Poetic Rendering
Some speak one lie in nine clever ways
eyes blazing,
chests thundering with self-praise,
their noise rising like a storm.
Let them shout;
let them think I have stepped back.
For those who do not know
the lived truth of Kudalasangama’s sharanas
their inner certainty,
their direct seeing
I shall walk away from such crowds,
leave their clamor behind,
and without hesitation
discard their crooked ways.
This vachana exposes the hollowness of those who speak loudly but live falsely. Basavanna describes people who twist truth in many forms, inflate themselves with anger and boasting, and mistake noise for wisdom. He refuses to engage with such minds. The path of the sharana is grounded not in argument, rhetoric, or display, but in anubhavadirect spiritual experience and inner integrity. Basavanna declares that he will not remain within the boundaries of falsehood or social pressure. The devotee must walk away from deceit, even if the world misreads withdrawal as weakness. True strength is fidelity to the inner truth revealed by Kudalasangamadeva.
Spiritual Context
Core Spiritual Principle: Spiritual integrity requires not only right action but also conscious disengagement from falsehood. To remain in an environment of deceit, hypocrisy, and empty rhetoric is to risk one’s own spiritual clarity. True strength lies in the discernment to walk away.
Cosmic Reality Perspective: The Linga is absolute Truth (Satya). The “liar’s palace” is a collective field of energy built on asatya (untruth), which is a manifestation of Maya. Engaging in debate with it is to enter its distorted reality. The Sharana, whose consciousness is anchored in the Linga, recognizes this dissonance and chooses to remain in the vibrational field of truth, even if it means physical withdrawal.
Historical Reality (Anubhava Mantapa Context): As a revolutionary leader, Basavanna faced constant opposition from orthodox quarters who used sophisticated arguments, social pressure, and false accusations. This Vachana is a strategic and spiritual guideline for his community: do not waste energy fighting deceit on its own terms; preserve your inner truth and let your life be the testimony.
Interpretation
1. “speak one lie in nine clever ways…”: This describes the nature of sophisticated falsehood. It is not a simple untruth but a complex structure of deception, designed to confuse and overwhelm with its cleverness and multiplicity.
2. “eyes blazing, chests thundering… noise rising like a storm.”: This depicts the energetic signature of the ego defending its lies. It is aggressive, loud, and intimidating, using emotional force to compensate for its lack of substance. It is “sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
3. “Let them shout; let them think I have stepped back.”: This reveals the Sharana’s fearlessness and non-reactive wisdom. He is not intimidated by the noise, nor does he feel the need to prove himself. He is secure enough in his truth to be perceived as “stepping back.”
4. “the lived truth… their inner certainty, their direct seeing…”: This is the antithesis of the liar’s palace. It is Anubhava direct, experiential realization. It is not a philosophy to be debated but a truth to be lived. It is quiet, certain, and requires no external validation.
5. “I shall walk away… discard their crooked ways.”: This is the empowered choice. It is an active, conscious decision of dis-identification. “Walking away” is not defeat; it is a victory of discernment. “Discarding” is the internal act of refusing to let those crooked ways become part of one’s own consciousness.
The Cosmic Reality
Anga (Human Dimension): The Anga is the discerning seeker. Its duty is to protect the sacred space of its own consciousness from pollution. It must have the courage to walk away from toxic environments and relationships that threaten its connection to the Linga.
Linga (Divine Principle): The Linga is the “lived truth” and “inner certainty.” It is the inner compass that guides the Sharana away from falsehood and toward authenticity. It is the silent, unwavering reality that makes the “noise” of the world obviously false.
Jangama (Dynamic Interaction): The Jangama is the dynamic process of spiritual discernment and self-preservation. It is the moment-by-moment choice to align with the vibrational frequency of truth (Linga) by withdrawing energy and attention from the frequency of falsehood (the liar’s palace).
Shatsthala
Primary Sthala: Sharana Sthala. This Vachana defines the mature strength of a Sharana. Taking refuge means creating and protecting a psychic and communal space where truth can flourish, which sometimes requires exclusionary discernment.
Supporting Sthala: Aikya Sthala (Stage of Union). The “inner certainty” and “direct seeing” are fruits of the unified state. The ability to effortlessly discern and discard falsehood is a natural attribute of a consciousness that is established in the non-dual truth of the Linga.
Practical Integration
Arivu (Awareness Practices): Cultivate a “Vibrational Discernment.” Pay attention to how your energy feels in different environments and with different people. If you feel drained, agitated, or your mind becomes cloudy with doubt after an interaction, recognize this as the “noise” of a “liar’s palace” and consciously return to your inner anchor through remembrance of the Linga.
Achara (Personal Discipline): Practice “Conscious Disengagement.” This includes setting boundaries with toxic individuals, leaving conversations that are based on gossip or falsehood, and limiting consumption of media that traffics in outrage and deception. Your attention is a sacred offering; do not place it on altars of falsehood.
Kayaka (Sacred Action): In your workplace, do not participate in or enable a culture of deceit, even if it is the norm. Your work should be an expression of truth. If the environment becomes irredeemably corrupt, have the courage to “walk away” and find work that does not compromise your integrity.
Dasoha (Communal Offering): The community’s duty is to be a sanctuary of truth. Protect the community from individuals who bring the energy of the “liar’s palace”those who create drama, spread rumors, or use spiritual rhetoric for self-aggrandizement. A strong community has clear boundaries and the collective courage to uphold a standard of integrity.
Modern Application
Information Overload, “Fake News,” and Toxic Discourse. The digital world is a global “liar’s palace,” where algorithms amplify conflict, misinformation spreads faster than truth, and social media is a stage for performative outrage and empty rhetoric. This creates immense psychological pollution and makes it difficult to find a space of quiet truth.
This Vachana provides a essential survival guide for the digital age. It gives permission to disengageto log off, to curate your feeds, to leave toxic online groups, and to stop engaging with trolls. It liberates you from the feeling that you must correct every falsehood. It teaches that your peace and inner truth are more important than winning an argument in a corrupted arena. The most powerful protest is sometimes a quiet exit.
Essence
Let the loud and lying boast,
On their false and empty coast.
I’ll not build my home where truth is slain,
Nor drink the poison of their rain.
I walk the path the Sharanas know,
Where silent, certain waters flow.
1. The Energetic of Deceit: The “liar’s palace” is not just a collection of false statements but a coherent field of low-vibrational energy. It is characterized by entropy (disorder), aggression, and fragmentation. Engaging with it is not an exchange of ideas but an energetic entanglement that can disrupt the coherent, high-frequency field of a consciousness established in Anubhava.
2. Withdrawal as a Strategic Alignment: Basavanna’s “walking away” is not a passive retreat but an active, strategic re-alignment with the fundamental nature of reality, which is Truth (Linga). It is a refusal to participate in a sub-reality built on asatya. This act preserves the integrity of the individual’s consciousness and, by extension, the collective consciousness of the Sangha (community).
3. Jangama as the Guardian of the Threshold: The functioning Jangama here is the faculty of discernment (viveka) in action. It operates as the guardian at the threshold of the mind, constantly evaluating incoming energies and interactions. Its purpose is to ask: “Does this align with the lived truth of Koodalasangamadeva?” If the answer is no, the Jangama’s function is to sever the connection, not through violence, but through a simple, firm withdrawal of attention and energy. This is the ultimate application of Kayaka to the domain of relationship and communitythe work of consciously building and protecting a world of truth.
Do not feel compelled to fight every battle on a battlefield of someone else’s choosing. Your primary duty is to protect the sanctity of your own mind and heart. There is immense strength and wisdom in recognizing a corrupted environment and choosing to leave it. Your peace is a testament to a truth that needs no shouting. Walk away from the noise, and dwell in the silence where real knowing grows.
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