Poetic Rendering
I placed my vow before You:
my body is Yours,
my mind is Yours,
my wealth is Yours.
O Lord, keep me true
let me not slip again into the old deceit.
Again I vowed:
the Linga within me is the Jangama without,
the Jangama without is the Linga within
one flame, unmoving in its unity.
O Lord, let me not betray this truth again.
Yet in this frail body,
forgetfulness rises like mist
the mind whispers, “This is mine,”
and the old illusion returns,
casting its shadow upon my heart.
Hold me fast, Kudalasangamadeva
anchor me in Your remembrance,
that I may not drift again
into the night of separateness.
Basavanna confesses that although he vows total surrender of body, mind, and wealth and recognizes the unity of Linga and Jangama, human forgetfulness keeps pulling him back into the illusion of separateness and ownership. This vachana portrays the real rhythm of spiritual life: vow, lapse, awareness, return. It is a humble plea for divine grace to steady the mind and keep him rooted in the truth he knows, yet repeatedly forgets.
Spiritual Context
Core Spiritual Principle: The spiritual path is not a linear ascent but a cyclical process of remembrance and forgetfulness. Progress is measured not by the permanent attainment of a state, but by the increasing speed and sincerity with which one returns to remembrance after a lapse. Honest self-awareness of one’s fragility is more valuable than the illusion of perfect attainment.
Cosmic Reality Perspective: The play (lila) of Shiva-Shakti includes the rhythm of veiling (tirodhana) and unveiling (anugraha). The soul’s forgetfulness is part of this divine play, making the subsequent re-recognition of unity an act of grace that deepens the relationship. The steadfast Linga and the fluctuating Anga are both expressions of the one reality.
Historical Reality (Anubhava Mantapa Context): This vachana humanizes the spiritual giant Basavanna, showing that even the foremost Sharana struggled with the human condition. This humility and transparency would have been profoundly encouraging to the common people in the Anubhava Mantapa, teaching them that the path is about persistent return, not perfection, and that grace is available precisely in those moments of acknowledged weakness.
Interpretation
“I placed my vow before You…”: The vow represents the highest understanding and intention (Arivu). It is the conscious mind aligning itself with the ultimate truth of non-duality and surrender.
“the Linga within me is the Jangama without… one flame”: This is a profound doctrinal statement, collapsing the apparent distinction between the static divine principle (Linga) and its dynamic manifestation in the world and the guru (Jangama). This is the pinnacle of theological insight.
“Yet in this frail body, forgetfulness rises like mist…”: This is the stark reality of embodied existence (Anga). The latent tendencies (vasanas) and the ego’s survival instinct constantly reassert the illusion of separation (“This is mine”), creating a shadow over the heart’s knowing.
“Hold me fast… anchor me…”: This is the ultimate wisdom. Having understood the truth and experienced his own incapacity to hold onto it, the devotee surrenders even the capacity for remembrance itself to the Divine. This is the final, most profound surrender.
Practical Implications: Lingayoga is a practice of compassionate persistence. It normalizes the experience of lapse and teaches that the appropriate response is not self-flagellation but immediate, humble return to the Ishta linga through the act of remembrance (smarane). The goal is to make the cycle of return increasingly swift and natural.
The Cosmic Reality
Anga (Human Dimension): The experiencing self, characterized by fluctuating awareness, sincere aspiration, and inevitable forgetfulness. It is the part of the system that learns through trial and error.
Linga (Divine Principle): The non-fluctuating ground of being, the absolute truth of unity and surrender. It is the constant, unchanging reference point.
Jangama (Dynamic Interaction): The entire lived experience of the path. It is the vow, the struggle, the failure, the awareness of failure, the prayer, and the return to grace. The Jangama is not a person but this very movement of love and longing between the human and the Divine.
Shata Sthala
Primary Sthala: Bhakta The emotional landscape is pure Bhakta: intimacy, vulnerability, a sense of personal failing, and a desperate, loving plea for help. The relationship is the central theme, not the serene abiding of Aikya.
Supporting Sthala: Prasadi The vachana is a textbook demonstration of the Prasadi stage, where the devotee has done all they can (made the vow, gained the insight) and now realizes that the final sustaining power must come as a gift from the Divine. The “anchor” is grace itself.
Practical Integration
Arivu (Awareness Practices): Cultivate a gentle, non-judgmental awareness of your own cycles of remembrance and forgetfulness. Simply note, “Ah, forgetfulness has arisen,” and without drama, gently re-establish your connection to the Linga.
Achara (Personal Discipline): Establish small, sustainable vows of remembrance throughout the day (e.g., remembering the Linga at the top of every hour). When you forget, simply recommit without self-criticism.
Kayaka (Sacred Action): When you find yourself claiming your work as “my achievement” or worrying over “my failure,” use that as a trigger to re-offer the work and its results to Koodalasangamadeva. Let the workplace be a gym for your surrender.
Dasoha (Communal Offering): Share your struggles honestly within the spiritual community. This normalizes the process and allows the community’s collective energy of remembrance to support you when your own is low. Be a living “anchor” for others in their moments of forgetfulness.
Modern Application
We live in a culture of toxic positivity and perfectionism, where vulnerability is seen as weakness. This leads to spiritual bypassing, burnout, and deep shame when we fail to live up to our own or others’ ideals, whether in mindfulness, productivity, or personal growth.
This vachana is a healing balm. It liberates us from the tyranny of spiritual perfection. It teaches that the path is about faithful return, not flawless performance. It encourages radical self-honesty and teaches us to rely on a grace greater than our own willpower, offering a profound sense of relief and making the spiritual journey accessible, humane, and sustainable.
Essence
I know the shore,
but still I am pulled by the current.
Do not scold me for swimming;
O Ocean, simply draw me home.
The spiritual journey is a process of entropy management. The coherent, low-entropy state of remembrance (union with the Linga) naturally tends toward the higher-entropy state of forgetfulness (egoic separation) due to the inherent noise of the biological and psychological system (the Anga). Spiritual practice is the continuous application of energy to maintain coherence. Grace is the mysterious, external force that reduces the system’s entropy, acting as an “anchor” to stabilize the coherent state.
Imagine you are trying to hold a perfect, still pose in the middle of a rocking boat. You understand the pose perfectly (the vow), and for a moment you achieve it (the insight). But the boat keeps rocking (the frail body, the mind’s habits), and you lose your balance. The practice isn’t to never wobble, but to learn how to regain your balance quickly. And sometimes, in a moment of grace, a calm settles on the water, and you find yourself held in perfect stability without effort.
We are creatures who know the ideal but live in the real. This tension between our highest aspirations and our human limitations is a universal source of suffering. This vachana addresses this core conflict with immense compassion, revealing that our repeated turning toward the light, in full acknowledgment of our shadows, is itself the sacred dance of devotion.
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