Gopala Daasa Part 2
The Quartet
Gopala Daasaru always rode a horse and was draped in fancy shawls. He did not dress or act like a typical Hari Daasa (He enjoyed his meals and anointed his body with perfume). Vijaya Daasaru, on the other hand, travelled on foot and did not use a palanquin as was the custom amongst many, in those days.
Due to the different modes of transport, Gopala Daasa would be ahead of his guru during their travels.
People awaiting the arrival of Vijaya Daasa more often than not mistook Gopala Daasa to be Vijaya Daasa. To which Gopala Daasa pointing to the path behind him, would say “Your Daasa is on the way”. And when they came across Vijaya Daasa, he would say in jest, “Go ahead and welcome the rich Daasa (Vibhavamurthy)… I am but a poor Daasa (Bada daasa)! He belongs to the race of Gods, I belong to the race of men!”
Despite this break of protocol, both the Guru and the disciple made a very good team.
Artwork
Gopala Daasa was an excellent artist. He would often draw figures of deities and invoke their presence through prayer. He would present these illustrations to devotees, who would take them home and worship them.
He made use of the symbolic representation of Vijaya Daasa’s suLadi and placing them in auspicious geometrical patterns drew the revered “Chakraabja Mandala”.
The Chakraabja Mandala is drawn as a “ peeta ” or seat to worship Vishnu, by the Vaishnava sect. The deity is worshipped as “ Ghruni ” (the Compassionate one). Since people believe that worship of the Lord with this mandala as a base is very powerful, they often buy a small copper sheet etched with the design (available at grandige shops) to place beneath an idol. The mandala is drawn as a colourful rangoli during homa .
Vyaasa Tattvagnya Tirtha
A scholar named Venkatanarasimhacharya lived in Aiji. His son Venkataramacharya was disinterested in studies. Venkatanarasimhacharya had a poor opinion of Gopala Daasa and his Kannada songs. Coaxed by his anxious wife, Venkatanarasimhacharya approached the Daasa and had a transformative experience. Gopala Daasa usually sang while looking in the direction of an empty silver seat, placed every day without fail. As Venkatanarasimhacharya sat listening to the Daasa singing, he looked in the direction of the silver seat and saw a monkey sitting on it. To his consternation, nobody else saw it, and he could not see it again. Realising that he had seen Hanuman enjoying Gopala Daasa’s singing, he became a changed man.
Gopala Daasa assured him that his son required no books to study but a single session of listening to Madhwaachaarya’s works would render him a great scholar. These words came true and Venkataramacharya became a sanyaasi named Vyaasa Tattvagnya Tirtha, who went on to write Sanskrit articles for the scholarly and Kannada devotional songs for lay people.
Shedding his mortal coils
Gopala Daasa passed away when he was about 40. This was due to his “ayurdaana” of 40 years to Jagannatha Daasa. Not only did he give away his years but he also took upon the stomach ailment of Jagannatha Daasaru and suffered from acute stomach pain. Unable to bear his brother’s pain, Guru Gopala Daasa (one of the younger brothers) composed a prayer addressing the supreme Lord as “Chandra”, thus invoking the cooling power of the moon to heal. On his last visit to Tirupati, Gopala Daasa began to sing a song in praise of the Lord but stopped without completing it or using his ankitha “Gopala Vittala”, even as the string of his tamburi snapped.
Some of Gopala Daasa’s compositions: Hyaange maadalayya Krishna
Ava rogavu enage deva Dhanwantri https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGDPuvLgff4&list=RDlGDPuvLgff4&start_radio=1
Enna binnapa kelu Dhanwantri daya maadu