Songs of Vyasa Raja

Vyasa Raja is one of the most important saints of the Madhwa parampare. He started the Vyasa Koota and the Dasa Kota. While the Vyasa Koota was a philosophical movement comprising among others Vadiraja Theertha, Srinivasa Theertha, Rama Theertha, Vijendra Theertha, Sudhindra Theertha and several others, the Dasa Koota was made of poet-composers and singers like Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Belur Vaikunta Dasa.

Vyasa Theertha or Vyasa Raja was a master of both the kootas and he has written scores of songs in all genres but only a few remain.

The most famous of his composition is “Krishna Nee Begana Baro” which is sung even today in all the dance programmes.

Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha (1447-1539) first wrote with the Ankita Krishna and then changed to Sri Krishna.

Some of his other compositions include Avava Bageyinda: Bharatipatiya Pada: Eduraro Guruve Samararo: Ellimaya Yaadane: Yenna Bimbamuruthiva: Govinda Govinda Krishna: Jarathvavanu Maadida: Jayavayu Hanumantha: Kava Divayu: Krishna Krishna Krishna: Labavahudu Harikathamura: Mahiume Salade Iste: Pavamana Sanjatha Maruti and Tore Begane Toraja Nayane

The English lyrics of Avava bageyinda are as follows:

AvAva bageyiMda nInE rakShisuveyO

dEvAdi dEva shrIkraShNa nInennanu

hiMdinakAlava vyarthavAgi kaLedenO

muMdina gati chiMte lEshavillavo

saridu hOyitu dEhadoLagina balavella

maMdavAdavu iMdriya gatigaLella

AseyeMbudu ajana lOkakke muTTutide

kAsu hOdare klEshavAguttide

mOsamADi mrutyu baruvuda nAnariye

vAsudEvane enna dayamADi salahO

janaru dEhava biTTu pOpuda nA kaMDu

enna dEha sthiraveMdu tiLidukoMDu

dAnadharma modalAda hariya nEmava biTTu

The lyrics of  edurAro are:

edurAro guruve samanAro

madana gOpAlana priya jayarAya

kaDugarjisuva kEsariyaMte nimma vAda

gaDaNeya kELuta nuDi muMdODade

gaDagaDa naDuguta mAygOmAygaLu

ADaviyoLaDagOru nimma bhItiyali

kuTila matagaLeMbo chaTulaMdhakArakke

paTutara tatvaprakAsikeyeMteMba

chaTulatApadiMda khaMDisi tejO

tkaDadi merada budhakaTakAbja mitra

amita dvijAvaLi kumudagaraLisi

vimatara mukhakamalaMgaLa bADisi

svamatara hratsaMtApagaLODisi

vimala sukIrtiya paDedeyO chaMdra

vEdashAstragalEmbO shraMgagaLiMda su

dhAdi graMthagaLembO stanadiMdopputa tatva

bOdhaneyeMba dugda shiShyavatsaMgaLige

Adaradali koTTa yatisuradhEnu

vyAsasUtragaLeMba maMdaravanu vEda

rAShiyeMba varAShiyoLiTTu

shrI sarva~g~jara vAkyapAshadi sutti

bhAsura nyAyasudhA paDeda yatIMdra

vanajanAbhana guNamanEgaLu sarva~g~ja

munikrata graMthagaLavaniyoLagaDe sa

jjanarige bEkAMjanadiMda tOrisi

ghana sukhasAdhana mADidyOdhIra

ArthimaMdAra vEdArthavichAra sa

martha ShrIkraShNa pAdambhujalOla pra

tyarthi mattEbhakaMThIravakvObya

tIrtha karaja jayatIrtha yatIMdra

The song elli mAyavAdane goes as follows:

elli mAyavAdane raMgayyanu

elli mAyavAdane

elli mAyavAda pullanAbha kraShNa

chelve gaMgaLeyaru huDuka hOguva banni

maMdagamaneyarella kraShNana kUDe

cheMdadi iddevalla

kaMdarpa bAdhege guriya mADidanalla

maMdamati namage baMdu odagitalla

sarasijAkShiyaru kUDi kraShNana kUDe

sarasavADutaliddeve

karekaregoLisi manathribAdhegoppisi

charaNasEvakarAda taraleyaranu biTTu

bhaktavatsala dEvanu tannavarannu

akkaradali poredanu

sikkade hOganu huDukuta hOguva

akkayya bannire uDipi shrIkraShNanu

The enna biMba is anothert famous song:

enna biMba mUrutiya pUjisuve nAnu|

manamuTTi anudinadi mareyadE janarE||

gAtravE maMdira | hridayavE maMTapa | sUtravE mahaddIpa | hasta chAmaravu |

yAtre pradakShiNe | shayana namaskAra | sAstra mAtugaLella maMtraMgaLu ||

 enna svarUpaveMbude rannagannaDi | enna manOvratteyeMbudE Chatrike |

innu nuDiva harinAmAmratavE tIrtha | enna manaveMbudE siMhAsana ||

anya dEvate yAke | anya pratime yAke | anyavAda maMtrataMtravEke |

ennalli bharita sAdanegalu irutiralu | chennAgi shrIkraShNasvAmiya pUjisuvE ||

The Govinda Govinda song is as follows:

govinda govinda kriShnA hari

govinda mukunda gopala krishnA

kaDegannilindomme noDo nee

naDigeraguveno nee dayamaaDo

biDadenna ninnavarolu kUDo en-

noDeya nityaananda nee nalidADo

makkalagoDeya neenaagi hasu

makkalakuDa neenaaDa hogi

sikkide bahu dinakaagi dindi-

mikendu kunisuve baa chennagi

hrudaya kamala dolage ninnA

padakamalavanne nee daya gaiyyo munna

chadura kuniyo chelvaranna vibudara

oDeyane nityaananda Krishna

 

The jAratvavanu song is as follows:

jAratvavanu mADida pApagaLigella

gOpIjana jAraneMdare sAlade ?

chOratvavanu mADida pApagaLigella

navanIta chOraneMdare sAlade?

krUratvavanu mADida pApagaLigella

mAvanna koMdavaneMdare sAlade?

prati divasa mADida pApaMgaLige ellA

patitapAvananeMdu karedare sAlade?

iMtippa mahimeyoLogoMdannAdarU omme

saMtasadi neneye salahuva sirikraShNa

The song on Hanumantha or Anjaneya is equally famous:

jaya vAyu hanumantha jaya bheema balavantha

jaya pUrna mativantha jaya salaho santha

anjaneyali huTTi andhu rAmana seve

nandadindali maaDi kapi balava kuDi

sindhu langisi kalara vana bhangisi site-

gungurava koTTi lankapurava suTTi

harige chuDAmani yanitthu harigala kuDi

sharadiyanu kaTTi aribalavanu kuTTi

uraga bandandinda kapivararu maimareye

giriya sanjivanava thandhu badukisida

dwaparAnthyadalli paanDu bhupanatmanendenisi

sripArtha sArathiya bajaka neenAde

paapi baka keechaka hiDimbakara

kopadindali taride mUrjjagadi merede

dhuradali duryodhanana bhalavanu thilide

aritu dushaasanana oDalanu bagede

urava tappisi kauravanna thoDegala muride

hariya kinkara durandharagaaru sariye

kali yugadali kallarudisi durmatigalanu balisi

sri hariya gunagala maresi

kaliyabbu sarisalu guruvaagi avatarisi

kalara durmata muride srikrishna paranende

The Abhavahudu is as follows:

Abhavahudu harikathAmrutha

padumanAbhana pAdada pathadi

ahudu sajjana gaNake satyA

arishaDvargaMgala toradu

jaridu tApatrayava kaledu

muraharana pAdada pathadi

iralu sajjane gaNake satyA

elu dinavu pariskshitanu

veley arithu hariya katheya

keli mukthanaada mele

kelida katheya kela beku

eraDu galige kaTwAnga rAya

harana puradi sri kRuShNaMNa katheyu

smarisi mukta naada mele

nirutha katheya kelabeku

Another small but beautiful composition on Hanuman is

pavamana saMjata maruti !

ninageNeyaaro ee jagadi maruti !!

aMjane udaradi janiside bhava baMjana namava paaDide !!

aMjade siMdhuva daaTide mudreyuMgura seetege neeDide !!1!!

kuMti kumaara kali bheemane mahadaMta sameera niseemane !!

naMda kishOrana oliside maha saMdhaana korryava seeLide !!2!!

vEdaaGna viprara varasuta divya vEdaaMta peeThada yativara !!

gOpi caMdanadoLu aDagida muddu gOpaala kRuShNana pUjipa !!3!!

hIna viShayagaLigeraguve sirikraShNa

koLalanUduva chadura yaare pELammayya||pallavi||

taLiraMdadi taa poLeva karadi piDidu||a.pa||

naadadi tuMbitu gOvardhanagiri

yaadavakula ghana oreditu khagakula

saadhisi nODalu kRuShNanu Igale

saadhyavE nI bRuMdaavanadoLu||koLalanUduva||

mEvu maretavu gOvugaLellavu

saavadhaanadi haridaLu yamune

aavu kaavutali gOvaLarellara

haavabhaavadali bRuMdaavanadoLu||koLalanUduva||

suraru suridaraakaaSadi sumagaLa

saridu pOgi nODe bRuMdaavanadoLu

saari saari SrIkRuShNanu Igalu

turugaLa taa kaayda kadaMbavanadoLu||koLalanUduva|

Some of these songs are also Taratamya songs. The Taratamya concept was one of the most important tenets of Madhwacharya. For him, there was a clear and distinct gradation of gods or Taratamya and all Madhwa saints, including Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha and all Haridasas accepted and propounded this in their writings.