Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Basavanna Vachana 

 

ಲೋಕದ ಡೊಂಕ ನೀವೇಕೇ ತಿದ್ದುವಿರಿ?
ನಿಮ್ಮ ನಿಮ್ಮ ತನುವ ಸಂತೈಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ;
ನಿಮ್ಮ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಮನವ ಸಂತೈಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ;
ನೆರೆಮನೆಯ ದುಃಖಕ್ಕೆ ಅಳುವವನ ಮೆಚ್ಚ
ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮದೇವ

Song as Romanized text

 

lOkada DoMka nIvEkE tidduviri?
nimma nimma tanuva saMtaisikoLLi;
nimma nimma manava saMtaisikoLLi;
neremaneya duHkhakke aLuvavana mecca
kUDalasaMgamadEva

Meaning of the Prayer Song:

Why would you correct the croockedness of the world?
Make fine your own body (action);
Make fine your own mind;
Lord of Kudalasangama would not appreciate
the one who cries for the pity state next door.

 Notes: 

1. Donku - crookedness; santaisu - assuage.

2. Most of the time our time and energy goes away
in lamenting how bad others in the world are.
We have very little control over others.
On contrary the one on whom we have better 
control of is ourselves. 
If we focus the energy in making ourselves better,
the world will be better atleast by one person.
After all, the life on earth is given to us to mature
ourselves, not to be spent in worry of others.

However, it is not the intent of Basavanna that
we do not help others come out of their mistakes.
If he did not want to help the erring humans, he
would not have shared his wisdom through vachanas.
All he is recommending is instead of complaining,
constructively let us change ourselves.