The advocate who became a Haridasa

He was born and brought up in an orthodox Madhwa family. He became an advocate and a very popular one at that. He had a good practice and he gave it up after he became a Haridasa.

Today, he is more known as one of the persons who played a leading part in compiling, protecting and bringing to light many compositions of he Haridasas of Karnataka along with the scripts.

This man was from Raichur district and he was born in devout Madhwa family where discourses on Shastras and Puranas were held every day.

He was also a freedom fighter and he was put behind the bars for reading about the freedom movement and defying the censorship laws. 

This man is none other than Gorebala  Hanumantha Rao who was born in Lingasur of Raichur district in 1893. Hanumantha Rao was born in Gorebala village to Venkata Rao and Balamma.

Venkata Rao was working as a clerk and he gave good education to his son who then went on to graduate in law. He took up law as his good friend Swami Rao who later became Varadesha Vittala Dasa and was the son of  Rama Dasa ( Sri Pranesha Vittala), was a advocate.

Soon, Gorebala  Hanumantha Rao became a famous advocate. He practised law for some time before he became a disciple of Guru Jagannatha Vittala Dasa of Kosigi.

Guru Jagannatha Dasa initiated Hanumantha Rao into the Haridasa fold and gave him the ankita Sundara Vittala. Once Hanumantha Rao received the ankita, he stopped practicing law. He then turned his attention to Haridasa Sahitya.

He also earnestly translated Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Pancharatna, Puranas and Brahmasutra Bashyas from Sanskrit to Kannada. He then started Sri Varadendra Haridasara Sahitya Mandali. 

The Mandali collected many manuscripts of Haridasa Krithis belonging to Sripadaraja, Purandara Dasa, Raghavendra swamy, Vijaya Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa and his disciples, Vasudeva Vittala Dasa, Guru Vijaya Vittala Dasa and many others.

In 1957, he started Karnataka Haridasa Sahithya, a magazine, that was published for two years before being discontinued. He was felicitated in 1964 for his role in popularizing Kannada by the Raichur Kannada Sangha.

Even today, old timers of  Lingasugur recall how Mr. Rao used to travel from one house to another selling books on Madhwa philosophy and Haridasa Sahitya. His only aim was to popularise these books among the people and ensure that the teachings and compositions were not forgotten.

He passed away in 1969.  

The miser who became a Haridasa

Just like his friend Purandara Dasa, he too was rich person and he was a miser too. If Purandara Dasa lived in Kshemapura in Shimoga district, he lived in Belur in Hassan district.

Though both were contemporaries, they did not know each other. If Purandara Dasa was a Madhwa Brahmin, this person was a Srivaishnava. If Hari himself transformed Purandara Dasa into a Haridasa, it was Vadiraja Theertha (1480-1600) who gave this man from Belur deekshe and transformed his mundane life into a pious and holy one.

Both Purandara and the man from Belur met at Hampi where they quickly became close friends. Both accepted the venerable Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha (1447-1539) as their guru and both composed innumerable devaranamas.

The man from Belur later went on to make a mark as a great devotee of Sri Krishna whom he always worshipped. This man is none other than Belur Vaikunta Dasa (1480-1550).

It was Vadiraja who reformed a rich Vaikunta Dasa and gave him a Hayagriva Saligrama. Vadiraja told Vaikunta Dasa that he could amass untold wealth and riches if he worshipped the Saligrama with sincerity and devotion.

More out of greed, Vaikunta Das began performing pooje daily to the Saligrama. Slowly but surely, he became devoted to the Saligrama and the pooje continued. Over a period of time, he realised that the Saligrama was more precious than all his wealth and that it could never be quantified.

He became a devotee of Hayagriva and lost interest in the materialistic world. When Varidara realised that Belur Vaikunta dasa was a transformed man, he blessed him and named him “Sri Vaikunta Dasa.”

Vaikunta Dasa became a Haridasa and began composing Kirtanas in Kannada on Sri Hari with Ankitha Vaikunta.

Vaikunta Dasa was a native of  Belur and he rarely if ever stirred out of Belur. He has a few compositions in Kannada which bear the ankita nama Vaikunta Dasa. He became a close friend and companion of Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa and also a disciple of Vadiraja Theertha.

His devotion to Hari was such that Krishna danced in front of him when he sang. All the three dasas -Vadiraja, Kanaka and Purandara have paid tributes to Vaikunta Dasa.

Purandara Dasa went around the Vijayanagar Kingdom spreading the tenets of Madhwacharya and singing the glory of Hari. During one such tour, he came to Belur in Hassan district where Belur Vaikunta Dasa was staying.

Vaikunta Dasa rarely, if ever, stirred out of  Belur and the few times he did was to visit his friend Purandara Dasa and his guru, Vyasa Raja. Though he was a Srivaishnava scholar, he  composed many songs on Hari.

Vaikunta Dasa lived in a house in Belur and when Puranadara Dasa came, he saw a beautiful child playing on the lap of the Dasa. Both Belur Vaikunta Dasa and the boy, whom Belur Vaikunta Dasa called Keshava, were so engrossed in playing that they did not notice Purandara Dasa.

When Purandara Dasa came very near to them, he suddenly realised that the Keshava who was playing in the lap of Belur Vaikunta Dasa was none other than Krishna himself.

Even as Puranadara Dasa was about to speak, the child looked up and on seeing a stranger burst into tears. The incessant crying of the child immediately spurred Purandara Dasa into composing a poem.

This beautiful poem is:

 “aLuvadyaadako raMgaa! atta raMjisuva  gummA  

puTTidELu divasadali!duShTa pootaneeya koMde

muTTi moleya haaluMDa kaaraNa! dRuShTi taakitE ninage kaMdayyaa  1

bAlakatanadalli gO! paalaroDagooDi

kALiMga maDuvanu kalakida kAraNa! kaalu uLakitE ninage raMgayyaa    2

turuva kaayalu pOgi! bharadiMda maLegareye

beraLali beTTavanettida kaaraNa! beraLu uLukitE ninage kaMdayyaa    3

vasudEva sutanaagi asurara mardiside

basurali bommana paDeda kAraNa! kisaru taakite ninage raMgayyaa     4

sharaNu vElaapurada  doreye  chennigaraaya

sharaNara salahuva karuNAnidhiyE varada puraMdara viThala rAya        5

When Purandara Dasa began singing in his melodious voice, the child stopped crying and gave a smile.

Puranadara Dasa stayed back at the home of Belur Vaikunta Dasa for some time before proceeding on his onward journey.

Another time, when Purandara Dasa was walking on the streets of Hampi or Vijayanagar one evening with Belur Vaikunta Dasa, a rogue elephant suddenly came out of nowhere and charged at them.

While Purandara Das managed to take evasive action, Vaikunta Dasa came face to face with the animal. Purandara Dasa immediately began singing,

“Sakala duritagala parihara maado Venkatesha, bhaktige volidu bandu bhaktana kaayo Venkatesha….varada Purandara vittala,”

Meanwhile, the elephant ran upto Vaikunta Dasa and it saluted the Dasa with its trunk and left. A dumbfounded Purandara Dasa had no words to describe his feelings and he embraced Vaikunta Dasa and both continued their evening stroll.  

A staff saved him from snake bite

He was asleep when Lord Hari came in his dream and asked hi to stop working as a clerk. The Lord directed the man to approach Jagannatha Dasa of Manvi and take instructions from him.

Lord Hari also told the man that he should become a disciple of Jagannatha Dasa and become a Haridasa. When the dream ended, the man got up and he determined to follow his dream.

The man went to Jagannatha Dasa who then was living in Manvi. He served Jagannatha Dasa devotedly for twelve years. One day, he was ruing his fate at having to spend 12 years when Jagannatha Dasa came to him and said he had asked him to stay back here as he would have otherwise died. He then gave him a staff and warned him that he would be bitten by a snake. However, he would live of he kept the staff on the wound. He then blessed Narasimha and asked him to leave.

Narasimha then took leave of Jagannatha Dasa and came under the influence of Hundekara Dasa or Srisha Vittala. He was given the ankita Sreesha Vittala Dasa by Hundekar Dasa. When a snake bit him, he remembered the words of Jagannatha Dasa and kept the staff on the wound. Sreesha Vittala Dasa survived the snake bite. 

He then settled down in Kuntoji village on the banks of the Tungabhadra.

After staying for some time in Kuntoji, he made Kampli his home. Kampli too was on the banks of the Tungabhadra. By then, this man had earned name and fame as Kuntoji Dasa or Narasimha Dasa or Kuntoji Narasimha Dasa. He was also known as Shreesha or Srisha Vittala Dasa.

Born in Kanakagiri, his father was Thamanna, a clerk. Thamanna had performed seve and pooje to the famous Narasimha of Kanakagiri to beget a son, whom he named as Narasimha.

Thamanna decided to retire from service and he asked Narasimha to take over his duties. He stopped working as a clerk only after Lord Hari asked him to do so. 

Like Jagannatha Dasa, his Guru, this Haridasa too was a devotee of Raghavendra Swamy or Rayaru and he has composed some of the most evocative and beautiful songs on the bard of Mantralaya.    

“Nodele Manave, Kondaadu Gurugala Padaa, Eedillavo Punyake, NadOge Guru Raghavendra Rayara Seve Madidhava Parama Dhanya Maanya”, is one of his best known songs on Rayaru.

His composition, “Guru Madhwarayarige NamO NamO, Guru Madhwa SaMtatige NamO NamO” is another famous work that even today is sung at the beginning of any Bhajan programme or Haridasa Sammekana.

“Baro Guru Raghavendra, Barayya baa Baa Narahari Priyane Baa, Guru Shreesha Vitalana KaruNa Patrane Bega Baa Guruvarane Parishoshisennanu Mareyadhale tava CharaNa Koteyalirisi Charambujavva Thorutha Twarithadhali Ododi Baa Baa”, is another popular song by this Haridasa.

He has written a beautiful commentary on Sriharikathamrutsara. Born in 1740, he lived for more than a hundred years. He died in 1846.

The aradhane of this great saint is being held at Kampli from January 1. 

The Suladi on Lord Rama

Vijaya Dasa (1682-1755) is a renowned composer and Haridasa. He is believed to have received the ankita Vijaya Vittala from Purandara Dasa himself who came in his dream and gave him Deekshe.

Vijaya Dasa wrote 25,000 songs and he sparked the revival of the Haridasa Sahitya after it had declined following the defeat of Vijayanagar in the battle of Rakasa Tangadi or Talikota in 1565.

Vijaya Dasa was an ardent devotee of Raghavendra Swamy of Mantralaya. Some of his best compositions are on Rayaru and he is the first Haridasa to tell us about the Swaroopa of Rayaru.

He wrote under the ankita Vijaya Vittala. 

He has written so many suladis that he is even today known as Suladi Dasa. This is a suladi on Rama.

Here are the lyrics in Kannada.

ಧೃವತಾಳ- 

ವಂದೆ ಮುಕುಂದ ಮುಚುಕುಂದ ಪರಿಪಾಲಕ| 

ಕುಂದೇಂದು ವದನ ಆನಂದ ಮೂರ್ತಿ| 

ಗಂಧ ದೋಷ ದೂರವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಚಿತ್ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ| 

ಯಿಂದ ನೋಡೆ ಚತುರ್ವಿಧ ದೋಷ ದೂರಾ| 

ವಂದೇ ಮುಕುಂದ ನಮೋ ವೃಂದಾರಕ ಮುನಿ| 

ವೃಂದ ವಂದ್ಯ ಸುಖಸಾಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ವೋತ್ತಮಾ| 

ಮಂದಹಾಸ ಮಂದಾಕಿನಿ ಜನಕ| 

ಸುಂದರೀನಾಥ ಗೋವಿಂದ ಇಂದೀವರದಳ ಶ್ಯಾಮ| 

ಕಂದರ್ಪ ಕೋಟಿ ಲಾವಣ್ಯ ತಾರುಣ್ಯ ಸದ| 

ಮಂದಿರಾ ವೈಕುಂಠ ವೈನತೇಯಾ ಶ್ಯಂದನ| 

ಸ್ಕಂದ ಸನಂದನಪ್ರಿಯ ಪುರಂದರ ನಂದನ್ನ ಮಾನಭಂಗ| 

ಇಂಧನಭೋಕ್ತಾ ನೇತ್ರ ಒಂದೊಂದು| 

ಒಂದಾರು ಮೇಲೋಂದು ಕಂಧರನ ಗೋಸುಗ ಅಹಮತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ| 

ಬಂದು ನಿಂದೆದಿರಾಗೆ ಜಡಮಾಡಿ ನಿಲಿಸಿದ ಅ| 

ರಿಂದರು ದಮ ಶಾಂತ ಪೂರ್ಣಾಪೂರ್ಣಾ| 

ವಂದೆ ಮುಕುಂದ ನಮೊ| 

ನಂದ ಗೋಕುಲ ಪಾವನ್ನ ವಿಜಯವಿಟ್ಠಲ ರಾಮ| 

ಚಂದ್ರ ಪಾಪ ಪರ್ವತಕ್ಕೆ ಇಂದ್ರಾಯುಧವೆಂದೆನಿಪ||೧|| 

-ಮಟ್ಟತಾಳ- 

ಮಂಗಳಾಂಗಿ ರಮಣ ರಂಗ ರಂಗೋರಂಗ| 

ಪುಂಗವ ಪರಿಯಂಕ ಸಂಗ ಸಂಗೀತಲೋಲ| 

ಅಂಗ ವಿಚಿತ್ರಾಂಗ ತುಂಗ ಮಾತಂಗರಿಪು-| 

ಭಂಗ ರಾಜಸಿಂಗ ಭಂಗರಹಿತ ಸರ್ವಾಂಗ ರೋಮ ಪ್ಲ-| 

ವಂಗ ಕಟಕನಾಯಕ ಇಂಗಿತ ಜನರಂತ-| 

ರಂಗ ಕರುಣಾಪಾಂಗ ರಂಗುಮಾಣಿಕ ಭೂಷಾ| 

ಶೃಂಗಾರಾಂಗ ಮಾರ್ಗಣ ಶಿಂಗಾಡಿ ಹಸ್ತ| 

ವಂಗುಳಿ ಚಾತುರ್ಯ ಗಂಗಾಧರ ಚಾಪ-| 

ಭಂಗ ಭಕ್ತವತ್ಸಲ ರಂಗ ರಂಗರಾಮ| 

ಮಂಗಳಾಂಗ ದೇವೋತ್ತುಂಗ ವಿಜಯವಿಟ್ಠಲ| 

ಜಂಗಮ ಸ್ಥಾವರ ಜಂಗುಳಿ ಜಡ ಭಿನ್ನಾ||೨|| 

-ತ್ರಿವಿಡಿತಾಳ- 

ಇಂದ್ರಗೋಪದಂತೆ ವರ್ನದಿಂದೊಪ್ಪುವ| 

ಅಂದವಾದ ದಿಗ್ವಿಜಯ ರಾಮಾ| 

ಚಂದ್ರ ಭಕ್ತ ಚಕೋರ ಮಾನವ ಮನುಜ ಲೀಲಾ| 

ಸಂದರುಶನ ಮಾತ್ರದಿಂದ ಲಾಭಾ| 

ಸಂದೋಹ ಕೊಡುವನೆ ಕ್ಷಾತ್ರ ಕುಲೋತ್ತಮ| 

ಶ್ಯಂದನ ಹತ್ತು ನಾಮಕ ನಂದನಾ| 

ಇಂದೆನ್ನ ಹೃದಯಾಬ್ಜ ಮಂದಿರದಲಿ ಬಂದು| 

ನಿಂದಾಡುವ ದಾಶರಥಿಯೆ ತಂದೆ ತಂದೆ ತಂದೆ| 

ತಂದೆ ಈ ಪರಿ ಎನ್ನ ನಂದವಾದ ಮನಕೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಮೂರ್ತಿ| 

ಪೊಂದಿಸು ಭುವನ ಪಾವನವಾದ ಚರಣಾರ| 

ವಿಂದ ಪಾಂಶ ಲೇಶ ಧರಿಪಾರಲ್ಲಿ| 

ಬಂದು ಕಾರುಣ್ಯಸಿಂಧು ನಿನ್ನಂಘ್ರಿ ನಖಚಂದ್ರ| 

ಚಂದ್ರಿಕೆಯಲಿ ಎನ್ನ ಹೃತ್ತಾಪವ| 

ನೊಂದಿಸು ನಾನಾವತಾರ ನಾರಾಯಣಾ| 

ಮಂಧರೋದ್ಧರನೇ ಮಹಾ ಮಹಿಮಾ| 

ಸಂದೇಹ ಎನಗಿಲ್ಲ ನಿನ್ನ ಕಂಡಮೇಲೆ| 

ಬಿಂದು ಮಾತುರ ಕ್ಲೇಶ ಎನಗಿಪ್ಪುದೇ| 

ಕೊಂದು ಬಿಸುಟುವೆನು ಖಳರ ಉಪದ್ರವ| 

ಕಂದನಾನೆಲೋ ನಿನಗೆ ಜನುಮ ಜನುಮ| 

ಎಂದೆಂದಿಗೆ ಎನ್ನ ಸಾಧನದಿಂದಲಿ ಆ-| 

ನಂದ ಕೊಡುವೆನೆಂಬೊ ಕೀರ್ತಿಯುಂಟೇ| 

ಬಂದು ಸೇರಿದ ಭೂತ ಪ್ರೇತಾದಿಗಳು ಮಂತ್ರ| 

ದಿಂದಲಿ ಅನ್ನಪಾನಾದಿಗಳು ತಂದು ಇತ್ತದ-| 

ರಿಂದ ವಶವಾಗಿ ಒಡನೊಡನೇ| 

ಹಿಂದೆ ತಿರುಗುತಿಪ್ಪವು ತ್ರಾಣಗೆಟ್ಟು| 

ವಂದಿಪೆ ಅದರಂತೆ ನಿನಗಲ್ಲವೊ ಎಳೆ| 

ಗಂದಿಯೋ ಸಂತತ ಅನುಕಂಪನೆ| 

ಅಂದ ಜನಕೆ ಪ್ರಾಣ ನಿಜ ಸ್ವಭಾವ ಉ-| 

ಪೇಂದ್ರ ವಿಜಯವಿಟ್ಠಲ ರಾಮ ರಘುಕುಲತಿಲಕಾ||೩|| 

-ಅಟ್ಟತಾಳ- 

ಜಡ ಚೇತನದೊಳು ವ್ಯಾಪ್ತವಾಗಿಪ್ಪನೆ| 

ದೃಢ ಭಕ್ತರಿಗೆ ತತ್ತದಾಕಾರ ರೂಪನಾಗಿ| 

ಬಿಡದೆ ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಂಬದೇನು ಸೋಜಿಗವೊ| 

ಬಡವ ಭಾಗ್ಯವಂತ ಎಂಬೊ ವಾರ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ| 

ಅಡಿಗಡಿಗೆ ಕೇಳು ಇದರ ವಿಚಿತ್ರದ| 

ನುಡಿ ಬೇರೆ ನಡೆ ಬೇರೆ ಪಾರಾವಾರ ಮೂರ್ತಿಯೆ| 

ಸಡಗರ ಏನೆಂಬೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯತಾನುಸಾರ| 

ಕೊಡುವನು ಜ್ಞಾನ ಭಕುತಿ ವೈರಾಗ್ಯವ| 

ಅಡಿಗಡಿಗೆ ತನ್ನ ಧ್ಯಾನವ ಪಾಲಿಸೀ| 

ಪೊಡವಿ ವಿಬುಧರೆಲ್ಲ ಮತ್ಸರ ದುರ್ಗವ| 

ಕಡಿದು ಮನೋರಥ ಪಡಕೊಂಡು ಸುಖಿಪುದು| 

ಕಡಲಶಯನ ನಮ್ಮ ವಿಜಯವಿಟ್ಟಲರೇಯಾ| 

ಅಡಿಗಳರ್ಚಿಪರ ಚಿತ್ತದಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿಪ್ಪ||೪|| 

-ಆದಿತಾಳ- 

ಆನಂದ ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರದ| ಶ್ರೀನಾಥನ ದಕ್ಷಿಣವಾಮಾಂಘ್ರಿ| 

ಆನಂದ ಪಾದ ಆನಂದಪ್ರದ| ವಾನರಕಾಂತ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಣ ಸುಗ್ರೀವ| 

ದಾನವನಿಂದಲಿ ಪೂಜೆಕೊಂಬ ಪಾದ ರಾಜಿಸುವ ಪಾದ| 

ದೀನ ಮಾನವರಿಗೆ ಒಲಿದೊಲಿದು ನಿತ್ಯ ಧ್ಯಾನಪ್ರದ ಪಾದ| 

ಮಾನಪ್ರದ ಪಾದ| ಶ್ರೀನಾರಿಕರಕಮಲ ಪೂಜಿತ 

ಸರ್ವಾಂಕಿತ ಪಾದ ಭವತಾರಕ ಪಾದ| 

ಏನೇನು ಬೇಡಿದಭೀಷ್ಟೆಯ ಕೊಡುವುದು| 

ಒಳಗೆ ಪೊಳೆವ ಪಾದ ಹೊರಗೆ ತೋರುವ ಪಾದ| 

ಆನಂದತೀರ್ಥರ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂದ ಅ| 

ತಿ ನಿರ್ಮಲ ಪಾದ ಅಪ್ರಾಕೃತ ಪಾದಾ| 

ದಾನಿಗಳರಸ ವಿಜಯವಿಟ್ಠಲ ಕಾಮ-| 

ಧೇನು ರಾಮ ರಾಮ ಕೌಸಲ್ಯತನಯನ ಪಾದ||೫|| 

-ಜತೆ-

ವಸುಧೇಂದ್ರಮುನಿಯಿಂದ ನಾನಾಪೂಜೆಯಗೊಂಡು| 

ವಸುಧೆಯೊಳಗೆ ಮೆರೆವ ವಿಜಯವಿಟ್ಠಲ ರಾಮಾ||೬|| 

This Dasa could not speak as a child

Till the age of five, he could not speak. Try as they might and pray as they did at several temples, the young boy’s inability to speak did not go away.

Worried about what the future would hold for such a boy, his parents took him to Guru Jagannatha Dasa, a devotee of Raghavendra Swamy and a leading Haridasa.

Guru Jagannatha Dasa kept his hand on the head of the boy and blessed him. He then told the astonished parents that there was nothing wrong with the boy and that he would go on to become a renown Haridasa.

A few days after this incident, the boy began speaking and soon exhibited signs of  mastery over Kannada. He learnt Sanskrit and became a school teacher. He also began composing poetry.

This man is none other than Shyamasundara Dasa (1903-1957), a Haridasa of the 21^st century.

Shyamasundara was earlier known as Karodi Gundacharya. He was born at Ballatagi, a small village near Manvi in Raichur district. He was a disciple of  Ikoor Acharya who was also known as Narasimhacharya.

He has composed songs with the ankita Shyamasundara and a compilation of them are available in a book called Shyamasundara Sthotra Mala. Some of his well-known compositions include Kayo Cauvery Ranga, Karunya Panga, Kelu Kelelo Tatvajnana, Nataka Darushana, Nodide Venkataramanana Dwarawada Gramadi Ninta Devana, Ninage Bhodisuve naa, Kshetra chalisalare, Motaru Vahana, Ide Piyusha Pana, Kshetra Muruthi Shyamasundara Vittala, Kshetradolage Baro, Sanjeevaraya porevudo sanjeevaraya, aanjaneya bhavabanjana bhayahara, sanjeevaraya

He is a contemporary to Suladi Kupperayara, Sririvara Ramachandra Rao, Chitradurga Ramachandra Rao (Tande Venkatesha Vittalan).

Karodi Gundachar could not speak till the age of  five. His parents took him to Guru Jagananatha Dasa.

Shyamacharya, father of Karodi Gundachar, requested Guru Jagananatha Dasa to solve the problem. Guru Jagannatha Dasa blessed the child and asked the parents not to worry. He forecast that Gundacharya would become a Haridasa.
Soon, Gundachar studied Sanskrit under Gururajachar. After that, he became a Puroit at Manvi in Raichur district. He then took up the post of a school teacher for an year. He resigned his jib and came back to Manvi and continued his job as a Purohit.

He had the ability to compose songs on the spot. He made use of his knowledge of Sanskrit in composing devaranamas and even enact plays based on Ramayana and the Mahabharata.  
He came in contact with Askhpal Govinda Dasa who then gave him the ankita Shyamasundara.

He had an excellent command over the SriHarikathamurutasara and other texts. He lived most of his life in and around Manvi.   

One of his most memorable composition is Kayoo Kaveri. The English lyrics of the composition is as follows:

Kayoo Kaveri Ranga |

Karnuya Panga|
Devaadideva Ninu|

Pranatha Janarige|
Devathru Manidhenu|

Eandarithu Nistalli|
Dhavisi Bhandananu|

Raghuvamsa Bhanu|
Kavnayaa Neenuolidhu Karunadi|
Pavamaniya Shatravarithu|

Bhava Bhakthili Ninna Paduva|
Kovidhare Sevana Madi||

The Dewan who became a Dasa

He was an accountant in the Adil Shahi Kingdom of Bijapur. A master of Urdu, Persian and Kannada, he rose to become one of the most famous Haridasa saints of the era.

One day, he was giving a discourse on the Narasimha Temple in Bijapur where he was staying. Bijapur then was under the Adil Shahis and it was perhaps the most prominent city of South India.

A leading commander of Bijapur and one of its noblemen, Khawas Khan, happened to pass by the Narasimha temple. Attracted by the sonorous voice, he halted and found that a discourse was being delivered at the temple.

He invited the Haridasa to come to his house and deliver a similar religious discourse. The Haridasa gladly accepted and went to the mansion of Khawas Khan. The Haridasa gave an excellent discourse in Urdu and Persian language. Khawas Khan and his family members were stunned by the scholarship of the Dasa and his mastery over the languages.

This Haridasa was none other than Mahipati Dasa (1611-1681) who worked as an accountant for some time before plunging into the Haridasa movement.

When Mahipathi Dasa conducted a discourse in Khan’s house, he spoke on the incidents from Bhagavatha, Ramayana and other texts. His discourse was so well liked that it became a practice and later on  to conduct them in both Khan’s house and the Narasimha Temple. Many Muslims, including mullas, attended his discourse and appreciated it.

Mahapati Dasa’s guru was Kolhar Prahalada Krishnacharya. Mahipati belonged to the famous Kathavate family of Kakandiki, a small village near Bijapur.

He was the son of Koneri Rao, an orthodox Madhwa, and even as a young man, he learnt several languages. He was extremely proficient in Kannada, Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu and Persian. He came under the influence of Bhaskar Yogi, an Adwaita scholar, of  north Karnataka.

He wrote with the Ankita Mahapati and his song Kolu Kolena Kole is famous to this day.

Once, the accountants of the Kingdom were in difficulty, as they could not rectify a mistake in their accounts. Someone suggested that Mahipathi Rao could be asked to look into the accounts as he was a known expert in accounting. Mahipathi verified the accounts, identified the error and set it right. 

Mahipathi then was appointed as Manager of Accounts Department. Eventually, he rose to become the Dewan of  the  province.

Mahipathi then married Tirumala and led a very simple and austere life, even though he could afford luxuries and comforts. He was man of simple tastes add devoted to his work. It was two Sufi saints of Bijapur who sent him to Bhaskar Swamy.

The Sufi saints were a brother and sister called Shah Nunga and Shah Nungi. They were very popular in the city of Bijapur and elsewhere. They could predict the future and even perform miracles.

However, they lived a mysterious life and nobody knew where or how they lived. They wore rags and spoke in riddles. As they were highly pious, they were respected by both Hindus and Muslims.

One day, Mahipathi was inspecting some construction work on the banks of Begum Talab, a water tank in Bijapur. (This tank still exists). Shah Nunga appeared suddenly at the Talab and he saw a ring in the hand of Mahipati.

He was curious to know what the ring was. Mahipati told the Sufi saint that it was the royal sign or Ring (raja mudra) and that he had it in his possession as he was the Dewan of the province.

Shah Nunga took the ring from Mahipati and threw it in the Begum talab. Mahipathi was shocked and he realised that he would be in trouble if the ring was not found. As it was a symbol of royal power and prestige, it could not be trifled with.

Mahipati pleaded with Shah Nunga to retrieve the ring. Shah Nunga then turned to his sister, Shan Nungi, who had come to the Begum Talab, and asked her to get the ring.

Shah Nungi immediately jumped into the tank and came up with hundreds of rings, all bearing the royal sign. She then handed over the rings to Mahipati who failed to identify the original.

Mahipati then again requested Shah Nunga to help him identify the original ring. Shah Nunga retrieved the original ring and said, “Maut kaa ghan” (smell of stinking body). So saying, both he and his sister disappeared from the Begum Talab.

Mahipathi could not understand Shah Nunga’s utterance. He kepton thinking about it. He then approached Shah Nunga himself for an explanation of the words “Maut Kaa ghan”.

Shah Nunga asked Mahipati to approach Bhaskara Swamy, who was then staying in Sarvada, a small village. “Accept him as your guru”, he said. Mahipati then decided to renounce the post of  Dewan. Both he and his wife then came to Sarwada where they met Bhaskara Swamy.

Bhaskar Swamy accepted Mahipathi as his disciple and gave him Upadesha. He also blessed the couple, saying that they would  have illustrious children. Mahipathi and his wife stayed with Bhaskar Swamy for some time before going to their native place near Bijapur.

Later, Mahipathi went to Shahpura village in Gulbarga district. He made the Hanuman Temple here his home for carrying spiritual activities.

Mahipati has written scores of devaranamas and they are all full of devotion and sincerity to God.

His kolu song goes as follows:

kOlu kOlennakOle kOlu kOlennakOle
sadvastuvina balagoMbekOle

kOlunikkuta banni bAlErellaru kUDi
myAlye maMdirada hAdEli kOle
myAlye maMdiradoLu bAlamukuMdatAnu
lOlyADuta oLagiddAne kOle

AdigiMtalyade hAdi anAdiyu
sAdhisa banni odaginnu kOle
sAdhisi baralikke sAdhyavAgutalyAde
bhEdisi nODi manadali kOle

kaNNinoLihya bOMbekANabaruttade
jANyEru nIvu tiLakoLLikOle
jANyEru nIvu kANade hOgabyADi
jANrisuthAne sadguru kOle

sadgurupAdake sadbhAvaviTTu nEvu
sadbhOdha kEli sAdhisi kOle
sAdhisi kELi nIvu budhajanaroDagUDi
caduratanadali ati byAge kOle

arahuveMda sIreyanuTTU kuravheMba kuppasali
iruvaMti puShTali muDidinnu kOle
muDidu baralu pUrNa oDigUDi barutAne
baDAvanA dAri balagoMbe kOle

balagoMbe sAdhanavu nelegODu mADabEku
valavhAMga tAne SrIhari kOle
SrIhari muMde nIvu sOhya tiLidubanni
sAhyamADuva ihaparake kOle

ihaparake dAta mahipatiswAmi
sahakAranobba SrIpatikOle
SrIpatistuti kODaDalikke pUrNa
bhukti muktiya nEDu tAne kOle