ಶನಿವಾರ, ಜುಲೈ 1, 2023

An explanation to my previous post / poem

Ref : My recent poem on Haridasaru - here is an explanation. I wrote this

because my son heard the recitation and said that he could not make out

anything even after repeatedly listening to the poem.  


As I have said before, I was reading a book on Haridaasa culture and thought

that it would be nice if I could connect the well known dasaru to one of their

well known compositions and make a poem out of it. 


I began with Acharya Madhwa whom the book mentions first. It says the

Dwadasha Stortra written by Madhwacharya is probably the beginning

of ‘haridasa’ culture.(though the compositions were in sanskrit and not

Kannada - hence technically do not qualify as ‘daasa’ literature) The line

quoted in my poem is from the fourth chapter of ‘dwadasha stotra’ where

Madhwacharya declares the supremacy of Maha Vishnu. 

‘Bhujaverisi’ - means with raised hands.  ghoshisuvudu - is to declare 

‘Na hare paramo, na hare sadrusha’ - there is nothing /no one greater

than or like Sri Hari. 


The second is Sri Vadiraja teertha. He has written extensively in Sanskrit,

Kannada and TuLu ( I hope to find the tuLu compositions and get the meaning

from Aishwarya, my daughter in law). he was a master in Poetry, as well as

in writing scholarly articles. I did not quote any line from his compositions

but mentioned the fact that the lord appeared in the form of a horse in front

of Vadirajaru.  His ‘Dashavatara Stuti’ which I love, was inspired by that

experience. “Kudure Vadiraajarigaaytu Krishna Sadrusha” means the

Horse was Sri krishna to Vadirajaru. 


After this is Sripadarajaru and his composition “kangaLidyaatako kaveri

Rangana NoDada”. It is very beautifully sung by Sri Bhimasena Joshi,

Doyen of Hindustani Classical. One of my favourites. 


Sri Vyasateertharu has not written many poems, though he has written

extensively on Madhwa Philosophy. The line quoted is from one of his few

compositions and is new to me. I got it from the book I am reading.

But He is the first Yati or Swamiji who greatly encouraged Haridasa culture

and both Purandara dasaru and Kanakadasaru are his disciples. 

‘dingarugaLu’ means those who were strongly devoted to a deity/ god. 

‘Deekshe’ is - initiating someone into the group/ culture


Then comes Purandara dasaru who is said to have composed Thousands

(many are not available now) of devaranamas and his “kaliyugadali

harinaamava nenedare kulakoTigaLu uddharisuvavo” is one of the famous

compositions. (pari pari - the word used in my poem, means - in many

many ways, ‘PaDi’ means HaaDi, -  ‘by singing’. ‘Puneeta’ is spiritually

pure, sinless.


Next is kanakadasaru and the first line in his “keshava nama” is “eesha

ninna charaNa bhajane aasheyinda maaduvenu” - I am sure my family

members recollect the song and are fed up of hearing it being recited

by me again and again. 


“Indu engage govinda, ninnaya paada aravindava toro”  (make your lotus

feet visible to me today, Govinda) is supposed to be the only devaranama

written by  Sri Raghavendra swamy. But he has written meanings, notes

and comments on almost all of Sri madhwa’s works. He is known to be a

very great scholar and an expert in playing the Veena. The Line “Kandarpana

Tandeya aradhisidaru rayaru” means - (kandarpa is manmatha. his tande,

father is Vishnu. Aradhisu is worship with great love and devotion)  Rayaru

worshipped Sri Hari with the song”. 


Jagannatha dasaru is another haridaasaru having a similar story like

Purandara dasaru. PD was a jeweller turned haridasa, jagannatha dasaru

was a very learned but arrogant scholar turned haridasa. ‘Harikathamrutasara’

was his magnum opus and I hope to read it in full one day.  It is a collection

of thousands of beautifully written verses, my mother’s favourite, but I will

need a dictionary for almost every single line. 


The last stanza says “ I would like to sing and dance like these great people

but I don’t know the way.(Dishe is direction or path) I have a body ( kaaya)

which can worship you but again have no clue (upaaya) how exactly to do it.

(Here I don't mean the worship we see as ‘Pooje’ in temples and what we

usually do at home - I mean the worship in real sense - with the mind

unwaveringly concentrating on the supreme being or paramaatma,

who has no body that is perceivable by us and whose qualities makeup

his body - “Vigraho yasya sarve guNa evahi” as Sri Madhwacharya

describes. (His body is his unfathomable qualities.) 


His worship as described by Sri Raghavendraru is offering every deed done

by one, both good and bad in the course of the day, to him.  This matter

is a bit complicated to comprehend and I will try to make a better

explanation once I am clear in my mind. But What we presently do as

‘Pooje’ or worship, is what has been put in place by our elders and is

being followed over generations. It is not wrong but one is expected to

rise above that and that’s what I mean when I say I don’t know how

to worship you. 


The last two lines - ‘Bantaru’ are servants,  ‘Bantarinda kalita enTakshara’ -

means some eight or ten letters learnt from your servants.   Who are his

servants? - Every one starting from Brahma and going lower in the hierarchy.  

Brahma is considered the greatest teacher, Guru. Everyone lower in the

order from PraNadevaru to the teachers who taught me in first standard

are Vishnu’s ‘banTaru’ and ‘gurugaLu’ in their own right.  


‘EnTaksharagaLa ganTu’ - packet of eight letters. It does not exactly mean

‘eight letters’ but only indicates a very limited knowledge. ‘Balasi’ - using

that limited knowledge.   ‘tanTe’ - Mischief.   ‘SrikanthaSuta’ - son Of

Srikantha   ‘tunTu’ is mischief again.  So the last lines means “bear with

this son of Srikantha who is playing mischief using the limited knowledge

obtained from his teachers”. 


I hope this helps in getting a proper understanding of what is written.

Those who still have doubts and extra patience, may ask me for more !

Thanks for the patient reading. 



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