Indian Antiquary Vol 51

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 15

JAXO ABT, 1923)
VACHANAS ATTRIBUTED TO BASAVA
2. Why should you be angry with those who are angry with you? What do they gain, or what do you lose? Anger in the body causes you loss of dignity. Anger in the mind causes you loss of knowledge. Will fire in a house burn the neighbouring house without first burning its own house, O Kudalasangama Deva ?
3. Some of us were stabbed and yet became devotees; others were reviled, and yet became • devotees. But I got angry with the servants of Kudalasangama Deva and lost half my faith.
4. If I see people talking sixteen to the dozen, glaring with their eyes, tearing their hair and clenching their fists, I am afraid of them and run away. Let me be called coward for running away from them! I will not touch the boundary of the fields of those that have no knowledge of the servants of Kudalasangama Deva.
H. Be Chaste. 1. I am not afraid of the darting serpent; I am not afraid of tongues of flames; I am not afraid of the edge of the sword; but one thing I am afraid of; one thing I do fear : I am afraid of other men's wives. What fate did Råvana meet who had not that fear? I am afraid, O Kudalasangama Deva.
2. You pass her by, you look back at her, and you feel you ought to have her. That is adultery, and you will not escape a terrible hell. What they call other men's wives is in truth Thy harem ; it belongs to heaven, O Kudalasangama Deva.
3. If my mind becomes attached to what it sees, I swear; I swear in Thy name; I swear in the name of Thy Pramathas, that I regard every woman as a great goddess, O Kudalasangama Deva.
1. Be Charitable. 1. You hoard wealth, thinking that you will live and not die; but, when your life ends, and death comes upon you, you will not enjoy that wealth. Hence, do not dig and bury it. If it is lost in the earth, will the earth throw it out again? Do not mix it with dust, gaze at it with your eyes and then go away without enjoying it. If you say, 'Let it remain for my wife', your wife may have crooked designs of a different character. When your body drops away, will she fail to give it to somebody else? So do not, like a silly sheep, throw your wealth to others and so be deprived. You ought to spend it on the servants of Kudalasangama Deva.
2. When a crow sees one grain of corn, does he not call all his kindred? When a cock sees one morsel of food, does he not call all his family? If a man who is God's' devotee shows no partiality in his faith, he is worse than a crow or a cock, O Kudalasangama Deva.
3. It is said: “The gift of him who offers a gift that is not in accordance with the faith of Siva will be fruitless, and he will go to a terrible hell." Since such is the saying, alas! that man's wealth who spends money to win fame and name, not recognising the servants of Kudalasangama, goes all for nothing.
4. I say, “My body is Thine"; I say, "My mind is Thine"; I say, “My wealth is Thine"; yet deceit leaves me not. I do not realize that the things that I have and the wealth that I have are all Thine; and so I am ruined all for nothing, O Kudalasangama Deva.
J. Be Gentle. 1. He is a devotee that folds his hands before a devotee when he sees him. Yes, gentle words themselves are penances. That excellent modesty itself brings love of God Kudalasangama Deva wants not those who are not so.
2. When devotees affectionately call you near, saying, “Please come here, please come here," if you go sideways to them and fold your hands over your mouth; if you are humble and speak as a servant; if you are modest and attentive to them; then Kudalasaigama Deva will take you up to His Pramathas.
3. If you speak, your words should be like a string of pearls, your speech should have the lustre of jewels, should be like a bar of crystal. The Liiga within you, pleased, should be saying, “Yes, yes." Otherwise, how will Kudalasangama Deva be pleased with you