Gopala Dasaru and his Disciples – Part 3

P.S: Gopala Dasara Aaradhane – Jan 14th Saturday USA, Jan 15th India

Part 1 in case you missed : Part 1 in case you missed : https://meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/?p=12077

Part 2 can be found here : https://meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/?p=12086

Srinivasa Charya (the future Jagannath Dasa) came to Gopala dasaru on the orders of Vijaya dasaru. It is popularly believed that when he was suffering from stomach pain as a result of disobeying Vijaya Dasaru, Gopala dasaru relieved it by giving him Jowar Roti.

Every year, Gopala dasaru used to go to Tirupati’s brahmotsava without fail. Once Srinivasacharya went to Tirupati with him and was climbing a hill on foot when he fell sick and died. There are many stories about how Gopala dasaru became famous for his miraculous behavior like when Gopaladasa remembered his teacher Vijaya dasaru and donated forty years of his life to Srinivasacharya by chanting Dhanvantari stotra.

Gopala dasaru had a group of disciples. Srinivasacharya, as instructed by Gopaladasaru, went to Pandarapura and bathed in Bhimarathi, got the ‘Jagannath Vithala Ankita‘ and got the name Jagannathdasa. Gopaladasaru’s family gave Ankita to his three brothers. Senappa and Dasappa became Aparoksha Jnani like there brother. Helavanakatte Giriamma was one of Gopaladasa’s most prominent disciples. It is said Gopaladasru had realized Lord Krishna in Rangoli for Giriamma.

On Pushya Krishnashtami (1762 AD) of Chitrabhanu Samvatsara, Gopal Dasaru died in Uttanoor .

There is a house where Gopaladas lived in that town. In the kirtan written by his brother Senappa Dasaru about Gopaladasaru, Kambani says, ‘Anna Bhaganna nee kanni ke mai mai punya lokava bhaitya’. Another psalm deals with Anna’s birth, pilgrimage, formation of words and Madhvamata campaigns. Through such structures, folk stories and literary creations of Gopaladas we get to know about his life and personality.

All details about Sri Gopala Dasaru and his compositions : https://meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/category/sri-madhwacharya/sri-gopala-dasaru/