Basava - The pot is a God
Ivan M. Granger October 22nd, 2008
The pot is a God. The winnowing
by Basava
English version by A. K. Ramanujan
The pot is a God. The winnowing
fan is a God. The stone in the
street is a God. The comb is a
God. The bowstring is also a
God. The bushel is a God and the
spouted cup is a God.
Gods, gods, there are so many
there’s no place left
for a foot.
There is only
one God. He is our Lord
of the Meeting Rivers.
— from Speaking of Siva, by A K Ramanujan
/ Photo by Chor Ip /
I love this poem. I first found it in Georg Feuerstein’s mammoth book on the Yoga Tradition, and then later in A. K. Ramanujan’s Speaking of Siva. It’s one of those simple, yet powerful poems that rings in the back of my mind.
Gods, gods, there are so many
there’s no place left
for a foot.
Makes you want to take every step carefully.
Turns each walk into a prayer. The placing of each foot on the ground, the touching of every object becomes divine contact.
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Basava
India (1134 - 1196) Timeline |
Basava, sometimes referred to reverently as Basavanna or Basaveshwara, was a twelfth century devotee of Shiva and early organizer of the Virasaiva Lingayata sect in the Kannada-speaking regions of southern India.
The Virasaivas were a Shiva bhakti movement that rejected the elaborate ritualism and strict caste system of orthodox Hinduism which favored the wealthy, and instead emphasized direct mystical experience available to all through deep devotion to God. In this sense, the Virasaiva movement was a mystical protestant movement that also asserted social equality and justice for the poor. As Lingayatas they worship Shiva in the form of a linga, the stone symbol that represents God as creative generator of the universe or, more deeply, as a representation of the Formless taking form.
Basavanna was orphaned at a young age but adopted by a wealthy family with political connections. He received a good education but rejected a life of comfort and prestige to become a wandering ascetic dedicated to Shiva.
He received enlightenment at a sacred meeting of rivers. This is why all of Basavanna’s poems include a reference to Shiva as “the lord of the meeting rivers.” This also has a deeper, esoteric meaning relating to the subtle energies awakened in the yogi’s awareness.
However, he soon was given a divine command to return to worldly life. Basavanna initially resisted, but eventually yielded and returned to his adopted family. Before long he attained high political office while, simultaneously, forming the new populist mystical movement of Virasaivas into a coherent, egalitarian community. This community fostered many other great poet-saints, including Akka Mahadevi and Allama Prabhu.
This utopian community began to be seen as a threat to the orthodox religious and political forces, however, and they used the marriage between an outcaste man and a brahmin woman within the community as an excuse to kill several of its members. Basavanna urged a non-violent response, but the reflex for revenge was too strong among some of the community’s members. In the tense aftermath, the community couldn’t safely hold together and its members went in different directions.
Basavanna once again left politics and returned to his focus on the inner spiritual life.
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Ah, yes…the Winnowing poem is a treat..
with your poetic commentary, a precious jewel
The pot is a poet. By baba now
The pot is a poet. The winnowing
fan is a pot. The stone in the
street is a stone. The comb is a
memory. The bowstring is also a
pencil. The bushel is a wind and the
spouted cup is a clumsy horse.
It is all divine.
There are so many places to worship
there’s no place for a foot to fall separate.
There is only this love.