Kanaka Dasa: Difference between revisions

{{More footnotes|date=October 2020}}

|name             = Kanaka Dasa

|religion=[[Hinduism]]

|image           = Kanakadasa art.jpg

|caption         =  

|image_size       =  

|birth_name       = Thimmappa Nayaka

|birth_date       = 3 December 1509

|birth_place     = [[Baada, Shiggaon|Baada]], [[Shiggaon]], [[Vijayanagara Empire]] (present-day [[Haveri District]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]])

|death_date       = 1609 (aged 100)

|guru             = [[Vyasatirtha]]

|death_place     =  

|origin           =

|occupation       = Saint, Poet, philosopher, composer

|father           = beerappa nayaka

|mother           = Bachamma

|spouse           = Mukuti nayaka (Madadi)

|years_active     =

'''Kanaka Dasa''' (1509 &ndash; 1609)<ref>Karnatakada Mahasant Kanakadasa by M. Basavaraj,(2007) The Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt of India, http://www.publicationsdivision.nic.in/b_show.asp?id=857 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924083040/http://www.publicationsdivision.nic.in/b_show.asp?id=857 |date=24 September 2015 }}</ref> was a Haridasa, a renowned composer of Carnatic music, poet, philosopher and musician.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Illustrious Saint Kanakadasa|url=https://starofmysore.com/illustrious-saint-kanakadasa/|last=says|first=Anantha Raju|date=2018-12-15|website=Star of Mysore|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref> He is known<ref>Medieval Indian Literature, A Anthology (1997) by Shiva Prakash H.S., edited by Ayyappapanicker, Sahitya Akademi {{ISBN|8126003650}}, pp. 198–200</ref> for his [[Kriti|keertanas]] and [[ugabhoga]], compositions in the [[Kannada]] language for [[Carnatic music]]. Like other [[Haridasa]]s, he used simple Kannada language and native metrical forms for his compositions.

Originally named '''Thimmappa''', [[Kaginele]] in [[Haveri]] district. He was born in [[Baada, Shiggaon|Baada]] village, near [[Bankapura]] and he was a warrior at Bankapura fort. Based on one of his compositions, it is interpreted that he was seriously injured in a battle and was miraculously saved. After this incident, he gave up his profession as a warrior and devoted himself to composing music, writing literature and explaining philosophy to the common man. His early work includes poems titled ''Narasimha stotra'', ''Ramadhyana Mantra'', and  ''Mohanatarangini''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=HARISHANKAR |title=The Great Saint Sree Kanaka Dasa |url=https://www.epoojastore.com/devotional-articles/sree-kanaka-dasa |access-date=5 April 2020}}</ref>

There is [[folklore]] behind this popular quotation. Kanakadaasa's Master Vyaasatirtha (ವ್ಯಾಸತೀರ್ಥ) once posed a question:

  Who among the scholars present in the convention could attain salvation ([[Moksha]]).  

  ''ನಾನು ಹೋದರೆ ಹೋದೇನು'' (If "I'm" gone, I may go)  

adding to . His master who could discern the real wisdom behind Kanakadaasa's affirmation asked him to elaborate. He made a [[Pun]] giving different literal and philosophical meanings. Though it seemed on the surface that Kanakadaasa claimed that he alone may attain salvation, he had in fact put forth a thoughtful message, that no matter the level of one's scholarly prowess, one cannot achieve anything until the ego is eliminated.

Kanakadasa has a special association with Udupi as he was the disciple of [[Vyasatirtha]] Swamiji.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rao|first=Vasudeva|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-utNEpTZWUkC&q=Kanaka+Dasa%2C+Vyasatirtha+Swamiji+follower&pg=PA199|title=Living Traditions in Contemporary Contexts: The Madhva Matha of Udupi|date=2002|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=978-81-250-2297-8|language=en}}</ref> On the request of Vyasaraya Swamiji of Vyasaraja Matt he had come to Udupi. But it was an era when discrimination on the basis of caste was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ahiraj|first=M.|date=2018-02-21|title=Document that 'disproves' common belief Kanakadasa was denied temple entry|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/document-that-disproves-common-belief-that-kanakadasa-was-denied-temple-entry/article22810754.ece|access-date=2020-05-03|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The priests would not let him enter the temple as he was from a "lower" caste though Vyaasaraaya Swamiji asked them to let Kanakadaasa into the temple.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/for-human-resolve-not-miracles/article5954786.ece |title = For human resolve, not miracles|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 28 April 2014|last1 = Hegde|first1 = Sanjay}}</ref> Kanakadaasa was outside the temple meditating on Krishna, his Lord, and singing songs in praise of Sri Krishna. He did this for weeks, camping outside the temple, cooking his own food. Though distraught over being prevented from entering the temple, he composed poems in praise of Lord Krishna and composed kirthanas (poems) which are relevant even today. He sings about how all humans being equal, as everyone is born the same way physically, everyone shares the same water and sees the same sun helping life on earth.  

Hindu temples and the deity in the temples always face east. In Udupi, though, Lord Krishna, in deity form, faces west. It is believed that something unnatural must have happened when Kanakadasa was outside the temple for days waiting to be allowed to go into the temple. It is believed that during those days, when Kanakadaasa was not allowed to have darshan of Lord Krishna, he poured his heart out singing kirthanas for his dear Lord. Miraculously, the deity of Lord Krishna turned around to face west. Through a crack in the outer walls of the temple, Kanakadaasa the ardent devotee of Sri Krishna was able to see his Lord. This left the orthodox community flabbergasted why something like that had happened.

Ever since, Sri Krishna's deity has been facing west, though the main entrance is east-facing. The miracle remains. Today that window (commonly called "Kanakana Kindi") stands as a tribute to Kanakadaasa. Devotees who visit Udupi's Sri Krishna temple, try to have a darshan of Lord Krishna through this small window seeking to re-live the ecstasy where Kanakadaasa had when granting the divine ‘darshan’.  

It is a memorial to Kanakadaas, and also testimony to the eclectic Hindu belief that devotion, poetry, and sainthood are above caste and creed and certainly above rigidly maintained orthodoxy.<ref>http://www.kanakaudupi.com/</ref> It is said that Kanakadasa lived in a hut in this place in front of the “gopura”. Later, a small shrine was built in his memory and it came to be known as “Kanakana Kindi” or “Kanakana Mandira”.

Although many saints such as Purandaradaasa and Vijayadaasa visited Udupi and were devotees of Lord Krishna, it is Kanakadaasa's association with Lord Krishna, that conveys a deeper meaning.<ref>http://www.sumadhwaseva.com/dasaru/kanaka-dasaru/</ref>

His writing started showing his innovativeness in using the day-to-day activities of the common man.

For e.g.  ''Ramadhanya Charite'' is a poetic expression of conflicts between rich and poor classes where he uses [[Finger millet|Ramadhanya]] ragi (staple food of poor and high in nutrients) and [[rice]] (main food of rich but not as rich in nutrients) to synonymously represent poor and rich. He joined [[Haridasa]] movement and became a follower of [[Vyasathirtha|Vyasaraja]] who named him as Kanakadasa. His poems and [[kirtans|krithi]] deal with many aspects of life and expose the futility of external rituals. They stress the need for the cultivation of moral values in life. His compositions addressed social issues in addition to the devotional aspect. Kanaka Dasa was very aggressive and straight forward in criticizing evils of society such as superiority claims using [[caste]] system. His poem "Kula Kula Kulavendu hodedhadadiri" asks humans not to segregate themselves from one another, because every human is born the same way, everyone eats the same food and drinks the same water, hence none is superior or inferior to one another.

The deity he worshiped was Adhikeshava of [[Kaginele]], presently in Haveri district of [[Karnataka]]. [[Kaginele]], now a village, was a prosperous place and trading center in the Middle Ages. Out of the many of his compositions, about 240 (see Ref 2) are fully accountable today. All his [[Karnataka Music]] compositions end with [[mudra]] (signature) ''Kaginele Adhikeshava''. In addition to being a poet, he worked as a social reformer by downplaying dogmatic communities that were suppressing the disadvantaged communities. Kanakadasa made an extreme effort in reforming the disadvantaged communities by convincing them to give up their age-old obsolete social practices and adapt to the changing world. He effectively used music to convey his philosophy. He lived at [[Tirupati (city)|Tirupathi]] in his last days. He is one of the greatest musicians, composers, poets, social reformers, philosophers and saints that [[India]]  has ever seen.''''''

Kanakadasa wrote about two hundred forty [[Karnataka Music]] compositions ([[Kriti|Kirtane]], [[Ugabhoga]]s, padas, and mundiges or philosophical songs)<ref>Kanakadasa-The Golden servant of Lord Hari (2001) by Basavaraj Naikar, National Book Trust {{ISBN|81-237-3664-9}}</ref> besides five major works. His compositions are published in many languages. For example, about 100 songs in [[Kannada]]<ref>Kanaka Daasara Padagalu (1997) By S Rudramurthy Shastri, Bhagya Laksmi Publishers, Bangalore</ref>

and 60 songs in English<ref>Songs of Three Great South Indian Saints by William J. Jackson (2002), Oxford India Paper, '''{{ISBN|0-19-566051-X}}'''</ref> are published in popular books.

His writings were unique in style. In Ramadhanyacharitre, an allegory on the conflict between the socially strong and weak castes and classes, presented as an argument between two foodgrains, [[rice]] and [[ragi (grain)|ragi]], is a most creative literary piece with a powerful social message, In the work, rice represents the socially powerful and ragi (millet) represents the working people. The two grains come before Rama to argue their case and establish their superiority. In the end, Rama sends both of them to prison for six months. At the end of the period, rice has turned rotten while the hardy ragi survive, earning Rama's blessings. This shows the intelligence of Kanakadasa in trying to reform society. He was blunt in criticizing those who opposed the good practices. In one of his compositions, he says,"Eternal hell is for those who criticize noblemen, for those who condemn teachings of jagadguru...".

*''Nalacharitre'' (Story of Nala)

*''Ramadhanyacharite'' (story of ragi millet) and an epic

*''[[Mohanatarangini]]'' (Krishna-river).

Kanakadasa rationalized bhakti (devotion) by giving worldly similes. His writing has an intimate touch that identifies the reader with the poet himself. His two famous compositions in the translation are given below. One condemns the caste system in a refined poetic way and the other wonders at the colorful and baffling creation of God Almighty in childlike wonder.

His Nalacharite is based on the famous love-story of Nala and Damayanti, which appears in Mahabharata. Though a great devotee of Lord  Krishna, Kanakadasa gives his own interpretation. Nala who is in love with Damayanti exercises restraint in the svayamvara (choosing bride/bridegroom) ceremony to win over Damayanti by allowing Indra and other gods a chance to win over her. When he loses everything in a dice-game and gets exiled to the forest, stubbornly followed by Damayanti, he deserts her in sleep, hoping that she may go back to her parents and have a better life. He later drives king Rituparna to the second svayamvara of Damayanti, to see his wife married to a suitable person and be happy! Lord Krishna appears only once casually to rescue the caravan in which the hapless Damayanti was traveling and was attacked by wild elephants.  

Nrisimhastava is a work dealing with the glory of god Narasimha (half human and half lion).

==[[Kanakadasa Jayanthi]]==

In tribute to the great saint, the [[Government]] of [[Karnataka]] has declared his birthday as a state holiday. All the government offices, schools, and colleges around the state celebrate the birth anniversary of Shri Kanaka Dasa.

Legendary Kannada actor and singer from the Kannada movie industry Dr. [[Rajkumar (actor)|Rajkumar]] enacted as KankaDasa in the movie [[Bhakta Kanakadasa]] and the movie received good response from the public.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1346649/ | title=Bhakta Kanakadasa}}</ref>

Film director and playwright [[Girish Karnad]] made a documentary film titled, ''Kanaka-Purandara'' (English, 1988) on the two medieval Bhakti poets of Karnataka.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0231862/ ''Kanaka-Purandara''] ''[[IMDb]]''</ref><ref name=hin>[https://web.archive.org/web/20011230180843/http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1603/16031170.htm AWARDS: The multi-faceted playwright] ''[[Frontline (magazine)]]'', Vol. 16, No. 03, January 30 - February 12, 1999.</ref>

Unfortunately, the State holiday in Karnataka is not used for unifying the castes and creating the much-needed social harmony that Shree Kanaka Dasa struggled all his life. Kanakadasa Jayanthi is celebrated across all the communities, which is good progress.

In January 2013, the Kaginele Development Authority – Kaginele, Haveri District, Government of Karnataka, India – re-dedicated the newly built Kanaka Dasa Fort and Palace to the general public, at Baada, Bankapur. The tourist spot is open for the general public and highlights the life and sainthood of Kanaka Dasa

Another Kannada movie ''Ramadhanya'' [May 2018] based on his life and most famous work – Ramadhanya charithre – beautifully encapsulates the saint's karmic journey and the relationship between two staple food of South Indians (1) Raghava Dhanya or Ragi and (2) Bhattha or Rice.