Poetic Rendering
Whoever it may be
if his mind rests in remembrance of Mahadeva,
I shall accept even the smallest morsel from his hand,
and live in ceaseless communion with him
like the upper and lower jaws moving as one.
I shall wear the clothes he has cast aside,
I shall guard his sandals as my treasure,
and make my living in humble service,
O Kudalasangamadeva.
This vachana dismantles the ego’s hierarchy of giver and receiver. Basavanna redefines dignity in terms of spiritual orientation rather than material standing: a person who remembers Mahadeva becomes a vessel of sanctity, and even his discarded crumbs, clothes, or sandals carry the fragrance of the divine. The imagery of “upper and lower jaws” expresses an inseparable rhythm of shared existence, where spiritual companionship becomes the true sustenance. By embracing what society considers low or humble, Basavanna elevates the ethos of dasohabhavathe attitude of sacred service declaring that intimacy with the spiritually awakened is more valuable than any worldly luxury.
Spiritual Context
Core Spiritual Principle: The presence of God in a person sanctifies not only their being but also their possessions and actions. To serve such a person and to receive from them is to participate directly in the divine economy of grace (Prasada). This transcends all worldly concepts of high and low, pure and impure, establishing a new hierarchy based solely on spiritual proximity to the Divine.
Cosmic Reality Perspective: In the non-dual reality, all is Shiva. A person who constantly remembers Mahadeva (Shiva) is consciously abiding in this truth. Therefore, anything connected to themtheir food, their clothes, their sandalsis a tangible extension of that divine consciousness. To reject it as “low” is to reject the all-pervading nature of the Linga itself.
Historical Reality (Anubhava Mantapa Context): This vachana is a radical social equalizer. It empowers the devotee to find supreme value in the most humble associations, independent of caste or class. It provided a theological basis for the Sharanas to live in a community of shared resources and mutual service, where the only currency was devotion.
Interpretation
“if his mind rests in remembrance of Mahadeva, I shall accept even the smallest morsel from his hand…”: The condition for this radical acceptance is not the person’s social status, but their inner state. The “smallest morsel” is transformed from mere food into Prasadasanctified offering. The act of receiving becomes an act of communion.
“live in ceaseless communion with him like the upper and lower jaws moving as one.”: This is one of the most powerful metaphors in vachana literature. The jaws are two distinct entities, but their function is one, seamless, and essential for nourishment. This describes a relationship of perfect symbiotic harmony, where separate identities merge into a single, purposeful movement of spiritual life.
“I shall wear the clothes he has cast aside, I shall guard his sandals as my treasure…”: This extends the principle to objects. In Indian tradition, the clothes and sandals of a saint are considered imbued with their spiritual energy (prasada). Basavanna declares that such objects are not cast-offs but treasures, for they are physical carriers of the divine vibration.
“and make my living in humble service…”: This concludes the thought by defining one’s very livelihood (Kayaka) as an extension of this sacred service (Dasoha). Work is not for personal gain but for sustaining this holy communion.
Practical Implications: The Lingayoga path involves seeking the company (Satsangha) of the truly devoted and learning to receive everything from that relationshipguidance, food, companionshipas a form of divine grace. It teaches that the highest form of wealth is proximity to a God-intoxicated heart.
The Cosmic Reality
Anga (Human Dimension): The devotee who, through humility and discernment, recognizes the divine in another and offers their entire life in service to that manifestation.
Linga (Divine Principle): The indwelling presence of Shiva that radiates from a true Bhakta, sanctifying their entire sphere of influence.
Jangama (Dynamic Interaction): The sacred reciprocity of the relationship. It is the flow of service from one devotee and the flow of sanctified substance (food, clothing, grace) from the other, creating a closed loop of divine energy that uplifts both.
Shata Sthala
Primary Sthala: Sharana The willingness to take refuge so completely to accept another’s crumbs and cast-off clothes as one’s sustenance and treasure is the very essence of the Sharana’s surrender.
Supporting Sthala: Bhakta The emotional intensity and the personal devotion that fuels this desire for inseparable communion is characteristic of the Bhakta’s passionate love for the Divine, here expressed through love for its human vessel.
Practical Integration
Arivu (Awareness Practices): Practice seeing the divine presence in those you admire spiritually. Consciously receive their words, their kindness, and their example as forms of sacred nourishment.
Achara (Personal Discipline): Cultivate humility in learning. Be willing to be a student, to receive guidance, and to perform small acts of service for those who illuminate your path, seeing this not as servitude but as privilege.
Kayaka (Sacred Action): Dedicate a portion of your work or resources to supporting the life and work of those who embody spiritual wisdom in your community.
Dasoha (Communal Offering): Foster a community culture where the wisdom of elders and the devotion of sincere practitioners is honored as the community’s greatest asset. Create structures where such individuals are supported, and their presence is cherished as a source of collective grace.
Modern Application
We live in a culture obsessed with personal brand, status, and independence. We are reluctant to be in another’s debt or to appear “beneath” anyone. This pride isolates us and cuts us off from the profound learning and grace that can only flow through relationships of reverence and humble service.
This vachana liberates us from the prison of ego and status anxiety. It reveals that true power and fulfillment are found not in independence, but in grateful dependence on the sacred. It invites us to find our “treasure” not in what we own, but in whom we serve and what we are graced to receive from the truly devoted. It transforms the very meaning of wealth and relationship.
Essence
I care not for the king’s feast.
Give me the crumbs from the plate of the one who remembers God.
For in that morsel, I taste the Divine.
In that service, I find my freedom.
The Deeper Pattern: A person steeped in the remembrance of God acts as a local concentration or a “coherence node” of the universal Linga-consciousness. This coherent state has a field effect, entraining matter and energy in its proximity to a higher, more ordered state. The “morsel,” “clothes,” and “sandals” become imprinted with this coherent information. To receive and integrate them is to subject one’s own system to this coherent influence, facilitating a phase transition from egoic disorder to spiritual order.
In Simple Terms: Imagine a clear, still tuning fork (the devotee). When it is struck (by remembrance of God), it vibrates at a pure, specific frequency. If you bring a silent, disordered tuning fork (yourself) near it, the second will begin to vibrate at the same pure frequency through sympathetic resonance. The “crumbs” and “clothes” are like physical fragments of that first, pure tuning fork; contact with them helps tune your own being.
The Human Truth: We have an innate longing for connection with what is real, sacred, and authentic. We often seek it in grand experiences or possessions. This vachana reveals that the sacred is contagiously present in the humble, devoted human heart and in the simple, tangible artifacts of a life lived in love. It teaches that the most profound connection is found not in vertical aspiration to a distant God, but in the horizontal embrace of the God-filled human being beside us.
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