Summary
Within Basavanna’s body, Maḍivāḷa Machideva was revealed. Within his mind, the revealer’s own abiding state was shown; within his awareness, Kudalasangama Deva was revealed.
This threefold svāyatta was established throughout Basavanna’s entire being. Through the compassion of Chennabasavanna, the transforming touchstone called Maḍivāḷa became possible for him.
Imagery & Symbolic Relevance
The vachana unfolds through three inward fields: body, mind, and awareness.
The first field is the body.
Basavanna says that Maḍivāḷa was shown within his body. Maḍivāḷa here is the named Sharana, Maḍivāḷa Machideva. The line therefore presents a realized person becoming inwardly revealed within Basavanna’s embodied condition.
The body is not described as merely carrying an idea or memory of Maḍivāḷa. It becomes the field in which his presence is shown.
The second field is the mind.
Within the mind, his own abiding state—tanna nilavu—was shown. Nilavu indicates standing, state, or abiding condition.
The movement is deeper than seeing an outer person. The realized state belonging to the revealer becomes perceptible within Basavanna’s mind.
The third field is awareness—arivu.
Within awareness, You were shown. The direct second-person address refers to Kudalasangama Deva.
The sequence is carefully ordered:
Maḍivāḷa is shown within the body;
the abiding state is shown within the mind;
Kudalasangama Deva is shown within awareness.
The three revelations are then gathered into trividha-svāyatta.
Trividha means threefold. Svāyatta conveys being inwardly established, self-possessed, or brought into one’s own immediate command and experience.
This threefold condition is not left divided among three separate locations. It is established throughout the whole body—sarvāṅga.
Pratiṣṭhisi gives the image of firm establishment. The revelation is not momentary or loosely perceived; it is set throughout Basavanna’s entire embodied being.
The final line introduces the transforming image of Maḍivāḷa as paruṣa, the touchstone.
A touchstone or alchemical stone is known through its power to reveal or transform the substance brought into contact with it. Maḍivāḷa is therefore presented not merely as someone seen, but as a transforming Sharana-presence.
Yet Basavanna does not claim that he discovered or attained this transforming presence independently. It became possible through Chennabasavanna’s compassion.
The complete movement is therefore from the revelation of Maḍivāḷa in the body, to the revelation of abiding state in the mind, to Kudalasangama Deva in awareness, and finally to the establishment of this threefold condition throughout the whole being through Chennabasavanna’s grace.
Lingayoga
In Lingayoga, body, mind, and awareness must not remain disconnected fields.
The body receives the living presence of the Sharana; the mind receives the Sharana’s established condition; awareness receives the revelation of Kudalasangama Deva.
The mature relation is therefore not confined to bodily worship, mental reflection, or inward knowing separately. The three become firmly established throughout the practitioner’s life.
The final line also places realization within Sharana-grace. The transformation associated with Maḍivāḷa becomes possible through Chennabasavanna’s compassion, not through personal claim or isolated effort.
Editorial Commentary
Maḍivāḷa is a proper name referring to Maḍivāḷa Machideva. It should not be translated as “moving” or converted into a generic reference to Jangama.
Kāya means body.
Mana means mind.
Arivu means knowing or awareness.
Tanna nilavu means his own state, standing, or abiding condition. The subject of the repeated verb “showed” is not separately stated in each clause. The final line identifies Chennabasavanna’s compassion as the enabling agency of the revelation.
Trividha-svāyatta means a threefold inwardly established or self-possessed condition. The threefold structure is supplied directly by body, mind, and awareness.
Sarvāṅga means the entire body or whole embodied being.
Pratiṣṭhisi means having firmly established.
Paruṣa functions here as the image of a transforming touchstone or alchemical stone. Maḍivāḷa is named as this transforming Sharana-presence.
Related Vachana
Supporting Vachana
Sharana Sthala Vachana 1300 — Clothed in the Purity of Madivala Machideva
Sharana Vachana 1300 shows Maḍivāḷa Machideva gathering Basavanna’s stained mind, carrying it away, pressing and cleansing it beneath his feet, giving Basavanna his own stainlessness, and clothing him in that purity.
It prepares Vachana 984 directly. In Sharana Sthala, Maḍivāḷa transforms the stained mind through purification and grace. In Vachana 984, this transforming Maḍivāḷa becomes inwardly revealed in the body, while his state and Kudalasangama Deva are established through mind and awareness throughout the whole being.
Advancing Vachana
Aikya Sthala Vachana 1084 — The Revelation Within the Karasthala
Vachana 1084 advances the present revelation into direct Karasthala vision. Within the Karasthala-Linga, Basavanna beholds Allama Prabhu, Chennabasavanna, and Maḍivāḷa Machideva; the distinction between inner and outer then disappears.
Vachana 984 establishes Maḍivāḷa, the abiding state, and Kudalasangama Deva within body, mind, and awareness. Vachana 1084 widens this into explicit Linga-vision, where the great Sharanas are beheld within the Karasthala and Basavanna bows in gratitude for the purification received through them.
