Poetic Rendering

The touch of the noble
their company is sweet like nectar itself.
The company of the ignoble
their presence is venom,
a poison that seeps through the bones of the mind.
Between these two streams
one must choose
to drink deeply of one,
and abandon the other without return.
For the only path that truly blesses,
the only company that ripens the soul,
is the fellowship of the Sharanas
of Kudalasangama.

This vachana lays out Basavanna’s uncompromising insight into the relational nature of spiritual growth. He teaches that human consciousness is porous, constantly shaped by the people with whom it resonates. Association is not a social matter but an alchemical one:

Satsanga (company of the virtuous) functions as amrita, the nectar of immortality. It purifies, stabilizes, and expands awareness.
Dussanga (company of the wicked) functions as visha, a subtle poison. It distorts perception, weakens clarity, and binds one deeper to ego-driven patterns.
The key point: one cannot walk both paths. Spiritual maturity demands radical discrimination in company conscious alignment with those who embody the truth one seeks.
Basavanna concludes that the most auspicious, transformative association is with the Sharanas of Kudalasangama those who live in the integrated awareness of the divine. To be in their presence is to participate in the living field of liberation.
In essence: your company is your destiny, and choosing the right association is choosing the shape of your own becoming.

Spiritual Context

Core Spiritual Principle: Consciousness is Relational and Porous. Spiritual development is not a solitary, purely internal process. The mind is an ecology; it absorbs the qualities of its environment. Therefore, conscious curation of one’s relational field is not a social preference but a core spiritual discipline (achara) equal to meditation or prayer.

Cosmic Reality Perspective (non-dual, Shiva-Shakti dynamics): Sat-sanga is the collective field where individual Shakti (seeking energy) harmonizes with the resonant Shakti of others, creating a coherent wave directed toward Shiva (unity). This collective resonance is the “nectar.” Dus-sanga is a field of discordant, fragmented Shaktis, where energy is dissipated in conflict, gossip, and petty desirethe “venom” of dissipated consciousness. The choice is between entering a field that amplifies unity or one that amplifies separation.

Historical Reality (Anubhava Mantapa context): This was the pragmatic social doctrine of the Lingayoga revolution. In a caste-bound society where one’s spiritual and social environment was dictated by birth, Basavanna proclaimed the individual’s right and responsibility to choose their spiritual family (Sangha) based solely on shared devotion and character. The Anubhava Mantapa was the institutionalization of this “nectarous” associationa consciously created alternative ecosystem designed to cultivate and protect the awakening of its members.

Interpretation

1.”The touch of the nobletheir company is sweet like nectar itself.”: “Touch” (sparsha) implies tangible influence. The “noble” (satpurusha) are those whose being is aligned with truth. Their company isn’t about pleasant conversation; it’s a vibrational environment that calibrates one’s own consciousness toward harmony and clarity, acting as a living sacrament (prasada).

2.”The company of the ignobletheir presence is venom, a poison that seeps through the bones of the mind.”: “Seeps through the bones” indicates a deep, systemic contamination. This poison isn’t overt evil but the slow, cumulative effect of petty thoughts, cynical attitudes, selfish values, and unconscious chatter. It weakens the resolve and distorts the perception of the seeker at a foundational level.

3.”Between these two streams one must chooseto drink deeply of one, and abandon the other without return.”: This frames the choice as all-or-nothing. Spiritual growth requires coherence. To “drink deeply” is to fully immerse and invest in the nourishing community. To “abandon without return” is to make a clean, final break from influences that undermine the path. Half-measures lead to mixed resultsa diluted nectar still poisoned.

4.”For the only path that truly blesses… is the fellowship of the Sharanas of Kudalasangama.”: This specifies the highest form of sat-sanga. It is not just association with good people, but with those who have taken ultimate refuge. Their fellowship is a living conduit of grace (prasadi), a “blessing” (mangala) that actively ripens the soul toward liberation.

The Cosmic Reality

Anga (Human Dimension): The Anga is a receiver and transmitter. It is constantly tuning itself to different frequencies based on its associations. Its spiritual work is to become a conscious tuner, selecting the frequency (nectarous company) that resonates with its highest nature and rejecting static (poisonous company).

Linga (Divine Principle): The Linga is the pure signal. The company of Sharanas is a “cleared channel” where this signal is strongest with minimal interference. Associating with them is akin to placing one’s radio next to the broadcast tower.

Jangama (Dynamic Interaction): The Jangama is the act of tuning in and staying tuned. It is the dynamic practice of aligning one’s time, attention, and heart with the nourishing fellowship and consciously distancing from sources of distortion. This ongoing choice is the spiritual practice of right association.

Shata Sthala

Primary Sthala: Maheshwara. The voice of the vachana is that of a Maheshwara, one who has achieved the inner clarity and strength to exercise this level of discernment and to teach it authoritatively. This stage involves taking responsibility for one’s entire spiritual ecosystem.

Supporting Sthala: Bhakta. For the Bhakta, this teaching is a vital map and protection. Their sincere but nascent devotion needs the nurturing container of sat-sanga to grow strong and avoid being choked by the weeds of worldly or cynical influences.

Practical Integration

Arivu (Awareness Practices): Practice “relational mindfulness.” After interactions, pause and sense: Did that conversation leave me feeling clearer, lighter, and more connected to truth (nectar)? Or confused, heavy, and contracted in ego (venom)? Use this felt sense as data for discernment.

Achara (Personal Discipline): Make the conscious selection of company a core discipline. Schedule and prioritize time with those who inspire your best self. Have the courage to limit or re-structure relationships that consistently drain your spiritual vitality.

Kayaka (Sacred Action): Let your work contribute to creating or sustaining communities of sat-sanga. Your labor can help build the physical, economic, and social infrastructure that allows nourishing fellowship to flourish.

Dasoha (Communal Offering): Your presence in satsanga is itself a Dasoha. By showing up authentically, you contribute to the collective field. Offer your listening, your authenticity, and your shared aspiration, helping to make the gathering a true “fellowship of Sharanas.”

Modern Application

“Digital Enmeshment and Algorithmic Poison.” Our relational field is no longer just physical; it’s digital. We are in constant, often unconscious, association with curated social media feeds, news cycles, and online communities that can act as potent sources of “venom” seeding anxiety, division, and distraction. The “nectar” of true satsanga is often drowned out by this noise.

This vachana compels a radical digital and social audit. It urges us to curate our informational and social inputs with the same discernment we would use for food. Unfollow toxic digital streams. Intentionally join online groups dedicated to sincere practice. Most importantly, prioritize in-person or deep, virtual fellowship with a committed spiritual community. Protect your attention as the gateway to your consciousness.

Essence

The mind is not a fortress, walled and set apart.

It drinks the world in through the gates of the heart.

One stream is nectar, sweet, and makes the spirit bright.

One stream is venom, stealing clarity and light.

The choice is stark, for both cannot be true:

To sip the poison, or drink the nectar through.

So choose the company where sacred currents flow,

And let that shared ascent be all you know.

This vachana applies the ecological principle of mutualism versus parasitism to consciousness. In an ecosystem, organisms engage in mutualistic relationships (nectar) that enhance the survival and thriving of both, or parasitic relationships (venom) that drain one for the benefit of the other. The human psyche is an ecosystem. Sat-sanga is mutualistic resonance, where beings elevate each other’s consciousness. Dus-sanga is parasitic, where unconscious patterns in others reinforce and feed upon unconscious patterns in oneself, stunting growth. Spiritual practice requires cultivating a healthy inner ecology by selecting mutualistic relationships.

Imagine two gardens. In one, you plant compatible species that nourish the soil, attract beneficial insects, and support each other’s growth (nectar). In the other, you allow weeds to grow that choke your plants, deplete the soil, and attract pests (venom). Your consciousness is the garden. Your associations are what you choose to plant and what you allow to take root. Basavanna says: be a ruthless and wise gardener for your own soul.

We are social creatures who internalize the norms, attitudes, and emotional tones of our “tribe.” We often stay in toxic relational patterns out of loyalty, habit, or fear of loneliness. This vachana acknowledges that profound truth but empowers us with a higher loyalty: to the truth itself. It states that the courage to choose nourishing company is an act of self-respect and a direct investment in your own liberation. You cannot think your way out of a box if you are constantly sitting with people who insist the box is the only reality. True fellowship is the space where the walls of the box are seen for what they are, and together, you step out.

Shatasthala