This is the month of three saints. Curiously their birthdays (Jayanthi) fell on 6th, 7th and 8th of this month (May) though the times they lived were different. They are Basavanna, Ramanujacharya and Shankaracharya.
The festivals of all 3 saints are celebrated with gaiety and religious fervour all over Karnataka. A grateful nation remembers these great men and pays homage to them and brings awareness among their followers, their teachings which are undoubtedly the heritage of mankind. That is the purpose of all festivals.
In this series, Basava Jayanti occurred first on 6th. Basava, also known as Basavanna and Basaveswara, is perhaps the saint of masses. Born in a Brahmin family in about (1105 or 1131 AD), his early education perturbed his mind. He was dissatisfied by the dominance of orthodoxy which nurtured many obnoxious practices and inequalities. Basavanna decided to lead the society to a more harmonious state. In this sense he is really a multifaceted personality.
He has been variously described as founder of Veerashaivism, philosopher, social reformer, revolutionary, apostle of work, preacher of bhakti, mystic, literary genius, teacher, a great humanitarian and an efficient organiser. Actually, he was a saint with all these qualities harmoniously combined. However, most people respect him as the founder of Veerashaivism with unalloyed devotion to god Shiva in the form of Ishtalinga. This concept does not require a mediator (priest) between the self and Shiva.
Basavanna is famous for the gospel of work (kayaka). He was a champion of the dignity of labour. In his view, there was no work which was low or high. He also pursued the path of devotion and earned the encomium Bhakti Bhandari. He was also a mystic. His practice of intense devotion led him to experience the mystic joy of the vision of Shiva. Basavanna's revolt against casteism is a significant contribution. He championed the cause of the lowly and gave them the much required confidence. Thus he may be considered as a forerunner of a secular society which we are now trying to bring about.
Another important contribution of Basavanna is what we call today, empowerment of women. Vachanas in simple Kannada containing profound philosophical and ethical principles endeared him to the masses who could not understand Sanskrit. By these sublime thoughts and deeds, Basavanna was far ahead of his times, and people were not matured enough to receive these concepts. Thanks to many Veerashaiva Mutts like Suttur, Siddaganga, Murugha etc., Basavanna has become a household name as is evident from celebrations of Basava Jayanti.
This is followed by Sri Ramanujacharya Jayanti (May 7). Ramanujacharya who lived during 1017 - 1137 AD was born at Perambadur near Chennai. Not satisfied by the teachings of Yadava Prakasha, he pursued his path himself. His fame spread and he was made successor to Saint Yamunacharya at Srirangam. Chola king Kulottunga is said to have persecuted Ramanuja and consequently he came to Karnataka visiting places like Saligrama, Tonnur and finally spent 14 years in Melkote.
Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana became a convert to Srivaishnavism under the guidance of Sri Ramanujacharya. As per the wishes of the Saint, Vishnuvardhana built Channakeshava Temple at Belur, Kirtinarayana at Talkad, Veeranarayana at Gadag and Cheluvanarayana at Melkote. Ramanujacharya wrote commentaries on Bhagavadgita, Upanishads, Brahmasutras and 3 gadyas. His philosophy is famous as Vishishtadvaita. He laid great stress on devotion or bhakti and is considered as a champion of bhakti school of thought.
Ramanuja was highly liberal and admitted low - caste people into his fold. He popularised the worship of Vishnu and Narasimha by encouraging his followers to build temples. Thus he is a distinguished Acharya of South India.
Adi Shankara, the earliest of the three from the point of view of chronology, was a child prodigy. He became a monk at the age of eight, studied Vedantha and became the founder of Advaitha (non - dualism). He emphasised the path of knowledge (Jnana). He toured the entire country spreading the message of Hinduism. He wrote commentaries on Upanishads, Bhagavadgita and Brahmasutras. The hymns of prayers addressed to various gods and goddesses are laced with devotion. Hymns like Bhajagovindam, Soundaryalahari have become extremely popular.
He was a great organiser and established four main Mutts at Sringeri (South), Puri (East), Dwaraka (West) and Badari (North). These Mutts have established hundreds of smaller institutions which have made Shankaracharya a household name in India.
Perhaps he is the most well - known Indian philosopher outside India too. One of his disciples Shivasoma lived in Kamboja (modern Cambodia) and spread his philosophy in eighth century. The statement "I am Brahman" has become quite popular because of Shankara. The successive Shankaracharyas of Sringeri have made Adi Shankara popular in South India.
Thus the three saints have made our country proud by their ever - lasting contributions in the fields of religion, education and literature. It is our duty to pay homage to them by following their teachings.
