Shri Prasannavenkata Dasaru Aradhana (Dasaru)

Shri Prasannavenkata Dasaru Aradhana

*bhAdrapada shuddha yEkAdashi is the ArAdhane of shri prasanna venkata dAsaru.(celebrated on dwAdashI) *

ಶ್ರೀ ಶಾತ್ಪ್ರಾಪ್ತ ಸುವಿಜ್ಞಾನಮ್ ಶ್ರೀಶೈಕ ನಿರತಂ ಸದಾ |

ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ವೇಂಕಟಾರ್ಯೋಮೇ ಭೂಯಾತ್ ಸರ್ವಾರ್ಥ ಸಿದ್ಧಯೇ |

श्री शात्प्राप्त सुविज्ञानम् श्रीशैक निरतं सदा ।

प्रसन्न वेंकटार्योमे भूयात् सर्वार्थ सिद्धये ।

Period: 1680 – 1752

Punyadina: Bhadrapada shuddha yEkAdashi 

Birth place: Bagalkote

Ankita: “Prasannavenkata”  or “Prasannavenkata Krishna”.

Contemporaries: Vijayadasaru, Gopaladasaru,

Contributions: More than 600 Keerthanegalu, 20 Ugaboga, 9 Suladigalu and 3 kolu haadu

Shree Prasanna Venkata Dasaru, called by name Kakhandaki Venkappayya was born in 1680 AD at Bagalkot and lived for 72 years. Shree Prasanna Venkata Dasaru lost his parents in early childhood & was under the care of his elder brother. His sister-in-law always ill treated him. One day Venkappayya asked his sister in law for a cup of buttermilk as he felt thirsty after hard work in the fields. His sister in law refused to give him and she choose to pour the butter milk to the vessel of the cow informing that by so doing the Cow may yield more milk, than giving it to a dull-headed cowherd.

Annoyed by the prejudice of his sister-in-law, Venkappayya left the house. He joined a party of Chappara Devaru (Pallakki Containing the Idol of Lord Venkateshwara) going to Tirumala by foot and his association with religious people, Satsanga, led him to total dedication to Lord Shreenivasa. Venkappayya surrendered himself to Lord Venkateshvara with Sarva Samarpana Bhava and was enlightened by lord Shreenivasa who blessed him by writing the Ankita “Prasanna Venkata Krishna” on his tongue.

One day, his Bhaktiya Parakashthe put him on the stage of a bliss & he happened to remain in the inner part of the Tirumala Temple unaware of closure of temple doors and remained there whole night. On next morning, Priests seeing him inside the temple drove him out angrily. It seems Lord Shreenivasa did not approve this action. He ordered the priests to give him with his own Prathimaaroopa with Shreedevi- Bhoodevi and a Tala, Tamboori, Bettha and Gopala Butti which he used throughout his life.

By the grace of Lord Shreenivasa, Shree Prasanna Venkata Dasaru composed a number of keertanas, Sulaadhis, Ugabhogas, Mundige and he translated the Bhagavatha Dashamaskanda into Kannada in the form of songs. It appears Dasaru was blessed with the Darshan of Lord Shreenivasa several times & Perhaps his famous Kruti "Tappu Nodade Bandeya" was a spontaneous outcome when he obtained “Sakshaathkhara " of Lord Shreenivasa first time. Recital of His Composition "Bideno Ninnaghri Shreenivasa" has become an integral part of every Dasa Sahitya Function.

Shree Prasanna Venkata Dasaru was well aware of the need of Niyata Gurugalu & that Guruvina Gulamanaaguvatanaka Doryedanna Mukuti. With samskara of Scholar’s family, though uneducated in the childhood, he learnt Shastra under Mudgala Janaradhanaachara of Galagali even after Sakshatkaara.

Although Prasanna Venkata Dasaru composed thousands of keertanas, suladi and ugabhogagalu, As per Kannada and Culture publications of samagra Dasasahitya Samputa-8 in 2003 , it was 449. With the support of Varadendra Sahityamandal, Lingasur and individual researchers like Laxmikant Patil and other traditional Bhajana Mandali Members & Individual Seva Kartaru another 180 unpublished krutis have been located and as of now 630 Keertanas are available. The search to locate the other compositions is still on, to see if they are available in any of the traditional houses in the interiors of Karnataka. Many of his compositions have been sung by famous Dasa Sahitya singers like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Puttur Narasimha Nayak, Sri Anant Kulkarni (from Bagalkot and devotee of Dasaru), Madhava Gudi, Prasanna Korti and many more.

His ugabhoga on Nava vidha Bhakti is simple, lucid and appealing. His works include, Shatcharana Padhya maala, Naradha Koravanji, NarayaNa panjara, Bramara Geetha, Gopi Geetha, Sathya Bhama Vilaasa, Poorvaardha Dashama Skandha Bhagavatha & many songs in simple Kannada. Some of them on Balakrishna meant for tiny tots also.

 His song

Chanchalisadhiru Neenu Chathuranaagu |

Innu Vanchisadhe Sakalavannoppisu Harige Manve ||

is very famous for neethi Marga speaking about the conditions of “mind”. He says that one should attain vairagya in Vishaya PadhaaRtha and always concentrate mind on God .

On Ekadashi day Bhadrapada Shukla paksha, Shreenivasa gave him Darshan in the form of Balakrishna and engrossed seeing the Paramathma’s Roopa, spontaneous kruti emerged at the end of his life. "Daro Nee Chinna Daro”. That was the last dEvadanAma he composed . He attained Vaikuntha on the same day in 1752 AD.

His old house At Bagalkot is now submerged under waters of Upper Krishna Project and the same is relocated at C-35 Sector No-3 Nava Nagara Bagalkot.

Shreedevi-Bhoodevi sahita Shreenivasa prathima roopa and Tala, Bettha (stick), the Sangli Tamboori & Gopala Butti which he used throughout his life can be seen in this house now. Lord Krishna danced to his song “Kartha Krishnaiya nee barayya" and this idol can also be seen.

Shree Prasanna Venkata Dasaru lived in Badami also for several Years & he installed Mukhya Prana Devaru on the bank of Agasthya Teertha. There is also one Big Chabutara (Katte) that is known by his name as "Prasanna Venkata Dasara Katte".

The Mysore University Adhyana Samsthe has brought out two Books containing his life History and compositions and second one on his Bhagawata. There is another treatise by Sri Krishna Kolhara Kulkarni on him. The TTD publications have brought a book ‘Srinivasana HaDugaLu’ containing compositions of Sri Prasanna VenkaTa Dasaru with commentaries on each song. Popular kannada Novelist Smt Rekha Kakhandaki who is also a membar of Dasara family has brought out life history & his contribution to Dasa Sahitya in the form of Novel "Shree Prasanna Venkata Vijaya", which is worth reading.

Sri Prasanna Venkata Prakasahana, a subsidiary of Sri Prasannavenkata Cultural & Charitable Trust (R) Bangalore was formed in 2010 with active participation of Dasara Vamshastharu in general & Dr Subhash Kakhandaki in particular and it is dedicated to Samshodahane (Research) of Haridasara krutis and Publication and is bringing out as many works of Shree Prasanna Venkata Dasaru as possible every Year. The Trust is a non profit organisation with the main aim of Jnana Prasara of Dasaru, hence sales proceeds of the book will be used for publication of Dasara Kruti's and bringing out Dasa Vani CD every year. For the last 5 years 12 Books & 4 CDs have been brought out by the Trust.

With unstinting efforts of this organisation and other organisations Like Varadendra Haridasa Sahitya Mandal Kasaba Lingasugur , various Bhajana Mandals and various individuals, it has been possible to bring out 180 unpublished new krutis of Dasaru in the last three to four years.

Some of the krutees by him may be summarised as follows :

- “Satyabhaama Vilasa” or “Srikrishna Paarijata” – It has 51 stanjas

- Narayana Panjara – It has 40+ stanzas – comprising of stuti on Srihari

- Bedha Muktavali – It is a kolu haadu – praising all the devates taratamyanusaara – Madhwa matha samarthana kruti

- Samastanama Manigana Shatcharana Padyamala – It has 70+ Stanzas – another Haristuti – with more samskruta influence

- Narada Koravanji – This is a kruti – wherein Naarada will come as a Koravanji to narrate Rukmini’s birth, Rukmini Kalyana, etc

- Bhagavatha – Krishna Charite