Let's THINK : By Dr.King, Swami Satyapriya: Romance 05. Have you seen my beloved?

Akka Mahadevi is on the final phase of her journey. She wants to make the impossible possible. Though without a body consciousness, she does have a body and that body has its own limitations. It wants to see the formless in some form. That is because it can only perceive forms. It does not understand abstract things.

On the path of spirituality, a spiritual seeker often busies himself or herself in various rituals. That comes naturally as a consequence of having a body. Even these social reformers like Allama, or Basavanna or even Akka Mahadeva could not come out of these physical ways of wooing God. Albeit they rejected mythological stories about God, overcame the need for temples, need for explicit idols of God, and so on, they still looked upon God as having some form.

Allama called that form as Guheshwara – the Lord of the cave. For Basavanna it was Koodala Sangama deva – the God who resides at the confluence of two rivers. Akka Mahadevi saw it as Chenna Mallikarjuna – the handsome one who shines and fragrant like the Jasmin flower.

All these people might have rejected idol worship and the baggage of mythology. But they still worshipped a small polished stone held on top of their stretched palm. They called it “Ishta linga” – loving symbol of God. They needed that to interact with God. That shows the limitations of the human mind – it cannot focus on something that has no form!

As Akka Mahadevi progresses on her spiritual journey, she realizes this limitation of the human mind. She laments

“O my Lord Chenna Maliikarjuna, how do I please you?

If I worship you by following various rituals, it is futile, since you are beyond all perceptible forms.

If I try to meditate on you, I fail there too, since you are beyond words and mind.

I try to chant your name. I sing your praises. But even that is futile since you are beyond all sounds!

I try to intellectually understand you and experience you. But I fail there too, since you are beyond intellect.

I try to imagine you within my heart. How can I do that since you are all over?

I don’t know how to please you. It is better that you yourself be pleased with me.”

“ashta vidhaarchaneya maadi olisuvene ayya?

neenu bahiranga vyavahaara doorasThanu.

antharangadalli dhyaanava maadi olisuvenE ayyaa?

neenu vaak manakke atheethanu

japa sthotradinda olisuvene ayyaa?

Neenu naadaateethanu

bhaava jnyaanadinda olisuvene ayyaa?

Neenu mathigatheethanu

hridaya kamala madhyadalli imbittu kombenayya?

neenu sarvaanga paripoothanu

olisage avaLavalla, neenu olivudE sukhavayaa”

So, it was a continuous struggle between what mind says and what the body expects, what the scriptures say and what the mind understands. Akka Mahadevi is on this final stage of her God hunt.

She starts moving from place to place. Passes through dense forests. Meditates in lonely caves. Who can tell her how to find her beloved?

In one of the most beautiful poems or Vachanas, Akka Mahadevi asks

“O animals and trees of the forest,

O moon, who spreads the soothing light,

O songbird, who pleases everyone with your sweet voice,

I beg all of you. If you people know where my beloved Chenna Mallikarjuna resides, please show me the way to Him.

O parrots, who keep chirping all the time,

have you ever seen Him anywhere?

O swans, that swim in the ponds,

at least have you seen my Lord?

O bees, that hover around,

have you seen Him?

O peacocks dancing on the mountain peaks, at least have you seen him?

If any of you know where my beloved Chenna Mallikarjuna resides, please tell me where He is.

If any time you see Him anywhere, please show Him to me. I beg all of you.”

“aLi sankulave, maamarave, beLadindaLe, kOgileyE

nimmellaranu ondha bEduvenu,

ennodeya chennamallikaarjuna dhevana kandare karedhu thOrirE

chilipili endhOdhuva giLigaLiraa