Sangama

Quarterly newsletter published by Veerasaiva Samaja of New York

Vol 1 Mar 15, 2009

On behalf of all members, the Samaja extends best wishes to Rehea daughter of Raju and Ramya on her first birthday. Also HappyBirthday to Shruti daughter of VSNA President Sundaresh and Sabitha who celebrated her birthday on March 14, 2009.

We are sorry to inform that on March 5, 2009, Dr. Veerappa G. Byahatti reached lingaikya. He was 72 years old. A devoted husband, father, grand father and a great physician. He is survived by his wife Dr. Pramila Byahatti, daughter Dr. Seema V. Byahatti, son-in-law Dr. Samir A. Shah, and twin grandsons; Anand and Vijay Byahatti Shah, 5 brothers and 2 sisters in India, and extended family, friends and colleagues in both the USA and India.

Dr. Byahatti was born in Nargund, Karnataka, India on May 10, 1937. He received his MBBS degree from Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai in 1961. He did his cardiology training at Lennox Hill Hospital (1968-70) and pediatric Cardiology fellowship at the University of Virginia from 1970-73. For 35 years he was in solo practice in Internal Medicine/Cardiology, at Muhlenberg and JFK Hospitals. He was a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. He was one of the founding fathers of Veerashaiva Samaja of North America and an active lifelong member. He was regarded as the patriarch of his family, taking special joy in hosting family and friends and watching his grandsons grow. He was always available to help anyone who needed it. We will miss his smile, laugh, generosity, kindheartedness and relaxed manner. On behalf of all VSNA and VSNY members, the Samaja extends heartfelt condolences to the family. ..

Featured Articles:

Bike and Build

by Swaroop Gonchikar

In the summer of 2008, I had the privilege of taking part in an unforgettable experience that will always be important and relevant to me throughout my life. From May 23^rd to July 24^th, I went on a cross-country bicycling trip with twenty-nine other riders raising money and awareness for affordable housing efforts in the United States. The organization through which I completed this trip is called Bike & Build. It is an incredible organization with the guiding principle that, “We are young, and we could change the world”. With this idea in mind and a desire to be challenged I set off from Nags Head, North Carolina in the Outer Banks and made my way to San Diego, California.

Backtracking several months before ever setting off from the Outer Banks, I find myself in a conversation with a friend about what to do during the summer after graduating from college. She mentioned how exciting it would be to take part in a bicycle trip across the country through an organization she had heard of. Looking into it, we decided it would be a great way to spend our summer and ended up applying for places on the roster. It was an ideal trip for me for a number of reasons. First of all, it presented a chance to help others in a more direct way than I could have ever imagined. Secondly, I had played sports throughout my life and as a result, have always had a great appreciation for what could be accomplished by the strength of one’s body and will. This trip provided me with the opportunity to do something physically active that I found to be challenging but at the same time exciting. Lastly, it gave me the chance to see the country in a very unique manner, from the seat of a bicycle.

Prior to joining the others on the coast of North Carolina to begin the trip, I had to raise $4,000 for the affordable housing cause. Half of that amount went to furthering the efforts of the Bike & Build organization. The other half went directly to a number of other affordable housing organizations that we worked with over the course of the trip. We primarily worked with Habitat for Humanity but also made joint efforts with several lesser known organizations across the country. Raising $4,000 was a tall task but I felt confident that I could achieve my goal with a large base of support from family and friends who were in a position to help others. I sent out letters describing my plans as well as details about the organization to a number of family and friends. Many of these friends were members of VSNY and VSNA, without whose help I would have never gotten the chance to take this amazing journey. Their donations were directly aiding those in need providing them with a step in the right direction. Perhaps the most important part of the many affordable housing organizations we worked with is that they considered the lives of those they helped as a whole. These groups made sure that those receiving help were in a position to properly use it to improve their lives and someday, return the favor to others in need. For example, most people know that Habitat for Humanity provides affordable housing to those in need of it. But what most people do not know are the efforts taken to ensure that each candidate can maintain that home and support themselves without help in the future. The organization provides education on a number of financial topics meant to improve the decision-making of those being helped so that they can avoid finding themselves in the same kind of money trouble.

Riding for affordable housing, I got the chance to truly immerse myself in the cause and learn a great deal about progressive efforts in this area. During the course of the trip, ten build days were spread out across the country during which we would take part in the actual construction of a number of houses. Our build days were in Chapel Hill and Asheville in North Carolina, Maryville, Tennessee, Little Rock, Arkansas, Colorado Springs and Durango in Colorado, and Prescott, Arizona. It was incredible how much work could be done by thirty energetic young adults with an ideal in mind and a hammer in hand. On a few occasions, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet the future owners of the houses we were constructing. These encounters were always dear to me and reaffirmed my resolve to help those who are not as fortunate as I am.

Our trip across the country took us from North Carolina to Tennessee to Arkansas to Oklahoma to Kansas to Colorado to Arizona and finally to California. Our most difficult riding was done in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, the Ozarks of Arkansas, the windy plains of Oklahoma and Kansas, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and the Santa Ana Mountains of California. The most rewarding rides for me were on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Appalachians, the mountain passes through the Rockies, and the road alongside the Grand Canyon. The scenery from these rides were breathtaking and the emotions they evoked unforgettable. Having traveled a limited amount previously, I was excited to venture west of Texas for the first time in my life.

The summer was characterized by a similar routine that had to be performed in very different places. On riding days, we often woke up on our air mats at five or six o’ clock in the morning. We changed into our bicycling clothes and brought our packed bags out to the support van to be put in. The support van was driven by one of four leaders and contained our bags and lunch materials. After packing our bags up, we filled our water bottles and hydrations packs while checking to make sure we had all the necessary tools for dealing with bicycle issues during the ride. Often finding ourselves with flat tires, we all packed extra tire tubes, a hand pump, and a multi-tool to fix them on the side of the road. While eating breakfast, we were each given a cue sheet with the directions to get to that day’s destination. After stretching and getting loose, we set off from our host site. During the course of the trip, we stayed overnight in various places free of any charge. Often, we found ourselves sleeping on the floors in churches, school gyms, and occasionally, we even had to camp outside when we could not get a host site. On average, we rode 75 miles a day but some days but some days more and some less. It all depended on where we could get places to sleep overnight. Our longest day had us riding 125 miles into Colorado Springs. But day after day, we found ourselves closer and closer to our final destination, the Pacific Ocean.

For trips like this, the journey was far more important than the destination. Throughout this journey, I found myself growing closer to my fellow riders and looking forward to meeting new people and seeing new places. All of this, while gaining knowledge and a feeling of fulfillment through my work with affordable housing. I have hundreds of photos from the trip but pictures do not do the places I got the opportunity to see or the memories I made any justice. Once again, I would like to thank the members of VSNY and VSNA for their support and encouragement in making this trip possible. Specifically, I would like to extend my gratitude to Jyothi Shivakumar, Sundaresh Siddaiah of the VSNY chapter for their help organizing my fundraising efforts. Being a part of this trip was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone who is interested. The organization’s website www.bikeandbuild.org has a lot of useful information about the routes, riders, and how to sign up. In addition, my email address is sgonchikar@gmail.com and I would be happy to answer any questions about the trip for anyone interested. Thank you again and keep on pedaling!

S A R V A J N A

by C.V. Angadi, Hicksville, NY

Sarvajna is a household name and the triple line simple verse (tripadi) or vachanas ending with the word Sarvajna are well known in Karnataka. Sarvajna vachanas touch all facts and truth of life in simple words. The word Sarvajna (or Sarvagna) is from Sanskrit means "who knows it all or everything". But many people do not know who created (or wrote) them. Sarvajna is believed to be a folklore poet who was gifted with uttering these words spontaneously while wandering around Masur (Hirekerur Taluk, Karnataka) during first half of the 16^th century (Probably during the King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar Dynasty). He did not have any formal education. It is also believed that a school teacher recognized the value of Sarvajna’s vachnanas, followed him every where and recorded them. Later they were duplicated by others on dry palm-tree leaves. During early 19^th century Reverend Channappa D. Uttangi (1881 – 1962), even though belonging to Christian missionary in Dharwad, voluntarily took the task of discovering these vachanas. Rev. Channappa Uttangi visited many villages and collected the palm leaves recordings and printed books with about 2000 Sarvajna’s vachana collection for the first time. Because these vachanas are so simple, it is also possible, few of these vachanas were created later by other unknown people.

Some references in Sarvajna’s vachana, indicate that his real name was Puspadatta - Sarvajña appears to have been his nick name (pen-name). There is a legend about his birth. He was born to a widow in kumbar street (potters region) of Abalur village (Hirekerur Taluk) fathered by a Shaivaite Brahmin Pandit Basavarasa from nearby Masur. Basavarasa did not have any of his progeny. So he made a piligrimage to Kasi Banaras and pray in Kashi Vishveshwar God for a child to continue his progeny. It seems God appeared in his dream and granted that he will have capability to produce only one child when he returns to his wife back home. On his way home he halted his journey at Abalur village, stayed a night in a place where a potter’s widow lived nearby. The Brahmin Pandith made love to the widow during his stay and returned to his home. Subsquently, the widow gave birth to a son conceived to the Brahmin Pandit. The fatherless child grew up as a wandering monk - Sarvajna. According to some literary Pandits this story appears far away from truth. But in one of his own Sarvajna vachanas there is a mention of his parents as Kumbara Mallayya and mother Malhaladevi of Abalur. These names historically match and well known in the region at that time period. This may be more closer to the truth.

Based on his vachanas it is evident that he identified himself as staunch veerashaiva, wore istalinga and he has upheld sharanas teaching in his vachanas. We can identify words like Basava, Sharana, Bakta, Guru, Linga, Jangama, Shivalinga, Ishtalinga in many of his vachanas. Also he has analysed Astavarana and Shatasthala ways of living in many of his vachanas. He has used very sharp words for the immoral people, was revolutionary in his thoughts, and not afraid of saying truthful way of life. There is another legend about his daring qualities. After hearing so much of Sarvajna King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar wanted to meet Sarvajna and sent an invitation. Sarvajna came to the Palace at the given time. But the King was late. When the king did not keep up his time Sarvajna did not wait for the King and then left the palace without meeting the King.

The current Karnataka governement has a created Sarvajna Development Authority to conduct research on his teachings and to aid development of Abalur. Here are a few of his vachanas:

1. Omniscient (Sarvajna) has not become (an omniscient) merely out of vanity

He learnt each syllable from everyone

And became a veritable mountain of knowledge, Sarvajna

(Sarvajna-nembuvanu garvadhindh-adhavane

Sarvarolagondhu nudi-galitu viddhyeya-

parvathave aadha noda, Sarvajna)

2. Sweet as milk and nectar it is to obtain a loan

But when the lender comes after you,

It is as painful as a bone broken in your ribcage, Sarvajna

(Saalavanu kombaaga haalogarundanthe,

saaliganu bandhu elevaaga

kibbadhiya keelu muridhanthe, Sarvajna)

3. Sins speed away aimlessly when utter ‘Basava’ word –

Like dew drops on the green leaves

Disappear with bright sun rays, Sarvajna

(Basavanendhare, papa dhashegettu hoguvadhu

Bisilinge hasurolesedhirpa haniyari

Husidhu hodhanthe, Sarvajna)

4. Same earth on to walk, same water to drink

Same fire that burn every where, why then this talk

Of higher and lower stock? Sarvajna

(Nadevudonde Bhumi, Kudivudonde neeru,

Suduvagniyondhe eruthiralu Kulagothra

Naduve, eththanadu, Sarvajna)

5. Having a cozy house to live, just enough wealth for spending,

And a desirous wife (responding to the will of her husband)

Set fire then to Heaven, Sarvajna

(Becchane Maneyagi, Vecchakke Honnagi

Iccheyanu ariva sathiyagi iralu, swargakke

Kicchu hacchendha, Sarvajna)

6. Could candle from a low caste person’s house give less light?

Not to discriminate people from their caste,

The blessed one by the god belong to good cast, Sarvajna

(Jathi heenana maneya jyothi tha Heenave?

Jath-Vijatha enabeda, Devanoli-

Vathane Jath, Sarvajna)

7. If, your lust, deeds and words

Are in your own control

Lord Shiva will then bless you, Sarvajna

(Kacche, Kai -Baiygalu

Thanna iccheyolagiddhare

Acchutharayanu mecchuvanu, Sarvajna)

8. He appears very critical of people spending time in listening to stories probably like Ramayana/Mahabharatha in the following vachana:

Persons who respectfully listen

Stories of infidelity and slayings of own brothers’

Are really belong to a low class, Sarvajna

(Hadharadha Katheyannu, Soadharara

Vaddheyannu Aadharasi Kelhuvavaru

Madhigaru noda, Sarvajna)

(This article is contributed by: C.V. Angadi, Hicksville, NY)

Revision090313

Guru S. Bale has published a book Shunya to Shunya. This book is the English version of the book ‘Allamana vachana and nirvachana’ by Sri Siddeshwara Swamy. The book contains 694 vachanas of Allama with explanations. Only 15 books are available for sale at $50 each. If interested contact Guru Bale at 1-732-494-7392 and reserve a copy.

This year the annual convention will be held on July 3 and 4 at Chicago. For more information go to the website www.vsnaconvention.org or www.vsnachicago.org We greatly appreciate your participation as well as your support to make the annual convention a meaningful and a successful convention.