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Baandhavya ಬಾ೦ಧವ್ಯ

Veerashaiva Samaja of North America June 2015

VSNA Officers:

President:

Channu Kambalyal, IL

Vice-President:

Mamatha Hirannaiah, GA

Secretary:

Leena Paul, MD

Treasurer:

Irappa Arabhavi, NE

Board of Directors:

Nayanatara Swamy, FL Yuvaraj Patil, CA

Neetha Dhananjaya, IL

Sajjan Shiva, TN Shivappa Palled, NC

Srishail Hadimani, WI

Vijay Kumar Goud, NY-Ex-Pres.

Board of Regents:

Laxmi Hiremath, CA, Chair

Dada Patil, CA

Uma Sajjan, GA Rajiv Kumar, IL

Shylendra Kumar, NE

Rohini Menashinakai, Toronto

Local Chapter Presidents:

Shivashankar Tumkur, AL

Mrutunjay Hiremath, CA-Central

Renuka Puttappa, CA-North Manu Swamy, CA-South

Kishore Channabasavaiah, IL

Suraj Kurtakoti, CT Girish Budibetta, FL

Mahesh Rajaghatta, GA

Savitha Shivananda, MD Sanjeev Mungaravadi, MI

N. B. Patil, NE

Shiva Patil, NY Ashwini Koratagere, NC

Rashmi Naikar, OH

Kevin Gangadhar, PA K. P Channabasappa, TN

Anu Benakatti, TX-North

Jagadeesh Halyal, TX-South Vijaykumar M, Toronto

Raj Galagali, VA & DC

Vivek Neginhal, WV

Newsletter Team:

Coordinator: Channu Kambalyal, IL

Chief Editor:

Supriya Antin Kaddargi, IL Sajjan Shiva, TN

Yuvaraj Patil, ON

Linga Raju, NY Shivakumar Annapur, IL

Basava Jayanthi was celebrated across North America by VSNA Chapters and various organizations spread across the world. For more highlights see inside.

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Congratulations & Thanks to

VSNA – New York – New Jersey Chapter for

The Successful Hosting of the

38th VSNA Convention @ Whippany, NJ.

Checkout the convention highlights in this newsletter.

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Table of Contents

Editor’s Note ........................................................................................................................................................... 4

President’s Message ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Puratana Sanskara Shibir ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Prasᾱda ................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Vīraśaiva and Vīramᾱhēśvara ................................................................................................................................. 9

ಮಾಡುವಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು ಮಾಡದಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು! ........................................................................................................................... 11

Basava Religion ...................................................................................................................................................... 13

Why Basaveshwara Statue in London? .................................................................................................................. 14

A 21st Century Vachana! ......................................................................................................................................... 16

Basava News around the World ............................................................................................................................. 17

Shivakumar Swamiji Awarded Padmabhushana ............................................................................................... 17

PM Modi greets (tweets) nation on Basava Jayanthi ......................................................................................... 17

Bahrain – Basava Followers Celebrated 'Basava Jayanthi' ................................................................................ 18

Basava Jayanthi to be held officially in Telangana State ................................................................................... 18

Central VSNA Updates ........................................................................................................................................... 19

BOD 2nd Quarter Updates .................................................................................................................................. 19

BOR 2nd Quarter Updates.................................................................................................................................. 20

2015 VSNA Convention - Highlights .................................................................................................................. 21

VSNA Local Chapters Updates ............................................................................................................................. 24

VSNA – South California Chapter ..................................................................................................................... 24

VSNA - Texas South Chapter ............................................................................................................................ 25

VSNA – Detroit Chapter ................................................................................................................................... 26

VSNA – Ohio Chapter ....................................................................................................................................... 27

VSNA – California North Chapter .................................................................................................................... 28

VSNA – Chicago Chapter .................................................................................................................................. 28

VSNA – Toronto Chapter .................................................................................................................................. 30

VSNA Fund Raising ............................................................................................................................................... 31

Basaveshwara Statue in London ........................................................................................................................ 31

VSNA Convention Trust Fund .......................................................................................................................... 32

VSNA Life Membership .................................................................................................................................... 32

VSNA Scholarship Fund .................................................................................................................................... 33

Obituary ................................................................................................................................................................ 34

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam - Basava Puraskari .................................................................................................... 34

VSNA – Publications............................................................................................................................................. 35

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Editor’s Note

Sharanu Sharanarthi!

ಮತ ್ ತೊಂದ ಕಾಣದೊಂತ , ಮತ ್ ತೊಂದ ಕ ೇಳದೊಂತ , ನಿಮಮ ಶರಣರ ಪಾದವಲ್ಲದ ಅನ್ಯವಿಷಯಕ ೆಳಸದೊಂತ

ಇರಿಸಯಯ, ಕ್ಡಲ್ಸೊಂಗಮದ ೇವಾ

Just as Lord Basavanna yearned to be with the Sharanas, that spiritual heritage continues to shine globally and in every august gathering of Sharanas. Last month, Veerashaiva Samaja of North America saw a strong fraternal assembly of Sharanas in the recently held Annual Convention hosted by the New York - New Jersey chapter. The effort put in to celebrate and strengthen Veerashaiva dharma speaks volumes of all enthusiastic Sharanas who participated in the convention. Hearty congratulations to all members of the hosting committee of New York - New Jersey chapter who organized the grand and memorable convention of this year! We are proud to bring forth this edition of Baandhavya for your readership. As always, the sincere attempts of our contributors surface in the exquisite knowledge sharing on various tenets of Veerashaiva dharma and Basava philosophy. In addition to explaining the Ashtavaranas, other Veerashaiva tenets, Vachana sahitya and earnest efforts of a renowned seer today in reinforcing Veerashaiva principles, this edition also highlights the significance of Lord Basava’s statue in London. We hope that you will enjoy this edition of Baandhavya as well. Inculcating the Anubhava Mantapa essence that Lord Basavanna envisaged and realized, kindly continue to enrich the Sharana community with your valued thoughts through this strong medium of spiritual writing. The newsletter board can be reached at newsletter@vsna.org for all articles or any correspondence.

Regards, Supriya Antin Kaddargi

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President’s Message

Dear VSNA Members & Patrons,

We are now past the half year of 2015, and there have been reasonably good progress on the tasks that were

laid out for ourselves via the Two-Year Agenda. Before I elaborate on these tasks, let me congratulate the New

York – New Jersey Chapter for their splendid hosting of a very successful VSNA Convention. We have just

completed the convention that was attended by over 700 members. Thanks to all who attended and supported

the convention. Please checkout few highlights and feedback in this newsletter. More will follow in the Convention

Souvenir.

During the second quarter, as usual the local chapters celebrated the major program – Basava Jayanthi across

United States and Canada. Some of these highlights are given in the local chapter highlights of this newsletter.

At the Central VSNA level, our main focus has been to ensure complete support for the VSNA – New York –

New Jersey chapter for their efforts to host the convention. Besides this task of mobilizing support for the

convention via meetings and email communications, one major activity that showed good progress is by the

Bylaw Committee consisting of 3 past presidents. The committee discussed and drafted about 10 articles for

further review. The work on the bylaw revision, continues.

Another major development during the 2nd quarter was the finalization of the location for the 2016 VSNA

Convention, by Maryland Chapter. The 2016 Convention committee also made a great presentation at 2015

convention. Work on few other tasks such as updates to web-site for on-line membership registration and

creation of Welcome Kit to new members is being done. More details of all tasks are given in Central VSNA

updates of this newsletter.

This edition contains few articles on spiritual discussions for our readers. One of them is discussion of an

interesting Vachana that guides us on Kayaka and leadership quality, and how one should perform volunteer

work without attracting undue attention or recognition for self. There is also an article about Basava Statue in

London with explanation for having a statue.

We hope Baandhavya will make an inspiring and enjoyable reading for our members. Please send your feedback

and contributions to newsletter@vsna.org.

Thanks to all contributors to this edition of Newsletter – Baandhavya.

Regards, Channu Kambalyal President, VSNA

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Puratana Sanskara Shibir

Supriya Antin Kaddargi Contributing Chief Editor, Chicago

ಕಾಯವ ೊಂಬ ಘಟಕ ೆ ಚ ೈತನ್ಯವ ಸಯದಾನ್

ಸಮತ ಎೊಂಬ ಜಲ್ ಕರಣಾದಿಗಳ ಶರವಣ,

ಜ್ಞಾನ್ವ ೊಂಬ ಅಗ್ನಿಯನಿಕ್ಕೆ ಮತಿಯೊಂಬ ಸಟಟುಗದಲ್ಲಲ ಘಟ್ಟುಸಿ, ಪಾಕಕ ೆ ತೊಂದಟ,

ಭಾವದಲ್ಲಲ ಕಟಳ್ಳಿರಿಸಿ ಪರಿಮಾಣದ ್ ೇಗರವ ನಿೇಡಿದಡ , ಕ್ಡಲ್ಸೊಂಗಮದ ೇವೊಂಗ ಆರ ್ ೇಗಣ ಯಾಯಿತಟತ

The universe, as we all know is bound by laws - laws of gravity, of order and of rythm, all amounting to a certain holistic discipline and regime which facilitate and sustain life for us. The foundation of this life is the spirit that shapes us and nurturing that spirit, holds the key to an overall development. The prime focus thereby must be on the ‘perceiving’, the ‘doing’ and the ‘being’ in a right manner. In the hustle and bustle of keeping up with the fast paced competitive life today, how many of us are fortunate to be blessed with a few days off, to spiritually reconnect with and rejuvenate the self to develop that order in personality? Awakening and uplifting the spiritual self is often not the priority since the self is engaged and stretched to the best to run a show of survival and in few cases, a show of success. Sri. Jadeya Shantalingeshwar Swamiji is one of the devout Swamijis today who holds ‘Puratana Sanskara Shibir’ in parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra every year. A Mahayogi; he has and continues to enshrine God in mind and body for a myriad of people far and wide. True and simple as He is, he is a beacon of light transforming devotees’ mundane existence into sacred lives. The shibirs conducted by Swamiji are structured to enrich the divinity within and build discipline to lead the self and the society with the foundation of Basava tatvas. The shibir activities involve prayers, Shivayoga through Trikala Linga Pooja (thrice a day - morning, noon and night), meditation, satvik food habits, yogasana, pranayama, and spiritual discussions. While the day-to-day activities in the shibir are as pristine as they can get, the prime opportunity indeed is being with, learning from and serving the Guru - Sri. Jadeya Shantalingeshwar Swamiji. It could be through His actions that set examples or it could be just through teaching devotees great doctrines that we have inherited from times immemorial. The shibirs usually last 10-15 days and are held for children only, for girls and women together, or for adults in general. The venues for these camps have so far been Gaganbawda near Kolhapur and Solapur in Maharashtra and, Bangalore, Goggihalli, Jadé, Maddur and Gulbarga in Karnataka. At the shibirs, devotees live in a very simple manner, get the most of spiritual knowledge and apply it. A typical day at such a shibir starts off with waking up at 5 in the morning and preparing for a session of know-how on the best practices of praying. It is followed by an hour of yoga where Swamiji supervises how devotees perform yoga and demonstrates the asanas. The devotees are usually divided into groups in the beginning of shibir and each group is assigned a task every day. The tasks usually are, helping in Linga Pooja activities, cooking, cleaning the shibir area, serving the Prasada and washing the utensils. As some devotees begin their task for the day, the rest perform Linga Pooja with Swamiji by taking turns. After the Pooja is complete, the satvika Prasada cooked by the devotees is served to Swamiji and everyone else. All the devotees then gather together for a spiritual discourse or discussions that are moderated by Swamiji. Often devotees bring up their questions on spirituality and some others who know the day’s subjects very well enlighten others with their knowledge and experiences. Swamiji guides them with the right directions when needed and that way, all the devotees benefit not only from Swamiji but also from fellow devotees. After the discourse, Swamiji and all the devotees work on improving the shibir premises in whatever way possible. They clean up the place, plant a few trees or do something else constructive. During the afternoons and evenings, as Swamiji starts to prepare for the next Pooja, the devotees too get ready for their Pooja with Him. The groups of devotees split up again to perform their tasks. What would be the task that day for a group would be taken over by another group the next day. That way everyone gets to learn and experience the exquisite Ashtavaranas of the Lingayat dharma - Guru, Linga, Jangama, Vibhuti, Rudrakshi, Padodaka, Prasada and Mantra. After the Pooja, devotees get together with Swamiji and discuss spirituality for a long time and how they being common people can apply spirituality to grow further, to be good and do better everyday. The devotees who have participated in these camps feel greatly rejuvenated and by the end of the shibir, feel like they were a part of a big family with Swamiji heading it all the way. These shibirs reveal spiritually attuned devotees who return to their day to day lives with a whole new outlook making a difference to themselves and all around.

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Reference: Information provided is courtesy of Poojya Sri. Amareshwara Shivacharya Swamiji, Hiremath at Jade, Shimoga who actively helps Poojya Sri. Jadeya Shantalingeshwar Swamiji in organizing these shibirs.

About the author: Smt. Supriya Antin Kaddargi is banking professional and an active VSNA member from Chicago chapter. She has authored the book 'Spiritual Transcendence', a biography of Sri. Jadeya Shantalingeshwara Swamiji.

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Prasᾱda

Linga Raju, M. D., Plainview, New York

It is important for a Vīraśaiva to understand the true meaning of Prasᾱda. The term ‘Prasᾱda’, in general, means

‘grace’ which is explained as a virtue coming from God to the devotee. This type of explanation implies duality

where God and the devotee are two separate entities. Vīraśaivas do not accept duality; they believe in oneness

where everything is one (Monism or Advaitism). Also, it is generally believed that a food item, a piece of coconut-

kernel or a fruit, consecrated by Guru, Liṅga or Jaṅgama, is Prasᾱda that is to be consumed. That may be a

common meaning, but it is not the true meaning of Prasᾱda. Prabhudēva in one of his vaĉanas (1) states

something like this: They call what is served and what is left over as Prasᾱda; but, these things even a cat

accepts…

Śūnya Saṁpᾱdane, the main scripture of the Vīraśaivas (1) explains Prasᾱda, under Prasᾱdisthala, the third

stage of the six-stage Ṣaṭsthala. It is to be noted that the aspirant has not completely transited from the apparent

duality to oneness while treading in the Prasᾱdisthala. Therefore, the explanation may imply duality, but be rest

assured, it really is the oneness philosophy. The explanation of Prasᾱda is something like this:

By virtue of resolute faith, the seeker dedicates the body (tanu), mind (mana) and wealth (dhana), to Guru, Liṅga

and Jaṅgama. This act of dedication is done with a sense of self-surrender and without any attachment. Because

these are offered with sincerity and without reservation to the triune of the Absolute, the body, mind and the spirit

get purified by the elimination of the three impurities - Ᾱṇavamala, Mᾱyᾱmala and Kᾱrmikamala – and the

consecrated body, mind and spirit become the Śuddha-prasᾱda, Siddha-prasᾱda and Prasiddha-prasᾱda. Thus

one achieves the purity of the body, clarity of the mind and perfection of the will. These are the three types of

Prasᾱda.

Ignorance and ego together disturb serenity. One has to seek the right knowledge (sujñᾱna) and ego-less-ness.

When ignorance and the sense of ego are completely eliminated, Prasᾱda ensues in the form of peace

and poise. Serenity or peace and poise is the characteristic Prasᾱda.

Siddhᾱnta Śikhᾱmaṇi, the one-hundred-one-sthala Sanskrit Doctrine (2, 3), under the Prasᾱdisthala, comes right

out and says ‘The mental sign in the form of purity is called Prasᾱda’.

Thus, true Prasᾱda is ‘serenity’ that ensues when one completely eliminates ignorance and sense of

ego. Prasᾱda, the peace of mind, is necessary for one to advance further in one’s spiritual progress.

1. ŚŪNYASAṀPĀDANE. Volumes I through V. Published by Karnatak University, Dharwar, India.

2. Śrī Śivayogi Śivācārya’s Śrī Siddhāntaśikhāmaṇi with Śrī Maritoṇṭadārya’s Tattvapradīpika. Dr. M. Sivakumara Swamy. Shaiva Bharati Shodha Pratisthan, Jangamwadi Math, Varanasi-221 001, India. 2007

3. SIDDHᾹNTA ŚIKHᾹMAṆI. The one hundred one sthala doctrine. A concise composition. Dr. Linga Raju. Published by the Veerashaiva Samaja of North America at their vsna.org web-site. 2013

About the author: Dr. Linga Raju, M.D. is VSNA life member, native of Davaṇagere, India. Dr. Raju is a prominent Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases physician. He has written spiritual publications - “A Journey through Hindu and Vīraśaiva Concepts’, and ‘SIDDHĀNTA ŚIKHĀMAṆ; The one hundred one sthala doctrine A concise composition’.

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Vīraśaiva and Vīramᾱhēśvara

Linga Raju, M. D., Plainview, New York

It is said that there is not much difference between the Vīraśaivas and Vīramᾱhēśvaras. But that does not mean

that there are no differences. Siddhᾱnta Śikhᾱmaṇi (1), the one-hundred-one sthala Sanskrit Vīraśaiva Doctrine,

explains the definitions of Vīraśaiva and Vīramᾱhēśvara, and the differences between them, in its chapter 5,

verses 15 through 21. The referenced (1) Siddhᾱnta Śikhᾱmaṇi also has the corresponding Sanskrit commentary

by Maritoṇṭadᾱrya which gives explanation for the verses. The verses and the commentary have been translated

into English by Dr. M. Sivakumara Swamy in that reference.

Siddhᾱnta Śikhᾱmaṇi explains the term Vīraśaiva according to the Upaniṣads. The verses use the term Vēdᾱnta

for Upaniṣads. It is because of the special existence of bliss in the knowledge that those great souls are called

Vīraśaivas. The knowledge refers to the knowledge of Brahman. Vīraśaivas are those who take delight in the

knowledge of Paraśivabrahman which is derived from the Upaniṣads.

The term ‘Vī’ stands for Vidyᾱ which teaches the identity of Śiva and Jīva (soul). The devotees of Śiva who take

delight in that knowledge are the Vīraśaivas. The knowledge which arises from Vēdᾱnta is called Vidya. One

who takes delight (ramate) in that knowledge is designated as ‘Vīra’.

According to Siddhᾱnta Śikhᾱmaṇi, Vīramᾱhēśvara is one who takes delight in the knowledge (similar to the

Vīraśaivas), and discards the detestable Mᾱyᾱ as if it were a dog.

The spiritual duty to be performed (worship of Liṅga) by Vīraśaivas and Vīramᾱhēśvaras is in the method internal

and external respectively. The commentary explains this further: In this context Śiva stands for niṣkala-Śiva

which means Śiva without any attributes or impurities, whereas Mahēśvara stands for sakala-Sadᾱśiva (sakala

is with attributes). Vīraśaivas are the persons who are engaged in the sacrifice in the form of knowledge, whereas

the Vīramᾱhēśvaras are the persons who are engaged in the sacrifice in the form of action. Thus, Vīraśaivas do

internal worship, and Vīramᾱhēśvaras do external worship.

The commentary explains this further: Vīraśaivas are the persons who are devoted to the sacrifice in the form of

knowledge, that is, those who have great liking for the worship of Liṅga in the lotus of heart. Vīramᾱhēśvaras

are those persons who are devoted to the sacrifice in the form of action, that is, those who have great liking for

the worship of Iṣṭaliṅga placed on the lotus-like left palm. Thus the Vīraśaivas do their worship inside in the lotus

of heart; it means that they do the religious practices taught in relation to Prᾱṇaliṅgisthala, Śaraṇasthala and

Aikyasthala which are propounded in the section of knowledge of the Ṣaṭsthala. The Vīramᾱhēśvaras do their

worship outside, that is, on the lotus of the left palm; that is to say that they undertake the practices taught in

relation to Bhaktasthala, Mᾱhēśvarasthala and Prasᾱdisthala which are expounded in the section about action.

However it is said that knowledge cannot be without action, and action cannot be without knowledge. Therefore,

it is to be understood that knowledge and action are equal, and that the difference between these lies only in

their deep liking for internal or external worship.

Śūnya Saṁpᾱdane (2), the main scripture of the Vīraśaivas, does not have this type of information, and does

not bring up the Vīramᾱhēśvaras at all. But it does advocate internal worship rather than the external worship. It

states that the Vīraśaivaliṅga is the Liṅga abiding within, eternally upon the point of Consciousness, and gets

worshipped internally. The external Iṣṭaliṅga will be of any value only if it stimulates the spiritual growth of the

soul. The real worship is not with material things, it is with pure devotion and knowledge.

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1. Śrī Śivayogi Śivācārya’s Śrī Siddhāntaśikhāmaṇi with Śrī Maritoṇṭadārya’s Tattvapradīpika. Dr. M. Sivakumara Swamy. Shaiva Bharati Shodha Pratisthan, Jangamwadi Math, Varanasi-221 001, India. 2007

2. ŚŪNYASAṀPĀDANE. Volumes I through V. Published by Karnatak University, Dharwar, India.

About the author: Dr. Linga Raju, M.D. is VSNA life member, native of Davaṇagere, India. Dr. Raju is a prominent Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases physician. He has written spiritual publications - “A Journey through Hindu and Vīraśaiva Concepts’, and ‘SIDDHĀNTA ŚIKHĀMAṆ; The one hundred one sthala doctrine A concise composition’.

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ಮಾಡುವಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು ಮಾಡದಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು!

[With permission from: Vachana A Week Blog Post]

Editor’s Note: See how this simple vachana can improve your leadership skills working in the background as a volunteer

without expecting anything in return.

Vachana in Kannada

ಮಾಡುವಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು ಮಾಡದಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು! ಮಾಡುವ ಮಾಟದ ೊಳಗ ತಾನಿಲ್ಲದಿರಬ ೇಕು!! ನ ೊೇಡುವಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು, ನ ೊೇಡದಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು! ನ ೊೇಡುವ ನ ೊೇಟದ ೊಳಗ ತಾನಿಲ್ಲದಿರಬ ೇಕು!! ನಮ್ಮ ಕೊಡಲ್ಸಂಗಮ್ದ ೇವರ

ನ ನ ವುತ್ತ ನ ನ ವುತ್ತ ನ ನ ಯದಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು!

Translation (Words) maaDuvaMtirabEkuu (should look like doing) maaDadaMtirabEku (should look like not doing) maaDuva (doing) maaTadoLage (in the action of) taanilladirabEku (“I” should not be there) nODuvaMtirabEku ( should look like seeing) nODadaMtirabEku (should look like not seeing) nODuva (seeing) nOTadoLage (in the action of ) taanilladirabEku (“I” should not be there) namma kUDala samGamadEvara (of our Kudala Sangamadeva) nenevutt ( while thinking ) nenevutta (while thinking ) neneyadaMtirabEku (should not be thinking) Vachana in English Should look like doing, while not looking like doing! In the act of doing, ‘I’ should not be there! Should look like seeing, while not looking like seeing! In the act of seeing, ‘I’ should not be there! Thinking and thinking of our Lord Kudala Sangamadeva, should not be like thinking! Commentary In this simple yet profound Vachana, Basavanna gives the fundamental principle of ego containment. He says that action is not optional. We must act. But, when we act it should not appear that we are acting. We should not feel that ‘we’ are doing it. The I-ness should not be part of action. The moment we bring in ‘I’ into what we are doing, we start comparing our action with that of others. We start feeling that we are superior in what we are doing and no one else could have done it better. Our ego goes up and comes in the way of action and possibly spoiling the results of action. Indeed, the left hand should not know what the right hand is doing. We should observe everything that is going on around us, yet appear as though we are not observing. The ‘I’ should not be part of the action of observing. When we develop this attitude, we will not tinge our observations with the I-ness. We will see things as they are without judging them. Thinking of God should be a natural part of our life. It should not be an effort that is visible or felt otherwise. It should be as though

Transliteration maaDuvaMtirabEku maaDadaMtirabEku maaDuva maaTadoLage taanilladirabEku nODuvaMtirabEku nODadaMtirabEku nODuva nOTadoLage taanilladirabEku namma kUDala samGamadEvara nenevutt nenevutta neneyadaMtirabEku

Recitation: http://youtu.be/SaXTE8QxcIc

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we are not making any effort to remember and think of Him. In summary, ‘I’ should not be a part of anything we do, see, hear, etc. Let us remove the ‘I’ from our daily lives! Kannada Commentary

ಮಾಡುವಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು (ಮಾಡುತಿತರುವಂತ ಇರಬ ೇಕು) ಮಾಡದಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು!(ಮಾಡುತಿತರದಂತ ಇರಬ ೇಕು) ಮಾಡುವ ಮಾಟದ ೊಳಗ ತಾನಿಲ್ಲದಿರಬ ೇಕು!!(ಮಾಡುವ ಕ ಲ್ಸದ ೊಳಗ “ತಾನು”

ಇರಬಾರದು) ನ ೊೇಡುವಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು, ನ ೊೇಡದಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು!(ನ ೊೇಡದಂತ ಇರಬ ೇಕು) ನ ೊೇಡುವ ನ ೊೇಟದ ೊಳಗ ತಾನಿಲ್ಲದಿರಬ ೇಕು!! (ನ ೊೇಡುತಿತರುವುದರಲ್ಲಲ ತಾನು ಇರಬಾರದು) ನಮ್ಮ ಕೊಡಲ್ಸಂಗಮ್ದ ೇವರ ನ ನ ವುತ್ತ ನ ನ ವುತ್ತ ನ ನ ಯದಂತಿರಬ ೇಕು! (ಕೊದಲ್

ಸಂಗಮ್ನನುು ನ ನ ಯುತಿತರಬ ೇಕು ಆದರ ನ ನ ಯದಂತ ಇರಬ ೇಕು) ತಾತ್ಪಯಯ:

About the authors: Dr. Sajjan Shiva is Professor and Chairman of the Computer Science Department at the University of Memphis, Tennessee, Fellow of IEEE, teacher, researcher and consultant since 1975. He is an author of 100+ articles in software engineering, cyber security and computer architecture, authored four books used by 120+ universities. Through his weekly blog http://vachanaaweek.blogspot.com he has translated and written commentaries on 200+ Vachanas so far. He has served as the chairman of the VSNA BOR and has been a life member since 1990.

Mrs. Leela Garady is the co-author on http://vachanaaweek.blogspot.com. Leela Garady has an M.A. in Hindi from Bangalore University. She has developed new ways of teaching language to children. She has written and directed plays in Kannada and Hindi for the students at CFL.

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Basava Religion

Ramjan Darga, Karnataka, India

THE RELIGION WITHOUT CASTE AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION

Basava (Basaveshwar) established Lingayat Religion. He denied gender, caste, class and racial discriminations. He created the Ishtalinga, which is the black round shape form object. The working class, lower caste, poor or rich men and women who embrace Lingayat Religion should carry the Ishtalinga on their chest after Deeksha. Thus cobbler Haralayya and Brahaman Madhuvarasa, who was one of the ministers of Kinga Bijjala’s cabinet, became Lingayats. The followers of the religion arranged the marriage of Haralayya’s son and Madhuvarasa’s daughter. But the Brahamans became upset because it was against Manu’s code. The King ordered. Haralayya and Madhuvarasa were given capital punishment called Elehoote i.e. dragging the accused on a street by an elephant.

THE RELIGION OF WORKING CLASS

In 12th century, Basava united the workers of different castes and communities and created a new society without any kind of discrimination. The new Lingayat society created by Basava is called Sharana Sankula. This is the first formation of the working class society in the world without any discrimination among men and women, rich and poor, black and white. According to Basava, there is no hierarchy in professions. He was Prime Minster of King Bijjala’s Kalyan. But never thought his profession is superior to a cobbler’s profession. His followers produced literature also. Their short devotional songs are of social consciousness. The songs are called Vachanas. So far Vachanas of 212 Sharanas were collected. 33 women writers were among them. This is the first working class literature in the world.

THE RELIGION WITHOUT TEMPLES AND IDOLS

The rich temples were the centers of exploitation. They were the meeting places of Brahmans, big businessmen, landlords and officers of the Kings Courts. This group was able to control even the kings. The king used to keep this group in good mood. Many times it was inevitable to the masses to give revenue to the famous temples also. Thus people were exploited by the king and the temple authority. The rich temples were like Swiss Banks, Five Star Hotels and the centers of the worldly pleasure for the rich. The temple dancers were always at their service. This is one of the reasons for Basava to reject the temples. He declared: Body itself is the temple. Thus he denied the idol worship and declared God is within every being.

THE RELIGION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Basava established a socio-religious Parliament called Anubhava Mantapa. There were 770 representatives including women from all cross sections of society. Allama Prabhu who was a genius from the lower strata of the society became the first speaker of the parliament. Here everybody had freedom of expression. It was the center of social, economic, religious and philosophical interaction. It stood for the social justice and human rights. According to the universal declaration of human rights by general assembly of the UNO, there are 30 points of human rights. All the 30 points are in 12 th century Basava’s Vachanas. He declared that there is no difference between the rights of legitimate child and illegitimate child. He pleaded equality in every walk of life.

About the author: Ramjan Darga is a renowned researcher in Basava Philosophy. Mr. Darga is has been the chief guest at many VSNA Conventions including the 2015 VSNA Convention at New Jersey. He has published numerous articles explaining the historical facts that occurred during the 12th century spiritual and social revolution.

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Why Basaveshwara Statue in London?

Dr. Neeraj Patil Former Mayor, London Borough of Lambeth

Thousands of years after the demise of Basaveshwara, Indian society still continues to be plagued by caste and religious discrimination. So much so that many people privately confess that it difficult to survive in a divided society like India without affiliation to a caste or a caste lobby. Politics makes the situation even worse. It’s true that caste still remains the single biggest factor that determines voting behavior of electorate in India. Instead of tackling this social evil like Mahatma Gandhi did, all political parties succumb to caste-based organizations, which exert considerable influence on political parties and their respective elected governments. Is this the kind of society Basaveshwara or the Father of our Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar dreamt? Certainly not! Now forget India, let’s consider United Kingdom. You can take Indians out of India, but you cannot take India out of Indians. The Indian community in North London proved this beyond any doubt. These constituencies comprise of more than 50% Indian population. When these votes were counted, it was clear that they were caste along the lines of caste and religion. The upper caste versus lower caste card was played in Harrow, and Sikh versus Hindu card was played in Southall. Sometimes we wonder how long it will take for this so-called evil caste to be eradicated from the Indian soil. Looking at the scenario today, one can honestly conclude that Basaveshwara failed to turn India into a casteless society. Undoubtedly, Britain is truly a casteless society. This is what even Dr BR Ambedkar experienced and confessed while he was studying at the London School of Economics. He was surprised when he arrived in London and discovered that caste never mattered in the British society. London truly deserves a statue of Basaveshwara and Ambedkar because they both fought against a common evil in the Indian society - Caste. It’s a matter of great honor and pride for every Indian living in London and India to proudly proclaim the existence of a statue of Ambedkar and Basaveshwara. Having said that, we would like to reiterate that by erecting a statue of Basaveshwara one must realize that there is no place for caste or religious discrimination in modern India. We must discover the true Basaveshwara and Ambedkar within us. The Basaveshwara statue project in London is to commemorate the millennium of Basaveshwara, who was a 12th century Indian philosopher, social reformer, statesman and a Kannada poet. The Basaveshwara statue in London is not emblematic of any caste; we despise anyone who attempts to think so. We do understand that erecting the statue of Basaveshwara is also not something that he would have approved. We would like to express our apologies for doing so along the bank of River Thames. Erecting his, or anyone’s statue for that matter, is a clear violation of Basaveshwara’s teachings. He always believed that a human body and soul are embodiment of temple and God. Then why should we have a statue of Basaveshwara in London? We want to make it very clear that the sole aim of erecting this statue is to let the world know who Basaveshwara was. A statue always draws the attention of people to a personality and the values for which he or she fought. We want the world to know that Basaveshwara, a 12th century Indian philosopher and Kannada poet, pioneered the idea of democracy in India many years before, to be precise, 700 years before Abraham Lincoln. It was Basaveshwara who fought for values of freedom of speech, respect and tolerance before anyone else. Undoubtedly, he shares a conceptual relationship with Britain, the mother of all democracies. There is historical evidence that he formed a model Parliament in the 12th century, called ‘Anubhava Mantapa’ which was a platform to debate and to share experiences before coming to any conclusions. Basaveshwara recruited members of all caste and creed into people’s Parliament. Surprisingly, this Parliament had equal proportion of men and women. He was always in favour of gender equality and fought vigorously

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against caste discrimination and gender discrimination in the Indian society. Even to this date, neither India’s Lower House or the Lok Sabha nor Karnataka’s State Assembly, the Vidhana Soudha, reflect the population and the diversity of our country or our state, respectively. The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, used the phrase Jewel of India to refer to Basaveshwara when I met him last, on 24th March 2015. He said that Basaveshwara was someone much ahead of his times. But what surprised me more was Shri Modi’s confession to me: he told me that he chants Basaveshwara’s name everyday while reading the Eka Atmaka Stotra. Our Hon Chief Minister Shri Siddramiah always proudly quotes that he took oath on the birthday of Basaveshwara and is a true admirer of Basaveshwara and his teachings. The statue of Basaveshwara will be unveiled in London by Shri Narendra Modi in the presence of our Hon Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Siddramiah during the next Prime Ministerial visit to London. We will surely let you know when this is going to happen. Please keep reading our London Diary in Vijayavani.

About the author: Dr. Neeraj Patil is a native of Kamalapur, Kalaburgi District. He is also the former mayor of “The London Borough of Lambeth”. Dr. Patil is currently consultant in Accident & Emergency Medicine. Dr. Patil has endeavored to establish the statue of Basaveshwara in a prominent location in London, an ardent task involving lengthy process. Dr. Patil was also the chief guest at the 2014 and 2015 VSNA Convention in Dallas Texas and Whippany, New Jersey.

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A 21st Century Vachana!

Nagaraja.M, VSNA Connecticut

ನಿಜವ ನುಡಿದರೆ, ನಿಷ್ುುರಿ ಅನುುವರು.. ನಿಜವ ನುಡಿಯದಿದದರೆ, ಅಧೆೈರಿ ಅನುುವರು.. ಮದುವೆಯಾದರೆ , ಸಂಸಾರಿ ಅನುುವರು.. ಮದುವೆಯಾಗದಿದದರೆ , ಸನ್ಾಾಸಿ ಅನುುವರು..

ಹಣವಿದದರೆ , ಧನಿಕ ಅನುುವರು.. ಹಣವಿಲ್ಲದಿದದರೆ , ದರಿದರ ಅನುುವರು.. ನ್ಾ ಏನ್ೆೇ ಮಾಡಿದರು, ಮೆಚ್ಚದೆ

ಚ್ುಚ್ುಚ ಮಾತಾಡಿ ಕಿರಿ ಕಿರಿ ಮಾಡುವರು.. ಈ ಜನರ ಮಧೆಾ ನಿರ್ಲಿಪ್ತನ್ಾಗಿ ಅವರಾಡುವ ಮಾತಿಗೆ

ಕಿವಿಗೆೊಡದೆ , ಸದಾ ನಿನು ಧಾಾನಿಸುತಾತ ಸತ್ಾ-ಶುದದ ಮಾಗಿದರ್ಲಲ ನಡೆದರೆ ನಿೇ ಮೆಚ್ಚದಿರುವೆಯಾ .. ಓ ಪ್ರಮೆೇಶವರಾ ....?

Nagaraja Maheswarappa is an active Veerashaiva Samaja member of Connecticut Chapter. Nagaraja works in Information Technology and has hobbies in photography and Kannada literature. Nagaraja is native of Davangere, Karnataka, India.

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Basava News around the World

Shivakumar Swamiji Awarded Padmabhushana

Siddaganga Mutt seer Dr. Shivakumara Swamiji was conferred with Padma Bhushan Award on May 13, 2015 at the mutt

premises here on Wednesday. Additional Chief Secretary V Umesh gave away the third highest civilian award on behalf

of President of India. Source: www.deccanherald.com

PM Modi greets (tweets) nation on Basava Jayanthi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 greeted the people on the occasion of Basava Jayanthi. The Prime Minister took to Twitter to convey his wishes. "On Basava Jayanthi I bow to Sri Basavanna, who devoted his life to service and social reform. His ideals have left a deep impact on society," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. Basava Jayanthi marks the birthday of Basavanna, a 12th-century poet-philosopher, and the founding saint of the Lingayat religion. The festival is celebrated with much pomp and gaiety all over south India, particularly in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Source: http://www.business-standard.com

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Bahrain – Basava Followers Celebrated 'Basava Jayanthi'

Basava Samithi Bahrain celebrated 'Basava Jayanthi 2015' under the patronage of Kannada Sangha.

Source: http://www.daijiworld.com/

Basava Jayanthi to be held officially in Telangana State

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya at the

Basava Jayanthi celebrations at Ravindra Bharati in Hyderabad on Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the Telangana State government will celebrate the birth anniversary of Basaveshwara officially from 2016 onwards. Speaking at the 882 birth anniversary function announced allocation of one-acre land for constructing Basaveshwara Bhavan, financial assistance of Rs. 5 crore from the State government for construction of the building and installation of a bronze statue of the social reformer. [Source: http://www.thehindu.com]

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Central VSNA Updates

BOD 2nd Quarter Updates

By - Channu Kambalyal, President VSNA

During that 2nd quarter, the members and about 20 highly motivated volunteers in various committees spent over 20 hours

in various brain-storming sessions on one or more of these tasks. Following is the summary of progress in each of these

Two-Year Agenda identifying 15 major tasks during the 2nd quarter. Since the timing of this publication is after the 2015

convention, few points from the convention are also indicated in sections where applicable:

1. Official Communication: Keeping in view the importance of direct communication with its members, the Central VSNA

officers – President and Secretary have on multiple occasions initiated direct communication. These included periodical

greets, convention announcements and breaking-news aligned to the mission of the organization. We have about 1300

email subscribers. Steps are being taken to mobilize additions subscribers. Communication via chapter-presidents, the

ground soldiers representing Central VSNA continues.

2. Annual Convention Advisory : The Central VSNA Advisory worked very hard to ensure the annual conventions continue

to be held keeping with the aspirations of its members who look forward to convention every year. It took a while, but

we managed to mobilize the vast potential that existed in the New York chapter. New York chapter successfully hosted

the convention in New Jersey after a gap of 12 years. The last time they hosted was in 2003. The convention team

worked very hard to make this event a great success. The attendance exceeded 700 registrants. The convention team

was supported by a highly motivated central BOD and BOR members and volunteers, which met periodically to advise

and guide the convention team.

3. Ten Year - Annual Conventions Readiness: The task group had a very inspiring discussion on this topic to streamline

the local chapter preparedness for the convention for the next 10 years. The plan is to motivate and get the local

chapters started with the convention thought process early on. On this note, for 2016, VSNA Maryland chapter is all set

for hosting the 2016 convention. Georgia chapter is working towards 2017 convention. Detroit, Chicago and Toronto

chapters have been invited to host conventions for years – 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively. The task group will have

follow-up meetings with all chapters to ensure our readiness.

4. Web-Site and Social Media: VSNA now has 3 main web sites – VSNA Main Site, Matrimony and Convention sites. It

was planned to merge all 3 sites. However due to criticality of convention, we host content on 2 sites with Matrimony

site as the sub domain of the main site. Plans are underway to create a online membership registration using tools such

as Wild Apricot or Sulekha.com.

5. Newsletter – Baandhavya & Spiritual Communication: Attempts are being made to improve the content of Baandhavya.

We welcome anyone who wants contribute in any manner towards this newsletter. Please contact newsletter@vsna.org.

All past newsletters can be viewed online. See VSNA-Resources-Newsletters.

6. Rejuvenate Local Chapters: The task group had a brain-storming session. Various ideas have been gathered. Details

are online – VSNA-Resources-How To Rejuvenate Local Chapters. Several chapters presented their innovative

activities in the 2015 convention. The print out of Model Veerashaiva community booklet was also circulated during the

convention. All these documents will be uploaded online for use by all local chapters to incorporate.

7. Youth Participation: The task group met on several occasions. Plan is to form youth executive team and formalize via

VSNA Bylaws, so that members get elected to official positions. The youth group email id – youth@vsna.org has been

created for youth members to interact. The group discussion is run under the supervision of Leena Paul and Dada Patil.

8. Accounting & Investment Management: The task group meets to ensure the accounts are audited and assets invested

to ensure growth.

9. Election Committee: The election committee is now created and will perform for two years. The committee carried out

their task of filling 3 vacant BOD seats in 1st quarter. They will reconvene in 2016 for the election process.

10. Bylaw Committee: The bylaw committee consisting of 3 former Central VSNA Presidents are working on reviewing

recommendations of the earlier task group that submitted their report and also to include provision on how VSNA can

play positive role when members initiate organizations that are aligned with mission of VSNA and extend the mission

to fulfil local interests. The team presented 10 articles to be reviewed by BOD and BOR. They will continue to work on

the remaining set of articles.

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11. Life-Membership Drive & Dasoha: The task group met briefly to brain-storm on how to motivate local chapter members

to become life-members of Central VSNA. The felt it was not about membership fees but the lack of motivation and the

spread of message of VSNA. The group gathered from the attendees of the convention, what motivates them to join

VSNA and attend VSNA programs. These opinions will form additional content on why others should join VSNA as life

members.

12. Scholarship Fundraising: The task group has initiated to increase scholarship amounts for essays competitions and to

seek donors for scholarship funds. Several youth members were awarded scholarships during the convention. The

team led by Dada Patil also collected additional funds towards the scholarships.

13. Welcome Kit, Brochures and Guidelines Documents: The plan is to prepare printed documents and brochures so that

the package can be distributed to new life-members and also mail certain gifts or souvenirs to life-members at least

once a year. The task group has gathered certain information on booklets, publications, souvenirs to distribute along

with a welcome kit.

14. Awards Committee: The task group for the next two years has been formed. They carried out the task of inviting nominations for various VSNA awards and assessing the award winners. Several awards were presented during the convention.

For latest updates on VSNA – BOD Meeting Minutes please visit VSNA.ORG->Events->BOD Meetings.

*****

BOR 2nd Quarter Updates

By - Laxmi Hiremath, Board of Regents, Chair

In the month of April, BOR meeting was attended by Laxmi Hiremath, Uma Sajjan, Shylendra Kuma, and Dada Patil and

Mr. Doddamani, Advisory Council, Chair.

Mr. Dada Patil presented his ideas to raise funds for youth scholarship to BOD. He also requested approval from BOD to

increase scholarship amount to $1000 and $500 respectively for 1st and 2nd prize. In regards to fund raising, both Shylendra

Kumar and Uma Sajjan suggested that members are more likely to donate if the cause of donation is clearly mentioned.

Mr. Shylendra Kumar will draft a model for raising funds for VSNA in coming months.

Ideas for increasing registrations for Matrimonial website were discussed. Uma suggested there were many unpaid

registrations. Rohini Mensenkai is helping Uma with the challenging tasks. At the monthly BOR meeting in May, Dada Patil

provided the updates on BOD meeting; he got approval from BOD to increase scholarship amount to $1000 and $500

respectively for 1st and 2nd prize!

Several ideas were discussed in regards to upcoming VSNA Convention - fund raising, role of BOR, cultural events and

youth engagement. At the meeting it was deliberated that - Conventions should focus on the religious and spiritual education

of members rather than being a social gathering. Several ways to keep the convention budget to a minimum were discussed.

It was suggested that BOR should act as an advisory committee to Conventions. BOR would come up with strategic planning

and organizational vision and BOD should execute such plans.

At the monthly BOR meeting in June, it was agreed that all the BOR members will go through the existing VSNA By-Laws

to identify any variations or conflicts. The issues will be discussed in the upcoming BOR meetings and proposals will be

submitted to the By Law committee.

Uma Sajjan suggested that she will create and print the matrimonial brochure to be distributed at VSNA convention and

including the banners to be displayed at the convention. All BOR members were encouraged to contribute funds, support

and attend the Convention!

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2015 VSNA Convention - Highlights

The 2015 VSNA Convention was successfully hosted by the VSNA – New York - New Jersey chapter. The convention was

attended by over 700 members. The chapter members demonstrated extra ordinary zeal in planning the event. Some of the

feedback from attendees and photos are given in this section. More highlights will follow in the 3rd quarter.

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For more of these photos, please check on: VSNA.ORG->Chapters>-New-York->Events

Few Feedback from Attendees:

“…You did it! In 4 months you put up an excellent show. Congratulations. The highlights, as per me, were Sangeeta Katti event came out very well, Ramjan Darga spoke very well( main speakers should be given more time at least 25-30 minutes, not 10 minutes), entertainment(Both dramas by Malli Sannpanavar) was good but todllers' programs should be curtailed. All programs were good. Food was very tasty on last day, earlier needed more spice, but quality was good….” Vijay Aivalli, Toronto, Canada

“…. our gratitude for taking hard challenge to host convention within a short period. You had a wonderful team of volunteers

and they made event their own and results were outstanding. Shiva personally you came across as a solid leader. VSNA has

found another dedicated volunteer in you. I also see lot more energetic youth in your team. ….Food was excellent, 4 and half

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stars, complaint here is it was exotic all the time. We need to serve some simple food (we need to sell as satvik food). We need

to pay more attention to children and elderly dietary needs. Cultural programs were excellent. 4 stars on quality. 2 stars on

quantity. We had overdose of programs. We need to control the quantity and quality would improve even further. We need to

have solid Vachana singers and that has to be in prime time. I had lots of expectations from Sangeeta Katti, A. it started late,

B. she was light on Vachanas. Yoga was excellent and we need to bring this super star back every convention. Vachananad

Swamiji sprinkles Vachanas while teaching Yoga and he has totally mastered adult education With his witty style, he really

gets participants to learn. Anubahava Ghosthi, was good 3 stars. We need to reduce reliance on Swamiji's and to bring our

elders and youth on stage. Ramjan Darga was at his best as always. He crosses the boundary of spirituality, linguistic

understanding with sheer love and passion for Lingayatism. He must be regular feature for our convention. I have witnessed

him engage youth and connecting at their level. Very successful event…..”

Yuvaraj Patil, Austin Texas

“New York and New Jersey 2015 Convention Team has truly exemplified how we can all come together, work collectively and live harmoniously. Thank you Shiva Patil and Team for showing the way and making this impressive convention happen within a short time. The Convention kicked off with a divine puje by Swamiji on Thursday, for a moment I felt I was transported to Mount Kailash. Swamiji’s explanation of ‘prasada’ and the needle/water story was illuminating. The yoga turnout was inspiring, food was sumptuous, and plenty of extraordinary talent from little ones to adults was showcased. As always it’s a treat to watch Mysore Nagaraj perform! He performed in conjunction with the convention theme….” Laxmi Hiremath, California Editor’s Note: Many more feedbacks and comments were received. These will be published in Souvenir. Few feedback pertaining to improvements will be carried to 2016 convention.

2016 VSNA Convention – To Be Hosted by Maryland Chapter

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VSNA Local Chapters Updates

VSNA – South California Chapter

By Akkama Avanti

June 6th 2015 marked Basava Jayanthi celebration day in VSNA South California Chapter, about 65 people gathered to feel its throb. Many new families set colors high of a new cheer. Event started off with Guru Pooja led by President Manu Swamy whose clear voice and deep connection to the Guru brimmed the room with a divine presence. Little kids in Sharana costumes had lined up one behind the other waiting in abated breathe ready to recite and perform. Some of the greatest Sharanas of all times entered the podium "BontaDevi", "Akkanagamma", "Ammuge Devaiah, Rayamma", "Akkamahadevi", "Aaidakki Lakkama" followed by Basavanna story narrator each of these kids enthralled the audience by their vachanas insight and mono-act. Highlight of the show was "Basava" skit performance by adults, costume and the presence of Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Channabasavanna, Haralayya and Kalyanamma was mesmerizing. Varieties of delicacies served as Prasada was sumptuous, quenching the thirst of all Taste Buds. All in all a grandeur event. May Lord Basava continue to shine and guide us in his light!

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VSNA - Texas South Chapter The Texas – South VSNA Chapter aka Houston Chapter conducts monthly programs called Mahamane. The chapter hosted the Basava Mahotsava in Pearland, Texas on June 27, 2015. Following are some highlights.

For more details of VSNA – Houston Chapter, please see VSNA-Houston Chapter Facebook pages.

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VSNA – Detroit Chapter

Samarth Setru Detroit Chapter - Youth President

VSNA Detroit Chapter started off the year with Maha Shivarathri, which was held on February 28th, 2015 in Troy, Michigan. This event attracted 28 families with a total of 75 members. Families came from many different parts of the state, including the capital of Michigan, Lansing. The event commenced with the Detroit Chapter introducing a new type of activity to its members: a screening of “Basaveshwara” animated movie produced by Basava Samithi from Bengaluru. This was followed by a presentation of Veerashaivism and how to perform the Linga Pooja. After this many activities ranging from folk dances to recital of shlokas were done by the youth of the Detroit Chapter. The attendance of many of the Detroit Chapter’s members and the activities organized and performed by the youth helped make the Maha Shivarathri event a huge success for the Detroit Chapter of VSNA.

The Detroit Chapter’s next function was Basava Jayanthi. This was held on May 9th, 2015 in Troy, Michigan. For this event, a canned food drive was held. This was a grand success as it yielded many items from all of the members of the Detroit Chapter. Further on, devotional songs, Basava Stuthi, and vachanas kicked off the event. Then, the Linga Pooja was performed by all the members and was led by the youth of Detroit Chapter. Following that, many types of dance performances from folk dances to Bollywood dances were done. In addition, a presentation on Our Swamijis was displayed and this was accompanied by a presentation on Sri Taralabalu Jagadguru. Finally, a Mangala-arathi Pooja concluded the function.

The Detroit Chapter’s annual summer picnic was held on June 28th, 2015 at Kensington Metro park– Milford, Michigan.

On July 25th, 2015, the Detroit Chapter held its youth activity. The chapter volunteered at Gleaners Food Bank–Pontiac, Michigan. Many of the members came to this event including a large amount of Detroit Chapter’s youth members. Together, the members packaged and sorted food and other items to help the hungry in America. They moved a total of 11,200 pounds of food/items and made 9,520 meals for the hungry in America. This event digressed away from the traditional VSNA function and led more toward a social event that still brought all the members together, but also helped the less fortunate people in the country as well.

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VSNA – Ohio Chapter

Click on the Image below to read the Ohio Chapter Newsletter!!!

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VSNA – California North Chapter

Click on the image bellow for latest updates of North California chapter!

VSNA – Chicago Chapter The VSNA Chicago Chapter had 2 programs during the 2nd quarter. On April 11, 2015, the chapter conducted the Allama

Prabhu Jayanthi & Ugadi program at Itasca Park District. The program was sponsored by Jagadeesh & Mamatha

Kalwadmath, Prakash & Mamatha Muppanna, and Prabhu and Sudha Nanjannavar. The highlights of the program were

Linga Puje led by Shrishail Hadimani. VSNA youth – Tejas Hullur, Roshan and Roshan Shirahatti were the Masters of

Ceremony for the program.

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For additional photos of Ugadi Program, please see: VSNA-Chicago-2015-Ugadi Photos.

On May 10, 2015, the chapter members attended the Basava Jayanthi program hosted by the Hindu Temple of Greater

Chicago at Lemont Temple. The program was started off with Linga Puja with our spiritual leader – Shrishail Hadimani for

all kids and adults. The program was sponsored by Neetha & Nandish Dhananjaya, Kiran & Rajiv Kumar, Veena & Prabhu

Shiva and Jyoti & Deepak Patil. VSNA youth – Tejas Hullur, Rahul Shirahatti and Rohan Shirahatti were the Masters of

Ceremony for the program. Mother’s day was also celebrated on this occasion by kids offering a flower to their mom. Some

of the photos of the program are:

For additional photos of Basava Jayanthi Program, please see: VSNA-Chicago-2015-Basava Jayanthi Photos.

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VSNA – Toronto Chapter

Vijaya Kumar Mallanagouda

President, VSNA Toronto Chapter

We celebrated Basava Jayanthi on Saturday, April 25th and had successful event with about 40 families present. Following

are the list of the activities carried on that day to increase the bonding of Veerashaivas in Toronto.

The Program was started with Pooja and Arathi to Vishwa Guru Basavanna by Komala Prabhakara and Ratnavati Mensinkai. Prayers sung on Veerashiavism and Vishwa Guru Basavanna. Kids Performance consisted of - Vachana Gurukar did Bharta natayam to two Vachanas. Aryan Halli recited Vachana. Megha Malemath sang, Sihi Sandesh spoke of friendship. Anika tims recited vachana, coloring contest was based on Lingayatism theme. The Central VSNA update was given by Mr Vijay Aivalli. He also provided, world update – Dr. Neeraj Patil’s invitation to Sri Narendra Modi to unveil Basaveshwara Statue in London and information on conference in NY-NJ The chapter unanimously elected the new executive committee members for the year 2015 – 2016: President – Vijaykumar M; Vice President – Jayashri Kothavale; Secretary – Venkatesh Malghan and Treasurer – Deepak

Dhanigond; Adult Board Members: Annapuran Tims; Kalpana Mandi; Usha Navalyal, and Youth Board Members – Aditya

Malghan; Amey Dhamgunde

Dinner was prepared by members as potluck. Following are few of our photos of the event:

********** *****

*

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VSNA Fund Raising

Basaveshwara Statue in London Dear All, Many of you have expressed an interest and volunteered to contribute towards the "Basaveshwara Statue in London", a major effort initiated by "The Lambeth Basaveshwara Foundation" led by Dr. Neeraj Patil, former Mayor, Lambeth Borough of London. India Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi is expected to be present on the occasion during the month of November, 2015. In case you would like to contribute, please send your contributions to:

Treasurer, VSNA, Irappa Arabhavi, 10 Justin Drive, Mansfield, MA 02048.

Make check payable to : "VSNA"

Mention "Towards Basaveshwara Statue in London".

VSNA will provide a tax deductible receipt for the donations. Names of the donors will be sent to The Lambeth Basaveshwara Foundation. With Regards, Channu Kambalyal President, VSNA

PS: Following is the message from Dr. Neeraj Patil: Dear President VSNA & Executive Committee and Members of VSNA Wishes from Delhi. It was a pleasure to meet you all at the VSNA convention and we sincerely thank you for the solidarity expressed towards the "Basaveshwara statue project in the back drop of British Parliament in London". From the onset let me make it clear that we very well know that erecting the statue of Basaveshwara is also not something that he would have approved and we would like to express our apologies for erecting his statue along the bank of river Thames. We want to explicitly make it very clear that the sole aim of erecting this statue is to simply let the outside world know who Basaveshwara was, and how he pioneered the idea of democracy in India. This statue is a way to draw global attention towards this great man and his teachings. We want to proudly proclaim that 800 years before Abraham Lincoln, Basaveshwara floated the idea of “Democracy and Parliamentary form of Governance". Currently I am in Delhi, according to the sources in Delhi, The Hon Prime Minister of India is coming to London on 13th Nov 2015 and we need to complete the project and plan our event. The magnitude and scale of the event will be directly proportional to the amount of money we can raise. We are very short of time! Please let us know if we can expect a contribution so that we can plan our event expenditure and no hard feeling if there is no contribution. We will always remain grateful for the solidarity and support that you have already expressed towards this great project. On behalf of The Lambeth Basaveshwara Foundation. Dr. Neeraj Patil Former Mayor of " The London Borough of Lambeth" P.S- This statue in London is not emblematic of any caste or religion. Its only aim is the draw global attention towards a man who was far ahead of his times, a philosopher, social reformer, statesman, Kannaḍa poet of Indian origin. We can acknowledge the contribution by engraving on the plinth that “This statue has been erected with the generous support of Basava followers of North America".

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VSNA Convention Trust Fund

Starting 2015, we have re-initiated the VSNA Convention Trust Fund. The VSNA Convention Trust Fund was started in

20XX with a goal to raise 1 Million US Dollars. These funds would be invested and 90% of the annual proceeds would go

towards seed money towards betterment of the annual conventions, and to encourage members to attend the conventions.

During the year 20xx about 300K were collected and these funds are already invested. In order to reach the target amount

of US$ 1 Million, we request VSNA Members to contribute generously towards the VSNA Convention Trust Fund.

In case you would like to contribute, please send your contributions to:

Treasurer, VSNA, Irappa Arabhavi, 10 Justin Drive, Mansfield, MA 02048.

Make check payable to : "VSNA"

Mention "Towards VSNA Convention Trust Fund". VSNA will provide a tax deductible receipt for the donations. Names of the donors will be published online on VSNA.ORG.

Puttaveeraiah Prabhakar Chair, VSNA Convention Trust Fund Committee

VSNA Life Membership

One of the task of the 2015-2016 agenda is the VSNA Life Membership Drive. VSNA patrons are encouraged to become

life-members at the Central level and to service the organization in fulfilling its mission to spread the words of Basava. You

contributions would enable you to have a say in the organizational affairs and to become an active member of the

organization.

In case you would like to become a VSNA Life-Member, please submit your filled-in membership form along with your contribution to:

Treasurer, VSNA, Irappa Arabhavi, 10 Justin Drive, Mansfield, MA 02048.

Make check payable to : "VSNA"

Mention "Towards Life Membership". VSNA will provide a tax deductible receipt for the donations. Names of the donors will be published online on VSNA.ORG.

Channu Kambalyal Chair, VSNA Life Membership Drive Task Group

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VSNA Scholarship Fund

The mission of VSNA is to preserve, protect and propagate Basava Philosophy in North America. In order to encourage the

youth in achieving this goal, VSNA has been providing VSNA Scholarships to the youth members based on their

understanding of the organization and the philosophy of Basava and his contemporaries. Selection criteria is based on the

essays written by the youth. Starting 2015, we plan to increase the scholarship amounts in various categories. We plan to

rise the funds for the VSNA Scholarships separately, instead of using the contributions towards memberships. We

encourage members to donate generously towards the VSNA Scholarship Fund.

Please send your contributions to:

Treasurer, VSNA, Irappa Arabhavi, 10 Justin Drive, Mansfield, MA 02048.

Make check payable to : "VSNA"

Mention "Towards VSNA Scholarship Fund". VSNA will provide a tax deductible receipt for the donations.

Dada Patil Chair, VSNA Scholarship Fund Drive Task Group

ಗಟಹ ೇಶವರಯಯ ದಾನಿಯಾದಡೆೇನು?

ಅವನ ಬೆೇಡಿದಲ್ಲದೆ ಅರಿಯಬಾರದು. ರಣರಂಗ ದಿಥೇರನ್ಾದಡೆೇನು ?

ಅಲ್ಗು ಅಲ್ಗು ಹಳಚಿದಲ್ಲದೆ ಅರಿಯಬಾರದು. ಗೆಳೆಯನ್ಾದಡೆೇನು ?

ಅಗರ್ಲದಲ್ಲದೆ ಅರಿಯಬಾರದು. ಹೆೇಮವಾದಡೆೇನು ?

ಒರೆಗಲ್ುಲಯಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಅರಿಯಬಾರದು. ನಿನುನರಿದೆಹೆನ್ೆಂದಡೆ :

ಸಂಸಾರ ಸಾಗರವ ದಾಟಿದಲ್ಲದೆ ಅರಿಯಬಾರದು ಕಾಣಾ

ಗೆೊಹೆೇಶವರಪ್ರರಯ ನಿರಾಳರ್ಲಂಗ.

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Obituary

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam - Basava Puraskari

October 15, 1931 – July 27, 2015

VSNA expresses deep condolences to People’s President of India, Abdul Kalam, who attained liṅgaikya on

July 27, 2015 while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong, India.

One of the many achievements of Abdul Kalam Azad was his practice of Basava Philosophy to the core in

terms of Daasōha and Kāyaka! Dr. Abdul Kalam was awarded Basava Paraskara by the Government of

Karnataka in recognition of his contributions to the nation and humanity!

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VSNA – Publications

Note: For latest updates please visit: http://www.vsna.org

1. Veerashaivism and Bhakti, Dr. Somashekhar Munavalli (Ed). Bel Air, Maryland, 1988 2. Veerashaiva Religion - An Introduction, Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1989 3. Veerashaivism - A Collection of Essays, Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1990 4. Veerashaivism - History and Fundamental Concepts, Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1991 5. Veerashaiva Religion - Questions and Answers, Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1991 6. Veerashaivism - Comparative Study of Allamaprabhu, Basava Sunya Sampadane and Vachana

Literature, Sri Kumara Swamiji and Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1993 7. Lingadharana, Smt. Vimala Channabasappa, 1993 8. Veerashaiva Sharaneyaru, Dr. S. Munavalli and Siddayya Puranik, 1994 9. In Seach of Shiva, Dr. Saroja Ullagaddi, Clifton, Virginia, 1995 10. VSNA Brochure - Questions and Answers, Dr. Saroja Ullagaddi, et.al., 1996 11. Life, Legacy and Lyrics of Devara Dasimayya, Prof. C. S. Bennur (Translator) Dr. S. Munavalli (Ed), 1998 12. Commemorative Volume - First World Veerashaiva Conference, VSNA Toronto Chapter, Dr. S. Munavalli

(Rd), 2000 13. The Veerashaiva Religion, Its Practices and Principles, Dr. S. Munavalli, Sponsored by JSS, 2002 14. Cardinal Principles of Veerashaiva Religion, Dr. S. Munavalli 15. A Study of VSNA History, 2007 16. The Lingayat Dharma, Dr. S. Munavalli, 2007 17. ABC of Lingayath Dharma, Dr. S. Munavalli, 2007 18. Veerashaivism Made Simple, Sateesh Kavi, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 2007 19. Veerashaiva Religion for Preschoolers, Dr. S. Munavalli, 2007 20. 30th VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA Detroit Chapter, 2007 21. 31st VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA California Chapters, 2008 22. ARIVU - 32nd VSNA Convention Souvenir - Main, VSNA Chicago Chapter, 2009 23. ARIVU - 32nd VSNA Convention Souvenir - Supplement, VSNA Chicago Chapter, 2009 24. 33rd VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA Toronto Chapter, 2010 25. 34th VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA New England Chapter, 2011 26. The Maker's Mint, A Biographical Novel on Basavanna, Sadanand Kanavalli, VSNA & Basava Peetha

Karnataka University, 2011 27. 35th VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA California Chapters, 2012 28. 36th VSNA Convention Souvenir, VSNA Florida Chapter, 2013 29. Siddanta Sikhamani, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 30. A Journey Through Sacred Hindu Scriptures, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 31. Origin of The People of India and The Vedic Culture, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 32. Philosophy and Practice of Vīraṡaivas, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 33. A Journey Through Hindu and Vīraśaiva Concepts, Dr. Linga Raju, 2013 34. Bhagavad-Gita, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 35. Sunya Sampadane, 2nd Edition, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 36. Evolution of Veerashaiva Concepts, Part-I, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 37. Evolution of Veerashaiva Concepts, Part-II, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 38. Evolution of Veerashaiva Concepts, Part-III, Dr. Linga Raju, 2014 39. Lingayoga, Dr.Linga Raju, 2014 40. Commentary-on-"History and Philosophy of Liṅgᾱyat Religion" by Prof. Sakhare, Dr. Langa Raju, 2014 41. Jangama, Dr. Linga Raju, 2015 42. Veerashaivism – A Guide Book, 2015

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WITH BEST WISHES TO ALL VSNA MEMBERS

FROM

VSNA Newsletter – Committee