Shivachara (ಶಿವಾಚಾರ)

Shivachara (ಶಿವಾಚಾರ)

Shivachara requires Lingayats to acknowledge the Shiva (Not the yogi shiva, yogi shiva is one who resides in Himalayas and having moon & Ganga in his head) as the only one GOD and he is the supreme GOD (Lingadeva). Whatever the devotional acts are performed, such as, prayers, meditations, inner thoughts, they must always be about Supreme GOD.

Shivachaar is the practice of treating all devotees of Parashiva as equal. In Basava's time discrimination between followers of Lingayathism on the basis of their castes (or occupation) was in vogue. For example, the oil extractor is inferior in caste to the one who sells oil; both of these are inferior to a merchant class (called Banajiga [ಬಣಜಿಗ]). Basavanna and his followers aimed at the abolition of this evil practice. They argued that even a Brahmin wearing ishta-linga becomes a man of lowest caste if he eats meat or indulges in immoral conduct and that even a man born in the family of madigas [ಮಾದಿಗ] (now named scheduled caste) if he has a morally good conduct is respected as a great devotee. Mādara Chennayya, a man born in the madiga caste, was highly respected by Basavanna for his greatness as a Shiva-devotee.

ದಾಸೀಪುತ್ರನಾಗಲಿ, ವೇಶ್ಯಾಪುತ್ರನಾಗಲಿ
ಶಿವದೀಕ್ಷೆಯಾದ ಬಳಿಕ ಸಾಕ್ಷಾತು ಶಿವನೆಂದು ವಂದಿಸಿ, ಪೂಜಿಸಿ,
ಪಾದೋದಕ ಪ್ರಸಾದವ ಕೊಂಬುದೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯ.
ಹೀಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಉದಾಸೀನವ ಮಾಡಿ ಬಿಡುವವರಿಗೆ
ಪಂಚಮಹಾಪಾತಕ ನರಕ ಕಾಣಾ,
ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮದೇವಾ. -1/1223^#
Translation:
Whether a person is a handmaid’s son or a harlot’s
Its right to regard him as Shiva incarnates,
To worship him and to receive paadodaka and Prasada from him,
After he has undergone the Shiva-initiation
Otherwise, the hell of the five deadly sins awaits those who neglect him,
O Lord Kudala Sangama!

ಪಟ್ಟವ ಕಟ್ಟಿದ ಬಳಿಕ ಲಕ್ಷಣವನರಸುವರೆ
ಲಿಂಗದೇವನ ಪೂಜಿಸಿ ಕುಲವನರಸುವರೆ, ಅಯ್ಯಾ
ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗಮವೇವ
ಭಕ್ತಕಾಯ ಮಮಕಾಯವೆಂದನಾಗಿ. -1/138^#
Translation:
Why look a king’s caste after the coronation?
Why look for a devotee’s caste, after the Linga worship?
For Kudala Sangama Lord said “Bhaktas body is my body”

ಹೊಲೆಯೊಳಗೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಕುಲವನರಸುವೆ,
ಎಲವೊ, ಮಾತಂಗಿಯ ಮಗ ನೀನು.
ಸತ್ತುದನೆಳೆವನೆತ್ತಳ ಹೊಲೆಯ
ಹೊತ್ತು ತಂದು ನೀವು ಕೊಲುವಿರಿ.
ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವೆಂಬುದು ಹೋತಿಂಗೆ ಮಾರಿ,
ವೇದವೆಂಬುದು ನಿಮಗೆ ತಿಳಿಯದು.
ನಮ್ಮ ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗನ ಶರಣರು.
ಕರ್ಮವಿರಹಿತರು, ಶರಣಸನ್ನಿಹಿತರು, ಅನುಪಮಚಾರಿತ್ರರು.
ಅವರಿಗೆ ತೋರಲು ಪ್ರತಿಯಿಲ್ಲವೋ. -1/576^#
Translation:
Born in the place of excrement, like every son of women,
You seek height caste
Lo, you are Maatangi’s son!
How can he who carries off the dead cow he be low-born?
You slaughter the living goat to the sacrificial altar.
Your Shastra is death to the goat
You do not know what the Vedas mean
Our Kudala Sanga’s devotees know no ritualism
They men of character beyond compare are nearest to GOD!

ಕೊಲುವನೇ ಮಾದಿಗ, ಹೊಲಸು ತಿಂಬವನೇ ಹೊಲೆಯ
ಕುಲವೇನೊ ಅವದಿರ ಕುಲವೇನೊ !
ಸಕಲಜೀವಾತ್ಮರಿಗೆ ಲೇಸನೆ ಬಯಸುವ
ನಮ್ಮ ಕೂಡಲಸಂಗನ ಶರಣರೆ ಕುಲಜರು. -1/591^#
Translation:
He alone is a Maadiga who kills animals;
He alone is a Holeya who eats filth
What worth is the caste of those well-born?
Who sacrifice an animal and eat it?
Our Kudala Sanga’s devotees,
Who wish all the living well
Along are well born.