!840.] 



Account of the Basava Paran. 



and other books named with it) the name of Basava is never mentioned. 



The Basava Puran is in seven books, containing (in the original Telugu 

 dwipada) 12,700 lines ; it is an evident imitation, in some points, of the 

 braminical puranas ; for instance, the introduction declares that to pro- 

 nounce the three s;yllables Ba-sa-va, and the syllables Gu-i'u, is a means 

 of obtaining heaven : and that faith (bhacti) is the great foundation of 

 good. The book purports to be a series of legends regarding various de- 

 votees (bhactulu) or zealots who attained ; and details the miracles 

 performed by these " worthies." These (in imitation of the braminical 

 mode) are narrated by the god Siva to his wife Parvati and the sage 

 Narada. The book opens with homage paid by Siva to Basava, who is 

 declared to be an incarnation of Nandi (the Apis or sacred bull) : and 

 a few of the latter legends are concerning this confessor (Guru) Basav- 

 esa, closing with hir, death ; but the greater number of the stories have 

 nothing to do with Basava, and merely describe the devotion of various 

 saints, who lived in ages previous to his birth. These are introduced 

 as being narrated by Basava, or in his presence. The first book describes 

 Basava's parentage and birth as given in the former essay ; and then 

 gives the following details-. 



In his eighth year his supposed father, being a Bramin, wished to 

 invest him as usual with the braminical thread : appointing him a (guru) 

 confessor or teacher. But Basava replied the great Siva is my teacher, 

 and I desire no other. The father tried to persuade him that the Bram- 

 hacTiari state, into which this rite introduces children is itself emblema- 

 tic of Siva. These words greatly offended Basava, who replied "you 

 " speak of ordin iry braminism and faith (bhacti), as if they were one and 

 " the same : whereas the yajna rites declare bramanism and faith to be 

 *' quite distinct. There is no specific form of God as a visible shape : 

 " he is dead in his works who believes that the deity can dwell in a spe- 

 " cific form. None can attain eternal happiness unless he meditates on 

 *' the (lingam) image, using the six-syllabicd spell (Ora Namasivaya) 

 " with adoration, and the rosary (rudraxa) and ashes. Further, divine 



bliss (llnga-para-saukhyara) has not been expounded even in the 

 " Vedas. Some assert that a religious profession (bramhanyam) and 

 " faith (bhacti) and spiritual intelligence (darsanam) are all one ; but 



profession exists merely in the homage paid to gods, &c. and he who 

 ** thus is tied to works has not faith. There is a wide distinction be- 

 " tween profession (achuram) and faith. Faith in the god is the hon- 

 *' curable wife : whereas profession Is the (jara-stri) harlot. Consider 

 *' that BrahminSy when invested with the thread commence the rite with 



