The speaking Brindavana

It is very well known that Raghavendra Swamy or Rayaru spoke to Sir Thomas Munroe from the Brindavana. This episode is written in the Madras Gazeteer and also in other accounts.

But what is not known is that Rayaru spoke to several other persons, including some of the great Haridasas.

The Haridasa movement had waned after the demise of the Vijayanagar empire in 1565. Purandara Dasa had died an year before, ie 1564 in Hampi. When the Vijayanagar Empire was defeated in the battle of Talikoti, Hampi was completely destroyed and burnt. Almost every person, soldier, poet, nobleman, and even the Haridasas scattered.

Even the sons of Purandara Dasa left Hampi for safer places. This mass desertion was more than justified as the Muslim hordes fell on Hampi with such ferociousness that nothing remained of the once magnificent city.

Decades later, the Haridasa Sahitya once again took a new form and this time it was Mantralaya and surrounding areas that became the centre of Haridasa Sahitya. Our beloved Rayaru had entered brindavana in 1671 and scores of Haridasas sought the blessings of Rayaru.

Many Haridasas composed their works in Mantralaya or sang their compositions before the brindavana of Rayaru.

One of the first Haridasas who was inspired by Rayaru was Vijaya Dasa (1682-1755). Believed to be an incarnation of Purandara Dasa’s son Madhwapathi Dasa, this poet-saint composed 25,000 songs.

Vijaya dasa was a contemporary of Vadeendra Theertha, the great grandson of Rayaru.

Vijaya Dasa visited Mantralaya several times and each time he devoted a Devera nama in Rayaru’s name. So intense was this Haridasa’s devotion, that he personally saw Rayaru sitting in the Brindavana and conversed with him.

He was a contemporary of Sri Vadeendra Teertha and visited Mantralaya several times. He is supposed to have seen and conversed with Rayaru personally several times.

During one of his visits, he burst into the beautiful song, “Nodidhe Guragala Nodidhe, Nodidhe Gurugala Nodidhe, Guru Raghavendrara Madhidheni Bhaktialli Vandane” when he saw Rayaru sitting in Padmasana, in the Brindavana.

This song also ecstatically speaks of  Dasaru seeing Lord Narasimha, Lord Rama, Vedavyasa and Krishna on the four sides of the Brindavana.

The composition further says Dadaru ios nlessed at seeing all the great Acharys from Madhwacharya to Raghavendra Swamy.  He also sees Lord Lakshminarayana in the guise of a discuss (chakra) readily granting the wishes of the devotees.

Another Haridasa who shared a close bond with Rayaru was Gopala Dasa.

Gopala Dasa (1722-1762) was a disciple of Vijaya Dasa. He gifted 40 years of his life to Jagannatha Dasa.

Gopala Dasa also saw Rayaru in the Brindavana and he also spoke to him several times. In many of the songs, Gopala Dasa has thrown light on earlier incarnations of Rayaru. Some of his  compositions on Rayaru are Kotta Bidaradalli Yestu Dina Jeevisalli, Vairagya Marga Kelu, Hyange Maadalavyya Hogutidhe Ayushya, Mooru Namava Darisida.

Jagannatha Dasa the author of Harikathamrutasara, has composed the highest number of songs by Haridasas on Rayaru.

He spoke to Rayaru so frequently and so regularly that other devotees became envious of it.

Rayaru stopped taking to him from the Brindavana. A deeply sorrowful Dasa sang “Yakke  Mukanadheyo Guruve”. That night Raghavendra Swamy came in his dreams and told him that they could continue their conversation uninterrupted in dreams.

When he placed Harikathamrutasara before the Brindavana of  Rayaru, the Mantralaya seer himself walked out of the Brindavana and blessed him. The Dasa immediately went into a trance and sang Yeddu Barutaro Noode.

Rayaru shared a special bond with Jagannatha Dasa. When Rayaryu was Prahalada, Jagannatha Dasa was his brother called Sahalada.        

Prasana Venkata Dasa of Kakhindiki in Bijapur district went to Tirupathi with the Anugraha of Rayaru. He too is believed to have felt and seen Rayaru. He also conversed with Rayaru in his Brindavana and then left for Bagalkot.

When he saw Rayaru in the Brindavana, he could not contain himself and he sang “Yelu Sri Gururaya Bellagaitu.”

Mahipath Dasa (1611-1681) is another dasa who wrote innumerable compositions. His most famous is Kolu Kolanna Kole. He has also seen Rayaru in the Brindavana and composed songs on him.
Rayaru cured Praneesha Dasaru of leukoderma. However, he left a small spot as it is on the body of Pranesha Dasaru. When asked why, Rayaru said Praneesha dasaru was an incarnation of King Pandu. This King had  leukoderma and Rayaru had left the spot as a reminder of  Dasaru's great lineage.  

Apart from these Haridasas, there are others who have either seen or heard Rayaru. Blessed are those who have interacted either in person or in their dreams with Rayaru.