Sri Vijaya Dasaru(1682 AD – 1755AD)

Seva by: V.Prabhakar RaoSingapore Nov 2008Please also visit: www.rayarusgrace.org

“Agyana thimarachedham buddhi sampath pradhayakam

Vigyana vimalam saantham Vijayakya Gurum bhaje”

“Pranam to Guru Rayaru Sri Raghavendra Theertharu”

His presence in Mantralaya acted as a catalyst for bhakti and haridAsa movement to flourish in the surrounding areas. All the major haridAsas who came after him were mainly from those areas. It is amazing to see such a high incidence of haridAsas coming from one area. This is against the laws of probability and can be explained only by the presence of RAyaru in Mantralaya. It became a tradition for every haridAsa who came after RAyaru to visit mantrAlaya and render sEve to RAyaru. We see compositions of great haridAsaslavishing their respect and affection for RAyaru.

Sri Vijaya Dasaru was one of them.“Raghavendra Guru Pavana Kaya ... Raghavendra Manthralaya Nilaya” – Sri Vijaya Dasaru

Sri Vijaya Dasaru is supposed to have seen and conversed with RAyaru personally several times. Some of the devaranAmas composed by him reveal insights that ordinary people would never get. In one song (“noDidhe gurugaLa noDidhe ..”), he talks of seeing Lord Narasimha, Rama, VedavyAsa and Krishna on the four sides of the brindAvana, all the gurus from Acharya Madhva down to his own guru present within the brindAvana, and Lord LakshminArayana in the form of a discus (chakra) granting the desires of devotees.

“Nodidhe Gurugala nodidhe ... nodidhe Gurugala nodidhe ... nodidheno Guru Raghavendraramadidheno bhakuthiyali vandane .... bedidheno kondadi varagala .... eeduilladha koduva GurugalaNodidhe Gurugala nodidhe ” – Sri Vijaya Dasaru

Among the Haridasas, Sri Vijaya Dasaru holds a very revered status, next only to Sri Purandara Dasaru. He is said to be an avathara of Sri Bhrighu Maharishi. In the Threthayuga he was one of the vaanara sainya and thus served Lord SriRama. In Dwapara Yuga he was a Yadava serving Sri Krishna. In Kaliyuga, he was born as a calf of a cow in Sri Purandaradasaru’s house and again was born as Sri Purandara Dasaru’s youngest son. In order to fulfill his father Sri Purandara Dasaru’s wish that he should complete the unfinished work of his father, he was born again as Vijaya Dasaru. Sri Purandara Dasaruhad composed 4,75,000 devarunamas and he had ordained his youngest son to be born as Vijaya Dasa and compose the balance 25,000 devarunamas, to complete 5,00,000 dasapadhas.

His Suladhis were so famous that he is renowned as “Suladhi Dasaru”. At a time when the Haridasa tradition was beginning to wane, after the great Purandara Dasaru – Kanaka Dasaru era, it is Sri Vijaya Dasaru who is credited to have pulled it back to the former glory. He inspired lakhs of people with his krithis in simple sanskritized kannada, carrying profound messages of bhakthi and Madhwacharya’s philosophy.

guru purandaradAsare nimma charaNakamalava nambide||garuvarahitana mADi ennanu poreva bhAravu nimmade||

- Sri Vijaya Dasaru

Sri Vijaya Dasaru(1682 AD – 1755AD)

The birth town of Sri Vijaya Dasaru

Map courtesy: Maptell

Dasappa (who was to later become Vijaya Dasa) was born to Srinivasappa and Kusamma who were very poor Brahmins in Chekalaparvi (on the banks of

Thungabadhra river) of Manvi Taluk in Raichur District.

Sri Vijaya Dasaru (1682 AD – 1755AD)

“Intha prabhuva kaneno” – Sri Vijaya Dasaru

His early years were spent in utter poverty. He did not receive much of a formal education. His good physique and poverty in combination made him the target of people who used to mockingly call him “Kusi maga dasa” and give him errands to do for them. One such unfortunate day when he was denied food and sleep but was asked to do a lot of work in a marriage of a rich man’s family, saw him walking aimlessly out of his village in sheer frustration. When he reached the neighbouring village called Saki a kind soul (KulkarniKesava Raya) invited him home and offered him food consisting of “huggi and gothsu”. After partaking this food Dasappa did not return to his village. Instead he went away to Kashi(Benares). After spending four years in Kashi, he came back to his village. His parents got him married and he led an uneventful but poor life for the next 16 years. All the time two things were troubling him. He was constantly remembering the kindness of Kesava Raya and wondering how he should repay his kindness. The other was a nagging pull of Kashi and all the spirituality it represented. After his parents’ demise he took off to Kashi for the second time. This time it was a journey which was to bring a profound change in him.

Sri Vijaya Dasaru(1682 AD – 1755AD)

He spent his time in Kashi in satsangha and in constant Hari smarane. He was living as guided by Sri Purandara Dasaru in his composition “Smarane ondhe saladhe”. One night in his sleep, Lord Hari in the form of his father Sri Purandara Dasa woke him up, took him to the other bank of Ganges river, made him have the darsana of Sage Vedavyasa, wrote on his tongue the divine word “Vijaya” and blessed him as a Haridasa from that moment. Lord also showered him with His ashirvada that he would become a great composer of Dasa Sahityaand will be honoured and praised all over the world. He woke up from his profound dream in ecstasy and started praying Lord Hari. From that moment life turned upside down for him. No more Dasappa, he became Sri Vijaya Dasa. Whatever he spoke became a sahitya. All his devarunamas and other compositions carried the signature (ankita) “Vijaya Vittala”. People started thronging where he was and fell at his feet. The King of Benares sent his palanquin and many rich gifts. Sri Vijaya Dasaru understood what was happening. It was all Lord Hari’s grace. It was at this time that he sang, his most famous song, “Ninna Olimeyindhanikila janaru bandhu manneesuvaro Maharaya”

Sri Vijaya Dasaru returned to Chekalaparvi, his village, from Kashi. Everyone was thrilled to see the transformation in him. He went on composing and singing about the greatness of Lord Hari. His suladhis and devarunamas reached the ordinary folks of that time and gave them spiritual upliftment. People were happy. He had a host of disciples. Among them three in particular .... “BakthiyalliBhaganna, yukthiyalli Mohanna & sakthiyalli Thimmanna” .... were growing up in a special way. Later on Bhaganna was to become the famous Haridasa called Sri Gopala Dasaru, Mohanna who was the foster son of Sri Vijaya Dasaru became the renowned Sri Mohana Dasaru and Thimmanna whose vairagya was highly evolved became Sri Venugopala Dasaru ....... all through the grace and blessings of Sri Vijaya Dasaru.

Sri Gopala Dasaru was extremely devoted to his Guru Sri Vijaya Dasaru. It was Sri Gopala Dasaru who composed the well known “Karuna Kavacha”, which is a prayer to Sri Vijaya Dasaru, commencing with the couplet:

There was a great scholar Sri Subbannachar in a nearby village called Kallur. He was a renowned scholar who had attained the supreme status of being an authority of “Nyayasudha” in short referred as “Sudha”. This was a grantha written as a commentary on Srimad Madhwacharya’s Brahmasuthra bhashya, by the renowned Sri Jayatheertharu (also known as Tikacharyaru). Mastering Sudha is considered as difficult as trying to rule the world. There is a saying that goes “Sudhava pataneeya vasudhava paalaneeya”. But this Subbannachar was subject to intellectual arrogance. He had heard about Sri Vijaya Dasaru but looked down upon him as a mere kannada song composer. There was a religious event “SudhaMangala” in his place where Sri Dasaru came disguised as a cook and prepared the special sweet dish “mandige” since the original cook was unable to turn up. And then when he was taking leave of Subbannachar, he requested him for a few teachings from Sudha. But Subbannachar in his arrogance insulted him saying Sudha is far above intellect. Sri Dasaru, without getting perturbed, requested for atleast a line from Sudha and he was rebuffed again. Sri Vijaya Dasaru pulled a odd job person from the kitchen in front of the Pandit and holding his hand commanded him to give a talk on Sudha. The oddjob person confounded the entire audience and the Pandit with a non-stop recital of Nyayasudha, as long as Sri Dasaru held his hand. The moment Sri Dasaru dropped his hand his intellect dropped back to its original level. Sri Subbannachar was dumbfounded. He realised he is standing before a divine mahan blessed by God. He fell at his feet and requested to be accepted as his disciple. Further Sri Vijaya Dasaru fulfilled his wish to be made a Haridasa and gave him the ankita “Vyasa Vittala”.

This disciple of Sri Vijaya Dasaru (Sri Subbannachar) later on composed a stothra in praise of his Guru Sri Vijaya Dasaru which is famously called as “Vijaya Kavacha” and chanting it regularly has

been a tradition with the kannada womenfolk for the past 250 years or more.

“Smarisi badhukiro divya charanakkeragiro ...... Dhuritha tharidhu poreva Vijaya gurugalembara”

ORIGIN OF “VIJAYA KAVACHA”

I had already written about the remarkable life history of Sri Jagannatha Dasaru. A well known sanskrit scholar Srinivasacharyafrom the village Manvi but who had not learnt the virtue of humility was transformed into one of the purest Haridasas, by the grace of Sri VijayaDasaru. In fact under his instruction his disciple Sri Gopala Dasaru gave away 40 years of his life to an ailing Sri Jagannatha Dasaru who had virtually passed away. And Sri Jagannatha Dasaru utilised this new lease of life, to carry the magnificence of Lord Hari to people all over through his compositions of devarunamas, through his magnum opus “Harikathamruthasara” and to spread the mahatmiya of Guru Sri Raghavendra Theertharu through his krithis.

Sri Jagannatha DasaruAuthor of the Magnum Opus “Harikathamruthasara”

“Dhyanavana madu bimbamurthiya anandhadhalli kulithu .....”

- The devarunama through which Sri Vijaya Dasaru gave upadesa to Sri Jagannatha Dasaru

Once when Sri Vijaya Dasaru was at Anegundi to conduct the Sri Purandara Dasaru’s aradhana he happened to save a woman who was in the act of committing suicide along with her child. This woman was dejected and depressed with the treatment from her relatives after her husband’s death, and was in total penury. Both she and her child were suffering from malnourishment and were in a bad shape. Suicide looked like the only way out. Sri Dasaru saved them, brought them to where he was residing, adopted that woman as a sister and adopted that child as his foster son. And Sri Dasaru and his devoted wife Aralamma nursed them back to good health. They brought up this child, Mohanna, in the strong tradition of the Haridasa family. He also displayed all the auspicious qualities of a potential Haridasa. When he got back his original father’s wealth he spent that wealth for dharma karyas. Under the guiding hand of his Guru and foster father Sri Vijaya Dasaru this good young man became the renowned Sri Mohana Dasa. It is Sri Mohana Dasaru’s descendants who are celebrating Sri VijayaDasaru’a aradhana at Chippagiri “Vijaya Dasara Katte” every year , even today.

Sri Mohana Dasaru

He made another journey to Kashi. It is said that he was in deep meditation in padmasana on a rising Ganges river which did not even wet his clothes nor disturb the mudras on his body. His disciples and his brother who were with

him were stunned by this miracle and realised the blessed status of Sri Vijaya Dasaru.

On his return from Kashi, there was a beautiful interaction between Sri Dasaru and Sri Sathya Bodha Theertharu, the Head Pontiff of Uttaradhi Mutt, in one of the karnataka villages. Sri Sathya Bodha Theertharu was camping in a neighbouring village and hearing about Sri Vijaya Dasaru’s arrival he invited Sri Dasaru to join him in his puja. But Sri Dasaru had accepted the invitation of a woman of questionable morals to visit her house, accept her offering and

bless her. This act of Dasaru enraged the villagers. The Uttaradhi Mutt officials took the approval of Swamiji and announced a boycott of Dasaru. Dasaru was unperturbed by it. But that day Sri Sathya Bodha Theertharu did not find the puja satisfying. He felt he was unable to go through it in full. He felt the Lord Rama’s idol was lacking the

usual glory. He appealed to Lord to know what was wrong. He got the answer that he had offended Sri Vijaya Dasaruand it has made his Lord Rama unhappy. The very next day he sent forth an invitation to Dasaru to join him in the

puja and prasada. When vijaya Dasaru went there and did his namaskara, the Swamiji said, “It is clear you have Lord’s Grace in full. Please give me back my Rama”. Dasaru said, “Your Rama is with you. Please conduct the puja”.

Later during the day when they were having a private conversation Sri Dasaru explained to Sri Swamiji that that woman was a devatha and he had promised to help her in her journey back to her original self.

A lovely interaction between two Mahatmas

Sri Digvijaya Moolaramo Vijayathe

An outstanding episode from the life of Sri Vijaya Dasaru

“Uppu ikkithavananu muppina thanaka nene”(உப்பிட்டவைனஉள்ளளவும்நிைன )

Sri Vijaya Dasaru’s travels brought him back to the village Saki. We recall that it was in this village that a Kesava Raya

fed a very hungry and dejected Dasappa (before his transformation as Vijaya Dasaru) with “Huggi & Gothsu”.

We also recall that Dasappa was all the time wondering how can he repay that gentleman for his kindness. What an

opportunity came up for Vijaya Dasaru to show his gratitude in a magnificent manner! ..... Read on .....

When Sri Vijaya Dasaru reached this village, Kesava Raya had just performed his son’s marriage and on the very day his son had an accident and died. People brought that young wife of the young man who had passed away to Sri Vijaya Dasaru and sought his blessings to bring him back to life. At that

time Vijaya Dasaru’s disciple Gopala Dasaru was with him. Both of them went to the place where the young man’s body was lying. Sri Vijaya Dasaru sat there, closed his eyes and intensely prayed to God through thirteen Ugabhogas starting with “Purandara Dasaru vaisyamathammana vara kumarakana

badhukisidharu ...” . As he was singing with single focused devotion, tears of bhakthi were flowing down his cheeks. Gopala Dasaru, who was standing next to him, went on wiping those tears away.

There was an appearance of a jyothi in the house. Sri Vijaya Dasaru opened his eyes with a cry of “Sri Hari”. The young man woke up as if from deep sleep. Everyone was overwhelmed with happiness,

especially the father Kesava Raya. At that moment Vijaya Dasaru looked at Kesava Raya and asked whether he remembers him from the past. Kesava Raya could not. And then Sri Vijaya Dasaru

reminds him about his feeding him when he was hungry and without access to food. How blessed this Kesava Raya was! How Sri Vijaya Dasaru lived out the saying “Uppu ikkithavana muppina thanaka

nene”!!

An outstanding episode from the life of Sri Vijaya Dasaru

“Uppu ikkithavananu muppina thanaka nene”(உப்பிட்டவைனஉள்ளளவும்நிைன )

This divine episode is referred to as “Huggi prabhava” and forms an inspiring chapter in Sri Vijaya Dasaru’s charithra.

Dasaru wanted to spend his final days at the Bhaskara kshetra called Chippagiri (near Guntakal). He used to sit in deep meditation under a ashwatha (Peepal) tree in a very isolated place. There was a small pond nearby. Dasau used

to take bath in that pond and sit under the tree for dhyana. He liked the serenity of this place. This place was part of a 100 acres land belonging to one Santhappa. He used to show a lot of respect to this yogi. One day he asked Dasaruwhy he was staying in this isolated place when all the temples and institutions in the town would be keeping their

doors open to him. Dasaru told him that this place is a holy land and a serene one. Further his God was in his pond. Santhappa dipped into the pond and at the location specified by Dasaru he found the muruthy of Lord

Gopalakrishna. He was overjoyed. He constructed a temple for this vigraha. And Dasaru spent his final days in this temple. In the year 1755 karthika suddha dasami Guruvara early morning Sri Vijaya Dasaru left this earth for Hari’s

feet. In this place “Chippagiri Vijaya Dasara Katte” his aradhana celebrations take place every year with intense devotion.

Chippagiri – Dasara Katte

The famous Suladhi of Sri Vijaya Dasaru “Kankanakara Suladhi”describes the “Chakrabja Mandala”

Ack:www.Vijayadasaru.net

Chakrabja Mandala is a unique sacred chart utilised for the meditation of God, designated as Ghruni (meaning the most compassionate). He is meditated upon as most compassionate. The uniqueness lies in the fact that this has been very briefly mentioned by Sri SriMadhwacharya in his grantha (without details) but further elucidation with full details hadto wait for Sri Vijaya Dasaru, for over 400 years.

Sanje tanaka Iddu saNNa Soutu thumba\Ganji kaaNade baLalidheno\ Himde|

Vyanjana Naana subhakshabhojyangaLa \Bhumjisuvudu Maththeno|| Swamy Ninna Olimeyinda .........

- Sri Vijaya Dasaru

It is an ecstatic cry of a great soul that has gone through a phenominal transformation and has realised that it is all God and His

Grace!

Sanje tanaka Iddu saNNa Soutu thumba\Ganji kaaNade baLalidheno\ Himde|

Vyanjana Naana subhakshabhojyangaLa \Bhumjisuvudu Maththeno|| Swamy Ninna Olimeyinda .........

- Sri Vijaya Dasaru

This is perhaps THE song that springs to everyone’s mind when they think of Sri Vijaya Dasaru. It is an electrifying experience watching a whole hall

reverberating with this song in any Devarunama concert, with the entire audience joining in. I had this experience most recently in Vellore, India, with the

renowned Devarunama exponent Mysore Ramachandra Achar leading the singing. It happens even here in Singapore when the Dasa Koota meets. When

someone in the group starts this song the whole drawing room of the host reverberates with the vibrant singing of the entire group. Such is the spiritual power residing in this song. While Sri Dasaru is addressing Lord Hari in this

song, for me this song also represents my relationship with my Guru ShriRaghavendra Theertharu. The words of Sri Dasaru in this song touches a deep

chord somewhere inside me.

Sri Vijaya Dasaru’s works represent an invaluable treasure chest. The profound ideals and the essence of bhakthi running through and through in all his works prove very inspirational and uplifting. Whether you sing them or listen to them you cannot but feel inspired and cleansed. Regular chanting and singing of his

suladhis, ugabhogas and devarunamas will constantly elevate our gyana, bhakthiand vairagya.

The true way of celebrating his aradhana lies in singing his dasapadhas and/or listening to them.My namaskara to this great Haridasa

Sri Vijaya Dasaru Vijayathe!

My wife & self want to dedicate this piece of work to all the devotees who will be

celebrating this year’s Sri Vijaya DasaraAradhana (Nov 7th-8th-9th)

Sri Vijaya Dasaru(1682 AD – 1755AD)

Dharma brings happinessDharma brings happiness

Acknowledgements:

• www.Dvaita.Org

• www.vijayadasaru.net

• www.GuruRaghavendra1.org

• “Sri Haridasa Vijaya” original in Kannada by Sri Belur Kesava Dasar and compiled in Tamil by Smt.Padma Srinivasan