Vijaya Daasa Part 3

A debt repaid

After one of his numerous sojourns, Vijaya Daasa reached Chchaagi. He was accompanied by disciple, Gopala Daasa. Water was scarce and drawing water from the well and getting it ready for a bath was both cumbersome and time consuming. Much to Gopala Daasa’s consternation, Vijaya Daasa gave up his bath water to quench the thirst of a desperate donkey. At that time, Keshavaraaya’s son was getting ready for his wedding when he hit his head and fell. Bleeding heavily, he succumbed to the injury. The loud lament of the wedding party reached the ears of the Daasas.

Gopala Daasa was perplexed. He remarked that the past three lives of the groom did not reveal any cause for such misfortune. Vijaya Daasa rebuked him in jest and said, “Can you not count beyond three? It was in his seventh birth before the present that held a reason for the present tragedy. Shall I bestow the “punya” of a Kashi yatre to revive him now?” To which Gopala Daasa replied that the punya of giving water to the donkey should suffice. Vijaya Daasa chastened him and said, another pilgrimage to Kashi can be undertaken anytime but the gift of life granted to the donkey far outweighs the punya of a Kashi yatre!

While they were thus discussing, Keshavaraaya’s family heard of the presence of the Daasas and hurriedly reached there. They gently pushed the hapless bride to fall at the feet of Vijaya Daasa. Vijaya Daasa, conversing with Gopala Daasa, distractedly gave her the classic blessing, “Dheerga sumangali bhava” (may you have a long married life). When he realised what he had unwittingly said, he said, “If Sri Hari made me utter these words, it is his responsibility to make them come true!”

He composed thirteen ugabhogas in praise of Hari. As he sang with his eyes closed, he saw a flash of light. Opening his eyes, he saw the groom awakening. He made an “ayur daana” (gift of lifespan) of three years from his life, to the boy. Keshavaraaya’s aged mother, well in her nineties, also requested the Daasa to donate the rest of her aayu to the boy. Seven years of the grandmother’s and three years of the Daasa’s were thus granted to the boy.

Keshavaraaya, overcome with gratitude asked Vijaya Daasa as to what he had done to merit such grace, to which the Daasa replied, “Serving one hot meal of huggi!”

Past life recall

A comment by Akshobhya Tirtha, when Dhondopant Raghunath was drinking water from the river on all fours, made him recall his past lives and transformed him to Jayatirtha. (Adhyatmachutuke_Sudha and Parimala)

Likewise, a stray remark of Vijaya Daasa to the son of the Dewan of Adoni, was all it took to make him recall his previous birth. Vijaya Daasa is believed to have said, “Yeno, Panganaamada Thimmanna?” Panganaama refers to the elaborate three line mark that adorns Thimmappa ( the deity at Tirumala) as well as the mark sported by Iyengars, followers of Ramanujachaarya and his Vishishtadwaitha.

Thimmanna recalled his life as Keshava Aiyengar of Belur and his subsequent life as Vaikunta Daasa.

He was overcome by a sense of detachment (Vairagya). In keeping up with familial tradition, he went on to serve as the Dewan under the Nawab of Adoni, Basalath Jung. He wanted to give up his official role when Basalath Jung forcibly converted one of his sons to Islam. But Vijaya Daasa did not grant him permission to do so. Vijaya Daasa wanted Thimmanna to hold the reins of Adoni’s governance, and keep in check the Nawab’s cruelty. If Thimmanna had so wished he could have conspired with the Peshwas and help them annexe Adoni. The Nawab absorbed in wine and women was in no condition to put up a fight. Despite his personal grief at his son’s conversion, Thimmanna displayed immense integrity in administration. It is believed that the Peshwas stayed away from attacking Adoni and the Nawab, as a token of respect to Thimmanna.

Thimmanna continued as Vijaya Daasa’s disciple and came to be known as Venugopala Vittala Daasa and used the ankitha Venugopala Vittala for his devotional compositions.

Bahishkaara

Bahishkaara or ostracisation was a practice of the orthodox to deter people from straying. But, as often happens with rules, they are imposed without discretion.

When Vijaya Daasa was returning from Kashi, the pontiff of Uttradi matha was readying to receive the Daasa when a widow with a tarnished reputation, pre-empted the pontiff by meeting Vijaya Daasa on the outskirts. She implored Daasa to partake a meal in her house. He obliged. After the meal was eaten, the woman, as if her mission on earth was completed, passed away. Vijaya Daasa stated that the one who feeds is akin to a mother and arranged for her funeral. An incensed Satyabodha Tirtha ostracised Vijaya Daasa. When the news reached the Daasa, he asked, “Bahishkara Raamanigo? Daasanigo?”

The next day, Vijaya Daasa declared that there was no need to cook lunch as they would be eating Raama’s prasaada at the Uttradi matha. People were astonished at this statement. True enough, the Daasa and his disciples were sent for, by the Uttradi matha pontiff for lunch.

It was later revealed that when the pontiff took out the idol of Raama for ceremonial worship, the idol was blackened and was lack-lustre. It then dawned on the pontiff that ostracising the Daasa had displeased Raama. He was quick to make amends.

Prostrating before the Daasa he said, “Please return my Raama to me.” Vijaya Daasa smilingly said, “Your Raama remains very much with you, let the pooje begin.”