Ananda Daasa Part 1

Ananda….true to his name…

Unlike little Venkayya (Prasanna Venkata Daasa), who losing his parents early in life remained uneducated (in boyhood) and was forever busy with menial tasks his sister-in-law assigned him, Ananda and his brother, Shesha, had a happy and comfortable boyhood, despite losing their parents early in life. Ananda Daasaru was born in Cheekalaparavi, the birthplace of Vijaya Daasa. The brothers sought the refuge of the king of Surapura. So bright was Ananda that scholars vied with each other to teach him. He absorbed knowledge like a sponge and became famous for his melodious singing, playing the Veene, and for mimicry of bird and animal calls. People were in awe of the musical talent of the brothers.

Aa Ananda grew older he gave musical performances in the king’s court and taught music to the king’s courtesans. He had a rather poor opinion of singing “keerthanes”, songs in praise of God. When he witnessed the power of devotion through the singing of Jagannatha Daasa’s disciple Shreesha Vittala Daasa (grandson of Pranesha Daasa), he acquired a new perspective of the music of Hari Daasas. He asked Shreesha Vittala to initiate him and grant him an “ankitha”. Shreesha Vittala arranged for a ceremony to bestow an ankitha to him, secretly overjoyed that the purpose of his visit to Surapur had borne fruit.

Obtaining the ankitha, “Kamalesha Vittala”, he gained immense fame for his compositions and came to be known as Surapurada Ananda Daasaru. He wrote “Keerthanageethe”, a treatise on the Bhagawad Geethe in Kannada.

He continued his routine of singing, playing the Veene and teaching music, thus spending 40 years of life in contentment, not yet ready to plunge into the spiritual world of Hari Daasas.

Changes in fortune

The demise of the ruler of Surapur affected not only Ananda Daasa’s fortunes but also of every scholar and artist in the land. The successor to the throne did not share his predecessor’s generosity. As Ananda Daasa’s fortune dwindled, the number of his followers dwindled too. Finally, it was only him, his wife and daughter. Seeking divine intervention, he travelled to Kolhapur, to pray to Mahalakshmi, the goddess of fortune. He composed a song beseeching her to grant him favour. As his melodious voice reached the ears of the Maratha ruler who stood in prayer, in the sanctum sanctorum, the Goddess granted Ananda Daasa 6000 gold coins through the ruler.

Ananda Daasa was mortified. In his desperation, he had implied in his song that the Goddess was “Kamalesha Vittala’s Rani” only if she bestowed him fortune, and not otherwise. He immediately composed a song in praise of the Goddess to make amends for the previous slight. Gaining a new lease of life, Ananda Daasa travelled to Udupi and other places, giving discourses and writing “granthas”.

Mysore and the Maharaja

He finally made his way to Mysore where Ananda Daasa waited for two years for the Maharaja, Krishnaraja Wodeyar, to ask him to sing in his court but to no avail. During this period, famed musicians and scholars came to hear him sing, but had to return disappointed for the Daasa had taken an oath that his first song would be at the court and nowhere else. Finally, a suggestion was made that he sing in the Prasanna Krishnaswamy temple. The Daasa agreed, and that evening he sang his heart out. The Maharaja who heard the voice sought out the Daasa. He implored the Daasa to extend his stay in Mysore and gradually had him sing all of his forty compositions. Honouring him, he sent Ananda Daasa back to Surapur, with royal guards to protect him during the journey.

In the following years, Surapur was assigned to British administration (1853) followed by coming under the Nizam of Hyderabad (1860). Things were no longer what they were with the tentacles of British rule spreading everywhere. Ananda Daasa’s mind turned towards God!