Vachanas are the essence of life, says Aravind Jatti

The values embedded in the vachana literature have the ability to raise persons from mundane concerns to eternal bliss. The values are relevant at all times as they trespass the barriers of time, religion and nationality, said Basava Samiti president Aravind Jatti.

He was speaking during the release of 'Vachana', the volume of Konkani vachanas, at a programme organised by Basava Samiti, Bengaluru, in association with Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation at the World Konkani Centre in Shaktinagar on Sunday.

Speaking about the objective of the project, Jatti said that the project was initiated with a thought that the verses by vachana composers like Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Akkamahadevi and others should not be confined to one language and, hence, was transliterated into other languages. He hoped that the Konkani vachanas will be popular in the days to come.

Stating that the motto of Basava Samiti is to introduce vachana literature to the entire world, Aravind Jatti said that 2,500 vachana compositions will be brought into 23 languages including Arabic.

Kalburgi and vachanas

Jatti meanwhile recalled the contributions of researcher late Prof M M Kalburgi to the project. "Kalburgi had handed over the manuscript of vachanas. He was present at a workshop on Konkani transliteration of vachanas in Bengaluru, barely a week before his demise," he said.

Speaking about the Konkani volume of vachanas, writer Dr Geetha Shenoy said that Konkani vachana was an ambitious project of 10 years, realised under the chairmanship of Aravind Jatti. Up to 2,500 vachanas of 173 sharanas (vachana composers) have been brought into Konkani in the volume 'Vachana'.

Kannada professor and Basava Patha editor Dr Mruthyunjaya Rumale delivering a lecture on Vachana Sahitya, said that the essence of vachana is the essence of an ideal life itself. The Kannada vachanas, which were a part of an oral tradition, were first published by Missionary press in Bellary (now Ballari) in 1893. Later, the English translation of vachans were published by Pha Gu Halakatti in 1922.

When Dr B R Abmbedkar was the Draft Committee chairperson of the Indian Constitution, he went through all religious scriptures and the work by Halakatti was among them, as quoted by draft committee member Subrahmanian. Even Gandhiji was inspired by the vachanas, he said and added that vachanas will be alive amidst all kind of ideologies.

Basava Samiti Central Committee member Aroor Kishore Rao was the chief guest. Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation chairperson Dr P Dayananda Pai and Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation president Basti Vaman Shenoy were present.

Aravind Jatti was felicitated by Dr P Dayananda Pai on the occasion. Greeshma Kini sang Konkani vachanas prior to the formal programme.