Question

Here is a vachana composed by Basavanna: When they see a serpent carved in stone, they pour milk on it. If a real serpent comes, they say: “Kill. Kill.” To the servant of the god who could eat if served they say: “Go away! Go away!” But to the image of the god which cannot eat, they offer dishes of food.

Describe Basavanna’s attitude towards rituals. How does he attempt to convince the listener?

Answer 1

Basavanna holds a deeply critical, dismissive attitude toward mechanical, superficial rituals and idol worship, viewing them as hypocritical and detached from humanity. He attempts to convince the listener by using sharp irony, real-world paradoxes, and relatable everyday contradictions.

1. The Basavanna’s attitude towards rituals is as follows:
   1. Rejection of Blind Ritualism: He opposes external religious performances that lack genuine moral or spiritual depth.
   2. Critique of Idol Worship: He questions the practice of treating lifeless stone statues with higher reverence than living beings.
   3. Emphasis on Humanity: He believes serving human beings (the “servants of god”) is far superior to performing mechanical offerings to inanimate icons.
2. His methods to convince the listener are as follows:
   1. Using Irony: He exposes human hypocrisy by showing how people worship a carved stone snake but instantly scream to kill a real, living serpent.
   2. Striking Contrasts: He contrasts a hungry human devotee who is chased away (“Go away! Go away!”) with an unconsuming stone idol that is showered with luxury food dishes.
   3. Simple, Direct Language: He utilises short, conversational expressions that ordinary people can immediately visualise and understand.