The value of vachanas

Pandit Mallikarjun Mansur first introduced vachanas on concert platforms. 

Articulated close to a thousand years ago in Karnataka, the vachanas of the 11th and 12th centuries resonate in relevance even today. Composed of simple words, in just four or five verses, vachanas propounded profound philosophical and reformist ideas. They advocated social justice and equality.

Vachanakaras (vachana poets) like Basavanna condemned Vedic rituals. Basavanna, who is credited with starting the vachana movement, believed that the body itself was an ishtalinga, that the divine was within. The follower of the vachana movement is called a sharana or sharane.

The vachanas provided some of the strongest critiques of social, economic and cultural practices of the time. The verses provoked listeners to rethink racism, gender, caste and class discrimination that was entrenched in society. At the apex of the movement, Basavanna and other vachana poets are said to have taught cobblers, farmers, potters, blacksmiths, cleaners and other unlettered people how to read and write. They emphasised that the oppressed castes and classes were no different from the privileged ones.

Dignity of labour

Turning away from ritualistic practices, the poets sang that true liberation could only be attained if humans understood the dignity of labour. A story about Dhulayya, a cobbler and sharana, is a testament to this appreciation of duty. When Shiva appeared on a nail while Dhulayya was working, he said, “Please go, I am working now. You can meet devotees who are free.”

“The poets did not shy away from using the names of their professions as their first name; we have vachanakaras like Maadara Dhulayya and Dohara Kakkayya,” explains cultural critic Rajendra Chenni.

Women were important contributors to the vachana movement as well. Du Saraswathi, a Kannada poet-activist, says women like Kalavve, Kadira Remmavve, Sule Sankavve and Rechavve, who hailed from deprived castes and engaged in professions shunned by the larger society, brought dignity to their occupations through creative expression.

They deconstructed the concept of superiority and inferiority and challenged the domination of Brahminism and religious texts.

Around 15,000 vachanas have been recorded so far. Around 1,600 Basavanna’s vachanas have been published. Vachanabhandari Shantarasa, a contemporary of Basavanna, is known to have collected and preserved many vachanas.

“The vachana collection began in the Vijayanagara empire in the 14th century,’’ Chenni says.

He says that many vachanas were recovered by scholar P G Halakatti in Vijayapura.

Kannada writer and Basava scholar Ramjan Darga says that vachanas of 225 poets have been recovered, including the writings of 33 women vachana scholars.

Such a diverse representation of poets in history is rarely available, but such was the vachana movement. It was led by Basavanna, Allama Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi, who advocated that there was no particular language to communicate with God.

In the 12th century, Basavanna also formed a socio-religious parliament called the Anubhava Mantapa. “Situated in Bidar, it is said to have housed 770 representatives. More than one lakh people participated in it. The representatives held discussions with people,’’ Ramjan says.

Relevance

In today’s fraught times, as divisions between different communities widen, the values that the vachanas preach are more important than ever.

Vachanas have captured the public imagination through musical renditions. Ganayogi Panchakshari Gawai of Gadag first taught vachanas in classical ragas to his students in the early 20th century. Hindustani classical singer and teacher Bhagavant Allapur says that Panchakshari Gawai’s disciple Pandit Puttaraj Gawai has written over 730 vachanas on linga, guru, relationships, and religious and caste issues.

“Legendary vocalist Mallikarjun Mansur first introduced vachanas on the concert platform around 60 years ago,’’ says classical singer Pandit Nagaraja Rao Havaldar.

When Mansur was objected to singing a vachana named 'Akka Kelavva Nanonda Kanasa Kande’ by the All India Radio authorities, he explained that vachanas should gain relevance similar to Meera Bhajans.

Many renowned classical vocalists like Pandit M Venkatesh Kumar, Pandit Jayateerth Mevundi, Pandit Nagaraja Rao Havaldar, Vidushi Sangeeta Katti and others continue to spread awareness on social issues by singing vachanas.