Modalakallu Shesha Daasa

The grand life of Sheshappa

Sheshappa, as he was respectfully called, was born in 1806, in Dharur (in present day Telangana), five miles away from Gadhwal. He held an important position in the court as a “Kulkarni” (in charge of accounts and collection of taxes). Sheshappa was tall and muscular and always wore crisp silk panche, upper cloth and a turban. He was extremely dignified in manner as well. He led a good life, providing hospitality to everyone who came to his house and proficiently discharging his official duties.

Somabhoopala was an adopted son of the rulers and sadly did not possess the noble spirit befitting royalty. Petty-minded, he was irked by Sheshappa’s regal bearing, and waited for a chance to dishonour him, once he came to power. Somabhoopala used a slight delay in the payment of tax to summon and humiliate Sheshappa. When Sheshappa came to the court, as usual, in his impeccable style, Somabhoopala taunted him and his attire, and ordered a courtier to knock off Sheshappa’s turban. In many cultures, people consider knocking off a headgear as worse than chopping off one’s head, for losing one’s dignity is considered to be worse than losing one’s life. Sheshappa declared that he would not bend to pick up the fallen turban and relinquishing his official position, he walked away without looking back.

This marked the end of a chapter of Sheshappa’s life. People worried that such a slight may have caused Sheshappa to take his own life, when their search for him yielded no result.

Austerities, advice, atonement

Chintharevula, on the outskirts of Dharur, was covered in wilderness. A temple of Anjaneya (one of the numerous idols installed by Vyaasa Tirtha) was deserted and became the shelter for Sheshappa. No longer clad in finery, sleeping on the cold stone floor, Sheshappa went on to perform severe austerities.

When people found out his whereabouts they beseeched him to return to Dharur, to his mother, wife and children, and to them. Sheshappa was firm in his resolve to not return to a worldly life. He began to pray with renewed fervour, observing silence and severe fasting. He became frail but persisted. One day, he seemed to hear these words, “Sheshappa, don’t punish yourself so hard. Your prayers will be answered soon!” Sheshappa dismissed these words as a figment of his imagination and continued his austerities. On the third day, Yelameli Hayagreevacharya, a contemporary saint and his mentor, appeared before Sheshappa, in a vision, and gently chided him for disregarding Vijayarayaru’s (Vijaya Daasa’s) words. “Perform penance in a sathvik manner, do not continue with this asuric* penance…, somebody will appear soon to help you to break your fast,” he said. Sheshappa was perplexed for he had neither thought of nor prayed to Vijaya Daasa, yet he had sought him out!

As predicted, the next morning a simple minded villager called Thimmappa made his way to the temple with essential supplies. He told Sheshappa that he would serve him henceforth. Sheshappa resumed his penance but without “deha dandane”** as directed. People began to throng the temple and Thimmappa managed to cook and serve food to the hundreds of visitors, with the generous donations of grains by local landowners.

Two years of constant meditation in silence resulted in Sheshappa being granted the divine vision of Lord Hanuman and Lord Raama.

*befitting asuras

**punishing the body

Arjuna’s last birth as Shesha Daasaru

Sheshappa visited Cheekalapuri and Chippagiri, the birth place and the resting place of Vijaya Daasa, respectively.

At Chippagiri, Vijaya Daasa appeared before him and helped him recollect his previous births as Vaikunta Daasa and Panganamada Thimmappa (Venugopala Daasa). Vijaya Daasa granted him the ankitha, “Guru Vijayavittala”. As Sheshappa was an amsha of Arjuna*, Vijaya Daasa urged him to pray to Rudra Devaru for enlightenment, as Lord Indra’s spiritual preceptor was Lord Shiva.

*Arjuna, the third Pandava, was the son of Lord Indra and Kunti Devi

“You have seen God in both your previous births but the vision has been “baahyaparoksha” (external). In this birth, you are destined to have “bimba aparoksha” (God seen with the inner eye) as well, which is the true mark of an enlightened soul! You will be a famed Hari Daasa!” As directed by Vijaya Daasa, an ecstatic Shesha Daasa performed “seve” at Navabrindavana and at Chakrateertha.

Nambide ninna paadava Mukhyapraana… To listen to the song rendered by Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, visit

Shesha Daasa’s life regained its previous grandeur with people thronging his residence and hundreds of people being fed every day. But he yearned for solitude and appealed to Anjaneya for help. Lord Hanuman instructed him to go to Modalakallu, which lay between the rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra.

At Modalakallu, much to the astonishment of Thimmappa, the Man-Friday; the Daasa handled venomous snakes and ferocious tigers like they were harmless children. After a year of observing silence, fasting, and meditation, when he decided to break his fast, the people of the nearby villages flooded Thimmappa with supplies.

Again, the Daasa was surrounded by hordes of well-wishers and the days became busy for Thimmappa, but Shesha Daasa spent most of the time in solitude, contemplating on the Chakraabja Mandala, interacting only with those who came to seek knowledge.

Shesha Daasa’s wife and children made yet another attempt to persuade him to go with them to Dharur. The Daasa told them that if staying together was the main intention, they should relocate to Modalakallu.

Unlike most Hari Daasas who traversed the length and breadth of Bhaaratha, Shesha Daasa hardly left Modalakallu.

And it is said that unlike other Haridaasas, Shesha Daasa in his suLadis clearly revealed his swaroopa, that he was Arjuna-amsha!

Modalakallu Shesha Daasaru passed away in 1885 at the age of 75.