Who is Basavanna ?(1134-1196)

1. Who is Basavanna ?

Basavanna was a great saint, a true visionary and a revolutionary who gave universal religion to the mankind. He fought for the freedom of an individual. He created tremendous awareness among the people by declaring, "None is high or low just by birth. Greatness can be acquired only through personality and pursuit of principles. Thus the whole mankind should get the religious sanctification". It is not an exaggeration to say that his life struggle was for the realisation of social, educational and religious rights of the people. He said that, no one should be deprived of their fundamental rights due to discrimination in the name of caste, status, occupation or anything else. He declared religious sanctification as one such fundamental right. Basavanna's ultimate aim was to make this fundamental right available to each and every one.

Basavanna, keeping Welfare as the ultimate aim, decided to start a revolution relying upon religion as the main instrument. But, when he learnt that people were not attracted by religion, he expedited programmes to take religion to the people. By preaching and writing religious literature in the mother tongue (Kannada), he inspired and facilitated the people to sing their soul elevating experiences and realisations in the language of the soil. As a result of Basavanna's sustained efforts, the spiritual stream which flowed in the mother tongue took the form of the VACHANAS. This flowed like a perennial river giving a new fresh breeze of life to innumerable number of exploited people. Brimming with confidence, they arose and attained solvation to shine eternally as sources of confidence.

Basavanna was a fortune of this earth. He, as an harbinger of a new heritage, as a 'humangod', as a saviour of sufferers, as a hope of oppressed, whipped up the confidence in them. This great soul lived in the 12th century.