Poetic Rendering
Kudalasangama is the giver,
and the receiver as well.
What value is our offering
we who, like insects trapped in a well,
exchange crumbs and call it generosity?
He nourishes the threefold cycle:
birth, existence, and death.
Know this, O seeker
whatever we offer Him
is only His own abundance returned.
This vachana humbles the pride of giving by showing that all abundance flows from Kudalasangamadeva. Humans who boast of charity are compared to insects in a well, exchanging trivial things among themselves while imagining they possess wealth. The Divine alone sustains the full cycle of being birth, existence, and death and everything we call ours arises from that source. Therefore, no offering truly originates from us; we merely return what already belongs to the Divine. The highest gift is not material giving but the surrender of the ego that claims ownership and seeks credit.
Spiritual Context
Core Spiritual Principle: The principle of non-ownership (asvatta). True spirituality involves the realization that nothing belongs to the individual self. All action, including giving, must be performed as an offering of what is already God’s property back to God. This dissolves the doer (karta) and transforms action into a sacred circuit of energy.
Cosmic Reality Perspective: This vachana describes the absolute sovereignty of Shiva over the cosmic economy. Shiva, as pure consciousness, is the silent witness and source. Shakti, as the dynamic energy of the universe, is the abundance itself the life, wealth, and substance that circulates. The individual’s mistake is to identify with a tiny fragment of this circulating Shakti and claim it as “mine.” The vachana recontextualizes the individual as a temporary custodian, not an owner.
Historical Reality (Anubhava Mantapa Context): This directly informed the revolutionary practice of Dasoha in the Lingayoga community. It was not charity given from a position of wealth and superiority, but a humble redistribution of divine abundance. It prevented the wealthy from developing spiritual pride and ensured that all community resources were seen as belonging to Koodalasangamadeva, to be used for the welfare of all sharanas.
Interpretation
“Kudalasangama is the giver, and the receiver as well.” This establishes non-duality in the act of worship. There is no separate entity giving to another. All is a single divine play (lila) of consciousness circulating within itself.
“What value is our offering we who, like insects trapped in a well, exchange crumbs…” The “well” is the limited, ego-bound perception. The “insects” are humans trapped in this limited view. The “crumbs” are our possessions, status, and even our spiritual efforts, which are insignificant compared to the cosmic scale of divine giving.
“He nourishes the threefold cycle: birth, existence, and death.” This defines the scope of divine giving. Our giving is finite and conditional; God’s giving is infinite and unconditional, sustaining the very framework of our reality.
“Whatever we offer Him is only His own abundance returned.” This is the culminating insight that shatters the ego of the giver. It reveals that the act of offering is not a loss but a recognition of truth. It is the closing of a circuit, completing the flow of energy. Practical Implications: The practitioner must cultivate the constant attitude of being a channel, not a source. Before giving, one should consciously think, “This is not mine. I am a trustee, returning this to its rightful owner through service to Your creation.”
The Cosmic Reality
Anga (Human Dimension): The Anga is the temporary custodian or the “insect in the well.” Its role is to be a clear conduit for the flow of divine abundance, not a dam that hoards it. Its suffering comes from the illusion of ownership.
Linga (Divine Principle): The Linga is the infinite ocean from which all wells are filled. It is the source, the sustenance, and the ultimate dissolution of all that exists. It is the only true economic reality.
Jangama (Dynamic Interaction): The Jangama is the free flow of energy in the cosmic economy. It is the practice of dasoha the conscious, selfless circulation of resources, love, and service which keeps the “water” in the “well” fresh and prevents the stagnation of ego.
Shata Sthala
Primary Sthala: Maheshwara (Lord of the Cosmic Play) Understanding this cosmic economy is the perspective of a Maheshwara. One sees the entire play of giving and receiving from the divine standpoint, recognizing all actors and actions as expressions of the One. This brings about a state of detached, joyful participation.
Supporting Sthala: Sharana (Total Refuge) To live this understanding is the act of the Sharana. Taking refuge means surrendering all claims of owner ship over body, mind, wealth, and achievements to the Divine, thus becoming a perfect instrument in this divine economy.
Practical Integration
Arivu (Awareness Practices): Before any transaction giving, receiving, buying, selling pause and affirm: “This energy, this resource, flows from Koodalasangamadeva, through me, and back to Koodalasangamadeva.” This reframes all economic activity as sacred.
Achara (Personal Discipline): Practice giving anonymously and without expectation of thanks or reward. This severs the ego’s connection to the act and aligns it with the divine principle, where God gives continuously without seeking recognition.
Kayaka (Sacred Action): Perform your work with the understanding that the profits are not your personal property but a divine surplus to be reinvested in the well-being of the community (the larger “well”).
Dasoha (Communal Offering): This vachana is the very philosophy of Dasoha. Organize community life around this principle. Ensure that resources are pooled and distributed based on need, with everyone understanding they are sharing what already belongs to God, thus eliminating giver-receiver hierarchies.
Modern Application
We live in a hyper-capitalist society dominated by the ethos of individual ownership, accumulation, and philanthropic pride. Billionaires are celebrated for their charity, which often reinforces their power and status. This creates vast inequality and a sense of separation, as we fiercely protect “what is mine.”
This vachana offers a radical economic and spiritual paradigm shift. It liberates us from the anxiety of possession and the pride of giving. It fosters a mindset of stewardship and shared abundance, which is the foundation for a truly equitable and sustainable society. It transforms economics from a game of acquisition into a sacred practice of circulation.
Essence
You are the Giver, You the Receiving,
My boastful charity, self-deceiving.
Like bugs in a pit, we trade the dust,
And call our tiny swapping “just.”
All wealth is Yours, a flowing tide,
I stand here, just, the open wide.
The Deeper Pattern: This vachana describes the spiritual equivalent of the law of conservation of energy. Energy (wealth, life, consciousness) cannot be created or destroyed by the individual; it only changes form and circulates within a closed system (the cosmos, which is God). The ego’s claim of ownership is a fundamental error in accounting, a misattribution of a local fluctuation in the system to a separate self.
In Simple Terms: It is like a child playing with water in the ocean. The child can cup their hands and say, “This is my water,” and pour it back into the ocean. The child has not truly given anything to the ocean; they have merely participated in the ocean’s own movement. The only thing the child truly “gave up” was the illusory idea that the water in their hands was separate from the ocean.
The Human Truth: The root of human conflict and suffering is the attachment to “mine” and “thine.” The timeless truth here is that nothing is ultimately “mine.” We arrive empty-handed and leave empty-handed. The profound peace and freedom comes from realizing this during our brief custodianship. When we stop clinging to what was never ours, we become free to enjoy the entire ocean, not just the few drops in our hands.
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