Essence of God – Basava Philosophy

Essence of God – Basava Philosophy

Oh, my God!

Oh, save me God!

Oh, bless me God!

     Such expressions are heard almost throughout the world. What is the meaning of God? Why do people use this word again and often? Why do they believe in God? Does the God really exist? Has any body seen God? Is God male or female? What is the size of God? Several such questions arise. Nobody is able to give a convincing reply. Some god-men pretend themselves to be God. It is only hypocrisy. It is just to achieve their personal benefits by deceiving innocent followers.

     A mother gives birth to a child. She brings-up the child by feeding, clothing, educating etc. The child and the society in general, respect the mother as God (Matru devo bhava.). A mother can not conceive a child without the company of a male i.e. father. Father is regarded as God (Pitru devo bhava). A life can not survive without air, food and water. Air, food  and water are also regarded as God ( vayu deva,, anna deva Jala devate) A mother threatens her child telling concocted stories of devils and demons to prevent the child from doing evil deed. In the course of time, devils and demons are also regarded as God.

     People offer oblations and beseech blessings of various Gods. There are diverse Gods in diverse places. Gods have niched in plants and animals. tanks and wells, towns and hamlets. Dumb deities dwell under the span of banyan trees and trunks of neem trees. Can we regard them as God? These are only seamy shapes created by some vested interests. The real Bestower of all is different.

     As per Newton’s Law of Motion, nothing can move without application of a force. Who applies force continuously on our earth to spin around its imaginary axis and to follow a definite path to rotate around the sun? Everybody knows that spinning of the earth causes days and nights and its rotation causes seasons for the people living on its surface. Who has granted gravitational force to our earth which holds tight all things on its surface like the mother holds her kid in her lap? Who has created air cover to the earth?  Imagine, earth loses its power to spin and to rotate, or the gravitational force of the earth is lost, or the air envelope of the earth depletes. The consequences are beyond our imagination.

     Burning fuel generates heat and light. Earth derives heat and light from the sun. Scientists advance theories that sun is a compact mass of burning gasses. As per the Law of Conservation of Mass, new mass can not be generated. The existing mass may undergo changes from one form to another. Accordingly, sun can not generate burning gases. Only existing stock of gases is burning which generates heat and light.. Imagine, this existing stock exhausts and supply of heat and light is cut off, what would be the fate of life on the earth?

     Secondly, who controls the rate of burning on the sun? Imagine, suddenly the rate of burning increases or decreases, what are its effects due to vast temperature variation? Drop in the temperature may affect the water cycle; the evaporation of sea water may fail, resulting in non generation of clouds and failure of rain. Or, abnormal increase in global temperature may result melting of ice on top of mountains like Himalayas, sea level may increase and land may be submerged under water.

     All the above events are unlikely to happen. There is a supernatural power which does not allow such situations to happen. This supernatural power is God. Sun has nine planets and some planets have sub-planets (moons). This entire net is called Solar system. There are several such solar systems in the universe. The supernatural power i.e. God controls all activities of the universe. God is therefore stupendous. We may note the following Basava Vachana:

                 

                ‘Stupendous as the universe, dimensions disdaining,

                Vast as vastness art Thou,

                 Firm Thy holy feet fixed in fathomless depths beneath,

                 Beyond soaring skies Thy sacred crown,

                 Inaccessible, invisible, unimaginable.

                 ……………………………………………………….

                 ……………………………………………………….’

God is impersonal but an universal supernatural power, very vast without any size or shape and can not be distinguished as male or female. This God is the Bestower of all.   Basava said God is every where;

      ‘I behold none but Thee wherever I lift my eyes,

       Thou art the form of unbounded universe,

       Thou its eye, Thou it visage ……………….

        ……………………………………………….’

One of Basava Vachamas reads;

    

        ‘As fulgent fire concealed in water,

         As sweet savor suffusing the plant,

         As fragrance freed from an unfolding bud,

         As loves promise in the burgeoning maid,

         Thy essence my lord, Kudala Sangama Deva’

Water is the chemical combination of oxygen and hydrogen. We know how hydrogen is highly inflammable. Who hid such a fulgent fire in our drinking water? It is a mystery of God.

A mango sapling grows and forms a tree. It bears fruits which when ripen, suffuse sweet savor. Who hid the quality of producing fruits suffusing sweet savor in that sapling? It is none else but God.

A jasmine plant in our backyard bears buds. Next day morning, we see these buds have unfolded emitting fragrance. Who had filled fragrance in the buds? Answer is simple; it is an act of God.

 Girl child born in our house grows to an adult. During the course of her growth, she experiences a gradual development of a feeling of love in her physique. This feeling of love results in the continuation of human race.

Basava quoted above few instances to convince us the essence of God.

      Basava was born in a family who believed in God by name ‘Shiva’ Some Hindus address God by name ‘Vishnu’. Muslims call God ‘Allah’. Christians’ God is ‘Jesus’ and so on. Names of God are many. Basava passionately held a conviction of One GOD. He taught his followers;

               ‘Names many, Thou art but ‘ONE.

’

Basava taught, ‘Let us be faithful to God, as a chaste wife is faithful to her husband.’

     Contrary to the conviction of Basava, fanatism is playing havoc in the world. Every religion advocates that their God is superior to all others’ and that their religion should occupy whole world. They are even working for conversion of people of other religion to theirs. They forget or they are unaware of Basava’s philosophy. ‘Names many, God is but ONE’ conviction should be the slogan throughout world. This will bring an end to the killings by the fanatic people.

      Under ‘One GOD’ principle, the entire world-population belongs to one family, as the whole mankind is God’s creature. Further, Basava questioned, which religion does not believe in kindness. ‘Kindness is the base of all religions’ is another precious teaching of Basava, ‘One, who wishes well-being of all human-being belongs to a sacred religion.’

     Basava guided his followers to follow a noble path. Some of his preachings are highlighted here;

……………………………………………………………………………….

 Basava Philosophy

………………………………………………………..

Work is worship.

...........................................................................................................

Kindness is the base of all religions.

,……………………………………………………………………..

Names many, Thou art but ONE.

………………………………………………………………………

Talking truth leads to heaven,

Talking lies leads to hell.

………………………………………………………………………

Caste enfolds those

who hold all human-beings in wellbeing.

……………………………………………………………………….        Wealth or Woman or Property is not Maya,

But the greed of your mind for them is Maya.

……………………………………………………………………….                Consort your utterances with your acts

and your tongue with your soul.

……………………………………………………………………….             Befriend with the righteous,

Friendship with the wicked is deadly poisonous.

……………………………………………………………………….         Keep off those who are mad of their richness.

………………………………………………………………………

             Humbleness pleases God.

………………………………………………………………………

Counter not anger with anger, for what merit?

The fire in your house brings ruin on your own first, before it enflames your neighbors.

………………………………………………………………………

When woes betide, the world forsakes you,

But Thou ever the friend of the friendless.

………………………………………………………………………

O, Lord Kudala Sangama!

………………………………………..........................

                                              *************

                    S.S.Salimath, B.E., D.F.E.(Germany)

                    Bangalore

                    Mobile: 9448388678