SRI KANAKADASA – BRIEF LIFE HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
This article is about Sri Kanadasa and serves as a brief account of his life history.
CHILDHOOD & EARLY LIFE:
Timmappa (would-be Kanakadasa) was born in c.1508 to Beerappa and Bachchamma.
Beerappa was a palegar of Bada village under Vijayanagara rule. Bada village was a strategic & vantage point for Vijayanagara empire as the road leading to port city of Goa was passing through it.
Timmappa who lost his father at young age took over the reins as palegar. Luck got him a huge treasure of gold (kanaka) & precious
stones. Since then people started calling Timmappa as Kanaka Nayaka. Kanaka was trained in warfare & was in-charge of a regiment at Bankapura.
stones. Since then people started calling Timmappa as Kanaka Nayaka. Kanaka was trained in warfare & was in-charge of a regiment at Bankapura.
KANADA NAYAKA BECAME KANAKADASA:
He had a deep love for his wife. But she died at young age. Kanaka got devastated with this incident. But he continued his career. At his time,
quite often, Vijayanagara and Bijapur were at war to wrest control over Goa. Kanaka seems to have fought in one such battle.
quite often, Vijayanagara and Bijapur were at war to wrest control over Goa. Kanaka seems to have fought in one such battle.
He was severely wounded & was almost dying on the field. A old man brought water for him and said “become my dAsa. Will heal your wounds.” Kanaka recalled a recurring dream in which his family God Chennakeshava, like this old man, was repeatedly asking him to become His dAsa. The battle, the wounded body & the changed mindset made Kanaka Nayaka to become Kanaka Dasa. ‘Adikeshava’ became his ‘ankitanAma.’
Kanakadasa himself narrates this incident, albeit subtly, in one of his kirtanas.
ದೊರೆತನವ ಬಿಡಿಸಿ ಸುಸ್ಥಿರ ಮಾರ್ಗ ತೋರಿಸಿದಿ
ನರಮಾತ್ರದವನೆನದೆ ಹರಿಯೆ
ಗರುವದಲಿಹೆನೆಂಬುದರಿತು ನಿನ್ನ ದಾಸರಿಗೆ
ಮಾರಿದೊಯೆನ್ನ ಹರಿಯೆ
TRANSLATION: “O Hari! by not ignoring me as a mere mortal, You have released from ruler-ship and showed me the unwavering path; You were aware that I was filled with pride but now you have made me surrender to Your servants.”
LITERARY WORKS:
Since then, Kanakadasa traveled all over Vijayanagara Empire & living to his warrior trait, conquered it as a mendicant saint-singer. At Hampi,
he met with his mentor Sri Vyasaraya & Karnata Sangeeta Pitamaha Sri Purandaradasa and got enriched by their patronage/friendship.
he met with his mentor Sri Vyasaraya & Karnata Sangeeta Pitamaha Sri Purandaradasa and got enriched by their patronage/friendship.
The trio of Vyasaraya, Purandara and Kanakadasa forever turned the Vijayanagara Empire into the capital of Bhakti & haridAsa movements.
Together, they transformed the just rule of Krishnaraya into a golden epoch of not Vijayanagara alone but of S. Indian history itself.
Together, they transformed the just rule of Krishnaraya into a golden epoch of not Vijayanagara alone but of S. Indian history itself.
Kanaka’s love for his departed wife has taken the form of ‘mOhanatarangiNI’ a kAvya written by him probably when he was 35-36 yrs old. Literary experts opine that the description of Dwaraka in Kanaka’s mOhanatarangiNi is nothing but the description of Hampi city itself!
The literature of post-mOhanatarangiNi by Kanaka is focused on the darker side of the samsAda & its bondage that bring pain & agony.
His songs are full of deep mysticism. His words/phrases are like unfathomable codes of universe’s greatest secrets. Tough nuts to crack! He
himself said in one of his kritis that his enigmatic writings are “ಕನಕನಾಡಿದ ಗುಟ್ಟು” whose meanings known only to God Adikeshava.
himself said in one of his kritis that his enigmatic writings are “ಕನಕನಾಡಿದ ಗುಟ್ಟು” whose meanings known only to God Adikeshava.
END OF KANAKADASA’S EARTHLY APPEARANCE:
There are different versions as to where did he pass away. One version says he entered Tirumala temple & vanished [into God Shrinivasa]. Another version says that he died at Kaginele village where he constructed a temple for his tutelary god, Adikeshava. Wherever he might have left the mortal body, his immortal literature is reverberating throughout the land for last 500 years.
ಯಮಾಂಶ ಪರಾಭಕ್ತೋ ಸುಪ್ರಸನ್ನೋ ಹರಿಃ ಸ್ವಯಮ್ |
ಯಸ್ಯಾಚಾರ್ಯಃ ವ್ಯಾಸರಾಯಃ ತಮ್ ವಂದೇ ಕನಕಾಭಿದಮ್ ||
To Kanaka who is an incarnation of Yama, great devotee who realised Sri Hari & whose Guru is Sri Vyasaraya, I bow to him in reverence.
*****