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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Kanakadasa, the divine bard

 

CHENNAI, OCT. 22. If we recall the contribution made by saints to

reform and lead us to the Divine kingdom and remember their lives

of sacrifice, our heads will surely bow, our bodies bend in awe

and reverence and tears will gush. We believe in the incarnation

of God and God's deputies and their subsequent manifestations. In

the Mahabharata, there is a reference to the appearance of Yama,

the Lord of Justice, as Vidhura who symbolised Righteousness. He

is said to have come back as a Divine bard, singing the praise of

God.

 

In nearly all cases, the vision of God appears to such

enlightened personalities after getting initiation from a

religious guide but in the case of this messenger, God gave him

Darshan first and then directed him to approach the guide. When

he started spreading the Divine glory, some asked him the

familiar question whether God can be seen and his reply was in

the affirmative but said the vision may be indirectly revealed.

As he sat in worship, a snake appeared and while all those

assembled ran away, he continued his service. Later, a dog

entered the place and people chased it away. Questioned why God

had not appeared as yet, the saint said He had come and gone (as

the reptile and the canine) but they missed the opportunity. The

saint was a shepherd but was transformed completely as God chose

him specifically to go about and through his outpourings enable

men to approach Him.

 

This famous saint of the 16th century was Kanakadasa, who

belonged to the ``Dasa'' order (peripatetic singing minstrels).

Saturated with devotion, he had composed thousands of musical

compositions. When priests would not allow him to enter the

shrine at the pilgrim centre, Udupi, Lord Krishna's image turned

from east to west and gave him darshan through the window. God

goes by the genuine display of devotion and not by other

considerations, said Sri R. Sridhar Rao in a lecture.

 

As God's call to him to become His messenger was resisted, young

Kanaka was given a test. In a battle, he got seriously injured

and God's alchemic touch made him normal and strong. A light

permeated his body but the Lord had disappeared. Commanded as

said earlier, his preceptor gave a mantra (which meant

``buffalo'') and in all sincerity, he recited it and a buffalo

did appear and the Guru ordered that the animal be deployed to

serve as a barrier to prevent the leakage of water from one spot

in a tank. Even now, this place in Madanapalli taluk is called

``Kanaka Tubu''. The buffalo was the vehicle of Yama.

 

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