Summary
In this vachana, Basavanna guards the first arising of desire.
He says that the body seeks nothing and the mind seeks nothing. The Sharanas of Kudalasangama Deva do not ask for the passing wealth of the world. The teaching begins with this absence of wanting.
But Basavanna does not assume that desire can never arise. He turns to the subtle moment when the mind says, “I want, I want.” That moment is the danger. Wanting begins as a small inward movement, but it can turn the seeker away from the Lord.
The prayer is therefore not for the fulfilment of desire, but for correction when desire arises. Basavanna asks that no want should arise in body or mind that separates him from Kudalasangama Deva.
The final movement gives full responsibility. If body and mind turn away through wanting, the fall does not come from Kudalasangama Deva. The seeker’s own desire becomes the cause of ruin.
The teaching is direct: the Sharana does not seek worldly wealth, does not let body or mind be ruled by wanting, and does not look for heaven outside Kudalasangama Deva.
Imagery & Symbolic Relevance
The body is the first field of wanting. Basavanna begins by saying that the body seeks nothing. This does not mean hatred of the body. It means the body must not become the ground of demand.
The mind is the second field. The mind also seeks nothing. This is important because desire often begins inwardly before it appears as action.
The Sharanas are the living measure of desirelessness. They do not ask for the world’s passing wealth. Their fullness is shown by what they do not seek.
Passing wealth is the first object of desire named by implication. It represents what can be gained, lost, possessed, displayed, or pursued. Basavanna refuses to let such wealth become the aim of the Sharana.
The phrase “I want, I want” is the central image. Desire is shown at its first movement, before it becomes possession or action. Basavanna asks to be awakened at that point.
Body and mind together form the instruments through which wanting can move. If either turns away from Kudalasangama Deva, the inward fall begins.
The fire of fall is the severe consequence of desire. Basavanna does not blame the Lord for this. Desire itself becomes the fire that burns the one who follows it.
The final image is heaven outside Kudalasangama Deva. Basavanna rejects such seeking. There is no higher gain to be found elsewhere.
The movement of the vachana is therefore from body and mind seeking nothing, to the Sharanas’ freedom from worldly wealth, to the first arising of “I want,” to responsibility for one’s own fall, and finally to the refusal to seek anything outside Kudalasangama Deva.
Lingayoga
In Lingayoga, this vachana teaches vigilance at the beginning of desire.
The seeker should not wait until desire becomes possession, speech, or action. The test begins when the first inward wanting appears. At that moment, the seeker must see whether body and mind are still turned toward Kudalasangama Deva.
For Sharana Sthala, the practice-point is clear: do not ask for passing wealth, do not follow the whisper of “I want,” and do not search for heaven outside the Lord. Let desire be corrected at its arising.
Editorial Commentary
The repeated “I want” should remain central. The vachana is not only about outer possession; it is about the first inward movement that creates separation. Basavanna’s final responsibility is also important. He does not say that Kudalasangama Deva causes the fall. The seeker’s own wanting becomes the fire of downfall.
Related Vachana
Supporting Vachana
Pranalingi Sthala Vachana 797 — The Inseparable Abidance in the Linga
Pranalingi Vachana 797 supports this teaching by asking how one who has received Prana-Linga can walk, speak, enjoy the senses, or perform even the smallest act apart from the Linga. This supports Vachana 708 directly. Vachana 708 guards the body and mind from desire that turns them away from Kudalasangama Deva; Vachana 797 gives the supporting discipline: after Prana-Linga has been received, no movement of body, speech, sense, or daily life should become Linga-virahita, separated from the Linga.
Advancing Vachana
Aikya Sthala Vachana 976 — The Natural Abidance of Mahadevi Akka
Aikya Vachana 976 advances this teaching by showing a fulfilled state in which ignorance dissolves, pride withdraws, and the six inner enemies, including desire, are burnt without residue. The senses loosen their grip and the wandering mind becomes still. This is the natural advancement from Vachana 708. Vachana 708 guards the first arising of “I want”; Aikya Vachana 976 shows the completed state where desire itself has no remaining hold, and abidance in Kudalasangama Deva becomes natural and unstained.
