Vijaya Daasa Part 2

Why Purandara Daasa?

Why did God choose the guise of Purandara Daasa to convert Dasappa into a Hari Daasa?

Once, Purandara Daasa’s wife was in urgent need of groceries to cook and serve food to her daughter’s father-in-law who was visiting them. Since they lived off the daily collection of alms, there was no stock of anything at home. Purandara Daasa had not yet returned from his rounds. In her desperation, she sought the help of her neighbour Mylarappa’s wife. Mylarappa, with his sorcery had in his possession a magical stone, “parashu shile”. This alchemical stone converted base metals into gold. Using a gold coin, Saraswathi bought the necessary ingredients and served a grand meal to her guest. When Purandara Daasa came home he was surprised to see a meal not befitting a Daasa’a status being served. When he learnt of the parashu shile, he flung it away in the nearby river.

Mylarappa’s wife pestered Saraswathi to return the stone. When Mylarappa discovered that his stone was borrowed and not returned, he kicked up a huge fuss. Crowds that quickly gather to witness such drama, lost no time in accusing Purandara Daasa of having misappropriated the stone. Purandara Daasa led them to the river and declared that the stone was lying at the bottom of the river. He asked his youngest son if he would fetch the stone. Madhwapathi was ever willing to carry out his father’s requests. He readily agreed and dove into the river. He came up holding a few random stones. Purandara Daasa took one of these random stones and handed it over to Mylarappa.

Mylarappa was infuriated, but Purandara Daasa demonstrated the alchemical power of ‘random’ stone. The watching crowd was overwhelmed and fickle public opinion swung in favour of the Daasa and they quickly denounced Mylarappa.

Purandara Daasa’s youngest son Madhwapathi, was born as Daasappa in his next birth. Hari, the divine father of all, had appeared to Daasappa in his father’s form!

Purandara Daasa presented a tamburi to Daasappa in the dream. When Daasappa awoke he found a tamburi next to him. After relentlessly playing along with Vijaya Daasa’s singing, the tamburi is on silent display at Chippagiri, the final resting place of Vijaya Daasa.

Vijaya Daasa’s repertoire

Vijaya Daasa’s repertoire of music consists of devara naama (with the ankitha, Vijaya Vittala), suLadi and ugabhoga.

Some of his famous devara naamas are

Sadaa enna hrudayadalli

Pavamaana pavamaana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2q-obGUX8Q

Narasimha stuthi

Kashiya haadiyalli Keshavaniddane

Shambo swayambhu sambhava

Kailaasavaasa Gowreesha Eesha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO772laPz3I&list=RDKO772laPz3I&start_radio=1

Vijaya Daasaru, popularly called “suLadi Daasaru”, is said to have composed around 25000 suLadis of which around 1000 are available at present. Out of these, five suLadis considered to be “Pancharatna suLadi”, have been sung in praise of Narasimha, Dhanwanthari, Kapila (an avataara of Vishnu), Durga and Mukhyapraana. They have been exquisitely rendered by renowned singer, Raichur Sheshagiri Daasa.

SuLadi is a style of composition in which the verses are set to different taala (a maximum of seven taalas, called SuLadi Saptataala) and the hymn is concluded by two lines, called “jothe”. SuLadi is that hymn which gives us a “sulivu” (roughly, a glimpse) of God.

Ugabhoga is a style of composition which comprises simple or direct messages of devotion usually in twenty lines. They can be sung in any raaga and set to any taala.

Ondu kayalli khadga, ondu kayalli halige…

This ugabhoga was composed by Vijaya daasa to protect his disciple Gopal Daasa from a bandit called Bheema who was preying on travellers on the outskirts of Udupi. When the bandit tried to waylay Gopala Daasa he saw the Daasa surrounded by people wielding swords and shields as described in the ugabhoga.

Vijaya Kavacha

A pompous scholar called Subbanacharya was so contemptuous of Vijaya Daasa that he openly refused to discuss “Sudha” with the Daasa. This, despite the fact that Vijaya Daasa had rescued him by donning the role of a cook (when the actual cook went missing) to prepare “mandige” (a traditional sweet made of wheat flour) to thousands of people who were part of Subbanacharya’s festivity. Vijaya Daasa stopped an unlettered man passing by and asked him to expound the Sudha from where the scholar had paused. The unlettered man began to explain in chaste Sanskrit as long as he was in physical contact with the Daasa.

A humbled Subbanacharya became a disciple of Vijaya Daasa and gave the world his composition “Smarisi badukiro…”, the famous Vijaya Kavacha. Vijaya Kavacha is to Vijaya Daasaru what Poornabodha is to Raghavendra Tirtha. Devotees who perform seve at Chippagiri chant Vijaya Kavacha to seek the blessings of Vijaya Daasaru.

Smarisi badukiro divya charanakeragiro…