Poetic Rendering
Blind me like one who cannot see beauty,
deafen me like one who hears no gossip,
mute me like one who utters no falsehood.
Father, keep me untouched by worldly things,
so that I see, hear, and speak
only of the feet of Your sharanas,
O Koodalasangamadeva.
The poet prays to be made blind to worldly beauty, deaf to gossip, and mute to falsehood. He asks to be kept untouched by worldly attachments so that his sight, hearing, and speech may be dedicated solely to perceiving and praising the feet of the Lord’s Sharanas.
Spiritual Context
Core Spiritual Principle: The senses are not enemies to be destroyed but powerful instruments to be mastered and re-calibrated. The highest spiritual practice is to consecrate every faculty, turning them inward toward the Divine, thereby transforming the body itself into a temple of single-pointed devotion.
Cosmic Reality Perspective: The world (Maya) is a projection of the Divine, but the unrefined senses perceive only the surface appearance, which leads to attachment and aversion. By praying for sensory renunciation, the seeker asks to perceive the Divine essence (Linga) within and behind all forms, rather than being ensnared by the forms themselves.
Historical Reality (Anubhava Mantapa context): This vachana reflects the intense, transformative discipline of the early Sharanas. It moves beyond external ritual to an internal, psychological revolution, advocating for a lifestyle where every moment and every faculty is engaged in conscious spiritual practice, creating a community wholly dedicated to this ideal.
Interpretation
1. “Blind me like one who cannot see beauty…”: This is not a rejection of creation’s splendor, but a prayer for immunity to the distracting beauty that fuels lust and possessiveness. He asks to see only the divine beauty reflected in the sacred feet of the enlightened.
2. “…deafen me like one who hears no gossip…”: The “gossip” represents all idle, negative, and distracting sound that agitates the mind. He seeks the silence and purity of mind that can only hear the divine resonance (Nada) in the teachings and company of the Sharanas.
3. “…mute me like one who utters no falsehood.”: This is a prayer for the ultimate discipline of speech. He seeks to speak only truth (Satyam) and to use his voice only for praising the Divine and serving the spiritual community, wasting no energy on trivial or harmful talk.
4. “…so that I see, hear, and speak only of the feet of Your sharanas…”: This reveals the ultimate purpose: not negation, but sublime redirection. The “feet of the Sharanas” symbolize their teachings, their state of consciousness, and their sacred example. His entire perceptual apparatus is to be tuned to this one frequency.
Practical Implications: The seeker must practice conscious sense-guarding. This involves choosing what to look at, what to listen to, and what to speak about. It is the active cultivation of a sacred environment, both externally and internally, that supports one-pointed devotion.
The Cosmic Reality
Anga (Human Dimension): The human as a complex of sensory and cognitive instruments (eyes, ears, tongue, mind) that are currently tuned to the worldly frequency and must be recalibrated.
Linga (Divine Principle): Kudalasangama Deva as the ultimate source of grace and the master technician who can perform this recalibration. The Linga is the pure consciousness that is to be perceived through the purified senses.
Jangama (Dynamic Interaction): The Jangama is embodied by the “Sharanas,” who are the living examples of this purified perception. They are the practical focal point. The dynamic is the prayer itself and the subsequent grace that actively transforms the Anga’s relationship with the world, making the Jangama the sole object of perception.
Shata Sthala
Primary Sthala: Maheshwara. This vachana exemplifies the fierce austerity and unwavering resolve of the Maheshwara stage. It requires tremendous inner strength to willingly renounce the pleasures of the senses and focus one’s entire being with such intensity.
Supporting Sthala: Prasadi. The poet recognizes that such a profound transformation of one’s innate tendencies cannot be achieved by willpower alone. It is ultimately a gift of divine grace (Prasada), hence the heartfelt prayer.
Practical Integration
Arivu (Awareness): Practice mindfulness of sensory input. Before engaging with any sensory object, ask: “Does this lead me toward the Divine or away from it?” Use this awareness to consciously choose your engagements.
Achara (Personal Discipline): Establish a personal discipline of sense control. This could include periods of silence (Mauna), fasting from certain media, or consciously avoiding gossip and frivolous conversation.
Kayaka (Sacred Action): Let your work be an act of perception. See the Divine in the task at hand, listen for the inner guidance while working, and speak only what is necessary and truthful in your professional interactions.
Dasoha (Communal Offering): Offer your purified perception to the community. Share only uplifting and truthful insights. Your very presence, guarded in speech and perception, becomes a Dasoha that creates a pure and focused environment for others.
Modern Application
The Modern Malady: We live in an age of sensory and informational overload. Our eyes are bombarded with curated images, our ears with endless noise and opinion, and we are pressured to constantly produce content and commentary. This leads to mental fragmentation, anxiety, and a deep loss of inner peace and focus.
The Liberative Application: This vachana offers a radical solution: a “digital and mental fast.” It is a call to consciously curate our sensory diet, to mute the chaotic “gossip” of social media and news, and to redirect our attention toward what is truly nourishing spiritual knowledge, sacred art, nature, and the company of those who inspire us to be better. It is the path to finding profound peace and clarity in a noisy world.
Essence
Make blind these eyes to trivial sight,
Make deaf these ears to bickering’s blight.
Seal these lips from words untrue,
So all my senses worship only You.
Metaphysical & Multidimensional Details: Metaphysically, this vachana describes the process of Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal), a crucial step in the yoga of devotion. The senses, which normally flow outward (Bahirmukha), are prayerfully turned inward (Antarmukha). The “feet of the Sharanas” represent the concentrated form of the formless Divine (Saguna Brahman), providing a tangible focus for this redirected energy, leading the mind to its source.
Universal Human Message: We are what we consume with our senses. To transform our consciousness, we must first transform what we allow into it. The highest form of self-discipline is not punishment, but the loving act of guarding our inner gateways, ensuring that only that which elevates and unifies is permitted entry. This is the alchemy that turns base perception into divine vision.
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