Sthula Sukshma | Kayakave Kailasa - Bhakti Republic OST | M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

Poet - Madara ChennaiahTranslator: H.S. ShivaprakashSource: I Keep Vigil of Rudra, Penguin ClassicsPerformed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee ManiFor Bhakti Republic with Amit BasoleRadio Azim Premji University, 2023_______________________________________________After erecting three pillarsThe gross, the subtle, and the causal bodiesAfter beating the buffaloes’ rough hideAfter removing the fleshWith the staff of the manifest and the hiddenAfter tanning the hide with the fire of dualismAfter pouring the caustic juice of quintessenceInto the hide-pouch of awarenessThe blemishes of soul thus destroyedI have come to take the sandals to his feet.Take care,Not of the ground below,But of the path your feet and sandals take.Do not be enslavedBy the hand-awl, blade, or pegBut realiseRamarama, your own true self, the joy of joys!_________________________________________Madara Chennaiah, a renowned vachana poet from the 11th century, earned recognition during the era of the Western Chalukyas in southern India. Despite working as a cobbler and being affiliated with the Madiga caste, he left a legacy through his vachanas, which he signed under the pseudonym ‘Nijaatmaraama Raamana,’ though only ten have endured over time. His poetry delved into the injustice of feeling superior due to one's caste, advocating for equality by highlighting that everyone shares the same origins and physical composition. Chennaiah asserted that an individual's value stems from their ethical conduct rather than their caste, dividing people into two categories based on their actions: those who perform good deeds and those who engage in wrongdoing. Additionally, his poems addressed a significant theological debate regarding the duality or unity of existence. His powerful and meaningful vachanas emerged from the fusion of metaphors drawn from his cobbler trade, interwoven with profound theological concepts.