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KARNATAKA VAISHNAVA DASAS.
ON THE KARNATAKA VAISHNAVA DÂSAS. BY REV. F. KITTEL, MERKARA.
IN connection with the
articles on
the early Vaishnava Poets of Bengal that are appearing in the Indian Antiquary, it may not be out of place to offer a few remarks on the Karnataka Vaishnava Dâs a literature. In doing so, I confine myself to a collection of 402 Dása padas (servant-songs) that appears to have been made chiefly by Dr. Moegling. A selection of 174 of them was printed at Mangalûr twenty years ago, and reprinted at Bangalûr
in 1871.
NOVEMBER, 1873.]
The Karnataka Dása Padas are composed in the Raghațâ or Raghalâ metre, a subdivision of the Mâtrà Chhandas, that is expressly stated to be used for poems that are to be sung. Each of the songs has a refrain (pallava or palla) which, in the manuscripts, is put at the head; the number of verses (stanzas) in the different songs varies much-some consisting of only two, others of more than fifty. Each song has also a more or less clear mudriká or signature, as it is called. This is a final verse that contains the name of the author combined with a homage, or an exhortation not to neglect the homage, due to his cherished deity, or rather idol. For instance, one Dâsa's name is Kanaka, and a signature of his runs thus: "Hear ye all Kanaka's words! Understand ye all, and repeat! If ye do not understand what has been said in pure Kanarese, Adi Kesava (a Krishna idol at a place called Kâgi nělě) himself doubtless knows (it)." If he does not put down his own name (frequently: Kanaka's Adi Kesava), he signs with "Kagi nele's Adi Kesava," or Adi Kesava of Bada," or simply with "Adi Kesava" (or "Kesava"). In one mudrika he uses the expression "Adi Kesava of Chanda nělě."
Thus it is found that 160 songs of the collection belong to Purandara Dâ sa, 98 to Varaha Dasa, 43 to Kanaka Dasa,
The first mention of a Hari D&sa in a Liñgkita (Saiva) work, that I remember, occurs in the Kanarese Channa Bisav Puran (of A.D. 1585), where it is stated that the Hari (or Vaishnava) D&sa, called Kați NA. yaka of Suggaluru, became a Liñgaita, and then assumed the name of Mahi Linga Devayya. This happened towards the end of the rule of the Ballalas. By the way, regarding the extent of the Ba11Ala dominions, I remark that not far from the private sanitarium of Mangalur gentlemen, on the Ghats, to the east of that town, on the Kudure mukha (horse-face) mountain, there are the ruins of a Ballala Raja Durga. The
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20 to Vithala Dasa, 13 to Venkaṭa Dâsa, 9 to Vijaya Dâsa, 7 to Madhva Dâsa, 5 to Udupu's Krishna Dasa, 5 to Vaikuntha Dâsá, etc. The remaining signatures, however, are less precise; for instance, I cannot decide whether the Dâsa who three times signs "Vithala Râya" is different from the Vithala mentioned above. Besides there are five songs, as the headings state, in Hindusthani, with the signature of Ka pîr Gulâ m.t
The language of most of the Kanarese songs is simple and popular; some four or five Hindusthani words only have I met with. Many songs, however, are rather unpolished. Not a few are frequently sung or quoted by all sorts of people.
Regarding the history of the Karnataka Dâsas I know only a little that is certain. The apparently general tradition is that Kanak a Dasa belonged to the tribe of the Bêdas, a low class of Dravidians that live by the chase. He is believed to have been born about 300 years ago. Some say that his birthplace was Kagi nělé (i. e. crow-ground) in the Chittledurg division of Maisûr, others that it was the small gráma of Bâ da in the Kôda Tâluk of the Dharavâda (Dhârwâd) Zilla. Both traditions place his death at Kâ gi něle, the second locating this village also in the Dharavâḍa Zilla. There is a Bâda (or Bada?) not far from Bankapura; and one song that has the refrain: "What is good, O god? Thy meraber (anga), O god, Lakshmi's Narasinga of Bankapura!" and indicates Adi Kesava in its mudrika, points to that direction, as would also the not unfrequently occurring mudriká: "The Adi Kesava of Bada," if Bada and Bada meant the same. But Bada, i. e. North (scil. Tirupati or Venkata,) might mean Baḍa Včñkata, i. e. Tirupati of the north, there being another one to the south near Madhurâ; or
Ball4las have been alluded to in Ind. Ant. vol. I. pp. 40 seqq., p. 158. p. 360; and vol. II. p. 131.
This personage possibly is Kabir, the disciple of R&mânanda, 1350 A.D.; see Ind. Ant. vol. II. p. 189. The Kanarese write also "Vithôpa" instead of "Vithoba."
This place of pilgrimage is in the Arkadu (Arcot) district. "Tiru" is the Sanskrit "Srt." Tirupati (Sripati, Vishnu) means the idol and the place itself. See Ind. Ant. vol. I. p. 192. A common name for the whole Kard Male (black hill) range of ghats from Tirupati to Sri
