Great Devotees of Lord Siva 66B

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Om Namah Sivaya Akka Mahadevi Akka Mahadevi was born about 1150 A.D. at Udutadi, a place of historical importance in Shivamogga District of Karnatak State. Her parents, Nirmalshetti and Sumati, were great devotees of Siva. Akka Mahadevi, even when a young child, displayed her religious proclivities which she probably inherited from her parents. She was a paragon of beauty and princess of lyrical poetry. Her vachanas or sayings are a poetic testament of her mind's reaction to the wonder and awe of existence. Though the same wonder and poetry are there in her sayings, yet they are deepened and widened by the calm of meditation. Keen

spiritual longing shifts the emphasis from the wonder of the outside universe to the significance of the self within. The quest for God, her favourite Channamallikarjuna, rekindled the emotional exuberance of her early poetic genius and compelled her inwards to explore the infinite depths of the soul in which the central principle of creation or God is reflected. She measured the heights of philosophical imagination, yet she did not remain content with the mere intellectual curiosity, she sought more and more a centre of reference in God whom she approached through ardent love and devotion. She instinctively felt that

man can never be fully and wholly fulfilled through self-discipline and knowledge, though self-discipline is arduous and knowledge superior. A more human approach to God lies through pure and unselfish love which withdraws most of the obstacles that the ego interposes between the divine and the devotee. The holy atmosphere at home, the beauty of the natural surroundings and the innate Godward tendency; all these were calculated to make Mahadevi a genuine mystic. The divinity already inherent in her began to manifest all its radiance while she was yet in her teens, i.e., at the age of eight she was initiated into the secrets of Linga. At the age of 16 this concept ripened into full resolve and she could state with firm conviction: "Listen Oh! mother, I love

him He is the one, the only oneHe knows no birth and death He is uncabined by caste or climeHe is boundless, changeless, formless He is beautiful beyond comparisonAll other fade away and die at last I will have none of themMy Lord shall forever be The One Channamallikarjuna." A turning point, however occurred in the life of Mahadevi when she, along with many others, had come to see the procession of Kaushika, the king of that place. The king saw Mahadevi among the crowd and was smitten with love for her. With a desire to marry her, the King started negotiations with her parents. But Mahadevi refused to marry the King. She summarily rejected his pleadings, cravings and ravings. The King brought

pressure to bear. For the sake of her parents, she enters into a conditional marriage. When the King breaks the condition, she quits the palace. All of a sudden a psychic conversion took place in her and she left Udutadi. She left her home and her parents. She left even the clothes she was wearing. Being guided by an inner urge she began to wend her way towards Kalyana, which was then a place of pilgrimage. But it was far away from Udutadi. Her parents and even some friends tried to dissuade her by picturing the difficulties she might have to encounter on the way. To them her answer was poignant, yet to the point: I am no helpless woman I utter no futile threatsI am nothing daunted I shall dare hunger and painI shall steal out of withered

leaves A wholesome mealAnd on pointed sword Shall make my bed.I am ready for your sake To dare the worstTo die this instant The readiness is allOh! my Channamallikarjuna. With unflinching faith in God she marched on passing through hills and dales, through shrubs and thickets, through woods and planes and reached Kalyana where she was accosted by Basaveshwara, the founder of Anubhava Mantap. But Allama Prabhu, the President of Anubhava Mantap, put her many questions which she answered in a singularly charming manner. She wanted to participate in the proceedings of the Anubhava

Mantap. Here is an interesting dialogue between Allama Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi: Allama Prabhu: Where from didst thou come, Madam? Tell us who thy Lord is, otherwise our saints forbid thee. Akka Mahadevi: God Channamallikarjuna is my Lord. I am not at all related to any mortal human of this world. Allama Prabhu: Thy profuse hair have hidden the body as a garment. God Guheshwara regards this garment as improper. Akka Mahadevi: Of what use is it if the body turns dull and dark, if it appears blithe and bright? When the heart is rendered pure by the grace of Channamallikarjuna, the complexion of body is of no consequence. Allama Prabhu: If thy heart is pure, why dost thou hide thy body with

the hair? That may be due to inward bashfulness which expresses itself outwardly. This our God Guheshwara does not like. Akka Mahadevi: I hide it so that your saints may not be enticed. Sivaya Namah

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