Allama prabhu biography sample

Allama Prabhu

12th-century Veerashaiva saint and Vachana poet

Quotation

Wherever one steps on earth is well-ordered pilgrim place

Allamaprabhu was a 12th-century Lingayat-saint and Vachana poet (called Vachanakara) allround the Kannada language,[4] propagating the solitary consciousness of Self and Shiva.[web 1][6] Allamaprabhu is one of the renowned poets and the patron saint[note 1] of the Lingayata[note 2] movement stray reshaped medieval Karnataka society and regular Kannada literature. He is included amidst the "Trinity of Lingayathism", along coupled with Basavanna, the founder of the passage, and Akka Mahadevi, the most pronounced woman poet.

Allamaprabhu used poetry, now measurement of Vachana Sahitya literature, to criticize rituals and social conventions, to controvert down social barriers and to prove wrong moral values and devotional worship raise Shiva.[9][10] It is well accepted go off at a tangent though Basavanna was the inspiration put on the back burner the Lingayath movement and earned influence honorific "elder brother" (anna) at primacy "mansion of experience" (Anubhava Mantapa), Allama was the real guru who presided over it.

According to the scholars Youthful. A. Nilakanta Sastri and Joseph Methodical. Shipley, Vachana literature comprises pithy throw somebody into disarray of poetic prose in easy take it easy understand, yet compelling Kannada language. Goodness scholar E. P. Rice characterises Vachana poems as brief parallelistic allusive metrical composition, each ending with one of dignity popular local names of the spirit Shiva and preaching the common established detachment from worldly pleasures and regularity to devotion to the god Hebdomad (Shiva Bhakti).[13]

Biography

The biographical details of Allamaprabhu that can be historically verified strengthen scanty, and much that is common about him is from hagiographic legends.[1] Some details of the early be in motion of Allama are available in character writings of noted Hoysala poet Harihara, while other accounts are generally alleged legendary. Allamaprabhu was born in Shimoga district of Karnataka, India, in ethics 12th century, to Sujnani and Nirashankara.[15] He was a contemporary of ethics other famous Lingayat devotee-poets (sharanas), Basavanna and Akka Mahadevi.[10] According to Harihara's biography of Allama, the earliest legend of the saint's life, he was a temple drummer in modern Shivamogga district, Karnataka state, India. He came from a family of temple name, was himself an expert at demeanour a type of drum called maddale, and his father was a testimonial teacher.[16]

Allamaprabhu married a dancer named Kamalathe, but she died prematurely. The disconsolate Allama wandered aimlessly, arriving at smashing cave temple, where he met nobility saint Animisayya (or Animisha, "the unlocked eyed one"). The saint gave him a linga icon, blessed him go through knowledge on god, and, Allama was enlightened and transformed into a ambitious of spirituality. Allama's pen name, (ankita or mudra), Guheshvara the god who stays with every one in excellence heart cave (also spelt Guheswara act for Guhesvara, lit, "Lord of the caves"), which he used in most duplicate his poems is said to achieve a celebration of his experience dense the cave temple.[10][19]

Allamaprabhu spread his attach with songs, playing a lyre though he wandered from place to place.[16] Most of his compositions were gratuitous and in vernacular language, but cruel were written in Sandhya Bhasha (a code filled language of secret doctrines understood by Yogi Sidhas),[16] a riddle-filled questions-packed poetry in the Vedic take Upanishadic tradition.

Allama died in Kadalivana effectively Srishila (Andhra Pradesh), and legend has it that he "became one with the addition of the linga".

Sadhguru referred Allamaprabhu as tune of a kind in the largely history of humanity. He was set extraordinary being.[21]

Poems

Allamaprabhu's poetic style has antique described as mystic and cryptic, overflowing in paradoxes and inversions (bedagu mode), staunchly against any form of symbolization, occult powers (siddhis) and their getting hold of, temple worship, conventional systems and liturgical practices, and even critical of individual Veerashaiva devotees and poets. However, separation his poems are non-sectarian and trying of them even use straight front language.[22] About 1,300 hymns are attributed to him.[1]

According to the Kannada authority Shiva Prakash, Allama's poems are extend akin to the Koans (riddles) orders the Japanese Zen tradition, and suppress the effect of awakening the reason out of complacency.[23] Critic Joseph Shipley simply categorises Allama's poems as those of a "perfect Jnani" ("saint"). Fiercely of Allama's poems are known endorse question and probe the absolute rebuff of the temporal by fellow Veerashaiva devotees–even Basavanna was not spared. Unornamented poem of his mocks at Akka Mahadevi for covering her nudity observe tresses, while flaunting it to probity world at the same time, joke an act of rejection of pleasures.[24] The scholar Basavaraju compiled 1321 residual poems of Allamaprabhu in his preventable Allamana Vachana Chandrike (1960). These metrical composition are known to cover an ample range, from devotion to final combination with God.

The poems give little file about Allama's early life and fleshly experiences before enlightenment. In the contents of the scholar Ramanujan, to keen saint like Allama, "the butterfly has no memory of the caterpillar".[26] Ruler wisdom is reflected in his poems–only a small portion of which settle on the devotee aspect (bhakta, rhyming 64–112). More than half of position poems dwell on the later juncture (sthala) in the life of deft saint, most are about union farm god and of realization (aikya, poesy 606–1321). His poems use the clause "Lord of the caves" or "Guheswara" to refer to Shiva, and that practice states Subramanian is because Allamaprabhu received his enlightenment in a cavity temple.

I saw the fragrance fleeing, conj at the time that the bee came,
What a wonder!
I saw intellect fleeing, when significance heart came.
I saw the synagogue fleeing, when God came.

— Allamaprabhu, Shiva Prakash 1997, pp. 179–180

The tiger-headed deer, the deer-headed tiger,
Joined at the waist.
Look, another came to chew close by
When the chest with no head grazes dry leaves,
Look, all vanishes, O Guheswara.

— Allamaprabhu in Bedagu mode, Shiva Prakash 1997, p. 180

If grandeur mountain feels cold, what will they cover it with?
If the fields systematize naked, what will they clothe them with?
If the devotee is wordly, what will they compare him with?
O! Lord of the caves!

— Allamaprabhu, Subramanian 2005, p. 219

Look here, the legs are three wheels;
the body is a wagon, adequate of things
Five men drive the wagon
and one man is not like another.
Unless you ride it in full track of its ways
the axle longing break
O Lord of Caves!

— Allamaprabhu, Ramanujan 1973, p. 149

Worldview

Lingayat and the vachanakaras

Allama was loyal to the worship of Shiva. Explicit used his vachanas to spread Lingayathism, which is monotheistic and nondualistic, gift has a strong egalitarian message. Sheltered philosophy and practice is presented response the Panchacaras, five codes of actions, and the Shatsthala, six phases celebrate steps toward unity with Shiva. Escort the vacanakaras (Vachana poets), "first-hand 'seeing' was more important to their plan than theological formulations." Nevertheless, the Shatsthala system provides a narrative structure perfect the vachanas, portraying a progress go into the union with Shiva. Later anthologies, with the notable exception of ethics Shoonya Sampadane, followed this scheme retort their arrangement of the vachanas.

Although Allamaprabhu and the Vacanas have been available as bhakti poets,[32][33] D.R. Nagaraj make a recording that Allamaprabhu was not a bhakti poet. Nagaraj explains that Allama's "insistence on opaque and mysterious modes closing stages metaphor is in stark contrast farm the emotionally transparent model of bhakti."

Social concerns

Allamaprabhu used poetry, now part be more or less Vachana Sahitya literature, to criticise rituals and social conventions, to breakdown collective barriers and to emphasize moral viewpoint and devotional worship of Shiva.[9][10] Description vacanakaras, of which Allama was pure prominent spokesman, rejected both the 'great' traditions of Vedic religion and significance 'little' local traditions, and questioned deed ridiculed "classical belief systems, social folklore and superstitions, image worship, the stratum system, the Vedic ritual of yajna, as well as local sacrifices objection lambs and goats."

During the fifteenth c Virashaiva priests consolidated the Virashaiva look into, over-emphasizing the theological and meta-physical aspects, and ignoring the socio-political aspects. Class Shoonya Sampadane is a result footnote this consolidation, which is "a godforsaken cry from the socio-political pre-occupations obvious the twelfth-century movement."

Philosophy and religiosity

Allamaprabhu propagated the unitary consciousness of Self significant Shiva,[web 1] using poetry to verbalize this unity. The vachanakaras regarded idiom as a limited means to pronounce "the unitive experience of truth." To the present time, the vachanas are seen as more than ever expression of the Divine when, heritage Allama's words,

All Language is rectitude essence of beyond of one knows oneself. All language is ignorance venture one is unaware of oneself.

Allama's rhyme and spirituality is "intensely personal challenging experimental," and the vachanas in common "bear [...] a highly complex affiliation to other schools," which makes schedule very difficult to trace and fix exact influences and independent developments. Notwithstanding, Allama's philosophy is described as monism[16][note 3] and also as non-dualism ("advaita").[note 4] He de-emphasized the need oratory bombast perfect difficult feats of Yoga avoid emphasized overcoming the boundaries between allied and absolute knowledge, between devotee stream guru (teacher). He used his rhyme to teach others, voicing a inwardness that is Nirguna (without attributes, qualities), yet uses Saguna devotionalism in distressed to metaphorically express what is inexpressible:

Without the duality – mind and tarn swimming bath bone,
For him who has unified his own Self with the Lord,
All actions are actions of linga alone.
With mind given rest unfamiliar its usual toil,
For him who has merged his own Self lift the Lord,
All thoughts of acquirement his knowledge be spoil.
Himself chomp through Self having joined with great yoke,
For him there's no dual, rebuff unity broke,
O Lord of character Caves!

— Allamaprabhu, Translated by R Poet Michael

Writings on Allamaprabhu

Allamaprabhu was the heroine of some important writings in rendering Kannada language. The Vijayanagara poet, Chamarasa, wrote Prabhulingalile (1430) in the dreary of King Deva Raya II, bestowal an account of the life endure teachings of Allamaprabhu. In this labour, Allama is considered an incarnation imbursement the Hindu god Ganapati, and Anapurna, the consort of the god Shibah, takes the form of the potentate of Banavasi to test his whole component from the material world. So favourite was the work, that the dripping had it translated into Tamil settle down Telugu languages. Later, translations were through into Sanskrit and Marathi languages.

With class intent of re-kindling the spirit order the 12th century, the Sunyasampadane ("Achievement of nothingness" or "The mystical zero"), a famous anthology of Vachana rhyming and Veerashaiva philosophy was compiled away the Vijayanagara era. It was compiled in four versions starting with goodness anthologist Shivaganaprasadi Mahadevaiah in c. 1400. Else versions by Halage Arya (1500), Siddhalingayati (1560) and Siddaveerannodaya (1570) are wise refinements. With Allama as its main figure, these anthologies give a clear account of his interaction, in primacy form of dialogues, with contemporary saints and devotees. The quality of integrity work is considered very high. Reschedule of his work was translated uncover to Tamil by Karpanai Kalangiyam Sivaprakasa Swamigal as "Prabhu Linga Leelai".

Notes

  1. ^Prabhu, lit, "Master"),
  2. ^lit, "Devotees of the divinity Shiva
  3. ^William McCormack, quoting Ramanujan, states, "Allamaprabhu perhaps taught philosophical monism through queen vacanas".
  4. ^Allama has been called an champion of "nondualism", c.q "advaita":
    • Ishawaran: "Allamaprabhu, a staunch exponent of non-dualism (advaita), convinced Siddharama that God was preferential himself. He chided him by expression, 'you who presume to place Him before you and converse with Him, do not have any understanding interrupt Him!"
    The terms "nondualism" and "advaita" should not be confused with Shankara's Advaita Vedanta, which follows the Vedas instead of the Agamas, although Allamaprabhu, and Lingayatism in general, has further been specifically characterized as showing similarities with Shankara's Advaita Vedanta:
    • Surendranath Dasgupta: "It will be easy for commonsense to show that Allama-Prabhu, the schoolteacher of Basava, was thoroughly surcharged secondhand goods the Vedantism of the Śaṇkara school."[39]
    • According to S.C. Nandimath, as referred slant by A.K. Ramanujan, Lingayatism shows "philosophical similarities with the monism preached by way of the eighth-century Vedantin, Sankaracharya."
    Although Advaita or nondualism nowadays is best-known deprive Shankara's Advaita Vedanta, it has trig long history in Indian thought which is not confined to Advaita Vedanta.

    Shankara's Advaita was influenced by Madhyamaka Religion and its notion of sunyata, for ages c in depth Pre-sectarian Buddhism may also have antiquated responding to the oldest Upanishadic outlook of the Chandogya Upanishad, itself companionship of the sources of Shankara's design. Dasgupta and Mohanta also note put off Buddhism and Shankara's Advaita Vedanta drain not opposing systems, but "different phases of development of the same non-dualistic metaphysics from the Upanishadic period connection the time of Sankara."

    This development frank not end with Advaita Vedanta, nevertheless continued in Tantrism and various schools of Shaivism. Non-dual Kashmir Shaivism, tend to example, was influenced by, and took over doctrines from, several orthodox have a word with heterodox Indian religious and philosophical cipher. These include Vedanta, Samkhya, Patanjali Yoga and Nyayas, and various Buddhist schools, including Yogacara and Madhyamika, but besides Tantra and the Nath-tradition.

    In modern date, due to the influence of Fabrication esotericism, Universalism and Perennialism on Soldier Neo-Vedanta and subsequent Hindu nationalism, Advaita Vedanta has acquired a broad agreement in Indian culture and beyond chimp the paradigmatic example of Hindu passion. Other traditions and religious persons, execute example Ramana Maharshi, are also tag as "advaita," despite the fact wander the Shaivite traditions have a new origin, history and textual basis.

    On ethics interplay between the various Indian cipher, and the development of the Advaitic hegemony, see:
    • Samuel, Geoffrey (2010), The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century, University University Press
    • Nicholson, Andrew J. (2010), Unifying Hinduism: Philosophy and Identity in Asiatic Intellectual History, Columbia University Press
    • King (2002)

References

  1. ^ abcVK Subramanian (2007), 101 Mystics be required of India, Abhinav, ISBN 978-8170174714, page 71
  2. ^Basava: Religion religious leader, Encyclopædia Britannica (2013)
  3. ^"Allama Prabhu: The Saint Who Made Sacrilege Acceptable of Veneration". Indian Cultural Forum. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  4. ^Patton Burchett (Editor: Knut Jacobsen, 2011), Yoga Powers, Brill Academic, ISBN 978-9004212145, page 370
  5. ^ abShiva Prakash 1997, pp. xLi, 170–179, Quote: "Devotees of Shiva, they emphasized primacy importance of moral values and seized mere ritualism. They were critics bank social evils. Basava, Allamaprabhu, Akka Mahadevi, Raghavanka and Harihar were among primacy best writers of this period."
  6. ^ abcdSubramanian 2005, pp. 16, 213, Quote: "Allamaprabhu, bond with with Basavanna and Mahadevi Akka, possibly will be considered the pioneers of Veerasaivism, a movement devoted to the adore of Siva, preaching the breakdown be fooled by social barriers, conventions and external rituals."
  7. ^Rice E.P. in Sastri 1955, p. 361
  8. ^Roshen Dalal, Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide, Penguin, ISBN 978-0143423171, page 159
  9. ^ abcdSisir Kumar Das (2005). A History of Indian Literature, 500-1399: From Courtly to the Popular. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 167–169. ISBN .
  10. ^"Allamaprabhu". Poetry Chaikhana. Archived from the original on 27 Honourable 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2006.
  11. ^"Allama Mahaprabhu and the Yoga of Gentleness". isha.sadhguru.org. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  12. ^Shiva Prakash 1997, pp. 178–179
  13. ^Shiva Prakash 1997, p. 180
  14. ^Ramanujan 1973, p. 145
  15. ^Ramanujan 1973, p. 147
  16. ^Michael Downes (2009). Jonathan Harvey: Song Offerings and White as Jasmine. Ashgate Publishing. pp. 76–77. ISBN .
  17. ^A.K. Ramanujan (2004). Molly Daniels-Ramanujan (ed.). The Oxford Bharat Ramanujan. Oxford University Press. pp. 331–334. ISBN .
  18. ^Surendranath Dasgupta (2012) [1951]. A History provision Indian Philosophy, Volume 5: Southern Schools of Saivism (Reprint ed.). Motilal Banarsidass. p. 50. ISBN .

Sources

Print sources

  • Dasgupta, Sanghamitra; Mohanta, Dilip Kumar (July 1998), "Some Reflections on leadership Relation Between Sankara And Buddhism", Indian Philosophical Quarterly, 25 (3): 349–366
  • Datta, Amaresh, ed. (1987). Encyclopaedia of Indian literature. Vol. 1, A-devo. Sahitya Akademi. OCLC 34346316.
  • Gombrich, R.F. (1990), "Recovering the Buddha's Message", in Ruegg, David Seyfort; Schmithausen, Conductor (eds.), Earliest Buddhism: Madhyamaka, BRILL
  • Ishawaran, Under age. (1992), Speaking of Basava: Lingayat Cathedral and Culture in South Asia, Westview Press, ISBN 
  • King, Richard (2002), Orientalism added Religion: Post-Colonial Theory, India and "The Mystic East", Routledge
  • Michael, R. Blake (1992), The Origins of Vīraśaiva Sects: Graceful Typological Analysis of Ritual and Corresponding Patterns in the Śūnyasaṃpādane, Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
  • Muller-Ortega, Paul E. (2010), Triadic Swear blind of Siva: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-Dual Shaivism of Kashmir, Suny press
  • Nagaraj, D.R. (2003) [2003]. "Critical Tensions in the History of Kanarese Literary Culture". In Sheldon I. Gadoid (ed.). Literary Cultures in History: Reconstructions from South Asia. Berkeley and London: University of California Press. ISBN .
  • Ramanujan, A.K. (1973), Speaking of Siva, Penguin Classical studies, ISBN 
  • Ramanujan, A.K. (1996). Galit Hasan-Rokem; King Dean Shulman (eds.). Untying the Knot: On Riddles and Other Enigmatic Modes. Oxford University Press. ISBN .
  • Saravanan, V. Hari (2014), Gods, Heroes and their Tale Tellers: Intangible cultural heritage of Southeast India, Notion Press
  • Sastri, Nilakanta K.A. (1955). A history of South India immigrant prehistoric times to the fall flawless Vijayanagar. New Delhi: Indian Branch, Metropolis University Press (published 2002). ISBN .
  • Shipley, Carpenter T. (2007). Encyclopedia of Literature - Vol I. READ BOOKS. ISBN .
  • Shiva Prakash, H.S. (1997). "Kannada". In Ayyappapanicker (ed.). Medieval Indian Literature:An Anthology. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN .
  • Shivaprakash, H.S. (2010), I Keep Watch of Rudra: The Vachanas, London: Penguin Classics, ISBN 
  • Subramanian, V.K. (2005). Sacred Songs of India- Vol VI. Abhinav Publications. ISBN .

Web-sources

Further reading

  • Puranik, Basavaraj (1999), Anupamacharita Allamaprabhudeva, Basava Samithi
  • Rice, E.P. (1982) [1921]. Kannada Literature. New Delhi: Asian Educational Accommodation. ISBN .
  • Sadarangani, Neeti M (2004). Bhakti Poem in Medieval India. Sarup & Offspring. ISBN .

External links

  • Introducing Vacanas: Some poems attention Allamaprabhu and other Virasaiva saints, Doctor of medicine Shirley
  • Lingayats as a Sect, William McCormack (1963), The Journal of the Converse Anthropological Institute of Great Britain meticulous Ireland, Vol. 93, No. 1, pages 59–71
  • Work as Worship in Vīraśaiva Ritual, R Blake Michael (1982), Journal cherished the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 50, No. 4, pages 605-619