|
|
| |
Sri Basavanna was
born in the 12th century A.D, to a brahmin named Mandenga Madanmantri
in a village Ingleshwara, near Bagewadi, in present-day Bijapur
district of Karnataka, India.
|
 |
- |
As a young boy, Basavanna refused
to wear the brahminical thread of initiation, as it would require
him to worship the sun as prescribed in the vedas. Shortly, he
escaped from his conservative parents and accompanied by his
sister, fled to Kalyana(in present day Bidar district of Karnataka),
the capital of a conuntry ruled by the Jain king - Bijjala. The
minister of the king - Baladeva was Basavanna's own uncle who
gave his daughter in marraige to Basavanna. After Baladeva's
death Basavanna succeedded him in his office as a minister.
Basava's personality is multi-faceted. He is the treasure of
devotion, a great mystic, a rationalist, visionary, social reformer,
a well-wisher of the downtrodden classes and a great promoter
of the women's lot.
He upheld the dignity of labour, spiritualized work and evolved
new work ethics relative to philosophy & life, naming it
as 'Kayaka', which is invariably linked with the principle of
'Dasoha'. |
He evolved the Vachana Sahitya for preaching his ideas to
people in a language understood by every common man not well
versed in Sanskrit.
His bold steps to eradicate untouchability and preaching for
equality of women are unforgettable chapters in India's religious
and socio-political history, which conform with present day
democratic ethics.
Basavanna gave religion a new connotation by evolving the
scientific spirituality of our inner self.
He is truly a father of total revolution, a revolution of
mind and thought.
|
|
|
