see no one who can conquer the vast plantain-grove of body: The seven seas of Samsara surround it. In the vast forest of the cycle of births, the poisonous rain of the five senses pours. A huge tiger of anger is roaring. The elephants of the eight-fold pride are stamping about in the street. As the rain of fire called lust is pouring, you cannot step out. Large snakes of envy are belching fire. The child of sin called greed is chewing the cud. The counter-shafted rain called triple-pain is pouring incessantly, preventing your stepping out. Hills of ego have fallen across the way. You cannot look in the face of fear of ghosts called the five elements. The monster Maya devours raw flesh. The wells of sexual pleasure cannot be used. The creeper of infatuation

401 entangles the feet. The sharp edged sword of covetousness cannot be unsheathed. Gods, demons and men, not being able to enter such a plantain-grove, have gone crazy, and run away. Those who have eyes upon their soles, those who have eyes all over their bodies, have lost their heads. But I have entered this plantain grove, and have fought my way through. Untouched by thorns, I have conquered the plantain grove. Staying in the ultimate trance called Guheshwara being possessed, I am more tranquil than tranquillity.

1112) Body is form, and breath is both form and the formless. When will itself is formless Linga, there is nothing else like what comes, or what is possessed, or what dwells within oneself! When the union of Shiva and Shakti has given birth to body and soul, O Chennabasavanna, why hold another Sign to know?

1113) If you say your body has become pure, Linga does not stay firm in you. If you say your life breath has become pure, Linga does not stay firm in you. If you say your will has become pure, Linga does not stay firm in you. If you say you have become pure and calm, Reality cannot be realized in Guheshwaralinga, listen, O mother.

1114) Being disgusted with my body being a woman , I spent my time. Being disgusted with my deceitful mind

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being a woman, I gave it up. Why entertain a doubt that woman is guile? Look, mother, all discourse with women is a poisonous food. Pray, tell us, who is your husband in Guheshwaralinga?

1115) Should I remember without making Him wait, a person without illusion came to me, look! Should I remember without illusion, I got happiness beyond imagination, look! Once the Linga called Guheshwara is known, the feeling of ‘You’ and ‘I’ disappear, look!

1116) Time knows what time it is, if time is multiplied by time. Time knows what time it is, if time is multiplied by time sixty times. Time knows what time it is, if time is multiplied by time fifty times. Time knows what time it is, if time is multiplied by time forty times. Time knows what time it is, if time is multiplied by time thirty times. Time knows what time it is, if time is multiplied by time twenty times. Time knows what time it is, if time is multiplied by time ten times. Thus if you know the mystery of the multiplication of time, pray, tell me, O Chennabasavanna.

1117) Unless he has killed Time, he is no Shuddha Prasadi. Unless he has swallowed lust, he is no Siddha Prasadi. Unless he has burnt the triple town, he is no Prasiddha Prasadi. This triple Prasada is for none but one, who, having created fire in the mud, beats his belly, mark, O Guheshwara.

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1118) If the wild fire called world destroying fire burns the world, Shivasharanas are least scared. Should the Moon-wearer open His angry eye, Shivasharanas are least worried. Should a Shivasharana, who has Mastered God with odd eyes open his eyes, who will, in the fourteen worlds, escape the anger of his eyes? O Guheshwara, If the light of Your consciousness becomes hot, the target shall be the heart of Siddharama Shivayogi.

1119) Is the spirit moving in theleg, hand and breath, O God? Where one sheds his ego, there Guheshwaralinga Himself dwells!

1120) You first wash your face and legs, and then pour water over your body. Is one’s own Self Linga? Is one’s own hand Linga? Tell me, what is Linga? Not knowing Linga Sthala, they perished by dual sense, O Guheshwara.

1121) Fire caused boils on his body; water caught cold; and a tree on the crystal mount bore a fruit! Lo, a head plucked and swallowed it! Six children were born to a man without wife. Lo, Guheshwara, The undivided whole, is quite calm!

1122) If ember is said to be Void, has it ever caught the impartite and got kindled? If awareness is said to be true,

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there is no name for it to hide itself. Born in the form of fire, unless that form is burnt, it will not perish on its own. So long as this twain secret is not understood, one should hold on to the Sign in the hand. The knowledge of the knower should be perfect. As long as that twain is not understood, one should lose oneself in our Guheshwaralinga, O Ambigara Chowdayya!

1123) What if one is young? What if one is old? In awareness there is no difference of age. Before time and timeless were there, before crores of microcosms and macrocosms had dawned, it was seen that you alone were a great seer in Guheshwaralinga, mark, O Chennabasavanna!

1124) He is no Bhakta who does devotion for fame and name. He is no Jangama, who eats his bread by preaching to others. He is no Guru, who gives Prasada triple times a day. He is no disciple, who receives it triple times a day. He is a Jangama , who does not visit another’s wife. He is a Prasadi , who is devoid of the taint of time. He is a Guru, who gives Prasada as if he does not. He is a Jangama, Who, lodging his faith with that disciple, goes the way of no return. He is a Bhakta,

405 who serves the Jangama with his wealth, breath and pride. Except Basavanna, how do the disguisers know the secret of this four-fold thing and of Guheshwara ?

1125) You are like a Kundaliga worm, unsoiled, O Basavanna. You are like the lotus in water, untouched by water, O Basavanna. You are like the pearl born of water, and yet not retaining water, O Basavanna. What do you want to do by Guheshwaralinga’s command, with the religion of those, who are drunk with body’s qualities and blinded by riches, O Sangana Basavanna?

1126) As long as the Sign is there, there is need of the religious community. As long as one wants to know, there is dependency upon the soul. As long as one denies and affirms, there is dependency upon all persons. As long as one utters Guheshwara, one must depend upon Linga, O Ghattivalanna.

1127) Tell me, who else is there that does not mix with the caste people, though born in a caste, and has grown in his stand? Tell me, who else is there that has become Linga Itself by serving Linga and Jangama, but has not let his mind run to the three sprawling mountains. As it is said, “Self Linga, Self Sharana, Self enjoyment.” O Guheshwara, I say, Hail, O hail! to your Sharana Sangana Basavanna.

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1128) O mother, what is the way of merging in the Absolute, which does not permit merging in? In the way you spell it out, there appears some flaw in it. Tell me, how to merge in Him and yet to keep Him apart.

1129) O Sangana Basavanna, should you not be like the love between the mother tortoise and its young one? O Sangana Basavanna, should you not be like the covenant between the cuckoo and the crow? O Sangana Basavanna, should you not be like the monkey that jumps safely from branch to branch? O Sangana Basavanna, should you not be like the swan that strains water from the milk? Should you seek again the attention that you have lost in Guheshwaralinga?

1130) In the Krita Age, for devotion’s sake, I was a Ganeshwara called Sthoolakaya. In the Tretayu Age, for devotion’s sake, I was a Ganeshwara called Shunya kaya. In the Dwapara Age, for devotion’s sake, I was a Ganeshwara called Animisha. In the Kali Age, for devotion’s sake, I am a Ganeshwara called Allamaprabhu, O Guheshwara!

1131) You were Ganeshwara Skanda In the Krita Age, I know. You were Ganeshwara Nilalochana In the Treta Age, I know. You were Ganeshwara Veerabhadra In the Dwapara Age, I know. In the Kali Age, you were Ganeshwara Basava

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in right practices, and opening the eyes of devotion and knowledge, fostered the growth of the mighty Shiva cult, held aloft the flags of the Shiva devotion, and spread it in the mortal world, I know. Guheshwara being witness, I have been saying, Hail, O hail! to your glory, mark Sangana Basavanna.

1132) Who made the Linga which was not worshipped? The Linga that is beyond the whole universe, leaving no room even to place a finger tip. Look at the shameless ones who babble that higher than the highest master gave it and the disciple took it, O Guheshwara.

1133) Should you hit the hill of fire with an arrow of lac, can you look for that arrow? Can a temple of fog have a pinnacle of sunlight? Once you know the Linga called Guheshwara, should you remember Him again?

1134) Going to look for the lost thing, when that lost thing is seen , none was asked about it. It was as if it were there earlier. Likewise, When a Sharana was amazed at the self-realization achieved through his own mystic experience, do the ignorant ones know it, O Guheshwara?

1135) Temples and tanks are part of the past tradition. Rites and rituals are subject to rebirth. O Siddharamayya, do cut the link between yesterday and tomorrow, and bind yourself fast to Guheshwaralinga.

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1136 What shall I say of the prowess of a mason who gets tanks built? Look, how much trouble he takes to draw out water by digging the earth? What is this ignorance of cutting stones and cementing one to another? This way of life is a wonder to me, O Guheshwara!

1137) Some say they saw It, some say they can’t see It. What is this It? The galaxy of stars or the sphere of the sun? Guheshwara dwells in the town called Moon Mount.

1138) When there weren’t the seven underworlds; when there were no seven upper worlds;. there was Guru; there was Linga; Prasada was made; Padodaka was made. Nothing is new now. When he was a vehicle to the Moon-wearer, Guheshwara’s Sharana Sangana Basavanna possessed the Linga.

1139) Before the seven nether worlds were there; before the seven upper worlds were there; before all cosmic eggs were there, and farther back beyond you were Linga Bhakta, and one whose very breath was Jangama. As the bull-rider was absorbed by the Moon-wearer’s devotee, I came to know today that Basavanna was a Bhakta to our Guheshwaralinga!

1140) They tie It to their hand. They tie It around their neck.

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They tie It to their body. They tie It to their head. But they do not tie It to their mind. Because the ancients passed away, they too pass away for nothing. Is passing away a right thought, O Guheshwara?

1141) A stick in the hand and anger in the heart, But humility only in speech! Tell me, O Basava, why the talk of Linga for you? When you have impure words to say that Jangama is Linga, tell me , O Basava, why the talk of true piety for you? Tell me , O Basava, does the form of iron turn to alchemic stone at the touch of alchemic stone, instead of gold? If you can know the statue of alchemic stone called Guheshwara, know yourself well, O Sangana Basavanna.

1142) All those, who went to Kailasa, became captives. All those, who merged in Linga, earned nothing but bonds. All those, who attained Salokya, Sameepya, Saayujya--are moving up and down. Because your devotee Sangana Basavanna got the grace of Jangama, himself became Linga!

1143) What is called Kailas is a silver mount. The only person who dwells there is Rudra. O Guheshwara, your Sharana knows that both the Silver Mount and Rudra are subject to destruction.

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Listen, you shameless fellows, who say you have become Yogis by suppressing the sap of the food eaten. Those of you who boast of having conquered Maya by washing the impurity of the twin bodies, how do you know the secret of Bindu? Whence do these Yogis come, who do not know how to conquer Maya by subduing such Bindu, O Guheshwara?

1145) Giving up anger and pain, conquering illusion and fancy, one must become a Jangama, look you fool! Unless one becomes a Jangama by quelling the taste of six temptations like greed, the wheel of births will not stop, look, O Guheshwara.

1146) Anger and pain are lodged in consciousness. Devotion and worthiness are found within the Eternal. How can it be natural for the passion-less to foster passion? Knowing the majesty of the Sharana who has come, if you do not trust him fully, shedding all your doubts and chinks, look, our Guheshwaralinga goes away with his back turned!

1147) What if I tie a loin cloth, wear saffron robe, and get the head shaved, unless I am not truthful, O Sir? What if I renounce gold, woman, land, O Sir, unless I do not observe the vow in the mind? What if I give up hunger, thirst, addiction, O Sir?

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Unless I do not give up desire for wealth in the mind, am I a Jangama? I became an elder only ; how can I be a Jangama? Basavanna is without body and breath. Why did you make me Prabhu rather than Basavanna, O Guheshwara?

1148) One who gives Jangama Padodaka and Prasada to those who have not got Kriya Diksha and Mantras Diksha is a traitor to Jangama, look, O Guheshwara!

1149) Without exertion, like cutting and crushing, can sweet juice in the sugar cane appear? Without exertion, like extraction, can oil in the sesame seed come out? Without exertion, like churning curds, can the ghee in the milk come out? Without exertion, like friction, can the fire in the wood burn? Therefore, for the great one who claims to have known within himself our Guheshwaralinga, practice of virtue is the means.

1150) When sugar is added to milk should you look for good effect or otherwise ? When the body is clouded with ignorance under the pretext of dispelling ignorance with finger touch, if the body is spoiled , does the body suffer from illusion? Because my body is Yourself, the sense in ‘You’ is not different, O Guheshwara!

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1151) Does the swan in the ocean of milk ever desire milk? Does the bee, dwelling in the flower, ever desire fragrance? What shall I say of the deluded ones, who, though they are within Linga, are still tempted by other desires, O Guheshwara?

1152) Staying in the ocean of milk, why worry about a cow? Dwelling in the Meru Mandira, why the trouble of washing ashes for gold? Living with the holy master, why worry about philosophy? Staying within Prasada, why worry about deliverance? When the Linga has come to my palm, why worry about anything else? Tell me, O Guheshwara.

1153) No divisions of body being there , the whole body became the nose. As there was no other fragrance than itself, the great earth was hid therein only. No divisions of body being there, the whole body became the tongue. As there was no other taste than taste itself, the great water was hid therein. No divisions of body being there, the whole body became the eyes. As there was no other form than itself, the great fire was hid therein. No divisions of body being there, the whole body became the skin. As there was no other touch than itself, the powerful air was hid therein. No divisions of body being there, the whole body became the ears. As there was no other sound than itself, the great space was hid therein.

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Thus, when the five elements were hid in the body, the body was pervaded by the five-fold Brahma. The secret of the world is hid there. How can I describe the secret of the Sharana, who being beyond the five-fold caste, embodies greatness, O Guheshwara?

1154) Gangadevi became a widow; Gouridevi removed the ear ring; the sun and the moon descended into water; the God of wind carried the aeroplane; Vasudeva set fire to the pyre. Thence came the news of Guheshwara’s death!

1155) I was born and brought up in a small suburb of a big town with five gates, playing half naked in water along with other children. My mother crying aloud, clothed herself with the waist- band called Brahma Pasha. Being angry with such parents, I went to Guheshwara and sought His protection. If I, returning, wear that waist-band I swear by You and Your Pramathas.

1156) Is there any who has put a ladder to the sky? Does anyone know the abode of the wind? Has anyone understood the property of the sea? Can the Linga be measured? The sphere of the moon and the galaxy of stars are of this world. Is He just an atom, who has five faces, an eye in the forehead and four arms? If a Sharana can know the majesty of Guheshwara, I say, ‘ Hail, O hail!’ to him.

1157)

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An experience at the gate of dawn above the wind in the sky: A Mahouta came to control an elephant in rut. He who stands, trampling over the sprouts of creation, cannot but become a great Yogi. To Guheshwara’s Sharana, Chennabasavanna, who brought the Void to form and decorated the shadow, I keep saying , Hail!

1158) Destitute, infirm, witless am I! No strength to walk, no tongue to speak! Look, I do not like other’s formalities! If a Sharna can unite with Him, knowing that the guest has come and what his stature is, why should he fear loneliness or separation? When the integrated Absolute dwells in You, where is the room for our Guheshwaralinga to come in?

1159) What shall I say of the one who is without motion? What shall I say of Him, who makes the impossible happen and whose glory is undivided whole ? What shall I say of Him? Guheshwara is far back beyond the Begun! Allayya’s arrival makes the world holy.

1160) To a flower without tree, there was fragrance without flower, O Sir! It was saying ‘Ksham, Ksham’, It was saying ‘Ham, Ham’, O Sir! When I went along the Void, there was none to burn the corpse, so that Pinda could be offered to the dead, O Guheshwara!

1161) O God ! You are found everywhere. You are found on mountains,

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in caves and valleys, yet you do not set your feet on the earth! You are incomprehensible, invisible. O Guheshwara, wherever I ran about, I saw you.

1162) If the point six inches above the anus, genitals and the navel- lotus is pressed, the glow of Linga can be seen without eyes; the magnificent sonorous sound can be heard. After seeing and hearing about it, if you do not believe, it becomes a child’s play without fail, O Guheshwara!

1163) Born in the Guru principle, grown in the Shiva principle, rapt in the highest principle, what if a Sharana should lose his body, and merge in the Void? Listen, you Siddharamayya, the true trance is when you can attain the enlightened trance, after the body trance, sense trance and soul trance, with stark illusion being shed, in Guheshwara.

1164) Saying that I remember the master, if I keep on remembering him, my mind itself became the master, look. O Great God, because the mind itself is the master, the mind made room for remembrance. Guehswaralinga’s is a story of wonder!

1165) None knows what is far and what is near between master and disciple! To be disciple, it is the master’s sport; To be the master, it is the disciple’s sport.

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Because of this deception called Karma, there may be a split between the two. It is not true at all. Having known for yourself, the Begun and Un-Begun far back beyond if you say that you have become the self-effulgent light at the sight of the Absolute, you are master of yourself, superior to yourself. Therefore, you should know for yourself that you yourself are none but Guheswhwaralinga.

1166) Knowing through the master is no knowledge. Knowing through the Linga is no knowledge. Why create the master and the Linga which do not exist? Does fiction have consciousness? Self-realiztion is true realization, O Guheshwara!

1167) Tell me, who has shown it to you, reducing to unity the difference between Guru, Linga and Jangama? Tell me, who has explained the will and will-less ness that unify Time and Time-less-ness? Tell me, who, instructing you by way of initiation, training and self-experience, has placed you in the Ultimate State? Tell me, O Madivala Machayya, how did you come into Guheshwaralinga?

1168) Strange are the master’s ways, indeed! like the parable of the wasp and theworm. Until I remembered His name, the master changed me to himself. Tell me, O Guheshwara, who shall worship the holy master hereafter, becoming disciple?

1169) When Guru’s breath dissolved in Linga,

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that Linga came to my palm, look! Look, my Guru Animisha is on my palm! Look, my Guru Animisha is in my knowledge! Look, my Guru’s Guru Basavanna is before my eyes! Guheshwaralinga being witness, I am no traitor to my Guru, no accusation of treason against me, look, Chennabasavanna!

1170) Merging in the body made by the master, I failed to know the master, O Sir. Merging my breath in the breath of Linga, I failed to know the Linga, O Sir. Merging my mind in Jangama’s mind, I failed to know the Jangama, O Sir. Merging in Sangana Basavanna, who let me know the triple devotion, You and I have been saved, look, Guheshwara.

1171) They know not one as master; they know not one as elder; they know not one as God; nor as yet as devotee nor as Linga, nor as Jangama. They know not those who have come to stay. What shall I say of the sinners who hurt Shiva’s devotees? The hurt inflicted on Your heart will not go in vain!

1172) The master does not know his disciple’s depth, nor does the disciple know the master’s measure. The master has no time, nor does the disciple. No understanding among Jangamas. No understanding among devotees. Therefore, what shall I call those children of the deep snoring persons who give instruction in the Kali Age, O Guheshwara?

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1173) For Guru, Linga, Jangama, and Prasada, one and the same womb! Who is it that has received all these as a myrobalan on the palm? Who is it that has made them luminous? O Basava, the first practitioner, treasure-trove of devotion, now that you have revealed to me Guheshwaralinga, all the worlds upon worlds have become nought.

1174) Between master and disciple, a child was born, look! He became his master’s Master. How is it? By saying Hail to Guheshwara’s Sharana Chennabasavanna, who showed how one should realize the primal Linga, I have been saved, look, Sangana Basavanna!

1175) The primal knowledge-power points of the devotees who are at the Guru stage, are six. They assumed the Guru form . Out of those six power points arose a canopy called Supreme spirit. It became the beginning of all worlds. Sitting on that canopy with pleasure, I saw Guheshwaralinga with open eyes. That sight of seeing became a meeting point of all devotees, Look, Sangana Basavanna!

1176) Who else has got the Gurusthala, Lingasthala, Jangamasthala and Prasadasthala, embodied in the Linga on the palm? Who, other than Basavanna, has found the Bhaktasthala, devoid of deceit, the dwelling place of eternal Truth?

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Having resorted to Your devotee Sangana Basavanna, I have been saved, O Guheshwara!

1177) Gurusthala, Lingasthala, Jangamasthala and Prasadasthala— all these are merged in the Linga on Basavanna’s palm! Such Bhaktasthala and Lingasthala, who else can get? Having resorted to Sangana Basavanna, I have been saved, O Guheshwara!

1178) If you say “the Guru has become mine; the Linga has become mine; the Jangama has become mine”, through Basavanna, you should be without body, without mind, and without wealth. Knowledge must wither, and oblivion must cease. Unless you are free from taint in Guheshwaralinga, this is not possible, O Madivala Machayya!

1179) Like the pot and its wall, the body and breath may look separate. But if their properties are known, are they separate? The Void in the pot and the thread in the cloth are one. Like mud-pack of the wall, they are one, not two. In the body of an embodied person, none else than Guheshwara dwells.

1180) It is the master that became the causal body of theJangama, the Great dynamic spirit. It is the master that became the subtle body of the Jangama,

420 the Real dynamic spirit. It’s the master that became the good dynamic spirit. It’s the master that became the gross body of the devotee that practices devotion. Thus, it’s the master that became Jangama , the great dynamic spirit. I say,‘Hail! O hail!’ to the holy Master, who has got bond with such a Jangama, look, Guheshwarayya.

1181) In the mind that thinks of the Absolute, the desire for the body is already not there. What shall I say of the Absolute that absorbs the thinking mind? It was self-born! I was wonderstruck to see the tranquil that has shed all thoughts. It did not say this or that. Nor did it merge in Guheshwara, who has shed all worries.

1182) When one kind of food was served in a wide platter, and various courses came in various ways, before they were touched , the touch itself was offered. Before they were tasted, the flavor itself was offered: Take it, take it, O Linga! Should you, O Linga, offer to your own glory the food dear to your heart, let me offer you the food dear to my heart. O Guheshwara, since he has made ready plenty of food for you and serves it as best he can, do eat it. O Lord, it is Sangana Basavanna’s gift for both of us—myself and You!

1183)

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The pot of concoction of quakes was tilted. The Talisman of the Talisman maker went away. The sacred spells of the priest were forgotten. The medicine of the druggists proved worse than the disease. The light of those who had mastered all arts extinguished. In these matters, the people of all the three worlds fell a- swoon, look, Guheshwara!

1184) Should you see the moon, what is important is the light issuing from it. Should you see the sun, what is important is the light issuing from it. Should you see the lamp, what is important is the light issuing from it. Should you see a precious stone, what is important is the light issuing from it. Should you see our Guheshwaralinga, what is important is the sacred ash issuing from the Supreme light of the Absolute, look, O brothers!

1185) If the love of consciousness is offered to a gentle person, will there be any obstruction to the love planted, O fool? Out of eagerness, this mind, vexed and anxious, is expecting too much . If this mind can follow, without break, the Absolute which has no sign, Guheshwaralinga will assume a form and dwell in it!

1186) In those who do not possess a pure mind, the fickleness of the mind does not cease. In those in whom the fickleness of the mind does not cease, the thought of Shiva does not crystallize. The mind of the deluded ones, who do not know Guheshwaralinga, haunts them like a vampire.

1187) When the mind-seed sprouted, the sprouted light called Linga became an image. You cannot describe the greatness of that image.

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To see, it is an image; To seize hold of, it is void! The life-breath of twice-seven worlds is in that image! The bright glow of that life-breath is the first wall, which is the basis of our Guheshwaralinga’s sport.

1188) Gold can be rubbed; but can you rub its hue? Flower can be worn; but can you wear its fragrance? Rituals can be performed; but can you realize the Absolute Thing? You may call yourself Guheshwara; but can you become Linga, O Siddharamayya?

1189) The four-fold tusker was hid in the elephant in rut. Lo, the new bower of the cluster of light! You cannot probe the fragrance of the heart, unless you possess the finer sensibility of an intoxicated bee. How did a bee swallow a gem? Chennabasavanna has achieved the joyous conversation with Guheshwaralinga.

1190) If you ask— What is the characteristic feature of the Jangama?-- Assuming the form of Linga, he should get his feet worshipped. If you ask— What is the characteristic feature of a devotee?-- Assuming the form of a servant, he should worship the feet of the Jangama. Details regarding the Jangama in the form of Linga are: To simply say I am Linga, will not do. Getting worshipped, holding the triple body, mind and wealth,

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and yet not holding them is now the characteristic of the Jangama. At that stage, there is no rebirth. Details regarding the devotee in the form of a servant are: To simply say I am a servant, will not do. Serving Guru, Linga and Jangama, shedding chink and doubt, but not offering the body, is now the characteristic of a devotee. At that stage, there is no re-birth. Shedding the chink and doubt of the twin character, staying united in Guheshwaralinga is the Unitive State.

1191) You should not see the face of those who call themselves Jangama again and again. If you ask why, the reason is: Not knowing the tranquil Jangama, they call themselves Jangamas. Text: “The letter ‘Ja’ means birth-less; ‘ga’ means motion-less; ma’ means death-less. This makes one a Jangama.” Because it is said: Having conquered birth and death by worshipping such a Jangama with hand, mind and heart, if one can be like the light of camphor, I call that high-souled person the lord of the triple world. I call that high-souled person alone the most perfect one, O Guheshwara.

1192) The devotees, who have seen the hidden purpose of the form of Jangama, and know the same to be Linga, are united in mind, like the love that joins the mother tortoise and her young one, mind to mind, should know no gap between them, even before meeting.

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Look, our Guheshwara does not like those, who, not caring for who is come and not recognizing their greatness, flaunt their pride.

1193) Once you believe the Jangama to be Linga, you should be without any doubt, mark. The devotion that has become eternal by shedding all chinks and doubts, perishes, if it beats the retreat. If you become once humble, at another time proud, our Guheshwaralinga will knock you out, look.

1194) If the Jangama passes before the eyes of a devotee who has believed Jangama to be Linga, without being noticed, whatever devotion the devotee has done in the past goes in vain. He is perverted in body, who, being dull-witted, ignores the Jangama, even when he sees him. Further, if the Jangama enters his house and he ignores him , his rebirth does not cease. Our Guheshwaralinga does not like those Who, knowing, go to waste.

1195) What kind of Linga worship is it, when a Jangama is standing outside? Is there such a body as could move about, keeping the breath outside? Will not our Guheshwara torment those who he sees to have forgotten themselves, when Sharanas have come and stood at their door?

1196) If one sports with the self born world called Guheshwara held in the palm, the entire world forswears that it is the primal Linga. O Guheshwara, because your devotee possesses

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the pure Linga, the head of Linga alone is seen in the three worlds.

1197) Water removes the impurity of the world. Do not listen to the word of the Linga-traitors who pour for the Linga’s bath without removing the impurity of water. Unless the impurity of these— the water born of the sky; the material born of the sun; the food prepared in the fire—is removed, several vow-keepers, including Bhaktas, Maheshwaras and Sheelavantas, cannot pour for the Linga’s bath, nor can they offer anything. If you would know the cause: Unless the impurity of the water, the impurity of the material, and the impurity of the food is removed, they cannot be offered. If you would know how the impurity of the triple is removed: Removing the impurity of the water with sacred spell and the Jangama’s Padodaka, you should prepare food. As the impurity of the material is removed by the alchemic touch of the Jangama’s hand, the impurity of the food prepared in fire is removed by the Jangama’s Prasada. “Having known once these statements of Shiva, you should not try to prepare food with the Jangama’s Padodaka , nor should you pour for the Linga’s bath”, say Shaivas, Bouddhas, Charvakas and Chandalas. Listening to these Shiva-traitors’ word, if one stops preparing food , he becomes a vow-breaker. You should not see his face. Proof: “Those who are fallen in all other religions get purified by Shivachara. Those who fall in the Shivachara

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Go to noisy hell.”—it is said. Therefore, those who are fallen in all other religions can be purified in the Shiva religion. Those who are fallen in the Shiva religion cannot escape the noisy hell. As they get no chance to repent, you should not see their face. Also: As it is said: “If one sees the face of a vow-breaker, One gets the taint of having seen dogs and pigs. Therefore, on seeing the impure one, you should go far away from him.” If a Shiva devotee engaged in the observance of Vow and Sheela, sees in his way the face of one fallen in the Shivachara, it is like seeing excretion. So he should go away from there. One who makes a person give up his vow-keeping, and the one who, on listening to his word, breaks the vow, both, being without the Padodaka-Prasada of the Guru-Linga-Jangama, go to hell forever. The firm believers in vow should not see the face of those sinners, nor should they speak to them, look, Guheshwara!

1198) The master who preached to the mob gathering the people of the world, and those who get that preaching go to Mari, the goddess of death. How can Truth be grasped this way? The harm that the worldlings do to others recoils on them. Their master too must take his share of injury. O Guheshwara, if the vampire You foster gobbles Yourself, is there any chance to say ’Yes’ or’ No?

1199)

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Before water, tortoise, elephant and the earth placed on the hood of the serpent were created; before the sky, and the wind came into existence, before fire got heat, and trees, hills, grass and wood were created; before the fourteen worlds, which were older than age and aeon, came into existence; before the lords of the triple world , who claim to have known the Truth, were born; before the way of making a show was not there, Guheshwara, whose heart was full and who was imperceptible, was tranquil.

1200) Water will not get vital power without aquatic creatures. Can the monism of those whose monism is confined to mere speech attain Self-knowledge? Such persons are away from Guheshwaralinga.

1201) The multi-coloured water-begotten tree has no branches, but has grown flowers. A fruit appeared in the open! The maiden of Jambu Isle held in her hand a blossomed head that swallowed the carrier of Indra. The undisturbed airs and postures in Brahmarandhra make Shivayoga. Yoga in Guheshwaralinga is like the light of the camphor fire, which swallowed the words churned off the soul that bears witness.

1202) A tank without water, an orchard without fruits, a village without a devotee— these make a cemetery. Lord Shiva is not there. Can any enter a ghost-ridden forest, O Guheshwara?

1203)

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The Jangamas by caste are crores. The Jangamas by conduct are crores. The Jangamas who are perfect are crores. But the enlightened Jangamas are rare in the three worlds, O Guheshwara!

1204) You should know the difference of caste, O Sir. You should tear off the very past and the future, O Sir. With love, the light gets intoxicated. But you should know him to be Guheshwara, O Sir.

1205) The knower himself is seeking; knowledge itself is trying to know; The cognizable itself is deciding;. With the help of the triple— knower, knowledge, the cognizable, once Linga has been sought after, known and merged, the taint of the illusion of the triple— knower, knowledge and the cognizable— disappeared, and the Reality was realized, look, O Guheshwara!

1206) Should I want to know You through knowledge, the Sign comes to my consciousness. When the sign comes to my consciousness, destruction awaits it. What is not knowledge, if not division of the mind? You are no God, if You get Yourself known through such knowledge. I am no Sharana, if I do not know it. Tell me , O Guheshwara, how did You become God, and how did I become Sharana?

1207) The dawn of knowledge is Bhakta. The dissolution of knowledge is Aikya. Thus, one who knows the beginning and

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the end of knowledge, is omniscient Ishwara, look. “The dawn of consciousness is a true Bhakta, dissolution of consciousness is Aikya. One who knows the end of both is omniscient Ishwara”, it is said. Thus, who else knows, if not You, the secret of the beginning and end of the knowledge hidden in the Shat Sthala, O Guheshwara?

1208) Knowledge having dawned, when I enquired about the certainty of the Shat Sthala: First of all, having practiced all as told about Bhakta Sthala, I arrived at the Maheshwara Sthala. Having practiced all as told about the Maheshwara Sthala, I arrived at the Prasadi Sthala. Having practiced all as told about the Prasadi Sthala, I arrived at the Pranalingi Sthala. Having practiced all as told about the Pranalingi Sthala, I arrived at the Sharana Sthala. Having practiced all as told about the Sharana Sthala, I arrived at the Aikya Sthala. Having practiced all as told about the Aikya Sthala, I arrived at the Niralaya Sthala. I became more tranquil than tranquility, O Guheshwara!

1209) Does a Yogi let out through the anus what he eats through the tongue? No, wait. He does not possess the body made of such impurities as semen and blood. The great Yogi blocked the ways to both worlds. He brought the Kailas, which is above, down to the mortal world and made it stay here. Siddharamayyadevaru himself is Guheshwara , who is without a parallel!

1210) To life, life itself is the support. You should live avoiding life. “The earth is the seed, so also flesh. Water is all nectar. The soul includes life-breath. Life devours life”, it is said.

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I do not find any Shravaka who says, “Non-violence is the highest religion”. All that is offered to the Linga is pure. All else is ridden with life, look, Guheshwara!

12l1) Adopting others defects adds to your botheration. Why not be content with your own, whatever it be. “If another person who coughs were to give you company, will not your own coughing husband suffice for you?” As per this worldly adage, if one can take other’s bad qualities and give good ones to them, I would call him Guru. I say Hail, O hail! to him. Taking bad qualities, if he does not know how to give good qualities, the seventh hell awaits him. He wallows in the terrible troubles of rebirth. Therefore, such a Guru as can take others’ bad qualities and return good qualities is rare, look, Guheshwara!

1212) One should move about gently As the cold wind mixed with fragrance does. If one is to stand firm, one should become a Bhakta and do natural Dasoha. If one is to move about, one should move about, becoming a Supreme Jangama. What shall I say of those— of him who cannot become a Bhakta by staying firm, and of him who cannot become a Jangama by moving about— who are lost to both places, O Guheshwara ?

1213) Whence did the life-breath of a bird within an egg appear? How do the earthly beings know the wonder of its chirping? How does a wild animal know the hunter

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hiding behind an ox, O Guheshwara?

1214) All the elders, who speak philosophy, are wondering, standing at the door of those who feed them. The elders, who speak of the eternal and the temporal, speak out of love of their belly. Those, who, speaking according to the desire of the earthly beings, do not know the way of devotion, are lamenting, look! It is like loading a donkey with camphor. Where is deliverance for them, O Guheshwara?

1215) Before principles existed, before proofs and conferences existed, before anything existed, this drop was formed. When that drop was seated on the platform of the triple-letter, the world came into existence. By the force of Nada, a Sharana came into being. From that Sharana , Nature came into existence. From that Nature came the world. Your Sharana Sangana Basavanna, rejecting the worldliness of the world, attained perfection in Reality, O Guheshwara!

1216) As if the hidden treasure, which it had, was no more, the sea, drinking off all its brothers, dried up. The wonder died, the battle field cried. After the night had died, swallowing the ruby, when a puppet of nectar was asked to drink milk, Guheshwaralinga felt no appetite, look, Sangana Basavanna!

1217) The light in the mirror was hid like the light in the eye. Know yourself, O Sangana Basavanna, the abode of Guheshwara,

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who is light within the light.

1218) After having known oneself, nothing else remained to know, and the protective oblivion died. After that oblivion was gone, and the oblivion of awareness was forgotten totally, silence reigned there, O Guheshwara.

1219) If one knows oneself, all speech is the Supreme Truth, look! The words of a Shivayogi, who has known and forgotten, are nothing but spiritual discourse. If I enquired you, it was to know your mind’s vexation. My mind has no spot, no stain, look! Because you are Guheshwaralinga’s child of mercy, I opened my mouth. Is there anything else, tell me, you fool?

1220) If he says he knows himself, Is he different from himself? If I say I know You, am I different from You? Tell me, O Guheshwara, This is at the back of consciousness that says, “It knows Itself and You”-- If one cannot know one through oneself, through what else can one know oneself? Tell me, O Guheshwara.

1221) Look, it is ignorance to say I know not myself. Disdaining the ignorance that knows not, if you say, you cannot see knowledge, it is nothing but perverse notion, look! The Absolute that shows everything, cannot be seen anywhere. What cannot be seen anywhere, cannot be known. Can you understand the Un-manifest Absolute?

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O Siddharamayya, know this for yourself: You did not understand, because you have desire coupled with anxiety for Guheshwaralinga.

1222) If one manifests oneself to oneself, when one tries to see oneself through oneself, that self-manifestation itself is an illusion, look! If you ask why, the reason is— Because one is not different from oneself, nothing is different to me. Thinking that I am not different, if I say, ”I am Brahma”, I do not become Brahma. If you ask what is eternal bliss after excessive happiness is gone, if you know for yourself the abode of Guru’s innocence, that itself is the glorious state of Guheshwaralinga.

1223) If you say the body exists, it is bound by one’s noose. If you say the mind is, it is the seed of re-birth. If you say you are lost by speaking out wisdom, it is pure ignorance. To say you are caught in emotion, is nothing but illusion. If you say ‘I have seen once, once I have not once I met, once I parted’, Karma will follow you on your heels. If you see yourself with you, there is no parting at all. If you want to know Guheshwaralinga, seek to know Him within yourself, O fool!

1224) What if the body’s properties have perished; what if the mind’s properties have perished; what if the properties of wealth have perished; unless the will’s attributes perish?

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Unless the will perishes, your knowledge is not planted firm. When knowledge is planted firm, you have transcended the Sign. Tell me, O Madivala Machayya, the way you could achieve, the sign being shed, the bliss Supreme in Guheshwaralinga.

1225) Shedding her corporeal qualities, she united with the Linga; Shedding her mental qualities, she united with consciousness; Shedding the qualities of her will, she herself became the Supreme Light. I say hail to the majesty of Mahadeviyakka, who, shedding the sense of self and ‘other’, has become one with the Linga Itself in Guheshwaralinga.

1226)

Your body is Dasoha; all limbs are practice; the mind and life-breath are all images of knowledge, look. Unaware of the difference of In and Out, Out and In, you are a true person of good conduct. To gauge your worth, what am I? What if I have consciousness within? Bhakti is not part of my body. What is called practice is far beyond. O Treasure-trove of all righteous deeds, how can I know your worth? Guheshwaralinga being witness, all your saints know that I am only a door-keeper in your Great House, look, Sangana Basavanna!

1227) The body being offered to the Guru, the mind, to Linga, and will, to Jangama, the self, to satisfaction, the Absolute, to consciousness, when the offered became the un-offered , and the un-offered, the offered, both the offered and the un-offered were no more.

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Guheshwara’s Sharana Chennabasavanna, becoming the eternal Prasadi, and pointing to all the Prasada way, fostered the Great Prasada and made it increase. 1228) Not knowing how to control the body; not knowing how to control the mind; not knowing how to control the wealth, the whole world reels under illusion. I see none other than Sangana Basavanna, who spent his body for Dasoha, his mind in meditation on the Linga, and his wealth for Jangama. O Guheshwara, I have been saying ‘Hail, O hail!’ to your Sharana Basavanna.

1229) I have made my body a garden, my mind, a spade; I have dug up the weeds of illusion, broken up the clods of worldliness, tilled the land and sown the Brahma seed. The thousand fold lotus is the well, my breath is the pulley. I have let flow the water from my subtler nerve. To keep out the five bulls of sense, which might ravage the crops, I have put all around the fence of patience and poise. Keeping awake day and night, I have protected the tender plants, look, O Guheshwara!

1230) If the body is dedicated, it is treachery to the Guru. If the mind is dedicated, it is treachery to the Linga. If the wealth is dedicated , it is treachery to the Jangama. It is sheer ignorance to say that one has become a Bhakta by dedicating such perishable things as body, mind and wealth to the imperishable. Do the perfect Sharanas approve your saying that you became a Brahma by serving sweet meats to your masters?

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Tell me, O Sangana Basavanna, to become a Bhakta , what have you offered, and to whom?

1231) To say I have explained the attributes of the body, my mind should be pure. To say I have explained the attributes of the mind, my senses should be pure. Unless the pure food of body, mind and senses is offered to Linga, I should not merge in Guheshwara, listen, O mother.

1232) The body does not wear itself out in body. The mind does not wear itself out in mind. The wealth does not wear itself out in wealth. Tell me, why the talk of skill in devotion, O Basava? Alas, caught in the trap of the fame and name, coming from your attaining union through your deeds, you have forgotten that Jangama Himself is Linga! Look, Sangana Basavanna, you cannot be a devotee, unless you surrender your triple organ to Guheshwara’s Sharanas.

1233) If the mind talks stealthily about the greed in the body, then the body itself assumes the form of mind. As the desire in the body is not reciprocal with love in the heart, the body’s love remains in the form of lust. Our Guheshwaralinga is not pleased with those who simply say, “I know, I know”, O Madivala Machayya!

1234) I see none who can build a tank with the body as bank and the six-fold devotion as steps, and fill it with the water of Supreme Bliss. I swear by You, O Guheshwara,

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the tank I have built shall last forever.

1235) In the temple called body situated in the retiring room of the top of the head, when Pranalinga was installed, the priest called Guru, along with the Agamika called Mantra installed the Linga idol in the car called palm for festive procession: To that car, four wheels of knowledge and two feet were fixed; a flag of five sense organs was put up; a pinnacle of undivided mind was put; a rope of ten airs was tied; the nails of the eight-fold parts of the body were driven; the tassels called seven elements were used for decoration; the elephants of the eight-fold pride and the horses of the seven-fold vicious habits were harnessed; the musical instruments called kettle-drum, producing great sound were played; the band of dancing girls called sixteen-fold passion waved lamps; there were bearers of Chowries called inner organs; the rope of the mind was held fast by the army called organs; the king of joy, driving the car in the land of wisdom, stood it in the perfection of thought— and then installing the idol of festive procession called Ishtalinga, entered the immeasurable town called tranquillity, look, O Guheshwara!

1236) My body was purified today, O Basava! My mind was purified today, O Basava! My devotion and strategy for salvation were purified today, O Basava! All these were purified today, O Basava! For our Guheshwaralinga,

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1237) What is called penance is a hurdle; What is called rigid rule is a binding; What is called Sheela is pollution; What is called promise is a risk to life. Your Sharanas are not foremost in these four, O Guheshwara.

1238) Is it true you left him, laying the blame on him? By casting off your Saree, and laying your body bare, the illusion of your mind cannot be covered. The hair garment still covers your body. How does the insult disappear? This disguise does not suit Guheshwaralinga.

1239) They say they have known themselves. How have they known themselves? Does the eye that sees all see itself? Does a person know how to be away from his awareness? Your Sharana knows how to know himself, O Guheshwara.

1240) They do not know themselves. They do not listen to what others say. They do not know the way of the Six, nor yet the dangers of the Eight. O Guheshwara, what shall I call those who do not know how to climb down the mountain they have climbed?

1241) If what should be cooked in the head and eaten , is cooked in the oven, smoke thickens. He, who cooks food in the head and eats, is a great Prasadi. All elders, not knowing how to produce Ishwara sound, perished. Himself is Shiva, if he produces Ishwara sound.

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Guheshwara is not different, look.

1242) A headless deer ate food, possessing no belly! It walked, leaving no foot marks! He, who went then to purify it, has not yet returned. Your Sharana knows how to thread beads without holes and without thread, look, O Guheshwara!

1243) How can he, who prattles, offer to Linga the joy coming from conviction of hearing, seeing and touching, body and mind? Why the manner of observance of vow to the handicapped ones? Making Bhakta’s body his own, Guheshwara exists in all things in the world without division.

1244) Just as a goblin one has kept gobbles his own keeper, when the chain of your births came up, my oblivion gave me caution. My past became inevitable. Because I do not know what you were in the past, your secret is a mystery to me. So today there cannot be food for Guheshwara in your house, look, O Sangana Basavanna!

1245) I say Hail, O hail! to the holy feet of Chennabasavanna, who, forgetting himself , has clung to Guru; who has followed the Guru so faithfully that he has forged the bond between Jangama and Linga. Dissolving himself in Linga and Jangama, he has attained consubstantial union with the Linga in Guheshwaralinga.

1246)

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What shall I say of Siddharamayya, who dares to burn in his fury’s fire of Lingaikya Allayya, who has offered his body, burnt in the triple pain, to the flames of knowledge; who has burnt his enlightened body in the bright light of the Void; who has burnt to ashes the word Void, smeared that ash on his body, who, forgetting the state and progress of the world, stays in the state of deliverance and who has forgotten himself in Guheshwaralinga.

1247) The proverb “He does not know how to live but blames Fate for that”—came true, O Basavanna. Will it do, if one says he has merged in Shiva, having lost attention and lived an unrighteous life? This flowery speech will not do in Guheshwaralinga, listen, O Sangana Basavanna!

1248) The mother’s joys and sorrows touch the baby in the womb. The joys and sorrows felt by Shiva Sharanas affect Shiva Himself. If the bodied ones rage on the immortal, the bodied bears the stroke, not the bodiless. Can a white ant touch a live ember, O Guheshwara?

1249) O parentless child, You, being self-begotten, grew up on Your own! Your contentment is the contentment of your life-breath. Being impenetrable to the penetrators, You are shining on Your own! Your story is natural to You, O Guheshwara!

1250)

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A child-less mother suckled a mother-less child. If the child, that sucked, embraced the mother, that mother became wife to the child! If the joy of intercourse is known without a husband, the sense of both husband and wife disappeared, look! I say Hail, O hail! to the feet of Guheshwara’s devotee Madivala Machitande, who showed me the certainty of Reality.

1251) He is lame and the travel is at an odd hour. The sky is overcast with threatening clouds. The house has a leaking roof and a mud floor; mud beads are round his neck ; at his back weighs a stone mortar. A pestle of wax; old rice grain in a new pot; wet cow-dung cakes are piled one upon anther to kindle fire. When the food was cooked over a fireless oven, Guheshwaralinga partook of His meal from a broken platter.

1252) They talk of endurance, clean shave, wood and camphor. But they do not know what is patience, clean shave, wood and camphor. Endurance: If one can endure the attributes of body, breath and other things, it is endurance. Clean shave: If one can, with no illusion and binding of worldly matters, make them obey his commands, it is clean shave. Wood:

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If one can arrest the movement of senses and other organs, it is wood. Camphor: If one can know the Supreme, it is camphor. Thus, I call those, who know these four things, most revered persons, look, O Guheshwara!

1253) It was like a nail falling upon an itching sore; like a long-sought creeper twining round one’s feet. The dream I dreamt came true. Tell me, O Chennabasavanna, how you and I met with the same end?

1254) A golden Bindu is moving in a clear pond. It cannot be seen by those who see it by turning it about. If one can catch it, without letting the pond agitate and without touching the banks , the realization of Guheshwaralinga is possible right now.

1255) If one wants to seek the Absolute that is omnipresent, it cannot be seen. If you ask why, the reason is: The seeker himself is the object of search. What is called tranquil Brahma is beyond reasoning, O Guheshwara!

1256) When the mind contains the omnipresent Absolute, and the Absolute contains all pervading mind, when all your tremour is stilled, where is room for more? Until Guheshwara’s sport ends,

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one should be like camphor consumed by fire, O Siddharmayya!

1257) When you have accommodated Linga inside, what is the sign behind the screen? Who is it that worships? Who is it that gets worshipped? The front is turned to the back, and the back to the front. When You become me, and I , You, tell me, O Guheshwara, what more remains?

1258) How unspeakable the Un-manifest Absolute! How manifest the Unspeakable Absolute! It is not like an idle talk. Look you, Guheshwaralinga is not a fictitious thing.

1259) A golden hue appeared where it should not. ‘I am That, I am That’, says Brahma. You went straight ahead of Brahma, who is touched and un-touched. O Guheshwara, Your stature has no restrictions.

1260) What appears looks different. They leave what appears, and grasp what does not appear. Look, how the brothers, who say they have seen the invisible are lost in midstream, O Guheshwara!

1261) Amidst the triple river, the pillar, to which the five horses were tied, broke. The eight elephants ran away. The sixteen subjects were clamouring. Amidst the thousand petalled lotus, Guheshwara was innocent of all this.

1262

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He is not one with the triple eye, nor is He one who, trampling over Andhakasura, danced; nor one who holds a skull in His hand, nor one who wears heads round his neck, nor one who came to the earth; He is neither Ishwara nor Maheshwara. Guheshwara is glorious beyond limits.

1263)

Those who were engaged in multifarious activities were swimming in the rut of pleasure, as they, caught in the cage of the triple world, and the wheel of worldly life, have made gold their breath; woman their breath; land their breath, O Guheshwara!

1264) Because the divine Thing, which curbs the wicked, and protects the virtuous, yielded to Shakti, there is no comparison to what is called the Void of voids, O Guheshwara!

1265)

That God loves you and you love God: what does it mean? Casting off your garment, when your spirit is pure, why do you clothe yourself in hair? The shame of your heart thus shows outside. This will not please Guheshwaralinga.

1266) Because I have absorbed Guheshwara, I regard the people of the world of gods as grass; I regard the people of the mortal world as momentary. I can’t give up the ornament called ego! I deny all others than myself..

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1267) Unless the sense of body is lost, the sense of breath cannot disappear. Unless the sense of breath is lost, the sense of devotion cannot be accommodated. Unless the sense of devotion is accommodated, enlightenment will not dawn. Unless enlightenment dawns, the sign will not disappear. Unless you know the secret of the seam between the body and breath, you will not be able to realize Guheshwaralinga, O Siddharamayya.

1268) Who knows the secret of becoming greater than the great bodied? Hari, Brahma and others do not know, the accomplished, and the accomplishing ones too do not know. Can you know, through your enlightenment, your being more enlightened than the enlightened ones? If you know Guheshwaralinga, you should be as if you do not know Him.

1269) Your are both fluid and product of the fluid; You are both solid and product of the solid; You are both form and the formless. Is there anything different from Shiva, who is form, the formless and perfect? Because all principle of form and the formless are assimilated in You, they bear on their bodies no names of different objects, look! If you ask why, the reason is: “To me there is no difference between water and the great god Mahadeva, and between the thing dissolved in water and Maheshwara. Sadashiva assumes all forms.” Therefore, You are Nada, You are Bindu,

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You are Kala. You are beyond form, O Guheshwara!

1270) What shall I call those who throng to this vast market spread on the earth? Varied trade is conducted here. Varied are the commodities, but nothing is bought or sold. What is this vain sport? O Guheshwara, I am amazed to see how the half-mad Shiva has created this quite mad world!

1271) Like the world being formed with the combination of the earth and the sky, like the partite being created with the combination of body and breath; the Linga was created with the combination of Nada and Bindu. If you ask why, the reason is: When the body and breath have become one, with Nada and Bindu together becoming Shakti, and the Linga being formed with the combination of these two, can breath be separated from that body, O Guheshwara?

1272) When there was neither earth nor sky, neither the galaxy of stars nor the seven seas, one big tree grew, O Sir! On seeing that tree, I have been saying: ‘I salute Shiva’. That tree bore six Sadakhyas. Sitting in the shade of those Sadakhyas, I have been saying: “ O Basava, Basava, Basava”, look, Guheshwara.

1273) When there were no earth and sky; when there was no galaxy of stars; when there was no sacrifice;

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Nor rigid rule, nor telling of beads, nor penance, who knew You? As You were imperceptible to Hari, Brahma and others, and were detached and immaculate, the Vedas knew You not, neither the Shastras, nor the Smrutis did. O Guheshwara, who knows Your stature, which is far beyond the fragrance of flower in the sky?

1274) Should I wave incense and lamp-light to you, You yourself are a bright light. Should I offer You something to eat, You are ever well-fed and contented. Should I perform the eight-fold worship, You are the great enlightened Absolute that cannot be touched; Should I perform regular observances, You have got countless names, O Guheshwara!

1275) It’s Self, not Supreme Self, that wants to find Him in meditation and spiritual pursuit. It’s mind, not good sense, that wants to find Him through counting of beads, austere penance, and regular observance of rigid rules. It’s Guheshwaralinga Himself, the Uniform, that can be testified through the heart.

1276) After the contentment, coming from the joy of love, has found its home within you, there is no more mystic talk, let the mass of words be. When you have come at the instance of the Holder of the Moon to what He bids, you must complete the mission assigned. Let the union take place as He wills. I shall tell you of your fate on that day. May all devotees, along with Sangana Basavanna, until Guheshwara’s bidding comes, live in eternity!

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1277) If you walk, you should walk without motion. If you speak, you should speak without wielding words. If you have a body, you should have it as if you don’t have it. If you unite, let that union be imperishable. In You alone should one dwell, O Guheshwara.

1278) What shall I say of him and how speak of him, who walks without steps and moves without motion? What shall I say of him and how to speak of him, who makes the impossible possible? What shall I say of the undivided glorious one? The movement of Allayya, the devotee of Guheshwara, who is beyond time, is hallowed to the world.

1279) On seeing the master who knows no conduct and no speech, if I go to Him to seek instruction, He doesn’t speak, nor does He listen. How can the first and the last acts be performed? The fragrance of consciousness in me is like the meeting of mutes. It looked innocent from outside. How can I describe this unusual loveliness? Only by becoming one’s self, not as twain, O Guheshwara!

1280) They talk of Pranalinga as they walk and speak. As soon as the body falls to the ground, they call it corpse, and wish that it takes re-birth soon. O Guheshwara, On this vast earth, Your imprint is not there!

1281) Is there any obstruction to the long standing mountain? The mind feels agitated in hurry and perplexity.

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If that mind could, before fleeing, follow the Absolute without leaving , Guheshwara dwells in him in the form of consciousness.

1282) As mortals, gods and demi-gods and other deities are merged in a pot called foetus, how can I know them through the eyes that see their form? As the cohorts of gods, Rudras, Pramathas and others are merged in a pot called Cosmic Egg, how can I know them through the mind that conceives, O Sir? The true ones, the Eternal ones, the Liberated ones are merged in the pot called Conscious Egg. How can I know them through Consciousness as conscious souls? Thus I did not describe the one merged in the Absolute Linga, who knows he himself is the undivided perfect pot that has absorbed the triple pot. As I could not give It a form, I did not conceive It. As I could not conceive It, I did not know It. Because he is himself the Consciousness that is not aware of itself, what is called Guheshwara is not apart.

1283) The mortals of the mortal world, became victims of the mortal world. The deities of the divine world became victims of the world of gods. The ascetics of the ascetic world became victims of the world of penance. The cohorts of Rudra, belonging to the world of Rudra, became victims of what is called Rudra State. The wearers of Linga became victims of the world of Linga. The worshippers of Jangama became victims of the world of Saayujya. Those who have bond with Prasada and Padodaka became victims of the world of Prasada. I say Hail! O hail! to Chennabasavanna , who is free from every kind of worldliness in Guheshwaralinga!

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1284) Before the Un-begun, beyond the world with nine continents and fourteen worlds, you said Jangama himself was Linga. Lo, what is this, there was murder in the eating plate! Devotion turned about, like the demons’ way! On seeing this perversion, I was amazed, O Guheshwara!

1285) None can understand Paramahamsa, the ascetic of the highest order, who can control Navanaala, Bindu and air, and keep on moving , trampling over the eight petalled lotus. Moreover, he is going round and round and round non-stop! ……….. It is said, Shiva’s abode is fixed in the middle of the eight-petalled lotus. Today, I say Hail, O hail! to your Sharana Chennabasavanna, who can make a pillow of that Paramahamsa, who can keep on moving , trampling over the eight-petalled lotus, O Guheshwara!

1286) When there was no hair, no shadow, no six-fold enemy, when there were no Cosmic-Egg, and its big vessels, when there were no embryo-egg, egg and foetus, there was the undivided Linga in the form of Light; on seeing the seven kinds of big embryo created by Sharana’s sport. I have been saved by being an undivided whole, O Guheshwara!

1287) Who knows the chief, who, sitting on the lotus-sea within Nada and Bindu, passes by every minute? Look, O Guheshwara, Basavanna knows him,

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who has made a pillow of a flying swan!

1288) Tell me, who made this distinction of I and You. To say ’You’, is ignorance, To say ‘I’, is a prey to illusion. If the bliss of being can be understood, without making the distinction of You and I, that bliss is an offering to You , O Guheshwara!

1289) I have been saved by begging with firm faith in Guru-Linga-Jangama, O Sir! I have been saved by begging with firm faith in Padodaka-Prasada, O Sir! I have been saved by begging, following the ideal of the ancients, O Sir! I have been saved by begging, singing, praising and telling the beads of five kinds with firm faith in Sharanas, O Sir! I feel grateful to your Sharana, Basavanna for his presence, O Guheshwara!

1290) When pride called ’ I’ appeared, the tempest called trickery, fraud, deception, took birth. When that tempest blew, the light of enlightenment was extinguished. When that light of enlightenment was extinguished, all the enlightened elders, who said, ‘I know, I am strong’, perished beyond limits by becoming victims of slothfulness, O Guheshwara!

1291) If I eat anything out of pride of self, that itself spells disaster to me. If I feel pained at praise and censure, I distance myself from the Linga on my palm, O Guheshwara!

1292) ‘I’ is a measure; ‘You’ is a measure; The Self is a measure;

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The Supreme is a measure. Measure is a measure. Guheshwara is immeasurable.

1293) Is there any instance of a corpse announcing its death? Is there any instance of the hoarded treasure calling out? Is there any instance of curdled milk becoming sweet? This kind of speech will never please Guheshwaralinga,

1294) If you stand, you should stand firm in devotion like a devotee, holding on to wealth, woman and land. If you move, you should move straight like a Jangama, giving up wealth, woman and land. What shall I say of those twain traitors, who stand, and yet are not devotees, who move, and yet are not Jangamas, O Guheshwara?

1295) What is called censure disappeared, when you took birth in this world. Later when you got the Guru’s grace, your past was torn up. When the great cohorts of Shiva rendered service with love, when the Pramathas accommodated you within themselves, and regarded everything that bore the Linga as Lord Sangamanatha, dwelt in all parts of your body, the bond of Pranalinga was forged within, and when your body, mind and breath were offered, the great Prasada became possible . When I merged in you, my past dissolved. When the wealth of all right practice merged in you, all impurity was washed away. Guheshwaralinga, dwelling in your heart-lotus, is shining bright on your palm. Know it for yourself once again, O Sangana Basavanna!

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1296) For one who knows Reality, both earth and water are the same. For one who knows and speaks, the world and the faith are the same. That myth does not exist for us, because Guheshwaralinga is perfect in all respects, O Sangana Basavanna!

1297) For a Sharana who knows Reality, there is no conduct. For one who does not conduct himself well, there is no Linga. The movement of the Sharana, who does not wear the Linga , is traceable in the world. Such disguise is very strange to Jangama. Reality does not manifest itself to all and sundry, look! A Sharana never entertains the desire that worldlings cherish. There is conduct for those who, not knowing this, as they, holding on to falsehood, forget the Truth, and worship the non-existing Linga supposing that It exists. For those who have conduct, there is Guru; there is Linga. For those who worship the Linga, there is enjoyment. All those good for nothing cheats became worshippers. Tell me, O Sangana Basavanna, how can these disguisers know that Guheshwaralinga is not there.

1298) Born of the Supreme Thing, that is eternal, immaculate, impartite and undivided whole, knowing the glorious stature,

454 one became a Bhakta. Holding on to the Guru’s satisfaction, one became a Maheshwara. By worshipping the Linga, one became a Prasadi. Holding on to the wisdom, coming from self-experience, one became a Pranalingi. Holding on to Self -bliss, one became a Sharana. Saying ‘ I am Brahma’, one merged in the Linga. Thus being rich in the six-fold stage, you know the glorious stature, but how can the doubting humans of the world know, O Guheshwara?

1299) Where there is sleep, there is no wisdom, look! The body moves in one direction, breath, in another direction; Guheshwaralinga moves in yet another direction!

1300) Fear of losing it haunts one, who has got a hoarded treasure. One should not fear; should not get scared, as showing the triple Maya--wealth, woman and land— brushes them aside! At the time of the mating of husband and wife, the thief leaving aside the vital wealth, pushes pots and pans to look for wealth. Leaving the vital wealth that is before him, he cuts a hole in the back wall of the house. The cat jumps up to the Nelavu; the dog keeps watch outside; the child cries for breast-feed. After taking care of all these, the wife goes to unite with her husband. This is the characteristic feature of a virtuous wife. You assimilated such eagerness at the time of your intercourse with Guheshwara, O Basava!

1301)

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An eye in the forehead, disharmony in the heart, all your speech is devotion’s essence. How is this knowledge? Tell me How is this ego-lessness? Tell me. Only in speech is forgetfulness of knowledge and Sign. How is the ultimate state possible for you? Tell me. How can you destroy the Sign, and yet know it? Unless both are lost in Guheshwaralinga, there is no Prasada, look, O Madivala Machayya!

1302) As I stepped aside to see your light, it was like the dawn of a hundred million suns! With wonder did I see a cluster of creeping lightenings. If you become the effulgent Linga, there is none to match your light, O Guheshwara!

1303) So long as I have the bliss of seeing You, how can I unite with You, O Sir? While I yearn for this union, still unappeased is the hunger for Your sight. How can I describe the bliss of both sight and union, which is beyond compare, O Guheshwara?

1304) Yours is the sport, yours the mirth. Yours are the drum and flute. To this, I say neither ‘Yes’ nor ‘No’. Does the cloud-fire ask the world for permission to swoop to the earth? Does the fire in the belly seek the permission of the living beings, when it leaps upon the earth? Do as befits the peerless glory of Guheshwara’s Allama. To this, I say neither ‘Yes’ nor ’No’.

1305) Do Shivasharanas approve your talk, if you say, ‘You have devotion, they have devotion, and we have devotion? Are they Bhaktas, if they smear themselves

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with ash, and speak sweet words? Are they Bhaktas, if, having learnt the word of Monism, answer shaft for shaft? Do the calves give gallons of milk, if you call them calves of good breed, O fool? If you talk of Sangana Basavanna, does he have devotion in every act of his? Understanding the intention that brings a Jangama to your door, going and meeting him, bowing with folded hands, feeling flustered and abasing yourself, being in awe and shy, to place your service at his feet, that is Bhakti, that is the secret of piety. Our Guheshwaralinga does not like those who go about wearing their pride of self, and care not who have come and how great they are.

1306) Once seen, the Shivayogi, who has attained Reality and, in communion, dwells in you, my heart will not let him go! My body cannot but clasp You; and my speech cannot but praise You. O Guheshwara, when I have embraced Your devotee, Siddharamayya, Look, all my hardness is gone, and I say Hail! O hail!

1307) Your power is in the universe, and the universe is in You. Therefore, I am amazed to see the breach between the universe and You. My mind blushes to know that once in the past You burnt the triple town. It makes me sick to know Your pride of having burnt the god of love and

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earned the title—Destroyer of the Love-God. Even if You burn to ashes Death itself, and wear the dot of ash on Your forehead, Your achievement only makes me laugh ! O Guheshwara, if You open your forehead eye with fury, it disappears in the sole of my foot!

1308) Not knowing the supreme Jangama, who is the Void of voids, but receiving with ego and triple impurity, those heretics say they themselves are Jangamas. Saying they themselves are holy Kashi, Kedara , Shreeshaila and Virupaksha, and that Iranna, Mallanna, Basavanna themselves are gods, they keep those stone gods in some corner of their house, and drink the water in which they are washed, and eat their orts. Can we call such beasts devotees of gods? No, we can’t. Look, such unrighteous Svapachas should not be worshipped ! If the devotee, who practices the tenets of Veerashaivism, worship them by defying the order , both cannot escape the impurities of birth, look, O Guheshwara!

1309) Behold the sense of twain merged in the indeterminate trance! Behold how the light is lost within the light! Never before had I seen the extinction of both the sun and the moon! No light, but only the splendour of light! There is no telling of Siddharamayya’s eminence lost in Guheshwaralinga!

1310) The Linga’s food cooked in the fire of self- light, filling the rice of ultimate knowledge, pouring over the water called Supreme Bliss, gave immense satisfaction to the Absolute.

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Seeing it without eyes, taking it without hands, eating it without mouth, knowing it without awareness, I became blissful, O Guheshwara!

1311) With faith becoming steadfast, virtue stick up, and will overflowing, knowledge becoming body, virtuous action becoming breath, and again knowledge becoming breath, virtue becoming body, body, mind, virtuous action and will – these four becoming one, if you ask about the stature of a Bhakta-Virakta, who has transcended steadfast faith, action and knowledge, it is like this: Action means Ishtalinga, body means Pranalinga. By hiding that Pranalinga in the Ishtalinga, Bhakta became Mahesha. Thus one became two. Then with both Bhakta and Mahesha standing firm in faith, their steadfast faith spreading wide, they returned to their former steadfast faith. If they told Bhavalinga , “When my action is hid in you, and go and see the Ishtalinga,” if he says the Ishtalinga departed, no use discoursing with him. Because: First of all, you should not ask how they became three different things. If you ask how these three were created, you will find five different things in them. Thus in the eight-fold body, if you find place for the four Lingas, bind them fast there. Further, after having planted the four firm, you should see the remaining four, giving up the sense of body. After having seen and seized them , when you take them prisoners, the flame of fire kindled in the Muladhara

459 shooting up, destroy the hostages, like a mother killing her own child , being unable to foster the child. Walking up to the person (Virakta) lost in renunciation, if they tell him “you are as you were before”, Guheshwara being witness, Allayya does not like such faithless fellows, O Sangana Basavanna.

1312) Are you in God? or is God in You? I cannot catch the point. Whenever the outer peel loses its shine, the inner juice turns to rot. Such speech Guheshwara does not like.

1313) Shedding the twain sense of You and Me, when you can climb the highest peak of the great Trikuta mount, you become yourself, look. You can see the Absolute Void. You can see in that Trikuta mount a plantain-grove hidden from the eyes. If you can enter the arena of that grove, you see the glow of bright light. To that place, you go, O mother! Then the highest peak becomes your own in Guheshwara!

1314) Adorning a damsel on the earth covered with water, and holding the four and ten worlds in the mouth, who gave form to the bliss, coming from the Yoga of Bindu and Shakti? I saw someone holding the speech of one and two. Look, how the secret of the pleasant test of Bindu was brought to the Chandrakanta mount, along with the dawn of the moon! The joy of uniting with the Linga dwelling on the palm through the gesture of the eye, and the reflection of the Un-begun of yore, made themselves manifest to me today,

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I say Hail! O hail! to Guheshwara’s Sharana Chennabasavanna.

1315)

The body that swims in water tires, but does the water tire? If the community talks, it is the community that gets hurt, not Guheshwaralinga, who is free from illusion.

1316) Creatures that are clad in the cloak of a water- doll, Creatures that are wrapped up in a fire-red shawl, Creatures that move about with the speed of wind— how can they know God, O Guheshwara?

1317) The shadow of a tree thrown into water cannot be seen! Lo, what is the name of the tree grown without seed? It is greater than the Great, hidden behind awareness! Lo! What is this ghee got without heating? What is this perfume without fragrance! Behold the tranquil state of Guheshwara, O Sir!

1318) None can tell, nor can hear the mystery of water blending with milk. Tell me, can the gold soldered with bronze crack? Can you tell others in glowing terms of what is consumed in fire like camphor? Whatever that be, Look, Sangana Basavanna, let our Guheshwaralinga be witness, I am saved by seeing a miracle through your grace!

1319) When there was neither water nor shade; when there were no six Shivas; when there was neither Brahma Egg nor any other big vessel;

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I have been saved, O Guheshwara, becoming an undivided whole at the sight of the seven types of Gana-foetus created by the sport of a Sharana, who is an undivided effulgent Linga.

1320) If a picture is drawn in water, who can see it ? Where did the vain talk about Brahma fall, while the body was engaged in talking about Brahma Void? Till one merges in the Void, knowing the twain secret, one needs the Sign called Guheshwaralinga, O Ambigara Chowdayya!

1321) This Vachana is incomplete in its original form.

1322) Capturing the Absolute that defies speech, she herself became Its captive. Within that integral perfection, she lost all her speechand deed. On hearing from me, as though ignorant of her own ultimate height, she realized herself. Let Guheshwaralinga be witness, in no way can we praise the glory of Mahadeviyakka, look, O Madivalayya!

1323) If I want to think of Him, He is inconceivable to the mind. If I want to know Him, He does not reduce Himself to any Sign. If I want to see Him, He is no image. Tell me, how could your mind grasp this Absolute, which is neither in body nor in mind? Tell me, O Sangana Basavanna,

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how this Guheshwaralinga , who, dodging the world’s eyes by screening them with the dark, has hid himself in you?

1324) The mind penetrated the Absolute by ever thinking of It. Seeing It again and again, the heart exulted. It merged in It, became one with It, and became speechless. Not knowing the abode of Guheshwara, it absorbed the twain Linga in itself.

1325) If I want to think, I have no mind. The desire for the body is already no more. What shall I say of the greater than the Greatest, which could destroy the thinking mind? The self-begotten Truth remains integrated! I was amazed to see Its natural existence, O Guheshwara!

1326) A temple stands upon the spike of a three-pointed pillar. Its front gate is on the earth. It is caught in the mosaic stone within. There stands a Linga idol of sound. If you want to utter a word, then utter it with restraint. Look, Basavanna, I blush at the experience of a garland of too many words to please Guheshwara!

1327) A tree grew without seed in a landless place. That tree bore a fruit without flower. The fruit became ripe without passing through the raw stage. Without a ripe fruit, Allama tasted the sweet to Guheshwara’s heart’s content.

1328) Why the fear of a flood as long as land appears.

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When the land appears, there is no need to fear, unless there is a flood. As long as there is mind, why the trouble of Karma? When the mind perishes, Karma remains absent, but is there any doubt about ‘I want’ and ‘I don’t want’ to a Sharana who knows Your Reality, O Guheshwara?

1329) When the hood of a serpent lying in a bottomless ocean was seen, two chief mounts –one, silver and another, golden— were shining there. Holding the silver mountain in the left hand, and the golden mountain in the right hand, when the serpent’s hood was kicked, it jumped to the fourteen worlds. From there above, the two mountains, losing their hues, hid themselves in the heart of a flea! When the flea opened its eyes, it saw a Shiva temple called the sky of consciousness. Is there destruction to the beauty without body? No, there is no destruction. Therefore, it became a signature for the word Brahma called Guheshwara.

1330) Because the Shruti says: “ The eye is god, and there is no other god”, the eye is Parashiva-Linga Parabrahma. Because the Shruti says: The Linga is born in the middle of the eye”, the eye is the Linga’s mother. Because the Shruti says: “The eye is the center of sexual fulfilment,” the eye is the privates of Prabrahma’s Ishtalinga. Because the Shruti says: “The eyes are breasts”, the eyes are the breasts held in the hands of Pranalinga. Because the Shruti says: “The eye is Shiva’s flower”, the eye is the integral flower for Linga.

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Because the Shruti says: “The eyes are the Linga’s lights”, the eyes are the undivided Light for Linga. Because the Shruti says: “The eyes are the sprinklers of sacred water”, the eyes are the pots used for sprinkling sacred water over Linga. Because the Shruti says: “The eye is the Linga’s arrow”, the eyes are the arrows used for capturing the Linga. Because the Shruti says : “The eyes are the Linga’s eyes”, only the Linga has eyes, and the Self does not have eyes. These are for the Sharana who is a Lingaikya, and who sees with the will, mind and eyes fixed on Linga, with his sight and love combining, but where are the eyes for the worldlings? This is more private than privacy; more secret than secrecy; more mysterious than mystery, none but Guheshwara knows the glory and power of this eye. How can the wretched brothers who have lost eyes know it?

1331) The observer of rigid rule does not know the Linga. The son of a harlot does not know who his father is. While performing Mahala to the manes whose name will he cite? In whose name will he perform Shraddha? I say those, who do not know You, are lost to both, O Guheshwara!

1332) Where to unite as long as the joy of seeing is there? Anxiety does not cease, as long as the haste for uniting is there. How can I describe the bliss, coming from the wonder of seeing and uniting with You, O Guheshwara?

1333)

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Seeing is uniting; uniting is life-breath. Life-breath is Oneness; Oneness is consubstantial union; Consubstantial is Linga; Linga is perfection; Perfection is Supreme Brahma; Oneself is that Supreme Brahma. Thus Guheshwara knows the Ultimate Reality. How can the blind brothers know It?

1334) Look, look, O Siddharamayya, how soon these devotees swell with pride! Are there any who receive with indifference the master, when he himself goes to his disciple’s house? When so much forgetfulness arose in Basavanna, tell me, what will be the fate of other Shiva devotees? If he welcomes Guheshwaralinga with devotion and love and from the heart, we will go, otherwise, our going will be of no use, look!

1335) The seeing sun shines equally, and the pouring water pours equally for both impurity and purity. For one who knows and talks, and equally, for one who repents, talking non-sense, his own heart is witness. For Guheshwaralinga, O Sangana Basavanna, there is no truth or falsehood.

1336) Seeing is in sight; the sight is in the seer; the seer himself is witness; The witness itself is Linga. Everything issues from the Linga. That Linga knows no destruction. The Linga Itself is witness to Linga. This Linga is very mysterious. A true disciple knows the blending of Guru and Linga. How can worldlings know it? They are blind persons, look, O Guheshwara!

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1337) How are the blood and seed unconnected with the essence of the Sun and Moon, but wandering round the five elements and the three attributes, so closely bound together? He is not without companionship, nor is he one who moves with the motion of the wind. The whole world has attempted to unravel his mystery. Can the Void, which has neither blood nor seed, be bound? How can I describe Siddharama’s name, O Guheshwara?

1338) I saw the path the five deadly sins take. I saw the cauldron in which all sorrows boil; I saw the time when Kala kicks the living beings. I saw the manner of cutting Kama’s hand. I saw the mode of sealing Maya’s mouth. I saw Guheshwaralingayya filling Himself full in my eyes.

1339) After the five-coloured drop has broken with the world, if I want to move around, there is no room to move. Once the splendour of the motionless intelligence swallows the body, there is no hind, no front; no right, no left; nor any ground to stand on. If I want to be in between, it has risen bursting his body. That Void is like Himself. Do the ordinary poor people understand the riddle? It’s Chennabasavanna, Guheshwara’s Sharana, who revealed this riddle-like secret to me, having known it through speech.

1340) Sitting in the lotus posture, having known the much troubling downward air moving upward, and turning the upward moving air downward

467 by pressing the six-finger space, rejecting the north-east and south, joining the power of the mind with peace in the Sushumna of the west, having drunk nectar to the point of feeling exhausted, after three aims have become one— the Self, thus becoming the Supreme Self, if the thought of the Inner Self flashes, it becomes impracticable. If you ask how: After having become fit for the world of gods, if one becomes human again, that itself is a sin. Having drunk nectar to appease hunger, if one, feeling hungry again, wants to eat, it is the attribute of nature. Therefore, One, who has become the Supreme Self, as he has become the Supreme Self, should remain absorbed in himself, O Guheshwara!

1341) Some elders desire poetry; some other elders desire wisdom; yet some other elders desire equality. All these performed penance without realizing their own Self. Disguise being disclosed, if one can become a Dasohi, giving up desire and anger, he himself is Guheshwaralinga.

1342) For the sapling called Supreme knowledge, I brought the soil from the land called Guru-devotion, and made a bed. I gave it the fertilizer called Linga-devotion; and poured the water of Supreme Bliss called Jangama-devotion. When the tree of devotion bore fruit, with the help of all these, I attained deliverance in Guheshwaralinga, mark, O Sangana Basavanna.

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1343) If one knows oneself by examining the matter of Ultimate Reality, none is a Guru other than Chola; none is a Bhakta other than Basavanna; none is a Nirvani other than Akka; none is an elderly person other than Chillala; none is a profound person other than Ajaganna. Do not say that none has got these five things. Those, who get their grace, attain deliverance. Taking the food graced by these five, I merged in the Void, look, O Guheshwara.

1344) If a Maheshwara, who practices piety after hearing the nectarine Vachana about Shivayoga in the company of virtuous persons, who has known the supreme, desiring joy in the mind, can obtain it to his full satisfaction, that joy will contain peace. Otherwise, if the human beings, who have filled the well of their heart with the poison of worldliness, fill their body with the nectar of Vachana, it is like filling water in a broken pot, look, O Guheshwara!

1345) Do iron ornaments suit the statue of a touch-stone? If the world is in the Linga, and the Linga in the world, how did the deluges take place in the past? And how about the deluges in the future? The world is as the world should be, and the Linga, as the Linga should be. Your Sharana knows the difference between the two, O Guheshwara!

1346) Why iron ornaments for a statue of touch-stone? Why the illusion of – “All the three worlds and the animate and inanimate in them are within the Linga.

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No animate thing exists outsiderhe Linga.” If the whole universe were within the Linga, how did the past creation, existence and dissolution take place? Linga is like Linga; world is like world. You yourself are our Sharana, who could keep Linga within himself, and the world outside, O Guheshwara.

1347) What if the human beings of this world wear Shivalinga? They are Lingavantas, but can they have bond withthe Pranalinga? In whatever caste may a Sharana take birth, he is rich in theVeerashaiva doctrine and practice, and has bond with the Pranalinga, which combines action, knowledge and experience. He is the formless Void of voids, impenetrable, tranquil, immaculate, higher than the highest that existed before neither the Begun nor the Un-begun, existed, look! Will not ring worms abound in the mouths of the vicious , who, because of their doubts, censure such a great person, calling him high-born and low-born, O Guheshwara?

1348) Even touch-stone needs putting in some place. Even precious stone, be it how so precious, needs setting in gold. And if you want to wear Linga, you must have a body that worships it. Look, Chandayya, you cannot forget, once you have known Guheshwaralinga.

1349) Listen you, O Shiva-traitors, who say Parvati is Parashiva’s wife! Listen you, O sorrowful sinners, who say Benaka is Para Shiva’s son! Listen you, O Linga –traitors, who say master Kaartikeya is Hara-Linga’s son! Listen you, O Bhava-Hara-Guru-traitors, who say Bhairava is the son of Hara the terrible ! Chennabasavanna, the Unbegun Sharana, being the son of Sangana Basavanna, the ancient teacher, who offered Prasada

470 to our Guheshwaralinga, showed me the teachers’ teacher, the Supreme Teacher, O Siddharamayya!

1350) As Sharana has no merit and no sin, he has no obligation of birth. As he eats what comes to him, he has no obligation of the mortals. As he has made the wheel of birth stand still he is under no obligation to God. As he himself is Truth, Knowledge and Bliss, He is under nobody else’s obligation. Guheshwara’s Allayya alone is one who is under nobody’s obligation.

1351) When grace favours, sod turns to gold, look, O Sir! When grace favours, stone turns to alchemic stone, O Sir! The fortune that I sought years back, appeared today before my eyes, look! After having seen a gem in a temple buried in earth, can I remain the same that I was before, O Guheshwara!

1352) What is it that is worshipped first and then put down? What is the un-chiseled that is worshipped? Body itself is the pedestal, and life- breath itself, the Linga, O Guheshwara!

1353) Lo, what is it that was worshipped? Lo, what is that throne which is above the worshipped? Lo, incense, lamp and Nivali: What is all this? Light below and lamp above! Floor above the pinnacle, to see which, I was amazed, O Guheshwara!

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Being born again, After having shed all former attributes, a Sharana takes birth in the Guru’s palm; he lives among true devotees of Shiva and meets with dissolution in Linga. Not knowing this order of consummation, if a Sheelavanta fails to follow the rigid rule of Sheela, should it be made public? It should not be. A Sheelavanta’s compromising with observance of rule is: like a prostitute becoming a beggar woman in old age; like a soldier becoming a door-keeper in old age; like a jackal becoming a bear in old age, and like a serpent becoming a worm in old age! For all gods, head-worship is performed but for Jangama-god, feet-worship is performed. If the Jangama-god, who is supposed to give Padodaka-Prasada, has a bond with such observances as Kanthapawada, Dhulapawada and Sarvangapawada, it is like a lion becoming a dog, look, O Guheshwara!

1355) Look, Your Sharana is a strong soldier, who, destroying the hardness of the earth, breaking the hands and feet of the water, chopping off the nose of the fire, beheading the air, put the sky on pike. Your Sharana will have survived, locking the nine doors, and killing nine thousand people, O Guheshwara!

1356) There is no water that rejects earth. There is no fire that rejects water. There is no air that rejects fire. There is no sky that rejects air. There is no sound that rejects the sky. There is no drop that rejects sound. There is no form that rejects drop. There is no soul that rejects form. There is no Linga, called Guheshwara, that rejects soul.

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If the stone belonging to the earth falls on the earth, you say your Pranalinga passed away. If your Pranalinga passes away, how do you speak? As they do not know the secret of the bond between the heart and Pranalinga, I was wonderstruck to see the riddle you flaunted , O Guheshwara!

1358) Until you shed the impurity of the earth, until you shed the impurity of water; until you shed the impurity of fire; until you shed the impurity of air; until you shed the impurity of the sky; until you shed the impurity of the sun and the moon, how can you call yourself devotee and worship the Linga? I was amazed to see those, who worship the Linga, calling themselves devotees, without shedding the impurities of the earth, water, fire, air, sky, sound, sun and moon, look, O Guheshwara!

1359) I saw on the earth a tranquil mountain called Supreme Guru. I saw that Supreme Guru open the eyes through one narrative. I saw in the light of that eye-sight, the blazing pinnacle on the head become a sapling, walking some distance. I saw the soil beneath that plant become three parts for the devotees, O Guheshwara!

1360) The earth is there wherever one goes; the water is making a murmuring sound; the fire is burning bright; the air is blowing ; the sky is making room. Guheshwara is innumerable, immeasurable bliss!

1361) Like a Chakora, I was tongue-tied till the full-moon came.

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I am not one who follows a code that prescribes fasting. Is there any code for a Lingavanta that he should not eat. One should accept, day and night, the eight-fold enjoyment, which should be offered first to the Linga. Because there were no true Bhaktas, who could serve what they earned by Kayaka, I did not open my mouth. I am happy my hunger has increased on hearing “ I’m to do and to serve”, O Sangana Basavanna, do serve Guheshwara.

1362) So long as there are Nature’s attributes, one is no devotee. So long as there is lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy, one is no Sharana. So long as there is hunger, thirst, sleep and sexual desire, one is no Prasadi; I say, ‘ Hail! O hail!’ to Chennabasavanna, the man of Prasada, who has got experience in Achara, and peace in Prasada, in Guheshwaralinga.

1363) O, you all, who recite the Primeval Letter ‘OM’, know for yourselves the meaning of the Primeval spell. Does the Primeval Letter say— “I am not”? Does the Primeval Letter say— “Who am I”? Does the Primeval Letter say— “I am He”? Because the Primeval Letter says not -– “I am Consciousness”, but — “May we meet Thy glorious grace!” It is said— “The words ’Savitur’ and ‘Dheemahi’ form part of the spell. May be the Linga Itself is the Glorious Light.” The meaning of the Primeval spell pervades You,

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O Guheshwara!

1364) First of all, the Thing was without a name. The Supreme Thing that was nameless assumed the name Supreme Brahma by its own sport! Assuming that name, it became a cult. From that cult issued Lingasthala called Self. That stage, merging in the cult, stood as stage-cult, merging duality. If you ask how: The Will issued from the Supreme Brahma that was imperceptible to speech and mind. From the will, issued knowledge; from knowledge, mind; from the mind, intellect; from that intellect, consciousness; from that consciousness, ego. Thus, pride, consciousness, intellect, mind knowledge and will came into existence. Unless these six are destroyed, Supreme Brahma cannot take birth. To destroy these six, the Six- fold Sthala came into existence. They are: When ego disappeared, Bhakta Sthala appeared. When the attribute of consciousness was destroyed, Maheshwara Sthala came into existence. When the attribute of intellect was destroyed, Prasadi Sthala came into existence. When the attribute of mind was destroyed, Pranalinga Sthala came into existence. When the attribute of life was offered, Sharana Sthala came into existence. When will became will-less, Aikya Sthala came into existence. Thus the Six-fold Sthala being created, the Brahma that is imperceptible to speech and mind became Self. Out of that Self was created the sky; out of that sky was created air; out of that air was created fire; out of that fire was created water; out of that water was created earth.

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Thus, here are the details of the Sthala-Kula becoming the Kula-Sthala: The earth merging into water; water merging into the fire; Fire merging into the air; the air merging into the sky; the sky merging into the Self; the Self merging into Parashiva! This is how the six parts of the body dissolved: “The earth merged into the water; the water merged into the fire; the Fire merged into the air; the air merged into the sky; the sky merged into the Self; the Self merged into Parashiva!” it is said. Thus the self merged into Supreme Brahma, O Guheshwara!

1365) First of all, the Thing was Mahaghana Shunya Brahma that was Absolute Void. Such a Thing became Anga-Sthala called Self by His own sport. To that Anga-Sthala called Individual Self that was formed thus, joined twenty-five principles. They are: Five sense organs, including ear; five functional organs, including speech; five air-born principles, including life-breath; another five principles, including sound. Five life principles, including mind, intellect, consciousness, ego— thus, twenty-five Anga principles were created. These twenty-five Anga principles, to become consubstantial within themselves, Bhakti principle was created. Then that divine Linga, that was higher than the highest Great Absolute, assumed eleven principles. This is the order of these eleven principles: Five forces, including peace; five Sadakhyas, including Shiva; and one Parashiva principle. Thus eleven Linga principles came into existence.

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The twenty-five Anga principles and eleven Linga principles together formed thirty-six principles. This is how these principles were blended harmoniously— Attaining Nivritti Force, when the five functional organs, including speech, merged into Karma Sadakhya, the earth principle became void. Attaining Pratisthana Force, when the five subjects, including sound, merged into Kartru Sadakhya, the water principle became Void. Attaining Vidya Force, when the five sense organs, including ear, merged into Moorthy Sadakhya, the five principles became Void. Attaining Shanti Force, when the five air principles, including life-breath, merged into Amoorthy Sadakhya, the air principle became Void. Attaining Shantyateeta Force, when the five-life organs, including ego, merged into Shiva Sadakhya, the sky principle became Void. Thus, when twenty-five principles merged into the Linga, each one of the eleven Linga principles becoming one, Kula-Sthala disappeared. Thus as soon as the fog of Kula-Sthala--Sthala-Kula clears like icicle becoming water by melting, the divine Linga , that is higher than the highest Absolute-- all dissolved by their own Supreme Bliss. If you ask for evidence, here it is: The Un-begun, who is both the doer and the work done, has given up the world. He Himself possesses body, and He Himself dissolves. He is the Void inside, and the Void outside, and ten directions are the Void of voids. He is the Absolute Void, without duality, and the Supreme State” , it is said. Thus twenty-five Anga principles and eleven Linga principles becoming one,

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the riddle of certainty of the way of its attaining the Absolute Void is, indeed, a riddle. It made itself manifest in the meanings of sentences. If you ask how: That state itself is Linga; that state itself is Anga. Because it is said: The merging of the two into one another is Asi. Thus, Our Guheshwara can be with form as well as without form; He can be Brahma that is the Great Absolute Void, which transcends form and the formless, and is the Void of voids!

1366) As long as there is Pranalinga, all talk of Pranalinga is of no avail, look, Basavanna. Breaking a pot in the street, if you sweep all around, tell me, can you find it? Having parted from Guheshwaralinga, should you look for Him, O Basavanna?

1367) You talk of Prasadis again and again. Then, today and in future, Chennabasavanna alone is a Prasadi. When there was no Begun and no Un-Begun, Chennabasavanna alone was a Prasadi. When there were no Vedas and Shastras, Chennabasavanna alone was a Prasadi. When there were no millions of Aja-Eggs, Chennabasavanna alone was a Prasadi. When there was no triple god, Chennabasavanna alone was a Prasadi. When Uma’s marriage had not taken place, Chennabasavanna alone was a Prasadi. When there were no Rudras as countless as Ganga sands, Chennabasavanna alone was a Prasadi. When there were no Linga and Jangama names, Chennabasavanna alone was a Prasadi. O Guheshwara, You are Linga, Basavanna Guru, Chennabasavanna Prasadi, I see no one else, look, O Sir!

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1368) You worship for nothing the body in its prime of youth, and the gods of illusion, without taking pains. Fasten those, who come to worship gods, to a peg. If you, passing the thread through the eye of a needle, Forget the thread, the stitches open, O Guheshwara.

1369) They talk of fate: Then, how can the writ on the forehead be erased? They talk of the writ on the forehead: Then, how did the contact of hand and head take place? They talk of deluge: Then tell me, what about Pranalinga, O Guheshwara?

1370) “I reject what has come, and do not want what does not come”,-- it’s for one who has shed the body’s attributes, not for one who has retained them. If you ask how, it is like this: One should be equanimous, without waxing and waning, when fear of King, Chief, wild beast, condition, woman strikes him. Listen, you brothers, who enjoy non-stop milk, ghee, and the pleasure of wearing ornaments of nine precious stones, of owning house, cot, cow, wealth and woman, saying they have come at the behest of Linga. Look, it is against one’s own word, if one says, without doubt, that it is Linga’s order, when the elephant in rut, a big tiger, a black cobra and wild fire come on their own. This is the condition of all living beings, not something that comes without purpose. You should enjoy it, knowing what is good and what is bad for health. As long as there is fear, shame and infatuation, what to do? Therefore— Conduct is for the body; knowledge for the mind. Shedding truth and falsehood called— ‘what has come, what does not come’,

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Your Sharana is contented to himself, staying in his own Reality, O Guheshwara.

1371) Can anybody, who comes and bathes her breast and stays , be a wife? Can anybody, who comes and stays, and renders service, moving about, know Guheshwaralinga, like Sangana Basavanna?

1372) While saying ‘Ba’, my wheel of births will come to a halt. While saying ’Sa’, I will become omniscient. While uttering the letter ‘Va’ , my soul will be charged with energy. Knowing the secret of these three letters Ba Sa Va, that shine in all parts of my body, You and I have been saying repeatedly, ‘Basava’, ‘Basava’, ‘Basva’, look, Guheshwara!

1373) In the great house of Void, I saw a child that was beyond life and death. When I went to worship it, touching, that child devoured me straight. I did not touch it, nor did I see it. No restriction was there for its worship. Then Guheshwara was all Void.

1374) It was like a highway robber finding a chance to rob after long spying! It was like a blind man seeing suddenly the thing, stumbling over and touching! It was like a poor man desiring wealth, stumbling over an alchemic stone! It was like the seeker and the thing sought becoming one! Tell me, O Guheshwara, is it the fruit of my good deeds done in the past that I have got You?

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1375) Like the gold that has eaten colour; like the ghee that has eaten butter; like the word that has swallowed sound; like the flower that has eaten fragrance; Sangana Basavanna is in Guheshwaralinga without any obligation. Tell me, O Madivala Machayya, how does Sangana Basavanna’s practice of piety fare?

1376) Although one may practice with thirty-two weapons countless days, the weapon that is used to fight is only one, and the day on which one fights is only one. Likewise, the Sthalas may be many, but the understanding mind is only one and the Linga is only one. When the mind takes the place of Linga and loses the Sthala, there will be neither Sthala nor non-Sthala. What is true is You Yourself, O Guheshwara!

1377) Desire is a distant union. Absence of desire is union from near. Both are deceptions, not real. Then, tell me how to realize union with the Linga? Does our Guheshwaralinga accept your beloved object?

1378) If you say you have seen the Void of vods on the seat of the void,--- to see the Shruti statement: “He is beyond the ten-finger measurement, and if you enquire for yourself the statement: “Para Shiva is beyond speech, mind and will.” Does Shruti say that Linga yields to place and honour? Opening the stitches of body and breath, knowing Nada and Bindu, becoming a perfect knower, if one can accommodate within oneself Perfect Shiva, he is a Sharana. In Guheshwaralinga,

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he is a natural Shivayogi, look, Siddharamayya!

1379) One Sharana gave Form to the Void; he lodged devotion in that Form, and made that devotion face Enlightenment. He caught hold of Enlightenment, and made it face the Linga. He made that Linga penetrate his body, and put his whole body in the trance of deliverance. Attaining deliverance, if I became impenetrable, making myself vibrate with devotion, He drew me towards him. Having seen your Sharana Sangana Basavanna’s feet and bowing to them, I have been saved, O Guheshwara!

1380) The Void knows no limit, the mind knows no obstruction. Taste knows no imperfection, happiness knows no cloying. When that happiness turns to Supreme Bliss, the Void’s contentment has no taint! Offering to the Form should be made through right action. If you ask how: As fire gets beating in the company of iron, you should offer the taste unlimited with the Form, without any chink of doubt to Guheshwaralinga.

1381) What comes as desired is for the enjoyment of the body. What comes without desiring is for the enjoyment of Linga— Reading this Vachana, and being pleased to see the disguisers, who come to perform rites, pleasing them with the food so that they should not suffer from thirst and hunger, the miserable disguisers, hankering after food and other worldly pleasures, which, they say, are at the behest of the Linga, cannot avoid going to the terrible hell, O Guheshwara!

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1382) Tell me, how did you become the object of your desire? Tell me, how did you become the goal of your search? For a Sharana whose body is Linga, and breath, Jangama, why build a separate temple? Your words, not your deeds, say that you have found Guheshwaralinga, look, O Siddharamayya!

1383) If the village elders, who are respected highly, going to town along with others, beg for food and seek unbecoming pleasures, and play fools, bring disgrace to their own status. Tell me, do all those who run after food, addiction, hunger, thirst and sleep, know the Ultimate Thing? Tell me, do all those shameless ones, who indulge in infinite discourses of dry words, know the Ultimate Thing? All those swines who run after lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy, look like a child playing with a dog, O Guheshwara!

1384) I know I don’t want the obligation of the mortal world. Because of the oblivion of the past, I suffered by coming into this world; enough of it. Now I have known the Truth, and torn off the triple noose. If I bring to my mind the thought of the mortal world’s happiness, I swear by your queen’s dwelling place, O Guheshwara.

1385)

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In saying Basavanna, my body dissolved into the Void! In saying Chennabasavanna, my life-breath dissolved into theVoid! Look, Sangana Basavanna the consummation of the twin states was made possible, let Guheshwara be witness.

1386) I saw in the toe of Basavanna, the source of the holy water that surpassed in holiness the waters of the sixty-eight holy ponds, O Sir! I saw up to Basavanna’s Adhara Linga and navel the cradle of Guru, O Sir! I saw up to Basavanna’s navel and heart the cradle of the Linga, O Sir. I saw up to Basavanna’s throat, face, the middle of eye-brows, Unmani and head the cradle of Jangama, O Sir. I call him Bhakta and Jangama, who can see these in Basavanna’s body, which has universal mouth, look, Guheshwara!

1387) Let your praise be, let my praise be, O Basavanna, one can be Guru, Linga or Jangama— one can be these three, but none can be Chennabasavanna, the great glory that came as life-breath to your discipline, as discipline to my knowledge, and as partaker of peace and serene joy of the union of these two, look, Sangana Basavanna!

1388) Thinking that Basavanna alone is a Pranalingi, I found It rapt with wonder, with profound gaze. I was astonished, imagining with mind intent, O Guheshwara.

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Knowing that Sangana Basavanna, who, dispossessed of all, dwells in Yourself, is my Pranalingi, I found You as my Guru, by merging myself in you, Your mercy, Your mercy!

1389) O Basavanna, you have seven lives, I have four lives, and Chennabasavanna has only one life. You should not be called Guru, and I should not be called Jangama. Our Guheshwaralinga being witness, if we two do not take the left-over of Chennabasavanna’s Prasada, the wheel of our births will not cease.

1390) At your sight, O Basavanna, my body has become naught! At your touch , O Basavanna, my actions have become naught! Remembering you again and again, O Basavanna, my mind has become naught! On hearing often times about your Great Experience, O Basavanna, my wheel of birth has ceased! As you have torn off the noose of birth by proving that you were unborn in Guheshwaralinga, I have been saved in your company.

1391) Is there for the baby in the womb separate food and separate bath? When the baby Linga is the womb of knowledge, how does a separate give and take take place? Can the body enjoy itself, being separated from breath? Doubt being cleared, when the mind remains absorbed in the Sublime, can there be discrimination, O Guheshwara?

1392) Having lost what did not come, and

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enjoyed all that had come, I have been brought to a plight that nobody ever was brought to, O Sir! That plight being gone, I say I am You, look, O Guheshwara!

1393) If Nada becomes Linga with Bindu as its base, it is Linga broken! When the worship called Kala becomes pure, the Great Absolute transcends Nada, Bindu and Kala. Can we call the immovable tranquil thing, that does not get entangled here and there, Premier Letter? Know you, O Siddharamayya, the nature of Guheshwara is – ‘The silence called Brahma’.

1394) In the heart of a black star twinkling in the white sky, when flame blazes, one appears two. It shines both inside and outside, like a light on the threshold. It is Sublime, if seen; if not, natural. In Guheshwaralinga, Chennabasavanna knows this secret. Come, Siddharamayya, let us go and ask him.

1395) None can see the ruby lying on the road, nor the hoarded treasure. Can the mortals find the life-restoring herb? Sharanas appear ordinary persons, like the alchemic stone appearing mere stone to the eyes of a sinner. O Sangana Basavanna, behold the majestic stature of Marulashankara, our Guheshwara’s Sharana!

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If fire burns, can it hide itself in stone, water and tree? If we say awareness is superior, it hides itself in Sign. If we say it has another place to hide, where to find it? Like the splendour of the stone, when that stone is broken, does its splendour leave any trace? Look, you should understand the Sign that is good, as long as there is Guheshwaralinga, O Ambigara Chowdayya!

1397) If you worship Linga at dawn, touching It with hands, and see the face of the Jangama in the morning, the sin of seven lives will go away. Because, it is said: “He who worships Linga at sunrise, will be freed from the triple obligation and attain the Brahma state.” Our Guheshwara does not like those who do not perform such good actions.

1398) Lo, if you churn and cut the light within light, it joined again! Look at the devotees, who enjoyed the food made of the Meru Mount! I saw Kodagusu swallow the Linga that had feasted meat, O Guheshwara!

1399) If you find light within light, where is another light? If you find Absolute within the Absolute, where is yet another Absolute? Guheshwara’s Sharana Chennabasavanna goes near one who is already close to him.

1400) I saw a Shivayogi who possesses

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both in and out a blazing light of bright eyes, like the essence of radiant light. Amazed was I to see the immaculate Absolute fed on Reality! I have been saved by Chennabasavanna in Guheshwaralinga.

1401) Do I beg of You the title of Devendra? Do not run away, like the splendor of the rising sun. Do not run before me, like the light of a ruby. Do look at me, talk to me. O Guheshwara, do I have the Linga that begs a fake title?

1402) Do I complain to Brahma against Saraswati’s passion? Do I complain to Vishnu against Laxmi’s passion? Do I complain to Rudra against goddess Parvati’s passion? Who else can I complain to against Kaama’s commotion? None can give up their state of being. Tell me, O Guheshwara, Why am I like a God belonging to other religion?

1403) Talking about Brahma deluded me, O Sir. Talking about non-dualism, I became egoistic, O Sir. Talking about the Void, I became a victim of joys and sorrows, O Sir. Having lost the Sthala, I became a worldling, O Sir. Partaking of Your Sharana Sangana Basavanna’s Prasada,

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I have been saved, O Guheshwara!

1404) When Maya trampled down Brahma and Vishnu; When Maya fooled and teased the Rudra Gana and the Pramatha Gana; When Maya was married to the forehead-eyed, the five-faced, and the ten-armed one; when Maya ate gods and demons, chewing again and again; when, through pride of penance, eighty-eight thousand sages yielded to Maya, look, O Guheshwara, I was a scourge to Maya.

1405) Before the throng of gods— Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishwara, Sadashiva, Parameshwara—appeared, from there further back, the Void assumed a form. The majesty of that form cannot be described. It was a light that could not be seen, and a form that could not be united with. Those who have contact with the Linga, know the origin of the light of our Guheshwaralinga, who is undivided and without a parallel.

1406) Tell me who knows the bond of Bhakta-Jangama and the Six-fold Stage. Because: He is no Bhakta, who suffers from hunger. He is no Maheshwara, who suffers from passion. He is no Prasadi, who suffers from desire. He is no Pranalingi, who suffers from the attributes of life. He is no Sharana, who suffers from the attributes of the body. He is no Aikya, who has the fear of birth and death.

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If one can make the enjoyment of pleasures coming from the awareness of meaning and the wealth of these six cease, I call him a self-begotten person; I call that body a real body; I call that body Guheshwara Himself.

1407) Tell me who knows the link between Bhakta and Jangama. He is not a Bhakta, who simply surrendered his wealth, breath and honour. If you ask why, the reason is: He does not fit into the practice of right conduct. He is not a Jangama, who entering the house of such a Bhakta, accepts his prostrations, eats food to appease his appetite, asks the money to gratify his passions; and walks away, praising if they give him money, or blaming , if they do not give him money. He is a Bhakta, who has discerned, seen and known the Absolute which is before time or the time-less was and further back beyond, and has loosed the stitch that knits body and breath, and casts away, and casting it away , is content to live, dedicating all his to that Absolute. He is a Jangama in whom there is no taint of movement; in whom there is no desire to gratify the cravings of the body; in whom awareness has become his body itself; in whom fulfillment is a form of devotion; who can greet with ‘hail’ the Shiva spell, which consists in saying— “What can I do, my Lord?” The meeting of such a Jangama and such a Bhakta is a true meeting. The fellowship of other lukewarm devotees

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cannot please our Guheshwara.

1408) Being dependent upon a devotee, I have not come to beg for devotion. Being dependent upon deliverance, I have not come to beg for it. Craving for food and desiring sensual pleasure, I have not come. Because Sangana Basavanna , Guheshwara’s Sharana is not a devotee that does , I am not a kind of Jangama who begs, Look, Chennabasavanna.

1409) When the master visits his disciple’s house, the latter should receive him with steadfast faith, look. But if, at the sight of the master, the servant spits fire, where is the bond of servant and master? Committing mistakes often times, if you say you’d mend yourself, can you be absolved of all errors? Go Siddharamayya away, you fool, how can you recognize the devotee of Guheshwaralinga?

1410) When you say Bhakta, It appears; when you say Aikya, It disappears. I was spell-bound, being unable to describe the majesty of the undivided Guheshwara, who, absorbing both the seen and the un-seen, has disappeared.

1411) A Bhakta partaking of Prasada became Prasada. Prasada, swallowing the Bhakta, became Bhakta; Both Bhakta and Prasada becoming one, forgot Linga; Then the Bhakta himself became a Bhavi, and

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that Prasada itself became food. Without food and Bhavi, food was ready, O Guheshwara!

1412) You harp on Bhakta. What is Bhakta? As long as one is in a Bhavi’s house, can he be a Bhakta? You harp on Bhakta. What is Bhakta? As long as one wallows in darkness, with the darkness of the Six-fold illusion called the caste system, caste, Gotra, name and boundary filling the eyes, can he be a Bhakta? You harp on Bhakta. What is Bhakta? As long as one has the five-fold impurity, can he be a Bhakta? You harp on Bhakta. What is Bhakta? Is one, who spares his body, mind and wealth, a Bhakta? No, no. Wait, wait. How can these be Bhaktas, who have kept their bag and baggage ready to travel to the abode of death, O Guheshwara?

1413) You harp on devotee. What is meant by devotee? As long as worldlings stay in his house, how can be a devotee? You harp on devotee. What is meant by devotee? As long as one worships another god, drinks wine and eats meat , how can he be a devotee? You harp on devotee. What is meant by devotee? As long as one believes in vow and pilgrimage, how can he be a devotee? You harp on devotee. What is meant by devotee? As long as one spares one’s body, mind and wealth, how can he be a devotee? You harp on devotee. What is meant by devotee? Though all these wear Linga on their chest, they pay fees to death, look, Guheshwara!

1414)

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You say again and again devotee has done, devotee has done. So saying again and again, you should not cry. Because— As long as a devotee does not know what ‘is’ and what ‘is not’, if he thinks whatever he does will do, it is a loss to his thought. If he, who wages a war on others, stabs himself, it is the attribute of a demon, not of a hero. One should know what kind of deed it is— whether done with eagerness due to self-will; whether done with eagerness to attain deliverance; whether done with eagerness to repay debt; But as long as one is a slave to what one takes, he is no Jangama . How wise should be the Linga-wise persons, who drive a loaded cart, knowing its track? No rebirth to Jangama who acts with self- will . The wheel of birth and death won’t stop for him who acts to repay his debt; it is fees for the god of death. Saying: “Come what may to the devotee, whether it cuts him or pulls him up, I’ll take it and go away”.— is not the quality of a Jangama. A Jangama should be full of compassion. Shedding the difference between Bhakta and Jangama, and knowing these orders, if he does not act, he distances himself from the Stage of the Absolute Void, look, O Guheshwara!

1415) The intention of the Jangama who makes room for himself in the house of a Bhakta should be like this: He should not be infatuated with that Bhakta’s body and mind; On seeing the service rendered to the Bhakta-Jangamas

493 visiting the house of the Bhakta, thinking that whatever service is rendered is for himself only, he should be as he is, and contented with what comes to him. He should be free from desire, impartial, and without blemish; free from anger and pain, but full of devotion and knowledge. He should remove the inertia from the devotee’s conduct and speech. Teaching him wisdom, he should feel satisfied. This is the characteristic quality of a Jangama. With such a Jangama being his life-breath, without defying his command, without being indifferent in mind and speech, one should do Dasoha along with the Jangama. This is the characteristic feature of a Bhakta. There is no re-birth to both these. Basavanna likes such a bond of Bhakta and Jangama, look, Guheshwara.

1416) As is the worship done with a sense of devotion, so is the awareness in the heart. To that awareness in the heart, right conduct is the body. Other than that body of conduct, there is no resort to awareness. He is a Lingaikya in whom awareness and conduct are blended harmoniously. To say that you are committed to action is to commit the five deadly sins. It is because Guheshwara has grown intimate to your awareness, a slave to work, He has become your captive. Come Siddharamayya, show me the abode of your happy trance.

1417) Who knows devotion? I know none who knows devotion. He is devout who can, forgetting himself,

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tear up the opposite. Such a one, Shiva likes. Talking about devotion, if it is not practiced, to say you’ll reach the goal and Shiva will be pleased, is a lie. Will our Guheshwaralinga be pleased with one who spits fire in a state of oblivion, and knowledge dawning on him, says, “I will come and fall prostrate at Your feet”?

1418) As devotion was the main course, Truth, the additional dish, and Reality, the sweet. There is none other than Sangana Basavanna, who knows the way to serve Guheshwaralinga.

1419) I got peace called piety from Basavanna. I got contentment called Prasada from Marulashankaradeva. I got single minded faith from Siddharamayya. From Chennabasavanna, I got perfect luster of all creatures. The majesty of Reality goes with the name called Guheshwaralinga.

1420) All the worlds were deluded, crying again and again for a well-filled measure of food. If the well-filled measure of food be right, how to move on this earth? As they did not know what is well-filled within the four-fold offering, Chennabasavanna could grasp the import of a well-filled measure of food in Guheshwaralinga.

1421) To will, He is not worthy of worship. If we say He is hid in outer body, He does not yield to word of action. If we say He is hid in awareness,

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He does not stand to reason. Tell me, how to see the Thing that is will, will-lessness and Void? Tell me, how to harbour It within Guheshwaralinga, O Sangana Basavanna?

1422) A will-less corrupt person that he is, left his five brothers in the lurch. O Goddess Maya, do not talk to that shameless fellow. Clad in consciousness, he has become a perfect fool. He broke the chain of birth and the pot called body. Being a primal ancient one, and a steadfast Lingaikya, Guheshwara’s Allayya is nose-less, O daughter!

1423) Look, to the Linga entangled in will, delay is a wonder! What can I call It, Pranalinga or Linga Prana? The Linga called Guheshwara stayed put where It stood.

1424) The triple will—Will, Good-will, Will-lessness—are: What is called Will consists in the abstract mind conceiving the gross with steadfast faith. What is called Good-will consists in the Will conceiving the gross and the subtle at once. The conceived thing, though gross is not visible; though subtle is not invisible, which is neither gross nor subtle. What is called Will-lessness consists in shedding will and will-lessness and becoming at once the uttered and the un-uttered. Thus shedding the triple-will,

496 he became the Absolute Itself, and became Guru, Linga and Jangama. Your Sharana, O Guheshwara, became blissful in the Padodaka-Prasada of the triple.

1425) To those who are governed by will, worship of the image is the seed of worldliness. Worship of the Linga is the seed of birth. The Jangama, who possesses Linga, is Pranalinga. Therefore, O Guheshwara, I have been saved by taking resort in Sangana Basavanna.

1426) I saw the one that was wonderstruck, having conceived and fixed the eyes. With the eyes fixed and the mind imagining, it was wonderstruck, O Sir! O Guheshwara, I saw today Sangana Basavanna, who is delivered from all obligations, and realized that he is my Pranalinga in You.

1427) All that we see through emotion is illusion. It was as before. Do not will in future, and do not unite. Do not entertain the wrong thought that you are already united, O Guheshwara.

1428) The gross body is made of the five elements. The subtle body is made of mind, intellect, consciousness and ego. The causal body is made of the knowledge of the heart— as these three possessed life-energy. The elements, the inner organs and the knowledge of heart have no independence. If that life-energy has no body-consciousness, it does not make itself manifest. As it does not manifest itself, that life-energy becomes Sharana

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by its own sport. Because that Sharana’s body made of the five elements has made room for the Ishtalinga within itself, the body became all Pancha Brahma. Because the inner organs absorbed the intuitive energetic Linga, Sharana’s all organs became Linga-lights. Because the heart-knowledge, occupying the heart, became all bliss with contentment, Sharana became all existence and consciousness. Therefore, O Guheshwara, I call Your Sharana the Linga visible.

1429) Land is not yours; Gold is not yours; Woman is not yours. These belong to the world as a matter of fact. The jewel of knowledge is your ornament. If you wear such a divine jewel, without spoiling it, look, O mind, no one is rich other than you in our Guheshwaralinga.

1430) Just as a fruit tree born on the earth and grown in space, gives its juice generously for the welfare of all creatures, You became the earth and I the plant. In the course of its growth, it bore the fruit called Guheshwaralinga, and enlightenment became the juice. By Sangana Basavanna’s grace my body became the Void.

1431) He lets Him not wake, who moves on the eight-petalled lotus in the heart of the earth. He, who is undeterred by obstacles and is not wanted by his kith and kin, is devoid of earthly properties.

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Disowning His own self, look, He is tranquil in the tranquillity of the heavenly lotus. Saying that Linga and Jangama are true, he has offered all his pleasures. None other than Your Sharana Basavanna could do so much, O Guheshwara!

1432) Vachana incomplete

1433) What if you learn a Mantra by heart? Unless you repeat it, you cannot master it. What if you know medicine? Unless you administer it, it is of no use. What if you know the Linga? Unless you meditate on it, you cannot realize It, O Guheshwara.

1434) For a Sharana, who enjoys peace of mind, is there any need of a holy house, a mountain or solitude ? For a Sharana, who knows himself, is there any need of worldly worries, meditation, silence, recitation or penance, O Guheshwara?

1435) Waste no time, counting beads. Waste no day, worshipping stone. Enough to remember the True even for a second. O Guheshwara, can we find the quality of fire in hot water?

1436)

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On a desolate mound without soil, a blind one saw a diamond; one with no hands took it; one with no neck wore it; one with no husband brought forth six children; rocked them in a cradle called Guheshwara, suspended in the void. While the mother, waking up, was sporting, her son waking up, was giving suck to her. On seeing this , our Guheshwara was amazed!

1437) Look, how the Kali age has fallen a prey to sorrow, when non-sense grows in sense! Once ignorance swallows knowledge, it’s like the sun being eclipsed; It’s like the infatuation of a mother-cow, that is full of milk, turns away from its calf. The conceit that one is good in telling and hearing amounted to ignorance. Except the learned that knows the essence, who else can read the writ on water? To look into the mirror, are you different from it? The light in the mirror was already in your eyes, hidden . Know yourself the place where Guheshwara dwells , the Light within all lights!

1438) Is Brahma born in the sport of churning the ocean ? Behold , He is beyond the power of Shruti and Smriti. How can I say the static Linga, which is not on the earth, pervades the animate and the inanimate ? Whence is this strange news that the non-existent Linga is here and there, O Guheshwara?

1439)

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Does a Shivayogi have a mind, O fool? Has he one more mind to merge it again? If you talk of the mind, which is not in existence, it proves that the mind exists! Look, no talk of appearance or disappearance for the Sharana who has known Guheshwara.

1440) If the taint of words appears in the body, mind and speech of those , who have merged mind in mind, have welded body with body, and have mingled breath with breath, it is intolerable, listen. Behold, Sangana Basavanna, because you are our Guheshwaralinga’s devotee, I became angry with you!

1441) Once the mind is merged with Him, it should remain merged with Him. Tell me, is there another mind? What is this knowledge to forget the known, and to know and speak about the forgotten, and to forget what is spoken? Guheshwara will tease those who boast of their knowledge by covering their mind.

1442) Where is room for praise, when mind and mind are one? Where is room for words, when knowledge has become one with oneself? Look, Sangana Basavanna, once you have merged in Guheshwaralinga, there is no other anymore!

1443) When mind is merged with mind and body with body,

501 if they say no welcome is needed and no formal ceremony is needed and yet offer to welcome, it’s a fault, indeed! What is this oneness in words where there is Linga in the hand? Our Guheshwara does not step in where such as boast that they are this or that before they actually are!

1444) Behold, the experience of mind merging with mind makes the Absolute merge with the Absolute! Look, it is the stature of the Truth that has attained contentment within Itself. It is further decided on certainty. I became blissful in Guheshwaralinga through Chennabasavanna.

1445) Those, who have their mind merged with mind, are unique. Their exclusive ways cannot be known, look! Their hearts are impenetrable. Inside, they are in the Absolute Void. I learnt from you, O Siddharamayya, that Guheshwara’s Sharanas, having shed the sense of self, are glorious, look!

1446) The Sharanas alone know the joy of union through heart joined to heart in mutual love. How can others know it, who live near them? Can I see, if I wish, the height of the Shivasharanas, who are filled with Truth’s qualities? You know the way of Madivala Machayya in Guheshwaralinga, O Sangana Basavanna, tell me once about it.

1447) Putting the rice

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of good sense free of mind into the mortar called secrecy; pounding it with the pestle called undifferentiated meditation; winnowing the chaff of sin; washing it in the water of equanimity; picking out the stone pieces of greediness, baking a pudding made of milk of compassion’s nectar; cooking a dish of vegetables, seasoned with consubstantial union, with the ghee of ardent longing; pouring the butter-milk of purity— they guarded it, lest the dog of the five senses , the servant maids of the six passions, should touch it. As they watched, lest nothing mean should touch it, this food became an offering to Guheshwaralinga, Look, Chennabasavanna!

1448) To wash the mind and make it clean, what Yoga is this? Look, the mind becoming a devil, plagues those, who claim to have seized and bridled it. The thing, that knows with a divided sense and boasts to have made the mind pure, itself is mind! Those who claim to have known our Guheshwaralinga’s mystery shall have to rid themselves of mind, O Siddharamayya!

1449) If Kayaka were done, forgetting the mind, it would assume the form of Linga; If done without wealth, it would assume the form of Jangama; If done forgetting the body,

503 it would assume the form of Prasada. Thus, if Kayaka were done, forgetting the triple, it would assume the form of the Void. As he failed to know his mind, he could realize Linga. As he failed to know wealth, he could know Jangama. As he failed to know his body, he could know Prasada. Because he shed the triple joy, he could realize the Void. The mind embodied Linga; the wealth, Jangama; the body, Prasada. Thus, these three were absorbed by the Void, O Guheshwara!

1450) When the mind is offered, is there another mind to remember? When meditation becomes perfect, there is no room for duality. This vow is worthy of offer. This itself is a sign of Guheshwara’s not being there.

1451) Your Sharana Sangana Basavanna made Linga his own self: as he failed to know the pleasure of his mind, he came to know Linga;. as he failed to know the pleasure of wealth, he came to know Jangama; as he failed to know the pleasure of his body, he came to know Prasada, O Guheshwara.

1452) If the holy master gave the Sign, fearing that ignorance might set in, when that sight is lost in mind; when that mind is lost in will; when that will is lost in awareness; when that awareness is lost in consubstantial union, tell me, how to know that Sign.

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The Sign that you are looking for is the Linga that is on my palm. Along with that Linga, I disappeared in you. As you could realize my Linga, which is the Void of voids, you only are perfect. Guheshwara being witness, Mahalinga has been realized by you. Look, Sangana Basavanna, what you longed for became a worthy offering.

1453) All the poets of the mortal world are the children of my maid servant. All the poets of the world of gods are the children of my compassion. All the poets who do back-biting are my slaves. The triple god-- Hari, Brahma and Rudra have sought resort in my armpit. O Guheshwara, you are my father-in-law, and I’m your son-in-law.

1454) The Maker sent a Sharana lest this mortal world should be ruined. That Sharana, descending to the city of Shiva called Kalyana, transformed it into Kailas. Bringing the Rudraganas and Pramathaganas he called them Amaraganas; Rallying countless cohorts, he called them Asankhyatas. Displaying the pedigree of devotion, through scriptures, parables and miracles and hoisting the banner of Shiva discipline for all the world to know, he became a ladder between earth and heaven. On seeing the Shivasharanas throng his House, my heart swelled, and my whole self rocked with joy. What shall I say of the greatness of Guheshwara’s Sharana

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Sangana Basavanna’s Dasoha, O Siddharamayya!

1455) A bird of new hue coming to a spotless nest, set fire to it, and swallowed its ashes. When a stranger, coming from a foreign land, devoured those, who were nameless, Basava, Chennabasava, Animisha along with Guheshwara, became blissful in the palm of that child.

1456) O Guheshwara, when Your Sharana has become the Absolute Itself, he has neither merit nor sin, neither the binding of time, nor the taint of past deed, neither birth nor death. He is great, glorious, look, O Sir!

1457) In the great wisdom is a true drop of Supreme Bliss. In that Truth is filled supreme nectar. That nectar, breaking the bund of the first tank, entered the middle tank. Then breaking the bund of the first and the middle tanks, the nectar entered the last tank. All the three tanks together made one big tank. The great water of the three tanks attained the Supreme State. Bowing to that Supreme State, I developed a bond with Padodaka. Being related to that Padodaka, I could not know myself, look, Guheshwara.

1458) Pouring for the Great Linga’s bath-- What does it mean? Offering leaf and flower to the fragrant Linga-- What does it mean?

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Waving a bright lamp to the Linga that gives light to the whole world— What does it mean? Who knows the limit of Guheshwaralinga?

1459) Tell me, who else but Basavanna has merged consubstantially in the Void, forgetting the Kayaka done by him, and forgetting the union attained by him? Tell me, who else but Basavanna has forgotten himself, making himself undivided, and leaving out nothing? I say, ‘Hail! O hail!’ to the glory of your Sharana, Sangana Basavanna, O Guheshwara!

1460) How can you know the time for departure which comes at its own time, as long as you keep on harping—‘I do, I do’? To know Guheshwaralinga don’t become a washer-man who, though standing in water, remains thirsty, O Marayya.

1461) The Jangamas, who have gathered at the house of a Bhakta, who does Kayaka, are slandering one another. They are broken-pots, who do not know their own people. Why the disguise of Shiva for those who, because of the properties of their body, fight over sitting in a row to receive food? Are not all the animates and inanimates called Jangama? Like a nameless one, who is named after the king, what if one has the name and form of a Jangama? Shiva is not there. Is gold everywhere on the earth? It’s available in one place. Shiva dwells in him,

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whose character suits the robe he wears. Because, it is said: “One should wear the coat of equanimity, smear the ash of endurance, hold the water-pot of compassion, and the staff of wisdom in hand. This sight steals the heart. Holding the begging bowl, one should beg alms of renunciation and devotion.” The enlightened person, whose awareness wears the coat of wisdom, and whose body wears the coat of Sign, needs no disguise. This is the command of Guheshwaralinga.

1462) You should know the other Thing through what you do. Both faith and knowledge should unite. When faith has joined with knowledge, you must attain the Ultimate Reality in our Guheshwaralinga, shedding the stark illusion of the Void, O Marayya!

1463) The word they speak is the Linga Effulgent and the sound they make is the Supreme Principle. When palate and lips conjoin in the mouth, what comes out transcends Nada, Bindu, and Kala. Even though they speak, Guheshwara’s Sharanas are not impure, listen, O fool!

1464) The fog-water of illusion, boiling over, became the seed of the world. Staying within you, it kills you, like an elephant that,

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embodying the birth and death of the greater than the great, comes to slit the throne. Become immaculate, before it makes you go after the enchanting fog of illusion, making you get involved in that entertainment, look you. Without fearing any, remember Guheshwara, look!

1465) Listen O doubting man, you say you have bathed and worshipped. Doesn’t the fish bathe? Doesn’t the crocodile bathe? If a person bathes his body, without bathing his inner self, does our Guheshwara like his gaudy words?

1466) Look, I have seen the mystery of salvation’s light, which is beyond the pale of reason, and which is the consciousness of consciousness. When I tested your inside, my mind being overcast with the matchless fragrance of gold , embodied the peace, coming from the Supreme Bliss, look! As you are tranquil in our Guheshwara’s Sharana Ajaganna, you do unite with the seed of this Sign, placing it in the Absolute Void, look!

1467) Lo, I have known that mystery, which is Salvation’s height, and which is beyond all reason’s pale: The Awareness of awareness! In you is lodged all the knowledge that is cancelled and all the oblivion that is annihilated! The glory of Guheshwara’s Sharana Ajaganna is as a ray of light merged in the Void!

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See for yourself, uniting internally with Ajaganna, you will not part at all.

1468) O Guheshwara, the Supreme Brahma has no other form. He is absorbed within Himself, dwelling as He does in the middle of the mind, which is between the eyes, that are in the middle of the face.

1469) Like the arrow shot at the sky, falling down without reaching the sky, how can the animals, that go up and slip down, know what is beyond? How can those, who fall into the trap of wealth and land, know what is there beyond? O Guheshwara, by imprisoning You, I have become a co-prisoner with You, look!

1470) Before being touched, as all mortals, gods and demi-gods are hid in the pot called foetus, I can give a shape to them. As all Devaganas, Pramathaganas and Rudraganas are hid in the pot called Cosmic Egg, I can conceive them. As all these, who are true, eternal and freed from the noose of birth and death, are hid in the pot called Consciousness, I have known them. Because the Lingaikya, who knows that he himself is the undivided self that embodies these three pots, is not given any shape, is not conceived, is not understood. When he knows that he is Consciousness incarnate, what is called Guheshwara became all Void.

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1471) How did it happen earlier? If nothing happened, how did it come about? The self was seeking itself. On seeing the treasure of its hidden desire, it thought itself great, look. Guheshwaralinga made it resemble Itself.

1472) Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. I will let you know a contrivance. If you ask what it is, it is like this: Because you are my descendants, your rise and fall are mine; your belief and disbelief are mine; your loss and gain are mine. Doesn’t he, who has begotten the snake, take shelter in a fence? Alas! You fell into the trap of Maya, like a rat, tempted by the smell of the grated coconut, after a hunter has spread it as a lure, falling into the trap set by him. Offering the meat of anger, spreading the lure of affliction, contriving a trap of lies, posing the temptation of gold , woman and land, the hard-hearted three-eyed hunter made you fall into His trap. If you ask how, it is said in Shivarahasya: “Being detached, free from burdens, limitless, condition-less, disembodied, immaculate, eternal – these are attributes of a Jangama,” Thus I have heard what the Shruti says: “Happiness is just a measure, whereas sorrow is a big mountain.” Likewise, for the freedom of a deer’s foot, there is prison as wide as the three worlds.” Not yielding to the statement of Shruti, shedding anger and heat of fury, shedding error of illusion, you should be Jangamas, look you fools.

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Thus, the cycle of birth and death will not cease, unless you become Jangama, losing the taste for the six-fold infatuation, O Guheshwara!

1473) As an unwashed cooking pot is swarmed with flies, as the weeds-ridden field is crowded with stray cattle, the elders that are polyglots gather at the door of the king who provides for food, water, and clothes. But , O Guheshwara, Your Sharanas are free from the noose of desire.

1474) They know not how to make the six by undoing the stitches of the three! They know not how to take out the core of the six and fix it in the one. Unless they remove the screen over the five; unless they make the five lack-lustre; unless they hide the glory of the five; unless they break the shackles of the three; unless they stand straight and look straight, breaking the seal of the three, they cannot know how to become a Jangama, look, O Guheshwara! 1475) For three worlds, there is one flower! Look at the bees that come to feed on the pollen of that flower. They are returning to their former lives! For that I unsheathed my sword; I tied a badge. It was a worthless badge, O Guheshwara!

1476) Sleep, bold maid of sleep, goddess of three worlds, wrings and sucks up all, draws breath, and throws them away sapless. I know of no gallant who can vanquish her.

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Struck by her arrows, all rise and fall, O Guheshwara.

1477) Do not listen to the word of a vow-breaker who says, after the holy master has bestowed Linga on the body of the disciple, whispering the primal spell into his ear, that the Linga dwells separate within the body. Does the Linga Lord stay inside? Does the Linga lie in the filth of urine and excretion, instead of breath? He, who can unite with the Linga, invoking and lodging Pranalinga in It, is alone a Pranalingi. Does our Guheshwaralinga like those who are not like this?

1478) O Mrida, on seeing Your ancients, I blush to get up and go to greet them. Tut! Let my speech catch fire! Look, O Sir, my pride does not lose its stiffness! O Guheshwara, lead this man of poor mind, sparing no cane.

1479) The Meru mountains are all the Pramathas’ property. The Silver mountains are all the Ancients’ property. The fourteen worlds are the Linga’s property. The earth is the Maker’s mint, the stamping die, the cooking house, the body, mind and wealth are all our Guheshwara’s property. Then what did you give to become a Bhakta?

1480) When asked for a contrivance, he pointed to devotion. When asked for devotion,

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he pointed to contrivance. When asked for the eternal, he pointed to the far beyond. Guheshwara’s Sharana Basavanna gave the slip, screening the screen. Tell me, O Madivalayya, what is the way of Basavanna?

1481) See the age’s enthusiasm: For the five forces, there are five Prime ministers. A Sharana alone knows their ups and downs. Having found his Self, the Sharana does not beg of the six systems, nor does he requite the three, nor is he accessible to the Vedas, Shastras, Puranas, Prosodic tomes and dictionaries. As there is no Guru, Linga, Jangama, nor Padodaka- Prasada on their body, As these five have become one, all living beings offer their salutations, all creatures address him with deference. All souls pray to him for room. All fourteen worlds cry victory to the feet of Basavana, O Guheshwara!

1482) The Yogi, who does not die before he is united with the Linga, is alone a Shivayogi. Like the love of the dream seen by the dumb; like the joy of an innocent girl’s flowered mind; like its compromise, if you go round walking three steps in the middle of the way, it is only one walk, look. If you make one into three, it’s only one, look. If you make three into six, it is only one, look. If you make six into thirty-six, it is only one, look. All the parts of your body are one, look.

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Even if your waking states are many, your awareness is only one. When Dark room, and the sleep that plagues Maya, confound you, and when the eyes’ stupour melts, you approve your mind. Is there any beginning and end to the innocence of Guheshwara, who is absorbed within Himself?

1483) I see none who knows the art of Yoga or non-Yoga: the art of uniting and parting. It is not Yoga to say You can scan the fifty-two letters, and have been caught within the lotus-heart. To say He is without, He must be within. To say He is within, He must be beyond the reach of speech and mind! Look, Siddharamayya, Guheshwaralinga does not rest on the six wheels.

1484) Not knowing the subtle way of Yoga and Shivayoga, if you call all Yogis Shivayogis, can a dog of ordinary breed become a lion? Unless the Ashtanga of Yoga and the Shatsthala of Shivayoga are instilled into Shivalinga, the subtle height of Yoga and Shivayoga cannot be reached. Because: He is a Bhakta, who practices with awareness the attributes of Yama and Niyama. He is a Maheshwara, who practices Asanas, knowing them well. He is a Pranalingi, who practices, knowing the secret of Pranayama , which is the state of dissolution for all the animate and inanimate creatures. He is a Prasadi, who practices, knowing Pratyahara, which controls the mind and wind that stirs in the matters of the five senses.

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He is a Sharana. who practices, knowing Dhyana and Dharana of Mahalinga that is placed in the palm of the will, knowing the root of the meditation of the Ishtalinga. Merging in Mahalinga, what is brought in the hand of such will, with the help of Dhyana and Dharana, he who knows the trance of attaining consubstantial union is an Aikya. ………. Listen, O Gorakshakayya, There are only two persons Siddharama and Nijagunashivayogi, who are awe-struck in Guheshwaralinga, having known the established way of becoming a true Veerashaiva by discerning the secret of Ashtangayoga in the Shatasthala of Shivayoga.

1485) There are people who practice Yoga and Shivayoga. But who knows its ways? Unless you get rid of the one, who moves from petal to petal in the heart-lotus, how can you attain the state of yoga? How can you attain Yoga , unless you see, read and understand the alphabet of the two and fifty letters? If you can dwell where the breath of life has her mansion above the six abodes, that, indeed, is Yoga! Because you live, as if annihilating your mind , because the motion of breath is still, when you say ‘I am He’, I say you are free and resolute in Guheshwaralinga, O Siddharamayya!

1486) Lo, being born in the village called vegina, how did you become a Bhakta, without knowing the world called body? O Sir, how did you become a Jangama, knowing not how to unravel decisively

516 the secret of devotion and Shatasthala? Being lust-less, love-less, infatuation-less, having no abode, no attachment, no two-fold attribute, being detached in all parts of your body, managing body, mind, wealth and joy, if one can be contented with what comes , that is the Jangamasthala. Because he alone is a Jangama, I call him Guheshwaralinga.

1487) All pleasure-seekers, after having spoiled the gem, are seeking it in the dark. They cannot know its beauty. They cannot know its pleasantness. They are toiling and moiling on the way they have come along. Those who died doubting all along, distanced themselves from You instantly, O Guheshwara.

1488) What if it is a brilliant gem? It should remain in the setting of gold. What if it be a fruit of sweet juice without the tree? What if the beauty of a picture pleases the eye, unless the canvas on the wall is in a prominent place? What if the buried treasure be seen with the aid of the eye-black, unless the treasure is not unearthed using proper implements? Therefore, unless there is the Ishtalinga placed on the palm, the union of the Yoga of knowledge , which is impartite, cannot be attained. Therefore, the touch of Kriyalinga is a must for the devotee; it is itself the body’s purity. O Chennabasavanna, bestow the touch of Linga on Siddharamayya so that it pleases the heart of our Guheshwara’s Sharanas.

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1489) Like the stone being called a gem with the glow of sunlight merging in it; the screen of that thing with form cannot be cut by nothing but the righteous deeds done by the knowing enlightenment. Without the glow of sunlight, that stone has no caste of gem at all. Just as the stone is the main thing for the sunlight to merge in, so also the Sign is for the enlightenment to merge in. When, with the two dissolving, the Sign is no more, the sign of the speech called Guheshwara should be no more, look, O Ambigara Chowdayya.

1490) After allaying your passion, stopping all slothfulness, destroying the mound of pride, burning your sack of words, sheaf by sheaf, if your body is still consumed in the fire of past deeds, if still your life is weltering in the world, how can Guheshwaralinga think you pure in will?

1491) Within the ant-hill called night is the black cobra called sleep. As soon as it bites the foot, raising its hood, the eye-black of Anjanasiddhas melted; the bell of Ghantikasiddhas rolled away; the machine of mechanics broke down; the spell of the priests was forgotten; the medicine of pharmacists became a laughing stock; the light of all enlightenment was extinguished. I do not find any, who can remove its poison. All the three worlds are falling a-swoon because of this Rahu’s poison,

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O Guheshwara!

1492) Listen , you enlightened ones, Alas! We found the truth being proved a lie every day. They do not know how to make an offering to the Linga, when wind blows and the sky becomes strong. The behaviour of the elders, who go away leaving the plate un-washed after eating food, becomes a cause to break their vow, look, O Guheshwara.

1493) Destruction awaits form, not the formless. Tell me, how form and the formless get together? It is a bond that cannot be bound. As long as there is a natural taint of body and sense, you cannot reach Guheshwaralinga, listen, O mother!

1494) What came to assume form became pregnant with word. If the mind, that is vulnerable to speech, can stand, rejecting speech, like the pot tied to a wheel, it is Guheshwaralinga Itself, O Sangana Basavanna!

1495) Form means dissolution, the formless means the Absolute. If you want to see a form, rejecting both form and the formless, you must see it in Guheshwaralinga, rejecting your own form, look, O Siddharamayya!

1496)

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The sonorous sound of the profound Linga is the attribute of the flesh. The un-struck sound of the profound Jangama is the nature of the mind. What produces the bond between these two is the body. If you can give me that cloth, dipping it in the water of Supreme Bliss, drying it in the heat of the Great Linga, pressing it without rubbing. Look, it caught fire before wearing it! The eyes cannot see that fire, nor can the mind remember it. That self-effulgent Light has fire but not heat. I have been saved by Madivalayya’s grace, by staying care-free in the House of Reality, look, O Guheshwara!

1497) If you want to become a devotee by worshipping Linga and Jangama, you must practice first Bhrityachara and Sadachara , which is right service and right conduct, look. That devotion, which is full of faith, has no obligations. The devotion that is done, holding the pride of sword in hand, stabs itself. Look, O Basavanna, if you wish to defeat your enemy, Guheshwara, you have to hold the sword of awareness with great attention.

1498) Knowing the link that Linga is Jangama, If Linga and Jangama are worshipped, and when Linga merges in Jangama, it appears that Jangama is the Supreme Because the Absolute called Jangama merged in you, because Sangana Basavanna, knowing your taste served you food, all your cohorts cried victory to you, I say again and again,

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Hail! O hail! to Basavanna.

1499) Of what use your assuming form in Linga, and living a disembodied life? Of what use is your dedicated service, if you are absorbed in Jangama? As long as the sense of ‘You’ and ‘I’ remains; as long as one practices Samayachara in Jangama, a sense of difference remains in the devotion you do. Look, Chennabasavanna. Basavanna does not know what the practice of devotion really is in Guheshwaralinga!

1500) Those who have known that Jangama is in Linga and Linga, in Jangama, if they have forgotten what they have known, they are like a dried up stream. Why should they seek Jangama elsewhere? One should seek Jangama in that Linga. At the time of Linga worship, if a Jangama comes to his house, if he suspends his Linga worship, gets up and goes to welcome the Jangama, he is a Bhakta. What sort of Bhakta is he, if he sits doing Linga worship, when that Jangama stands outside? He who performs Linga worship, holding the Linga in his hand, before the Jangama, and sits in the same row as the Jangama does, is a traitor to Bhrityachara.. The Jangama who goes to such a Bhakta is an ignorant one , indeed. I do not like those who look with pride upon Guheshwara’s Sharanas.

1501) If the Linga is yours, why does it not disappear in your palm?

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If your body becomes Linga, why talk about this mundane body? Our Guheshwaralinga does not like it, O deluded Yogi Ghattivalaya!

1502) If Linga sees, he too sees. If Linga hears, he too hears. If Linga feels the touch, he too feels the touch. If Linga tastes, he too tastes. If Linga smells, he too smells. If Linga plays, he too plays. O Guheshwara, Your Sharana is blissful in the enjoyment of such Linga Prasada.

1503) For him who wears the Linga, it spells destruction to speak of Linga. Wearing of Linga is a must. Speaking about it is a word of obligation, look. Breaking the pot filled with milk, is it ever possible to gather it again, O Guheshwara?

1504) If you censure the conduct, speech and character of a Lingavanta, that Linga will pull out your tooth; that Linga will put you into hell. That Lingavanta is one whose breath is Linga. This saying is true. Listen you, if you call Lingavanta an atheist, Linga will put him into a noisy hell, Look, O Guheshwara!

1505) No use, whatever one may know, if one does not know Linga. No use whatever else one may know, after knowing Linga. Linga being the cause of everything,

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knowing Linga Itself, I will keep Linga’s fellowship; I will revel in the joy of Linga’s company, O Guheshwara!

1506) The thought of Linga was hid in rites. The functions of rites were hid in Guru. The Guru was hid in my body. The body was hid in the faith in Linga. That faith in Linga was covered with the practice of rites. The glory of rites was covered by the Guru. The Guru pervaded all parts of my body. All parts of the body were covered with the Linga-faith. The Linga-faith was covered with vigilance. That good sense of vigilance was covered with great knowledge. Supreme Bliss stayed in the great knowledge. With Supreme nectar filling the Reality, the bund of the first tank gave way. Then the nectar of the first tank entered the middle tank. The nectar of the first and middle tanks collected in the third. The great water coming out, breaking the three tanks, became the Supreme state. After taking Padodaka, bowing to that Supreme state I failed to know myself, look, O Guheshwara.

1507) The knowledge that comes from holding on to Linga is true knowledge, but not that which comes from holding on to Guru. To say that Linga is got by Guru’s aid is a fiction. It is all by itself. You cannot be yourself, until all obligations to Guheshwaralinga are torn away; Look, O Chennabasavanna.

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1508) O Linga, the Linga on my palm, O Praiseworthy, Guru-bestowed Linga! The body being the corporal sense, the mind proved to be the hand; the six-fold wheel merged consubstantially in the auspicious Yoga. Mysterious is the loop of Kundali that stays in trance of a Lingaikya. O Bindu Linga, O Nada Linga, who are on the tip of Sushumna, throwing my body at the feet of the Linga, I merged consubstantially in the fellowship of Guheshwara, who is more mysterious than mystery.

1509) Linga was breath, and breath, Linga. That very Linga pervaded the body. In Guheshwaralinga dwelt the Pranalinga that dwelt in my whole body, listen, O Guheshwara.

1510) If as Shruti says, the whole world is Shiva’s eyes, then why did the eyes become best, good, and bad? Because: That eye, which is the Linga-eye, which saw the Jyotirlinga, and which was the light of the world eye, which was an eye to the eye, is the best eye. As the eyes of birds, beasts, worms, insects and moths do not perform the two-fold function, they do not suffer from eye-defects. So they belong to the middle order. As the eyes of worldlings, who are impure creatures, perform the two-fold functions, they are said to be material eyes, which, being full of darkness , cannot know themselves. They are also said to be fish-eyes,

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poison-eyes, sensual eyes, the arrow of blue water lily caught in the hands of Manmatha, the love god, the vicious fire, the evil eye that spoils the wearers of Shiva-robe and vicious wind. Because there is no Ishtalinga for them, they are said to be the worst of creatures. Therefore, Shiva devotees do not see them. Because they have before their eyes the illusory forms called good action and bad action, they do not worship Shiva, they do not make any offerings to Shiva. Shiva devotees, considering their deadly sins as their own, burn them discharging a terrible weapon, with the help of the Meru Mount, and unite with Guheshwaralinga, look.

1511) They say again and again, ‘we made an offering to Linga’, ‘we made an offering to Linga’. We do not know this, O Sir! Is there hunger for the Linga that is contented? Good God, imposing their own hunger on the Linga that does not eat, they flaunt Linga-offering. If our Guheshwaralinga has any belly, it is the fire in the belly.

1512) The world is weeping; I do not find anyone who says. ‘I want’ or ‘I don’t want’. Making a carriage called body, they seat God in it, making Him a corpse. God dying, if they survived, I found the temple laid waste. All the Egg-born ones became widows. Did they, who saw You, survive, O Guheshwara?

1513)

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Do not unsheathe the sharpened weapon called greed. Entering such a plantain-grove, without being pricked by thorns, being lost in the meditation of the Reality called Guheshwara, I became more tranquil than tranquillity, O Sir!

1514) Can melted iron, that has turned into a ball, pierce anybody? How can all those, who talk of Non-Dualism, know Guheshwaralinga?

1515) It is not like the rhetoric of Vachana construction. All those, who realized Reality by praising It, became images. Guheshwara being witness, the three worlds know that Veda and Shastra could not see It by praising, look, Siddharamayya.

1516) Wearing fine clothes, Vibhuti and Rudrakshi, those who have read Veda, Shastra, Purana and Agama several times, and those elders, who observe irregular vows, wait, like a clay idol, at the door of one who doles out food, gold, and clothes. Because: “Those who have become elders by reading the Vedas, those who are elders in years, those who have become elders by reading Shastras, wait at the door of him who has become an elder by virtue of riches. All elders became door keepers at the house of Goddess Laxmi. Is this the fate of ‘awareness’, O Guheshwara?

1517)

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They impose form on the Linga that has no complexion. They install life in the Linga that knows no dissolution. They worship the Linga that cannot speak, counting beads and muttering prayers. They say they have given Prasada to the Linga that cannot be touched, and that they have extolled It thereby. O Guheshwara, look at the corrupt fellows who say they have worshipped the Linga that leaves no space to lay even a finger in, touching it with hands!

1518) Where you can dam the fluid with fluid, letting it not ooze or touch the earth, that is Yoga. They who profess to dam the outer fluid, proved to be perfect in the eye-black. I say, ‘Hail! O Hail!’ to Chennabasavanna, Guheshwara's Sharana, who, standing upon the mast amid the subtle treasure of Sushumna nerve, can control the organs of the five-fold sense and dam the inner fluid.

1519) On seeing all Vagbrahmis, our Bhaktas, who suffer like anything, became Deha Prasadis in Jangama by offering the external form of things to the Ishta, Prana, and Bhava, and averted misfortune by worshipping the Ishtalinga. They became Prana Prasadis in Bhoganga by offering form and taste to the Ishta, Prana and Bhava with contentment, and destroyed the passions of airy attributes. They became Maha Prasadis in Yoganga by offering Prasada through the gross, subtle and causal to the Ishta, Prana and Bhava and

527 got rid of passions of the attributes of the mind in Guheshwaralinga.

1520) Parashiva, who is beyond the reach of speech and mind, assumed the form of the Supreme Self. Under cover of a proverb called Universe, You have been enjoying all sorts of pleasures. You yourself know the joy of peace of your glory, O Guheshwara.

1521) The extreme Brahma, that is thought to be beyond speech, beyond mind, beyond will, beyond knowledge; thought to be immaculate, smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest, and became the Head of a temple of devotion called divine knowledge, is Ishwara-Guheshwara.

1522) Do not listen to the word of the sinners who say that there are seven days and seven nights and eighteen castes. Because : There are two days and two castes: Bhavi is one caste, and Bhakta another. Thus for four and eighty lakhs lives, life itself is food. You should not live without life. Offering food first to the Linga, saying “As is the Mantra, so will be the achievement”, and then partaking of it, itself is pure. All else is impure life, O Guheshwara!

1523) It was like hugging a statue of hailstone. It was like camphor unveiling fire. It was like Light entering darkness. Because of the grace of Guheshwara’s Sharana Father Madivala Machayya,

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I saw you, Basavanna; I found both you and Madivala in you only.

1524) As water getting solid became icicle, the Void itself became self-born. From that self-born Linga issued an image. Of that image was created the universe. Of that universe was created worldly life. Worldly life gave birth to oblivion. When the Great Illusion called oblivion encircled the universe, all the enlightened elders became victims of viciousness, and, entrapped by Meenaketana, the god of love, became prey to Illusion, O Guheshwara!

1525) What is called thought is open to doubt, look. As long as you go on thinking, how do you know who you are? O fool, can the Great Absolute, that is beyond speech and mind, be reached by thought? Guheshwara put those, who claimed to have known Him, into a net of thought.

1526) What ornaments include sacred ash? What clothes include tiger skin? What weapons include the weapon of bone? This much is what you wear as ornament. This much is what you wear as dress. This much is what you wield as weapon. But what you give is no less than the state of Indra, O Guheshwara!

1527) Having become a Bhakta through faith; having become a Maheshwara

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through steadfast faith; having become a Prasadi through vigilance in that steadfastness; having become a Pranalingi through self-experience in that vigilance; having become a Sharana through awareness in that self-experience, when that awareness , attaining consubstantial union with Reality, stays in the will-less state, the secret of that state is Aikyasthala, look, O Guheshwara!

1528) Who bestowed upon this heroic earth a woman’s grace? Who held the fourteen worlds in his throat? Who brought the difference of Bindu and Shakti to the bliss of a close union, giving it form? I saw another grasp what one and two talked. Look, how the testing of the essence of the drop and the charioteer of the sun consort together with the moon with ease, near the moonstone mountain. Who is it that has brought and shaped the joy of secret union? I saw today: At the bottom of the palm, the breast; the signing of the chest, in the eye; the joy of uniting, at ease; the primal image of the past! I salute Guheshwara’s Sharana, Chennabasavanna.

1529) The Vedas are Brahma’s play of spirits. The Shastras are Saraswati’s play of vanity. The Agamas are the play of the sage’s imbecility. The Puranas are the ancients’ play of non-sense. Thus, he is a true Lingaikya in Guheshwaralinga, who, knowing and negating these, can attain Reality.

1530)

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Saying Veda is great is a Sampadane. Saying Shastra is great is a Sampadane. Saying Purana is great is a Sampadane. Saying Agama is great is a Sampadane. Saying ‘Yes’ is a Sampadane. Saying ‘No’’ is a Sampadane. Because the Sampadane of the Self Experience of the Great Absolute called Guheshwara is not known, since several Sampadanes have come into existence.

1531) Shall I say Veda is great? It is hid in Nada. Shall I say Nada is great ? It is hid in Bindu. Shall I say Bindu is great? It is hid in Anga. Shall I say Anga is great? It is hid in Linga. Shall I say Linga is great? It is hid in the carefree state. Shall I say the carefree state is great? It is hid in the peaceful state. Shall I say the peaceful state is great? It is hid in the formless. O Guheshwara, You yourself are the formless, taintless, higher than the highest, immaculate Void.

1532) They say Veda is god, Shastra is god; They say Purana is god; stone is god; They say wood is god; They say the five-fold metal is god. Alas! All these passed away, worshipping doubt in all things! All creatures are logicians that do not know who their mother is. They are doubting beings, that do not know who their father is. The body was made of earth, the mind was made of air; the stone and wood were made

531 of form and the formless . Staying in the Agnya Chakra, which is above the Anahata Chakra, where air joins air, trampling countless millions of cosmic eggs; closing the physical eye, when the eye of knowledge was opened, there appeared a formless thing. When seen with certainty, staying in that formless thing, there appeared a void. When seen with resolution, staying in that void, there appeared neither light nor darkness, but sheer Void, the Void of voids, O Guheshwara!

1533) Veda, Shastra and Agama are in fifty-five letters. All the fifty-five letters are on one tongue. That tongue is under the control of the mind. That mind is subject to Prana. That Prana is subject to Nada. That Nada is subject to Brahma. If you know the mystery of that Nada-Brahma, you are Guheshwaralinga Itself.

1534) They say ‘vow-breaker, vow-breaker’. To break vow, is vow milk gruel? Is vow black? Is vow white? Does he, who wears the Linga, become a Bhakta? Does he, who drops the Linga, become Its enemy? To tie It, does Linga yield to anybody’s grip? To drop It, can Linga fall down? If the Linga falls down, can the earth support It? Can all worlds survive? Do not listen to the speech of the slanderers who say Linga fell down, O Guheshwara.

1535) How do our brothers know

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Shankini nerve that is in Sapura nerve; the breath that is under the obligation of Linga, and the body that is under the obligation of breath? If the Linga that is under the obligation of body, is worshipped as Linga, does a low-order servant, who is a servant’s servant, qualify for the regular throne? My mind blushed, when the natural glory called Guheshwaralinga became a cheap commodity in a weekly market.

1536) All hundred million worlds are in Basavanna’s horn, look! Supreme Shiva , who is far beyond, is beneath Basavanna’s hump in subtle form. Not being able to praise Basavanna , all Shrutis and Smritis perished, look! He was master, not a servant. I do not know how to carry his beauty. If that one ox were not there, would not the whole world plunge into darkness? Look, O Basavanna, because of you, all rivers became nectar-rivers! All twelve million ages and aeons, if held in your breast, went to the Brahma Egg; If released, they fell down. If you fought, they would survive. Because the ages and aeons that you foster are just a blade of grass, I call them your young children. Guheshwara became pure by you, sitting on your dung, which provides the six-fold cleaning, O Basavanna!

1537) They say the word is impure. Is there impurity of word, instead of one’s own doubt? Can the wind get stained by dust? There is no such feeling in Guheshwaralinga, O Sangana Basavanna.

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1538) Because a Sharana has no birth, he has no existence. Because he has no existence, he has no dissolution. Because Your Sharana has none of these, he is sheer Void, O Guheshwarayya!

1539) For the undivided Linga that has put on the body of a Sharana, there is no worship. For the immovable Linga, that has put on the body of a Sharana, there is no offering. For the peerless Linga, that has put on the body of a Sharana, there is no attentive service! Because: Linga gets the worship done by a Sharana; Linga gets the offering made by a Sharana; Linga gets the attentive service rendered by a Sharana. Therefore, when one becomes Linga, after shedding all doubt, there is not an iota of action except bliss, look, O Guheshwara.

1540) Hail to you, O mother! When there were no earth and sky; when there was no wind, no fire, no water, my mother was born. Even before that my father grew up without taking birth. Out of their loins I came. I had five sisters. Having lost their home, they became my wives. No cupid’s arrows hit me, when I had intercourse with them! I am your brother-in-law, When you, being Guheshwara’s blissful spouse,

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are my sister-in-law, will you not open your sorrowful eyes?

1541) As long as one has body, he should not be without shadow. As long as there is earth, it should not be without sky. When I am there, you too must be there. Because Guheshwaralinga yielded to Shakti, there was no comparison to what is called utter Void.

1542) Let not the word ‘Shiva’ go. Do not trust the love of your wives. Do not miss the expanse of the mirror. Do not correct air in the last moment. Lo, if you want to hold, hold fast. Allama held fast to Guheshwara.

1543) He is a Guru who knows that Shiva is Guru. He is a Guru who knows that Linga is Guru. He is a Guru who knows that Shiva is Jangama. He is a Guru who knows that Shiva is Padodaka. He is a Guru who knows that Shiva is Prasada. He is a Guru who knows that Shiva is Achara. Thus, the great glorious Sangana Basavanna, who knows these five-fold things as the five-fold Brahma, is Guru for me, for you, and for the whole world, look, O Guheshwara!

1544) When there is the triple town called body, mind and wealth, what is it you call ‘Sheela’, ‘Sheela’. Unless your body is smeared with ashes, by burning the triple town, there is no Sheela, look, O Guheshwara.

1545) Where is the enjoyment of pleasure for the head that is on the gallows, even if desired?

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If desired to eat, there is no stomach. For the enjoyment of the body, there are no hand and foot. Why the talk of not having a body? Let it burn, let it perish! Guheshwara is a tranquil Linga.

1546) Getting the ten-fold Linga by the grace of holy Guru, Linga and Jangama by virtue of that steadfastness in Linga, turning towards the greater resplendent Linga, the ten-fold air, ten-fold sonorous sound, ten-fold righteous action, if you see, you will find true practice in the Absolute Void on the way of the great band of Shivashranas in Guheshwaralinga, , look, Chennabasavanna.

1547) You should know the holy master. You should know the holy master, or else, there is no happiness. You cannot understand the pleasure of this and the other worlds, without knowing the holy master. Otherwise, he, who does not understand the holy master, is worthless. Holy Guheshwara is for him who knows the holy master.

1548) The holy master is my body. The holy master is my breath. The holy master is this world for me. The holy master is the other world for me. The holy master is the motion for me. The holy master is the reason for me. The foot of the holy master is the cause for my deliverance. This is true. I swear by you, O Guheshwara, Lord of the Cave!

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1549) Removing the impurity of the disciple’s past, when the holy master has made him a re-born person; Removing the disciple’s body of the five elements, when he has been made a Prasada-bodied person; Removing the disciple’s air-dependent breath, when he has been made one whose breath is Linga, where is the impurity of caste? where is the impurity of will? where is the impurity of body? where is the impurity of mind? where is the impurity of thought? where is the impurity of heart? A true devotee should not touch them, come what may. No Bhakta, as long as he has the impurity of caste. No Maheshwara, as long he has the impurity of will. No Prasadi, as long as he has the impurity of body. No Pranalingi, as long as he has the impurity of mind. No Sharana, as long he has the impurity of thought. No Aikya, as long as he has the impurity of heart. You should not see the face of those, who foreground these impurities, O Guheshwara!

1550) The thought remembered by the tip of the holy mind’s end stopped the wheel of birth and death. What shall I say of the dawn of the light of knowledge? What shall I say of the dawn of the light of Self-Experience that surpasses a million suns, and of the secret hidden in the Void of knowledge, O Guheshwara?

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1551) Trust not Shrutis; trust not Shrutis. Shrutis long ago , failing to find Shiva’s feet, toiled and moiled in search of them, Saying, ‘Shrutis wonder how to tell’. Tire not yourself running in the direction, shown by Shruti. Do not put sword to the Void. Think not the Thing is in the heart. Do not labour under the illusion that the Thing is between the eye-brows, nor go astray supposing that the Thing is in the Brahmarandra. If you want to realize the Thing, you may attain certitude of the Thing, by placing It upon your palm, like the great Master, Animisha, and gaining certitude of the Thing, be bewildered in Guheshwaralinga, you fool!

1552) Why oblivion still, when the messenger, who has come to call Shveta sage is loitering before Rambha? Truth for this world, bliss for the other world; it is decided to undertake a journey, look, O Guheshwara.

1553) White, yellow, gray, green, black and red are six colours— Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishwara, Sadashiva and Shreeguru are their tutelary deities. Know all this mystery for yourself. Your Sharanas , assuming the form of life-breath in the drop of nectar of the thousand petalled lotus, of Brahmarandra, of the light of Unmani, can merge in Pranalinga, O Guheshwara.

1554) All the enlightened ones , who say that there is no other source

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of knowledge than the six-fold system, are Chandalas. All celibates are persons with a purpose. All Shivayogis are blind persons. All those who are bonded with the Ishtalinga are inconsiderate persons. O Guheshwara, Your Sharanas’ way is different . It is not like the way of this and that person.

1555) No six currents; no six-fold enemy; no sense of ‘I’ or ‘You’. Lingaikya is the pride of consciousness in which there is nothing whatsoever, O Guheshwara.

1556) Your body was made through union. That body bred ignorance. That ignorance bred the sense of ‘You’ and ‘I’. Let be the outer which is ‘You’. Let be the inner which is ‘I’’. To say you have known Him all by yourself without this dual sense, is nothing but perversion! This deceptive play of knowing and forgetting is endless. Tell me how Guheshwaralinga abides in you, O Sangana Basavanna?

1557) Tell me, if a battle breaks out, can a coward win it? Can a child swim through a deep pond? Tell me, does a person, who is made of the five-fold sense, know the depth of tranquillity called Guheshwara?

1558) He is neither one with a companion, nor one without a companion. Look, He is a motion, neither with form nor without form. He is a motion that knows neither duality nor non-duality;

539 neither limit nor limitlessness, look! He is a motion without walk, without speech, without body, look! The undivided Guheshwaralinga that has neither beginning nor end, and that leaves no room for other things to occupy, is tranquillity that is at one with Reality.

1559) Saying I have left the world, Striking a pessimistic attitude, getting one’s head shaved, burning and undergoing pain, begging alms, going from house to house, without fail, eating and going to preach philosophy, when a person ekes out his livelihood, he has no future, look, O fool! Is there deliverance for him, who fills his belly by nagging , begging and eulogizing, O fool? The body of a Jangama has no motion. Jangama does not walk in our Guheshwaralinga, who is a lover of devotees, look, O fool!

1560) When the ocean called ‘world’ falls athwart one’s way, for one who knows Reality, his body itself is the boat; and the mind itself is the boatman. While the wind of knowledge and wisdom is blowing favourably and gently, fish, crocodile and mountain-like waves would come – so protect yourself. A ship loaded with riches which is on the move is going to brush you— so be vigilant. Without losing yourself in waking, dream and deep-sleep states, if you go in the direction of darkness, there is the northern polar star. O merchant, be careful,

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there is a town ahead, O Guheshwara!

1561) Holy Gurulinga Basavanna showed to me all in Linga. He showed the glow of that Linga in all things. He showed himself in me, and myself in him. Further, making both one, and becoming Mahalinga, he abided outside me.

1562) Having realized the Linga with form in the mind; having realized the Linga of the mind in Mahasthala, and after having realized that Mahasthala in all parts of my body, does any room remain for difference? Having once attained consubstantial union, merging in the Pranalinga called Guheshwara, there will be no room for two, look, Chennabasavanna.

1563) Tell me, does the devotion that is filled in the virtuous change its way from time to time— now of pride, now of solidarity? Look, O Sangana Basavanna, Guheshwara dwells in a devotee, who acts with mind testifying to mind, not in a worldly person.

1564) What sort of news is it to say that one merges in Linga after death. That is a lie, look. If one can, before dying, realize the Reality and possess Linga, the Sharanas, who have known Guheshwaralinga, will be pleasded,

541 look, O Siddharamayya.

1565) On seeing his wife, Basavanna became an observer of a vow. Having become an observer of a vow, Basavanna became a celibate. Having become a celibate, Basavanna lost birth. O Guheshwara, Basavanna alone became a child-celibate in You.

1566) You say you will join God in future after dying. You are dead before actually dying. What is your way like, of merging in the Linga? How do your Pramathas attain Lingaikya? Everyone has a bodily state; none has the Linga state, O Guheshwara.

1567) If we are to join God after dying, we must die. Why suffer pain before dying? Dying on their own, they blame You. You bore the wicked people of the world, look, O Guheshwara.

1568) There is no truth, no untruth. Nothing natural, nothing unnatural. I am not, You are not. What is called Naught itself is not there. Guheshwara Himself is Naught!

1569) Not knowing how to trust The true and pure God, trusting only false gods, they passed away, not knowing the eternal. They do not know what and where Guheshwaralinga is.

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1570) There are seers and seers: Sadyojata is the limited seer; Vamadeva is the patient seer; Aghora is the angry seer; Tatpurusha is the momentary seer; Ishanya is the unlimited seer. Look, this is not Chennabasavanna’s way. I say, ‘ Hail, O hail!’ to the holy feet of Chennabasavanna, the integral seer in Guheshwaralinga.

1571) Wearing the coat of equanimity, and the cap of right reason; putting on the shoes of sensuality, not falling into the pit of ignorance, not stumbling over the log of renunciation, not stung by the scorpion of pride, I, Guheshwara’s Sharana, have come. Give me the alms of piety, O Sangana Basavanna!

1572) Can one leave his community? Though the food is cooked, the hand is needed to mix it, and the mouth to eat it. When the doubt, whether to eat or not to eat, is removed, you may say that no social bond is needed. So long as you can say Guheshwara, you needs must know bondage and deliverance, O Ghattivalayya.

1573) Do the waves that have risen in the sea get separated from the sea? If we say that the world is born of Supreme Brahma Shiva, who is unchanging, eternal, immaculate, without attributes, perfect and not admitting any alternative, can we say that it is different from Shiva?

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Such awareness is known to the perfect enlightenment you have given, O Guheshwara!

1574) Time and eternity, that is all Void, is Bhaktasthala. Nada and Bindu are Maheshwara Sthala. Form and Light are Prasadi Sthala. Awareness and the impartite are Pranalingi Sthala. Knowledge and wisdom are Sharana Sthala. The Void without will, and the will without Void are the imperceptible Aikya Sthala. He, who stands trampling down the log of the Six-fold Sthala, has no name, no sign, no self of his own, O Guheshwara!

1575) Look at the way of the Jangama, who is the dynamism of all souls. Being himself the Void of un-divided Brahma; being motionless, as there is no room for movement, he is an integral seer, who has no desire! He is not one to go after a desired thing. He is accessible to devotion. With no final goal for his motion, he remains motionless in himself! On the earth of square form is a velvet cot, the sky itself is a bower; the moon and the sun are the lights, illumining both parts! Joy itself is contentment; directions themselves are clothes; the aroma of virtue itself is fragrance; stars themselves are flowers; the glow of Shiva Principle is a covering; the union of triple attributes is Tambula; Companionship is of the power of enlightenment. Listen to the song of primeval letter— Charalinga is a royal Yogi, who enjoys the luxury of the eight-fold pleasure.

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Supreme Jangama is one who is free from care, liberated from existence. He is immaculate, and free from illusion and addiction! Instead, do all those, who suffer pain, going about for the body’s desire, and who are not committed to the triple sanctify the world. Tell me, O Guheshwara?

1576)

The natural created the un-supported; the un-supported created the tranquil; the tranquil created the impartite; the impartite created the time-less; the time-less created a Sharana; the Sharana created Sadashiva; that Sadashiva created Shiva; that Shiva created Rudra; that Rudra created Vishnu; that Vishnu created Brahma; that Brahma created all worlds. All these are born, and grew up under the obligation of our Guheshwara’s palm.

1577) If you speak the truth, none likes it, look, O brothers! The world praises nothing but untruth. On seeing the builder of tanks, if I call him Mason Ramayya, why should he, in anger, hurt the body which Linga has blessed? Because our Guheshwaralinga is perfect in the world, if the pain inflicted upon His devotees recoil upon the offenders, Allayya simply smiles!

1578) They talk of common plate and co-dining. But they do not know

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what is common plate and co-dining. The body itself is a plate, and the Linga itself, diner! If the elders, who dine along with the plate, go away, leaving the plate behind, it spells their destruction , O Guheshwara!

1579) Creatures living in the sea, can they survive elsewhere? For human beings, who live in the world, is there any other resort than the world? I am wonderstruck at the sport Guheshwara plays throughout the world!

1580) The life that dies needs no Guru; the life that does not die also needs no Guru. Then where is the need of a Guru? He alone is Guru-Guheshwara, who can show the bond between life and death.

1581) If you do practice till you die, when will you fight? If you do prayer all your life, when will you realize yourself? If you go on understanding till meaning is exhausted, when will you realize Truth? Having come to perform a particular function, and completed it, why the obligation of the mortal world? Look, the fruit filled with nectarine juice drops suddenly from the stalk. See the illustration. All pioneer saints, including Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, having attained theTruth in Guheshwaralinga are free from care.

1582) He abides in a thousand petalled lotus.

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Why the rigid rule of offering a red lotus? Why the rigid rule of plucking a flower, and touching it with the hand? Your Sharana plucked the un-touched fragrance without touching it, O Guheshwara!

1583) Does an umbrella offer protection to one who fights against the thunderbolt? Does a cloth-coil offer help to one who carries a mountain on his head? T o taste sugar, do you need some other thing? To know Guheshwara, why need to know the Sign first?

1584) How can foolish people know Siddharamayya’s value? Only the Sadyojata-faced person knows him. Who knows the expanse of the fourteen worlds; who is engaged in taking hold of the precious stone of a cobra, that showed Absolute to the Absolute, that has created the five elements? He did not show his inside and outside! Siddharamayya is God himself in Guheshwaralinga that shines at the mind’s end.

1585) Unlike Siriyala and Changale, he has not committed child murder. Unlike Nambi and Ballala, he has not committed lustful acts. Unlike Bommayya and Kannappa, he has not inflicted violence on living beings. Sangana Basavanna is a riddle posed to Your devotees, O Guheshwara.

1586) How to enter the limitless expanse? How to unite with Truth, doing action which is no action? Is there any profit without investment?

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Therefore, unless one develops a bond with action and knowledge, stopping his lustful mind and undoing the covetousness of tongue and sexual organ, Sharanas do not like him. Not knowing this, the elders passed away, feeling no aversion to carry the corpse called disguise, and treading on the excretion called desire, O Guheshwara!

1587) A woman, who does not know true sexual pleasures, became a harlot. A devotee, who does not know Linga, became a worldly ritualist. Is there happiness for this harlot? Is there any goal for this ritualist? O Guheshwara, look, how these two perished!

1588) The hunter that was not around; the deer that did not move about. He made it fall into the pit, O Sir! The deer that was hunted down saying, ‘So Vo Va’ , ‘So Vo Va’, fell into the trap- pit. He made it die in the trap-pit, killing it not Himself. It perished without dying! To Guheshwaralinga were offered uncooked provisions, un-served food, and un-offered contentment.

1589) Is it possible for pouring water to prove what is clean and what is foul? What matters for the burning fire, if it is straight or bent or has a hundred bends? For Guheshwaralinga, there is no such thing as good or bad, O Sangana Basavanna.

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1590) As long as there is transaction of the passion of air that makes room for the six-fold passion, including the trace of the world of passions of the air that moves about; darkness of physical passion; the illusion of the passion of the mind; the black ogress of the passion of lust; the mad dogs called sensual passion; the error called passion of will, I cannot know well the Shiva state. Once I have realized the Essence of Guheshwaralinga, I do not know the practice of the world.

1591) No censure for the harlot, though she stays with lots of men. Should a married woman look upon another man than her husband’s face, the whole world calls her an impure woman. If a devotee, who does devotion only for fame and name, falls , nobody takes note of it. Should a true and holy devotee trip, it cannot be endured. It is just because you have been Guheshwara’s devotee since time began and further back, my heart grieved, look, Sangana Basavanna.

1592) Nature born stone became an idol in the hands of a stone-cutter. It became Linga on account of Mantra. What shall I say of the vow-breakers who regarded the child born to them as Linga, O Guheshwara?

1593) If one knows birth first, and death last,

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it is true knowledge. Such knowledge itself is conscious Brahma. That conscious Brahma is conscious Absolute Linga, look! It is said: “Knowledge that knows birth first and death last, is the knowledge that illumines the soul. That knowledge, it is supposed, is Supreme Brahma Linga”. Therefore, are there re-births to the Supreme Shivayogi, who, having known You, forgets himself, O Guheshwara.

1594) They say that bringing a piece of stone lying on the ground, putting it on the palm of the eight-fold body, and tying it to the neck, it should be worshipped. If you ask why, the reason is: Born to the earth, it became stone; in the hands of a stone-cutter, it assumed form, and in the hands of the Guru, it became an idol. How to worship this whore’s son, born to these three ? He who says he will enter the grave, as the Linga has fallen off, if he dies committing suicide, stabbing himself with a weapon, or drowning in water, or hanging himself to death— will be condemned to the arch-hell called Kumbheepaka. If the Linga on the palm falls off, does the Linga in the mind too fall off? Saying so, if you, picking up the fallen Linga, worship it with the eight-fold worship , and the sixteen-fold service,

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it is the right vow. Chennabasavanna alone knows the secret of tying, and the way of touching, the Linga. What shall I call other shameless ones who say they have attained the Supreme State by offering holy water for other additional practice, O Guheshwara?

1595) He held the hood and tore the Saree, he destroyed the hive and broke the pot. He is shameless, very shameless, O mother! O Goddess Maya, do not talk to him, if you find him. The past is long and the future short. Guheshwara’s Allayya, who destroyed birth, has no nose, O Sir!

1596) Look, like a crystal pot, it has no inside or outside. I was wonderstruck to see its strange behavior. Visible to the eye, but elusive to the touch. Withdrawing as you advance, close if you possess. Look, how form has swallowed the formless, and is caught in a transcendent trance! If mere sight can shower the celestial nectar, what shall the union be, O Guheshwara?

1597) Look, here are the marks of independence and dependence. He is the independent one, who, shedding self and other, can burn the sense of both to ashes. He, who depends on others, owns a lord, but disowns himself, and rests in either sense.

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He who is able to forget himself, and does not discriminate between independence and dependence, is without peer. Today I have seen Guheshwara’s Sharanas are disembodied souls.

1598) Sitting in the comfortable lotus pose, not moving sideways, making the spinal cord straight, making the downward motion of air upward, reconciling mind and power, when one saw the effulgent Linga, that is seated on a seat in the middle of the heart, the light spread in all the three worlds and darkness disappeared. Light abiding, I was oblivious to sunrise and sunset, O Guheshwara!

1599) Limitless is the loss of those, who say they have sat in the comfortable lotus pose, have broken the spinal cord, have opened the path behind with the help of faith, and feasted on ambrosia. When you see what the Shruti says : “That He is past the ten-finger measurement”, is there any place where you can establish Him by touch? Can you for certain know Him in Brahmarandra, the Absolute that is beyond such words that signify position and measurement? O Siddharamayya, listen to me, Our Guheshwaralinga is far beyond the reach of imagination!

1600) A cat was born in the light of Self-Experience. A mountain was born on the head of that cat. Two jewels were born on the top of that mountain.

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When he came in search of the jewels, they took him in. One took his body, the other, his breath. O Chennabasavanna, I have been saying ‘Hail, O Hail!’ to the glorious stature of Siddharamayya.

1601) The sound sitting in a firm pose, knowing the abode of the four, appeasing the impetuous airs, binding together all the senses, stopping by preaching a swan in flight, feeding it on supreme ambrosia, He is fostering it every day. With the sense of ‘I am a slave’ withering, when the sense of ‘I am He’ possessed the swan, it became the most superior swan, and started muttering, ‘I am He’, ‘I am He’ ‘I am He’, O Guheshwara!

1602) One should be deaf to praise and censure. One should be blind to others’ wealth and wives. Where the crooks speak of Supreme Brahma in words only, one should be dumb, like the cuckoo in winter. When you know God is one, you should have no doubt about it. In Guheshwaralinga, you should forget yourself.

1603) Having shed hunger, irrespective of day and night, having shed sleep, sleeping in Truth, seeing Him again and again, I enjoyed bliss, O Sir. In Your separation, I am awake, with my eyes wide open, O Guheshwara.

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1604) They toil and moil four quarters of the day for food. They toil and moil four quarters of the night to appease their passions. On seeing those who have got their head shaved, they too get their head shaved. On seeing those who eat, they too eat. They visit holy places, and talk of the eight-fold offering and the sixteen-fold service. But not knowing the secret of getting the hidden treasure, all those, well versed in the six-fold Sthala, passed away, O Guheshwara!

1605) Saying that Hathayoga consists in straightening and shrinking the body, eating excretion and drinking urine, saying that the body is conceived to be adamantine and immortal; saying that it is warranted in the religion of the early Navanatha Siddhas, Sharanas do not follow the practice of Kapalikas. And besides, Sharanas do not display foul things, taking out of their head, wind, bile and phlegm, calling them nectar. Sharanas are not those, who, drinking fruit juice, milk, and ghee for the body full of fluids, say that they have given up food. Knowing that all these things are cooked, false and illusiory, Sharanas abided firmly in Truth. O Guheshwara, Your devotees are the foremost.

1606) Is it right to fight with Shivasharanas

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by the support of Hara’s grace that you have got? For every wonder-monger there are greater wonder-mongers, lo! If you open your forehead-eye, another will open an eye on his sole. Guheshwara’s Sharanas are beyond compare.

1607) Look at their boldness, good God! Not knowing Your dwelling place, they offer to You the eight-fold worship and the sixteen-fold service. Not seeing Your holy face, they offer all kinds of things to You, and say they have partaken of Prasada. Look at their audacity! Tell me, O Guheshwara, if they say they have appeased their hunger by eating a magic fruit, who will like it?

1608) A running river is all legs. A burning fireis all tongues. A blowing wind is all hands. Your Sharana is Linga in all parts of his body, O Guheshwara!

1609) When said, ‘Hari, O Hari!’, dirty attendants tore the cloth. Did I tell them to come running and prostrate at my feet? When He did not come, they put sword to their neck and brandished it. Does an impartite body yield to a sword? Who are elders? Who are younger ones? Who knows the secret of devotion? Not knowing the heart of Shivasharanas, Sangana Basavanna became a fool in Guheshwara, look!

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1610) They say she is a mother of many children. Who could possess, if not You, physical energy to nurse them, without feeling disgusted? Who could have assimilated it earlier? Is it within my power to know You? Because of earlier merit, I could get your feet. Now letting me not fall, explaining that I am Yours, kindly draw me towards You, O Guheshwara, who are both my mother and father. By Your grace, I attained deliverance!

1611) A monkey does not want to catch an inconvenient branch. A parrot’s youngling, that pays no attention, cannot learn to speak. Unless forced, a cock cannot learn to crow. If you are devotees, see these three kinds of secret. If flowers and raw fruits are plucked, do they ever become ripe? As long as there is hunger, thirst and sexual desire , can there be non-duality in the world. One should forget oneself first and then forget the Linga. How can union take place, if one forgets the Linga, without forgetting oneself. Burn them! Burn them! They are traitors to the Guru; they are corrupt practitioners of Achara. As long as they are not rid of the body’s two-fold trait, they should serve the Linga with virtuous action;

556 they should serve the Jangama with awe and devotion. Do not show me those vow-breakers, who serve You, letting not their body die, and letting not their mind unite, O Guheshwara.

1612 A frog called Kaalandha in the shade of a hungry black cobra’s hood! Lo, the frog swallowed that black cobra itself! I have been saved by Chennabasavanna in spite of illusion. What is called Guheshwara was witness to this!

1613) He is no Jangama, who moves about with a hungry stomach. Why move about with a hungry stomach? Hunger itself is a dynamic trait of body. He is no Jangama, unless his body’s fruit ceases to be. So what? There is a way of moving about with a hungry stomach. Is a Shivayogi an indebted person, if he eats? I would call him ours, if he eats knowing his nature. If he eats food and takes it home, spoiling his devotee’s pleasure, he is not ours. Not knowing his nature, if he eats and takes it home, keeping his devotee under an illusion, he is not ours, he is Hari’s. Not knowing his nature, if he eats food and takes it home, enraging his devotees, he is not ours, he is Rudra’s.

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Those who eat not knowing these three ways, are the three kinds of pots, look, Guheshwara!

1614) Those who have these four: hunger, thirst, sexual passion and addiction, how can they become Lingaikyas in Guheshwaralinga? Because they do not practice, having known, they are not Lingaikyas. If he knows, he will eat, transcending hunger; he will drink, transcending thirst he will inflict violence on sensual passion and enjoy pleasures, transcending passion. My mind blushed at the sight of these wretched humans, who practice the art of transcending these passions, not knowing it, O Guheshwara!

1615) As long as hunger is there, worldly affairs do not cease. As long as cold is there, disease does not cease. As long as words are there, deceit does not cease. As long as sleep is there, contact with one’s wife does not cease. Therefore, ‘For hunger, begging ; for cold, rags; for words, sacred spell; for sleep, meditation of Shiva’, says the master. Those, who act against the master’s word, cannot get bliss in the other world. Do not show even once those who defy the master’s word, and

558 act as they please, O Guheshwara.

1616)

Dasayya knows the secret of warp and woof; Siriyala knows the secret of eating and feeding; Ballala knows the secret of giving and taking; Basavanna knows the secret of Linga and Jangama; Bankayya knows the secret of taste. The glory of our Guheshwara, Sonnalige Siddharama knows.

1617) Standing on the threshold of a desolate house, watching the path no one trod, those, who have come to enquire, say, ‘what befell none has befallen us’, have no doubt any more. When those who came without feet, those who took without hands, those who have head over head speak, if you ask who can appease the crop of Cupid’s enemy, is it possible for anyone but one who is the Essence? If you dart a spear in a market stall, how can you conceal it? It was sheer madness to suspect it. I partook of Your Sharana Basavanna’s Prasada, worrying that there is none to join before or after, and am content beyond compare, O Guheshwara!

1618) Look at the way of Sangana Basavanna, who shows the ground on which he stood without any chink of doubt, making the back and the front one. What shall I say of the great glorious Basavanna,

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who has made two into one, when the necklace of the child in front became one. Making three and three, fetching six and six, Look, how Basavanna is without any other intoxication! Look how Basavanna is made of ten, mixing ten with ten and luster with luster. Before the Krita Age, the Treta Age and the Dwapara Age were, before Linga, Jangama and Prasada were, these three were Basavanna’s hoarded treasure! Then it was Animisha in Linga; now it is Animisha in Jangama. Because I came to know that Basavanna was Guru then, I bow to the holy feet of Basavanna who held the Linga in his throat, O Guheshwara.

1619) Let there be no taint of saying that I gave Linga to my Guru in the past. Let there be no resolution to say that Animisha took what was in your hand then. Having immersed oneself in Reality, with the difference between the past and the future disappearing , tell me, is there anything left to give and take? It is elusive to the grip, and does not go away, when given. There is no scope for it to play hide and seek, look! You possessed the formless, destroying the secret of form. Tell me, O Sangana Basavanna, is there any need to give you the Linga called Guheshwara afresh?

1620) The one without hands, caught hold of Mari Masani, an elderly goddess. There is water in the fluttering lotus. But for want of persons to drink, it dried up. Mortals, gods and tutelary deities, being in search of a caste, are crying. Guheshwara was amazed at his own motion and glory!

1621)

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O, you, elders’ children, do you know Him, who has created all elderly persons. What to say of tomorrow? Both are ever one, O children! Guheshwaralinga is a union without obligation. O, you, elders’ children,, do you know this.

1622) The son of a born barren woman asked for the cheese of a buffalo that has not brought forth any calf. He climbed up a tree without branches and ate lots of fruit! When called, ‘Guheshwara of Guheshwaras, climb down,’ Lo! He is crying!

1623) In a nest without falsehood, a new colourful bird was burnt to ashes, and then that nest was swallowed. When a child bore its mother, the mother devoured the child. Then that child, out of anger, devoured the mother! A stranger came from a new country and devoured the two nameless ones. Basavanna, Chennabasavanna, Animisha along with Guheshwara became blissful in the hand of that child.

1624) Can you pluck a tender fruit and make it ripe by squeezing? Can you get perfume, if you make a scentless bud bloom and put it on? A Shivasharana’s majesty can be seen when time is ripe. Once you have seen the majesty of Guheshwara’s Sharanas, look, Sangana Basavanna,

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your ignorance is gone within a twinkling, like the darkness at the sight of light!

1625) Having gone to pluck flowers, I forgot the basket. Being engaged in worshipping, I forgot the Linga. Being associated with chicaners, I destroyed bees, and forgot honey. In the company of all these, I forgot Guheshwaralinga.

1626) When I went to pluck a flower, I found a tree grown on it. None has known its fragrance. None has known its genus. Without plucking the flower, without cutting the tree, my Nema was offered, look, Guheshwara!

1627) On a flower is born a small mountain, and on a cat are born six mountains! Those who dwell on the mountain have laid a stone, but none of the dwellers is visible. The mountain is one , but it has hundred and forty-eight faces. I am in one face, look, O Guheshwara!

1628) In the light of the Mahalinga dwelling in the heart, I saw Acharalinga in the nose, O Sir! I saw Gurulinga on the tongue, O Sir! I saw Shivalinga in the eye, O Sir! I saw Jangamalinga in the skin, O Sir! I saw Mahalinga in the Will, O Sir! On seeing these six types of Linga, in all parts of my body, I became Mahalinga, look, O Guheshwara!

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1629) Trusting woman, you gave away body, mind and wealth, O mind! Robbing me of all my possessions, stripping me naked, shaving my head clean, and giving me shards, she is lusting for someone else, look! She sees, on whomsoever her heart gazes, look! You shameless mind, you trust her still. Giving up woman’s company, give your body and mind to the maid of devotion. Then the maid of liberation will be pleased with you. Becoming free from passion, shaking off affection for woman, get your head shaved, and go abroad. Shedding inertia, you see Linga Itself, O Guheshwara.

1630) Alas! the worldly proverb : “Name is Milk- man, but his heart is filled with sour milk”-- has come true! Look at the shamefacedness of the embodied beasts, who move about, calling themselves Jangamas. Learning to speak, getting their head shaved, they tie Maye round their neck, like one climbing up the tree of a village deity Mari, O Guheshwara!

1631) I have told, I have told , listen, O brothers! Opening the seam of the three, you should make it six. Taking out the essence of the six, you should stand it in one. Lifting off the veil of the five, making the five lack luster, burying the glory of the five, and breaking the seal of the three, not being able to abide in the four, the faces of the three should be of one will. I was amazed to see those who move about,

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not knowing this mystery, look, O Guheshwara.

1632) On the very tip of a thorny babool tree, there was a town called ‘ Versed- in- sixty-four arts’. In that town was a watchman, born to a born barren woman. When he slept forgetting his duty, thieves stole five elephants, and five camels started clamouring. I found a fully mad person give advice to a half-mad one. When a shepherd, having milked a sheep, kept the milk on the oven, the milk boiled over, and a cat drank the remaining. He was crying, keeping the butter before him, look, Guheshwara!

1633) Millions died for gold. Millions died for woman. Millions died for land. I do not find any who died for You, O Guheshwara!

1634) Deriding and tearing away the Karmika taint called gold, tearing away the worldly taint called land, giving up enjoyment of all pleasures, born in the company of stupid beings, who, caught in the mouth of an ogress, are being chewed. Attaining the eternal contentment and bliss born of love for the Linga, the consciousness born of Supreme bliss; giving up the company of heretics of caste and community, who are erroneous and dazed disguisers; the wisdom of pessimistic path

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becoming convenient, an offering was made to a passion-free person, who was a contented Supreme Lingaikya, whose mind was absorbed in the Supreme Prasada, consisting of ghee, fruit, sweet juice and delicious dainties. But on the other hand, whatever they eat,-- those who are in the guise of Cupid, who do not shed all errors, knowing this order; who, putting on the cloak of impurity called five-metal Karmika, beg alms in the name of Linga, and eat, -- is the excretion of a pig, and whatever Prasada they eat, even in dream, is all donkey meat, look, O Guheshwara!

1635) Seeing you still wander in the world outside, I kept quiet. But now that your repentance touched my heart, I made haste towards you: Now that you sob and are scared, and are prostrated at my feet, tears from your eyes are as water to wash my feet! Now our Guheshwaralinga, seeing your present state, lifts you up.

1636) Those who are well- read in Veda, Shastra, Purana and Agama, and don the outer garb of Vibhuti and Rudrakshi, are elders observing rigid rules. They are like the mud doll, that waits at the door of those who give food and clothing . If you ask why, the reason is: It is said, “Elders versed in Veda, Agama, and Shastra are servants, waiting at the door of him,

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who is elderly in respect of wealth.” So all the elders are door-keepers at Goddess Laxmi’s door, O Guheshwara!

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