Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Basavanna Vachana 

 

ನೀರ ಕಂಡಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಳುಗುವರಯ್ಯಾ
ಮರನ ಕಂಡಲ್ಲಿ ಸುತ್ತುವರಯ್ಯಾ
ಬತ್ತುವ ಜಲವ, ಒಣಗುವ ಮರನ
ಮಚ್ಚಿದವರು ನಿಮ್ಮನೆತ್ತಬಲ್ಲರು
ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮದೇವಾ

Song as Romanized text

 

nIra kaMDalli muLuguvarayyA
marana kaMDalli suttuvarayyA
battuva jalava, oNaguva marana
machchidavaru nimmanettaballaru
kUDalasaMgamadEvA

Meaning of the Prayer Song:

 Seeing the water they take dip.
Seeing the tree they circumambulate.
Water is dried out, tree is withered out.
Those who appreciate can reach You,
Kudalasangamadeva!

 Notes: 

1.battu - dry out;

2. Our religion is well integrated with nature and environment.
We adore the rivers and water resources as holy and make
Thirthayatra to them. We circumambulate the trees
- ashvatha pradakshina etc. This is all good.

However, the key is to see the underlying spiritual connection
to Lord Shiva. If that is missed out, it would appear as
a meaningless ritual. Are you worshipping a water source
that will dry out some time? Do you pray to a tree that will go
barren some time? 

In fact this argument can be extended to other rituals too.
Some who consider themselves as smart, also ask the
same question on the image worship that we do. 
They all see only the gross image. Those who can relate to 
God through the image worshipped get the benefits.

Those who see the spiritual connection to God through 
these rituals are the ones who can reach the Lord Shiva.

c.f. கோடி தீர்த்தம் கலந்து குளித்து அவை 
ஆடினாலும் அரனுக்கு அன்பில்லையேல்
ஓடும் நீரினை ஓட்டைக் குடத்து அட்டி
மூடி வைத்திட்ட மூர்க்கனோடு ஒக்குமே - அப்பர்