Does the peacock leave the hills
And play in the meadows?
Does the swan shun the lake
And seek shallow streams?
Does the peacock leave the hills
And play in the meadows?
Does the swan shun the lake
And seek shallow streams?
Does the cuckoo sing
Before the mango sprouts?
Does the butterfly go
To a flower bereft of fragrance?
Tell me, my friends: can I
Desire someone other than
God Chennamallikarjuna?
***********
When you build a house in the mountains
It will not do to be scared of wild animals.
When you build a house on the ocean shore
It will not do to be frightened by breaking waves.
When you build a house in the marketplace
It will not do to shy away from noise.
Hear me Chennamallikarjunadeva
Being born on earth it will not do
To lose peace of mind by praise or blame.
***********
(Courtesy: Poets and Saints-Kannada Poetry-
Selected and Translated by G S Amur, Writers Workshop, 2008)
Akka Mahadevi is among the best known of the 12th century Veerashaiva Vachanakaras. Her extraordinary life: forced marriage with king Kaushika, her breaking away from the king, family and even clothing, and her journey to Kalyan where she interacted with Allama, Basavanna and other Veerashaiva Sharanas (saints) and then on to Srishaila her final resting place, has fascinated millions. She has been an iconic figure among the women poets in Kannada because of her radical questioning of social mores, her intense longing for Chennamallikarjuna (Shiva) and high poetic quality of her Vachanas (poems). She boldly affirmed the individuality of a woman and successfully gained acceptance from her peer saints. Akka Mahadevi’s life and work have become a source of inspiration to this day for all those fighting for the emancipation of women.