Shrikumara Tarangini - ಶ್ರೀಕುಮಾರ ತರಂಗಿಣಿ

ಲೇಖಕರು : ಪೂಜ್ಯ ಪರ್ವತದೇವರು

19 ನೇಯ ಶತಮಾನದ ಅಂತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಸಮಾಜ ಸೇವೆಗಾಗಿ ತಮ್ಮನ್ನೇ ತಾವು ತೆತ್ತು, ಉದರ ಪೋಷಣೆಗಾಗಿ ತಾವು ಹಂಬಲಿಸದೇ, ದೇಹ ಪೋಷಣೆಗಾಗಿ ಬೆಲೆ ಕೊಡದೇ,ಅಂತರಂಗ ಪೋಷಣೆಗಾಗಿ ತಮ್ಮನ್ನು ತೊಡಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಆ ಅಂತರಂಗದ ಬೆಳಕು ನನ್ನ ಆತ್ಮ ಸಾಧನೆಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ನೆರವಾದರೆ ನಾನು ಸ್ವಾರ್ಥಿ ಆಗುವೆ ಎಂದು ಉನ್ನತ ವಿಚಾರಿಕರಿಸಿ, ಆ ಅಂತರಂಗದ ಅರಿವಿನ ಬುತ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಮಹಾ ಮಹಾ ಪಂಚ ಪರುಷರಾದ ಪಂಚ ಗುರುಗಳ ಸನ್ನಿಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಲ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ತಕ್ಕಂತೆ ತಮ್ಮ ನೆತ್ತಿಗಿತ್ತು ಆ ಬುತ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿಯ ಅಘಾಧವಾದ ಜ್ಞಾನವನ್ನು ಸಮಾಜದ ನೆತ್ತಿಗೆ ಪಸರಿಸಲು ಸದಾ ಹವಣಿಸಿ ಹಾತೊರೆದು ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ಸುವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ತಂದವರು ಶ್ರೀ ಗುರು ಕುಮಾರ ಸನ್ನಿಧಿಯವರು.

“ವಜ್ರಾದಪಿ ಕಠೋರಾಣಿ ಮೃದೂನೀ ಕುಸುಮಾದಪಿ”

ಎಂಬ ಮಹಾತ್ಮರ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವ ವನ್ನೂ ತಿಳಿಸುವ ಲೋಕ ವಾಣಿಯಂತೆ ತಮ್ಮ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಕಠೋರ ಸ್ವಭಾವದವರು ಅಂದರೆ ತಮ್ಮ ಹಿತ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯನ್ನು ,ತಮ್ಮ ಸುಖದ ಲೋಲುಪತೆಯನ್ನು, ತಮ್ಮ ಆಸೆ ಆಕಾಂಕ್ಷೆಗಳ ವಿಚಾರವನ್ನು ಬದಿಗೊತ್ತಿ ಲೋಕ ಹಿತಾರ್ಥಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ತ್ರಿಕರಣ ಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ನಡೆದು ತೋರಿಸಿದ ಯತಿಷಾ ಶ್ರೀ ಕುಮಾರೇಶ.

ಶಿವಯೋಗ ಮಂದಿರದ ಸ್ಥಾಪನೆಯ ನಂತರ ಬಹು ಕಾರ್ಯ ಬಹುಲ್ಯದಲ್ಲೀ ಅವರು ತೊಡಗಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾರೆ,

Simple living high thinking ಎನ್ನುವ ಮಾತಿನಂತೆ

ಅವರದ್ದು ಪವಿತ್ರವಾದ ಲಿಂಗ ದೇಹಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದು ಮಬ್ಬಾದ ಕಾವಿ ಕಪನಿ,ಸದಾ ಸಮಾಜದ ಚಿಂತನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿದ ಮಸ್ತಕಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದು ಚಾವುಕಾದ ಪಾವುಡ,ತನ್ನಂಗವನ್ನು ಲಿಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡು ಎನ್ನುವ ಆ ಲಿಂಗಕ್ಕೆ ಒಂದು ವಸ್ತ್ರ,ಸದಾ ಸಮಾಜ ಲೌಕಿಕ ಹಿತಾಸಕ್ತಿಯ ಲಿ ಮೈಮರೆತು ನಡೆಯುವಾಗ ಅದನ್ನು ಎಚ್ಚರಿಸುವ ಒಂದು ಬೆತ್ತ,ಜಂಗಮನ ಶ್ರೀಪಾದಕ್ಕೆ ಆವುಗೆ ಇವಿಷ್ಟು ಅವರ ವಸ್ತ್ರ ವಿನ್ಯಾಸ.ಎಂದು ಹೊಸಬಟ್ಟೆಯನ್ನು ಬಯಸಲಿಲ್ಲ,

ಸಮಾಜ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಗೆಟ್ಟು ನಿಂತಾಗ ತಾವೇ ಬಟ್ಟೆಯಾಗಿ ನಿಂತರು,ಎಂದು ರುಚಿ ರುಚಿಯಾದ ಆಹಾರ ಬಯಸಲಿಲ್ಲ ತಮ್ಮ ಕೈಯ್ಯಿಂದ ಆಹಾರ ವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಬೀದಿ ಪಾಲದವರಿಗೆ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಸ್ಥಾನವನ್ನು ಇತ್ತು ಆಹಾರ ನೀಡಿದರು,

ಎಂದು ತಾವು ಉನ್ನತ ಸ್ಥಾನವನ್ನು ಬಯಸಲಿಲ್ಲ ಇದ್ದ ಸ್ಥಾನವನ್ನೇ ಉನ್ನತಿಕರೆಸಿದರು.

ಯಾವುದೇ ಪವಾಡ ಮಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲ ಅವರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಪವಾಡವೇ ಆಗಿ ಹೋದವು,

ಸರಳತೆಯ ಸಾಕಾರ ಮೂರ್ತಿ

ತಾತ್ವಿಕ ವಿಚಾರಗಳನ್ನು ಸಾತ್ವಿಕ ತಳಹದಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತಿಗೆ ಕರುಣಿಸಿ ತೋರ್ಪಡಿಸಿ ಉಣಬಡಿಸಿದ ಪೂಜ್ಯರು ನಮ್ಮ ಶ್ರೀ ಕುಮಾರೇಶ್ವರರು.

ಇವರ ಉದಾತ್ತ ನಿಲುವು, ಅಘಾದವದ ವೈಚಾರಿಕತೆ,

ಸರ್ವ ಸಮನ್ವಯ ಭಾವ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಬಾರದಿದ್ದರೂ ಅದರ ಒಂದಂಶ ನಾವುಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ನಿತ್ಯ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಕಲಿಸೋಣ,ನಮ್ಮ ಬದುಕಿನ ಏಳ್ಗೆಗೆ ಸಮಾಜದ ಏಳ್ಗೆಗೆ ಸದ್ವಿನಿಯೊಗಿಸೋಣ.ಶರಣು ಶರಣಾರ್ಥಿ.

ಲೇಖಕರು : ಪೂಜ್ಯ ಪರ್ವತದೇವರು

Author: Supriya Antin Kaddargi

Vice President, JP Morgan Chase Bank

Greater Chicago.USA

It had been more than 900 years since the revolution by Shivasharanas under the inspiration of Guru Basavanna. That revolution had magnetically set in a beautiful era with simple yet elegant practices of Veerashaiva Lingayath philosophy but the wheel of time had rendered a much diluted society again where sustaining that same fervor of Basavanna and other Sharanas of his order had ceased to persist. Illiteracy was on the increase and superstitions were back and rampantly ingrained in the society. The legacy was already rich with the doctrines laid out, the literature enriched by Sharanas in the form of vachanas and shoonya sampadane and more than anything else, Veerashaiva Lingayaths had donned the ishta lingas or at least possessed the awareness of the philosophy. All the same, that legacy’s influence did not have the same bearing on the society as it once did. In the centuries traversed, there certainly must have been many ascents of spiritual gurus who attempted to resurrect the lost principles but the restoration of that good faith needed more than just a leader to keep the influence going. What was in need was institutionalizing it all over again from a grassroot level.

In such times of decline was born a superior sage, Sri.Hanagal Kumaraswamiji in Haveri district,in Joisarahara halli village in Karnataka in the year 1867. It takes a lifetime to enlighten oneself and to take along the society as well on that path, and to realize a vision of sustaining it calls for a supreme visionary in a saint. Such was the distinction of Kumar yogi. His was a dream of the society progressing and for that progress he believed in the power of imparting Shivayoga as envisioned by Panchacharya, Basavanna , Allama , Shivasharanas, Nijaguna Shivayogi and Tontada Siddalingeshvara

Mutts were still the medium to enable this societal transformation but their focus was not in the direction of achieving social welfare. They had tended to becoming independent bodies with personal agendas overtaking the larger spiritual interest of the society. Cohesion was lacking between these mutts since there were no channels to interact with one another for enabling exchanges of spiritual ideas and scaling successful work to greater heights. Sri.Hangal Kumaraswamiji who was widely traveling to meet with other seers of his time in his spiritual journey had concluded the need for reviving the mutts with proficient seers, whose orientation had to be to realign dharma to Veershaiva Lingayath principles to bring back the spirit of shivayoga , dhasoha , social equality, educate and uplift the society overall. Also to keep these mutts and seers coherent, Kumarswamiji felt an establishment of spiritual institution to engage in spiritual discussions and endeavors on a larger scale. hence were founded two significant establishments by Sri.Hanagal Kumaraswamiji – Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha in the year 1904 & Shrimad Shivayoga Mandira in the year 1909.

For Shivayoga Mandira, Chittaragi Mahant Swamiji of Ilkal was given the responsibility of selecting the location and his choice could not have been any more pristine – situated along the banks of Malaprabha river surrounded by Bhilva trees, serving all seekers the perfect environment to achieve penance.

Shivayoga Mandira, the result of that spiritual conception stands tall today as a Veerashaiva Lingayath gurukul bejeweling the society with credentialed seers who receive exemplary training in all facets of Veershaiva Lingayath dharma along with regular education as provided in schools

Shivayoga Mandira is the perfect grooming ground for sadhakas. The air in Shivayoga mandira brims with spirituality. Boys are admitted into this institute under the age of 12 years.

Students aged 8 to 12 years are called ‘Vatus’ or ‘Aryas.’ The ones older than 12 years are known as ‘Sadhakas’ who go on to become ‘Deshikas.’ These students are residential and undergo a rigorous term in this gurukul. From 4 am to 10 pm, their daily routine spans practising all the Ashtavaranas of Veershaiva Lingayath dharma which include Ishta Linga Pooja, yoga, studying vachanas, performing different duties as a part of kayaka, numerous dasoha activities, learning Sanksrit and various scriptures along with regular subjects in Kannada and English. All the students are provided the allround exposure to a life of a pontiff which helps them to be voluntarily inclined towards adopting the path of spirituality. In addition to advancing themselves on this path, they are also privileged to benefit from the company of senior pontiffs and saints who have made a mark in the spiritual field and keep visiting Shivayoga mandira. In any instance of a student showing an inclination towards leading a normal familial life, he is encouraged to return to his family. So, the core group of these students are sincere aspirants who have the spiritual spark in them. The students who are on the verge of completing this basic training are called ‘Maridevaru’ and when they are ready to serve the society, different mutts and senior pontiffs select them to join mutts, where they serve the society in their own capacity. The exquisite training the students receive eventually gets translated to good work done through sustaining the tenets of Basava tatvas. So far many established mutts in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have appointed pontiffs from Shivayoga mandira.

Apart from the gurukul, holiness of cows is upheld in Shivayoga mandira too. Shivayoga mandira also houses a big goshala – shelter for cows. There is also a Vibhuti manufacturing facility on the premises where the vibhuti or bhasma is classically prepared using the dung from the goshala. These vibhutis are world famous since they are prepared traditionally with no adulteration of any kind.

Shivayoga Mandira’s leading light is still Sri.Hanagal Kumaraswamiji’s blessings whose compelling integrity for a spiritually groomed society continue to influence the aspirants there. Swamiji’s samadhi in Shivayoga mandira is a reassuring holy destination for us all.

Students in the gurukul on their way to becoming pontiffs