The story of the Chakratheertha

This is the first of the 732 Hanuman idols that the venerable Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha (1447-1539) consecrated. The idol is in Hampi or Vijayanagar and it has an interesting history.

Vyasa Raja was he Raja Guru of  Vijayanagar. He not only stayed in Vijayanagar and advised the Emperor, but also held the position of Chancellor of Vijayanagar University.

Vyasa Raja and his disciple, Purandara Dasa, were inseparable. Purandara was always at the beck and call of Vyasa Raja, whom he acknowledged as his guru. When Vyasa Raja preached, Purandara sang and danced.

Whenever Vyasa Raja stayed at Vijayanagar, he used to walk from the Virupaksha Temple to Chakratheertha where the Kodandarama Temple is situated. This temple is believed to be the precise spot where Rama crowned Sugreeva King of Kishkinda after killing Vali.

Vyasa Raja always had his bath at the Chakratheerta. He then meditated and prayed at a rocky hill adjacent to the Chakratheerta.

Chakratheertha had a special place in the heart of Vyasa Raja as the swirling waters here form the image of Rama. Lakshmana and Sita.   

One day, a monkey came and sat on a rock where ha had drawn it with angara or charcoal. It disappeared into a rock soon after Vyasa Raja completed his pooje. It vanished from the surface of the rock. This happened several times (Legend says it occurred twelve times over a period of twelve days) and for several days. One evening, Vyasa Raja prayed to Prana Devaru and requested him to stay back on the rock and bless people.

Vyasa Raja then composed the Yantrodharaka Hanuman stotra. He then encircled the image with yantra. This is called the Shatkona Yantra or Hexagon which is also known as the Vayu Yantra. Thereafter, the image of the monkey then remained on the rock.

This place is holy as it is here that Hanuman met Rama when he came with Lakshmana to Kishkinda searching for Sita, who had been kidnapped by Ravana.

Today, this area is better known as Yantrodharaka Hanuman. This is the place where Vyasa Raja meditated. This is also the place where Purandara Dasa used to give Hastodaka for Prana Devaru.

It was the Vijayanagar Emperor, Tammaraya, who constructed the Yantrodharaka temple on the rock. He also built the steps leading to the temple.

The temple has attracted Madhwa seers and Haridasas right from the time of  Vyasa Raja. One of the three sons of Purandara Dasa called Madhwapathi Dasa, worshipped it daily. In fact there is story that Madhwapathi Dasa as a child used to return home in Hampi only after the Yantrodharaka Hanuman took the Hastodaka prepared by his father.

Vyasa Raja has composed a song on Yantrodharaka Hanuman and it is called by the same name. This is one of the few temples of Hanuman in a sitting position.  

Raghavendra Swamy, the next avatar of Vyasa Raja, came to Chakratheertha and worshipped the Hanuman temple before proceeding to Nava Brindavana.  Vijaya Dasa, who is believed to Madhwapathi Dasa the son of Purandara Dasa in his earlier birth and also an amsha of Brighu Muni, has composed a beautiful poem on the Yantrodharaka Hanuman.

Surendra Theertha and Vijayendra Theertha of the Rayara Matha, Vadiraja Theertha of  Sode, Srinivasa Theertha and Rama Theertha of Sosale Vyasaraja Matha, Kanaka Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Gopala Dasa, Guru Jagannatha Dasa, Mohana Dasa have worshipped the idol at different points of time.

The composition by Vijaya Dasa on the Yantrodharaka Hanuman is a suladi and it goes like this:

Yantrodharaka Hanuma Surasarvabhouma
Yantradharaka Yenage Manasinolage
Yantravahakana Dayadindha
Sakalantaryamiyagi Characharadaliya
Tantravanu Nadesuva Mantri
Eetanu Kano Swatantrapurusha
Vijayavithalana Nijaa Bhakta
Antravilladae Thana Stutiparana Poreva.

One of the most famous disciples of Vijaya Dasa was Gopala Dasa. He too has written a beautiful song on the Yantrodharaka Hanuman.

Idu yeno Charita Yantrodhara
Idu Yeno Charita
Sri Padumanabhana Dhoota
Sada Kala Sarvara Hrudayantargatanagi
Varidhi Gospada Nerante
Dhira Yogasana Dhariyagipudu
Durula Kouravaranu Vara Gadeyali
Konda Karadali Japamale Dharisi Yenisuvudu
Hena Matagalanu Vanili Taridantha
Jnanavantane Hege Mounavagipudu
Sarvavyapaka Neenu Poorvika Devane
Sarvana Pitha Bandu Parvata Sereadu
Gopalavitalage Nee Pretiya Mantriyu
Vyapara Madade Ee Pari Kuli.

The Chakratheertha is one of the most holy spots for pilgrims in Hampi. It is this very place where Vishnu got his Chakra. Since the Tungabhadra flows nearby, it got the name Chakratheertha.

Near the Chakratheertha is the Purandara Mantapa and across the river is Nava Brindavana, which houses the nine brindavana of Madhwa saints. Nava Brindavana is also the place where the first ever Brindavana of a Madhwa saint was built and this is of Padmanabha Theertha, one of the four direct disciples of  Madhwacharya.

The Brindavana of  another of the four direct disciples of Madhwacharya-Narahari Theertha- is also located nearby. His Brindavana is not part of the Nava Brindavana complex. Narahari Theertha has ascended the Madhwa peetha after Padmanabha Thertha.

Chakratheertha has a number of smaller temples and many sculptures that are scatter across the rocks. Some of them include the small Kotilinga which is sculpted on a rock, avatars of Vishnu sculpted on a rock, sculptures of Lakshmi Narasimha and Anantha Padmanabha on boulders and a few paintings belonging to the Stone Age.   

Coming back to the Yantrodharaka Hanuman, Vyasa Raja travelled all over the Vijayanagar Kingdom and consecrated 731 more idols of Hanuman after this one at Hampi. Of the 732, he consecrated more than 360 in Penukonda itself.

Chakratheertha can be described as Hampi’s most sacred bathing Ghat and a point for crossing the swirling Tungabhadra on a coracle.

Nearby is the Vyasaraja Temple which once formed part of the famed Lokapavani University or Hampi University of which Vyasa Raja was the Chancellor. This University had 10,000 students.         

Today, we can see a majority of the Vyasa Prathistha Hanuman in the states of  Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Some of the prominent Vyasa Prathistha Hanuman in and around Bangalore are the Gali Anjaneya on Mysore Road, the Kannaspatre Anjaneya or Hanuman in front of Minto Eye Hospital, the Kote Anjaneya in fort near City Market, the Hanuman Temple at Kengal on Bangalore-Mysore Road and the Anjaneya Temple at Honnenahalli near Yelahanka on the Doddaballapur road.

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.  

The incomparable Haridasa

He is widely regarded as the pioneer of Carnatic music and among the first of the Dasa Koota founded by Vyasa Theertha (1447-1539). A trader and businessman by profession, he took deekshe from Vyasa Theertha and from one of the richest merchants of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, he took to begging for food.

This change in his lifestyle was because he became a Haridasa. In all his trials and tribulations, his wife and children never uttered a word of protest. His wife too was a composer of note and so were his three sons.

He has to his credit 4,75,000 compositions and this is gleaned from one of his own compositions which goes as, “Vasudevana nomavaliya”.

When his wife, Saraswati died, this Haridasa composed and sang, “giNuyu (giLiyu) panjaradoLLilla”, and continued his life as a wandering mendicant. This Dasa is none other than Purandara Dasa who compares his wife to a parrot which was taken away by a cat, leaving behind its family.

“giLiyu panjaradoLilla

shrI rAma rAma baridE panjaravAitalla

akka ninna mAta kELi cikkadondu GiLiya sAkide akka nAnillada vELeyalli bekku koDu hOyitayyo

artigondu giLiya sAkide muttina hArava hAkide muttukoNDu giLiyu tAnu ettalODi hOyitayyO

hasuru baNNada giLiyu kushala buddhiya giLiyu asuva kundi giLiyu tAnu hasana geDisi hOyitayyO

muppAga beNNeyannu tappade nA hAki sAkide oppadinda giLiyu Iga teppane hArihOyitayyO

rAma rAma embO giLi kOmala kAyada giLi prEmadi sAkida giLi Ommege summanayitallo.

ombhattu bAgila maneyalli tumbi tumbi mandi iralu kamba muridu bimba biDu ambarakke  hAritayya

angayyalli ADuva giLi mungay mEle kuniyo giLi ranga purandara viTTalana sangaviralu hoyitayyo”.

In an earlier composition, Aadaddella Valiye Aayitu, he had sung,

“gOpALa buTTi hiDiyuvudakke bhUpatiyante garvisutidde
patni kula sAviravAgali gOpLa buTTi hiDisidaLayya”,

Whereby he had credited his wife for reforming him.

He preached as he composed and he was an ardent devotee, disciple , follower and faithful companion of  Vyasa Raja. He went around the length and breath of the Vijayanagar Empire, singing the glory of Hari and propagating Dwaitha Siddantha.

He says he is more than satisfied after having accepted deekshe and sings,

“haridAsara sanga dorakitu enagIga innEninnEnu

varaguru upadEsha neravAitu enage innEninnEnu”.

He then pleads with Hari to take care of his family. In

“Enna kaDehAyisuvuda ninna bhAra”

Purandara Dasa says,  

“Enna kaDehAyisuvudu ninna bhAra

 ninna neneyutihude enna vyApArara

Enna sathi sutarige nIne gati

ninnanoppisuvudu enna nIti

Enna oDala porevudu ninna dharma

ninna aDigeraguvudu enna karma

hari nInallade Ara moreyiDuve

siri purandara viTTala ninna pADuve”.

Here, we see Purandara telling Hari that it is his job to take care of his family and feed them, while he (Purandara) continues pleasing the lord by singing.

He always exhorted people to follow God and lead a path of righteousness. He asked people not to lay stress on money which, he said, is a double edged weapon.

In, “DuggaNi embudu durjana sangha”, he warns people about the tarp of falling into love with money.  

  

“DuggaNi embodu Durjana sangha Duggani balu keTTadaNNa

Achara helodu Duggani bahu nichara maDodu Duggani

Nachike illade mane mane tirugi chi chi ennodu duggani

nentatana helodu Duggani Bahu nentara nudisodu Duggani

Onte hange more melakke selakondu kunta nenisuvudu Duggnianna

manava gelisuvudu Duggani mana hadagedisuvudu Duggani

Bahumananidhi shri purandaravittalana kanisadiruvudu Dugganianna”.

He was against superstition and blind beliefs. He was also among the first Haridasas to preach against untouchability, blind belief  and caste system and this is beautifully brought out in “Holeya horagihane urolagillave Sri  Hariyasmaraneyanu ballavaru.”

In another composition, he says:

“Madi madi madi endu adigadi haruve madi mAduva bage bEruntu

podavi pAlakana pAda dhyanavanu bidade mAduvudu adu madiyu

batteya neeroLagaddi moLagisi uttukondare adu madiyalla

hotteyoLagina kAma krodhavanu bittu nadedare adu madiyu

hiriyara gurugaLa haridAsarugala charana keragi bhakutiyali

paripAlisu endu purandaravithalana iruLu hagalu nenevudu adu madiyu”

He then goes on to say that all days and all dates are auspicious and no day is inauspicious.

 “ಇಂದಿನ ದಿನವೇ ಶುಭದಿನವು
ಇಂದಿನ ವಾರ ಶುಭವಾರ
ಇಂದಿನ ತಾರೆ ಶುಭತಾರೆ
ಇಂದಿನ ಯೋಗ ಶುಭಯೋಗ
ಇಂದಿನ ಕರಣ ಶುಭ ಕರಣ
ಇಂದು ಪುರಂದರ ವಿಟ್ಠಲ ರಾಯನ
ಸಂದರ್ಶನ ಫಲವೆಮಗಾಯಿತು”

Though these beautiful lines were written more than five centuries ago, they attest to this Haridasa’s faith against blind superstition and they are valid even today. In this composition, Purandara says all days are the same and there is no such thing as a good day or a bad day.

This is one of his Ughabhogas where he has moulded the language in his inimitable style to make a philosophical statement.  

A prolific composer, he has written on a wide spectrum of topics covering philosophical musings to deeply religious, historical, spiritual and even mundane everyday activities.

His name is known all over India and certainly across nations too. He is known for formalising Carnatic music and also for carrying forward the Haridasa tradition conceptualised by Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha.

He is also believed to be an amsha of Narada Muni and one of the favourite disciples of Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha (1447-1539).Yet, mush of his life and times are shrouded in mystery and the only source of his life are his own compositions and of his disciple, Vijaya Dasa.

Though he lived during the Vijayanagar period and he is popular for his compositions, many aspects of his life and his family are still unknown. Infact, not much is known about the place of his birth and even his family.

The general belief is that his birth place is Purandaragad near Pune. But recent research and epigraphical evidences in Karnataka have zeroed in on the fact that Purandara Dasa was born in Theerthalli  near Sagar in Shimoga district in Karnataka.

However, researchers and scholars of Maharashtra still maintain that Purandara Dasa was born in Maharashtra. He is given a high place  in the Santhamalike of Maharashtra. Besides this, Marathi scholar Ajagavker in his book “Maharashtra Kavicharitre:, says that the 18th century saint, Sant Vittoba Anna Daphtardar of Karad,  claimed to be an amsha of Purandara Dasa and that he had taken responsibility to compose 25000 songs.

On the other hand, the inscription found at Sagar in Shimoga district says that Kshemapura here is the Purandarapur where the dasa was born. This place, during the Vijayanagar period, was a thriving business and trading centre.

Purandara, as he himself acknowledges, belonged to Nayaka family involved in trade and business. An inscription discovered at Teerthahalli and another found in 1400 claim that the nomenclature of  Nayaka was the surname of  Brahmins of Teerthahalli.

Moreover, the name of one of the sons of Purandara was Hebanna. Even today, these type of names are common to residents of towns in and around Teerthahalli.

Historians Dr. R. S. Panchamukhi and S. R. Rao both have researched on this aspect. Others historians like Dr. P.B. Desai and Kapartal Krishna Rao debunk the theory that Purandara was born at Purandaragad near Pune. The Dwaitha scholar BNK Shara too argues against Purandaragad as being the birthplace of Purandara Dasa.

K. Krishnarao identifies Kshemapura as the birthplace of Purandara. Incidentally, the copper plate inscription of 1526 at Kamalapur near Hampi proves that Purandara Dasa belonged to Vasishta Gothra and Yajushaka. The same inscription also explains that the three sons of Dasa were Lakshmana Dasa, Hebanna Dasa and Madhwapathi Dasa. They received a grant from Vyasa Raja, the Rajaguru of Vijayanagar, in 1526.

BNK Sharma says the word Purandara has nothing to do with the place of birth of the Dasa. He argues that Purandara was only the ankita and that his full name was Purandara Vittala Dasa. No Dasa, he says, has been recognized by the place of his birth.

However, we know that Purandara Dasa obtained Deekshe and ankita from Vyasa Raja and that he was his constant companion for several years.  Researcher and musicologist Prof. P. Sambamoorthy, says it was sometime in 1525 that Srinivasa Nayaka was initiated as Purandara by Vyasa Raja. He was then 40 years of age.

Purandara was also a close associate and friend of Belur Vaikunta Dasa and Kanaka Dasa. All of them were very well acquainted with Vadiraja Theertha (1480-1600) and other disciples of Vyasa Raja. 

Purandara Dasa was patronised by Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1529) and his brother, Achuta Deva Raya (1529-1542). However, after the passing away of  Vyasa Raja in 1539, royal patronage to Purandara declined and it was almost non-existent during the reign of Aliya Rama Raya.

Purandara was anguished and deeply pained by the epicurean lifestyle of Aliya Ramaraya and the residents of  Vijayanagar and he warned them against such excesses. In “Nechhadiree bhagya”, he cautioned the people against going after material pleasures and neglecting god.

He asked people to chant the name of God and remember God till their tongues could speak. He sang:

“Narajanma Bandaga Nalige Iruvaga Krishna Endare”

Unfortunately, Purandara Dasa passed way in Hampi in 1564 and with him died the Haridasa Sahitya only for Vijaya Dasa to revive it several decades later.

Today, a little more than 800 compositions of Purandara Dasa are available. Many are autobiographical in nature and we get the information from them that Purandara was a wealthy merchant.

In Ana Lae Kara, which is generally regarded as among his first compositions, he laments how he has wasted several decades of his early life in indulgence and in worldly matters. . 

Coming back to his compositions, Purandara Dasa himself says,

“ವ್ಯಾಪಾರ ನಮಗಾಯಿತು
ಶ್ರೀಪತಿಯ ಪಾದಾರವಿಂದ ಸೇವೆಯೆಂಬೋ |p|

ಹರಿಕರುಣವೆ ಅಂಗಿ ಗುರುಕರುಣವೆ ಮುಂಡಾಸು
ಹರಿದಾಸರ ದಯವೆಂಬೋ ವಲ್ಲಿ
ಪರಮಪಾಪಿ ಕಲಿಯೆಂಬೋ ಪಾಪೋಸು ಮೆಟ್ಟಿ
ದುರಾತ್ಮರಾದವರ ಎದೆಮೇಲೆ ನಡೆವಂಥ || ವ್ಯಾಪಾರ ನಮಗಾಯಿತು||

ಬಿಳಿಯಕಾಗದ ಹೃದಯ ಬಾಯಿ ಕಲಮದಾನಿ
ನಾಲಿಗೆಯೆಂಬೋದೇ ಲೇಖನಿಯು
ಲೋಲನ ಕಥೆ ನಾಮಂಗಳ
ಶೀಲಮನವಿ ಬರೆದು ಹರಿಗೆ ಒಪ್ಪಿಸುವಂಥ || ವ್ಯಾಪಾರ ನಮಗಾಯಿತು||
 

Here, ವ್ಯಾಪಾರ means trade or business. Purandara Dasa describes in this composition the dress worn by a trader. He also lets us know how he became a Haridasa. He says he has been tasked with the job of helping people fight evil.

In another composition, Purandara Dasa himself says:

ಎನ್ನ ಕಡೆಹಾಯಿಸಿರುವುದು ನಿನ್ನ ಭಾರ
ನಿನ್ನ ನಂಬಿ ಬದುಕುವುದು ಎನ್ನ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರ

It is your responsibility to take me to the other side. It is my business to have faith in you. Here again, we see the word Vyapara or business used allegorically.
Apart from these compositions, there are several suladis where Purandara Dasa is autobiographical. However, the references are so cleverly concealed and they form an integral part of the composition, that we can coreleate some of the words and lines to his life only after we go through the composition several times. 

Just as we can come to know about his life, we can also zero in on the exact day and date on which Purandara Dasa died. This is so as one of his sons, Madhwapathi Dasa, who was later reborn as Vijaya Dasa, has written about it. 

The composition by Madhwapathi Dasa is matter of fact and there is no unnecessary glorirfication of death or lament of a father. The lines of the composition show that death was expected. Purandara Dasa died in 1564, an year before Hampi or Vijayanagar was sacked by the Muslim forces and he probably breathed his last at the Purandara pavillion.

The Mantapa which stands in the Tungabhadra even today. If we visit Hampi, we can see the Mantapa.

We get information on the death of Purandara in a composition by Madhwapathi Dasa.

Madhwapathi Dasa says his father died on Pushya amavasye in the Raktakshi samvatsara:

He says: 

ತೆರಳಿದರು ಹರಿಪುರಕಿಂದು || ಪಲ್ಲವಿ ||
ಪುರಂದರದಾಸರಾಯರು ದೀನಬಂಧು || ಅನುಪಲ್ಲವಿ ||

ರಕ್ತಾಕ್ಷಿವತ್ಸರ ಪುಷ್ಯಾಂತ ರವಿವಾರ
ಮುಕ್ತಿಗೈದಿದರು ಕೇಳಿ ಬುಧಜನರು || ೧ ||

ವಿರೂಪಾಕ್ಷ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಿ ವಿಠಲನ್ನ ಸನ್ನಿಧಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಶರೀರವನಿರಿಸಿ ಅನಾಥರನು ಹರಸಿ || ೨ ||

Both the pallavi and anupallavi in the composition amply makes it clear that it was written on the day Purandara Dasa passed away. The first says that it was on amavasye, Pushya masa, Sunday when the death occurred.  

In Kannada, Ravivara means Sunday and Pushya is one of the masa or month that Madhwapathi Dasa refers to. The second charana mentions Virupaksha Kshetra and this nothing but Hampi or Vijayanagar. Hampi was well-known for the temple of Virupaksha and it was the family diety of the Vijayanagars. The temple of Virupaksha still stands in Hampi today and it was known as Virupaksha Kshetra.

The composition only hints that Purandara Dasa died somewhere in the vicinity of the Vijaya Vittala temple and this was probably at the  Purandara Mantapa where the he spent several years and composed thousands of songs.
Incidentally, even many of the compositions of Vijaya Dasa sheds light on the life and times of Purandara Dasa.

Vijaya Dasa considered Purandara Dasa to be his guru and he has collected several compositions of Purandara Dasa.

In Guru Purandara, he says,

“Asare nimma charaNakamalava nambide||

garuvarahitana mADi ennanu poreva bhAravu nimmade||1

ondu ariyada mandamati nAnindu nimmanu vandipe|

indireshana tandu tOrisi tande mADelo satkRupe||2

purandaragaDadolage nindu niruta dravyava galiside|

paramapuruShanu vipranandadi karava nIDi yAchise||3

parama nirguNavanavanaritu harige sUreya nIDuta|

aritu manadOlu haridu bhavagala taruni sahitA horaTane||4

mArajanakana sannidhAnadi sAragAnava mADuva|

nAradare I rUpadindali chArudarushana tOrida||5

ajabhavAdigalarasanAda vijayaviThalana dyAnipa|

nija su~JAnava koDisabEkendu bhajipenO kEl guruvara||6

A musician and a composer, he took giant strides towards systemising Carnatic music in many of his Suladis, Ughaboghas, Padas and Padyas. He fused Kannada with sangeetha and the result was the Haridasa sahitya.

Apart from biological references, there are nearly 30 compositions where he refers to music, musical instruments and the qualification of a musician. In “Keleno Hari Taaleno, Taalamelagaliddu”, he talks of tambura, Kombu, flute.

In the Suladi “Govindanaadidaatagalanu”, Purandara speaks of  swara, nada, murchana, jati, geeta and prabandha. He also refers to the ragas that were in vogue in many of his compositions.

He also introduced raga Thodi to Carnatic music and laid down certain other rules. He introduced Mayamalavagowla as the first scale in Carnatic music to be learnt by a beginner.

All his compositions were composed in Kannada and they were in the Bathisi raga that he had stressed. Purandara took pains to introduce the basic lessons of Carnatic music by structuring Swaravalis (graded exercises) and Alankaras (exercises based on the Sapta talas).  He also ensured that there was pallavi, anupallivi and charana in all his compositions.

Thus, though we have amass of information on the kritis and devaranamas of  Purandara Dasa, we do not have clear and undisputed information on his life. It appears that everyone today known Purandara only through his compositions. Even among his compositions, a majority of them appear to have been lost. Not much is known about his life and his family and of course his 4,75,000 compositions. What a pity.

The Bhagavath Geeta Saara

Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha was initially a disciple of Bramanye Theertha of Abbur. He was born in Bannur near Mysore sometime in 1447 and he first became a disciple of Bramanye Theertha who later sent him for further studies to Sripadaraja of Mulabagal.

Even today, there is a small cave in the Sripadaraja matha in Mulabagal where Sripadaraja taught Vyasa Raja. The matha has also a Hanuman consecrated by Vyasaraja and this is one of the 732 Hanuman idols he consecrated all over India.

Vyasa Raja was the Raja Guru of six Emperors of the Vijayanagar dynasty. He was also the Chancellor of Vijayanagar University which had 10,000 students. He composed several works when he stayed at Hampi or Vijayanagar.

He was a master of Dwaitha and he is ranked alongside Madhwacharya and Jayatheertha in scholarship and literary erudition.

He was a great devotee of Krishna and once Sripadaraja found the Gopalakrishna idol dancing in his matha in Mulabagal even as Vyasa Raja was totally immersed in singing. Sripadaraja then handed over the idol of Gopalakrishns to Vyasa Raja and this is the main idol of the Sosale Vyasaraja Matha. This idol is still with the seers of the Matha and it can be seen even today.

Vyasa Raja performed the pooja of Srinivasa in Tirupathi for twelve years. He also visited Udupi and composed Krishna Nee Begana Baro when he saw the idol of Krishna consecrated by Madhwacharya.

He wrote under the ankita Krishna and subsequently as Sri Krishna. He was the founder of both the Dasa and the Vyasa Koota. If the Dasa Koota was a poetic expression of devotion to Hari, the Vyasa Koota was a philosophical stream.

Scholars classify his works into nine major works which includes  Nyâyâmrta, TarkatâNDava, and Chandrika. These three works are  collectively known as Vyâsa Traya. In is in his magnum opus, Nyâyâmrta, that he justifies the philosophy of Tattvavâda or Dwaitha. Here, he argues against Adwaitha thought and its concept of Maya. He says monism is untenable and that the world is as real as man.

A renowned debater, he distinguished himself at the court of the Vijayanagar Emperor, Saluva Narasimha, when he defeated several opponents in philosophical debates in Chandragiri near Tirupathi.

He was a magnanimous person and he never imposed his school of thought or philosophy on others, including even those he had defeated in debates. This is the reason he was highly respected by Kings and scholars from other schools, including Appayya Dikshita, Pakshadhara Mishra, Madhusûdana Saraswati, and Basava Bhatta.

Yusuf Adil Shah, the ruler of the Adil Shah dynasty of Bijapur and even the Mughal Emperor, Babur, honored Vyasa Raja with umbrella and showered him with gifts.  Portuguese visitors paid Vyasa Raja the respect due to a Raja Guru and they have eulogized him in all their writings as a learned Brahmin whose words the Emperors paid heed to.

The previous avatar of Raghavendra Swamy,Vyasa Raja composed the Bhagavath Geeta Saara.

The lyrics of this composition in Kannada is as follows:  

ಕೇಳಯ್ಯ ಎನ್ನ ಮಾತು ಪಾರ್ಥನೆ ಗೀತಾದರ್ಥನೆ ||ಪ||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ |  
ಕುರುಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಿ ಎನ್ನವರು ಪಾಂಡವರು
ಪೇಳೋ ಸಂಜಯಾ ಏನು ಮಾಡುವರು ಕೂಡಿ |
ಕೇಳಯ್ಯ ಅರಸನೆ ನೋಡಿ ಪಾಂಡವರ ಸೇನಾ|
ಮಾತನಾಡಿದ ನಿನ್ನ ಸುತ ದ್ರೋಣಗಿಂತು ||

ಪಲ್ಲವಿ|  
ಕೇಳಿ ತಾ ಪಾರ್ಥನು ಕುರು ದಂಡ
ರಣದಲಿ ಚಂಡ | ಗಾಂಡೀವ ಕರದಂಡ
ಅಚ್ಯುತ ಪಿಡಿರಥ ನಡೆ ಮುಂದ
ಬಹು ತ್ವರದಿಂದ | ನೋಡುವೆ ನೇತ್ರದಿಂದ ||
ಗುರುಹಿರಿಯರ ಕೂಡ ಯಾಕೆಂದ
ಯುದ್ಧ ಸಾಕೆಂದ | ಭಿಕ್ಷವೆ  ಸುಖವೆಂದ||
ಕುಂತಿಸುತ ಈ ಮಾತು ಉಚಿತಲ್ಲ
ನಿನಗಿದು ಸಲ್ಲ | ಪಿಡಿ ಗಾಂಡೀವ ಬಿಲ್ಲ        ||೧||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ|  
ಬಾಲ್ಯ ಯೌವನ ಮುಪ್ಪುತನ ದೇಹದಲ್ಲಿ
ಇಂಥ ದೇಹಕೆ ಮೋಹ ಮತ್ತ್ಯಾಕಿಲ್ಲಿ|
ಕಾಯ್ದು ಕೊಲ್ಲುವ ನಾನು ಇರುತಿರಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ
ಬಿಲ್ಲು ಪಿಡಿದು ಕೀರ್ತಿಪಡೆ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ||
 

ಪಲ್ಲವಿ|  
ಶಸ್ತ್ರದಂಜಿಕೆಯಿಲ್ಲ ಜೀವಕ್ಕೆ
ಈ ದೇಹಕ್ಕೆ| ಪಾವಕನ ದಾಹಕ್ಕೆ |
ಉದಕಗಳಿಂದ ವೇದನೆಯಕ್ಕೆ
ಜೀವಕ್ಕ | ಮಾರುತನ ಶೋಷಕ್ಕೆ
ನಿತ್ಯ ಅಭೇದ್ಯ ತಾ ಜೀವನ
ಸನಾತನ| ವಸ್ತ್ರದಾಂಗೆ ಈ ತನವು |
ನನಗಿಲ್ಲಯ್ಯ|ಅದನಾ ಬಲ್ಲೆನಯ್ಯಾ            ||೨||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ|
ಜ್ಞಾನ ದೊಡ್ಡದು ಕರ್ಮಬಂಧನವ  ಬಿಟ್ಟು
ಕರ್ಮ ಬಿಟ್ಟರೆ ಪ್ರತ್ಯವಾಯವದೆಷ್ಟು |
ಫಲ ಬಿಟ್ಟು ನೀ ಮಾಡು ಸತ್ಕರ್ಮಗಳ
ಸಮ ದೇಹಕೆ ಫಲಕರ್ಮ ಕಾರಣವಲ್ಲ ||
ಪಲ್ಲವಿ | ಕರ್ಮದಲ್ಲೆ ನಿನಗಧಿಕಾರ
ಫಲ ತಾ ದೂರ| ಧನುಂಜಯಗೋಸ್ಕರ|
ಇತ್ತ ಬಾರಯ್ಯ | ಯೋಗಬುದ್ಧಿ ಮಾಡಯ್ಯ|
ಜಿತ ಬುದ್ಧಿ ಯಾವುದೈ ಕೇಶವ
ಜಗತ್ಪಾಶವ | ನೋಡದೇ ಪರಮೇಶ |
ಗೋವಿಂದನಲಿ ಮನವಿಟ್ಟವ
ಕಾಮ ಬಿಟ್ಟವ ಜಿತ ದೇಹ ತಾನಾದಾ            ||೩||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ|  
ಜ್ಞಾನ ದೊಡ್ಡದು ಕರ್ಮದಲ್ಲ್ಯಾಕೆ ಎನ್ನ
ಬುದ್ಧಿ ಮೋಹಿಸಿ ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಕೇಳಯ್ಯ ಬಿನ್ನಪ||
ಕರ್ಮವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಮೋಕ್ಷವುಂಟೆ ಇನ್ನು
ಕರ್ಮ ಮೋಕ್ಷದ ಬುದ್ಧಿಗೆ ಬೀಜವಲ್ಲೆ||
ಪಲ್ಲವಿ |
ಯುದ್ಧ ಕರ್ಮವ ಮಾಡೋ ಪಾಂಡವ
ರಣ ತಾಂಡವ | ವೈರಿ ಷಂಡನೆಂಬುವ|
ಜನರೆಲ್ಲ ಮಾಳ್ಪರೋ ನಿನ್ನ ನೋಡಿ
ಮತ್ತೆನ್ನ ನೋಡಿ | ನೋಡಿದರ ನೀ ಬೇಡಿ |
ಎನಗ್ಯಾಕೆ ಪೇಳಯ್ಯ ಜನಕರ್ಮ
ಕ್ಷತ್ರಿಯ ಧರ್ಮ | ನಷ್ಟವಾಗುವದು ಧರ್ಮ|
ಅರ್ಪಿಸು ಎನ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ವವು
ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಗರ್ವವು | ತಿಳಿ ಎನ್ನೊಳು ಸರ್ವವು        ||೪||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ|
ಯೋಗ ಸನ್ಯಾಸ ಎರಡು ಮುಕ್ತಿಗೆ ಧೃಡವು
ಭೋಗವರ್ಜಿತ ಕೀಳು ಸನ್ಯಾಸಿಯಿರವು |
ಹೇಗೆ ಪದ್ಮಕೆ ವಾರಿಯ ಲೇಪವಿಲ್ಲ
ಹಾಗೆ ಭಕ್ತಿಗೆ ಸಂಸೃತಿಯ ಇಲ್ಲ ||
ಪಲ್ಲವಿ |
ಅಜನಲ್ಲಿ ದ್ವಿಜನಲ್ಲಿ ಗಜದಲ್ಲಿ
ಸಮನಾನಲ್ಲಿ| ಭಜಿಪರ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ
ಮನಸು ಯಾರ ಜೀವಕೆ ಬಂದು
ಇತ್ತ ಬಾರೆಂದು | ಮತ್ತೆ ವೈರಿ ದಾರೆಂದು|
ಲೋಷ್ಟ ಕಾಂಚನ ನೋಡು ಸಮಮಾಡಿ|
ಆಸನ ಹೂಡಿ | ನಾಸಿಕ ತುದಿ ನೋಡಿ|
ಧ್ಯಾನ ಮಾಡು ಹರಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿಹ
ಅವನಲ್ಲಿಹ | ಯೋಗ ಸನ್ನಿಹಿತನವನೇ        ||೫||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ|
ಯಾರ ಭಕ್ತಿಯು ಎನ್ನ ಪಾದಾಬ್ಜದಲ್ಲಿ
ಘೋರ ಸಂಸಾರ ಯಾತನೆ ಅವರಿಗೆಲ್ಲಿ|
ಶರೀರವೆ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರವೆಂತೆಂದು ತಿಳಿಯೋ||
ಪಲ್ಲವಿ |  ಶರೀರದೊಳಗಿದ್ದು ಪಾಪಿಲ್ಲ
ದುಃಖಲೇಪಿಲ್ಲ | ಆಕಾಶವು ಎಲ್ಲಾ|
ಮೂರು ಸದ್ಗುಣ |ಕೇಳೈಯ್ಯ ಫಲ್ಗುಣ|
ಸುಖದುಃಖ ಸಮಮಾಡಿ  ನೋಡು ನೀ |
ಈಡ್ಯಾಡು ನೀ| ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನ ನೋಡು ನೀ|
ಸೂರ್ಯ ಚಂದ್ರರ ತೇಜ ನನದಯ್ಯ
ಗುಡಾಕೇಶಯ್ಯ| ಅನ್ನ ಪಚನ ನನ್ನದಯ್ಯ        ||೬||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ|
ನಾನೇ ಉತ್ತಮ ಮನಸು ಎನ್ನಲ್ಲು ಮಾಡೋ
ಜ್ಞಾನ ಅಜ್ಞಾನ ಪೇಳುವೆ ತಿಳಿದು ನೋಡೋ
ಜ್ಞಾನ ದುರ್ಲಭ ಅವರ ಭಕ್ತಿಗಳಂತೆ
ನಾನು ಕೊಡುವೆನು ಫಲವ ಮನಸು ಬಂದಂತೆ||
ಪಲ್ಲವಿ |  ಸ್ಮರಣೆ ಮಾಡುತ ದೇಹ ಬಿಡುವರೋ
ನನ್ನ ಪಡೆವರೋ | ಬಲು ಭಕ್ತಿ ಮಾಡುವರೋ|
ಅನಂತ ಚೇತನ ಸುಳಿವೆನು
ಹರಿ ಸುಲಭನು | ಮತ್ತೆ ಜನನವಿಲ್ಲವಗೆ|
ಎನ್ನ ಭಕ್ತರಿಗಿಲ್ಲ ನಾಷವು
ಸ್ವರ್ಗದಾಶವು| ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಚರಣ ಭಕುತಿಯ        ||೭||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ|  
ಕೃಷ್ಣ ತೋರಿಸು ನಿನ್ನ ವಿಭೂತಿ ರೂಪ |
ಇಷ್ಟ ಪೂರ್ತಿಯ ಆಗಲೊ ಎನಗೆ ಶ್ರೀಪ|
ರಾಮ ನಾನಯ್ಯ ರಾಜರ ಗುಂಪಿನಲ್ಲಿ
ಸೋಮ ನಾನಯ್ಯ ರಾಜರ ಗುಂಪಿನಲ್ಲಿ
ಸೋಮ ನಾನಯ್ಯ ತಾರಕ ಮಂಡಲದಲಿ||
ಪಲ್ಲವಿ | ಅಕ್ಷರದೊಳಗೆ ಅಕಾರನು
ಗುಣಸಾರನು| ಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳಲಿ ನಾನು ಗರುಡನು|
ಸಕಲ ಜಾತಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ
ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಟತನದಲಿ| ಎನ್ನ ರೂಪ ತಿಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ|
ತೋರಿಸೋ ಶ್ರೀಕೃಷ್ಣ ನಿನ್ನ ರೂಪ|
ನಾನಾ ರೂಪ| ಅರ್ಜುನ ನೋಡೋ ರೂಪ|
ಕಂಡನು ತನ್ನನು ಸಹಿತದಿ |
ಹರಿ ದೇಹದಿ| ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಂಡಗಳಲ್ಲಿ        ||೮||

ಶ್ಲೋಕ|  
ಕ್ಷರ ಅಕ್ಷರ ಎರಡಕ್ಕೂ  ಉತ್ತಮನು ನಾನು|
ಗೋರ ನರಕದ ಲೋಭ ಕಾಮನು ನಾನು |
ಸಾರ ದಾನವು ಸಜ್ಜನರ ಹಸ್ತದಲ್ಲಿ
ಭೂರಿ ದಕ್ಷಿಣೆ ನೀಡೋ ಸತ್ಪಾತ್ರರಲ್ಲಿ ||
ಪಲ್ಲವಿ |  ಸರ್ವ ದಾನದಕಿಂತ ಎನಭಕ್ತಿ
ಕೇಳೊ ಭೂಶಕ್ತಿ | ಮಾಡಯ್ಯ ವರಕ್ತಿ |
ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಹರಣವಾಯ್ತು ನಿನ್ನಿಂದ
ಮೋಹ ಎನ್ನಿಂದ| ಬಹು ಸುವಾಕ್ಯ ದಿಂದ|
ಕೃಷ್ಣ ಭೀಮಾನುಜರ ಸಂವಾದ
ಮಹ ಸುಖಪ್ರದ| ಧೃತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಕೇಳಿದ|
ಬಲ್ಲೆನು ವ್ಯಾಸರ ದಯದಿಂದ|
ಮನಸಿನಿಂದ| ಕೃಷ್ಣನಲ್ಲೇ ಜಯವೆಂದ        ||೯||