Sambodhi 1993 Vol 18

Author(s): J B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 63

56
SAMBODHI Samvāda, Akhegitā, Anubhavabindu, Cittra-vicāra-sanvāda, Kaivalyagitā, Satpadī, known as chappās (i.e. satpadis six lined stanzas) etc., and also in Hindi, Brahmalīlā, Santapriya etc.? Most of his works are treaties on Vedānta philosophy. However, his seven hundered and forty-six chappas are best known for his meriless exposure of the worldly-wise, the sādhus, the ascetics and the scholars in their true colours. Akho, thus, through these chappās the epigrammatic stanzas, has expressed the dominant note of his age in biting verses. This particular part of his work has permeated the masses, and many of these chappās, even today have become common literery heritage and passed into ordinary house hold language of the people of Gujarat.
Some of his chappās deal with the fake gurus. In one of such chappa Akho criticizes his first Vaisnava guru, Gokulanātha. He says, “I made Gokulanātha my guru; it was like puttiing reins on an old bullock (Who eats your food but does not respond to the goad). He would take away your wealth but not the uneasiness of your mind. What goad can such a guru do ?" In another chappā he remarks, "with great zest he has proclaimed himself a guru. But how can a man with a stone round his neek float ? He does not know Hari at all, he is merely posing as aa taacher"0. Akho does not believe in the spiritul benefit of pilgrimage. But at the same time he extols the virtues of genuine saint, "at whose feet are million places of pilgrimage."11
Akho hates external forms of religion and comments: "He has spent fifty three years of his life in making religious marks on his body; his rosaries have been worn out, his feet are tired with wandering from one sacred place to another. Yet he has not reached God."12 Akho while developing some of his themes uses very homely illustrations. Thus, most of his illustrations are from the daily life of a common man who would instantly grasp the meaning of his poem. For example, he compares a person who pays no heed to what is taught to him or what he has heard, with a leaky leather bag going down a deep well." He has no sympathy for those who go to temple and mechanically listen to sacred reading. Such persons would become deaf but would not get real knowledge.14 He also ridiculed those whose"gods are as numerousas the stones they worship."
Akho has no special respect for Sanskrit, the language of the learned. He exhorted people to use Prakrit or regional language.16 He thus used Gujarati or Hindi to express his thoughts. His objective was to teach the masses and make them aware of the follies practised all around. That is why he said," why do you stick to (this or that) language, 0, idiot ? He who succeeds on the battle field (irrespective of the weapons that he uses) is a hero."17 He excels in sarcasm when he criticizes so called scholars. He says, "A shallow man of learning is like a quarrelsome woman whose vanily is pampered by giving birth to a son; he is like a vicious bull who has fattened himself by grazing in the rains; a mad dog attacked with rabies. No doubt, every one is afraid of such a person, says Akho because he is like a monkey drinking wine."'18 He has a dig at the poets also who are away from the substance of life and only indulge in verbiage. He remarks, "poets only make an empty noise to make themselves heard, like the thunder of the sky, when