Vachana Darshana book's take on Lingayat faith whips up a storm

Vachana Darshana, a 230-page Kannada book, has stirred the theological cauldron in Karnataka over the past month for showing the Lingayat faith as a quintessential member of the Hindu landscape, antithetical to the argument that the 900-year-old belief system is a separate religion in itself. 

And, the political undertone is unmissable: the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP, has endorsed the book, which has faced protests in Kalaburagi, Davangere, Belagavi and Bengaluru by now.

Lingayats, at least a section of them, argue that they are not Hindus, drawing from the works of 12th century social reformer Basavanna, the founder of their faith. The Lingayat movement was one aimed at social reform, especially Basavanna’s fight for a casteless, egalitarian society.

The Vachana Darshana, published by Ayodhya Publications, is being seen as a conscious effort to discredit the demand for Lingayats to be treated as patrons of a separate religion. This was a polarising movement that had the support of the Congress government ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election. And, it is widely believed to have contributed to the Congress’ defeat. 

Vachana Darshana attempts to study Vachana literature - colloquial writings or compositions with social commentary and exhortations about the divine - as part of the traditional Indian knowledge system. In effect, the book makes the point that the Lingayat faith is not outside the fold of the Sanatana Dharma. 

For example, Sanskrit scholar Mallepuram G Venkatesh, in his foreword, refers to writer M R Srinivasa Murthy (MR Sri): “In his Vachana Dharmasara, MR Sri says Vachanas are Upanishads in Kannada.”

Launching the book recently, RSS Sah Sarkaryavah (joint general secretary) Mukunda C R slammed “Western wokeism” for misinterpreting Indian traditions. “Hindu philosophy is such a large umbrella that it has embraced even Charvaka as its own. That being the case, how can Vachanas be seen separately from Hindu philosophy? Several Vachanas derive from the Veda-Vedanta-Vaidika philosophy,” he argued.

Vachana Darshana’s honorary editor Sadashivananda Swami, the seer of Sri Shivananda Bruhanmath in Gadag, told DH that Basavanna never advocated shunning Hindu philosophy. “What he did was to bring reforms in society, which none can deny,” he said. 

During the book’s launch, the pontiff decried efforts to remove Om and Namah from the hymn Om Sri Guru Basava Lingaya Namah because they come from Sanskrit.

“The book is an honest attempt at flagging the dangers of cultural Marxism,” the pontiff said. “I’m worried about the future of Lingayats if the onslaught of cultural Marxism continues. The day isn’t far when young Lingayats may completely shun our tradition. For example, the misinterpretation of ‘Nirakara Linga Puja’. Many youngsters have already stopped visiting temples, mutts and performing puja at home,” he explained. 

The book, however, has not convinced former IAS officer S M Jamdar, who is spearheading the agitation for a separate Lingayat religion.

Jamdar told DH that power centers like the RSS have been trying to usurp the Lingayat identity. “This effort began with Aradhya Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh interpolating about 600 Vachanas during the reign of Proudhadevaraya of the Sangama dynasty, who commissioned a project to codify the Vachanas,” he explained.

“Since then, the Lingayats steadfastly worked against these efforts and it will continue now too,” Jamdar said. “Of late, the RSS has realised that suppressing the ‘separate religion’ movements could help BJP to retain firm control of Lingayats as its core vote bank. But Lingayats are well aware of these designs. They’ll reject the idea of Lingayats being a part of the Hindu pantheon,” he added.

Political analyst Chambi Puranik, who says he has not read the book, is not convinced about the gains, if any.

“Those advocating that Lingayats are Hindus, and those saying they’re separate, can only satisfy their intellectual egos,” he said.