Sri Vijaya Dasaru was born in the year 1682. He was a renowned saint from Haridasa tradition of Karnataka in the 18th century and a scholar of Dvaita philosophical tradition. Along with the contemporary Haridasa saints such as Gopala Dasa, Helevankatte Giriamma, Jagannath Dasa, Prasanna Venkata Dasa, Venugopala Dasa, Mohana Dasa and Kallur Subbanachar, he spread the merits of the beliefs of Madhwacharya across South India through devotional songs called Devaranama written in the Kannada language.
An essential part of Kannada Vaishnava devotional literature, these compositions in praise of Lord Vishnu are called Dasara Padagalu (compositions of the dasas). These compositions can also be specifically categorized as kirtan dance, suladis, ugabhogas, and simply Padas. They were very easy to sing to the accompaniment of Indian musical instrument and also be dealt with bhakti and virtues of living a good life.
Early Years of Sri Vijaya Dasaru
Vijaya Dasa was born in a poor Brahmin family in Cheekalaparvi in Manvi taluk of Raichur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. His parents were Sri Srinivasappa and Kusamma. He left home at a young age and studied Sanskrit literature in Varanasi for four years. Later when his marriage was troubled by poverty, he went back to Varanasi where he became a scholar. One night, he had a dream in which the 16th century composer of Carnatic Music and wandering saint Purandara Dasa initiated him into the Haridasa tradition and gave him the nom de plume (Ankita Nama) Vijaya Vittala. From that day he was called Vijaya Dasa (dasa means slave to God), and dedicated his life to spreading Dvaita teachings.
Compositions and Ministry of Sri Vijaya Dasaru
Sri Vijaya Dasaru is considered second only to the Purandara Dasa. The 25, 000 compositions also earned him the title of Dasa Shresta (noble among the Dasas). There are immense uses of Sanskrit language in his musical composition, and are also considered a crucial element of Kannada literature. Some of the purported miracles also include calming the Ganges, entering it without getting wet, and preventing a woman from committing suicide, resurrecting his son, and making an uneducated man speak difficult Sanskrit proficiently. He is also among a group that is actually credited with the starting the practice of singing devotional songs while walking up the Tirumala hills in modern Andhra Pradesh. These hills are the domicile of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, an imperative pilgrim destination for Vaishnava Hindus
Sri Vijaya Dasaru died in the year 1755.
