SRI GOPALADASA – BRIEF LIFE SKETCH

 

Pushya Bahula Ashtami is the punyadina of Sri Gopaladasa [c.1720/21 – 1760/61].

He is one of the much celebrated Dasa Trio of post-Vijayanagara period. His ankitan nAma is ‘Gopala Vitthala’ bestowed by Sri Vijayadasa.

BIRTH & CHILDHOOD:

The original name of Gopaladasa was Bhaganna (ಭಾಗಣ್ಣ). He was born to Murari and Venkamma in Mosarakal village. He was the eldest of 4 siblings.

After father’s death his family moved to Uttanuru village where his mother struggled to raise the children. Her hardships have deeply moved young Bhaganna and made him to resolve that he should become rich by all means.

Here is a photograph of his house in Uttanuru near Gadwal, Telangana that has been preserved by descendants.

 

As he reached the age of getting initiated into Vedic studies, his upanayana was performed by Gundappa, shanubhoga [village head] of Sankapura.

GAYATRI SIDDHI AT UTTANUR

There is a Hanuman temple at Uttanur which was consecrated by Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha. This sacred site became the dais for Bhaganna to undertake Gayatri mantra recitation. His aim was to get siddhi of Gayatri mantra and gain powers. Particularly in Jyotisha Shastra.

 

Bhaganna made a rigorous penance at the Hanuman temple of Uttanur. Every morning, he was taking bath in a well located in the premises of the Anjaneya temple and was performing his Nitya Karma. After that he was sitting under a peepal tree located opposite to Anjaneya pratima to chant Gayatri mantra. Likewise he spent 2 years in deep meditation.

 

The peepal tree & the place where Gopaladasa did Gayatri japa.

 

Step well in which Bhaganna took bath for 2 years.

 As a result of his deep penance and recitaation, he was bestowed with trikAla jnAna (ability to know past, present & future) of anyone standing before him. He achieved his goal of becoming a great Jyotishka.

Since then, this Vyasaraya pratishTha Anjaneya became to be known as “Gayatri Anjaneya.”

To commemorate this event, a granite pratima of Gopaladasa in meditation has been installed under the peepal tree.

Here one can see an ancient vishNupAda as well.

MEETING HIS SWARUPA GURU

Bhaganna became quite famous for perfect predictions of the fate of the people. He also became rich with the offerings made by the people gaining from his predictions. Later, he got in touch with Vijayadasaru.

                   Sri Vijayadasa

Before meeting Vijayadasa, the legendary saint-poet of those times, Bhaganna was engaged in writing poems that carried ‘Venkata Krishna’ (ವೇಂಕಟಕೃಷ್ಣ) ankita. This was replaced by ‘Gopala Vitthala’ (ಗೋಪಾಲವಿಠಲ) bestowed by Vijayadasa. 

The initiation of Bhaganna into Haridasa fold has happened in c.1746 at Mangaraya temple, yet another Hanuman pratima installed by Sri Vyasaraya. This event performed under this banyan tree located inside Mangaraya temple premises.

Tree under which Vijayadasa gave Dasa Diksha to Bhaganna

Within 14 years of his haridAsa lifespan, Gopaladasa wrote hundreds of Kirtana, Suladi & Ugabhoga. Alongside of poetic talent, he was a noteworthy artist too. The hand-drawn paintings at his house at Uttanuru stand testimony of this less known skill of the saint-poet.

JAGANNATHA DASA & EXTENSION OF HIS LIFE SPAN

Sri Jagannatha Dasa was the celebrated disciple-cum-beneficiary of largess of Gopaladasaru.

As per the legend, on advise of Vijayadasaru, Gopaladasaru parted away 40 years of life with Jagannathadasa at Tirumala (estimated to be in a Brahmotsava conducted in c.1754).

Sri Jagannatha Dasa

This great sacrifice made a 33 years young haridAsa to another younger haridAsa (Jagannathadasa) of 27 years age enabled the latter to write ‘Hatikathamrutasara,’ a magnum opus of entire Kannada Haridasa literature.

As a result of donating 40 years of lifespan, Gopaladasaru left his mortal coil in c.1761/62 at Uttanur. Before leaving the mortal world, Gopaladasaru told his brothers that he will be reincarnating in the same village & hence his bones shouldn’t be immersed in Ganga River.

He told that the immersion will be done by him only in next birth. As per this soothsaying, his brothers buried the bones at the outskirts of the village. This placed is now called as ‘Asti Pushkarini’ (ಅಸ್ತಿ ಪುಷ್ಕರಿಣಿ).

Sri Gopaladasa’s writings throw a lot of light on the life in 18th c. His anguish over decline in Dharmik values due to advent of Kali is quite vocal. Similarly, his writings teach aspects of tattvavAda, bhakti, vairAgya, gurusEva etc. & methods to imbibe them. 

On his puNyatithi, I prostrate before Sri Gopaladasa, the legendary haridAsa who traveled widely to spread jnAna, bhakti &vairAgya in 18 c. identified as the most chaotic chapter in Indian history.

ಆಗತಾದಿ ತ್ರಿಕಾಲಜ್ಞಮ್ ಆಗಮಾರ್ಥ ವಿಶಾರದಮ್

ತ್ಯಾಗಭೋಗಸಮಾಯುಕ್ತಮ್ ಭಾಗಣ್ಣಾರ್ಯ ಗುರುಮ್ ಭಜೇ