Poetic Rendering
The ashes from the hearth
their worth is fixed by their nature;
each act, too, returns its own true fruit.
What value has affection
when no goodness dwells within the heart?
You may stretch a single word
into nine pleasing forms,
but flattery shaped from deceit
is never received
by Kudalasangayya,
the Sharana of Kudalasangama.
Basavanna teaches that actions and inner nature cannot be disguised. Just as ashes cannot be turned into pure white pigment, a heart lacking sincerity cannot produce true affection or devotion. No matter how cleverly one speakssweetening the same word in many waysdeception cannot pass for purity. Spiritual life is measured not by performance, flattery, or outward gestures, but by the integrity of one’s inner state. Kudalasangayya accepts only what arises from genuine goodness and truth; everything else, however polished, remains hollow. This vachana calls for inner honesty, reminding us that divine recognition depends solely on authenticity of heart and purity of intention, not external display.
Spiritual Context
Core Spiritual Principle: The spiritual value of any actionwhether worship, speech, or relationshipis determined by the intrinsic quality (svabhava) of the heart from which it springs. A corrupt source cannot produce a pure result. The Divine, and those who embody divine consciousness, are impervious to flattery and can only receive what is authentically true.
Cosmic Reality Perspective: The Linga is absolute Reality (Sat). It can only interface with what is real. An offering made from deceit or hidden motive is asat (unreal), and thus cannot commune with the Real. The law of karma is precise: just as ashes are the inherent, true result of fire, the “fruit” of any action is the exact expression of the consciousness behind it.
Historical Reality (Anubhava Mantapa Context): This Vachana continues Basavanna’s critique of religious hypocrisy. It warns against using spiritual language or flattery to gain favor within the community or with realized beings. It establishes that in the Shivayoga community, a person’s worth is based on their inner integrity, not on their eloquence or social skills.
Interpretation
1. “The ashes from the hearththeir worth is fixed by their nature…”: This establishes an immutable law of nature. Ashes are the true, unchangeable result of combustion. Similarly, the “fruit” of any action is predetermined by the quality of the intention behind it. You cannot get mangoes from a neem seed.
2. “What value has affection when no goodness dwells within the heart?”: This exposes the emptiness of performative emotion. Affection without genuine goodness is a hollow shell, a transaction, or a manipulation. It has no spiritual substance.
3. “stretch a single word into nine pleasing forms…”: This describes the art of deception: using cleverness and rhetoric to make a falsehood or a selfish request appear beautiful and multifaceted. It is the ultimate skill of the hypocrite.
4. “flattery shaped from deceit is never received…”: This is the culminating truth. A realized being (a Sharana like Kudalasangayya) possesses a consciousness that is a perfect mirror of the Linga. It reflects only reality. Flattery and deceit, being unreal, do not register; they are not “received” because there is nothing in that pure consciousness for them to adhere to.
The Cosmic Reality
Anga (Human Dimension): The Anga’s primary work is inner alchemy. It must transform the “ashes” of its base instincts into the “pure pigment” of a sincere and loving heart. Its outer actions are merely the test of this inner work.
Linga (Divine Principle): The Linga is the ultimate standard of purity and truth. It is the principle that rejects the false and embraces only the real. A realized Sharana like Kudalasangayya is a living embodiment of this principle.
Jangama (Dynamic Interaction): The Jangama is the resonance of truth with truth. It is the dynamic where the authentic offering from a purified Anga is met and embraced by the discerning consciousness of the Linga (or its embodied representative). Deceit creates static; it cannot complete this sacred circuit.
Shatsthala
Primary Sthala: Maheshwara Sthala. This stage is defined by the purification of the inner being. This Vachana provides the criterion for that purification: the seamless unity of inner feeling and outer expression, where affection is backed by genuine goodness.
Supporting Sthala: Bhakta Sthala. The warning against flattery and deceit is fundamental for the aspiring devotee, ensuring their devotion is rooted in sincerity from the very beginning.
Practical Integration
Arivu (Awareness Practices): Practice “Motivation Watch.” Before speaking or acting, especially in spiritual or communal settings, pause to check your inner motivation. Ask: “Is this coming from a place of genuine care and truth, or from a desire to manipulate, impress, or gain approval?” Choose silence over insincerity.
Achara (Personal Discipline): Make authenticity your core discipline. Commit to speaking truthfully and simply. Avoid exaggeration, flattery, and gossip. Let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no. This builds the inner integrity that makes you a vessel for grace.
Kayaka (Sacred Action): Let your work be a genuine expression of your skill and effort, without false pretenses. Do not claim credit for what is not yours. The quality of your work should be the true “fruit” of your honest labor, not the “nine pleasing forms” of your self-promotion.
Dasoha (Communal Offering): Build a community that values blunt honesty over smooth flattery. Encourage feedback that is constructive and truthful, even if it is uncomfortable. Celebrate sincerity and humble service more than eloquent speeches, ensuring the community’s culture is rooted in the “goodness within the heart.”
Modern Application
The Culture of Spin and Personal Branding. In the modern world, especially in corporate, political, and social media environments, success is often tied to the ability to “package” oneself favorablyto stretch a single accomplishment into “nine pleasing forms.” This leads to inauthenticity, imposter syndrome, and relationships built on image rather than substance.
This Vachana offers liberation from the exhausting performance of personal branding. It assures that true worth and connection are found in authenticity. It teaches that you will be “received” by what is real be it a divine principle, a true friend, or a meaningful path only when you are real yourself. It replaces the anxiety of image-management with the profound peace of being exactly who you are.
Essence
The ash is ash, by nature’s law,
The selfish heart, contains its flaw.
You may with words, the air perfume,
But God knows what is in the room.
And only truth, both plain and stark,
Can make a contact in the dark.
1. The Ontology of Action: An action is not a neutral event; it is the extension of a state of consciousness. The “ashes” are not just a residue but the ontological truth of the fire that produced them. Similarly, flattery is not just a lie; it is the ontological truth of a deceitful consciousness. The “fruit” is not a separate reward but the unfolding of the action’s inherent nature. This is a universe of perfect poetic justice, where you do not get what you want, but what you are. The nature of the cause is immanent in the effect.
2. The Linga as a Coherence Detector: The Linga (and a realized Sharana) functions as a perfect coherence detector. It resonates only with energies that are self-consistent and whole. A heartfelt offering, even if flawed, has a coherent frequency because the inner feeling and outer action are aligned. Flattery is inherently incoherentthe inner state (deceit) and the outer expression (praise) are contradictory. This incoherent signal cannot be processed or “received” by the refined receiver of divine consciousness, which is tuned exclusively to the frequency of truth.
3. Jangama as the Resonance of the Real: The functioning Jangama is the establishment of a resonant field between two coherent systems: the sincere heart and the divine consciousness. This resonance is what is meant by being “received.” The Vachana’s finality”is never received”is a statement of a physical law of consciousness. Just as certain materials absorb specific light wavelengths, the Linga absorbs only the vibration of truth. The “nine pleasing forms” of flattery are like nine different colors of light shone upon a material that reflects all light; they make no lasting impression, leaving no trace in the pure consciousness of the Sharana. True Jangama occurs only when the offering is not a performance for the Other, but the authentic expression of a self that is already transparent to the Divine.
Your inner truth is your only real currency. You cannot negotiate with the Divine, or with any profound aspect of life, using counterfeit emotions. The universe responds not to what you say, but to what you genuinely are. Stop polishing your words and start purifying your heart. For in the end, you will find that reality in the form of truth, love, or God can only embrace what is real within you. Everything else is just ashes, no matter how cleverly you try to paint them.
Views: 1