(1134-1196 A.D.)

Hail unto Lord Basava -Thou'rt like the tree fulfilling desires of devotees

Glory unto Thee -mighty causal -Thou'rt Almighty's splendour

Hail unto Thee -ocean of kindness -Thou'rt the kith and kin of adorers

Victory to-bestower of wishes-tend us kindly, O, Lord Basava.

Viswaguru Basavanna, the Dharma Incarnate and the blessed child of Almighty bestowed the world with a new revolutionary  religion. He was born in the summer of 1134 A.D. the day and time in the traditional (almanac) calender being the Rohini period of the third Akshaya day of Vyshakha month, Anandanama Samvatsara (30-4-1134), to parents Madarasa and Madalambike belonging to a Shaiva Brahmin family of Ingaleswara Bagewadi in Karnataka State.  Since the boy did not agree with the blind beliefs and irrational traditions, he left the house, the parents and relatives in search of truth and knowledge and went to Koodala Sangama in Bagalkot District of Karnataka State and joined  Gurukula-educational centre there as a student.  He was a youth of 21 years, by the time he finished his studies on scriptures.  He was deeply pained to see ignorance, meaningless traditions, casteism and untouchability deep-rooted in the society and started thinking seriously to find out remedy for the same.

On 14-1-1155 he had divine vision and was blessed when he realised that it was not correct to give human/animal form to God who is formless and that the universe,  the creation of God is
hyperbolic in form and as such it is correct to worship God in the form of the universe i.e. hyperbolic form.  Thus he gave the concept of Ishta-Linga.  With the intention of making this concept as an instrument to overcome discrimination between caste, class, creed, sex etc., and transform them into Sharanas, Basavanna declared it as an emblem of the religion-Lingayatism.

After revelation, Basavanna entered into his field of work at Basava Kalyana in Bidar District with fullfledged plan in his mind for the establishment of an ideal welfare society.  He married Sharane Neelaganga, the daughter of his maternal uncle, Baladevarasa and took the job of accountant in the palace of king Bijjala. Thereafter he rose to the position of Finance Minister and finally to the post of Prime Minister. He established the unique and glorious Anubhava Mantapa, an Academy of Socio-Spiritual and Religious experience and propagated the revolutionary religion, the religion accessible to all irrespective of their original caste or creed.  He was responsible for the flow of Dharma Ganga to every door and to the minds of all. Everybody who got initiated to his religion was treated equal. As an ideal example he encouraged a marriage to be solemnised between two families who embraced the new religion.  Originally, one family i.e. that of Sharana Madhuvarasa belonged to Brahmin and the other family. i.e. that of Sharana Haralayya belonged to cobbler.  This made the traditionalists very much upset and they instigated the king Bijjala to condemn and exile Dharmaguru Basavanna.  After Dharmapita Basavanna left Kalyana obeying the punishment-order given by the king, all the three, Haralayya, Madhuvarasa and Sheelavanta-the bridegroom were sentenced to death in a very cruel way.  They had a tragic end. Their eyes were plucked; legs tied together were dragged along in the open field by an elephant till they succumbed to death.  Thereafter the traditionalists hatched another plan to destroy the Vachana literature, the holy scriptures. But heroic mother, Akkanagalambike,  the enlightened soul Channa Basavanna and vindictive natured Madivala Machideva fought bravely to save the canonical scriptures to the posterity.  Today it is the esteemed treasure not only for Karnataka but for the whole world as well.

Such a glorious personality-Viswa Guru Basavanna, the founder of Lingayath religion, a great prophet and the divine spell incarnate lived for 62years, 3months and 2 days and ultimately merged with Lord, the Almighty as camphor in the flame on Shravana Shuddha Panchami day of Nalanama Samvatsara (30-7-1196).