Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Basavanna Vachana 

 

ಕಲ್ಲ ನಾಗರ ಕಂಡಡೆ ಹಾಲನೆರೆಯೆಂಬರು
ದಿಟದ ನಾಗರ ಕಂಡಡೆ ಕೊಲ್ಲೆಮ್ಬರಯ್ಯಾ.
ಉಂಬ ಜಂಗಮ ಬಂದಡೆ ನಡೆಯೆಂಬರು 
ಉಣ್ಣದ ಲಿಂಗಕ್ಕೇ ಬೋನವ ಹಿಡಿಯೆಂಬರಯ್ಯ.
ನಮ್ಮ ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗನ ಶರಣರ ಕಂಡು ಉದಾಸೀನವ ಮಾಡಿದಡೆ
ಕಲ್ಲ ತಾಗಿದ ಮಿಟ್ಟಿಯಂತಪ್ಪರಯ್ಯಾ.

Song as Romanized text

 

kalla nAgara kaMDaDe hAlanereyeMbaru
diTada nAgara kaMDaDe kollembarayyA.
uMba jaMgama baMdaDe naDeyeMbaru 
uNNada liMgakkE bOnava hiDiyeMbarayya.
namma kUDalasaMgana sharaNara kaMDu udAsInava mADidaDe
kalla tAgida miTTiyaMtapparayyA.

Meaning of the Prayer Song:

On seeing the snake idol, they say, "Fill the milk".
But, on seeing the real snake, they say, "Kill"!
When the devotee who can eat comes, they say, "go away"
But they would request, "Have this food" to the Linga that does not eat!
Those who disregard the devotees of our Kudalasanga,
would become like the clod that strikes the stone!

 Notes: 

1. Basavanna spells out the hypocrisy of the people in spirituality.

People go and offer milk to the stone snake to get blessing,
but when the real snake comes, the first reaction is to kill it!

People plead to the image of God to accept all the delicious
offerings. When a genuine needy devotee turns up at the 
doorstep, the person is promptly sent out as a nuisance.

These are against the spirit of the system our ancestors have
handed over to us. Instead of doing panchyagna more as a 
ritual, it has to be followed as a holistic living.