274 



Account of the Basava Puran. 



[Oct. 



« the adoration of (Nandi) the sacred bull : then why should they de- 

 *' part from faith in Siva? surely faith in Siva is our highest object. 



" Again : the ties between our parents and ourselves are mere de- 

 " lu.sion, I will therefore depart from you," &c. &c, Basava then leaves 

 his father's house accompanied (as formerly described) by his sister Na- 

 gamamba ; they go to the house of his father's brother, whose daughter 

 Gangamba he marries. Basava then departs with his wife and sister to 

 Sangameswara the abode of his patron god ; while offering his prayers 

 here the god Siva appeared to him, embraced him, and stood before him 

 with joined hands ; lauding him, and encouraging him to continue stead- 

 fast in the faith ; and declaring that even an enemy who adores the 

 image, is to be regarded as a friend : he desires Basava to shun all inter- 

 course with such as adore not the image. He further said " Look upon 

 every Jangam a;: being verily mypelf." 



The Second Book describes the reign of Bizzala, king of Calyanam, 

 whose minister was Easava's uncle : on whose death Basava was made 

 minister ; he accepts office on the condition that the king will relinquish 

 the Jaina creed, and become a worshipper of Siva. Basava now devotes 

 himself to hospitality to the Saivites : and washes the feet of his guests. 



He appears to have at this time contemplated making some innova- 

 tions in the religion. He having declined the braminical initiation, the 

 legend declares that at the time of his birth, the god Siva himself des- 

 cended and breathed the spell (Namasivoya ; see former essay) in his 

 ear. In other words he framed or adopted the formula for himself, and 

 now communicated it to his nephew Chenna Basavana : this was the 

 son of his sister Nagatnma : but here is no mention of his other sister 

 Padmavati, whom the Jainas say Bizzala took to wife (see Mr. Elliot's 

 remarks, in this Journal, Jan. 1838, p. 212). The legend here asserts 

 that Chenna Basava is a secondary form of Basava himself : the teacher 

 and the pupil being one. 



Basava now receives a visit from A llama Prabhu, of whom a short 

 account has already been given in the former essay. Basava adores him 

 as being Siva himself; and AUama is described as bearing the image in 

 his hand. A llama probably is a fictitious personage : he is described 

 as being one with Basava : but from the circumstances we may conclude 

 that at this period Basava determined on wearing the image. For he 

 is not stated to have already bestowed it on his wife nor on Chenna 

 Basava. At his birth indeed, Siva is stated to have himself descended 

 and placed the image on the neck of Basava : but we cannot suppose that 

 being the child of a Brahmin he was permitted to deviate from the fixed 

 dress of the caste. 



