Sri Gopaladaasaru Guru bhakti personified Part2

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Namaskara to all Haribhaktaas.

 

Sri Gopala daasaru Gurubhakti Personified Part 2 .

 

Thus, with the guidance of the great saint Sri Gopala daasaa an amsha of

Ganapati, the pandit Venkatataraamaachaar became a sanyaasi and obtained

aparoxa. Vyaasa tatvagyaru also had the fortune of having the darshan of

Mantralaya Mahaprabhu Sri Raghavendraswami in His dream which I shall explain in

another messag.

At a place called Manavi there lived an erudite scholar by the name

Srinivaasaachaar. He was a pandit par excellence and would discard with disdain

all the Haridaasaas saying that they did not even know to do the daily pooja

perfectly as they were unaware about the myriad forms and various mantras

to propitiate the almmighty. Once, by the will of providence the great saint and

the amsha of Bhrigu Sri Vijayadaasaaru had camped near Manavi and had invited

the pandit for partaking of Haripraasaadaa. But Srinivaasaachaaryaa simply

scorned at the prospect of going to the feast and insulted the

daasaa.

When Sri Vijayaraayaru questioned about the abscence of the scholar it was told

to Him that srinivaasaachaarya had stomach ache and hence could not attend the

teertha prasaadaaa. The daasaru just nodded his head knowing the true reason

for a great aparoxa gyaani he was. Here Gopala daasaru was shocked

that His preceptor was insulted and could not console Himself. Shastraaas say

that if even we hear about our Guru nindane we should atone for the sin. Since,

Sri Gopala daasaaru had so much of respect for His Guru he fasted for three

days to wipe the sin of just hearing His guru being insulted. What

an example of Gurubhakti? In nowadays situation where students are taken to

the habit of nick naming their preceptors and openly reprimanding their teachers

and sometimes even holding demonstrations against them it is reallly difficult

to understand these concepts.

This Srinivaasaachaaryaa then suffered from a stomach ailment which apparently

had absolutely no cure and went from pillar to post to cure himself of the

stomachache. But in vain. He went to Sholinghur to pay respects to Sri

Narasimhaswamy and Yogaanjaneyar(for those devotees who have not seen it and

come to India please make it a point to visit this place which is around 1hour

drive from Arakkonam.

This place is also called Ghatikaachalam since the Lord stopped here fora period

of a Ghatika to bless the sages assembled here and also the anjaneyaswami is in

the yoga pose wiht shanka and chakra which is quite unique and this place is

capable of driving out evil spirits and other ailments) and other

places but of no avail. Finally, He decided to go to the place of His elder

brother in previous birth and seek refuge at His feet. It was none other than

Mantralaya Mahaprabhu who was Prahlada and Srinivasacarya is supposed to be the

younger brother Sahlada. He did Seva for some time but unfortunately

still the pain continued. So one day he decided to give up his life. But the

Lord had sent Him to this earth for some other purpose and hence there was not

possibility to exit the place before the completion of the same. The saint of

Mantraalyaaa appeared in His dream and told him the cause of the

ailment . Srinivaasaachaaryaa repented for having done apachaara to the

daasashresta and wanted to make amends. Sri Raaghavendra Sripaadaru instructed

Him to go and meet Sri Vijayadaasaru and get hisremedy. This event is a very

interesting one if we analyse it.

Sri Vijayadaasaru in His Bhrigu avataara had kicked the Lord on the chest and

the Lord the abode of compassion had pardoned Him unconditionally whereas Here

the same saint was insulted by another pundit and the Lord was unwilling to

forgive Him. Indeed the Lord as He says in the ninth chapter of the

Srimadbhagavadgeetha madbhakta sa me priyah.

If we look at another angle the Lord sometimes to uplift a deserving devottee in

order to bring down his excess punya during the course of the sadhana makes the

devoteee to commit some unpardonable sin like in the above case and we have to

take recourse in the same chapter the two shlokas:30 & 31

 

Apichetsuduraachaaaroo .......na me bhakta pranashyati//

 

When Srinivasachaarya fell at the feet of Sri Vijaya Daasaru the latter again

instructed Him to go to Gopala Daasaru and seek remedy for his ailment. Again

perhaps satisfied by the gurubhakti of Sri Gopala Daasaru who did not eat for 3

days the saint asked so.!

Srinivasacharya reached Uddanur and enquired about Sri Gopala Daasaru and got

the reply that He will be at the temple. He did accordingly and found a man

sweeping the temple and was clad in a very simple dress. He asked Him

whereabouts of the Daasaara House. The person guided Him by giving directions

and when He went there again they told them that the daasaru was at the temple.

With the stomach ailment he was shuttling from the temple and the house.

Finally he asked the person at the temple where he could find Sri Gopala daasaa

and the saint revealed Himself to him.

He prostrated and started to sing about the daasa in Mohana raagaa:

" Gopaladasa Raaya Ninna Paada naan nambide nischaya.............

The compassionate saint asked Him to come to the tank in the morning after the

ablutions and promised to cure Him of his diesease.

The next day the daasa made 2 bakri(roti or chappati from flour sans oil) and

made abhimantrana of Dhanvantri in it with the following song

Yenna binappa kelu dhanvantri ..........

Dhanvantri devata with the kalasa of amrita sprinkled ambrosia (only to cure the

sickness) on the bakri to be given to srinivasacharya and also explained the

futility of the saints's efforts since srinivasacharya was destined to die the

next day.

Sri Gopala daasaru waited for the STD from Vijayadaasaru who could contact Him

without anuy means of communication from where he was(wireless!!!!) for he could

not avail of the trunk dialling facility.

As soon as the guru spoke to Him he paid His obeissance to Him and told about

the predicament. Sri Vijayadaasaru asked Him to give the aayur dana (40years of

His life to srinivasacharya) and like ekalavya wihtout any hesitation aggreeed

to His master's command. Again this concept may be incoherent to

many students who are the symbol of disobedience and prefer to do just the

opposite nowadays.

One may imagine is this possible? If the Puru of the puranas could give His

youth to Yayati and recently if Babur could give His life for Humayaun why could

this not happen? Also, nowadays do we not find the trnasplantation of

kedney,eyes,etc....

Thus the saint after making kshetraadana decided to go to Tirumala to have the

last glimpse of Sri Venkatanaatha. He weeps siunging this song before the Lord

for in the previous visits He used to say that he will come againg to get a

glorious glimpse.

Hogivenu baralare malalillie naagagirivaasaa eesa srisaa....

He goes back tio Uddanur to finish his sojourn on this earth. He calls His

disciples and states His previous births as to what were the low births He had

to take and How in this birth fortunate to have Sri Vijayadaasaru as His guru

was able to know something of aparoxa and he was to take two more

births one in the line of Vyaasatatvatgyanru and other to one of His own

descendants. One fine day His tamboora string breaks and when his disciple sets

about to repair it He prevents them to do so saying that it should be used for a

new one.

On a Saturday during the chitrabanu samvatsara,1762A.D.,pushya bahula ashtamai

He asked for special pooja at the srinivasa templee of Uddanaur and after that

asked His brother dasappa to bring darba to sit on it. After,sometime His

another brother Varadappa hails Him going on a chariot with messengers

of the Lord and wails and breaks up into a song.

Annaa Bhaagannaa ni kannige mareyaagi

Punya loka seridiye guruve........

 

Thus, Sri Gopala dasaru lived from 1722 to 1762 after happily donating 40years

of his life on the orders of His guru. Really one has to search in the firmament

of the saints frantically to spot such a great personality who was the epitome

of Gurubhakti.

Sri Gopala daasaantargat Sri Gopalavittala preetyartam

Sri Krisnaarpanamasthu.

Yours in the Service of Sri Harih.

Dr. B. Basker.