Jagannatha Daasa Part 1
The scholar of Maanvi
When Narasappa found it difficult to pursue a career as a “Kulkarni” (maintenance of records and accounts and collection of taxes) under the Muslim regime, he sought the help of Panganaamada Thimmanna, the Dewan of Adoni. Thimmanna made Narasappa a Hari Daasa and gave him the ankitha, “Narasimha Vittala”.
Narasappa was the father of Srinivasa (who would go on to become Jagannatha Daasa – 1728-1809), an extremely intelligent boy, who excelled at studies and became a scholar and a poet, composing shlokas on the go. Recognising his potential, Varadendra Tirtha, the pontiff of Mantralaya, took him under his wings. At their first meeting, Srinivasa composed the “Varadendra Pancharatna”, a collection of five eclectic shlokas (1. Varadendra Tirtha and Varadaraja swamy, 2. Raghavendra Tirtha and Lord Ramachandra, 3.Vasudeva, Vaayu devaru and Varadendra, 4. Moola Raama and Mantralaya Matha 5. His obeisance).
Srinivasa achieved great scholarly heights under the tutelage of the pontiff, who also got him married. Srinivasaacharya, as he became known, settled in Maanvi, his native town, in the district of Raichur, in Karnataka.
Derision, disease, desperation
A still from the Kannada movie, Jagannatha Daasa
As his scholarliness grew, so did Srinivasaacharya’s ritualistic rigidities. He undertook various vows of not eating food cooked by outsiders, women, etc. (para anna nema, stree paaka nema, para paaka nema etc). ‘Madi’ and ‘mailige’* became all important. Srinivasachaarya had great contempt for Hari Daasas and was embarrassed by his father being a Daasa.
*Ritual purity and impurity
Common people, however, preferred Daasas, for their simplicity and sweetness, to the high-handed scholars. Irked by this, Srinivasaacharya began to berate Vijaya Daasaru, and his Kannada compositions.
Vijaya Daasaru took it upon himself to rid Srinivasa off his arrogance. Arriving at Maanvi, he organised a lunch inviting many people including Srinivasaacharya. When Srinivasaacharya did not turn up for the lunch, Vijaya Daasa sent word for him. Srinivasaacharya who had hastily eaten and was lying down, told the messenger to convey to the Daasa that if he did not eat on time, he got acute stomach pain. When Vijaya Daasa heard this, he simply said, “Is that the case? Then so be it.”
And from then on, Srinivasaacharya developed unbearable and incurable stomach pain. He withered away, becoming thinner and weaker by the day.
Seeking divine cure, he performed ‘seve’ at Tirupathi. When no result yielded, he performed ‘seve’ at Ghatikaachala*. But both Hari and Vaayu did not bestow relief. Desperate, he made his way to Mantralaya.
*a temple dedicated to Anjaneya, on a hill in Tamil Nadu, in Thirukkadigai (now called Sholingur)
“Thamma, neenu anyanalla!”
At Mantralaya, Srinivasa began severe austerities. For seven days, he prayed while only having sips of “paadodaka” (water that has washed Rayaru’s feet). Exhausted mentally, physically and spiritually, he decided to enter the waters of Tungabhadra the next morning to end his life. In the wee hours of the eighth day, Rayaru appeared in his dream, and said, “Thamma, neenu anyanalla!” (Brother, you are no stranger). Srinivasa is believed to be Sahlada, the younger brother of Prahallada, one of the previous incarnations of Raghavendra Tirtha.
Rayaru told him that his present affliction was the direct result of disregarding Vijaya Daasaru who was Bhrigu Muni himself. He asked Srinivasaacharya to seek refuge in Vijaya Daasa. Srinivasa woke up to find fruit and mantrakshathe* in his hands.
*grains of consecrated rice smeared with kumkum
Redemption
Recovering a little strength, Srinivasaacharya proceeded to Cheekalapari. At the sight of Vijaya Daasa, he exclaimed, “Vijayaraaya, paahi and approached him with hejje namaskara (prostrating at every step). Vijaya daasa told him kindly that he had gone to Maanvi to aid him but now that he had received the blessings of Rayaru, he was on the right path. He said, “Consider whatever you have endured till now as your “praarabhdha karma”. Proceed to Uthanur and meet Gopala Daasa, who is your “swaroopa** guru”. He will grant you “aparoksha”*** and you will go on to become a famous Haridaasa!”