Yenna Kayavige | Kayakave Kailasa - Bhakti Republic OST | M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee Mani

Poet: BasavannaTranslator: A. K. RamanujanSource: Speaking of Siva, Penguin ClassicsPerformed by M. D. Pallavi and Bruce Lee ManiFor Bhakti Republic with Amit BasoleRadio Azim Premji University, 2023____________________________________________________________Make of my body the beam of a luteof my head the sounding gourdof my nerves the stringsof my fingers the plucking rodsClutch me closeand play your thirty-two songsKuDalasangamadeva!____________________________________________________________Basava, also known as Basaveshwara and Basavanna, played a pivotal role in Vachana Sahitya during the Kalyani Chalukya and Kalachuri dynasties in 12th century Karnataka. Despite his Brahmin caste background, he vehemently opposed gender and social discrimination, superstitions, and rituals. Basava introduced the Ishtalinga necklace for all, promoting devotion to Shiva regardless of birth. As finance minister under King Bijjala II, he utilized the state treasury for social and religious reform. He established Anubhava Mantapa, a ‘parliament’ for individuals from diverse backgrounds to engage in spiritual and existential discussions, emphasizing his philosophy centered on valuing the living human experience over static structures like temples. Basava's sharana philosophy emphasizes the body as a temple (Kayakave Kailasa) and as an instrument for honoring the divine.